SXSW 2013
South By Southwest 2013 was an eye opener as SXSW continues to grow and get crazier. Now every time that you catch an act, you miss 20 instead of 10 acts that you want to see at the same time. Also cooperate interests are continuing to show a strong presence at SXSW such as the Doritos stage. Big headliners with special lotteries for admission are showing a big presence such as Prince, Justin Timberlake, Green Day, Dave Grohl’s Sound City Players with all stars such as Stevie Nicks and John Fogerty, Nick Cave, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and others. SXSW also continues to be an industry conference whose speakers are full of such hot shot respected figures such as Clive Davis and artist interviews with Eric Burdon and new sensations MacKelmore and Ryan Lewis. More to report coming...
Read MoreGrammy 2013 Post Mortem
I watched the 2013 edition of the Grammys last night. It was an overly long show full of the good and ugly moments that make up the Grammys. Among the fine surprises were the tribute to Bob Marley which included Bruno Mars, Sting and Rhianna along with Marley’s sons Ziggy and Damian….Blues rock titans The Black Keys joined by a colorful Dr. John in full New Orleans voodoo headdress along with the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band….Jazz masters Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Kenny Garrett jammin’ without a drummer…so sublime! Who could also forget JLo’s leg, Katy Perry’s cleavage, Nas’s cool tux, Ellen DeGeneres making Beyonce nervous, Folk revivalists Mumford and Sons and The Lumineers demonstrating why they are hot right now, Wiz Kalifa’s cool take on the 80’s Boy George hat, guest presenter Prince making a fashion statement in a black hoodie ensemble and carrying a silver cane and Juanes showing off his singer/songwriter side in English. There were plenty of cheesy moments that was the subject of all my facebook friends who were wickedly putting down the badly sung songs, the blown jokes by star presenters who should know better and all the other absurdities that was part of the broadcast. But isn’t that what The Grammys are all about? Not really. There were categories that we didn’t see on TV that were important to some of us. It would have been nice to see some Latin music in the mix this year. Some of our fine local artists, musicians and producers in all genres were nominated this year. They didn’t make it to 3 1/2 hours of television glitz. What the Grammys are is just entertainment. The real substance behind the music and the most exciting music out today doesn’t make it to our TV screens. For a fleeting moment, host LL Cool J’s throwback to hard core rap with Public Enemy’s Chuck D, guitar whiz Tom Morello, dj QTip and Blink 42 drummer Travis Barker just made it before the closing credits were ran. That’s the Grammy’s for...
Read MoreUnder ReConstruction
Hi everyone, it’s been a while since I have posted on my blog. A lot of sickness has hit my home and I have been affected. I haven’t had a lot to say since I have been on a personal and professional reconstruction of sorts. In some ways, it’s befitting to a start of a new year: the closing of some doors and the opening of other new exciting possibilities. The letting go of old, now toxic, things and relationships and the nurturing of new ways and roads that will support my future growth and development even at this stage of my life. I still have a lot to say and comment on and that will be reflected on future posts. If you are still out there, thanks for putting up with me. I’m not dead. I just want my posts to resonate with some weight, knowledge that I want to pass on and relevancy. I’ll be back...
Read MoreCasa Sanchez On A Friday Night
San Francisco’s Mission District is the home of Casa Sanchez restaurant located near the corner of York and 24th Street. Latin Jazz and Salsa is featured every Friday night starting at 7 pm in the small, cramped dining room that is full of good vibes. Fine Mexican food is offered such as the Carne Asada Tampiquena or Enchiladas En Mole. Last Friday, I checked out conguero Adrian Areas and his solid Latin Jazz quartet performing a spirited repertoire that included classic compositions by Mongo Santamaria and Wayne Shorter. The colorful Chepito Areas, former Santana timbalero, was holding court at the bar among a group of friends and customers who were cheering on his son Adrian. Only in the...
Read MoreHappy New Year Resolution
A New Year marks another chance to start anew. Another shot at getting it right from the jump. I have a feeling this year is my time to reboot this page dedicated to music and life. It is a temptation to get lazy as one gets older so I’m challenging myself to stay stimulated and write often in this space.
Read MoreLive Appearances
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