Passion . . .

Social media, email and the Internet have not only brought about the quick and convincing scare syndrome and the quick-spread falsehood but it has also brought about the passionate reactionary.  Witness Hans Groiner.  No, he's not a passionate reactionary.  He is however, a very clever entertainment presentation from the clever and talented Larry Goldings, who is not may I mention, a comic by trade.

The passion, both rational and not, enters the picture when you read the commentaries of the YouTube offerings of Hans Groiner.  In short, the fictional Mr. Groiner is a musician who, although he does not like jazz, has undertaken the project of 'correcting' the music of Thelonious Monk. The result is a new-age-y, benign, vaguely familiar tune chock-full of major chords and 'straight' rhythms.  But Larry's shtick is very SNL-ish or Christopher Guest/Rob Reiner parody-like and every bit as witty.

 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) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak

My latest solo release, '2014' of original, instrumental piano music, 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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History . . .

(fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Airy,_Maryland)
Mt. Airy was established in 1830 and continued to develop throughout the decade, beginning with the construction of house settlements along Parr's Ridge. A man named Henry Bussard built the first of these houses. This town was known for its train station on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) at Parr's Ridge. The railroad ran from Baltimore to Frederick, cities to the east and west, respectively, of Mt. Airy. Following 1830, the town received its official name after the suggestion of "Mount Airy" from an Irish B&O worker who complained about his freezing ears on a windy work day.[citation needed] Over the years, milling, canning and sewing industries initially helped support Mt. Airy's economy.

The city's proximity to the National Road contributed to its growth. The National Road ran west from Baltimore to Illinois. By the 1890s, the city's growth had increased significantly and three new churches were built (one Episcopal and two Methodist), along with a very important bridge, still standing and known by residents as the Twin Arch, that helped with railroad transportation. Four great fires (1903, 1914,1925 and more recently 2007) burned though the downtown district, but the town rebuilt every time.

The Mount Airy Historic District that includes the railroad station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Currently, Mt. Airy is no longer economically dependent on the railroad, as citizens work a variety of different jobs. Many of its citizens work in Washington, DC or Baltimore; the city is a part of both of those cities' metropolitan areas. Mt. Airy is a neighborhood community for these job centers. Mt. Airy is similar to back in the day with the national road but now with Interstate 70 bordering the southern end of town with an interchange with MD-27. In the last few decades Mount Airy has had a lot of growth with the town which was part of the Residential project of the Mount Airy Master Plan from the 1994 to 2003 update.


(from http://www.elkrun.com/about/)
Elk Run Vineyards is nestled in the rolling hills of Frederick County surrounded by dairy and horse farms, fields of wheat and corn. The name “Elk Run” was chosen for a stream. The deed name to the property is the “Resurvey of Cold Friday.” It was a land grant from the King of England to Lord Baltimore. The winemaker’s home is circa 1756. Since 1983 Fred and Carol Wilson and Neill Bassford, family and friends, have made Elk Run a shining star among American wine producers.
For the past 5 years Julian Wilson has taken on greater responsibility for field management, wine making as well as the most knowledgeable in new marking technology. Lauren Wilson, Julian’s wife, a former Technical Director  for WHAG in Hagerstown, has taken on marketing & event work for the winery.

Using new world research and technology while maintaining the traditions and values of old world practices, Elk Run’s focus is on producing high quality wine from high quality grapes. Practicing sustainable agriculture, on 25 acres, dense planted and controlled crop is heightened by the soils of schist and shale which allow for deep roots and good drainage. Eight hundred foot elevations help keep the vineyard safe from frost danger. Warm days and cool nights preserve the fruity character in the wines. Practicing sustainable agriculture, close spacing with great attention to crop levels allow the wine maker to create wines of varietal character, structure, balance and good color.
While a few wines are augmented by additional fruit, Elk Run Grows all the varieties it makes. Elk Run is the sole grower, producer of Gewurztraminer, the first and one of two who grow Pinot Noir ( 4 time Gold medal winner in 2012 for our 2010.


Did I mention OHO, at Elk Run Vineyards, Sunday, September 21 at 3PM for 'Sippin Sunday'? . . .

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) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak

My latest solo release, '2014' of original, instrumental piano music, 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

Tweet

Elk . . .

. . . Run

. . . is the name. . .


. . . but you'll see many more grapes there than elk.  And this Sunday, September 21st, you'll also see OHO (3 - 5:00PM) as Elk Run Vineyard presents "Sippin' Sundays" at the vineyard.

OHO came out of nowhere in the early 1970s playing music the chroniclers swore was years ahead of its time. OHO sneaks around the musical conventions that have mummified so many others, unleashing sliders where you'd expect curve balls, fast balls where you'd expect change-ups. Part of it is their sense of humor, part of it their unerring humanity.  Definitely, one of a kind and all in good fun...its got to be. 21st Century OHO continues to play locally as a trio consisting of guitarist/vocalist Jay Graboski, drummer/percussionist/vocalist David Reeve and keyboardist/vocalist Ray Jozwiak. In 2011 the band began work on a new release, tentatively entitled GAZEBO.  Look for it in the near future.

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) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak

My latest solo release, '2014' of original, instrumental piano music, 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

Tweet

Discovery # . . .

. . . 492,732,075,295 . . .

The music business is a lot like the electoral process.

"The clear difference between the cheap pop put on the radio and the quality work heard less is the amount of money thrown at the pop to force into the ears of all." (thanks David Balogh)

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) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak

My latest solo release, '2014' of original, instrumental piano music, 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

Tweet

Everybody . . .

. . . wants one . . .


Many firms spend their 'quality' time with employees preaching on how the employees can do things differently, usually to the benefit of the company.  How many actually consider what makes a 'good' company? . . . 

(from http://www.goodcompanyindex.com/good-company/good-employer/)
The phrase good employer evokes images of generous, nice companies.  While such attributes are part of the equation, being a good employer is more complex – and more difficult to achieve.  There are many moving parts, tradeoffs, and judgments that companies must make with regard to their employees.

There are three main elements to being a good employer:
    A value-creating organization committed to its employees, through active management of the organization’s leadership, work, and learning environments
    Creating business intelligence for being a worthy employer; this makes it possible for a company to masterfully manage the tension between employees as costs and employees as assets
    Providing an inspiring purpose with compelling answers to the questions “Whom is the company designed to benefit?” and “What is the company trying to achieve?”

Why would a company seek to be a good employer?  This is basic to being a good company for at least three reasons:
    Employees are fundamental stakeholders in a company and deserve to be treated and managed well
    Over the long run, it’s hard for companies to deliver great value to their customers if their employees are surly, disenfranchised, and/or in short supply
    If companies mistreat or mismanage their workers and fail their customers, the company’s capacity to deliver value to its investors and other stakeholders will suffer correspondingly

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) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak

My latest solo release, '2014' of original, instrumental piano music, 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

Tweet

It Will Not . . .

.  .  . Be Late . . .

. . . matter of fact, the show will be right on time . . .
Oho
Live at Sippin' Sundays
September 21, 2014 @ 3PM
Elk Run Vineyards
15113 Liberty Road  Mt. Airy, MD 21771 
Phone: 410-775-2513 • Fax: 410-875-2009 •
TOLL FREE: 800-414-2513
elk_run@msn.com



 I'm at a slumber party where sleepwalkers roam

I heard her say "You can do bad on your own"

Shut down my head I vow poverty of speech

The flora's growing green upon my gnashing teeth

 You make me know that what ain't mine ain't mine

I feel like I have been dispatched from time

Now there's no wind so I will grab my oars and row


So I start to laugh so hard I cry

It all goes away but never too late

It will not be late


Let me tell you something about your other face

I see it smiling there behind a veil of lace

Mary's dressing up her fish fillets

The juicy mango's calling for her blade

To pierce the silence of the desert as it waits


 The virtue is there so just take it up

It waits through delay it surely comes

It will not be late

It will not be late


 Just to lose you've got to stand up in the ring

Defeat it trickles like the dreams inside your dreams

I know you think that I'm a philistine

See the water changing into wine

Just a sip will turn the lights on in your head

 You know I'll do the least that I can do

The eyes behind my head are watching you

The cock will crow the next time I am denied



It Will Not Be Late
[9/5/2014 rehearsal recording by OHO - Jay Graboski, David Reeve and Ray Jozwiak]





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) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak

My latest solo release, '2014' of original, instrumental piano music, 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

Tweet





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) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak

My latest solo release, '2014' of original, instrumental piano music, 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

Tweet





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) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak

My latest solo release, '2014' of original, instrumental piano music, 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

Tweet