Our Integrity

Fifteen minutes of glory, maybe less. What I wouldn't give for the chance to confess all my intimate secrets; all my hopes and my desires. I don't care just how valid you think that they are, they've been mine for a long, long while and I'm not ashamed of them. Shut up Joe. How do you really know what's going down? How can you tell if there's a problem somewhere to be found? We all need to gather round to help everybody else to see that running your mouth aloud makes it that much more difficult for you and me and OUR INTEGRITY.

Went to work at the factory at fourteen. Thought I'd finish my schooling sometime in between drunken weekends and futile street fights and the visits to my best girl. But the time slipped away. I've got bills here to pay. I've got small ones depending on me. My vision is limited. Shut up Joe. How do you really know what's going down? How can you tell if there's a problem somewhere to be found? We all need to gather round to help everybody else to see that running your mouth aloud makes it that much more difficult for you and me and OUR INTEGRITY.

All my life I've known I'd want to say something to my fellow man today. Couldn't let the facts get in the way.

We weren't that well acquainted, never were. An occasional run-in we preferred. There's one thing that we both believe in; heard it over and over again. It was something about all the fondness we felt; how the heart can't miss what's not around if the mind doesn't value it. Shut up Joe. How do you really know what's going down? How can you tell if there's a problem somewhere to be found? We all need to gather round to help everybody else to see that running your mouth aloud makes it that much more difficult for you and me and OUR INTEGRITY.

©2008 Raymond M. Jozwiak


Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano opens the May 23rd Monday Night Songwriters Showcase at Brewer's Alley Restaurant & Brewery with 30 minutes of solo, Gonzo, Fractured Jazz and Improvisational Terror Tactics at the Piano. (take the elevator on the right to the 2nd floor) 124 North Market Street, Frederick, MD 21701, tel: 301-631-0089, Fax: 301-631-1874
www.brewers-alley.com
Frederick Acoustic Music Enterprise (F.A.M.E.)


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The blessing and the curse. . .

. . . of aging is perspective. Although I choose to concentrate upon the blessing (and I use the term in purely secular fashion) aspect to be sure. That aspect was vividly, yet unexpectedly brought once again to my attention when pondering the talents and the moving music produced by Eric Dolphy.

In case you're not familiar with Eric Dolphy, he was a (chronologically) post-bop, jazz reed virtuoso, equally skilled and emotionally proficient on flute, alto saxophone and bass clarinet (which has, since my acquaintance with his music, become one of my favorite reed instruments). Born in 1928 in Los Angeles, he died in Berlin in June of 1964 of complications of a diabetic coma and sheer neglect. It seems the hospital staff, after Eric collapsed on stage, succumbing to the stereotypical view that all (or most) jazz musicians were drug addicts, left Eric in bed, unattended, to allow the alleged drugs to run their course. A brilliant, but tragically short, life.

My first exposure to Eric Dolphy is to the credit of my old school chum Bob Z., who had sometime around 1973 purchased an Eric Dolphy LP, which I cannot readily now identify due to record companies' haphazard practice of issuing unrelated and insufficiently documented recordings as an 'album', which contained mostly live material and a seminal performance of the old standard LAURA. The recording, now available as one of three "Live in Europe" CDs, still gives me goosebumps when I hear it.

The 'blessing' and the 'aging' to which I previously alluded come into play as follows. The pieces to which I was listening were recorded around 1960. I was hearing them in the early seventies. That means that music was made about thirteen years prior to my discovering it. In my innocent youthfulness, I perceived that mere 13 years as "A LONG TIME" ago. And the 36 years of age Eric had attained was really very young by most objective standards, but old to one of fifteen years.

Now, at fifty-three, listening to this glorious music and looking at photos of Eric Dolphy online, the apparent truth of the matter is that, when Eric passed away, he was only a kid. But what a BRILLIANT kid!


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Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano opens the May 23rd Monday Night Songwriters Showcase at Brewer's Alley Restaurant & Brewery with 30 minutes of solo, Gonzo, Fractured Jazz and Improvisational Terror Tactics at the Piano. (take the elevator on the right to the 2nd floor) 124 North Market Street, Frederick, MD 21701, tel: 301-631-0089, Fax: 301-631-1874
www.brewers-alley.com
Frederick Acoustic Music Enterprise (F.A.M.E.)



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There's a handful. . .

. . . of selfless gentlemen in and around the Frederick, MD area who sacrifice healthy portions of their free time to organize, promote, facilitate and execute, among other events, the Monday Night Songwriters Showcase at Brewer's Alley. Rod Deacey, Ron Goad, Todd Walker and Tomy Wright shall not remain nameless here. The show takes place every Monday evening, with the exception of the month of December when the venue (owners of which must also be commended for their generosity in lending it for the purpose at 'reasonable' terms) is utilized for holiday events.

As Rod puts it: "Monday Night Songwriters' Showcase (now in its seventh year!) is held every Monday evening upstairs at Brewer's Alley, 124 N. Market St., in beautiful downtown Frederick, MD. The program starts at 7:30 pm with a piano prelude, followed by three or four songwriters doing three songs each (so you can't get bored). The featured songwriter for the evening goes on around 9 pm for 45 minutes, followed by three more three-song performers. Somewhere in the mix we throw in some poetry from our resident poet, John Holly. Our MCs are Ron Goad, Todd C. Walker and Tomy Wright, frequently interrupted by Rod Deacey on sound. Most of you know all this.... Our shows are FREE -- we collect tips for the featured songwriter, but there is no door charge, so come and support LIVE MUSIC!

Our featured songwriters are a mix of national and regional touring performers, with many award winners from all genres. If you would like a calendar for the next six months of 2011, please e-mail me back and I'll send you one. For information about playing a three-song spot, contact Ron Goad: MisterGoad@aol.com. For info on featuring, contact me, Rod Deacey: roddc@xecu.net

Brewer's Alley Songwriters' Showcases, along with Songwriters Songfests and Open Mikes at Frederick Coffee Company and Beans in The Belfry come under the umbrella of a new non-profit organization --
Frederick Acoustic Music Enterprise (F.A.M.E.)
Information and membership forms are available at these events."

Monday Night Songwriters Showcase at Brewer's Alley Restaurant & Brewery (take the elevator on the right to the 2nd floor) 124 North Market Street, Frederick, MD 21701, tel: 301-631-0089, Fax: 301-631-1874
www.brewers-alley.com

Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano opens the show this week, May 23rd with 30 minutes of solo, Gonzo, Fractured Jazz and Improvisational Terror Tactics at the Piano.


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I Have No Limits. . .

. . . said Jay Graboski, my long-time musical collaborator and friend (many years ago- possibly more than even he remembers) when debating with a potential employer about our musical 'combo', trying to convince the man that we could provide whatever kind, type or genre of music the man was seeking for his desired, whether real or imagined, clientele.

And I say this ( i.e. I have no limits, meaning in my musical interests, tastes and avenues to which I am willing to devote or otherwise apply my energies) in jest, of course, but only as an introduction to a wonderful piece of music by another, newer musical associate and friend, Garth Baxter.

Garth is a member (now of the 'executive' or 'steering' committee of the the Baltimore Composers Forum, an association with whom I became involved late in 2009) of the Baltimore Composers Forum and a composer and educator par excellence!

I hope he doesn't mind my posting an aria from his new opera, "Lily", to which he treated me recently, here for all to enjoy.

The delightful performers are vocalists Lydia Beasley and Jason Buckwalter, with Andrew Stewart, pianist.




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Cowboy Justice. . .

. . . is something that we really need. Twice as effective as mercy now for which they plead. If I can't get you to see things the way I do, something happens. I start the process. See it through. Its what I've been taught to do. And I'll teach you.

No one tells me just what I can or cannot do. My advisors, some say, are keepers of a zoo. I don't mind if you think that what they say is real. I'm in charge here, at least that's how they make me feel. That's a part of the deal and it came true.

Gotta see it my way. I'm giving people what I want. It's a price I must pay. We cowboys know how to be gallant.

There's no question of right or wrong here to debate. Disagree though, you'll be subjected to the hate that's influcted on member of the team like you. 'Cause we cowboys will never worry if we're few. Our justice is true. Make no mistake.

COWBOY JUSTICE
©2006 Raymond M. Jozwiak

An instrumental rendition of COWBOY JUSTICE
appears on the CD PUT A FINGER ON IT
©2008 Raymond M. Jozwiak
COWBOY JUSTICE sample




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That polarizing musical instrument. . .

. . . the accordion.

I did become exposed to a gamut of music during my accordion education playing Polish folk music (but of course), American folk and pop music, tin pan alley standards, classical, English drinking songs and even rock and roll- envision that on the accordion. When you began accordion lessons at the Maryland Accordion Institute, you were issued a twelve bass piano accordion. What that is, is a small accordion with a 25-key piano keyboard on the right (from the performer's perspective) and twelve buttons on the left. The piano accordion is designed to be a complete musical ensemble. The right hand plays melody while the left plays bass notes and complete major chords on the first and second row of buttons respectively. Of course the bellows are between the two halves

After completing the basic course, I don't recall if that was measured in weeks or an instruction book, you were encouraged to purchase a full-size accordion which was casually called a "hundred and twenty bass" accordion, appropriately named for the one hundred and twenty buttons on the left side. The buttons are arranged in diagonal rows consisting of, in order from left to right, a 'counter bass' note (the third of the root bass note which is next to the right, major chord, minor chord, seventh chord and last, diminished chord. The keyboard on the right being larger, of course, has 41 keys.

So you see it is a complex instrument, mastery of which equips one very well with a fair amount of music theory knowledge. And you can see how the 120 bass instrument provides the player much more versatility and range in what can be played.





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Academically speaking. . .

. . .Why is WHATSHERNAME songwriting at it's best?

Hard to believe, but this song is over forty (count em, 40) years old! I remember when I first heard it. Not where I was, what I was doing. But really HEARING the song, and (even in my innocent youth- I was about 12) being very moved. And to be moved by such an 'adult' experience, I, even in my youthful innocence, had sincere appreciation for the skillfully conceived and constructed piece of music/lyrics that I had just experienced.

WHATSHERNAME (see my post of May 9th) embodies so much of what I strive to achieve in my songwriting. It captures a real human sentiment accurately and without preachiness, posturing or pretense. (Guess I should call that the three Ps???) A complex life situation is encapsulated in simplicity of presentation, something that on the surface seems (and sounds) easy, but which is, in fact, very difficult to accomplish. Thus is the ART.

The easy, swinging, lounge-type, yet very conversational rhythm belies the doubt and uncertainty that the speaking character is soon to reveal as the two old friends meet, presumably in a bar. Our leading man is very polite, inquiring about his friend's family, possibly mutual friends, and revealingly tells him, "Who me? Oh I'm great." And then under the guise of inquiring ". . . for a friend", our hero gets to the point. "Do you remember. . . a girl that I brought here, before I got married a couple of times at the end. . . " The same relative chord pattern, this too complex while sounding 'easy', accompanies the verse as the tempo decreases and the drama increases leading into the chorus.

The irony in the chorus is brilliantly expressed.
"Whatshername? She hardly knew me;
Now her name means something to me.
I wonder if she ever got over me?"
He can't remember her name (or CAN he?) but he's inquiring of her "for a friend" and he's wondering if SHE ever got over HIM!
(See what I mean by brilliance?)

Then, the crux of the story, our hero says,
"Anyway I should be flattered
For yesterday at least I mattered
Where did it go?"
'For yesterday, at least I MATTERED'

A 'mid-life' crisis probably. A universal sentiment, or doubt at least.

A little rationalization, '. . . all things considered, I've done fairly well. . . ' He confirms his love for his wife and then, during the second chorus indulges in his fantasy once more and concludes.

One gets the feeling that he's not gonna jump off a bridge, he probably won't get drunk that night and continue reminiscing. He'll stay with Ruth and the kids, probably retire to Florida eventually. But one does get the feeling that the memories of his old 'love' will return on a regular basis, as sometimes those memories do.

Such is life.
Wish I could write a song like that!
Cheers Paul! (Noel)

WHATSHERNAME
Stookey/Dixon/Kniss- Neworld Media Music Publishers ASCAP
(from Album 1700 by Peter, Paul and Mary)


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