It is funny that I have been obsessed with Elton John for the last week or so. Mostly the song Rocket Man. (playing and singing it has been my obsession)

I felt funny and akward telling a few friends about this lately as I am anxious to find some more of sir Elton's records (gotta be vinyl baby!)

This quote from the Globe made me feel a little better somehow. Dont miss this concert! I hope to be there on Sunday (I can't believe my son is intvited to a Birthday part at exactly the same time in almost the same neighborhood...let the synchronicty continue!!)

CARL WILSON (Globe and Mail)

With the significance of jazz as anything but a historical music so badly deteriorated today, Shipp sees the tour as secular evangelism. "If I'm seen as a 'crossover' artist, to me you can't get more crossover than playing solo piano. People have pianos in their homes. You think of solo piano, you think of Scott Joplin, Vladimir Horowitz, Rubenstein, even Elton John. That's why I want to get out and connect with people in small rooms."

Solo piano, he says, is "turn-of-the-century music" -- and Matthew Shipp is more than ready for jazz to turn to face the next one.

/Matthew Shipp performs tonight at 8 p.m., at the Music Gallery, St. George-the-Martyr Church, 197 John St., and tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. at Arraymusic Studio, 60 Atlantic Ave., Ste. 218.
/

I have been getting some email from readers these days and I want to say; Thanks! I really do see this as a "two way" thing.

I know how weird blogging can be...ie. am I obsessed with telling people about myself, why the heck do I do it? Thursdays Globe was going on about that again. (It was an article about Myspace websites which I think can be really useful but also something really weird about it....perhaps another time)

Short emails from readers can make all the difference. One of my fave poets (an occasional reader of my blog) even asked me if I would write something for one of his poetry journals. (tell me that didn't go to my head!!!?)

I would like to become a better writer. I am sure some of you would suggest starting with my spelling! Hahah.
A funny one is someone pointing out to me recently that I start emails etc. with "Heh" instead of "hey"...I got a good laugh out of that...probably only been doing that for a decade or so. haha.

I apologize for lack of links. i am set up in a way that it takes quite a bit of additonal time to do it. (time I don't have) Would you read that much more often and in a more engaged fashion if I put a little more time into links? (is this my first official blog survey?) Are you male or female? does it matter? Is art different when created by Male or Females? (sorry Lina...let's not open those worms this morning!)

I have to stand up and put on another Cd as my Doug Cox Cd just finished. What a great dobro player!
I think I need another singer songrwiter type thing..hmmm...actually I might look for some funky Berio or something now that I have had a couple coffees...over and out!

Go Leafs Go (it will either be 8-2 for Ottawa or 2-1 for Toronto...now or never Boyz!!)
tim
www.GuildwoodRecords.com

Please vote for the Tim Posgate Hornband in Electric and Acoustic Group of the Year at the National Jazz Awards

I never enjoy rushing my blog but if you don't write it down you forget it. The abbreviated version goes like this....

Last night, yoga-book launch at the Gladstone featuring the Fake New Age Band (J Martin, R Driver and J Haynes), Karaoke so loud next door that I gave up on the poetry readings and watched people pretend they were Cher and Neil Diamond. It was great!! I heard some of the best and worst singers I have ever heard in one half hour or less. Before I went back to hear the Fake New Age I stuck my head in the big room. I forgot it was Canadian Music Week: Japanese, pop-jazz-punk group called P'ez. At this point my night couldn't get much weirder. It was perfect. Home by 1130. Almost feel rested today (you would never know it by the lousy game I played at hockey this morning!)

Happy Canadian Music Week!
tim
Please vote for the Tim Posgate Hornband in Electric and Acoustic Group of the Year at the National Jazz Awards

I am still buzzin' from todays' (finished only minutes ago)Jazzstoryrehearsal. So great to get together with Rob and Lina. Unfortunately, Jean is unable to do our upcoming shows at the Red Guitar. I am looking forward to playing with our friend Nick Fraser. I am glad we got together as a trio today as we worked out some new ideas and talked about some old ones.

It was exciting to talk about making a new recording too. Do we release it on Cd, a download, itunes, home made packaging?....so many options. What does the future hold for small record companies like Guildwood?

Hey...I almost forgot to mention how much fun I had at the York U Art Gallery with Ben Grossman last night. Great gallery, fun show...nice crowd too for an experimental music series. It was especially nice to see some friends, one of which drove from Mississauga. thanks Ian!!

back soon,
tim
Please vote for the Tim Posgate Hornband in Electric and Acoustic Group of the Year at the National Jazz Awards

Hello Wednesay! Hello March! Hello quiet.

Wednesday is almost like the start of my work week. As much fun as I have on the other days I quite enjoy the change of pace when I have the house alone, drinking coffee, listening to the radio as I check my email. Wednesday has also been the day i always tune into the Mike Hansen; Why Not Jazz radio program on CKLN. Today is a sad day as he is broadcasting his last show after doing it for 22 years. (hard to believe!)

Not only has he become the main portal for improvised music from around the world, but his laugh and sense of humour and take on art and life are completely unique. Today was a classic example where he stated that the the only real art being made in music today is in improvised music.Hmmm....very interesting Mike.

The good news is that Mike is going to continue doing the show each week as a podcast!

End of an era, start of something new. I am extra sensitive to things like this as I turn 40 this month. I am not sad but more aware of things that come to an end.

Hope you can make it out tonight to hear Ben Grossman and I at the York U art Gallery. 7pm (no cover!)

Enjoying the sun today in Toronto;
tim
www.GuildwoodRecords.com

Please vote for the Tim Posgate Hornband in Electric and Acoustic Group of the Year at the National Jazz Awards

Sure I love working, heck I am a Torontonian. (isn't that part of the deal?)

I do love what I do, but what I do includes everything I do. That is my secret. I realized this recently when my wife seemed upset with me for something and I realized that really it was her having trouble dealing with my general up-beat vibe. Somewhere along the way I realized that whether I am changing diapers, cleaning the house or washing dishes I want to be having fun. Probably my main trick is having good music on almost all the time. (I have mentioned here before about how many Cds I listen to per day)

As much as I love to work on my music and my "so called" career in music I really love these days at home with my (almost) four year old. We hang out! Really. We are listening and singing along with the Beatles, he is looking at his books (me at my laptop) and we interact and then go back to our own thing. Now don't picture this as easy, as I have brought him 20 things from the kitchen on demand and change his urinated pants and underwear three times already (it is only 930am!)

I really do love this time we spend together. I think he is learning about patience (he can be pretty good already) and I am a happy Dad as I get to do some of what I want to do. I guess I see it as OUR time. Hey...I even get to do a little bloggin!

tim
www.GuildwoodRecords.com

Please vote for the Tim Posgate Hornband in Electric and Acoustic Group of the Year at the National Jazz Awards

Last minute I rushed over to the Varsity to see the Neil Young rock concert film; Heart of Gold.

What a great show! It really felt like we were in the front row of an excellent concert. Neil was slightly more talkative too, which I always enjoy. The insight he gave to some of his tunes from the new album really coloured them nicely too. I realized more from watching than I had from listening that each song is like a montage or a video without the images(?)

The guitar performance Neil gives on the final credits, sitting alone on the stage with all the lights on is worth the price of admission alone. (sorry Ron!...Ron had to split to hop a cab to make the ferry)

I won't spoil all the suprises but you get to hear a bunch of classic tunes that will make you smile.

It was well shot and the sound is fantastic. The tunes are almost identical to the new record but watching them deliver them is the new info we are given that you will love. He is so earnest and emotional from start to finish. I like the fact that he is almost always playing and singing right up to the limit of his abilities. I think that is a big part of the energy that comes through in the film.

I can really relate to this method of performing music and he has inspired me again.

tim
www.GuildwoodRecords.com

Please vote for the Tim Posgate Hornband in Electric and Acoustic Group of the Year at the National Jazz Awards

This is really just a post to say hi...stay in touch etc.

What is up with you?...how bout a Sunday afternoon blog dialogue? I bought the Cd by Destroyer ....not to be confused with that great, early Kiss album. This is the group you have probably read so much about on Zoilus.

I saw him play a solo set once here in Toronto as part of the ongoing Wavelenght series. I really enjoyed it and have been meaning to pick up some of his music for years and the hype worked it's magic on me.

I am not sure I love it yet but it has got me thinking about the history of popular music. More specifically, at what point did "uneducated musicians" start recording music that was more complex, ambiguous or interesting? (I feel so weird writing "uneducated...especially since I barely got my little undergrad degree in music at York)

Obviously Zappa was doing it really early on but he was a very studied composer and guitar player (albeit mostly self taught!)

Perhaps Captain Beefhearts parallel activities were some of the early examples? Also of course there is blues...hmmm...I am really out of my league here but I should talk to some of the more studied music history specialists I know like fellow blogger Mike Daley

I am curious. I think I know some of the answers but...ie. the post- Elvis recording technology of over dubs and the current plug-in computer technology that has gone crazy beyond an early Bruce Springsteen four track record etc...

Ok...this little "nothing post" has taken a long time and I barely said anything. Thanks for being there anyways.

Way to go Canada!! #3 in the medal race. It was fun but I am glad it is over. (too much tv here in our house)

tim
www.GuildwoodRecords.com

Please vote for the Tim Posgate Hornband in Electric and Acoustic Group of the Year at the National Jazz Awards