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Archives for 2010

Treme my favorite show on HBO!

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I think that the best TV series out there today is a show called Treme that is on HBO.

The character development is fabulous, the feel to the show seems very honest but the best part of the show is hands down the music! The traditional New Orleans sound that they have there makes me want to sell the house and move on down to the promised musical land!

My wife and I were scrolling through our PVR guide a few months ago and came across a show about post Katrina New Orleans in the 7th Ward. We thought that it was going to be one of those cheesy shows with no substance or originality. When we first read the descriptions/info about the show, my first thought was that Treme was some bad documentary about the area and that it was not true to what really is going on there.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPVMxuoarbg

Even though I’ve never been there, watching Treme makes me curious about what it’s really like, this distinctive and historical American city. Has anyone out there been there before? If you watch this show and been there, are there similarities to both?

Keep on Jammin’




We just bought a Kindle 2 eBook Reader

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Wow, my wife just bought a Kindle 2 eBook Reader! She bought it on line through Amazon. It’s a 6 inch screen and comes with some really neat stuff. I never really thought that we’d pick up something like this, but we did.

kindle 2 eBook reader

It comes with dictionary, text only web browser (this is in the US only damn it!), and a wireless 3G device. Our new Kindle 2 is slim at just over 1/3 of an inch, which is as thin as most magazines. The device is light weighting in at 10.2 ounces, lighter than your average paperback.

The Kindle looks quite paper like in it’s display without the glare that you sometimes get in some devices, even in bright sunlight. I wonder if you can adjust the brightness of the screen itself. Our notebook screen is not all that bright in the sunlight which pisses me off when I’m in the backyard trying to do some work. They claim the battery life on the Kindle is very long, up to 1 week on a single charge. It carries up to 1,500 books. You can find a fair amount of free books at Amazon and other book stores online. We’ve already downloaded some onto our notebook to be uploaded to our new Kindle when it arrives.

Read-to-Me is a neat feature my wife told me about. With it’s experimental Text-to-Speech feature, Kindle can read newspapers, magazines, blogs, and books out loud to you, unless the book’s rights holder/owner made this feature unavailable. Perfect for after more then a few light refreshing liquid beverages, ha!

She bought a electrical wall mount charger, car charger, ear phones and last, but not least the Amazon leather cover. I’m forever scratching electronic screens, I should take a pic of my phone so you can see what I mean, so this will come in very handy.

The only bad thing about buying it here in Canada is the custom and duty taxes $33 (CAN) that comes with it, but hey, no use complaining too much. We should be getting out little hands on it this Wednesday, so sometime after that expect another post about our new addition to our home!

Do you have a Kindle? How do you like it?

Keep on Kindlin’!

The Rockin’ Roll Bagpipes

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Today’s bagpipe’s are a perfect pitch for the aggressive rock scene. Think about it, they were played during war time to help charge solders into battle with their heart thumping electrifying tone. The emotional effect that the bagpipe has on most of us seems like it would work well in the aggressive music world. Have you ever heard bagpipes played live? For me, it elevates my blood pressure to the point that, it is forewarning me that something special is about to take place.

“Celtic punk and folk-tinged hardcore band from the South Side of Chicago.” Fans, Bawinkel says, are “stoked”: “As soon as the bagpiper walks out on stage, the crowd just flips out.” Tobin Bawinkel, Professional Piper

Yes, bagpipes are back, albeit somewhat changed from it’s original inception. The bagpipe renaissance came from Scotland, where acts began to spice up their sound. Lately creative new bands like the White Stripes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have incorporated them into their tunes. The modern pipers have brought us their unique interpretation of classic tunes on YouTube with a real neat spin in unexpected musical settings. For example putting them into everything from traditional carols to songs like Thunderstruck from AC/DC.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aiil6xW9Lb0The Swiss Death Metal Group Eluveitie

When exploring this latest evolution in the bagpipes, I realize that alternative piping is not a huge scene yet but one that should be investigated a little further. A band called Real McKenzie’s helps in the push for the new Celtic punk sound. They take the familiar Scottish chant and elevates the experience many notches.

Then there are acts out there that even consider the bagpipes everything from, dare I say, bluesy all the way to progressive bagpipe-jazz-aboriginal-fusion?

Now the last thing that I want to bring up is, do you know that someone has invented an electronic bagpipe? I know that this would be a fabulous addition for a favorite local band called Wilton Said to look into. What do you think Wilton?

No matter what your perception of the bagpipes, there certainly has been a bit of a resurgence in this classic instrument as of late that will eventually pass by you in some musical form in the near future. I’m not sure if this means that Lady Gaga might take a shine to this instrument but hey, never say never!

So are there any pipers out there that want to put their two cents in here? If you think that your style on piping is great then send us a link to your site to further investigate and open us up to the new world of piping to all.

Keep on Jammin’

Pie in the Sky Studios

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I ran into the owners of the Pie in the Sky Studios and I must say their good people. I told them that I drive by their studio all the time and have always wondered what it is that they do there. I wrote down the website but of coarse I lost it or never got around to going there. After seeing it, I was very amazed at what they produce there, right down the street from our home!

Pie in the Sky has two locations. Their Main Studio is Studio One that is an old converted movie theatre house at 397 Donlands Ave. at O’Connor Dr. in Toronto(East York) that they broke into two separate studios. Studio One is 50′ by 50 while Studio Two is 65′ x 30′, descent sizes I’d say. Studio Two is located at 43 Laird Dr. north of Moore Ave.

The main studio is custom built and is run by people with on-set experience. The staff are pack rats (I’ve never met a pack rat that I didn’t like!) and have lots of stuff in the basement you may need. The Studio rental rates appear reasonable and they also have some great professional gear that you can rent at what seems like decent prices. I think this would be a fantastic venue to video tape any music video.

So has anyone out there used Pie in the sky Studios? I’d love to hear about it! If you do try out this company, tell them Chris sent ya!

Keep on Jammin’

Neil Young’s younger brother Bob

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I was talking to this really nice down to earth guy who was delivering out flyers to homes in the neighborhood and we gotta talking while my little puppy Midnight was out for one of her many daily constitutions. During the conversation we brought up Neil Young’s name because I told him that he looked a lot like Mr Young.

He tells me that sometimes he goes up on stage and plays his harmonica with bands that play some Neil Young tunes. He said that tons of people come up to him after he plays and thinks that he is either Neil himself or maybe he is a brother or relative. He tells them no but says that his brother Bob Young hangs out in a bar called Captain Jack in the Beach area of Toronto at a 2 Wheeler Ave at Queen St. E.

Captain Jack’s comes with 4-stars, but a warning as well. If you can’t handle places that are on the tougher side, read no further. However, if you’re looking for one of the best dive bars in Toronto, you’d be hard-pressed to find a place that beats Captain Jack and has windows. The Beaches has its fill of posh, stylish, trendy spots. This is the unabashed opposite, gritty, warts and all. The tap list includes 50, and in the beer cooler you can find Molson Stock Ale to give a sense of the range. The only high-tech items found are the jukebox, the bowling video game, and the flat screen TV that carries most-to-all available sports. The perfect spot for the last one (and you may drink a few before finding that last one) of the night.

I’ve never heard of this bar before but you can bet the farm that when I’m in the area, I will go and experience it for myself. Wouldn’t it be neat to meet Neil Young’s brother and chat with him over a beer and get a picture with the guy? Hell ya!

keep on Jammin’

River Boat music?

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Now this a river boat (guitar) that I’d love to take for a spin around Toronto’s waterfront! I bet that this is what David Wilcox was thinking of when he made that great tune of his called River Boat Fantasy.

river boat guitar

Keep on Jammin’ (just watch out for those buoys)


Plastic Bass for my buddy Aldo

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Only at the Nashville Earth Day Festival, held in the city’s Centennial Park (complete with its own Parthenon) would we find a bass guitar made from melted and molded plastic bags. This is the best usage I have seen of plastic bags yet.

It’s actually an art project by a Metro Nashville student for the Trash Art Contest. Considering I have forgotten your birthday for many years now Aldo D., I just saw it and it screamed your name!

plastic bass guitar

Keep on Jammin’

Beautiful Custom made Electric Chrome Guitar

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I cannot find the correct words to describe this beautifully crafted custom made chrome electric guitar. Just look at the detailed work that had to go into something like this. Did the craftsman etch out the pattern on it? Did he or she make a mold then put it into a press to create this master piece?

I found this one when I was on line late one night and I was completely captivated by the intricate arrangement. I attempted to zoom into the name that is in between the pick ups but I couldn’t. The mounts that hold the pick ups are really nice. The tailpiece is so rock hard looking that it appears that it can take a beating! Then there is the distinctive bridge footings that make me think that the person who developed it paid tons of attention when forging it.

The only thing that I find odd about this beauty is that there are only two controls on it. If you make a piece of instrument art why don’t you give the musician(s) more options to tailor fit your sound. That is the only issue that I have with this guitar.

In all honesty, I think that I’d just put this baby under glass and never play on it. I’d be too afraid to scratch it, enjoy!

custom chrome etched guitar

Keep on Jammin’

The King of Country Guitars

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The Cantos Music Foundation, which is located in Calgary, has a one of a kind multi-instrument in it’s collection. It’s a five-neck guitar from Saskatchewan country music legend Steve Puto. He lent it to the society a number of years ago.

It belongs to Saskatchewan country music legend Steve Puto, who lent it to the organization several years ago.
Steve says that he brought it when I was performing at some local jamborees. Saying that it’s conversational piece is an understatement.

According to the CBC, the guitar luthier’s name is Dick Thomas. He made this work of functioning art when he was employed by Country King guitars.

Steve Puto's five neck guitar for Country King guitars

When I saw this creation my first instinct was to find out more about it. If it was right in front of me, I’d be compelled to pick it up and play it, well wouldn’t you?! Steve Puto use to host the popular Saskatoon TV show The Lonesome Steve Show, aired every Saturday in Saskatoon in the mid-’70s.

The instrument has five necks that include a mandolin, a banjo, a six-string guitar, a bass and a fiddle. “And lest we forget, mounted to the fiddle is a harmonica,” Moffat said, the head conservator at Cantos. He says that the instrument isn’t in good enough shape to play anymore. “But I think we could definitely bring it back to life. It’s a great example of innovation, experimentation.”

Steve purchased this distinctive looking guitar for about $400.00 (CAN) from a buddy of his music store in 1973.
He still plays today and runs a ranch in Saskatoon.

“I’m celebrating my 65th year in country music,” said Puto, who is planning to take his old five-neck out of the Cantos collection so he can play it at jamborees this summer. CBC

I can only imagine that Cantos is praying that he returns this one back to their medley of musical instruments. To read the original article in it’s entirety check out this link. If you ever go to the Cantos Music Foundation in Calgary you should look for this beauty.

Keep on Jammin’

Jeff Healey’s Last Call Jazz CD

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Stony Plain Records released a Jeff Healey’s ” Last Call” Jazz CD on April 6 in U.S.

The ones I like so far are Guitar Duet Stomp (3:35), The Wildcat (2:34)and Hong Kong Blues (3:10).

jeff healey's last call cd Guitar Duet Stomp is the style of guitar playing that I just can’t get enough of.

My best guitar teacher ever, Chris Peterson, introduced me to this enchanting style of playing. The emotions that overwhelms me with this classification of music, is indescribable. One’s fingers literally fly all over the fretboard. Not in that heavy/speed metal guitar styles that we have all become accustomed to, but in a more purer form.

The chord progressions are just heavenly. Really they are, check out this song for yourself and see what I mean. The tempo changes are a nice breather in the song. There is even a little bit of Leon Redbone in there as well.

The Wildcat also holds a similar musical torch to the above one. This time Jeff Healey brings in some hot fiddle player to play on this one. I’ve never had the privilege to play with one so I have a unique interest for this one. The fiddle player is running neck to neck with Jeff on The Wildcat and is playing in hurry! I enjoy the time and chordal change, some people fine this irritating so this is heads up to you folks. Ahhh, LOVE IT!

Last we have Hong Kong Blues. This is a fun but corny kind of song. It’s about a Memphis man that was arrested in Honk Kong. Do I need to say anymore? On this song it’s just Jeff playing acoustics’s on three or maybe more tracks. In the middle of this piece, he gives us this overly sappy part that makes one’s eye’s roll in a humorous way.

Does anyone out there have this CD? Love to hear back from ya.

Keep on Jammin’

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