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12 Year Old Monster Drummer

Posted 2006-04-22 08:08:32

Video clip of an incredible 12 year old drummer, Tony Royster Jr.

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Yogi Berra on Jazz

Posted 2006-04-22 08:03:05

Got this from a mailing list a while back:

Interviewer: Can you explain jazz?

Yogi: I can't, but I will. 90% of all jazz is half improvisation. The other half is the part people play while others are playing something they never played with anyone who played that part. So if you play the wrong part, its right. If you play the right part, it might be right if you play it wrong enough. But if you play it too right, it's wrong.

Interviewer: I don't understand.

Yogi: Anyone who understands jazz knows that you can't understand it. It's too complicated. That's whats so simple about it.

Interviewer: Do you understand it?

Yogi: No. That's why I can explain it. If I understood it, I wouldnt know anything about it.

Interviewer: Are there any great jazz players alive today?

Yogi: No. All the great jazz players alive today are dead. Except for the ones that are still alive. But so many of them are dead, that the ones that are still alive are dying to be like the ones that are dead. Some would kill for it.

Interviewer: What is syncopation?

Yogi: That's when the note that you should hear now happens either before or after you hear it. In jazz, you don't hear notes when they happen because that would be some other type of music. Other types of music can be jazz, but only if they're the same as something different from those other kinds.

Interviewer: Now I really don't understand.

Yogi: I haven't taught you enough for you to not understand jazz that well.

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What Is Up?

Posted 2006-04-21 15:18:26

Two entries this week... figured it was time to add another.

Played in Hamilton on Wednesday with The Jukes as part of a fundraiser for the radio station out there, and had a great time. It was a bit quiet when we first arrived, but when we got up, the place was filling up and the crowd seemed to dig what we were playing, and I felt we did a strong set.

Been a long work week - actually, the last few months have been pretty busy. I expect a bit of a slow down in May and I'm taking some time off around the long weekend - really looking forward to decompressing a bit.

No gigs this weekend - maybe I'll finally get to those damn taxes!

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Back By Popular Demand

Posted 2006-04-18 11:43:11

So, I'm making (a brief) return to bLogging on my website this morning. I've been encouraged (or harassed) by my fans (both of them) to continue, as their lives aren't complete without my updates *cough*.

Anyhow, what's new? Been really busy at work the last two months, which accounts for my lack of updates. As some of you may understand, after being at a computer for the majority of the day, the last thing you want to do after getting home is to get back on it!

I'm playing in Hamilton tomorrow evening (April 19) as part of a fundraiser for a local radio station there, CFMU 93.3 FM. It will be a short set, but the band, The Jukes, are looking forward to it.

Then, I have the rest of the month off. Would be nice to fit in another gig, but that's how the ball bounces sometimes. May could shape up to be a fairly busy month if some of the pending gigs get confirmed - we'll see.

Anyhow, that's it for now. More another time.

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