Focus Group Of One

Although I've mentioned my reading posse here on several occasions, my one man musical focus group - aka my brother - has gotten less attention.

The decision to remedy that oversight was recently ignited after realizing that every time I develop a music course, my brother is the person I depend on most to ensure I'm thorough. Without exception, at least one song he suggests find its way into what I teach, even when a class is brief. It was his input that convinced me to include "A Hard Days Night" in my six hour Beatles course. Having done that class now several times, I can no longer imagine excluding that particular song.

Had it not been for my brother, King Crimson might have been a one-off album taste for me. I would also have probably not paid as close attention to Santana after the hits ended. Most importantly, my brother is solely responsible for my thirty plus year love affair with the music of Thelonious Monk. In 1984, he exposed me to an album called "That's The Way I Feel Now" with other artists performing Monk's quirky tunes. It's no exaggeration to say that album changed my musical life. To whom do you owe such a significant musical debt?

And, though his public comments here are few, they're worth the wait. Attached below is his well-considered reformulation (under Michael A Nonymous) of the White Album reacting to my post from three years ago today - see if you can improve on his selections. If you measure up, I'll consider adding you to this elite focus group.

http://reflectionsfromthebellcurve.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-off-white-album.html