Battle of the Bands: In Your Own Sweet Way

 Welcome to my Battle of the Bands! My battles are going in it's own sweet way hanging out in jazz land.  Much like the last battle I have a jazz standard by a jazz giant and my contestants include one of the best jazz guitarists versus another jazz giant. 

The song I picked is "In Your Own Sweet Way" by Dave Brubeck

Next I am going to have two contenders Miles Davis and Wes Montgomery compete with their versions. In the comments you drop me a line and tell me which one you liked better. I count them up after a week or so and announce the winner in a new post.

                                              Contender One: Miles Davis

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Contender Two: Wes Montgomery

I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for visiting. I'm open for suggestions for future battles, I'm ready for your votes, give me your feedback in the comments!

Battle of the Bands Results: 500 Miles High and Five Votes

 Chick Corea's death provided the extra motivation to change things up a bit on my Battle of the Bands. His song "500 Miles High" was chosen. The Manhattan Transfer and Joe Pass were the contenders. The Manhattan Transfer got the first vote. The next four went to Joe Pass, who won 4 to 1.

On this post I usually celebrate winners. So let's get started!

                                                "Ain't Misbehavin"

"Stella by Starlight"

"Misty"

Thanks for visiting! If you voted thank you! If you didn't vote on my next Battle of the Bands coming up on the first. I'll use the next 5 to 6 days to hopefully think of something.

R.I.P Rush Limbaugh

 Rush Limbaugh passed away at the age of 70. He was controversial, he was a strong voice of the political right, his opinion was probably hated as much as it was loved. However he was successful.  He was a radio personality, a talking head who ended up being inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame and the National Association of Broadcasters  Hall of Fame. 

His radio show was one of the biggest. Spreading into the written word Rush Limbaugh was a best selling author. President Donald Trump honored him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He died due to complications of lung cancer.

He will be remembered by his fans, critics, friends and family. Regardless if you agreed with his opinion you have probably heard of Rush Limbaugh. 

R.I.P Vincent Jackson

 Former NFL wide receiver Vincent Jackson passed way yesterday at the age of 38. The why is unknown as of now. He was a success. Bright enough to go to Columbia but chose to go to Northern Colorado. Vincent wasn't the most recruited guy but was able to play football and basketball in college. He blossomed in college and ended up being a second round draft pick.

In the NFL  he played for 12 seasons, seven with the San Diego Chargers and five with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was a three time Pro Bowler. He had six thousand yard seasons.

                                                Highlights of his career...

He will be missed by his fans, former teammates, friends and family!

Monday's Music Moves Me: The Leadership Edition

 Ironically I am following this morning. I see all my blogging friends are doing the Monday's Music Moves Me thing. Well here I am.

Let's start this thing!

Shangri-La's "Leader of the Pack"

B.B. King "Paying the Cost to be the Boss"

Jimmy Reed "Big Boss Man"

Not to be sexist, woman can be the boss. Mick Jagger "She's the Boss"

To tie this in with Valentine's Day that just passed

Papa Roach "Leader of Broken Hearts"

Hope you enjoyed and I will see you soon!

Battle of the Bands: 500 Miles High

Jazz pianist, composer and talented musician Chick Corea passed away this month. I wrote a brief post on it here. I am going to honor him more by using one of his pieces for my Battle of the Bands segment. It will also be my first genre change of 2021. 

Here is Chick Corea with "500 Miles High"

Genre might be changing but the rules remain the same. I will select two covers. My readers listen to the covers and tell me which version they like the  best, or which one they hate the least whichever the case might be. They tell me in the comments. You can expand on it and tell me why. I have quoted comments in the past or used them for suggestions for future Battles. Anyway I count up the votes and announce winner in a separate post in about a week. 

Chick recorded this as an instrumental and a version with vocals. To be like Chick and to jazz thing up I am going to do the same.

Contender One: Joe Pass

Contender Two: The Manhattan Transfer

Who gets your vote Joe Pass or The Manhattan Transfer? Instrumental or vocals? Joe Pass adds contrasts with a solo guitar version of the jazz pianist piece. The Manhattan Transfer version is beautiful and a bit more condensed compared to Chick's versions.  Hopefully it will be a good battle.

I hope you enjoy and I will be back with  the results!

R.I.P Marty Schottenheimer

 Following a football season where the current Cleveland Browns coach was named Coach of the Year, a season where the Kansas City Chiefs fall in the Super Bowl, former NFL Coach Marty Schottenhiemer has passed away. 

I mentioned Cleveland first because that is where Marty started his head coaching career. Leading the Browns to the playoffs 4 of his 5 years including two trips to the AFC Championships. In Cleveland he had a record of 44-27 and was 2-4 in the playoffs with the Browns.

He Coached the Chiefs next. Making the playoffs 7 out of 10 seasons and adding another trip to the AFC Championship game. He was 101-58-1 with the Chiefs and 3-7 in the postseason. His career earned him a spot in the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame.

His next stop was with the Washington Redskins, now the Washington Football Team, they went 8-8 in his one season.  The Football Team somehow made the playoffs this season. On a side note I actually met the Coach in Pennsylvania during training camp.

His final NFL coaching stop was with the San Diego Chargers. In 5 seasons there his team made the playoffs twice. He compiled a 47-33 record but was 0-2 in the playoffs.

The Coacwill be missed by his family, friends and fans.

R.I.P Mary Wilson

Mary Wilson was a founding member of the Supremes, a long time Las Vegas singer, and a best selling author. Sadly she passed away on the 8th. 

                                                   The Supremes "Come and Get These Memories"

                                                                        Here she performs                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You"

Her place in Motown and music history was sealed when she was in the Supremes. She will be missed by her friends, family and fans.

R.I.P Chick Corea

 Jazz pianist, 23 time Grammy Award winner Chick Corea has passed away at the age of 79. He's played with some great musicians including Miles Davis, Al Di Meola, Stanley Clarke, Bela Fleck, and more. Winning Grammy Awards, playing with talented artists is fantastic but having several of his compositions considered jazz standards has to be considered the pinnacle of his career.

                                                    "Armando's Rhumba"

"500 Miles High"

He will be missed by his friends, family, fellow musicians, and fans. His legacy will live on in his music and in the musicians he inspired.

R.I.P Christopher Plummer

 Christopher Plummer passed away last week at the age of 91. He will probably always be remembered as the actor who played Captain Georg van Trapp in The Sound of Music where her starred with Julie Andrews.

A clip from the movie....

In 1974 he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role in Cyrano. Christopher won another Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role in Barrymore. In all the actor was nominated for seven Tony Awards.

Mr. Plummer won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role on Beginners. 

Greatness might have been achieved by having an iconic role, winning two Tony Awards and an Academy Award. However, with Christopher Plummer there is still more!

He also won two Daytime Emmy Awards! The first Outstanding Actor - Limited Series or Movie Arthur Hailey's The Moneychangers in 1977. 17 years later he won his second for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for his role in Madeline.

He was even nominated for a Grammy and he has been honored by his native Canada.

He will be missed by his family, friends and fans but leaves behind an incredible legacy! 

R.I.P Leon Spinks

 Boxer Leon Spinks passed away last week. Spinks was an Olympic Gold Medalist who won the light heavyweight division in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. He is most famous for defeating Muhammad Ali in 1978 and becoming the Heavy Weight Champion of the world. He would lose a rematch and his career never reach those lofty heights again.

In the end cancer defeated Spinks. He will be missed by his family, friends and fans.

Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In the end the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tom Brady and myself all won championships. I won my fantasy football league and Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl. We all get bragging rights, but they get a ring and big bonuses. Sadly I do not. 

I was hoping for a close game. The greatest quarterback against the elite quarterback of today.

Highlights... 

Congrats to the Kansas City Chiefs for making it to the big game. They have been to two in a row. Tom Brady continues on after earning ring number seven. Five Super Bowl MVP Awards is very impressive. 

Battle of the Bands: Simple Man Results

 Shinedown as I suspected won this battle four to two over the Deftones. Shinedown's version was a more commercial success. The Deftones were described s an experimental metal band, so it was humorous to me that their support called them the mellower choice. 

Let's celebrate with Shinedown...

                                                      Shinedown "Monsters"

"Second Chance"

Well putting on my thinking cap for a new battle in five days!

Black History Month: Kamala Harris Happening Now

 Black History isn't always about times gone years ago. It is happening now. We live in politically polarizing times. However we can not dismiss that in our politics a historic Vice President of the United States has taken her office. 

She becomes the first African American Vice President. Showing future African Americans that it is possible to become Vice President just as President Obama showed it was possible for a black man to become President.

I'm leading with African American due to it being Black History month and she certainly has earned her place in Black History and also history of the United States of America. However there are other glass ceilings being shattered by Kamala Harris.

She is also Asian and becomes the first Asian Vice President. As a father to a daughter I am glad to see that she also became the first woman Vice President. My daughter can look to her and perhaps be inspired one day.

We can disagree about politics. She could be voted out next time or re-elected. However, she has been sworn in to office so those glass ceilings have been broken. Not only has Black History been made but history itself has been made. 

R.I.P Danny Ray

 Danny Ray passed away at the age of 85. James Brown's estate called Mr. Ray "the second-hardest working man in show business." You might be asking yourself who is Danny Ray? He was a long time emcee for James Brown and his cape man.

                                                    "Please, Please, Please"

Danny Ray introducing...

Danny Ray will be missed by fans, colleagues, friends and family.

R.I.P Dustin Diamond

 Dustin Diamond will best be remembered as the character Screech from "Saved by the Bell." He passed away from cancer at the age of 44.

Some scenes from "Saved by the Bell"...

Post "Saved by the Bell" he appeared in various shows, Celebrity Big Brother, and even ventured into celebrity boxing. He also had a stand up career.

Here he is in an interview in 2012...

Once again cancer takes someone way too early. May he rest in peace.

Battle of the Bands: Simple Man

My Battle of the Bands this go around features Lynyrd Skynyrd and their song "Simple Man."  

 

My contenders feature a Metal Band versus a Rock Band.  One version is a popular cover the other less commercial. A battle with a few contrasts. 

Deftones "Simple Man"

Shinedown "Simple Man"

The normal rules apply. In the comments you tell me which cover you like the best. You can expand and tell me and my readers why if you like. I sometimes quote voters or find inspiration for future Battles from the comments. However the main purpose is to decide a winner. After I count up the votes in a week or so I announce the winner in a future post. A pretty simple process.

I hope you enjoy the Battle and I will be back soon!