Thursday, January 20, 2022

Perilous . . .

 

I don’t ask much,
Living my life the way that I want.
I stay in touch with what goes on out there.
I’ve seen trouble. I’ve seen heartache.
But my time here
Has been long enough to
Instill certain qualities. 
Seems the more that I witness,
All the more that I wish
I could hear what you’re saying.
We’re all better than this.
Let’s identify exactly what we miss.

Beyond perilous moors
The brave sea glitters.
Better lies ahead.

Whether or not 
We realize the years flow upstream.
Things that we’ve got aren’t always what they seem.
Your and my faiths are so different.
Each is placed in 
Antipodal reference 
So painful to reconcile.
If we stop trying,
What can we do?
What’s in the future
For me and you?
There’s both right and wrong but only reality prevails.


Beyond
©2021 Raymond M. Jozwiak 
from the forthcoming album GRAINS

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Wednesday, January 19, 2022

The Market . . .

(from https://www.popmatters.com/kenny-g-art-asks-little?fbclid=IwAR2ObOlW7lbCr3V5LZwLl1tX4H3DKHNIBpQtNa5lgLRXR5qwGfdbwCiiSsU) 
". . . A steady diet of that smushy stuff—whether you’re talking about McDonald’s burgers or Kenny G’s music—is not good for you. It’s not nutritious; it doesn’t contain anything that does more than soothe one. Soothing is okay, and it’s not Kenny’s fault that his soothing music is well-liked. . . Kenny G may seem like he is “in on the joke” at times, but does he understand that his work is little more than pleasantly empty? It may be inoffensive, but it’s not wholly innocuous. When a culture overfills its plate with that kind of food, the body suffers. . . The value of “art” may be subjective, but it is equally valid that the value of things that are incredibly popular is not certain. Profitability isn’t actual value. We critics—whether it’s me pointing out that G’s music is the equivalent of a basketball spinning on someone’s finger or Pat Metheny noting that G’s playing is uninventive and ignorant to the history it wants so desperately to be a part of—have a right to our voice. You don’t have to agree with us, but neither do you have to “agree” with the market. . ."


Lonely Woman
- Ornette Coleman


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Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Book . . .

Dear Booking Coordinator,
Writing about having OHO added to your live music calendar in 2022. OHO (originally from Baltimore) began in 1971 playing music the chroniclers swore was years ahead of its time. After more than forty years of evolution, OHO (now consisting of founders Jay Graboski and David Reeve, reunited with long-time musical collaborator [1970s Ful Treatment] Ray Jozwiak and occasional, special, when-available, musical guests) now cranks out a bevy of thought-provoking original material (either complete trio or as a duo) blended with some classics and sophisticated covers. . . A sample of OHO’s recent activities can be heard at: OHO Music Live Demo.  (or copy and paste this to your browser: https://soundcloud.com/ search?q=oho%20demo).  You can also check out our You Tube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw37xsKB0YlxgDhagA_yXPA.  Looking forward to hearing from you. . . I can send you digital downloadable files (via WeTransfer) of our latest release of original music called GAZEBO upon your request by return email. . .
 


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Monday, January 17, 2022

None Whatsoever . . .

 

When I start into thinking 
About the things that might have been,
I find that my imagination has no end. 
And though they’re not without their own attraction,
I can see, each time you look at me, 
I am exactly where I want to be.

And maybe I’ll never have that house in the country.
You won’t see me visiting those ritzy discotheques.
But I have no regrets. 
No I have no regrets.
See I have no regrets. 
No regrets . . . 

It’s a human kind of feeling.
It’s one that everybody knows
At least one time, if not another, as they grow, I do suppose. 
And though these things cross everybody’s mind 
I’ve got the key grasping reality. 
It’s the dessert I’m glad I didn’t eat.

Everybody is searching for something
That they’re afraid they might have missed.
And no matter how hard that you’re wishing
To have a second chance.
Don’t regret that you missed the dance,
Because the past is the past and you’re not gonna change it.

If it looks like I am distant,
Like I don’t hear a single word,
All the times that I’m not listening, but you think I really heard,
It doesn’t warrant any serious 
Concern, you see. It’s still the same old me,
And like a glove you fit me to a tee.






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Sunday, January 16, 2022

Inspiration . . .

. . . comes from the strangest places . . . 


(from [March 8, 2019] https://www.expatica.com/ru/news/trump-ex-campaign-chief-manafort-sentenced-to-47-months-in-prison-2-107328/)
". . . former (Trump) campaign chief Paul Manafort was sentenced to nearly four years in prison by a federal judge . . .  for tax crimes and bank fraud . . . Judge T.S. Lewis immediately came under fire from Democratic lawmakers for imposing what they described as a relatively light sentence on the 69-year-old Republican political consultant and lobbyist. . . Prosecutors from the Special Counsel’s office had argued for a stiff prison term for Manafort, the first target of the Mueller probe to be convicted in a criminal trial.
. . Ellis said that while Manafort had committed “very serious crimes,” he had previously led an “otherwise blameless life” and the advisory sentencing guidelines calling for 19 to 24 years behind bars were “excessive” and disproportionate to sentences for similar offenses.


Otherwise

©2021 Raymond M. Jozwiak
from the forthcoming release 'Grains'



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Friday, January 14, 2022

Ahh, To Be A Critic . . .

. . . and to earn a livelihood from dashing the efforts of hard-scrabble survivors and American icons of the music business who have proven, through both their body/(ies) of work and their persistence/longevity/dedication to one of the most crucial (and ancient) forms of art of which we know. Whether or not you are a fan of Brian Wilson (and/or The Beach Boys), you must at the very least appreciate the sincerity of all his efforts throughout the years whether or not you decide to buy his latest release OR NOT, and simply ignore this drivel and just listen to this work as soon as you can. k

(from https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/brian-wilson-at-my-piano/)
". . . Often, the mellow nature of At My Piano works against it. Wilson shows no desire to improvise or rearrange his warhorses. He plays with a lack of flair that accentuates the melody at the expense of texture or vibe: He literally is sitting at the piano playing familiar tunes. With the earliest songs, this approach amounts to little more than tinkling the melody as his left hand plonks out acompanying chords. There is a modicum of homespun charm, but the simplicity is also a bit stultifying. . .


Til I Die

- Brian Wilson


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Inspiration . . .


. . . comes in many forms and from many places.  Sometimes we can identify its origins. But sometimes we cannot. . . . Though this piece does not resemble it, Cannonball Adderley's 'Tengo Tango' played a substantial part in the conception of this song as is blatantly illustrated by both its tango influence and (more obviously) its title.




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