Most often, I listen to
community radio, which here in Kansas City is KKFI,
90.1 FM. During the jazz shows each afternoon, upcoming jazz
performances are announced, an effort of the Kansas
City Jazz Ambassadors ("which reminds you to get out and hear some
live jazz tonight"). A similar blues calendar is heard during blues
programming later in the day. Where ever in the world you are, you can
listen to KKFI's streaming audio click upper left on any page, or find it
under the On-Air Guide
link.
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Get out and hear some live music
- soon, whether jazz, blues, country, rock,
folk, or any other genre. This is the season of festivals, so often you
can enjoy several acts for one admission - go see performers you're familiar
with and discover others just as good - added bonus is to enjoy them in the
great outdoors. (If that's not your cup of tea - or mug of beer - and
even if it is - there are still plenty of shows in restaurants, bars and night
clubs, and concert
halls.
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LIVE
MUSIC
For instance,
I drove out to Topeka June 1st and 2nd for the Coleman
Hawkins Legacy Jazz Festival, catching
Son Venezuela and the Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band Friday night and Ken
Lovern's Organ Jazz Trio, Dan Doran and Marcia Ball on Saturday. Sunday,
went a bit more highbrow with the Northland Symphony, but a pops concert
outdoors featuring movie themes. This past weekend it was up to
Parkville, Missouri for their annual Blues, Jazz and Fine Arts River Jam. Many
others were on the line up, but Trampled Under Foot, Angela Hagenbach and
Saskia Laroo were three acts I caught Friday night. This coming weekend,
Jazz in the Woods is on my
schedule, where Arturo Sandoval, with opening acts Nils, and Eldar, play
Saturday (there's a Friday show too, and Sunday for the first time, Country in
the Woods, with headliner Tracy Byrd. June 19 I'll be at Alison Krauss'
performance in Kansas City.
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LIVE
MUSIC
So, how about you?
You catch some live music now and then,
right? Or listen to CDs, the radio, maybe MTV, CMT etc.? Watch
television, go to the movies? What do you like (and why?), what don't
you like (how bad was it, and why? Post your opinion in our new Discussion
Board - have a dialogue with others there. Simple registration
(free) is required, filling a thing or two in on the profile is encouraged
(don't just register, though - hard to tell you from the hundreds of potential
spammers - who seem to give up after registering... so without a post in the
month after registration, registration will expire).
DISCUSSION
BOARD
The Academy Awards
have been presented, and I can't argue with
them much - in fact, most of the nominees were of such quality that they were
all deserving (not always the case in some years past.) For the
Academy's official site with list of all nominees, all winners and other
information, go to oscar.com
(not great navigation, but then who am I to talk?) Looking for a DVD/vid
of a current or past winner? That and more, check out Oscar Central
at
my Amazon.com link. Did you watch
the Awards telecast? The commercials were great, done
"cinema"-style... after a ho-hum batch of Super Bowl
commercials this year, it was refreshing.
Now, speaking of movies
- they're a key part of my site, with lead actors and official site links
listed, along with links to my "collectibles" pages where you can
find DVDs / videos, posters, CDs, etc. from a particular film or artist, as
well as others the artists have appeared in.
I fall behind, however, much too often...
should I make a
New Year's Resolutions ?
Well, truth be told, I don't make - nor break,
that's the corollary - new year's resolutions... but, if I did, it would
be to keep all of this site up to date. Fact is, I do intend to get it
and keep it up to date, although it may take a while (hey, it has been
completely current in the past, so it is do-able.)
What most needs to be current? Well, the
various news feeds, of course, but that is automated and IS up to
date... but some other things you come here for which require good new
info are movie and music recommendations. My own, along with links to
movie trailers, my collectibles pages, music buy pages and more, are being
updated, but
your part in this...
Okay, I'm repeating some of what I said above,
but... you see movies... listen to music... go to
concerts... watch TV... have thoughts on current events... now you can
be a critic too, and voice your opinion. You are invited - no,
ENCOURAGED -to use our
new Discussion
Board to praise or pan what you're watching and listening to, raise
questions, and have a dialogue with others there.
DISCUSSION
BOARD
Best of the Year
Grammys have been awarded, Oscars have been
presented - have they missed something? Well, of course, and in adding my own
"Bests," I might well overlook some you feel are deserving too, yet at
the same time, call your attention to some excellent music and movies you
weren't aware of. (By the way, you can add your two cents worth on these
matters, and more, on our new Discussion Board - see
"your part in this," above.)
Coming soon:
A chat site -
eclectic discussions - talk about movies, music, books, anything you want, and
LIVE! (this will be added after the Discussion
Board takes off, since if there's not sufficient interest in the
board, interest in Chat would be doubtful too.)
Collectibles pages for music pages (besides
posters, autographs, clothing and other memorabilia, these will include fan site
and official site addresses, CDs and DVDs available, and music download links).
I've begun scanning my original artist photography and
will begin placing it (again) at dotPhoto; Sammy Kershaw,
Toby Keith, Leann Womack and Journey, Collin Raye, Tish
Hinojosa, Chad Brock, Marcia Ball, Exposé, Count Basie,
Stan Getz, Dave Brubeck, George Shearing, Tito Puente, Paquito D'Rivera, Diana
Krall, Phil Woods, Dixie Chicks,
the Kinleys, and many more. I will also be adding nature / landscape /
scenics, etc. You can buy high resolution prints in various sizes direct from dotPhoto at very reasonable prices.
I'm undecided just now whether to resume the "Commentary" thing, or
(more likely) post to the Discussion
Board, which is quicker, and allows better for a dialogue with
you... meanwhile, I've left the "archives" in place:
Read
previous "Michael Says..." articles
