New Domain

I am now at a new domain, here. The backlog is still here, but I'll try and move it over.

~Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.~

Today's Walk

Went on a walk today, here are the pictures:

Looking out over the golf course.

Leaving the golf course with Baz.

At the river, it was boiling hot.

Looking out towards Rivelin Dams.

Baz.

Thanks for viewing, please send any suggestions for future blogs by email to jazzphilosophybiscuits@googlemail.com, or comment below.

~Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.~

The Moon

'A Zen Master lived the simplest kind of life in a little hut at the foot of a mountain. One evening, while he was away, a thief sneaked into the hut only to find there was nothing in it to steal. The Zen Master returned and found him. "You have come a long way to visit me," he told the prowler, "and you should not return empty handed. Please take my clothes as a gift." The thief was bewildered, but he took the clothes and ran away. The Master sat naked, watching the moon. "Poor fellow," he mused, " I wish I could give him this beautiful moon."'

Source: http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/zenstory/zenstory.html

Can some things never be given, or shown?

Please comment below, and send suggestions for future blog topics to jazzphilosophybiscuits@googlemail.com.

~Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.~

Wesak

Happy Wesak day people! Also known as Vesak, Vesākha and Saga Dawa, just to name a few, Wesak day is Guatama Buddha's birthday. It is always held in the first full moon of Taurus, usually in May. All Buddhists celebrate this day as Buddha's birthday, and some also celebrate his enlightenment and death on this day as well. Common practice for Wesak includes wearing white, offering donations to the poor and to charities, visiting and giving to monks, and freely giving the Dharma to people. In temples, flowers are given to represent beauty, and how the flowers will wilt and die, as all things will. Also, water is poured over a statue of baby Guatama Buddha, to represent his birth. All Buddhists are encouraged not to eat any meat on Wesak, and to observe the five precepts (in Sri Lanka, slaughter houses and alcohol shops are closed, on orders from the government). The five precepts are:

1. Do not harm living things
2. Don't steal
3. Do not engage in sexual misconduct
4. Do not lie
5. Don't take intoxicating drugs, such as alcohol

All in all, it's a day for happiness, colourful paintings and decorations, and the like.

Thanks for reading, please send any future blog topic suggestions to jazzphilosophybiscuits@googlemail.com, and please comment any thoughts below.

~Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.~

Ultimate Band

Right. Ultimate band. Go go go.

• John Zorn - Composer/ songwriter - Have you heard this man? No. I didn't think so either. Because you are a heathen. Go and listen to him. Now. Go.
• Billy Martin - Drummer - All round nice man. From Medeski, Martin and Wood fame. Not just a great drummer, but a great remixer too.

• Skerik - Saxophone - A crazy man. He's pioneered saxophonics.

You know.

Saxophonics.

• Mike Patton - Vocals - I've put vocals, but that doesn't really cover what he does. This man is a musical genius. (It's true!) He can fit his voice into any style of music and he did the zombie noises for Left 4 Dead. WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT? I'm actually scared of meeting him. If I did, I'd just end up licking his face and crying with tears of joy.
• Les Claypool - Bassist - You probably thought I was going to put myself here, didn't you? I'm not that egotistical. But yeah, Claypool will rock you. Verily.
• Me - Guitar - Ha! Only joking. They aren't in my league.

So. Here we are. I've done it. And all my people are still alive. Instant win over Danny.

Questions over for the week.

Tom.

The Ultimate Band

Having listened to a fair of music by this point in my life, I thought I'd make my ultimate band. So, in my band, there would be:

• Sonny Rollins - tenor saxophone
• Dizzy Gillespie - trumpet
• Thelonious Monk - piano
• Charles Mingus - bass
• Elvin Jones - drums

If only they were all alive, it would be a magnificent quintet. They'd play bebop, hard bop, post bop, all the bops. And swing, led by Benny Goodman or Artie Shaw, depending on who was available at the time. Obviously, I'd rather have Benny Goodman, were they both available.

Let me know your ultimate bands, jazz or not, by email (jazzphilosophybiscuits@gmail.com) or in the comments below. Tom'll be posting about his band soon, stay tuned. This, where we both do our opinions on a single topic, may become a regular feature.

~Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.~

Look! I'm contributing!

So. Danny's asked me to become a co-author for his blog.

Exciting? Yes.

I've been told that I can 'Just do a post now and again, when you feel like it', which seems fair enough. Not as EXCITING as getting the blog. Well, co-getting the blog.

To Danny: Can I call it an internet diary? Don't like blog.