mikeymad

Your posts are becoming self aware....

Phantoma by Unleash The Archers (2024) https://album.link/i/1721629378 Example: It took me a bit to get to - like most things these days - but first listen to the new UTA album. Not as much diversity as in the last few album as far as the overall sound. I think that they went hard on the storyline so I need to spend some time with the words and listen again soon. But new Archers album - happy times.

Happy belated birthday Kerry! - cheers

I do and I don't want to google SCATpack...

Reminiscence by Hélène Vogelsinger (2021) https://album.link/i/1682653342 Example: not on this album the the inspiration to listen to the album. If you like live looping - like I do - some good stuff here. Can get intense, but I really liked the album. There are a few more for me to check out.

Thanks for the thread Steve. I finally had a chance to read through it, and I appreciate the sharing. I wanted to share some thoughts from an event tonight. Every Tuesday night Communities of Belonging hosts a community meeting. Tonight was my night to host, and I wanted Pride Month as my topic. Last year when I hosted, I chose, How you were touched by Pride. Anyway: After the grounding, I led a discussion with the check-in question - What does Pride Month mean to you? (inspiration acknowledged) As host, I kicked it off. The main thing I think about, when I presented the topic was, freedom. I don't think of anything as boastful or other negative connotations with pride. I really see it as something deeper, more about a celebration of self. Being on a journey over the last three years or so in a search for self, I can appreciate and connect with it. Who doesn't want to be able to say, here I am, and be seen and heard? Others shared their personal experiences, from different orientations. I really liked one of our older members talking about it being like 'our' Christmas. I found one persons thoughts interesting, having a pretty strict religious upbringing, that it was drilled into him from an early age that 'pride' was bad/evil, in all its forms. He has had to unlearn that - and let it go, because it didn't align with his personal beliefs once he was grown. My second discussion topic was, how can we be better allies to the queer (I prefer this term) individuals throughout the year? With the concept of expanding the concentrated awareness during June to the everyday. I had not thought about this question until I posed it. My main thoughts are around acceptance and also calling people to task. I always think of the phrase 'Be careful who you hate, it could be someone you love'. This comes up in context of my extended family, in both directions, some are haters and some are members of a community that they hate. Also the sobering thought of 'Right now, someone is willing to take their life rather than come out'. All of this is just unacceptable. I work on the basic premise of acceptance. Oh that is who you are? Cool. But other discussions opened up the topic of Dignity. And the one that really stuck with me was being Affirming. To not just be accepting, but to let people know that you are an ally. Being accepting can be passive, the other person takes all the risk in trusting that there is acceptance on the other side. So that is something that I can take into my future, not to just be accepting and calling people out, but to be affirming. Cheers

Just checking out the up-and-coming talent these days. Loved the interplay with the audience.

Naturally by Sharon Jones & The Dap-kings (2005) https://album.link/i/1485055629 Example: It is sad that we didn't get more Sharon when she was here, but we can at least enjoy what we have.

And for Sunday afternoon.... New Conversations by Bill Evans (1978) https://album.link/i/1576791761 Example: Living in the PNW, I don't have to really remember the rain, because it is mostly imminent. This later Bill album is just Pretty. I tend to focus too much on the early work.

Mozart: Violin Concertos, Vol. 2 by Francesca Dego (2022) https://album.link/i/1635576309 Example: Chandos kind of day... I have never been one to really go in for Mozart's super early Concertos, but here, contrasting the 1st and 2nd with the 5th really shows the growth factor, and I feel that the 5th shows him coming on-line as a composer. This version of the Allegro aperto I really liked. Sir Roger and the Scottish I feel give a great platform for Francesca to shine. A touch slow? yeah, but lovely expression.

Finally... Closer To Grey by Chromatics (2019) https://album.link/i/1481815287 Example: Just what I wanted from this.

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13 - Part: De profundis by Estonian National Male Choir (2024) https://album.link/i/1733353649 https://open.qobuz.com/album/q8ujtzimaqpca -- I probably won't keep up this double posting, if it is me it is on Qobuz.. Example: Good Chandos recording and performance. It only really suffers from the fact that I don't really treat this as a 'symphony', it is much more of a choral work for me. When I want Shostakovich symphony I turn to the 8th or the 5th. This one I have to be in the mood for the choir. I know that there is controversy around this work, and I don't know if this is the censored or uncensored version, I don't speak the language. But it is an epic piece.

RIP Mr Jones - Truly a legion in the world of racing. So much so that you are known just by your first name. Godspeed indeed.

Argus by Wishbone Ash (1972) https://album.link/i/1440504883 https://open.qobuz.com/album/0000881128162 -- I guess that I have to give these separately since they seem to be lacking on the link page. Example: Great jams, overall a great feel with some departures from the central sound that they seemed to have. I remember this album cover more than I remember the band. One of my siblings must have had this album, and my home growing up had a conquistador motif to it as well. Not a look I think really holds up to the test of time. Anyway - really enjoyed the album. I found this comment informative. -- "If Wishbone Ash can be considered a group who dabbled in the main strains of early-'70s British rock without ever settling on one (were they a prog rock outfit like Yes, a space rock unit like Pink Floyd, a heavy metal ensemble like Led Zeppelin, or just a boogie band like Ten Years After?), the confusion compounded by their relative facelessness and the generic nature of their compositions, Argus, their third album, was the one on which they looked like they finally were going to forge their own unique amalgamation of all those styles into a sound of their own." -- agreed.

... just because they are very very good.... They get overlooked by bands such as BABYMETAL, but I like Band-Maid better myself. Their playing and writing is top tier. I really wished they could work out the deals with the streaming services. There is only one Album on Qobuz and it is from 2019. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that it is out there at all, but they have more to offer. And when you add in singer - Saiki Atsumi - even better..

Grace by Jeff Buckley (1994) https://album.link/i/1046187510 Example: A bit of 1994 tunes for a Tuesday afternoon. I knew the title track and of course his version of Hallelujah, but I didn't know this as a full album. Very good. Lots of different tones and styles and plays with dynamics nicely. And I have to say, just sounds like good music, it does not seem grounded or stuck in the 90s. At least to my ears.

Elegant Gypsy by Al Di Meola (1977) https://album.link/i/185858933 Example: Another master class from Al.

Good thing I use almost no Microsoft products on my Windows 11 machine. (save Defender)

Old Main Chapel by Ron Miles, Bill Frisell, Brian Blade (2024) https://album.link/i/1735388614 Example: I have been trying to get to this one since its release a couple of weeks ago. I was surprised by a new Miles release, having passed in 2022 - RIP. But this was a Blue Note recording from a 2011 gathering. Great sound and some really good parts. But I have to say that there were a couple times it was marginal for me. I know, no wrong notes in jazz, but some are more pleasing than others. But a worthy listen for me.

Ha - I do follow BlackTail and Foureyes for big wood entertainment, but I am open to others. Most of my recommendations look like this for some reason.

Okay I know I said I liked long format content. So after finishing the Start Wars hotel flop marathon video, I went ahead and checked out the epic fail of Evermore theme park. Another almost four hour video, wow. It seems crazy, but I was engaged. With over 10 million views, I guess others were as well. Dang, she has over 40,000 patreons paying at least $2 a month.... I had heard about Jenny from another YouTuber that I follow, Angela Collier, but I had never seen her posts before. I may check out a few more things.

Based on this fun performance I went back to an old classic for me - and also still remembering David - 😔 Double Vision by Bob James & David Sanborn (1986) https://album.link/i/1472334799 Example: And produced this classic example with brother Al Jarreau. I actually forgot this was on this album. I shall not forget..

Hmmm - That has been in my recommended section all week. I wasn't thinking of checking it out. I guess I might now. Edit: Okay, I didn't see Grahame's post. And I was an hour and 31 minutes into this thing, before I realized that it was Four Hours and Five Minutes long... Oh well... in for a penny..

Cheers Sir Brent.. - Happy Birthday May your biscuits be fully baked May the wheels on your bike stay on the ground May your whisky bottle never run dry Long live our MENSA Mexican...

Composite Truth by Mandrill (1972) https://album.link/i/1435359131 Example: Dats right. Mandrill y'all. A lot more diverse than I was expecting going into this, their third album.