Why I'm Doing This

Welcome to my blog. This is my first post, so please bear with me--I barely know what I'm doing.

I've started this blog for a few reasons: First, I have an intense love of music. There are only a few people I talk to about music, so I figured this will give me a chance to do that. Second, I'm always wanting to expand my awareness of musicians and recordings, both old and new. I'm hoping that some of you will be moved to post comments and tell me about the music you've discovered. And third, I've been spending a ridiculous amount of time on a career project, and I need a break. This should provide a bit of a diversion.

Some of the topics I'd like to cover here include musicians, recordings, radio, and concerts. My tastes are broad, though jazz and rock dominate.

To start things off, I'll just mention one cd that I highly recommend. It's called Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane, by alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett. Garrett is joined by Pat Metheny on guitar, Rodney Whitaker on Bass, and Brian Blade on Drums. It's on the Warner Bros. label and was released in 1996.

Why do I like this cd? First of all, Kenny Garrett is a seriously talented musician. I don't like all of his records, but this Coltrane tribute is really something. Metheny's guitar works well here. A critic once described his synth guitar work as "being force-fed an entire can of vanilla frosting," but it's used to fine effect on this record. The song selections--Equinox, Liberia, Dear Lord, Lonnie's Lament, Giant Steps, and others--offer a range of feels. Well worth checking out. If you've heard it, tell me what you think.