Money. . .

The radio is rambling on about Syria with mention of car bombs, Assad, opposition, terrorists, negotiators etc., very sad indeed.  The umpteenth snowstorm is coating the complete pre-spring landscape and once again, complicating a morning commute.  The president has spoken with high schoolers about going to college and how they're going to pay for it. Mere distractions to be sure.

But once again, prompted by the dinner conversation last night, distribution of wealth sneaked into the mix.  The angle this time was not the greed of Wall Street or big business.  This time we zeroed in on the entertainment industry.  Not only the vast amounts of money required to make a major-release motion picture, but also the salaries commanded by professional sports players.  See . . .

". . . For the first time since SI.com began publishing the Fortunate 50 in 2004, Tiger Woods is not No. 1. He's not even No. 2. That honor goes once again to Phil Mickelson. The new No. 1 (for now) is Floyd Mayweather, who was unranked a year ago but scored two huge pay-per-view paydays to earn $85 million without a single endorsement.

This year's list is unique for a couple more reasons. NBA players, who have historically claimed more spots in the Fortunate 50 than any other group, had their salaries slashed by nearly 20 percent this season because of the 66-game schedule brought on by the lockout of 2011.
Our findings consisted solely of salary, winnings, bonuses, endorsements and appearance fees. We consulted players' associations, tour records, agents and news reports. Our endorsement estimates for 2012 came from Burns Entertainment & Sports Marketing, other sports-marketing executives and analysts, and agents. Salary figures were based on current or most recently completed seasons (July 1 for the NFL, which is why Drew Brees, who just signed a $100 million deal last Friday, isn't on the list). For winnings-based sports (auto racing, golf, tennis), we used the 2011 calendar year. Boxing purses are from June 2011 through May 2012. Candidates for the U.S. 50 had to be American citizens and currently active in their sports.
For the 20 highest earning international athletes, go here
. . ."(Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/specials/fortunate50-2012/#ixzz2wDNJ0k1u)

What do you think?
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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)

'2014' available April 8, 2014 at http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak
Pre-order your copy of "2014" at the iTunes Store NOW

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:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

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Radio Radio . . .

Jay's interview on Seacrets radio in OC went really well.  The Ditty sounded great.  The staff reacted favorably.  And Oho was invited to play, live on the radio.  All's right with the world.


Jay Graboski on Seacrets Radio, Ocean City, MD





What do you think?
Tell me at
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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, 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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Just Squeeze. . .

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_accordion)
The first accordion to feature a piano keyboard was probably the instrument introduced in 1852 by Bouton of Paris. Another source claimed the first piano accordion was introduced in 1854 at the Deutsche Industrieausstellung in München. It was showcased by the instrument builder Mattäus Bauer and quickly became a serious competitor to button accordions.

In the United States, the piano accordion dramatically increased in popularity between 1900-1930 based on its familiarity to students and teachers, and its uniformity, whereby accordion dealers and instructors did not have to support different styles of accordions for many European immigrant groups. The piano keyboard layout was also promoted by the fame of Vaudeville performers Guido Deiro and his brother Pietro who premiered the instrument on stage, recordings and radio. After the Deiro's success, popular chromatic button accordionist Pietro Frosini chose to disguise his accordion's buttons to look like a piano keyboard so as not to appear "old-fashioned." 

As of 1972 it could be largely said that the piano system dominated the English-Speaking North American continent, Scotland, and certain East European countries, while differing button systems are generally to be found in Scandinavia, France, Belgium and former Soviet countries. The piano accordion is also predominant in Italy, New Zealand, and Australia.
Comparison to chromatic button layout

Compared to a chromatic button layout, the advantages of using a piano layout on an accordion would be the layout's logical simplicity, the relative size of the buttons for fast legato flows, and its layout compared to standard notation. However, it has a smaller range, is too big to reach notes far apart, such as two octaves, and requires more finger movement to operate.


(We [OHO] are working on Jay's composition 'Paleolithic Goddess Figurine' and are working on adding - an accordion track!)

Paleolithic Goddess Figurine
written by John P. Graboski
performed by OHO- Jay Graboski, David Reeve and Ray Jozwiak





What do you think?
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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:
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Waxing. . .

. . . not so poetically but ever so sincerely, about friends. . .

I think a lot.  Sometimes I think I think too much.  I suspect though that I'm not that much different than most people in that respect; at least not that much different than most thinking people.

Lately I've been thinking about the importance of friends.  At this point in my life, not only do I sincerely place a very high value on the good friends I have made in the recent past, I have also resumed contact with several good friends from the not-too-recent past, thanks to technology (i.e., the internet).  The satisfaction and pleasure of expressing myself musically with Oho cannot adequately be described in words.   Likewise, the reunion and periodic gatherings with my old radio friends from a wonderful, developmental time in my youth brings a contentment like no other.  And only in the last several days, still additional reconnecting with more friends, more geographically dispersed, reminds me of just how rich my life has been in my short two score and sixteen years.

To friends, CHEERS!

What do you think?
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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:
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They're At It Again. . .

. . . or should I say "NOT" at it again . . .

. . . Murrow is turning over in his grave. . .


The Washington Post wrote that an NBC-WSJ showed that seven in 10 people agreed with the statement that Republicans are “putting their own political agenda ahead of what is good for the country”.  At the other end, only 27 percent said that the GOP is “demonstrating strong leadership and standing up for what they believe in.”

House Republicans repeatedly said that their efforts to derail the Affordable Care Act were in response to the wishes of the American people.

WHAT American People????  I shouted at the radio or television every time I heard it.

Why didn't our dear friends in the press, who daily bring us the mealy-mouths and pasty faces of these cartoonish "public servants", ASK THIS QUESTION???

I think the outcome of this debacle answers MY question.

What do you think?
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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:
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Dear Mr. Radioman. . .

". . . I would like to send you a copy of my latest release (via whichever medium YOU prefer) Black & White Then Back in hopes of a review, interview or other airtime. 

Creative Musician Ray Jozwiak's new, digital-download only, solo, instrumental piano music release  BLACK & WHITE then BACK transports you to aural locales inhabited by emotions, sentiments, memories, hopes, joys and challenges we've all encountered. You may even hear a snippet of a song you remember from childhood, have flashes of your first date, recall aromas from the kitchen when you visited your grandmother, remember your favorite summer vacation or when you fell in love.

BLACK & WHITE then BACK is available through digital distribution only (www.cdbaby.com).

"RAY JOZWIAK is back with his gonzo piano, boldly taking us to places no-one has gone before, not even him!  (Rod Deacey, Board Member of the Frederick Acoustic Musicians Enterprise (FAME), Musician, Performer, Writer, Poet, Organizer, Emcee, Bluesman 11/20/11
". . . Anywhere he dabbles along the piano keys, he produces sonic glitz forming impressionistic images. . . " (Susan Frances, cdreview.com)
". . . He’s got some terrific ideas there and an unusual approach to rhythm and song structure. These are fantastic assets and more than one of his songs could find tons of fans who appreciate music which isn’t the same ol’ same ol’ all the time. . . "  (Paul Sedkowski, Fairplayformusic.com)

I would like to send you (either digital music files via 'WeTransfer.com' or a physical CD-whichever you prefer) of my new release of solo, piano recordings. 

Best regards,
-Ray Jozwiak. . ."

What do you think?
Tell me at  
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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:
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Comedy. . .

. . . and piano too. . .

(from wikipedia.com)

". . . (Paul) Reiser played piano for the recording of the show's theme song. For his work in Mad About You, Reiser received nominations for an Emmy, a Golden Globe, an American Comedy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild award. In the successful show's final 1999 season, he and Hunt were paid US$1 million ($1.4 million today) per episode. In 2001, Reiser took on a dramatic role as a man desperate to find his birth mother after learning he has a serious illness in the British television movie My Beautiful Son.

Reiser has also written three books: Couplehood, about the ups and downs of being in a committed relationship; Babyhood, about his experiences as a first-time father; and Familyhood, a collection of humorous essays. Couplehood was unique in the fact it started on page 145. Reiser explained this as his way of giving the reader a false sense of accomplishment. Both books appeared on The New York Times bestseller list. In May 1996, Reiser appeared on Late Show with David Letterman in the middle of writing his second book. Since he didn't have a title yet (it would later be called Babyhood), he showed a prop book with the same cover as his first book Couplehood. The title was simply called Book, a name Whoopi Goldberg used for her 1997 publication. Familyhood was released in May 2011.

In 2002, Reiser made a guest appearance as himself on Larry David's critically acclaimed HBO sitcom, Curb Your Enthusiasm.

In 2007's Atlanta, Reiser co-stars in a television comedy film centering around a man and a woman who meet at a funeral and can't seem to stay away from each other.

In 2010, Reiser joined the singer Julia Fordham, in an unusual collaboration. They created a 10-song CD album titled, “Unusual Suspects.”, including the new song, “UnSung Heroes,” which is dedicated to the US soldiers in Afghanistan. The two embarked on an acoustic tour after its release.

Reiser wrote and starred in the semi-autobiographical comedy series The Paul Reiser Show, which aired on NBC as a midseason replacement during the 2010–11 television season. "This is nice", quipped Reiser on the Stephanie Miller radio program, "because you get to sit around and root for other shows to fail." However, due to very little lead time and promotion by NBC prior to its debut (in addition to poor scheduling), the low-rating program was cancelled on April 22, 2011, after airing only two episodes. . . "

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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"Old friends. . .

. . . sat on their park bench like bookends . . . A newspaper blowin' through the grass. . ."

Digital technology and the resultant social media sites have made it easier than ever to become reacquainted with old friends, at least if your old friends are computer savvy and inclined to take advantage of these developments, a qualification used by people my age because there are in fact many of us WHO, unfortunately, are not and/or do not care to become computer savvy.

Anyway, I am trying to contact some old friends and plan to meet with one unique, dynamic, upstanding citizen from my early college days (neither of us is, by the way, anywhere near 70, as in the song) working at the school's radio station toward what I'd hoped would be a career in broadcast media. He was the news director at the station which was actually more than an on-campus, closed-circuit operation. It was a community station which continued to grow long after our departure from its staff and continues today as Baltimore's premiere classical music station. The station at the time aired a variety of music, talk and news shows and I was actually (as Porky Pig said) a r-r-radio annannannann, a r-r-radio annannannann, a DISC JOCKEY. My friend went on to establish, and continues today, a successful career in the communication arts and sciences.

Happily though, my experience at that college radio station was my initial and comprehensive introduction to jazz, an influence which once exerted has never been, nor will ever be, absent from my system and my music. And now, better late than never, I continue working towards achieving a modest and personal level of 'success' in playing my music for you.





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