Jazz Heaven

A few months ago Larry Applebaum, a supervisor and jazz specialist at the Library of Congress, made a monumental discovery for all jazz fans. While sorting through old recordings he found a tape labeled “sp. Event 11/29/57 carnegie jazz concert (#1).” One of the tapes had the marking “T. Monk.”

Until this day, the fabled Thelonious Monk Quartet gig at Carnegie Hall was only a legendary story with no recording known to exist. Now the newly discovered tape has been remastered and was released last week under the title "at Carnegie Hall."

Jazz afficionados rave about this album of a lifetime. A new Monk/Coltrane album released in our lifetime! Not only that, but it is one of the best jazz performances known by these legendary musicians. This concert reveals part of Coltrane's transition from sax prodigy under Miles Davis into the jazz master he soon became.

You can hear more on the story and samples of the album on the All Songs Considered site.

For anyone into jazz or simply curious about the art, at Carnegie Hall a must have. This album is an instant classic that belongs in every personal library next to Kind of Blue and A Love Supreme.

Holiday in Spain

I'm leaving shortly for my vacation in Espana. Lucas and I are flying into Madrid for a couple days, down to Granada and then up to Barcelona for the rest of the week. Much paella will be ate and wine drank. We have a few plans with include bullfights, massages and bath houses, the beach, and not working. This will be the longest I have been out of the city in over a year. It is a much needed break to clear my head and do some reading and writing. I don't plan on updating my blog while I'm away, but I'll most likely submit an update when I return for all of you disinterested people and I'll put my photos on flickr. Adios.

Typhoon Longwang (tee-hee) Penetrates Chinese Coast

I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist the joke.

From CNN.com
BEIJING, China (AP) -- Typhoon Longwang pounded southeast China...

Capote

I saw a special screening of Capote last night and I have to give it two enthusiastic thumbs up!

The film documents Truman Capote's efforts to follow a rural Kansas murder story in the making and turn it into a classic for American literature. Capote leaves New York to meet the convicted murderers and befriend them. As the story progresses he builds emotional ties with the killers as does the audience. Not a dry female eye in the audience. The book he eventually wrote, In Cold Blood, set the precedent for the 'non-fiction novel' as Capote called it. The book is likely to become a best seller again. I've already ordered it =)

All in all, the movie was good with an intriguing story but Philip Seymour Hoffman was the reason to pay $11 for the film. Hoffman staked his claim on the Best Actor Oscar from the first scene on. It was definitely his best work yet. If you don't catch it in the theater, be sure to queue it high on your Netflix list.

Hem on Life

I'm reading Hemingway again. What is it about those simple sentences that make me want to leave my life right now and go live a dream? I close each of his stories with a sense of guilt for not living an adventurous lifestyle like he describes. He did it all and lived every day to its fullest.

War stories. Bullfights in Spain. Safaris in the shadow of Kilimanjaro. Fishing in Cuba. Sipping wine on the terraces of Paris and hanging out with Fitzgerald and Stein. Writing.

I'm reading The Dangerous Summer in preparation for my trip to Spain. If I have time I'll also read Death in the Afternoon. Both of which chronicle his experiences with la corrida in Spain. Hemingway loved bullfighting and experienced it rightly, as an art not a sport. Hopefully I'll learn enough over the next two weeks to fully appreciate it when I experience it first hand next month.

I'm expecting a cathartic experience on my trip. I need some time away from life to gather my thoughts and re-examine this path I'm on. I don't want to waste away at my desk, wishing I was living it up. I'm going to do what I want and not settle for less. I know I say this often, but I'm adamant opposed to living a boring life. Instead, I'm going to take Hemingway's lead and fill my life with adventures and stories.

Bob Dylan: No Direction Home

Be sure to set your Tivo tonight when PBS airs the Martin Scorsese documentary on Bob Dylan, 'No Direction Home'. You can also rent the DVD off of Netflix like I did and watch at your convienience. I also stongly recommend Dylan's autobiography, Chronicles: Volume 1.

Even if you aren't a big Bob Dylan fan, I'm sure that anyone who even listens to music will appreciate this film as it focuses on the life of Dylan as he moves from Minnesota to Greenwich Village and begins to play the folk clubs of New York and explodes into a rockstar. The documentary also gives an unseen intorspective view on the inspirations of his music. This is a must see for anyone who grew up on rock and roll.

Birthday Extravaganza

Holy Crap! That was an awesome birthday! Andrew, Brittney, and I celebrated out birthdays at Croxley Ales last Saturday and had a ball! I think we had over fifty friends there at one point. Thanks to everyone who showed up, you made the night. The weather on the patio was a perfect seventy-two degrees and the night went off without a hitch.

I couldn't stop smiling all night long. It was so much fun to have all of my friends from the city at one place. We're already looking forward to next year so mark your calendars.

Happy Birthday

Today is my birthday! This is my friend Clay. He and my brother like to sit in the dorms naked and hold signs over their privates.

Someone Understands!

For those who know me, but can't figure me out. This guy puts it all into words. I am an introvert and I am special.

Hurricane Rita

From what I hear and read, it is chaos in Houston as people evacute. Essentially every gas station has run dry and almost everyone has loaded up in their SUV and headed out of town. With a metopolis of 5 million, all of the highways have become a parking lot. Horror stories of 13 hour drive resulting in 50 miles of progress.

I've gathered a few links of bloggers staying in Houston to cover the storm along with other usefull nuggets of info:

Houston.Metblogs
blogsofwar

Satellite Image
Storm Watchers
Wunderground - technical analysis

and... an article on the worst case scenario.