Things Worth Mentioning Again

Plus some recommendations

Today’s post is an in-between post. Big things are happening! Not necessarily new things, but things definitely worthy of mentioning again.

1. My album comes out next week! October 25th. 8 years in the making. Can’t believe it. It’s a raw album and an eclectic one, written out of the pain I experienced in the evangelical church. Some of it more neoclassical, some more singer/songwriter, some more abstract ambient. I think it’s a perfect expression of my own complexity as an artist. I’m so proud of it and I can’t wait for you to hear it.
   
   If you pre-order it, you’ll get a signed CD in the mail and will be able to listen/download it right now! Some of you have already and your feedback has been incredible. Thank you! Learn more about it and pre-order here:

   Time to Start Sharing My Story

2. My extra special and unique album release show is coming up - November 9th here in Scranton. A multi-genre, multi-artistic showcase of local talent here in NEPA. I’ll play through the entire album live with a string trio. There’ll be a live painter and a funk band. Say wha??? Yes, it’s gonna be lit. More info about this show and tickets are available here:

   My Album Release Show!

Oh, and here’s a cute video of my daughter helping me ship some of the pre-orders. If you pre-order, yours too will be hand-packed by this special helper!

Ok, lastly, here are some recommendations. I’ve been in a bit of a podcast and film desert (If you have any recommendations, leave them below, please!), and I haven’t had as much time for reading. But I’ve been soaking up a lot of good music lately.

Music

• Big Foot, Melinda Sullivan and Larry Goldings - one of my favorite pianists pairing up with a tap dancer and experimental producer. Creative, captivating, fresh, not at all what you would expect. I’m in love with it right now.

• Ephemeral Being, Half Waif - one of my favorite artists, her albums are slow burns for me. It takes me a couple listens to get it and then I can’t get enough of it. This EP was released in anticipation of the full length which recently came out. I haven’t had a chance to give the full length a proper listen yet, but based on my cursory listen so far, I believe it too will likely be one of my favorites this year.

• I Wish I Had a God, Hohnen Ford - I’ll introduce her to you the same I was introduced to her: an interview on Rick Beato’s channel. Her live performance there was incredible and her album is even better. Smart writing, gorgeous production, great person. The full package.

Books

• The Book of Lights, Chaim Potok. My favorite author. This was my second time reading this one. Probably his most abstract one, but equally as beautiful and profound as all the others.
  
  Additionally, I’ve started listening to a lecture he gave in 1989 on Literature and Religious Authority. I’m only 30min in, but so far he’s beautifully articulated what it is about literary fiction that I love so much. Such a brilliant thinker, writer, and communicator. A treasure.

• Words Without Music, Phillip Glass. His autobiography. A fascinating life. I was drawn to read this when Ted Gioia wrote about the blue collar jobs he held throughout his life. In the world of larger-than-life composers and artists, he stands out as a guy who just pursued with humility what he loved without ever losing sight of reality.

  The Blue Collar Jobs of Philip Glass

Podcasts

• Can’t Get Much Higher, Chris Dalla Riva. A podcast about music statistics, and, no, it’s not boring. And he’s here on Substack too! Here’s a recent episode that was so fascinating:

  Did Frank Sinatra Really Perform at My Grandma's High School?

Films

• The Shining. I finally got around to watching this one and, wow. I’ve watched a lot of horror movies this year and this one is, by far, the scariest. But more than that, it’s a great film. The writing feels fresher now than it did in 1980. So much depth and intricacy. The acting is perfect. The score is incredible, way ahead of its time. I see why it’s often referenced as one of the greatest films of all time.

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