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XM / Sirius Merger - Programming Disaster

OK, now listen. I realize my musical tastes aren't for everyone, but, they're mine and I like them. I became enamored of satellite radio 2 years ago, quite by accident. There's nothing but crap on FM these days unless you are a hormone overdosed teenager (and even then I'm not so sure).

I'm a jazz fan. More specifically, I like modern jazz, acid jazz, fusion jazz - stuff with more of a bite than straight ahead jazz. Cutting edge stuff. Jazz that pushes the boundaries and tries to go places where jazz hasn't been.

Don't get me wrong - straight ahead jazz is ok, but, one of the reasons, I think, that jazz doesn't get a lot of airplay is that when it is on, it's usually people covering the same old tunes from the jazz masters of 30 or 40 years ago. It's stagnant, it's like classic rock radio. Still good, but, man, if you want to hear something new it just isn't there!

In addition to the aforementioned jazz music, I like something called "chill" music. It's kinda like electronic dance/house music, but not as loud, not as driving. A lot of it has jazz influences and it has that certain "edginess" to it that grabs my attention. Add to that the fact that it's great making out music, and you have the perfect mixture for horny old farts like me.

Two years ago, I discovered XM radio by accident when I bought a new SUV that had XM as part of the package. More specifically, XM had two particular programming channels that knocked me out - "Beyond Jazz" (XM 72) and "Chill" (XM 84). Wow, I thought I was in heaven - this was just what I was looking for. I loved it and ran out and bought another XM radio for my other vehicle too. The latter one is a portable unit that I can remove and take with me when I go jogging.

I haven't listened to FM radio except by accident in 2 years now.

But, if you are a jazz fan, or a chill fan like me, then you have to be disappointed with what happened this week to XM radio.

In case you haven't heard, Sirius and XM merged and this week, unbeknownst to XM subscribers and without any courtesy warnings at all, significant programming changes were made. Several previous channels were either deleted entirely or modified so that they are now unrecognizable.

I went out Tuesday evening to a local jazz event, listening to the above mentioned stations on my XM radio on the way. Three hours later, when it was time to go home, Beyond Jazz was gone - pffftt! It was replaced by an airhead, newage programming channel called Spa - geez, the name of that channel alone makes me want to puke!

So I changed the dial to my Chill channel, and, although it was still called Chill, it was renamed Sirius/XM Chill, and it was different. It didn't sound like the XM Chill station. The artists were different. The style of chill music was different. The flavor changed. I don't like it. They may as well have removed Chill entirely from the line-up. It's different. It's almost a Stepford Wife Chill station now, if you catch my drift.

So, I went to the XM site, looked for some explanation of the programming changes. The best I could find was a press release from that day from Sirius/XM. The press release was bragging about the merger and all the programming options available to subscribers now.

But there wasn't any mention of the channels that were dropped. There wasn't any mention of all the other duplicitous channels that remained (I mean, how many rock and roll or hip hop channels do you really have to have? I can hear most of that same stuff on FM!)

So, I did what most folks would do, I looked for someone to whom I could complain. There were 2 contacts given at the bottom of the press release. So I emailed them. Told them I was disappointed in the programming change. Told them that the only reason I had subscriptions to 2 XM radios was because I listened to the two XM channels described above. And I told them that I was very disappointed that Sirius didn't even have the courtesy to let its subscribers know that the change was going to happen. They just did it without any warning.

I got a reply the next day from some suit. A senior VP of programming for XM. Said he was a fan of Beyond Jazz too, but that it didn't have the audience. Told me to give the new Chill channel a chance because it was a "work in progress." Then told me thanks for my past business if that didn't satisfy me. Told me to check out all the other offerings to see if there was something else I liked.

Well gee - duh, there isn't. And heaven help us all if that drivel on the SPA channel is popular!!!!

Damn, I'm so pissed. Anyone else out there feel the same way. Or am I the only one?

THE MASTERS OF MALFUNKTION FEATURING KAMA RUBY

OK - First of all, make sure you go vote on November 4th, if you haven't already! Then, while you are waiting to see whether your candidate won or lost, come on down to the Nile for some great music, as we have a very, very special musical performance planned!

Our featured act, The Masters of Malfunktion, will be performing some funky, cool, jumping arrangements of some very great tunes, with some surprises that you don't usually hear at the Jazz Workshop. (I've heard this rumor about a reggae version of a Led Zep song...er, uh, well, you'll just have to come down to see if it's true!) And to top it off, they'll be joined by that very sultry singer, of whom we just don't hear enough at the workshop, Kama Ruby.

Hope to see you there!

1721 19^th St., Bakersfield, CA 93301

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Hear It! Learn It! Play It! It’s all about the music!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (free admission, donations accepted)

Bring your own music stand and a Real/Fake Book.

7:30 PM – 8:30 PM, FEATURED GUEST ARTIST:

The Masters of Malfunktion, featuring Kama Ruby

Check out this hot, funky, bluesy quartet comprised of Paul Perez (sax), Matt Bhone (drums), Mike Bhone (bass), and Pat O'Oconnell (guitar), joined for the evening by that sexy, sultry, smoky singer/actress Kama Ruby!

Here's some more info on some of the band members, plus see the attached photos:

http://www.cannonballmusic.com/paulbio.php

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=251131363

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=332055881

8:30 PM - 10:00PM, OPEN JAZZ JAM SESSION

For intermediate, advanced, and professionals.

Please bring a Real/Fake book and vocal charts in your keys

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Want to learn more about the BJW?

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=29663792

For more info:

www.bakersfieldjazzworkshop.com

www.myspace.com/bakersfieldjazzworkshop

(661)444-0853.

or call

Watch Steve Eisen, founder/director/CEO of the BJW explain what it’s all about at this link:

6:30 PM – 7:30 PM, BEGINNING LEVEL JAZZ JAM SESSION

Bakersfield Jazz Workshop @ The Nile Bar & Grill

John McCain Knows What's Best for Women...The John McCain Women's Clinic

So I'm sitting here with writer's block, trying to think of something funny to write, and McCain just keeps doing funny stuff naturally!

Like this:

Psssst - They're Almost Here...

Coming soon...

The Masters of Malfunktion...

Watch this space for more info...

Bakersfield Jazz Workshop - LaWanda Smith, Jazz Vocalist

We have a special featured act at the workshop this week. One of the many "regulars" at the Workshop's Open Jam Session has been Bakersfield vocalist Lawanda Smith. We are happy to announce that Lawanda will be headlining our featured act this week.

She has studied in residence at the Aebersold Jazz Studies Program at the University of Kentucky, Louisville. Over the last year she has performed, studied, and worked as a teaching aide with Jamie Aebersold, Rosana Eckert (Dir., N. Texas vocal jazz), Chris Fitzgerald (Harry Pickens Trio), Jennifer Barns, James Moody, Jerry Tolson, and Bill Overton. She still studies daily with her 3 original teachers: Elia, Sara, and Billie.

She is perhaps best known locally (and now in Kentucky and Texas) for her rich timbre and emerging five octave range – spanning from a Paul Robeson-like imitation to a Marian Anderson mezzo soprano combined with a Leontine Price lyric soprano spectrum. Her syncopated swing beats challenge all the local musicians who all nevertheless quickly volunteer to back her up.

The bottom line, as anyone has seen and heard her will tell you, she just keeps getting better and better and better and better...

See the attachments for some recent photos of Lawanda.

Let's show our support for one of our own! Don't miss this wonderful singer in her return as the BJW's featured act!

Hope to see you there!

Bakersfield Jazz Workshop @ The Nile Bar & Grill

1721 19^th St., Bakersfield, CA 93301

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Hear It! Learn It! Play It! It’s all about the music!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (free admission, donations accepted)

6:30 PM – 7:30 PM, BEGINNING LEVEL JAZZ JAM SESSION

Bring your own music stand and a Real/Fake Book.

7:30 PM – 8:30 PM, FEATURED GUEST ARTIST:

Lawanda Smith and Friends

(jazz vocalist)

8:30 PM - 10:00PM, OPEN JAZZ JAM SESSION

For intermediate, advanced, and professionals.

Please bring a Real/Fake book and vocal charts in your keys

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THE POLITICS OF HATE

Lemme see, McCain and Palin supporters have called Obama a terrorist, a muslim, an Arab. They've shouted out that he's a traitor. They said to "...kill him."

And in this video, one supporter of McCain's holds up a stuffed monkey with Obama's name on it and gleeefully says this is Obama. And they claim there are no racial attacks going on here? Are you kidding me? Using one of the most vile racial slurs ever, equating blacks with monkeys?

How stupid do these people think we are?

VOTE FOR ACE IN 2008!!! HE'S NO WORSE THAN ANYONE ELSE!!!

Click on the link below - my new, internet launched, grassroots campaign effort has taken the nation by storm:

Subject:
New Presidential Candidate... It's someone we know!

Hi,

There's an effort to elect an unknown random person as President... and it's someone we know! Watch this online video about the surprising new nominee:

http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=46832&altf=Bdfzpv&altl=

Jot back a note to let me know what you think!

Want a hothead to have his finger on the button when that 3 AM phone call comes in?

Ya want an angry guy with his finger on the nuclear button answering that 3 AM phone call? Kudos to Bravenewpac.org for the following:

During ...(the last)... debate, John McCain said we need "a cool hand at the tiller," but McCain has proven to be a loose cannon. He has accosted his Congressional colleagues on both sides of the aisle on everything from the federal budget to diplomatic relations. He is known for hurling profanities rather than settling disagreements calmly. His belligerence is legendary. Even conservative Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi has said, "He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."

When someone earns the nickname "Senator Hothead," the public ought to call his character into question. McCain's propensity to explode undermines his abilities as a rational decision maker, particularly on national security issues -- which could prove disastrous considering our country is already involved in two wars.

McCain's temper is critical to his decision-making abilities, and his character must be discussed. As Drew Westen writes, "The political brain is an emotional brain. It is not a dispassionate calculating machine, objectively searching for the right facts, figures and policies to make a reasoned decision." That's why it's so crucial people know the real Senator Hothead.

Sean Hannity gets punked

This is too funny - Hannity's argument of guilt by association gets turned on him:

Something about throwing stones when you live in a glass house? (or 7 or 8 of them?)

So McCain and that brainless moron he picked for VP want to sling mud while the economy is melting down? Here's some mud for him: