Perpending. . .

When I was pre-adolescent, watching with wonder the antics, joy, humor and sensuality of the beautiful young people in such entertainment offerings as the 'Beach Party' and Elvis Presley movies and television fare like 'The Patty Duke Show' and even 'The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis' (in syndication, mind you, NOT the original run).

I recall vividly thinking that 'this is what it's like to be a teenager'.  Your biggest worries would be who to ask to the prom and should you tell your Dad that you scraped the car on the door frame of the garage last Tuesday.

I learned later that life would simply not be quite that romantically glorious nor as blissfully simple.

And, in my 20/20 hindsight, I'm actually GLAD that it isn't!

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Family. . .

(from wikipedia.com)
The Bee Gees' career record sales total more than 220 million ranking them among the best-selling music artists of all time. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997; the presenter of the award to "Britain's first family of harmony" was Brian Wilson, historical leader of the Beach Boys, a "family act" also featuring three harmonising brothers. The Bee Gees' Hall of Fame citation says "Only Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Garth Brooks and Paul McCartney have outsold the Bee Gees."

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My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
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Magic . . .

. . . was in the air. . .


. . . last Friday at Bread & Circuses Bistro's Patio in Towson. The clouds parted, the sun burst gloriously through.  Three mysterious men with musical instruments plowed through three sets of driving, sophisticated and danceable cover tunes interspersed with thought-provoking originals well into the evening. . . all of which seemed to simply appear. . .

. . .Out of Thin Air

When I woke up today I had all that I want
Everything that I did brought desired results
How could this be? All the rules have been changed
In the pool where I drowned I am swimming again.

But of course I am wrong.  How could I understand
When my society tells me how tall I stand?
Then I take it inside and wait for life’s kiss
Which is sure to arrive ‘cause I’m riding my bliss.

What did I do? The world holds me up
Invisible hands grant the nourishing cup
Have I found a way that has always been there?
It seems to me it came out of thin air.

The child waking up brings the old crone to tears
Pushing through my disguise see the tips of my ears
How could this be all the rules have been changed
In the pool where I drowned I am swimming again.

When I blindly reach out to what I cannot see
Grace reappears and it rescues me
I’m not what I feel, I’m not what you think
I’m only what is and what isn’t in sync.


Out of Thin Air
by John P. Graboski (live at Bread & Circuses August 9, 2013)





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Imitation. . .

 . . . is the sincerest form of flattery. . .


Quotes from Charles Caleb Colton
"Friendship often ends in love; but love in friendship - never."

"True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it is lost."

"Nothing more completely baffles one who is full of trick and duplicity, than straightforward and simple integrity in another."

"Those that are the loudest in their threats are the weakest in their actions."

"Much may be done in those little shreds and patches of time which every day produces, and which most men throw away."

"Men's arguments often prove nothing but their wishes."

"Corruption is like a ball of snow, once it's set a rolling it must increase."

"Men are born with two eyes, but with one tongue, in order that they should see twice as much as they say."

"Imitation is the sincerest of flattery."

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Common. . .

. . . sense. . .


(Thanks to Medea Benjamin of truthout.com)

Some common sense to begin restoring America to its former position of respect and admiration:

1. No more drone strikes.  They don't stop, but help to make terrorists.

2. Save money and help the cause by closing the drone airbases.

3. Free Guantanamo prisoners which have already been cleared for release. Holding them is an affront to humanity and hypocrisy with regard to our values.

4. Apologize and compensate the families of innocent people hurt or killed by drones or other military action.

5. Withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan. 

6. Talk. The Taliban and more rational elements of Al Qaeda have indicated they are open to negotiations. History shows a large percentage of terrorists groups have been dissolved by joining the political process. 

7. End support of dictatorships and repressive leaders. Business selling weapons might be good for US weapons makers but not for the rest of us.

8. Support non-violent democracy movements. Chaos and instability only help terrorists.

9. Stop disregarding international law and national sovereignty in killing terrorism suspects. 

10. Use foreign aid to support education, healthcare and elimination of poverty.

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My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
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Duke. . .

(from The New York Times)
“I was in a rock band, I played with a bunch of Brazilians, I played R&B with Parliament-Funkadelic and all of that,” he said in an interview before his most recent album, “DreamWeaver,” was released last month. “I mean, I’ve done jazz with Miles Davis and Cannonball Adderley. It’s a goulash. It’s a gumbo.

George Duke, who as a small boy begged his mother to buy him a piano after she took him to see Duke Ellington, began playing professionally at a time when many musicians were interested in blending genres. He played in a trio that backed the singer Al Jarreau while he was still a teenager, then accompanied Dizzy Gillespie and other jazz musicians at clubs in San Francisco. By the early 1970s he had performed and recorded with Adderley, the jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty and Zappa’s Mothers of Invention.

Zappa “told me one day that I should play synthesizers,” Mr. Duke wrote on his Web site. “It was as simple as that!” Urged by Zappa, he said, he experimented with a few types of synthesizers before settling on the ARP Odyssey, “purely to be different from Jan Hammer, who was playing the Minimoog.”

Critics sometimes said that Mr. Duke’s music was too smooth, not challenging enough, and that he was too eager to court a broad audience. He disagreed. “I really think it’s possible (and still do) to make good music and be commercial at the same time,” Mr. Duke wrote. “I believe it is the artist’s responsibility to take the music to the people. Art for art’s sake is nice; but if art doesn’t communicate, then its worth is negated. It has not fulfilled its destiny.”

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Oho. . .

OHO
FRIDAY, August 9, 2013 @ 8:00PM
at Bread & Circuses Bistro (Patio)
27 E. Chesapeake Avenue
Towson, MD  21286
410-337-5282 http://bandcbistro.com/


We complain the floor's uneven  When we simply don't know how to dance  In a sentimental treason 

Each word is charged as every glance My foes approach and I start singing How do I defend against

my friends?  The treasure buried where I fumbled  The ball into the tiger's den  Maddened fingers

spar  With the laughing strings  I was very close but no cigar  We were on the corner with our cup

The lad with light feet made the girl light up  Putting the pep back into the step  Where you would

leap is now where I have leapt I'm an easy victim of nostalgia  I was making friends among the blind 

The filament was bright at high noon Radiating from the signs  Maddened fingers spar With the

laughing strings It was very close but no cigar  Find the low denominator  With a hundred pairs of

eyes  Leaning on an arm that failed us  Against the grain it's common life  I was choking on

imagination  Still I know I get the gist   Sifting through a tired memory  In Paris turning with the twist



OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve and Ray Jozwiak

Also, please visit:   
http://www.ohomusic.com


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
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Also, be sure to visit:
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