A mystic. . .

. . . is not a mysterious person. . .

(from Science of Mind by Ernest Shurtleff Holmes)
"A mystic is not a mysterious person; but is one who has a deep, inner sense of Life and Unity with the Whole; mysticism and mystery are entirely different things; one is real while the other may, or may not, be an illusion. There is nothing mysterious in the Truth, so far as It is understood; but all things, of course, are mysteries until we understand them.

A mystic is one who intuitively perceives Truth and who, without mental process, arrives at Spiritual Realizations. It is from the teachings of the great mystics that the best in the philosophy of the world has come.

The civilization of to-day is built around the teachings of a few people who have intuitively perceived Spiritual Truth. Our great code of law was given by Moses, a man who through the mystic sense perceived that we live in a Universe of Law. Our greatest code of ethics was given through the perception of the prophets, culminating in such teachings as those of Jesus and Buddha. Who was there who could have taught such men as these? By what process of mentality did they arrive at their profound conclusions? We are compelled to recognize that Spirit Alone was their Teacher; they were, indeed, taught of God.

The mystic intuitively senses Reality and instinctively knows The Truth; and in this way all of the best in literature, music and art have come.

Our great religions have been given by a few who climbed the heights of spiritual vision and caught a fleeting glimpse of Ultimate Reality. No living soul could have taught them what they knew, and it is doubtful if even they themselves knew why they knew. . .

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If you can't stand the heat . . .

. . . don't come to the northeastern U.S. today . . .

. . . and Oho's gig on the patio at Bread & Circuses in Towson was hot too.  Lisa's vocals were scorching, Jay's guitar was searing and Dave's drums were sizzling.  Air temperature had to be around 90F. 

The music was good and, for two hours last night, all was right with the world. . .

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Looking through . . .

. . . red white and yellow circles

In a field of azure blue
The perspiration beads all cover my face
Every inch of epidermal baking
Nicely to a golden hue
I would be envious if it had been you

Art Edsel Diamond Beach Grand Pool Bar
Art Edsel Diamond Beach Grand Pool Bar

Wading in the ocean salt and foamy
Quick salvation from the heat
a certain balance of the yin and the yan
Then when you return from Neptune's home
All displayed in fine array
Sea of humanity has filled every space

Art Edsel Diamond Beach Grand Pool Bar
Art Edsel Diamond Beach Grand Pool Bar

Up in the sky
Something catches your eye
As it goes by
You can hardly tell when where or why

Green the color of the turf surrounding
Blue the sky and surf those two
A gentle breeze is always present for you
You can reach euphoric heights exotic
Won't need any other drug
This kind of high is so much easier too

Art Edsel Diamond Beach Grand Pool Bar
Art Edsel Diamond Beach Grand Pool Bar
Art Edsel Diamond Beach Grand Pool Bar

(ART EDSEL DIAMOND BEACH) GRAND POOL BAR
©1999 Raymond M. Jozwiak



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A good laugh. . .

 . . . in celebration

. . . of McCartney's birthday.

There is actually a website (http://digilander.libero.it/jamespaul/fc1.html) with painful, and I do mean painful detail, purporting to prove that Paul McCartney died in 1966.  The case is made purely by comparing a small number of poor quality photos and claiming that skull shape does not change.  They neglect to say that they are actually comparing full head shape including hair.

Fascinating . . . NOT!

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Little . . .

. . . Booker Little, that is. . .

(from Wikipedia.com)
Booker Little, Jr (April 2, 1938 – October 5, 1961) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer
Despite his premature death from kidney failure at the age of 23, Little made an important contribution to jazz. Stylistically, his sound is rooted in the playing of Clifford Brown, featuring crisp articulation, a burnished tone and balanced phrasing. He is considered to be one of the first trumpet players to develop his own sound after Clifford Brown.

He was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He studied at the Chicago Conservatory from 1956 to 1958 and it was during this time that he worked with leading local musicians such as Johnny Griffin. Later, after moving to New York, he became associated with drummer Max Roach and multi-instrumentalist virtuoso Eric Dolphy, recording with them both as a sideman and a leader. With Dolphy, he co-led a residency at the Five Spot club in New York in June 1961, from which three classic albums were eventually issued by Prestige Records. It was during this stint that he began to show promise of expanding the expressive range of the "vernacular" bebop idiom started by Clifford Brown in the mid-1950s. He also appeared on Dolphy's album Far Cry (New Jazz 8270), recorded December 21, 1960. He died of complications resulting from uremia on October 5, 1961 in New York City, New York.

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Lucky 13 . . .

 . . . or thereabouts. . .

So the Beach Boys have been exploiting (in a good sense) their 50th Anniversary reunion with a new album and 40-city concert tour.  I will probably not attend any of these concerts but I do have a certain respect for the legacy and the longevity of the Beach Boys.

I am amused by some of the latest videos of the BBs, especially the QVC clip which features 13 (by my count) musicians on the stage reproducing (reinventing, replicating. . . whichever you prefer) the sound that five members formerly produced in live performances - which you can also find on YouTube.

Put forth any theory you like on why it is necessary to have 13 people reproduce what 5 used to do quite well.  I suspect that some younger, stronger voices are necessary to ensure the harmonies are audibly accurate.

I say if you can make music, make it!   And make it loud.

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A groove. . .

 . . . is a groove is a groove (to paraphrase Gertrude Stein). . .

(from Wikipedia.com)
"Groove is the sense of propulsive rhythmic "feel" or sense of "swing" created by the interaction of the music played by a band's rhythm section (drums, electric bass or double bass, guitar, and keyboards). Ubiquitous in popular music, groove is a consideration in genres such as salsa, funk, rock, fusion, and soul. The word is often used to describe the aspect of certain music that makes one want to move, dance, or "groove".
Groove #1: "bass drum on beats 1 and 3 and snare drum on beats 2 and 4 of the measure...add eighth notes on the hi-hat".

Musicologists and other scholars began to analyze the concept of "groove" in the 1990s. They have argued that a "groove" is an "understanding of rhythmic patterning" or "feel" and "an intuitive sense" of "a cycle in motion" that emerges from "carefully aligned concurrent rhythmic patterns" that sets in motion dancing or foot-tapping on the part of listeners..."

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