Life . . .

. . . is a musical.


That's what I used to tell my kids when something occurred that reminded me of a song.  Like one would complain about rainy weather, to which I would respond with a musical 'Here comes the sun. . . doo 'n doo doo. . . ' Or a younger one might be pestering his older sibling, a situation in which I would offer comfort to the older by singing, 'Mama said there'd be days like this. . .'  Well, you get the picture.

Now mind you I'm not really a very big fan of the typical Broadway musical where characters frequently break into corny songs in the middle of the 'action.' Some are, of course, more appealing to me than others depending upon the composer, the subject matter etc.  And I've even been told that some of my original music reminds various people of show-tunes, an observation to which I do NOT object.  There are only 12 notes in our western musical system you know.

But back to life. . . waiting for one of life's most mundane, and to some even one of life's most feared experiences, my six-month dental checkup, its (life, that is) musical connection revisits me in all its unadulterated truth.  My dentist is also, in fact, a musician. . .

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html

My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak3)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

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Twelve . . .

. . . more hours . . .



So many things I'd like to do
So many places to see
And I feel like
There's never enough
Time for anything else
That I might desire to undertake
Something I'd like to purse
But the world's just spinning around
Keeps me head and foot-bound
Don't know what to do

Give me just twelve hours
To add to my day
Keep all your wealth and your money
Take your fame and power
For time just give me twelve hours

Time isn't cheap
You pay so dearly
I'm trying to make every minute count
Penny count

Spending my time seem like all i do
Can't save up for rainy days
Can't invest in
An instrument to
Earn satisfaction to draw from
When far-in-the future I need to feel
Just what my value has been
There's no interest that's coming or due
Dividends are so precious and few
Don't know what to do

Give me just twelve hours
To add to my day
Keep all your wealth and your money
Take your fame and power
For time just give me twelve hours


Twelve Hours
© 2012 Raymond M. Jozwiak
from Black & White Then Back






What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html

My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak3)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

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Fan . . .

. . . Favorite Award

Deadline Wednesday, February 12, Noon

It's here - the only Wammies award where non-WAMA members can vote for the winner. Only one vote per person allowed.

Cast Your Fan's Favorite Vote in the 28th Annual WAMMIE Awards for me, Ray Jozwiak(my release "Black & White Then Back" in on the ballot for 2013's Best Jazz Recording)
HERE
No pressure PLEASE!!!!

Don't bother if you wish.  Just enjoy the music (below) instead . . .

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html

My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak3)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

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The Groove . . .

. . . as it were. . .

Singer/Songwriter, folk, world, improvisation all coming together beautifully.   
 

"Rishi's Garden", performed by Tom Prasada-Rao (www.tomprasadarao.com) with Patty Prasada-Rao, Doug Alan Wilcox & Todd Marcus in concert at the Institute of Musical Traditions (www.imtfolk.org),Takoma Park, MD, USA on May 18, 2011.

Tom Prasada-Rao is a singer-songwriter of breathtaking vision. His voice belies his musicianship and his extraordinary songs. From Rishi's Garden with it's homage to Ravi Shankar to the groove of Sleeping Beauty , Tom's music is melodic, ambitious, and reverent.

When not on tour, Tom is at home, producing records, raising two stepdaughters, and walking one rather large Golden Doodle named Thurman. In addition to producing, he's a teacher, currently at White Rock Montessori in Dallas, formerly of The University of Virginia's Young Writer's Workshops - where he created the songwriting curriculum and taught for eight years.

Sound: Art Isaacs, Dave Eisner, Dave Richardson
Lighting: Robyn Ratcliffe
Camera: Laura Christoplos, Ralph Lillie
Editing: Ralph Lillie
© 2011, Institute of Musical Traditions

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html

My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak3)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

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Never Pleasant . . .

. . . to hear of an untimely death. . .

(from wikipedia.com)
The New York Times described (Philip Seymour) Hoffman as "a stocky, often sleepy-looking man with blond, generally uncombed hair who favored the rumpled clothes more associated with an out-of-work actor than a star." Hoffman "frequently dyed his hair and lost or gained weight for parts" and "was known for a sometimes painful dedication to his craft." In a 2006 interview with 60 Minutes, Hoffman revealed that he had suffered from drug and alcohol abuse after graduating from college, and went to rehab for drug and alcohol addiction, recovering at age 22. He said he had abused "anything I could get my hands on. I liked it all." Hoffman relapsed over 20 years later, checking into a rehabilitation program for about 10 days in May 2013 because of problems with prescription pills and heroin.

On February 2, 2014, Hoffman was found dead by his friend, playwright David Bar Katz, in the bathroom of Hoffman's West Village, Manhattan office apartment. According to the New York City Police Department, the death appeared to be drug-related.

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html

My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak3)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

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Learning . . .

In January 1835, President Andrew Jackson (who harbored a very person dislike of the concept of debt), paid off the entire national debt. To do that, he took advantage of a huge real-estate bubble that was raging in the Western U.S. The federal government owned a lot of Western land — and Jackson started selling it off. He was also ruthless on the budget blocking every spending bill he could.


Meantime, back to the present. . .

Shouldn't we LEARN from our own history?

(Thanks to  http://nextcity.org/equityfactor/entry/here-is-foreign-every-country-that-gets-more-federal-aid-than-detroit and http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/04/15/135423586/when-the-u-s-paid-off-the-entire-national-debt-and-why-it-didnt-last)

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html

My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak3)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

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Hurt . . .

I thought my skin was growing a bit thicker after over ten years of huckstering original music performance and recordings but for some reason, certain things still hurt. A natural-born salesman I most certainly am NOT! When applying for employment upon college graduation I unconditionally dismissed any and all job openings that hinted of sales.  I generally feel that if someone wants or needs something, they will seek it.  Consequently I never wanted to be the one to present them with something which I WANTED them to want or need.

Truth is, my stance on the matter has not really changed in essence since then. The one thing that HAS changed is that, after learning about what constitutes a successful music career (and I guess I have to qualify that by adding "commercially" to 'successful' because let's face it, if you have any talent, ability or passion about music, you do want to reap rewards in the critical and/or financial realms) I am now able to 'salesify' enough to confront a potential audience.  That's just marketing, plain and simple.

So in my joy at being on the WAMMIE ballot for Best Jazz Recording, I thought that, since (from the WAMA website) 'nominations and balloting come from the WAMA membership' that I would bring my good fortune at being nominated to the attention of the WAMA membership because, as a WAMA member myself, I sometime read hastily and more oftentimes FORGET things.  Frequently a small reminder can be most useful. A small reminder is what I intended to send the WAMA members, light-hearted, brief but to the point. So while I don't know all the WAMA members personally, I thought we had a common bond in our 'support' of the Washington area music community. I guess not all WAMA members feel that bond.

Turns out that two 'reprimanding' comments were returned to me in response to my request for a vote;  one from a member I do not personally know and another from one I do.

*Sending unsolicited mass emails to DC musicians that you don't know asking for you vote isn't the best way to gain their support.

*I don't really care much for begging for votes.  Please don't include me
on your list.

Granted the comments were innocuous enough (at least maybe one more than the other) and I have removed the two names from my mailing list in respect of their wishes, or in the case of the first, his implication.

But still . . .
        . . . it hurts.

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html

My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak3)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

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