Sure, Jelly Roll Morton was the one that placed a pistol on his piano when his sideman didn’t play the way he wanted. Needless to say, he was an important figure of jazz. His version of “Maple Leaf Rag” deserts from Scott Joplin’s original. By throwing syncopation in his left hand, Morton flipped the rag composition into a jazz performance. His inventive rendition is more elaborate and freer rhythmic improvisation.
Tired of graphic and the background. Changed again!
For all you typofreaks:
Type for You
Typographica
Fats Waller was a student of stride-master James P. Johnson, yet he surpassed his teacher in both technique and fame. His rendition of Johnson’s “Carolina Shout” demonstrates Waller’s virtuosity and accomplishment.
Didn’t I say I love stride piano? Irresistible.
Thu Minh in “Bong May Qua Them” epitomizes my type of woman: classy, elegant, and so damn sexy. Something about a girl in white suit that gives me a strong, independent vibe.
The Asian kids are turning the mutha out with MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This.” It seems like I was not the only one who learned English through hip-hop, even though I didn’t learn it their way.
20 hip-hop videos I haven’t seen for a while:
Sugar Hill Gang – Rapper’s Delight
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – The Message
LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out
Salt-N-Pepa – Push It
Kool Moe Dee – Wild Wild West
Eric B & Rakim – Follow The Leader
Boogie Down Productions – My Philosophy
Ice T – New Jack Hustler
MC Hammer – U Can’t Touch This
Public Enemy – Fight the Power
2 Live Crew – Me So Horny
Naughty By Nature – OPP
Black Sheep – The Choice is Yours
Arrested Development – Tennessee
Digable Planets – Rebirth of Slick
Onyx – Slam
Cypress Hill – How I Could Just Kill a Man
Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back
Young MC – Bust a Move
Tone-Loc – Wild Thing
Ms. Nguyen aka Queen of Imperfection is one of my favorite Vietnamese bloggers. I like the personal reflections that go into her posts, and we seem to have similar experiences. In her recent entry, she writes, “For God knows when, I have always thought that people would forget me easily after they met me…like I just simply escaped from their schematic cognition.” Then she goes on and shares one of her embarrassments that reminded me of my own.
I met a Cambodian chick when I first started high school. I can’t recall her name, but her face could not escape my mind. What can I do? I have a photographic memory, and I don’t call myself the visual guy for no fucking reason. (Ooops! The F word slips off my fingers again.) The first few days of school, I was lost, and there she was helping me getting into the right class and counselor office. She was a junior; therefore, knew her way around the school. We talked and smiled at each other when we passed by the hall way. Time flew by, and we hardly saw each other anymore, but I had yet to forget her. Six years later, I met her at Wal-Mart, so I just came up and greeted her. Like I said, I couldn’t remember her name, but she couldn’t remember anything about me. The most embarrass moment came on when she said, “I am sorry, I don’t know,” as her man came up to us. Thank goodness, he didn’t bust my ass for hitting on his girl. I was brain-frosted for about a minute. It was worse than sucking up durian shake so fast that makes your head numbed.
After that experience, I never ever come up to people again, even though I remember their faces. Call me stuck-up or heartless, but I am not going to humiliate myself anymore. In any rate, thanks Ms. Nguyen for the good old reminiscence. I owe you a bowl of Pho.
Kevin gives the ALANA Center Web site a colorful makeover.
I have a soft spot for piano solo, and Mat Biec (Hoa Tau Bat Tu Vol.1) touches right on it. The beautiful collection, which includes “Bien Nho,” “Mong Duoi Hoa” and “Le Da,” hits right home.
(Got my White Chocolate Mocha; therefore, the nonsense is gone)