Jazz Great Arturo Sandoval Performs in Stellar Show

It is not every day that a world renowned jazz artist with 4 Grammys, 6 Billboard Awards, and one Emmy comes to a small town. But last Friday, the little city of Edmonds, Washington was graced with the presence of Arturo Sandoval, who played at the Edmonds Center for the Performing Arts.

Sandoval, a bespectacled 62-year old man with graying hair, bounded onto the stage in a camel-colored sport coat, looking a bit professorial at first. Then he picked up his trumpet and began to play, and there was no mistaking him for anything other than the musical genius he truly is. Soon he was eliciting notes from his horn not thought humanly possible...Was that a bird? An elephant? Or the low, deep tones of a stand-up bass? Or...the sound of a woman crying?

He and his excellent band--a drummer, bassist, and pianist--started innocently enough with a couple of jazz standards by Clifford Brown. But before we knew it, the music would evolve into a madly swinging, bopping, jumping rhythm, leaving us wondering were it would all end up. In between his solos, Sandoval would snap his fingers, clap his hands, or stomp his feet, and his smiling band would gamely--and more than ably--follow him wherever he lead, never once losing track of the beat.

Sandoval seemed to be equally adept at whatever instrument he picked up, whether it be the horn; the piano; the drums; or even vocals. He told the audience that in his home country of Cuba, "boys weren't supposed to play the piano--piano was for girls." Then he jokingly shoved his piano player aside and played a beautiful piano solo. And his percussion playing on a bolero and other songs was as hot as they come. Even his vocals on "Smile" were, if not technically as accomplished, warm and melodic. He was, however, fantastic in the vocal department when it came to scatting; perhaps he was more comfortable here, where it almost seemed he was playing his voice like an instrument.

But of course Sandoval is best known for his trumpet and flugel horn. And he played his trumpet wonderfully on "Every Day I Think of You," a composition he said he wrote recently in honor of his late mentor and legendary jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie. The melody was hauntingly beautiful, expressive, and full of longing.

Sandoval appeared very relaxed and comfortable onstage, joking frequently with his band and the audience. At one point after playing a song from his newest album, "A Time For Love," he asked if anyone had heard it. Only a couple of people raised their hands. "Only one?" he said incredulously as he pulled a man up on the stage. "You tell these guys how good it is!" he said to him, and the laughing audience.

Sandoval said he was glad to play "for people who appreciate our music." He also said "the most beautiful art form created in the U.S. is jazz," to everyone's loud applause.

The band closed with a rousing, percussion-filled rendition of "Night in Tunisia," which received a standing ovation.

Arturo Sandoval is truly a musical genius. Aspiring musicians may find him awe-inspiring--or demoralizing, depending on their points of view; inspirational for his sheer virtuosity, yet despairing at ever becoming half as musically gifted. It was truly a pleasure to hear this jazz great in our very own backyard.

Lukas Nelson, Songwriter and Guitarist: Not Just Willie Nelson's Son

I was thrilled to win a couple of tickets to last Thursday night's Lukas Nelson concert in Seattle, compliments of Marlee Walker, Blues-To-Do host http://www.bluestodo.com/ Things got off to a rocky start when we showed up at the Showbox at the Market, however, and found a sign posted on the door saying the show had been moved to the Showbox Sodo, a couple of miles away. Off we rushed, none too happy about the expensive parking fees we'd just shelled out--not to mention the last-minute hustle and consequent late arrival.

But all of that was forgotten when we arrived and were quickly given free drinks for our inconvenience. The bar area was packed with a small but appreciative crowd--apparently not enough tickets were sold to fill the Showbox at the Market, but the fans were enthusiastic nevertheless. We snagged the last table in the place, and enjoyed the opening band, the Reflectacles. They were a great up-and-coming folk rock group out of L.A--talented musicians, each one playing barefoot onstage.

Next came the headliners, Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real. Apparently Lukas (pictured) is the sixth son of Willie Nelson's fourth wife, and he grew up surrounded by music, playing onstage at an early age with his father, Willie, and the likes of Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and Waylon Jennings. He's also jammed onstage with many other rock and blues notable too numerous to list here, and his music has been influenced by many, including Jimi Hendrix.

And while the 22-year old guitarist and songwriter could probably coast on his father's coattails, when he began to play it was obvious that he was a talent in his own right. He played a great electric guitar (also in barefeet), and his voice was melodic and full of expression--you could definitely hear a little of his father Willie's mournful tone in there, yet it was also uniquely his own voice. His band was great, too, and I have a feeling if they're this good now, they'll be great some day. "Four Letter Word," from the album "Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real," was nice, as was "Hootchie Kootchie Man," where Lukas played the guitar solo with his teeth (no doubt channeling Hendrix).

After this excellent performance, there remains no doubt that Lukas Nelson is much more than just Willie's son--though Willie might contribute a song or vocal or two to his son's efforts now and then. http://www.promiseofthereal.com/

Obama Commemorates 10th Anniversary of War With Afghanistan by Bombing Libya

President Obama ordered a fourth night of air strikes against Libya today, saying he could think of no better way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the war with Afghanistan than "bombing bad guys." Obama said the air strikes by the U.S. and coalition forces would enforce a No Fly Zone against bad guy Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. The bombing, he said, would protect good guy rebel forces--whomever they were. When asked what his long-term goals and exit plans were, the president said "I'll get back to you on that."

Obama also said, from an undisclosed location in Latin America, "Let me make one thing perfectly clear--there will not be any American boots on the ground in Libya." Since Saturday, there have been 162 Tomahawk missiles and 100 attacks launched by U.S. and allied forces. Lack of U.S. troops on the ground, though, made it difficult to ascertain who or what had been destroyed to date. Libyan leader Gadhafi emerged uninjured, however, from his Tripoli compound, which had been bombed earlier by a Tomahawk missile.

President Obama had said earlier that Gadhafi "had to go;" then said it wasn't his goal to topple the Libyan leader; then said "but let me make another thing perfectly clear...I am, er, not a wimp."

Obama's latest actions regarding Libyan air strikes continues the president's political trend towards "slapping the hippies"--pissing off the left to cozy up to the right.

Conservatives will also find there is a lot to like in the president's new war--which began suddenly, without any thought for the Constitutional requirement for Congressional approval.

President Barack Obama, a former Constitutional law professor, is the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's Bully Tactics Exactly Why We Still Need Worker Protection

Suppose you had a boss that demeaned you in public? Accused you of being greedy when you just wanted to make a decent wage to support your family? Threatened to fire you, lay you off, or cut your wages and benefits? Who saw no value in your service to the public, and who accused you of bankrupting the state and even causing the country's economic recession? Who finally, along with his cronies behind closed doors, and without any input from you, shredded your and your fellow employees' contracts to bits?

This is essentially what Governor Walker and fellow Republicans did in a secret meeting on March 9, when they "voted" to eliminate most union collective bargaining rights for Wisconsin public employees. The vote was held behind locked doors, with only one Democrat present, and no notification to the public as to the new bill's contents.

Walker had previously stated that he was only interested in getting the state budget balanced by asking for union pay and benefit cuts, as well as repeal of collective bargaining rights. Walker, however, had recently passed several tax cuts for businesses--including allowing new businesses in Wisconsin state to pay no taxes for two years--which were estimated to cost the state a severe loss in tax revenues in the future. Unions had also agreed to previous pay cuts and reductions in future pay, as well as higher contributions to health and pension plans, and were offering to do so again.

Yet Governor Walker was not satisfied with mere taxpayer savings, and held out for repeal of state workers' collective bargaining rights. Democratic lawmakers meanwhile had fled the state to stall his bill, and loud protests against the union-busting portion of the bill had gone on for more than three weeks in the state capitol. In a sudden surprise move, Walker and fellow Republicans took the budget portions out of the bill, and in a secret closed session voted for the revised bill which would eliminate collective bargaining rights. Walker asserted that they didn't have to have any public input on the bill, or have Democrats vote on it, because the revised version no longer contained any budgetary items.

Walkers' and fellow Republicans' bully tactics and disrespect for the democratic process demonstrate exactly why we still need worker protections. Public employees contribute much to this society, and deserve more respect. They are teachers, public health nurses, food safety inspectors, librarians, and street and parks maintenance workers--among many others. They work hard, and have already made many financial concessions in Wisconsin and many other states. They've taken pay cuts, wage freezes, and are being asked to take unpaid furloughs, as well as contribute more to retirement and health plans.

They do not, according to recent statistics, make more than the average non-union private employee.

And they did not--contrary to some efforts by Republicans to divert the real blame from shameless crooks in banking and on Wall Street--cause the economic melt down. They're just working and middle class people like you, trying to get by in this never-ending economic downturn. Some day Americans will wake up and realize this, and Republicans and Tea Party activists should think long and hard about kicking the working class when they're down--it's bound to come back to haunt them some day.

While Governor Walker did sign the anti-union bill into law on March 11, on March 18, Dade County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi entered a temporary restraining order against it, saying the original secret committe vote violated Wisconsin's open meeting law.

Efforts are also under way by some to recall the Republicans who voted for the union-busting bill http://www.recalltherepublican8.com/ But whatever happens in the long run, it appears there are many people who will continue to fight for fair democratic process--as well as the rights of America's working class and middle class citizens.

Great Free Blues Wednesday Nights at 88 Keys Dueling Piano Bar in Seattle

If you're in the mood for some free, fabulous mid-week music, head on down to the 88 Keys Piano Bar http://ilove88keys.com/ in Pioneer Square on Wednesday nights. Between 6-8 p.m., host Marlee Walker interviews blues acts, and films their live performances for her show, Blues-To-Do-TV http://www.scantv.org/ I've caught several acts so far, and I certainly have not been disappointed.

Last night I heard Aury Moore (pictured), who performed some hot blues numbers with powerful, knock-out vocals. Her band was smoking, too, with especially nice renditions of "Stormy Monday" and "Dear Prudence."

After the Blues-To-Do-TV filming, the fun continued with Lynn Sorensen and Doug McGrew from Bad Company, along with Michael Johnson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. These guys will knock your socks off with their playing, so be sure to stick around.

On street parking is easy to find and free after 6 p.m., and host Marlee Walker and 88 Keys staff are friendly and welcoming. So show some support for our local Seattle-Tacoma blues musicians by heading on down for some red-hot, free music on Wednesday nights at the 88 Keys.

For more information on the upcoming performances and other local blues events, check out http://www.bluestodo.com/ See you all there...