Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Fun At Bristol


Sharon and I went to Bristol on Saturday for the big night race. We wore our Earnhardt caps and brought our scanner with headphones to the track.


After the race we spent the night in a cabin in Gatlinburg. Early Sunday afternoon we did some hiking in the mountains and later she enjoyed shopping downtown and at the outlet mall. Though that was not my favorite part of the trip, I did enjoy checking out the Bose outlet store and hearing their incredible audio equipment.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Football Season Is Here


Michelle and I went to the Bengals home preseason opener on Sunday night. Though our Bengals didn't play very well, we had a great time.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Sizing Up Obama & McCain From Their Music Picks

I've always felt that I more fully know and understand someone when I know his or her musical tastes. Based on the piece from NPR's "All Things Considered" that found Blender magazine listing the top 10 songs from presidential candidates McCain and Obama, I tend to wish we had other presidential candidates from which to choose.

John McCain's Top Ten:

1. Dancing Queen - ABBA
2. Blue Bayou - Roy Orbison
3. Take a Chance On Me - ABBA
4. If We Make It Through December - Merle Haggard
5. As Time Goes By - Dooley Wilson
6. Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys
7. What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
8. I've Got You Under My Skin - Frank Sinatra
9. Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
10. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - The Platters

Barack Obama's Top Ten:

1. Ready or Not - Fugees
2. What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
3. I'm On Fire - Bruce Springsteen
4. Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones
5. Sinnerman - Nina Simone
6. Touch the Sky - Kanye West
7. You'd Be So Easy to Love - Frank Sinatra
8. Think - Aretha Franklin
9. City of Blinding Lights - U2
10. Yes We Can - Will.i.am

I would prefer a jazz lover running for office.

Thursday, August 07, 2008

My All Time Favorite UK Basketball Player

I was in the UK band and played at all of the Wildcat home games during the 1978 NCAA championship season. My favorite player was point guard Kyle Macy. I met and talked with him throughout one semester when we had the same class. We talked about sports and he even agreed to play on my weekend softball team for a tournament in Paris. Unfortunately he had to back out at the last minute when Coach Joe B. Hall asked him to show a propective recruit around campus on the weekend of the tournament. People know of Kyle's great basketball talent, but he was also a super baseball player, tennis player, and saxophonist. Despite his many talents, he seemed to be very humble and a nice guy.

Dad tells the story about the time Kyle came to Hurst Music to buy a new tenor sax. Kyle had been drafted by the Phoenix Suns and wanted to buy the best sax available. Dad recalls selling him a Selmer Mark VI tenor sax. That, of course, is the best tenor ever made.


UK Legend Kyle Macy & Me At Giuseppe's

Tonight Kyle and his wife came to Giuseppe's and enjoyed the fantastic food and my music. He enjoyed recalling the softball and sax stories. He was intrigued with my Yamaha EWI and said that the had not seen or heard one before. Later they inquired about my music service for a private party and requested one of my business cards.

It would be fun to play a private gig for the Macys. I won't even charge them money. Kyle can just give me that old Selmer Mark VI tenor and we'll call it even!

Monday, August 04, 2008

Jazz & Fishing

Drummer friend Roddy Tate and I went fishing yesterday at Wood Creek Lake. We listened to XM channel 70 (Real Jazz) while on the road and heard Sonny Rollins, Plas Johnson, Richie Cole, John Coltrane, and Dexter Gordon. I knew that we were going to have a good day when I heard all of those great players on the way to the lake! We caught several nice fish, including Roddy's three pound channel catfish. I was not in the mood to clean the fish, so we threw them all back and are planning to catch them again someday.