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2007/1/14 A song for mothers (and sons)Ever since I saw the movie A Prairie Home Companion, I got hooked on listening to the actual radio program. So much so I go back to their archives and listen to their old shows (and wouldn't shut up and keep telling my friends that I'm listening to the program.) Maybe it's their silly radio-acting with exaggerating sound-effects, but it's more likely because of the music they play on the show. It's sometimes jazzy, sometimes blues, sometimes folk music. Anyway, there is this one song I like from the show, I'd like to keep a note on. The song was performed by Kate Mackenzie in a show about 10 years ago(!) at 1:16:27.
MSN Sync from http://www.lightrelay.com/?p=63 2006/7/6 McCoy Tyner, Wallace Roney, and other names in Jazz As I was wondering what is there to do over the long weekend, I found out there is this Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival. Going thru the names of performers, I was surprised that I actually recognize a few of the names; maybe it's a indication that I actually know something about jazz, thanks to the songs introduced by QuietFM.
I ended up going to one concert by McCoy Tyner Septet. I recognized the name, but I didn't know much about him, so I wasn't so keen on going. But then I realized Wallace Roney, a really good trumpet player, was part of the Septet, so I thought two famous musicians in one concert is worth the admission. At the concert, I was kinda relieved that I was not the only there going by myself; plenty of people were there solo.
Some of the songs played that night:
In a Mellow Tone
Impressions
Stolen Moments
Happy Days
Not that I can recognized any of those tunes, in fact I'm not sure if I have heard of any of them before. But for sure I'll remember "Happy Days", such a easy tune to like and remember. It was the last song of the night for encore.
 McCoy Tyner is the last surviving member of the famous John Coltrane Quartet (another important jazz name) Reading his biography, it is clear that McCoy Tyner is one of the best pianist/compser in jazz history.
 I guess I was more drawn by Wallace Roney than McCoy Tyner, but then I have only heard one song from him, his version of Misterios, which I can never get tired of. In a way I was hoping I can hear that song, but then it was really McCoy Tyner's concert, no such luck. But Roney was quite good that night; I don't think I have heard trumpet sound as nice and clear. Rest of the group are actually some of the best musicians around; bassist Charnett Moffett, drummer Eric Kamau Gravatt, Eric Alexander on tenor sax, Donald Harrison on alto sax, and Steve Turre on trombone. All except the drummer have their own albums.
    If I'm not mistaken, the type of Jazz they play is called Bebop; to me the obvious characteristics is that:
In the playing, a theme would be presented in unison at the beginning and the end of each piece, with improvisational solos making up the body of the work. (wikipedia on Bebop)
Before the concert starts, I was wondering, with all those horns, will they actually sound good when they were all played together. But I was realy worrying over nothing, these guys are great musicians, and they sounded great together.
And of course each of the solos were great. I always like bass solo, but the way Charnett Moffett plays bass is simply amazing. Trombonist Steve Turre had some interesting solos, not only with trombone, but with his slightly modified conch shells. At the concert, many people there like me did not know about his special instrument of conch shells, and were pleasantly surprised to hear those equally nice sound.
2006/1/19 ... But SeriouslyA friend of mine recently had this phrase "But Seriously" for his personal message in MSN. Interesting, I thought, because it is also name of a music album. According to my friend, I'm like the first one who can correctly identified that being name of Phil Collins' album back in '89. (So don't I get a prize?) Turns out that my friend just recently discover (or re-discover?) this album, and he likes it quite a bit. He was starting to wonder if anyone knew this album.
 But then how can people not knowing it? It's only the best album that whole year, and radio stations in Toronto played his songs every other hour; even my mom started to recognize his songs on the radio when she was driving to ESL classes. ("That song about some rain down") Ok, fine, people I know back then (and now!) still follow Chinese music. And the reason I remember the album so well is that it is the first English CD I own (Ok, my brother paid for half of it) Although radio stations was playing half of the CD already, I thought I would like to get a copy (legitimate copy, no MP3 back then), and maybe there are more good songs on it.Listening to the CD again, I realize the best song on that CD is not one of those played on the radio; it's the last song of the CD, called "Find A Way To My Heart"...
Find a Way to Whose Heart?
You might think this is a love song, a guy to a girl. You might think this is from a parent to a child... after all, the song before this track on the CD is called "Father to Son". To me, this song actually reminds me of God, and different ideas from the Bible. The first line "Find a way to my heart, and I will always be with you" could very well be coming straight from God. Some other ideas:
"This journey's not easy for you, I know" -- just ask my pastor and a couple friends of mine
"Questions are never that easy" -- many Christ followers know this one
"You have the anwser, if you have the faith" -- not as many know this one
"Time may come, time may go" -- a time for everything
"There is a code to be broken" -- some think the Bible is coded
"There's a reason I hide my heart" -- some people (Christians even) find this hard to accept about God
...But Seriously, could Phil Collins really be writing the song this way? He is not known to be a Christian. But then, it has been known that God accomplish things in surprising ways.
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