Digging in the Crates: Episode 2 P.S.

Here are some flicks of the books I mentioned in a previous post. Also a picture of me at my favorite downtown spot, with some fresh vinyl.

Digging in the Crates: Episode 2

Hitting the crates hard this past weekend. Went to my usual downtown spot on monday. They've actually started charging for parking at the church across the street. Seriously, yo? God damn capitalism. People trying to capitalize every opportunity they can to make some money. It's a sunday so please let me park at a church, people. Damn. Anyways, to the right here are some copies of what I picked up at a spot that had been shut down and reopened a week ago. Also that Cal Tjader was a Half Price Books dig.
Speaking of HPB, they've done a great job keeping jazz reissues stocked and reasonably priced. I've seen some Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis, Ramsey Lewis, and many jazz compilations. I've become a regular at the Broadway location. Interesting story: I was selling a lot of books that my parents gave me to get rid of. (Of course I perused the boxes and kept the good stuff for myself) I sold a lot of my old year books, I'm very surprised they actually took my middle and high school yearbooks. But one of the employees pricing the books was actually an uncle of a girl that I went to middle school with. She went to my high school for one year but then transferred. Her name was Alexandria. The HPB employee also mentioned her cousin Chris that went to my high school. It's funny that he didn't mention the black sheep of the family, Marcus. That kid went to my middle school and ended up going to juvenile detention and lord knows what he's up to or where he's at. He was the ghetto thug bully stereotype. To the "T". Anyways, I asked him where Alexandria is now. She was mad cool. "She got a full ride to Notre Dame," he said. Of course, me being shocked, I asked "Oh wow. That's great. Going fulltime, she must be finished by now, since she's my age. Where is she at these days?" "Oh well she turned into a party girl." "Oh, I didn't know." "Yeah she got into heavy parties and pissed away her whole college education and dropped out. She's attending community college these days." "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Well tell her that I said hello the next time you speak with her." That conversation brought back all sorts of memories. So if you're out there reading somewhere, Alexandria Kroninger, I miss you.
And to think that reconnection all happened through the romance of purchasing vinyl. I am so glad to be a part of this subculture of music known as vinyl.
Support your local record stores!!!

Making Beats. Producing.

Went to Half Price Books today and picked up this book entitled Funk by Dave Thompson. A very comprehensive guide to funk music: replete with artists and select discographies, essays, origins and the different stages of funk, and more funky stuff. I've been wanting literature on topics of the music that I've been getting into. So when something like this pops up, I've just got to have it. Interestingly enough, I recently purchased a book with a similar title, Funk: The Music, the People, and the Rhythm of the One by Rickey Vincent with a foreword by George Clinton. AND on the cover of the Dave Thompson book is a picture of George Clinton.
Delving deeper into this phenomenon known as music, I've been wanting more literature on the genres in which I'm educating myself. So it's great for me to find books such as these. I also found this huge book that serves as a jazz guide.
It's hard to not to want to use the records that have already been sampled to death. I mean, I don't want to use them because everyone else has, but because the records are just too damn funky! Saving up for an MPC1000. Probably use some of my tax return to help pay for that. Been working with sampling with a friend and his SP303 and a computer program. Using all vinyl and some samples he's been hooked up with. But once I get an MPC, it's game over. That's all I'll want to do. Seen a few on Craig's List for around $700 with all the features. Probably hitting up pawnshops this week and hoping I'll be able to find something for under 5hundo.


P.S. I know I'm slackin on the photos of what I've been digging recently. Will post soon. iPhoto is a bitch. One of the many reasons I'm not a fan of the Macintosh OS.

DITC Episode 1: Extended

Here are the records that I picked up in Houston...

The Kashmere Stage Band LP is a re-issue. I'll be damned if I could find an original pressing at a record store in Houston. Every other album is an original pressing. Copped that MFSB at Half-Price Books for $4! Vinyl is the truth. I purchased these LPs for their respective tracks. I've only heard them on mp3. It was a mere revelation to hear them on vinyl. The sound clarity/quality was beautiful.

Digging in the Crates: Episode 1

Episode 1: Houston, TX

Straight from Screwston better known as Houston. About to grub then check out the record stores in the city. And some HPB as well. Hopefully they'll have a somewhat decent selection. I didn't bring my record player with me, so I'm hoping for a public turntable at the shop so I can hear some tunes. If not, they'll have to be some solid decisions, meaning my decisions will probably records I've known about and are in vg+ or nm condition. Of course mint is always a good condition for a record to be in. Blackdog, Cactus, and Sound Exchange are the spots that I know of. I've been meaning to hit up Blackdog the past 5 times that I've been here, but it's been closed due to holiday or just the fact that they're closed on mondays.

So here's to a good day of digging in the crates. Will be sure to update later with results.

It has been almost 2 years

A lot of things have changed. A lot of things have not. One thing has changed, or has been amplified: my love for music. Enter "Music is the Message" by Kool and the Gang stage right. Most of my hobbies really aren't hobbies at all. More like passions. I become obsessed. Mostly listening to vinyl. I think I've given up downloading mp3s. Ah well. Anyways, I'm going to redirect this blog to have a music theme. Anything funky, hip-hop, or whatever music moves one's soul.
I hope to go digging in the crates in Houston, TX in a few days.
More people have blogs these days. I hope this one will now be read. Don't they have some phrase like "stratosphere". I believe it's blogosphere or something like that. Ah well.
I hope that more of you reading this will tune in and ask questions and input your...well...input. We're all about good music here at the Bazooka Collective.
So here's to a new start, a new year, a new heart, a new life, a new sound. Listening to music with new ears.

San Pedro Park on a Friday afternoon

65 degrees fahrenheit and sunny! Not a cloud in the sky. I didn't see one. Do you? I didn't think to take my bike. On friday, I was scoping out some spots in which we could have an uprock/bboy session. That gazeebo spot seems to be a perfect spot. Outdoors in the sun with a breeze going. It also had hardwood floor. I'm going to be making a "rockumentary" you could say. All of these photos were taken at San Pedro Park in San Antonio, TX. 1315 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, TX, 78212. It was a marvelous day.




























Song of the moment: "You've Been Talking Bout me Baby" by Donald Byrd