Tag: music

A cure for lean-back listeners

Horizon Records, Greenville, SC circa 2011

What is a “lean-back listener”? According to a leading music streaming service it is their target audience. A person who clicks on a list of songs, a playlist, for background music to help focus on work projects, or an exercise routine, or to relax after a long day on the job. One writer summarizes it: “Low-effort acquisition led to low-effort consumption”. 

Remember what it was like to admire the artwork of a vinyl record or audio CD, to open a CD tray to read liner notes, to place a record on the platter or the compact disc in the tray? 

Remember listening a whole album from start to finish? I mean, Really listening to the order of the songs and how each song relates to each other. Why does the album begin with an explosive tempo (presto) then moves to a walking pace (andante) before slowing to an adagio? And then listen to the album again. And again.

The art of listening to an album requires intent and practice. Plan a musical playlist. Where do you start? For me, the journey began with a cellist playing Adagio in G Minor in a novel set in Sarajevo. What does that music sound like and why is it important to the narrative?

I visited the public library. They no longer provide audio CDs to local patrons. So, I requested CDs using the online interlibrary loan service. This service allows access to libraries across the state. A music playlist developed from many interlibrary loans transactions. 

A Brad Mehlda recording began the daily musical practice. But within a week the Mehlda CD switched positions to the last slot in the five-disc CD player changer. 

During the summer a lot of music CD selections were returned to or retrieved from the library. Liner notes were read and album cover artwork admired. Effort made to learn about the music and the artists and the producers provided a journey. The order of the songs mattered. As Bailey and Micah, folk musicians of the band The Figs Present: The Figs, quip: “If you’re listening to this album on shuffle this won’t make any sense. Right? but also, if you’re listening to this album on shuffle, why?” Streaming music on shuffle is low-effort acquisition for low-effort consumption. By the end of summer the playlist that formed became a rich audio tapestry, an intimate soundtrack, and not unmemorable streaming background static. 

More Thanksgiving leftovers – playlist

Downtown Milwaukee circa 2015

For the holiday season, listen to the In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond show: Autumn and Thanksgiving.

You may also enjoy going through the archives of the In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond podcast:

Episode Dec 14 2025 – In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond

The core of this episode has some of the best tenor sax players from today and yesteryear. I'm speaking of Potter, Kirk, Rollins and Trane. They are bookended by a new release from Out Of/Into and Zawinul's In A Silent Way. Playlist Artist ~ Name ~ Album Out Of/Into ~ Nacho Supreme ~ Motion II Chris Potter ~ The Mind's Eye (For Michael Becker and Joe Lovano) ~ Gratitude Roland Kirk ~ Alfie (Live at the Penthouse in Seattle September 1967) ~ Single Sonny Rollins ~ Alfie's Theme ~ Alfie John Coltrane ~ Moment's Notice ~ Blue Train Herbie Hancock ~ Watermelon Man ~ Head Hunters Weather Report ~ In a Silent Way ~ 8:30 (Live) Miles Davis ~ In a Silent Way (Rehearsal) ~ The Complete in a Silent Way Sessions
  1. Episode Dec 14 2025
  2. Wonder Jazz
  3. Post Thanksgiving 2025
  4. Autumn and Thanksgiving
  5. All Jack D

Thanksgiving feast leftovers – playlist

15 year anniversary

Historic Battery Park Apartments, Asheville, North Carolina
Rooftop Poets

Jazz with Bob Parlocha on a rainy night

The children tucked in to their beds. Stories read. Prayers said. I walked to the kitchen and turned on the radio. A reward for getting the children to bed on schedule. If everything was on time, than I heard Bob Parlocha introduce his radio broadcast. Jazz with Bob Parlocha began at the top of the hour, eight o’clock, on the local public radio station. I washed the dishes, figured out bill payments, or some other domestic chore while listening to music.

That was a different time. And in a different place. The local public radio station signal received is full of static. Their evening programming does not include Jazz with Bob Parlocha. That is understandable. He died almost a decade ago.

The Sageza Group archives jazz radio broadcasts. On their web site, jazzstreams.org, they collect Bob Parlocha’s original broadcasts that were digitized. “Commercial jazz radio is just about gone from North America,” they write.

On evenings like tonight, when the radio reception is poor and the needle for the record player needs to be replaced, I find the Jazz with Bob Parlocha archives.[1] What was Bob broadcasting ten years ago on this date? Or eleven years ago? I select the date of a broadcast[2] and I am transported to a different time and a different place.

NOTES:

[1] The Sageza Group, Jazz with Bob Parlocha archives accessed April 16, 2024 http://jazzstreams.org/JwBP/JwBP-index.php

[2] Jazz with Bob Parlocha, April 16, 2013 broadcast accessed April 16, 2024 http://jazzstreams.ddns.net:8808/JwBP/Jazz-with-Bob-Parlocha-(2013-04-16).mp3

Five music albums to listen to in the morning

What is your morning music playlist?

Most mornings — nearly a decade ago — I opened the office and started the work day to music of the following five albums.

There is something refreshing about arriving at the workplace before everyone else. Unlocking the front door. Turning on the lights. Brewing the first pot of coffee. Reviewing the notes from the previous day. Checking voicemail. Planning for the day and week ahead.

Sometimes an album played quietly from the desktop computer speakers. Sometimes from earphones attached to an iPhone. Sometimes I listened to more Brahms than Vivaldi. Sometimes I added Grieg or Beethoven to the mix. Sometimes I listened to various recordings from different artists of the same sonata.

When I took the job as a creative director it was a new start. I approached the career with intent and vigor. The Latin word gravis comes to mind. I was serious about my work and future. The following albums became the soundtrack of that time and place.

When I listen to these music albums now it is a reminder and — if this can be said of music — a friend.


Brouwer: El Decameron Negro and Other Guitar Works performed by Alvaro Pierri


Brahms: Piano Trios Nos. 1-4 by Eskar Trio


Aniello Desiderio, Quartetto Furioso ‎– Vivaldi 4 and 4 Piazzolla Seasons


Federico Moreno Torroba by Ana Vidović


Dvorak: Quartet Op. 106, 6 Cypresses, 2 Waltzes by Cecilia String Quartet

Gathering flowers, my mountain flowers


What are the names of the flowers and blossoms that edge the late August roadsides of rural Wisconsin? Cornflower? Goldenrod? Queen Anne’s lace? Or wild carrot? Maybe this is botanical contrafact.[1] Same road progression along corn and soybean fields, but new melodies and arrangements of purple, white and yellow. Weeds and wild flowers remixed along country roads.

The expression “gathering the flowers” originated from a Latin phrase, florilegium.[2] The idea and practice of gathering flowers was to record quotations, excerpts and selections of literature, sketches and observations. Often religious and/or philosophical. These thoughts and ideas collected in a common place[3] provided a field of potential cross pollination. Hence the term commonplace books from the Latin “loci communes.”[4]

But tonight the poetry of Li Po, commonplace books and conversation at the dinner table collided. It is a practice in my home to share dinner together with the entire family. Good food and lively conversation abound. Tonight the topics included rhetoric definitions, friendship, loyalty, virtue, astronomy, Taoism, Christianity, providence of God, Li Po, coffee, heavy metal music, hairless rabbits and so on. Weeds and wild flowers distinguished throughout the animated discussion.

After the conversation subsided, the table cleared and dished washed, I reflected on a poem by Li Po. In the poem he referred to himself and a hermit friend as “mountain flowers.” Remixing gathering flowers and mountain flowers intrigued me. One of the children placed John Coltrane, Bill Evans and Art Tatum records on the stereo.

John Coltrane’s “26 2.” Charlie Parker’s chord progression from “Confirmation” reimagined with Coltrane’s melody and arrangement. Later, I borrowed Li Po’s four-line structure and motif and added my own melody, images and theme. Gathering flowers and blossoms. Poetic contrafact.

NOTES:
[1] Discovering Jazz, Episode 46, Stolen Chord Sequences (Jazz Contrafacts), accessed September 7, 2019. https://player.fm/series/discovering-jazz-2150622/archives-episode-46-stolen-chord-sequences-jazz-contrafacts
[2] “Florilegium – gathering literary flowers,” August 27, 2019. https://coffeehousejunkie.net/2019/08/27/florilegium-gathering-literary-flowers/
[3] Loci communes: Not an easy Google search, but an example of its usage is here: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Loci-communes-rerum-theologicarum. Additionally, here are some Latin root words that make up Loci communes.


[4] Commonplace books is a subject explored here. “Best reads of 2014 (or what I found in my notebook),” December 31, 2014. https://coffeehousejunkie.net/2014/12/31/best-reads-of-2014-or-what-i-found-in-my-notebook/

Have it your way — music playlist

The Burger King of my hometown has an in store playlist that hasn’t changed since my high school days. Really. And truly. It is an unique time capsule.

What better to embrace the weekend?

DSCN2780WEB
What better to embrace the weekend, than with Shostakovich, String Quartet #6 in G. The passacaglia is beautiful.

Racine Public Library presents: BONK! 71

From an email about the event:
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BONK! 71
SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014 
ECO-JUSTICE CENTER
7133 MICHNA ROAD, RACINE, WI
6PM (doors open 5:00!)
FEATURING:
AM RINGWALT is a writer and musician (Anne Malin) from Racine, Wisconsin and currently studying in Boston, Massachusetts. Most recently, her words have appeared in:  “Whole Beast Rag;” “DUM DUM Zine: Punks and Scholars;” “The Interlochen Review;” and “BROWN GOD.” Last year, she was a YoungArts finalist in fiction and a US Presidential Scholar in the Arts semi-finalist.  Ringwalt’s debut chapbook entitled “Like Cleopatra” is forthcoming from Dancing Girl Press.  More information about her work can be found at annemalinringwalt.tumblr.com
JOE HALL is the author of three books of poetry: “Pigafetta Is My Wife” (Black Ocean 2010), “The Devotional Poems” (Black Ocean 2013), and, in collaboration with Chad Hardy, “The Container Store” Volumes I & II (SpringGun 2012). He currently resides with fellow poet Cheryl Quimba in Buffalo, New York where he is studying commons, excess, and waste flows.  Learn more about his work at joehalljoehall.wordpress.com
NAOMI MARIE is a born and bred Midwestern minstrel of sorts. Transplanted from the rich musical culture of the twin cities, she has discovered a fresh folk sound and form from the third coast of Lake Michigan. Having recently released her first full length, Primary Colors, in May of 2014, she sets to connect with friends, fans and artists in continued pursuit of her music’s authentic expressions.  For more information about her music and schedule go to naomimariemusic.org

One of the three B’s?

ShostakovichThis morning, kidlinger walks up to my desk while I work, looks at the laptop screen critically and asks: “What’s that?”

Me: “I’m listening to Shostakovich.[1]”

Kidlinger: “He’s not one of the three killer B’s.[2]”

Me: “True. Would you prefer to listen to Bach, Beethoven, or Brahms?”

Kidlinger: “I don’t know.”

Me: “How about some Bach… violin sonata in G minor? Something to encourage you to practice your violin.”

Kidlinger: “Yeah, that sounds good.”

NOTES:
[1] Here’s a brief bio on Shostakovich: http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/shostakovich.php
[2] This is not a reference to the 1991 release of Anthrax’s B-sides collection Attack of the Killer B’s. But it is a reference to the three greatest classic music composers, commonly knowns as the Three B’s, Bach, Beethoven, or Brahms. Here’s a link to recent relesases of the Three B’s from NPR’s “Music We Love Now: New Albums Of Bach, Beethoven And Brahms”: http://www.npr.org/blogs/deceptivecadence/2013/03/18/174659127/music-we-love-now-the-3-bs-on-cd

[Podcast] How long it takes to write a haiku?

08 May 2014 Podcast Cover

Welcome to the relaunch of the Coffeehouse Junkie audio podcast. A lot of things have happened during that time and there is much I plan to share with you, just not in this episode.

Yes, it is true. The last two years or so I have fasted from coffee. I almost had to rename this blog and audio podcast because of it. Thankfully, my sister introduced me to Maniac Coffee Roasting in Bellingham, Washington. Specifically, the Decaf Espresso Royale blend. Check them out at ManiacCoffeeRoasting.com. They are the unofficial sponsor of this episode. If you would like to officially sponsor an episode, email me at coffeehousejunkie [at] gmail [dot] com for details. Please include “podcast” in the subject line so that your email doesn’t end up in the spam folder.

Amy Annelle - A School Of Secret Dangers
Amy Annelle – A School of Secret Dangers

Very special thanks to Amy Annelle for granting permission to use her song “Will Try” between the segments. Years ago, the album A School of Secret Dangers introduced me to her work. If you like her song, check out Amy Annelle’s latest album The Cimarron Banks. Visit the website HighPlainsSigh.com for more info about her music or find her music on Apple iTunes.

Here’s what’s coming up in this episode:

  • How long does it take to write a haiku?
  • So many books, so little time
  • Keep Calm and Write Something
  • Last night, I fell asleep writing a poem

 

Listen here:

 

Or listen on:
PodOmatic: coffeehousejunkie.podomatic.com
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/coffeehousejunkie

 

Ain’t that the blues

Beedy Eyes stops thumping the skins as Chaney sings an old Leadbelly work song as I recall the first time I heard the blues. It was somewhere between the music I heard as a child–primarily country, gospel and hymns. A skinny toe head growing up on the rolling northern prairies, I perceived the blues was somewhere between country and gospel–something you sing while dangling your feet off a hayrack weighed down with a full load, something you sing with others coming in from the field, something you sing when the sun is tilting toward the western horizon. For a young kid hearing the blues for the first time it was somewhere on my musical landscape between religious and profane, respect and discent, right and wrong, joy and despair and seemed to fit me like a glove.

The window is open to an autumn afternoon as I work on graphic design projects. I listen to Bill, Chaney and Junior sing about hard times. Neighborhood dogs barking and birds singing seem to be appropriate backup. It’s been hard times for a lot of us. The other night I walked into a friend’s home and he asked right off, with a smile, “Anything you need to repent of? We’re talking about repentance.” Yeah, I think to myself. I got a long list. There are times I want to rob and steal, cuss and swear, break stuff and hit someone and be all sizes of trouble. Hard times is life. Doing what I aught to do is not easy. Ain’t that the blues? Or is that gospel? The double edged swing of the blues kicking up the dust of life in your face, choking on pride and praying that you “remember you’re walkin’ up to heaven, don’t let nobody turn you round.”

Peace Is a Flower: A Night of Poetry and Music

Peace is a flower – poetry and music

Tomorrow, 8:30 p.m. join James McKay, Laura Hope-Gill, Caleb Beissert, Pasckie Pascua, and Aaron Price at Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar, 1 Page Avenue, Asheville on SEPT 11, 8:30 to 11PM. This event is free to the public. Read poet and musician bios as well as other information on the Facebook events page. Link.

Artifacts from the late 1990s

Hidden in the back of a closet, a box of audio CDs

Is it possible to keep secrets or hide treasure in such an open, immediate society? Think of the secrets between Edward Mayhew and Florence Ponting of On Chesil Beach. It was a different time and place. Or maybe the quiet understanding between Primo and Secondo in the final moments of Big Night. Again, those were different times. A world before the internet and mobile devices and social media. Even in fictional works, you recognize how culture changes and you change with it.

My thoughts kept drifting back to that theme this weekend. A week or so ago, I opened the cardboard box to find two neat rows of artifacts from the late 1990s. Compact discs. CDs. Seems much more tangible than finding two rows of “moving picture experts group” (MPEG) files when referring to audio music. (Even composing that sentence seems clunky and unsophisticated.) This collection of music was packed into a cardboard box and was supposed to be unpacked when I relocated to Asheville. The box remained sealed like a time capsule.

My Beauty and I rented  a space in Asheville that was twice the cost of our previous house and half the size. It was the most affordable place we could find at the time. A lot of boxes remained unpacked because there was no space to expand. Now as we pack things up again, I decide to keep this cardboard box open, listen to Tonic’s Lemon Parade, Goo Goo Doll’s Dizzy Up The Girl, and reflect on how different these times are compared to the late 1990s.

At that time, Bill Clinton was president of the U.S. and Boris Yeltsin was the first president of the Russian Federation. There was no Twitter revolution. Americans would get together in homes or apartments to share supper and snacks while watching the latest episode of the television shows ER, Friends or Party of Five. That was before the rise of the cult of white box worshippers [1] and the advent of Netflix. There seemed to be a greater sense of community. Or maybe that’s just 1990s nostalgia.

During that time, I didn’t own a personal computer or laptop. When I returned home from my job as a graphic designer, I would often read books or listened to Blues Traveler, Beth Hart or unknown indie bands like Spooky Tuesday on a CD player while I worked on illustrations or paintings. As I rediscover these albums, I recall paintings I was working on while listening to Days of the New for the first time. When I listen to Stavesacre’s album, friends I haven’t thought of in years fill my mind.

There was a specific evening with coworkers I recall. After work, we often meet up for dinner and a movie. While waiting for food to be served we were discussing the events of the day while enjoying our drinks. One coworker’s teenage daughter, who often joined us on those evenings, said, “There’s no specific movement in the 90s. Not like the 60’s or 70s. I mean, I grew up in the 90s. Even the music is boring. There’s nothing memorable about the 90s.” Maybe that’s teenage naivety, but I think there is much to remember of the late 1990s.

NOTES: [1] This is a reference to an article by Andrew Sullivan that I mentioned years ago in an essay, iPod, therefore iAm?.

#avlent @josepharthur does a third encore at the merc table.

@josepharthur at The Grey Eagle.

hopicecream: Sirius.B – Monkey Robot Soldier 🙂 

#avlent

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

View of Asheville from the Roof Garden

The sun is setting. The full moon is rising. The room is set up for tonight’s poetry reading and jazz show. The dark mocha stout cupcakes with…

Rooftop Poets party tonight, 8 p.m.

The Rooftop Poets event has begun

Rooftop Poets Event Program

Rooftop Poets: the doors are open

Battery Park Hotel

It’s 7:30PM! The doors are open and guests are arriving outside the Battery Park Hotel. Time to make my way to the Roof Garden.

Rooftop Poets party tonight, 8 p.m.

View of Asheville from the Roof Garden

The sun is setting. The full moon is rising. The room is set up for tonight’s poetry reading and jazz show. The dark mocha stout cupcakes with Bailey’s frosting look tasty. The supremo chocolate rum balls look like they could break several Prohibition-era laws. Time to get ready for the show.

The doors open at 7:30PM and the event begins at 8PM. Tickets are $10 each. Guests arriving at the Battery Park Hotel will be let in by a doorman who will have your name on a guest list.

See you all in less than two hours!

Poetry at the Roof Garden

Roof Garden Ballroom

Time to set up the Roof Garden of the Battery Park Hotel for tonight’s Prohibition-era poetry reading and jazz show.

More event details are here: link.

Poetry and Jazz at the Roof Garden

Battery Park Hotel: Roof Garden

In September an idea was born to hold a poetry reading under a full moon at the Roof Garden of the Battery Park Hotel. Tonight is the culmination of that idea.

Few people have access to the Roof Garden. Join the Rooftop Poets for a fine evening of poems, songs and full-moon revelry. Doors open at 7:30PM and the event begins at 8PM. Tickets are $10 each. Guests arriving at the Battery Park Hotel will be let in by a doorman who will have your name on a guest list. If you’re not on the guest list, you have to ask yourself, why not?