Local, underappreciated, talent. . .

. . . my old friend Jay (a musical force still to be reckoned with) has been making music in the Baltimore area for over forty years now. He is truly a talent, and a character as well. Check out one of his latest projects right here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ9NUB90IDI)

which features his son, Matt, a vintage composition from his long-time band and project-object OHO, with state-of-the-art technological enhancements to the basis of the original recording from way-back-when.

Anyway, briefly and happily, Jay and myself were involved in a musical endeavor about 35 years ago and it happened this way.
I played in a cover/standards/top40/wedding-type combo. This after many years of accordion lessons, family affairs and private parties. And we actually made real money doing this. (WIll wonders never cease?) Our guitarist was leaving the combo to join the ranks of a more well-established outfit and was leaving a hole in the group. Our drummer Jeff, who recently joined our group after the departure of our regular drummer, had a brother who had been involved in original, art/prog-rock music for several years (oh, how that word appears and reappears). Jeff's brother Jay, just (we were told) might be interested in joining our little combo in order to make some money. (You see, original music making in the Baltimore area was about as lucrative then as it is today.) So after an 'audition' of sorts (I don't think we really auditioned anyone else), Jay to Keith's place and "Ful Treatment" arose from the hackneyed, Baltimore wedding-band ashes. And arose we did indeed. Jay brought chops, life, energy, rock, exuberance and humor to our music, as well as to our 'backstage' existence. And it was good. Well, as good as a wedding band could be. We plied our trade doggedly between '76 and '79 when in anticipation of my forthcoming wedding and my increasing distaste for the wedding/bull roast/American Legion circuit, I retired from active performance. But not without a fond memory of the many wild and wooly nights playing with Ful Treatment, and my friend Jay.

More Later.

(hear my music at http://www.rayjozwiak.com/)

You've Probably. . .

. . . already read the story of 'Jerry' that I posted yesterday and I want to be clear that I posted it for the value I see in it and by no means whatsoever take credit for the composition of it. I have seen it, as I'm sure you have, numerous times on the internet and have received it by email, but have never learned the author of it. Well, CHEERS to her or him.

I did add the note at the conclusion myself. The originals say something like, "Now you have two choices to make (which interestingly enough is grammatically incorrect) :
1. You can delete this message or
2. You can forward it to someone you care about.
I hope you will choose #2.
I did.

First time I read the story, I expected the ending to say, "Forward this to XXX amount of people or you will have seven years bad luck" or something to that effect.

(Hear my music at http://www.rayjozwiak.com)

What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and. . .

You have a choice.

Jerry is the manager of a restaurant. He is always in a good mood. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would always reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" Many of the waiters at his restaurant quit their jobs when he changed jobs, so they could follow him around from restaurant to restaurant. Why? Because Jerry was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was always there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious. So one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, “I don’t get it? No one can be a positive person all the time. How do you do it?” Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, I have two choices today. I can choose to be in a good mood or I can choose to be in a bad mood. I always choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be victim or I can choose to learn from it. I always choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I always choose the positive side of life." "But it's not always that easy, “ I protested. "Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. It's your choice how you live your life." Several years later, I heard that Jerry accidentally did something you are never supposed to do in the restaurant business. He left the back door of his restaurant open. . . and then??? In the morning, he was robbed by three armed men. While Jerry trying to open the safe box, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found quickly and rushed to the hospital. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.… I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Want to see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, after they shot me, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or could choose to die. I chose to live." "Weren't you scared“ I asked? Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the Emergency Room and I saw the expression on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'He's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything." 'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Please operate on me as if I am alive, not dead'. "Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day you have the choice to either enjoy your life or to hate it. The only thing that is truly yours -- that no one can control or take from you- is your attitude, so if you can take care of that, everything else in life becomes much easier. Note:

What you do with this message will NOT affect the amount of luck you will have in the future, result in any inordinate amount of ‘blessings’, alter in any way our friendship (if we, indeed, have one) or relationship as acquaintance, sibling or other family member, co-worker or just plain ‘guy’ on the street.

(Hear my music at http://www.rayjozwiak.com)

Monday morning. . .

There's a cool social and collaborative website for musicians called INDABA MUSIC which allows you to play on 'sessions', to which you are either invited or accepted to join, in essence, playing with a band on-line. I've been a member for some years. Here's one of the 'fruits' or our Indaba labors.

(Go to HO-HUM session at http://www.indabamusic.com/asset/show/28059)

Well, I've been working on a new session.

(Hear my music at http://www.rayjozwiak.com)

It's fast becoming. . .

. . . my conviction that truth is really so much stranger than fiction.
Is that the way it ought to be ?
It's not my eyes that do the seeking. Even a blind man sees agenda we're keeping.
Is that the way it ought to be?
I never thought I'd be looking behind like I do. Not quite sure just what I'll see.
But I'm rarely surprised by the antics of many; surprised by the antics of few.

It's one thing that they never mentioned. Back in my school was only so much convention.
Is that the way it ought to be?
And now we find it's what we're teaching. We're all conditioned. See the numbers we're reaching?
Is that the way it ought to be?
How can we say there's a god in his heaven above watching, directing with love?
And while on bended knee, we proceed to make judgement on things that we don't like to see.

It's fast becoming my conviction that truth is really so much stranger than ficion.

(Hear my music at http://www.rayjozwiak.com)

Man. . .

. . .I am tired, frustrated, overwhelmed, concerned, tired, involved, connected, hopeful, fatigued, disenchanted, subversive, dedicated, persevering, mortal, hypersensitive, disenchanted, wise. achy, underappreciated. . .

Hope I feel better tomorrow.

(Hear my music at http://www.rayjozwiak.com)

I would like. . .

. . . to be BORED again.

I have NOT been bored since I was probably 20 years old. What once seemed a fate worse than death. But now, with additional years and responsibility, the very prospect of having more time available that activities to fill it holds desirability comparable to that of winning the lottery.

. . . eight hours of work five days a week, composers group meetings and plans to be made, band rehearsals, playing piano, composing, transcribing, recording, cooking, cleaning, sleeping, moving furniture, clothes etc. for the painter, preparing for my son's shoulder surgery, attempting to stay warm as winter winds down, hearing of Tokyo's severe earthquake and resultant tsunami activity with warnings issued for the U.S. West Coast where another son resides wondering if he is aware, wondering how close he is to the ocean, wondering how high in altitude is his neighborhood, mentally planning how to accomplish my goals at work today in half a workday. . .

Ah, to be able to wander down the alley, kicking a stone and wondering how to fill the hours of just another day. BORING!!!???

(Hear my music at http://www.rayjozwiak.com)