Let's be honest; #1 on the 2010 end of year list? Watching you-tube!
A few things came my way this year. Our friend Max sent this delicious gem.
That's right, all of Billy Joel's greatest hits played all at once. And indeed, this is without any question the greatest, greatest-hit of Mr. Joel's career.
Visit wondertonic.tumblr.com and say thank you.
Bill Joel not your speed? How about Huey Lewis?
No? Abba maybe?
I'd sit through Mamma Mia if that was waiting as the grand finale. Wouldn't you?
Speaking of sitting, hopefully you're sitting down when you listen to Lin Yu Chun's performance of Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You.
I know I know, what feeling to feel first?
Speaking of Chinese renditions, I got a soprano saxophone in 2010. An Antigua Winds--you know Embrace the cold, play with fire.
Antigua Winds...who thought that up? (Embrace the cold, play with fire...who thought that up? Like, what the fuck can that possibly mean?) Was it someone born and raised in North America? If so, what demographic were they aiming for? File that one under "do words mean anything."
It's a fine horn. It came with a Yamaha 4c mouthpiece. Don't call it Mr. Right, call it Mr. Right Now. Evan Parker suggested I try the Selmer Super Session--because really, who doesn't love lots of words in a row all beginning with the same letter?
Mr. Parker told me that at the 2010 Vancouver Jazz festival, where I saw him play with the Alexander Von Schlippenbach trio. That was quite a thing...Paul Lovens is reverberating particularly clearly in my memory, but everyone played great. A fantastic evening of music. Thank you 2010.
Significant, but in a horrible way, 2010 was the year we lost Bill Dixon.
We also lost Gregory Issacs
Two very different and very beloved musicians. NO thank you 2010.
2010 will also be remembered as the year I organized my cassette collection. Anyone out there still rocking cassettes? Anyone out there know an easy, "supported" hardware/software combo for digitizing cassettes using Linux?
No? I didn't think so--but we're not going to let that stop us from loving two cassette rediscoveries.
The first features goats
The second features dogs.
If memory serves correct, 2010 was also the year Stop Requested and Black Cracker made their debut on the New Texture pan-media super corporation. But you knew that, and probably already have copies of both, right? I mean, Jesus H. Christ, it was on Dangerous Minds!
2010 is also the year that my electronica recording 88888888 was released. You can buy it on CDBaby. You can also purchase it as a download at this juncture, if that's your thing. If it isn't, the actual "product" is a hand made edition of 33, about five of which have been foisted upon friends and disinterested music industry types. There must be a pony somewhere, right?
2011...more digital days. January 1, 10, 11 as well as October and November 1, 10 and 11. November 11, 2011 should be a fun one. Or it should be the same old nonsense. Who can say? What does it matter? 12-21-2012 is just around the corner!
