3x Thursday gave me questions that fit my blog theme nicely again:

1.When you listen to music, do you focus on the music or the lyrics? Both? Neither? Why/why not?
Most jazz is actually more musical than lyrical (obviously not counting the songs). As a result, I easily focus more on the music - especially for songs repeated from other versions. I like to compare how the newer versions to the old, how they handle the chord progressions and so on.

2. Do you have a particular favorite instrument in which you focus on when you're listening to music? Are you able to pick out a part and concentrate on it?
I really like the sound of horns, specifically the clarinet and the trumpet. I do focus on them when they are part of the piece, as I find them very sensual and evocative instruments.

3. How important is it to you that band be able to play their instruments well? Why/why not?
That's an easy question! If the musicians in a jazz group don't play their instruments well, the arrangement won't sound terribly good no matter what the band leader does to it.

Bonus Question for Comments: Would you be a good music critic? Why/why not?
I'd have to answer not. While I can critique if I do or don't like a performance, I've found - especially during the various Idol shows - that I'm often off from the musical tastes of other people.

From the Monday Madness site:

Name THREE of your........

1. Pet Peeves: Folks who need anger management, people who use their disabilities as an excuse NOT to do better in life, people who don't listen to what you say.
2. Favorite Sounds: raindrops, cat meows, babies
3. Desk Items: Chequing statement, one of the anime DVDs I reviewed, CD-Rs
4. Biggest Fears: To be alone in the end, to not achieve enough in life, that my cats are ever in pain
5. Biggest Challenges: Achieving more and more publishing success, staying mobile, making my bi-monthly Comicopia deadlines (to continue my 14 year + unbroken streak)
6. Newest 'Toys': (Soon) an 8X DVD-RW drive, Knoppix 3.6 on CD, a diskette of my current project updated
7. Most Used Words: basically, actual, virtual
8. Most Mispelled Words: apartment, ad, neibor
9. Favorite Disney Characters: the geni from Aladin, Mickey Mouse, Goliath (from Gargoyles)
10. Bookmarks on Your Homepage: My LiveJournal, RPG.net, Skinz.org

From the 3x Thursday:

1. How do you get your music/new music these days (radio, tv, internet, friends)? What kind of music are you into right now?

A combination of streaming Internet radio (I've really grown enamored with the Mercora network) and songs I've purchased from Puretracks.com (iTunes for Canada).

2. By which medium do you recieve music? Do you still buy CDs, or do you buy the albums in digital form? Or both?
I bought 2 CDs at the Montreal Jazz Fest, but mostly I purchase albums from Puretracks. I have limited floor space, so that helps to conserve it.

3. What is your opinion about downloading music without purchasing it? Do you believe it really hurts record sales? Is anyone but the RIAA really suffering?
Polls have shown that downloads aren't hurting the RIAA. If they wanted to really turn people away from song swapping, they would make CDs cost less and make more of the catalogue of music available. With CD prices not dropping since they were introduces (they're about 20 bucks, with re-issues and imports even more!), and the difficulty in finding tunes more than about 8 years old... well, people are generally fed up with them.

That said, places like Puretracks pay the artists for their songs, not the RIAA. The folks who already did the work. I want the estates of Miles Davis (and sadly, most of the Ramones now), and artists like Sonny Rollins to make money for their work.

Bonus Question for Comments: Do you think that the internet a good source for new (or stuff you'd never really think about listening to) music? How? Why/Why not?
I've discovered quite a few new artists who I wouldn't have thought of thanks to the 'net. Without it, I'd have never heard of them.

From Post of the Day:

What music piece from a movie stands out for you as particularly memorable and/or enjoyable?

Hmm... let me think... offhand the first film to come to mind is the original Hallowe'en. The piano theme always gets my heart pounding.

(I tried to come up with a jazz-themed one, but couldn't. Sorry.)

Well, Canadian Idol is over for this year - and in my opinion, Canada got it wrong.

Regardless of my feelings for her, Theresa Sokyrka was the one who showed she could actually sing a variety of styles and genres. She didn't capture Janis Joplin when she sang Another little piece of my heart, but I think that was the only real exception.

Kaylan Porter on the other hand... I never really got the feeling he was better than a karaoke singer. He's a pretty boy, perfect to capture the screaming pre-teen girl demographic, but I never really got the feeling that he has any real talent. Besides, a boy making Born to be wild - a song popular about 30 years before he was born - his signature piece from the show... well, it just annoys me.

Canadian Idol crowns their winner tonight.

Why do I have this in a blag with a Jazz theme, you may ask? Reason: one of the finalistgs, Theresa Sokyrka, is a jazz singer.

I like her voice - I like her period. I think she's Canada's sweetheart. I don't think her performances blew voters away like other finalist Kaylan Porter did, but I can hope... besides, I'm not a big fan of Kaylan.

Canadian Idol crowns their winner tonight.

Why do I have this in a blag with a Jazz theme, you may ask? Reason: one of the finalistgs, Theresa Sokyrka, is a jazz singer.

I like her voice - I like her period. I think she's Canada's sweetheart. I don't think her performances blew voters away like other finalist Kaylan Porter did, but I can hope... besides, I'm not a big fan of Kaylan.

I flipped through the 2004 Jewish Ad directory as I waited for my Transport this morning. In an ad, clear as day, was a party DJ calling himself DJ Jazzy Jeff. The funny thing is the fact that a year or so ago, I called myself DJ Jeff Jazzy to avoid confusion with the guy who works with Will Smith. Guess this guy had no such consideration...