Kurt Vonnegut's Recipe for Growing Your Soul

I was recently poking around a wonderful website called Letters of Note * and came across this gem from Kurt Vonnegut.

From his Maiden Voyage to Kennedy Center Honors, Herbie Hancock has earned it all.

From his earliest attention gathering composition, Watermelon Man, through his tenure in the pianist chair with the second great Miles Davis Quintet, through his forays into electronics, Jazz-rock, funk, pop and back to Jazz, Herbie Hancock has had an enormous role in redefining post bop jazz. His selection as a 2013 Kennedy Center honoree for his contribution to art and culture is richly deserved. 

In this video, Hancock enjoys performances of "Walkin'" by former bandmates and contemporaries Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Dave Holland, Terence Blanchard and Jack DeJohnette; his classic composition, "Watermelon Man" performed by Terence Blanchard and Joshua Redman et al,  "Cantaloupe Island" with Marcus Miller, Snoop Dog, and "Chameleon" by all of the above and more.

Little Anthony's crying hurt so bad that it drove him out of his head

I hope that Little Anthony life didn't imitate his art because he cried so much and hurt so bad that it finally drove him out of his head. 

Sonny Rollins and Jim Hall playing on the Bridge

Part of the legend of Sonny Rollins includes his periodic sabbaticals from the music business to practice. To avoid disturbing his neighbors, he took his saxophone under the Williamsburg Bridge, where he continued to hone his craft. The composition,  "The Bridge", emerged from that experience. He is accompanied here by the renowned guitarist, Jim Hall, who passed away this week. 
                                          The Bridge

                             If Ever I Would Leave You

Bullwinkle Moose reaches for stardom in four interrupted parts

Bullwinkle the Moose seeks Hollywood fame and fortune as  "Crag Antler", ably guided by Boris Badanov as director D.W. Grifter.

The Last Angry Moose Part 1

Shavinisms By George Bernard Shaw

"I often quote myself.  It adds spice to my conversation." - George Bernard Shaw

Sarah Palin won't let me

Sarah Palin will not let me comment on her FB screeds unless I click her “like” button first. Hmm. Have I ever told a pretty dim gal that I like her just to get inside her, umm…head? Memory fails, so this must be virgin territory. But this twit has gotta be told. So, I'm clicking “like” and launching a full frontal assault. Next stop: the battlefield, where I plan to be embedded deep inside her soft, empty brain pan. August, 2010

Waiting for my star to shine - a dramatic and (mostly) true story.

Waiting for my star to shine - a dramatic and (mostly) true story. 

A Nelson Mandela Reader

How very rare it is to have had the living embodiment of liberty and justice walk freely among us and to do so long enough that his genius for peace could be acknowledged and appreciated throughout the world.  

Nelson Mandela b. July 18, 1918 d. December 5, 2013

What follows is a brief selection from his writings.

All the planets in every universe should have a star physicist.

"No one can resist the idea of a crippled genius."

Stephen Hawking defies gravity