1. Michael, are you in New York or in California?
That is not an easy question. Email me at swingyoucats@gmail.com for my precise co-ordinates, updated minute by minute. We’re working out a deal with the Doppler radar people on The Weather Channel . . . stay tuned.
2. Why do you post so many videos? I can’t keep up with them. I’m overwhelmed. It seems as though there must be two of you.
I’m sorry. Creating stress was never my intent. But I know all things are finite. People, too. Someday I won’t be able or won’t be around to do this, and some of my favorite musicians might join me . . . so I am doing what gives me pleasure now. People who subscribe to JAZZ LIVES are under no obligation to watch or read everything . . . as long as the internet exists, I hope it will be here for you when you choose to catch up. And there’s only one of me, which is a good thing in a one-bedroom apartment.
3. Why don’t you post anything by my favorite band?
A blog is — for better or worse — an expression of personal taste. I fully acknowledge that and even embrace it. If you feel that the Caffeinated Hot Shots O’Rhythm aren’t sufficiently represented in cyberspace, I encourage you to start a blog and post some videos — the internet is wide and broad enough to encompass many people and many kinds of music. If you’d like advice on how to create a WordPress blog, I will be happy to offer some.
3a. Musician X doesn’t appeal to me at all. How can you post such stuff on your blog? That’s not “jazz”!
See 3. And for those viewers who find my taste annoying, I choose the restaurant analogy. If a restaurant you have often eaten in has a dish you deplore — liver and onions, say — on the menu as one of the daily specials, do you stalk out of the restaurant in a huff? Perhaps you could pick something else on the menu rather than being annoyed at the chef. And I’d rather not spend my time on the planet debating what “jazz” is . . . I’d rather do what I’m doing now. It gives me immense pleasure.
May your happiness increase.
