Quote of The Day 5-15-13

"Courage is the ladder on which all other virtues mount."
Clare Boothe Luce

I believe this.  Courage is the basis for nearly any endeavor, whether physical or mental exertion.  Life is hard and ambiguous.  Fact.  And courage is an absolutely necessary asset.  Embrace it and you will satisfy your soul.

Clare Boothe Luce (1903-1987) was an American author, journalist, Congresswoman, and US ambassador.  As a Congresswoman she was well known for her moderate position towards minorities, immigrants, and women denied privileges, which contrasted with most of her Republican counterparts.  She was a fierce and outspoken public speaker.

Quote of The Day 5-13-13

"Do not travel far to other dusty lands, forsaking your own sitting palace; if you cannot find the truth where you are now, you will never find it."

-Dogen

Word son.  I have no qualms with traveling and seeking experience through new sights and cultures.  But ultimate truth and meaning is not something to be found in a particular place.  It is to be found within.  And you are always with yourself.

Dogen (1200-1253) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist.  Born in Kyoto, Dogen founded the Soto school of Zen after training under Rujing in China, a master of the Caodong sect of Buddhism.  He is known for his bountiful writings, especially Treasury of The Eye of The True Dharma.

Quote of The Day 5-10-13

"The only way to have a friend is to be one."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Truth.  Nothing like old fashioned American wisdom.  Friendship is a two way street, you must give to receive.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet.  He is known for being a leader of the Transcendentalist movement which he solidified with his 1836 essay Nature.  Oliver Wendell Holmes considered Emerson's subsequent speech, "The American Scholar", America's "Intellectual Declaration of Independence".  Emerson's work would go on to influence American thinking and culture indefinitely.  He was also a good friend and mentor to fellow Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau.

Quote of The Day 5-9-13

"Conventionality is not morality."
Charlotte Bronte

We all wish to do what is right.  However, what is right in our hearts does not always necessarily coincide with societal norms.  Morality is born in our hearts and though it may correlate with particular morals of a certain culture it is ultimately an individual responsibility.

Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855) was an English author of novels and poetry.  She was the eldest of three sisters that survived to adult age.  Her younger sisters Emily and Anne were also authors of note.  Bronte's most famous work is Jane Eyre which she wrote under the pen name Currer Bell.  The book revolutionized modern fiction with its precedent of the main character's inner battles of consciousness along with social critique.  Bronte's writing would influence such luminaries as James Joyce and Marcel Proust.  She was very outspoken of her high sense of morals and tended to preach tolerance over revolution.

Quote of The Day 5-8-13

"Diligence is the mother of good luck."

Benjamin Franklin

I like this one.  It has a nice ring to it.  And diligence is most certainly an admirable quality; one which typically yields success and favorable results.  Hence, good luck.

Benjamin Franklin (1705-1790).  You can find his face on the 100 dollar bill.  Now if that is not an icon of greatness, I do not know anything.  Franklin was a man of many talents, interests, and abilities.  Among those were writing, printmaking, political theory, postmaster, scientist, inventor, musician, satirist, and diplomat.  He was also a founding father of our great nation.  His achievements and contributions to our nation are simply too many to name here.  I anticipate his wisdom shall grace QOD again in the future and provide more opportunity to relish his greatness.

Quote of The Day 5-7-13

"Computers are useless.  They can only give you answers."
Pablo Picasso

Okay, useless?  No.  Especially now that computers are basically placed in our laps at birth and we barely live a moment without the use of one.  But the sentiment of this quote resonates with me.  For it highlights an essential piece of human nature:  inquisitiveness.  Yes, perhaps with the aide of computers certain questions and new problems needing solved can arise but the origin of all queries is the human mind.  It is one of the greatest abilities we have.

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973).  We all know him as a famous painter, he was also a sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer.  He is credited with co-founding the Cubist style of painting, co-inventing the collage, and inventing constructed sculpture.  A couple of his most famous works are Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907) and Guernica (1937).  One of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century, Picasso along with contemporaries Marcel Duchamp and Henri Matisse, was responsible for exemplifying advancements in the plastic arts.

Quote of The Day 5-6-13

"Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after."
Henry David Thoreau

What a wonderful metaphor fishing is.  And what a strange experience being alive.  I believe Thoreau is hitting on something true in this statement.  We aspire to so many strange things and dedicate our time to so many different hobbies in our lives.  Perhaps these activities can be summed up simply as pursuits of freedom.

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was an American author, poet, philosopher, naturalist, historian, and transcendentalist.  He was also an abolitionist and tax resistor; total rebel rocker.  Mr. Thoreau is another lucky fella that has been featured on QOD twice.  His wisdom is classically and distinctly American, bridging the new and old worlds with grace and intellectual provocation.

Quote of The Day 5-5-13

Actual tools at actual job I worked on at home

 "Don't do more work than you have to... Let your tools do the work."
Tom Bond

I figured it was only fair that my dad gets a shot at QOD.  So there you have it, how can you argue with that?

Quote of The Day 5-4-13

"Eat your vegetables."
Mary Fitzpatrick

That's my mum. And I'm sure your mum would agree too.

Quote of The Day 5-3-13

"Talking about music is like dancing about architecture."
Thelonius Monk

Well...perhaps I should shut up then.  You get the point.

Thelonius Monk (1917-1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer.  He is considered one of the greatest composers in America's music history.  Monk's unique style was characterized as angular, percussive, and dramatic.  His improvising approach has influenced countless musicians after him.  Monk has also contributed some of the most classic jazz standards to the American music canon including "Epistrophy", "Round Midnight", and "Straight No Chaser".  He is also the second most recorded composer after Duke Ellington which is exceptionally incredible as Monk composed only about 70 songs compared to Ellington's exceeding 1,000.

Quote of The Day 5-2-13

"It's taken me all my life to learn what not to play."
Dizzy Gillespie

Another fine proponent of simplicity.  Less is more. And you hear it more and more.  This not only applies to music and art but every day life.  When the superfluous can be eliminated, there is then more room mentally, physically, and ultimately spiritually.

Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993) was an American trumpet player, bandleader, and composer.  Along with Charlie Parker, he helped usher in the bebop sound of the 1940's.  Still considered one of the best players to ever pick up the trumpet, Gillespie taught and influenced a number of jazz greats including Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Fats Navarro, and Lee Morgan.

Quote of The Day 5-1-13

"Music washes away the dust of everyday life."
Art Blakey

Yes it surely does.  Nothing like music can give the soul a thorough cleansing.

Art Blakey (1919-1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader.   Born in Pittsburgh, PA, he began by playing the piano but switched to drums as the superior Erroll Garner began gaining recognition.  Blakey's style was an immeasurable influence on so many musicians after him and continues to this day.  Drummers Max Roach, Kenny Clarke, and Blakey were at the forefront of the bebop jazz movement of the 1940's.  His style was typically characterized as powerful and funky, he was truly one of the hardest groovers to ever pick up a pair of drumsticks.  As the leader of The Jazz Messengers, Blakey ultimately showcased many musicians that would go on to have substantial  careers of their own such as Wayne Shorter, Wynton Marsalis, and Branford Marsalis. 

Quote of The Day 4-30-13

"It feels so good to be happy."
Etta James

Damn skippy.  Enough said.

Etta James (1938-2012) was an American singer.  Her style ranged from blues, rock, soul, gospel, and jazz.  Truly one of the greatest singers in modern history, Etta James influenced a slew of singers after her.  She has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Blues Hall of Fame, and the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Quote of The Day 4-29-13

"Shoot for the moon; if you miss you'll end up in the stars."
Artie Shaw

Why not?  Mr. Shaw puts it well with this one.  We should always aspire for our greatest dreams.  If we fail, we at least have the satisfaction of trying as well as knowledge and experience gained.

Artie Shaw (1910-2004) was an American clarinetist, band leader, and composer.  He was widely popular during the 1930's  and early 1940's as one of the greatest clarinet players in the world and led one of the greatest big bands of the time.  Shaw's difficult personality was matched with an intense intrigue of experimenting with musical styles.  He was an early champion of Third Stream music which combined classical with jazz.  In 1954 Shaw retired from playing the clarinet as he believed he had taken the clarinet as far as it could go.

Quote of The Day 4-28-13

"When I sing, trouble can sit right on my shoulder and I don't even notice."
Sarah Vaughn

Music sweet music.  No, not everyone can sing as well as Sarah Vaughan, but we all sing in one way or another.  Even if that is simply listening to another and allowing your heart to sing along.  Music heals and causes troubles to disappear.

Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990) was an American jazz singer.  She is widely considered one of the greatest voices in modern history.  Vaughan got her start with big band leader Earl Hines and subsequently Billy Eckstine when he left to lead his own group.  Among the musicians in these groups were future jazz luminaries Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, and Dexter Gordon amongst many others.  "Sassy", as she was nicknamed, went on to be very successful throughout her entire career earning much critical and widespread acclaim.  She was also dubbed "The Divine One" by disk jockey Dave Garroway from Chicago.

Quote of The Day 4-27-13

"Anyone can make the simple complicated. Creativity is making the complicated simple."
Charles Mingus

I am going to go ahead and agree with this statement.  Though this particular passage may come off as convoluted and pretentious (an artist? pretentious? never) I find significant truths in it.  Firstly, I do believe that making the simple complicated is often the case in many aspects of life.  Essentially every argument ever had accomplishes this.  It is called differing points of view, end of story.  Instead we insist on emotionally driven circular "discussions" that too often yield no tangible result.  Anywho, I also believe that creativity involves making the complicated simple in at least two ways.  1) The creative process: even though the product may be perceived as simple, the process never is.  Whether the complication is of unrelenting deliberation or a tactile nature, process is always complicated.  And 2) the end result, meaning the emotion that a creative piece provokes, can be simple while the piece itself is emphatically complicated.  Emotion is raw and all artistic endeavors should aim to evoke emotion.  Often this emotion can be ephemeral and intangible, but the process of conjuring is undeniably simple.  Well, I have really gone of the deep end on this one, I think Mingus would be proud.  Perhaps it's my hangover speaking...

Charles Mingus (1922-1979) was an American jazz upright bass player, composer, and band leader.  Mingus is well known for his unique composing style of combining hard bop, gospel, free jazz, and classical genres.  He preferred the collective improvisation style of old New Orleans parade music and employed it in his ensembles.  He was known to cite Duke Ellington and church as his main influences.  Mingus was also known for his fierce temperament and being uncompromising of his artistic integrity.

Quote of The Day 4-26-13

"All music is folk music.  I ain't never heard a horse sing a song."

Louis Armstrong

A joke for sure, but true nonetheless.  Many people obsessively put labels on music (guilty myself).  But the fact is that in the grand scheme of life, music is art and is meant to uplift and stimulate.  It is made for everyone and transcends boundaries and definitions no matter how opinionated and linguistically gifted you are.

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) an American trumpet player and singer.  He was widely revered for his soloing abilities with both his instrument as well as his voice.  Satchmo, as he was nicknamed, was very influential in shifting the emphasis of jazz music from group improvisation to solo performance.  Other traits that contributed to his iconic status were his distinct gravelly voice and charismatic stage presence.

Quote of The Day 4-25-13

"I have to change a tune to my own way of doing it.  That's all I know."
Billie Holiday

Amen.  Confidence and individuality.  Traits that all artists should strive for.  Simple as that.

Billie Holiday (1915-1959) was an American jazz singer.  Holiday is vaunted as one of the best singers of the 20th century by many.  Her unique style consisted of odd phrasing and timing developed in imitation of jazz instruments.  Holiday was truly a revolutionary and shaped much of the music to come after her.  Though she only helped write a few tunes, her writing credits include several standards including "God Bless The Child", "Fine and Mellow", and "Lady Sings The Blues".  Sadly Holiday was another victim of drug and alcohol addiction as so many of the great jazz artists were of that time.

Quote of The Day 4-24-13

"A problem is just a chance to do your best."
Duke Ellington

Amen to that Sir Duke.  Well said indeed.  Succinct, concise, true.  What a concept: problems are chances, opportunities to transcend.  Certainly problems are frustrating and difficult, but to overcome them is the mark of human strength, no matter how large or small a problem may be.

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (1899-1974) was an American pianist, composer, and big band leader.  The Duke is commonly associated with the big band jazz genre which he was undeniably a luminary of, but his influence reaches further than can be measured.  Considered widely to be THE greatest composer of the 20th century, Ellington's career included movie scoring and stage musicals.  Though he is chiefly remembered for his compositions numbering more than 1,000.  Respectably, Ellington preferred to label his music "American music" as opposed to jazz music.

Quote of The Day 4-23-13

“Learn the changes and then forget them.”

-Charlie Parker

So. Here we are with another line from a legendary jazz master.  The changes Mr. Parker refers to are of course the chord changes in a song.  And the essence of what he implies with this sentiment is to embrace the freedom of improvisation.  Improvising was at the very heart of the bebop era, of which Charlie Parker was boisterously at the forefront.  Surely it is necessary to gain knowledge in order to perform any task.  But attempt it less regimented, you may be surprised with the result in a pleasing way.  That is the beauty of improvising.

Charlie Parker (1920-1955) was a jazz saxophonist prominent during the bebop era of jazz music.  In his time he was heralded as the greatest saxophone player living and to this day is still considered one of the best.  Parker is well known for being a charismatic bandleader and quite the wild man.  He died at the young age of 34 as result of pneumonia, a bleeding ulcer, and cirrhosis of the liver all brought on by his unrelenting abuse of alcohol and narcotics.  Despite his unfortunate end, Parker's virtuosic skills remain as jazz legend and he is remembered as a figurehead of the Beat Generation and hipster culture.