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.

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.

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.

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.


Out Of Thin Air
written by John P. Graboski
(OHO rehearsal recording-
Jay Graboski, David Reeve and Ray Jozwiak are OHO)





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Life . . .

. . . is a musical.


That's what I used to tell my kids when something occurred that reminded me of a song.  Like one would complain about rainy weather, to which I would respond with a musical 'Here comes the sun. . . doo 'n doo doo. . . ' Or a younger one might be pestering his older sibling, a situation in which I would offer comfort to the older by singing, 'Mama said there'd be days like this. . .'  Well, you get the picture.

Now mind you I'm not really a very big fan of the typical Broadway musical where characters frequently break into corny songs in the middle of the 'action.' Some are, of course, more appealing to me than others depending upon the composer, the subject matter etc.  And I've even been told that some of my original music reminds various people of show-tunes, an observation to which I do NOT object.  There are only 12 notes in our western musical system you know.

But back to life. . . waiting for one of life's most mundane, and to some even one of life's most feared experiences, my six-month dental checkup, its (life, that is) musical connection revisits me in all its unadulterated truth.  My dentist is also, in fact, a musician. . .

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

. . . more hours . . .



So many things I'd like to do
So many places to see
And I feel like
There's never enough
Time for anything else
That I might desire to undertake
Something I'd like to purse
But the world's just spinning around
Keeps me head and foot-bound
Don't know what to do

Give me just twelve hours
To add to my day
Keep all your wealth and your money
Take your fame and power
For time just give me twelve hours

Time isn't cheap
You pay so dearly
I'm trying to make every minute count
Penny count

Spending my time seem like all i do
Can't save up for rainy days
Can't invest in
An instrument to
Earn satisfaction to draw from
When far-in-the future I need to feel
Just what my value has been
There's no interest that's coming or due
Dividends are so precious and few
Don't know what to do

Give me just twelve hours
To add to my day
Keep all your wealth and your money
Take your fame and power
For time just give me twelve hours


Twelve Hours
© 2012 Raymond M. Jozwiak
from Black & White Then Back






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My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:

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Fan . . .

. . . Favorite Award

Deadline Wednesday, February 12, Noon

It's here - the only Wammies award where non-WAMA members can vote for the winner. Only one vote per person allowed.

Cast Your Fan's Favorite Vote in the 28th Annual WAMMIE Awards for me, Ray Jozwiak(my release "Black & White Then Back" in on the ballot for 2013's Best Jazz Recording)
HERE
No pressure PLEASE!!!!

Don't bother if you wish.  Just enjoy the music (below) instead . . .

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)

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The Groove . . .

. . . as it were. . .

Singer/Songwriter, folk, world, improvisation all coming together beautifully.   
 

"Rishi's Garden", performed by Tom Prasada-Rao (www.tomprasadarao.com) with Patty Prasada-Rao, Doug Alan Wilcox & Todd Marcus in concert at the Institute of Musical Traditions (www.imtfolk.org),Takoma Park, MD, USA on May 18, 2011.

Tom Prasada-Rao is a singer-songwriter of breathtaking vision. His voice belies his musicianship and his extraordinary songs. From Rishi's Garden with it's homage to Ravi Shankar to the groove of Sleeping Beauty , Tom's music is melodic, ambitious, and reverent.

When not on tour, Tom is at home, producing records, raising two stepdaughters, and walking one rather large Golden Doodle named Thurman. In addition to producing, he's a teacher, currently at White Rock Montessori in Dallas, formerly of The University of Virginia's Young Writer's Workshops - where he created the songwriting curriculum and taught for eight years.

Sound: Art Isaacs, Dave Eisner, Dave Richardson
Lighting: Robyn Ratcliffe
Camera: Laura Christoplos, Ralph Lillie
Editing: Ralph Lillie
© 2011, Institute of Musical Traditions

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My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:

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Never Pleasant . . .

. . . to hear of an untimely death. . .

(from wikipedia.com)
The New York Times described (Philip Seymour) Hoffman as "a stocky, often sleepy-looking man with blond, generally uncombed hair who favored the rumpled clothes more associated with an out-of-work actor than a star." Hoffman "frequently dyed his hair and lost or gained weight for parts" and "was known for a sometimes painful dedication to his craft." In a 2006 interview with 60 Minutes, Hoffman revealed that he had suffered from drug and alcohol abuse after graduating from college, and went to rehab for drug and alcohol addiction, recovering at age 22. He said he had abused "anything I could get my hands on. I liked it all." Hoffman relapsed over 20 years later, checking into a rehabilitation program for about 10 days in May 2013 because of problems with prescription pills and heroin.

On February 2, 2014, Hoffman was found dead by his friend, playwright David Bar Katz, in the bathroom of Hoffman's West Village, Manhattan office apartment. According to the New York City Police Department, the death appeared to be drug-related.

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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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Learning . . .

In January 1835, President Andrew Jackson (who harbored a very person dislike of the concept of debt), paid off the entire national debt. To do that, he took advantage of a huge real-estate bubble that was raging in the Western U.S. The federal government owned a lot of Western land — and Jackson started selling it off. He was also ruthless on the budget blocking every spending bill he could.


Meantime, back to the present. . .

Shouldn't we LEARN from our own history?

(Thanks to  http://nextcity.org/equityfactor/entry/here-is-foreign-every-country-that-gets-more-federal-aid-than-detroit and http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/04/15/135423586/when-the-u-s-paid-off-the-entire-national-debt-and-why-it-didnt-last)

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:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

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