Today I went to Aiko Suzuki's memorial at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre. I didn't really know her very well but was sad for her daughter, my friend Chiyoko when her Mom died of Cancer. (cancer stories touch me very deeply as my mom died of cancer in her early fifties)

It was a beautiful tribute to a great artist and very special person. I was very inspired by this memorial to continue to try to fill each and every moment with special things, to always make art and be creative from sunrise until you close your eyes.

Aiko is responsible for that beautiful hanging sculpture above the fountains as you enter the Toronto Reference library. I was also inspired as many artists reminded us of her great collaborations with theatre companies, choreographers, musicians and more.

Another messgage I came away was trying to make a literal as well as artistic mark on the world. This has been on my mind more and more lately. I know I have given my music to a lot of people. I also am forutnate to teach music to lots of folks but maybe I can do more.

On the way home I got a ride with storyteller Helen Porter and we continued talking about Aiko which was really fun especially because Helen and I rarely get to talk one on on.

She dropped me off at Bathurst and Bloor and I had a great, brisk walk home in the sun and finally stopped in at the Linux Caffe on Harbord St.

Great vibe in there, wireless hookup etc. I will be back there again soon. (mmm...great espresso)

tim
www.GuildwoodRecords.com

p.s. Fun gig at the Red Guitar last night. I think this Reduction Trio is worth pursuing. I need to listen to the recording and do some reviewing, reducing etc. (selling out that little club is good for the ego....sure it only holds 45 people but...)

What an excellent review/article in this week's Now magazine on Antonioni's The Passenger. I would really like to see it. Interesting that Jack Nicholson bought the rights to it and put it on the shelf for twenty years.

John Harkness really took the time to describe the film, to give us the details about who did what and included a personal reference of when he saw the original screening. I also liked when he gave the historical context comparing it to Bergman, Godard etc.

People cut up Now magazine sometimes but with writing like this I would read it cover to cover.

tim
www.GuildwoodRecords.com

Wow, that is a big picture of me in the Toronto Star That massive photo might be right a my personal comfort level regarding size of photos of my big melon. haha!

Thanks to Geoff for approaching me about that and taking the time to make it happen (pretty busy for a "retired journalist!"). Hope it brings some people down to the Red Guitar tommorrow night. (Friday)

I don't really understand that quote about being financially challenged by other peoples music. I think I said something like that but I forget the context. Oh well...

tp
www.GuildwoodRecords.com

p.s. thanks to Anne Zbitnew for all the great photo work she has done for me over the years!

Friends are the key to life. Especially when we realize that our famies can be some of our best friends. Hanging out with Rob and Andrew last night was such a blast and then walking in the neighbourhood this morning and stopping to talk to a Randal and Sharon along the way made the blue sky and mild weather even more magical. Sure I love, email, the web or reading the paper occasionally but talking with friends in person can never be topped.

As I check my email this morning I am reminded that being on the "other side" of booking gigs is a strange place to be sometimes. I just told one of my peers that I am "all booked up". This is a strange phrase as they would probably be suprised or disappointed to know that minutes later I may book someone else.

This used to bug me so much when talking to festivals etc. Now I see what they might have meant. I may be booked up for guitar players, or for people who have already played the club, or for quiet trios, or for groups playing a certain type of repertoire. In other words, booking is a big ongoing puzzle that I really don't understand. Trying to walk the line of financial success at the door and interesting, creative jazz music is a challenging one. I still have a lot to learn and figure out about this little part time job.

Anyways, I hope people realize that there is no shortage of good musicians for me to book, I am just looking for the right pieces to the Red Guitar puzzle.

tim

I just visited my friend Jeff Elliott's new website. ( I think he is still working on it)

This guy has mastered or worked on more Cds than you can imagine. Actually, if you look at a Canadian Cd on your shelf, if he didn't master it he probably worked on it.

Great guy, top mastering engineer. check him out! (he has done lots of jazz, pop and everything including mastering my last three Cds)

He also mastered many Juno winners. (must have some trophy closet!)

Hurray Fedge!

This is post number 700 for me on this blog. That is pretty wild. I never thought I would keep it up for this long but it is something I really enjoy doing and feels like a regular part of my life. I am listening to a great Cd called Imaginaria I got from my friend Patrick Graham. It features him and Ganesh Anadan, both on percussion with special guests including Rainer Weins. They were right in the liner notes when they said turn it up loud! It sounds great.

i am having fun playing along with it. You can check out Patrick here

I recently heard a duo recording of Rainer and Ganesh that really knocked me out too.

yesterday I noticed another thing I do that puts me in the obsessive category when listening to music. I will go to the stereo, often to put on music to accompany me dressing Leo to go outside...sort of create an energy or keep another side of my brain busy. Funny...usually listen for about three and half minutes. Obsessive? Yes.

I really looking forward to playing at the Red Guitar on Friday. I only recently noticed that Corry has added the menu to the website. Great idea.

please make reservations, especially if you are coming for the first set. It gets pretty busy there sometimes on weekends.

Thanks for being part of this whole blogging thing. Wouldn't work without you!

tim

If you want to see a great list of Links that relate mostly to Toronto music check out Carl Wilson's Zoilus website on his links page

Linking is probably the part of blogging that makes it less about navel gazing and more about community. Carl's latest re-organization once again displays his commitment to the music community. (unfortunately, I am a bit of a navel gazer)

tim
p.s. what a great winter day it was here in Toronto!