American. . .

 

(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_McLean)
(Don) McLean's other well-known songs include: "And I Love You So" was covered by Elvis Presley, Helen Reddy, Shirley Bassey, Glen Campbell, Engelbert Humperdinck, Howard Keel and a 1973 hit for Perry Como.   "Vincent", a tribute to the 19th-century Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh. Although it only reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, it proved to be a huge hit worldwide.[citation needed] It was a No. 1 hit single in the UK Singles Chart. This song was covered by NOFX on their album titled 45 or 46 Songs That Weren't Good Enough to Go on Our Other Records, and also appears on the Fat Wreck Chords compilation Survival of the Fattest. "Vincent" was also covered by Josh Groban on his 2001 debut album. "Castles in the Air", which McLean recorded twice. His 1981 re-recording was a top-40 hit, reaching #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1981. Wonderful Baby", a tribute to Fred Astaire that Astaire himself recorded. Primarily rejected by pop stations, it reached #1 on the Billboard Easy Listening survey. "Superman's Ghost", a tribute to George Reeves, who portrayed Superman on television in the 1950.  "The Grave", a song that McLean had written about the Vietnam War, was covered by George Michael in 2003 in protest against the Iraq War.

The American Pie album features a version of Psalm 137, entitled "Babylon". The song is based on a canon by Philip Hayes and was arranged by McLean and Lee Hays (of The Weavers). "Babylon" was performed in the Mad Men episode of the same name despite the fact that the song would not be released until 10 years after the time in which the episode is set.

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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, '2014', can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
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A Very Good Year . . .

 . . . and also . . .

(A digital-download-only solo, instrumental piano music
release by me [Ray Jozwiak])

 The track list is:
 1.  My Mystery
  2.  Compound Fracture
  3.  Harbor Noon
  4.  Highs & Lows
  5.  Not Like Me
  6.  Ognat
  7.  Stick To Your Guns
  8.  Integrity
  9.  Exactly
10.  Your Voice
11.  Baggage

© 2013 Raymond M. Jozwiak
All compositions written and performed by me [Ray Jozwiak]

and it's Available at http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak

     
Ognat
(instrumental) ©2013 Raymond M. Jozwiak
from '2014'




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)

My latest solo release, '2014', can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak4)

Also, be sure to visit:
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The Value. . .

. . . of a life . . .

Patients infected with Hepatitis C suffer and  anticipate an early death.  Until recently, no 'cure' was possible.  Now, there IS hope.  What is stopping the treatment of these patients?  What is standing between life and death for sufferers of Hepatitis C? . . . you guessed it. . .

(from http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/05/12/307747798/boomers-need-pricey-hep-c-drugs-but-medicare-wont-always-pay)

". . .These new drugs are curing more than 90 percent of patients – virtually 100 percent in some . Just a few years ago, cure rates were 50 percent or less.

But there's a big problem: The cost.  Timothy Webb and other advocates protest the cost of HIV drugs manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Gilead outside an AIDS conference in Atlanta in March. Gilead is making a new hepatitis C drug, Sovaldi. . . " which costs $1,000 per pill.

". . . Sovaldi combined with another new drug called (Olysio) is highly effective in patients like (Walter) Bianco.  And the new drugs are easy to take. Bianco says the older drugs caused horrible side effects. "Just terrible itching, terrible headaches, nausea," he says.

But Medicare won't pay for the drugs that Vargas says Bianco needs.  Medicare officials wouldn't comment on coverage of new hep C drugs. A spokesman says the federal program turns such decisions over to private insurers that administer .

One of those private insurers has twice rejected Vargas's prescription because the Food and Drug Administration hasn't approved use of the two drugs in combination. (Last week Olysio's maker, the FDA for approval of the regimen.). . . "

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)

My latest solo release, '2014', can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak4)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

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What It Was. . .

. . . was baseball. . .

"They give you a round bat and they throw you a round ball.  And they tell you to hit it square."

    Willie Stargell (1940-2001; former Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder and 1st baseman)

 "It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great."

    Tom Hanks as Jimmy Dugan in 1992's "A League of Their Own"


I'm not really a huge baseball fan.  Not really a fan of any professional or college-level sports. Guess you could say not a sports fan at all.

But, two-fifths of my family are definitely sports fans, and I think it safe to say most ardently BASEBALL fans, so consequently I occasionally assume the role of a spectator, being the good 'sport' (pun intended) that I am and for the enjoyment of the company. Some aspects of of baseball I do find especially irritating though. First, and probably the most contributory to my remaining dislikes of baseball, is the size of the professional baseball players' salaries.  Yes it's free market principles at work.  And yes, if huge amounts of the general public (and the two-fifths of my family) refrained from purchasing tickets to attend games then the principles of supply and demand would bring those prices (and salaries, etc) down.

Next (and wouldn't you know it- it's money again) is the astronomical prices levels being charged for food and beverages at the ball park.  To the supply and demand equation I (and usually the two-fifths) do not contribute. So in and of itself, the prospect of being a baseball fan simply does not provide me with an adequate return of investment both in terms of money and my valuable time.

But being the optimistic pessimist, I do enjoy aspects of my periodic jaunts to the ballpark when asked.  I am fascinated by the ever-present herd mentality of humans at a large sporting event.  And I do enjoy the specter of my fellow homosapiens gorging on greasy food and shouting specific instructions to young men hundreds of yards away and far out of hearing proximity. But, as I realized at a recent game, I am becoming increasingly appreciative of the complex psychology (all baseball superstition aside) of the game of baseball.

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html 

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, '2014', can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak4)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

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Practice Makes . . .

. . . pretty good . . .

Being in a band whose members are deeply committed to self-expression through performing original music does NOT always bode well for live performance opportunities.  Therefore, the absence of regular and frequent execution of the musical pieces render the accuracy of occasional performances somewhat random.  But you know, they DO say that 'practice makes perfect' and that is, after all, that for which we are striving.  And though it may not yet be perfect, we at OHO are progressing significantly in dynamics, emotional subtleties and technical execution of Blood Brother as evidenced by this 'timeline' recording of live and rehearsal recordings pieced together for my own personal enjoyment. . .

. . . maybe yours too?!


Blood Brother
(excerpts from chronologically advancing performances of Blood Brother)by OHO
OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak




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, '2014', can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak4)

Also, be sure to visit:
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Radio, Radio . . .

. . . Ah, but there will be MORE!!!!

". . . I’ve been meaning to email you for a little while now, and I’m sorry it’s taken me so long.
Got your package on OHO, and yes, I’m definitely interested in featuring the band on my show, Baltimore Hit Parade. I did Steptoe and Pooba as a Baltimore Backtrack, which is a feature where I catch up with Baltimore bands from back in the day. Would you or another member of OHO be interested in coming in for an interview next Tuesday afternoon or sometime during the day next Thursday? We’re at 1 Olympic Place off the circle in Towson. . . "

. . . well hell yes, we WOULD be interested in that.  More Shortly. . . 

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html 

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, '2014', can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak4)

Also, be sure to visit:
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Vote on Freedom . . .

(from http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/house-judiciary-approves-bill-ending-bulk-nsa-data-collection/130970)
". . . The House Judiciary Committee on a voice vote has unanimously approved the USA Freedom Act (H.R. 3361). The bill would end bulk data collection by the National Security Agency, as well as boost transparency and reporting requirements for targeted data requests, require more specificity in those requests, and minimize retention and dissemination of nonpublic data.

The compromise version hashed out over the past weekend was said to be a compromise between Judiciary chair Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and ranking member John Conyers (D-Mich.). The bill was sponsored by Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.).

The White House has taken some steps to reign in NSA data collection, but not enough for critics, including a host of groups planning a day of activism June 5, the anniversary of the first story about NSA surveillance, based on info from leaker Edward Snowden.

At the bill's markup Wednesday, the recurring theme was that the legislation would end bulk data collection that had been conducted, but shouldn't have been, under The PATRIOT Act.

An amendment was defeated that could have led to private companies having to retain customer data longer than they currently do. . ."

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html 

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, '2014', can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak4)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

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