I will admit it. There are times when I am not my best because stress has got me all discombobulated and the best thing for me to do, is take time away from the very things that are causing me to be less than 100% to clear my mind. Gotta Go I was sitting at home at my desk one day and I received a plethora of phone calls, both good and bad. The bad ones seemed to hit a chord that instantly warped me into a dronish mood. The saying goes when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And so I did! I needed to relieve the stresses of some of the things that tried to steal my joy and so, I packed my bags and was on the next morning flight out of there to visit one of my favorite places where all I experience there is a wealth of inspiration and recharging for the road ahead. Talk about lemonade. I think it was flavored so well that I could not help but put my words into a song. It is entitled "Gotta Go." All lyrics are my lyrics. Music by Paul Garrod. Please check out the full length video here: https://youtu.be/vnsqyqGqpJU
If you are like me, then you might be someone who goes and takes a walk to prevent an outburst or maybe you get into your car and drive two hours away to your favorite park where you can enjoy moments of peacefulness and solitude. One of the places that calms me is the beach. Once I am on the sand and the sun kisses my skin all over, I am in this happy zone that feels simply beautiful. And then I dip my body into the ocean and for a moment, all that matters is how refreshing the water really is. The other place is the nail salon. These are just some of the few ways that I have found that help me to cope with the world and all that comes with it, so that I can be back at 100% without losing too much of myself while on this journey called life. What is your favorite place to be refreshed & renewed?
"Creativity
requires the courage to let go of certainties."
- Erich Fromm
You have been given time,
energy, talents, money and possessions to fill your storehouses and that is
exactly what you get when you see the architectural magic you find in the music
of award-winning New York City Jazz Saxophonist, Carl Bartlett Jr.
He uses his creative soul and
goes beyond the horizon in his beautiful sounding instrumentation. And it is
within his thoroughness of application that he heightens the possibility of a
listener falling in love with the sounds that come out of his saxophone; might
even have you feeling ethereal heartbeats.
This week on Jazz on the
JNote, we discuss the man behind the sax, his music, education and jazz.
Some
of the things that might fascinate you as you are tuning in listening to the
sounds of humble dialogue over our non-stop music flow of jazz is the fact
that even though he is considered to be one of NY’s best young jazz saxophonist
he still feels that education is a lifelong process and he continues to build
on his wonderful gifts. Another is the fact that he does not imitate or copy
but has his own voice which comes bursting out the seams of his two albums,
“Hopeful” and “Promise,” which in my opinion shows that he is more than just an explorer
of this thing called jazz but he is a tourist and will be anchoring in the hearts and
minds of many for a long time coming. So please join us to hear why for
yourself.
Hopefully this post will
heighten the possibility of you tuning in this evening. If you have the time
and are sitting on your computer reading this, open up another tab and visit http://theenglishconnectionmedia.com
where in just a few minutes, this episode of Jazz on the JNote featuring Carl
Bartlett Jr will air tonight, August 19, 2018 at 7PM.
Here are a few other links for
the same show airing at the same time, that might work better for you. Also airing on:
Yesterday, I heard some really,
horrible news. A musical mentor of mine whom I loved dearly has left the earth
to be with the Lord.
I can’t tell you how sad I am
to know that someone I was so dramatically interconnected
with as Wayne Holmes
has lived out all the days that had been ordained for him on this earth. He
meant a lot to me and I am definitely experiencing a valley today that I didn’t
expect to be sinking into.
His
Life
He always attacked everything
on his plate with grace, enthusiasm and joy. He always had a big smile on his face whether
he was playing his organ at church on Sunday mornings or at various musical
venues playing jazz and other genres of music.
He always seemed to brighten the
lives of others with his cheerful demeanor as he applied love and wisdom to
everything that he did. I would call him a positive influencer because he served
as a positive role model in my life and won my respect and admiration. Who knew
that he would fall into a heavy sleep that he would never again awaken from; so
suddenly and unexpected at that.
His
Death
Last night, I tried not to
take captive every thought about the reality of Wayne Holmes no longer being
with us. But instead, my mind ran a million miles through the dead of night all
the way up until the morning with good memories and sorrowful thoughts about
the world ahead without him. A story of woe I guess as I find myself adjusting
to the circumstance of the end of a life.
A sad reality it is indeed
that in his present plight, all who were affected will now weed in the silence
in between the threads of what used to be his voice of valiance speaking wisdom. He was such a giving person that every hat that he wore that I loved, he would let me go home with. No more cool hats. :/
No more phenomenal chords or great solos by this musical genius. No more worthy advice or words that he'd share that made me happy to hear.
But nonetheless, I am thankful for having
ever crossed paths with him because I learned a few things from him.
His
Legacy
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your
heart,
as working for the Lord, not for human
masters,
since you know that you will receive
an inheritance from the Lord as a reward;
it is the Lord Christ you are serving”
(Colossians
3:24)
It never took too much for him
to get in gear. He sacrificed his time to do what he could to help people and
if he decided to brave a situation, he gave all that he had to give. He was
always on time and worked with pride and showed he cared about others concerns.
He approached life like a warrior in battle and fought a good fight to the end.
I can saturate my mind with
good thoughts about him because he was such a humble being. He was a friend. He
was a mentor. He was someone who encouraged me to be more because he had so
much faith in me. He pushed me into singing jazz and helped me to articulate
myself better as an artist. He inspired me to believe in my own talent because
he knew that there was so much greater out there for me.
And he played musical sets at his gigs that
were so irresistible, you could not help but want to watch; especially when he
did his tributes to Ray Charles and portrayed the role like none else could
with professionalism and gracefulness. He taught me that simply adding a smile
to what you do invites people in and has the power to transform someone’s day. The brightness on his face that he was so willing to share with everyone will definitely be missed.
I smile with pure joy at the
fact that he was in my life even though he has left me behind. He took the
world by storm, remained in focus of doing his due diligence to make the work
that he was on this earth to complete, a meaningful experience. Please smile
with me as I pay tribute to his life covering Charlie Chapman’s tune “Smile”
performed live with the recently deceased Wayne Holmes on piano and Donald
Nicks on bass here: https://youtu.be/neI_I0zgkJ8
I guess I’m rattling off a bit
but, now that he is not here with us to receive the flowers he deserved when he
was alive, put a damper on my weekend; more than the dampness of the torrential
rains hitting New York.
The death of my good friend has affected my thinking
and I can’t help but wrestle with the idea that this musical mentor of mine who
would tell everyone that I was like his daughter is gone. It is sad to think we will never again share the musical stage together. He trusted me so much to add me to his musical experiences and got me into singing outside of my comfort zone.
If it were not for him, I would not sing jazz. If it were not for him, I probably would not have pursued musical pedagogies so that I could know more. His death is a true loss to this world and to my life.
Today I sit here
reflecting and smiling at the good old times of a man who was a like a father
figure to me. Thank you for everything.
When I go to a clothing
store, most of the time, I go with a purpose of buying that certain item I
need and then keep it moving. I call it shopping with a purpose. So many things about shopping at a physical store that I appreciate. I love being able to touch the fabric and to look at
the material and try things on to make sure they are perfect for my body. And interactions with people who are willing to give their opinion is kind of nice too because you can have human interaction and a different point of view than yours. And
then when I am homeward bound I feel satisfied because I got exactly
what I went out for and I do not have to look no further.
But then, while on my computer and I see ads for gorgeous dresses at an on-line shop and I am like, "oh! I want that dress." The look of it seems so promising and so does
the ridiculously cheap price. Just seeing the beautiful image makes me want to trust that it is the right dress for me and I am driven to go through the motions of buying it; only to receive it in the mail and it turns out to be an awful experience that makes me want to not shop on-line at all; for
clothes anyway.
Has this ever happened to you?
Getting Your Gear On-Line If you are shopping in
the virtual reality realm, there are a lot of things to consider.
To shop on-line for clothes requires lots of patience. For one, you
cannot touch the fabric like you are used to and have to wait until you get it. You can’t try it on until it is
delivered to your mailbox and sometimes those size charts are off the
mark. I mean, how can a dress for woman who normally wears a size 8 dress also be a 2XL based on an on-line designers configuration?
I call this kind of shopping experience, "organized chaos."
Another example of this is when you see a style and the
beauty of the clothing item seems like it would be perfect for an up-coming event you
have in four weeks and you order it. Then, you wait and wait and wait only for the clothing item to come eight weeks later because it got "lost in transit," and
boom, an experience you weren’t hoping for happened.
And so, the biggest mystery
when buying clothes on-line is if you will be left feeling satisfied. But sometimes, it is worth taking a chance.
I have had my fair share of
disappointments when trying to get gowns to wear for my musical events so that
I can strut across the room or stage feeling fabulous and beautiful. I can't tell you how many times I have returned a dress because it didn't look like the photo that represented it at all, the material was awful or it didn't fit nice. But to try again and get a dress that I just love made everything better.
Glossing Over Glamour
When I
look at the beautiful men and women who used to gather into speakeasies and
jazz clubs in the best of silks, satins, ermines and pearls to show that people
of color are beautiful, I sometimes feel impelled by them to follow their
example; especially when I sing jazz.
And so, there are times when I
find myself exploring different websites and experimenting with their gown
options and deals because I do not always have time to be inside an actual store. Amazon has been one of those stores I tend to shop for clothes at and I will admit, I have
had good experiences and bad experiences; but more good than bad. Thank God for good return policies. But the best shopping experiences were the dresses that I did not have to return for any reason, that fit right, and that were being sold via Prime where two days later, my dress
was in my closet and ready for me to strut in. If you are not a member of Prime and want to take advantage of some of the exclusive deals they have and the free two day shipping, click on this link to find out more about it here:
I will say this, I have not always dressed my best and sometimes have not looked like I was the artist on the stage, but I know that I
am clothed with power from on high even without the perfect dress or outfit on because I was fearfully and wonderfully made. Adding a splash of color to my environment by being dressed correctly for the shift
makes me feel empowered, royal and sexy.
Gown Shopping On-Line
Perhaps you are like me and
are looking for a gown for an event. Don’t be afraid to shop on-line for one, even if
you are not used to it. If you have never shopped on-line for clothes before, I would advise you to look at the sizing charts, the
ratings and comments from previous buyers who shared their honest opinions
about the look, the fit and the actual item that they purchased that you might want to get. Some shoppers even rate the sellers and their experience with
the amount of time it took between buying and receiving their products. Ask
questions if you feel like you need to and capture the happiness of a
satisfying experience on-line, if it is for you.
Since the photos on-line do not always do the dresses justice, some even misrepresent the look of the dress, I wanted to share some that worked well for me. Here are a few gowns I found
on Amazon Prime that you might be interested in getting for a special event that you might want to try for yourself.
I loved these dresses. Each
one different in their own way but beautiful and came right on time. They fit accurately.
They worked for the situation they were being worn for. And, they made me feel
good, dressing for the occasion. Hopefully
you will find the right one for you.
Thanks for stopping by my
blogpost. Hope you found it interesting, helpful or even entertaining in some
way. Sending harmony, love and blessings your way. Peace!
the more dimension, depth, and texture you
ultimately add to your own”
- Rania Al Abdullah
When the thought of trying to
finally complete my college education started to dominate my life, I started to
shape my view around the idea of being a radio show host and producer of a jazz
program at Medgar Evers College. It unlocked the door to a new world to me as I
delved into the histories of jazz to make the show include many aspects about
the culture of this American cultural contribution to the world.
I can’t believe it has been
three years since I walked into the studio and sat in front of the switchboard
with a vision board on Sarah Vaughan’s life and music for my first hour long
radio broadcast. Nothing like a fresh perspective that pushes you to embark on
a new, wild adventure. Being vocal more than just in a song was the wild part
about it because it definitely stretched me beyond my capacity in every way.
I decided to try something new
within this non-stop jazz radio show where I will feature an individual whose
story has struck a chord with me as they share their breakthrough story and
their why.
I tried it out for the first
time this past Sunday on my show and interviewed NY-based drummer, King Beat who
helped me celebrate Louis Armstrong and shared different aspects of his musical
journey.
Please check out a snippet of our hour-long conversation where he also
blessed our ears with his original sounds flowing through the airwaves. You can see the clip
from our interview here: https://youtu.be/Xm9hRmQn9p8
I feel built up and am glowing
with satisfaction not only at this show but also the fact that A to Z
challenges such as these have helped me to triumph over daily writing and has
also helped me to delve more into writing scripts and vision boards again. The
inspiration to write is so much more than a whisper now and it has given me a
fresh perspective. Thankful!
E is for “Everybody screws up,
including me” (Ken Burns)
But
Everybody is given 24 hours in a day and 525600 minutes in a year.
Everybody has access to oxygen to keep them going.
Everybody decides for themselves if they forgive themselves for their past, love themselves where they are and if they can hold on to the mustard seed of faith.
And so, everybody needs a word of encouragement sometimes.
“Optimism is the faith that
leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence” (Helen
Keller).
Even though we fall and make
mistakes, God is such a gentleman and still opens doors for us and loves us with a love that has no
borders. We never have to labor too hard for God to gain the result of love
because God is love and everything that comes from him is love.
If that is true, then we know
that we can go to him and have dialogue with him and lay your burdens in his
ear and know that there is nothing too hard for God to handle. And so while we
are here within the confines of the melting pot of people of this earth, let us
remember the cries from the sea in the face of their struggles.
I am moved by
the force of their fight. I get lit up when I see people in hopeless situations
walking around with more faith in God’s grace. I am encouraged by my culture. I
get moved by all the many vision of the sun sinking and the plethora of sunrises
that God kept me. And I feel bittersweet happiness because I can paint a better
picture of what I am talking about. So even though I may screw up, there is
hope for tomorrow.
A family member of mine always
says, “I am better than the day before, and worse than the day tomorrow.” Makes
sense to have faith in every step of the way. And I am definitely ready for my Breakthrough that is on the way! I hope this song lends some positive energy into your day.
Check out the official video
for the Breakthrough Remix by
Stephanie Jeannot (featuring Jazz E Matt). Here: https://youtu.be/XMd1prZUHrU
Lyrics by Stephanie Jeannot
Produced by Prrrl
Co-produced by Stephanie Jeannot & Jazz E Matt
Charles Bartlett . . . Trumpet
Clyde Bermingham . . . Guitar
Jazz e Matt . . . Vocals
Stephanie Jeannot . . . Vocals
Richie Johnson . . . Drums
Herb Lewis . . Saxophone
Mark Payne . . . Bass
Who knew that trying to write on a daily basis would lead to video editing projects like this one. A Melodiaz Creation. Check out more of my Melodiaz Creations here: https://melodstephie.wixsite.com/melodiazcreations/home
I was sitting at home at my desk one day and I received a plethora of phone calls, both good and bad. The bad ones seemed to hit a chord that instantly warped me into a dronish mood. The saying goes when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And so I did!
