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Music That Will Make You Feel the Tropics

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Wishing for some tropical weather like I am? Then let Jimmy Buffett’s Tin Cup Chalice bring you there. Hard to beat Doyle Grisham’s pedal steel play at minute 2:07. OFFICIAL CORAL REEFER LINER NOTES A1A IS THE BEACH ACCESS ROAD THAT RUNS OCCASIONALLY ON AND OFF U.S. 1. IT CAN TAKE YOU TO SOME OF THE PRETTIEST BEACHES IN FLORIDA EAST OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF “WRINKLE CITY” BETTER KNOWN AS MIAMI BEACH AND ENDING SUDDENLY 90 MILES NORTH OF HAVANA AND FOUR BLOCKS FROM MY HOUSE. PETER WHORF CAME TO KEY WEST TO TALK ABOUT MY IDEAS FOR THE COVER. AFTER SEVERAL HARD SKULL … [Read more...]

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

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If you enjoyed Ken Burns’ wonderful Country Music and are feeling like you want more, don’t despair because there’s another music documentary for us to look forward to. “How do you sum up the life and career of Miles Davis in just under two hours?” asks JazzTimes. “That was the challenge that noted documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson Jr. face with his latest project, Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, (named after the 1957 LP collection of recordings from 1949 and 1950) which premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and later screened at the Maryland Film Festival in Baltimore in … [Read more...]

Rush’s “La Villa Strangiato”: It’s OK to Die Twice

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If you’re a fan of the band Rush, then you know the beginning of the song “YYZ” hits you like a dog whistle. The same rings true for “La Villa Strangiato” on Exit Stage Left, perhaps the band’s best live recorded album and guitar intro by Alex Lifeson. I remember Lifeson explaining not too long ago that he can no longer play the beginning of “La Villa Strangiato” like he once could, and how hard it was for him to learn it, never mind create it. Repeating genius is near impossible. It’s why being the best at what you do can be painful. You die twice. But it doesn’t mean what you … [Read more...]

Dead or Alive? The Future of Long-Term Investing: Part III

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“If the phone doesn’t ring it’s me” -- Jimmy Buffett It’s funny how time heals temporary temptations and laps of reason. I wrote the piece below on October 16, 2014. Then the Dow was down from a recent peak and investors were scared. But those who followed their long-term investment plan and didn't panic, made it through. Yesterday the Dow closed at 26,157.16. Investors who panicked and sold missed all that. Tomorrow markets could drop again, but if you prepare yourself with a diversified, income focused portfolio and the determination to stick to an investment plan that avoids risk whenever … [Read more...]

Rush’s “YYZ” and Triangle in the Percussion Section

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You know the triangle is a special instrument. It’s small, yet important. Like the cherry on a sundae. It has a place. But when you’re a drummer in a high school band and you see the sheet music for the Nutcracker and you’re playing the triangle you know it might be a light day. That’s why anyone in a high school band around Christmas in the early 1980s might be familiar with the sound of the all-important triangle not from Tchaikovsky but from the band Rush and their song “YYZ.” If you know the song, then you can hear the beginning right now: Drummer Neil Peart hitting the triangle … [Read more...]

Fleetwood Mac and Lindsey Buckingham Go their Own Way

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Lindsey Buckingham is out of Fleetwood Mac, according to the band. ‘‘Lindsey Buckingham will not be performing with the band on this tour,’’ the statement said. ‘‘The band wishes Lindsey all the best.’’ One of the driving forces behind the longevity of Fleetwood Mac is co-founder and drummer Mick Fleetwood. The self-taught drummer brings a straight-forward, unconventional style of drumming that’s hard to duplicate. Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way (HQ) More here from the Boston Globe: Buckingham joined the band with then-girlfriend Stevie Nicks in 1974 and the two became the central … [Read more...]

Join Me and Escape to Margaritaville🌴

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Escape to New York City It sure is nice to change your latitude every now and then—New York City in this case—where, if you live in New England, you don’t have to go too far to change your attitude, or have it changed for you. Such was the case this weekend which included an exciting industry conference, a somber visit to the 9/11 Memorial, and as the name to Jimmy Buffett’s musical implies, an Escape to Margaritaville. Let’s Talk about that Attitude When I was a kid my dad was a real estate broker. I remember him saying how important a positive attitude was for his business. “You … [Read more...]

What You Missed Friday Night at the Newport Jazz Festival

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The Newport Jazz Festival got the party started Friday night with Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue. Shorty, aka Troy Andrews, is the grandson of Jessie Hill who is known for the classic song "Ooh Poo Pah Doo.” Shorty closed his Newport show with a get up and dance version of his funk and soul sound with “Do To Me” heard throughout the colonial streets of downtown Newport. It was awesome. Here it is along with his take on his grandfather’s classic. Do To Me   Ooh Poo Pah Doo … [Read more...]

Lost 29 Years: This Japanese Comeback will Surprise You

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What is old is new again in Japan. Next year Sony will begin doing something it hasn't done for 29 years. With incredible demand for vinyl records from consumers looking to recapture the excellent analog sounds of their youth, Sony will begin making its own vinyl records once again in Japan. As I wrote earlier this year, Becky and I love our vinyl record collection. And we're not the only ones. "2015 sales of $416 million were the highest since 1988. Stay tuned for 2016’s numbers." NPR's Bill Chappell writes that fans want the rich sound of vinyl, and they also love the liner notes and album … [Read more...]