Change . . .

(from John Adams, by David McCullough)
". . . All that part of Creation that lies within our observation is liable to change. . . Even mighty states and kingdoms are not exempted. If we look into history, we shall find some nations rising from contemptible beginnings and spreading their influence, until the whole globe is subjected to their ways. When they have reached the summit of grandeur, some minute and unsuspected cause commonly affects their ruin, and the empire of the world is transferred to some other place. Immortal Rome was at first but an insignificant village, inhabited only by a few abandoned ruffians, but by degrees it rose to a stupendous height, and excelled in arts and arms all the nations that preceded it. But the demolition of Carthage (what one should think should have established it in supreme dominion) by removing all danger, suffered it to sink into debauchery, and made it at length an easy prey to Barbarians. . . England immediately upon this began to increase (the particular and minute cause of which I am not historian enough to trace) in power and magnificence, and is now the greatest nation upon the globe. . ."

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

My latest solo offering, No Frills, is now available at - No Frills

(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)

Get your copy of OHO's  Where Words Do Not Reach now!
The Ocean City Ditty Video is now on YouTube
Also, be sure to visit: www.rayjozwiak.com and www.ohomusic.com

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Writing . . .

. . . songs . . . 

(from http://thateventuality.tumblr.com/post/65262409680/ive-said-it-before-but-one-of-the-real-reasons-i)
". . .I’ve said it before, but one of the real reasons I started getting into composing is that I thought: ‘Well, if John and Paul can write songs…’…The hang-up of playing my songs to John and Paul always used to hold me back, as I’ve said, because I knew how it would sound finished, and I had to try and convince them in one play. For that reason, there are a lot of numbers of mine that I decided not to do anything about. It was a shyness - a withdrawal - and I always used to take the easy way out. . . Now? Well, maybe I’m cocky! Because now, I don’t care if nobody else likes it. It’s a matter of taste. And maybe I don’t like some of their songs, either. What I still do, though, is to bring out the numbers I think are the easiest to get across. The ones I think will take the shortest time to make an impact… the ones that’ll sound the nicest tunes…Summing me up, I don’t mind admitting that I definitely USED TO BE self-conscious. But now I’ve got less hang-ups about everything, not just music. . ."

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

My latest solo offering, No Frills, is now available at - No Frills

(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)

Get your copy of OHO's  Where Words Do Not Reach now!
The Ocean City Ditty Video is now on YouTube
Also, be sure to visit: www.rayjozwiak.com and www.ohomusic.com

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All We Are Saying . . .

(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jihadi_John)
". . . [Mohammed]Emwazi was given his pseudonym as John by a group of his hostages. The hostages have said that he was part of a terrorist cell described as "The Beatles", and that he guarded Western hostages while handling communications with their families. The pseudonym makes reference to John Lennon of the Beatles, and other members of the cell are known as "George", "Paul" and "Ringo", in reference to the Beatles' other members. The cell members all had English accents. The pseudonyms "Jihadi John" and "Jailer John" were created by the British press. . ."

(from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2743813/Ringo-Starr-disgusted-ISIS-Brits-nicknamed-The-Beatles-It-s-b-t-They-against-stood-for.html#ixzz3SwYKYyME)
". . . Ringo Starr is disgusted that British jihadis in Syria have been nicknamed 'The Beatles', claiming ISIS is against everything his former band stood for. The nickname was revealed by a former ISIS captive who said the gang of British extremists had been compared to the group from Liverpool because of their accents. The man thought to be responsible for beheading American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff has been dubbed 'Jihadi John', while two other British jihadis are being called Paul and Ringo. . ."

What do you think?

Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html  or at
http://www.ohomusic.com 


OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak.  Please Visit http://www.ohomusic.com 


My latest solo offering, Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak, featuring original, instrumental piano music will be released April 7, 2014  Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak

(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)

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

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Striving . . .

. . . for something . . . but not always being able to explain exactly what . . .



(from http://www.furious.com/perfect/ericdolphy2.html)
 . . . "Eric was a very, very gifted musician and a very nice guy on top of it," McCoy Tyner told me in a recent interview. "He had a very personal approach to playing and enjoyed expanding the limits of imagination. Eric played so many instruments, his pockets were bulging with all these mouthpieces," McCoy said chuckling at the memory. "He was the first guy to come on as a guest with the band. At the time he came along he was doing his own thing and made a tremendous impression. We felt that the quartet was self-contained. Jimmy, Elvin and I felt that we had built something and were still on that journey. We didn't exactly understand where John was going in terms of adding Eric. We were like little kids in a sense like this is our band and we want to keep it that way. But then again it wasn't like we didn't want to share our experience. John was the leader and he was the one that made the final decisions. He decided that maybe if I do this, this will cause something else to happen. And it did! They played so differently. Eric added another dimension to the sound. John never rested on his laurels. He was like a scientist in the laboratory always searching for something new or different. By adding Eric he was expanding the music. John and Eric had a very different type of life experience. Eric had a very academic approach. He studied a lot. John coming from the South had that real gutsy approach. His father was a minister and his grandfather was a minister. He spent a lot of time in church and you could hear that in the music. At the same time there were points where the two met and could make something very interesting happen."

"Eric added a very interesting component to the music," McCoy continued. "John believed in what Eric was doing. He wanted to help him. At the same time he wanted to open the music up. It was a very good experience for Eric as well, being surrounded by the quartet. Ole was one of the highlights of Eric's presence. He had his own approach to the bass clarinet. He had personal things he would do on the instrument and got sounds out of it that you normally didn't hear on a bass clarinet. He was very animated and very enthusiastic.". . . (Note:  Be patient. Eric's solo starts at about 4:07)

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

OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD)

My latest solo release, '2014', can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak4)

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

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Upcounty . . .

(Okay, so the picture is truly superfluous - EXCUSE ME!!!)


Just heard about these guys.  I like them.  (It doesn't hurt, of course, that my brother will soon be their steel guitarist.  GO JOHN!!!!)


(from http://www.reverbnation.com/theupcountyband)
About The Up County Band
The Up County Band
Hometown: Dundalk, MD
Genres: Country / Alt.Country / Americana
Members: Joe Kurek- lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, Nick "Sterling" Stricklin-Lead guitar, vocals, Sean "Bon" Gurney-Bass guitar, vocals, Dave Voss-Drums

We are The Up County Band! We are a country/rock band from the Baltimore area. We are an up beat, in your face, loud and proud country act ... This ain't ya Daddys country! We write all of our own original music, and perform a wide variety of covers, new and old. We love performing covers for the fans but we pride ourselves in our own originals. Thinking outside the box, while staying true to your roots is important to us, so that we are able to create a diverse collection of new unique country music. If you come to see us live, expect to see a fast paced, loud, honky-tonk style show. Our fans have come to know us on stage as the bunch of redneck goofballs that we are. We'll be laughin', drinkin', and shakin' our asses up there and we expect the same from our fans ... we're up there havin' the time of our lives and we want to share it with you. So, check out our tunes, and videos, become a fan, like us on face book, and stay in touch with us so we can see ya out at the next show! Later y'all!
TUCB

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

OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is available at Trax On Wax (exclusively--or until CD baby sets up a page for it) on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville (MD).  Don't pay any more than the suggested retail price of $2.99.

My latest solo 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:
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Plunge . . .

At heaven's door we pick the lock
When all we had to do was knock
Though Alice she rattles her train of chains
The fetters are inward all the same

Take a look as you fall
Passing through another wall
Here is where the corn is cut
The wind comes down
Get off the pot
Get off the pot
Get off the pot

It's your world the way that you live
Eats the smile right off your face         
You're not in Kansas anymore
I am the sheath I cry for more

Biding trends and waves of shock
The turbulence it turns me on
Nonetheless we're born and rocked
By divas, drunks and Barbie dolls

I signed up for high-wired acts
If I lose my balance just cut me some slack
I'm holding out for what can be
emc-squared possibility

Experience to be alive
The abstract now is literalized
You have dreams and nightmares to explore
Get the goods
Get off the floor
Get off the floor
Get off the floor


Plunge
(Basic tracks for OHO-Jay Graboski, David Reeve, Ray Jozwiak)
by John P. Graboski




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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Hanging. . .

 . . . while El Sledge(+) jams. . .

Persevere and ye shall be rewarded.  Matthew, Stephen and John reveal the musical truth last Wednesday in Baltimore. . . just in case you missed it.

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You can NOW download your
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newest release:
AMBIENCE & WINE

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John, Paul, George, Ringo. . .

. . . and Ray. Well OK. I didn't LITERALLY become one of the Beatles. But I did learn to imitate, to some childish/childlike extent, a Beatles performance of I Want To Hold Your Hand and She Loves You. I used to sing them to the bus driver on the way to school and to any and ALL of my relatives- most of whom were a more than receptive audience.

This Beatles 'experience' led me to my first public performance. My Mother's sister was a member of the 'Ladies Organization' at her church and one of their activities was an annual Mothers' Day breakfast and showcase. The affair was held in the church hall and consisted of a breakfast of bacon, eggs, biscuits, hash browns, fruits and cakes followed a program of Polish folk dancers, an occasional crooner and some 'talented' children or possibly a novelty act. I was recruited to be the youngest member of the Beatles, this incarnation comprised of some older boys, offspring of other of the 'Holy Family' membership, all of whom I had never met.

We all wore wigs, made cleverly and skillfully of black construction paper, picture THAT, if you will. The Beatles record was played, and we all sang along. No Nilly Vanilly lip-synching stuff for us NO SIR! And I even played my little, plywood, Toy Barn acoustic guitar, which I incidentally didn't even really know how to play. I only knew the 'moves'.

But, fortunately for this group of wayward impersonators, the 'moves' were indeed what counted, because as fate would have it, we were A HIT! Of course not for our musical abilities, though. We were a hit because we were the children of members and relations to members of the ladies sodality at the church. But that didn't matter to us. As a matter of fact, I don't believe I ever even saw those other Beatles again, and if I did, it was never again in a Beatles capacity to be sure. Nor do I know whether or not any of them pursued solo careers (certainly none achieved individual success to the extent that McCartney did) but a lasting impression was made upon me.


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ANOTHER SHOT
by Ray Jozwiak