Resolutions for New Years not to mention all those pesky "Best Of" lists are occasionally fun but usually epic time wasters and speaking of which...
New Years Resolutions
Here are mine:
1. Nicholas Payton.
Wasted far too much of my time after his cyber melt down concerning my review of his latest Bitches, a horrendous train wreck. Payton also tried to engage his friends Marcus Strickland and Jeremy Pelt in cyber fire fights as well and in all likely hood his quote in All About Jazz sums up his philosophy as "this is publicity you can not buy." Check out the twitter post from earlier today:
paynic Nicholas Payton
Happy Fuck You Friday!!! There are too many of you to list, so I stick my universal middle finger out to y'all collectively. #FYF #mfcomn
Nice Nick...Perhaps an indication as to why the release has stiffed faster than Hope and Change?
Let's just allow Mr. Payton to continue to ride that musical short bus to obscurity lane where he lives at the corner of musical footnote avenue. I'm still sitting on pins and needles waiting for the promised law suit that never materialized, not even as much as a nasty gram. Shame on you Nick, and you called ME the liar...Goodbye Nick and I hope the next release entitled Have You Seen My Career Lately does better for you.
2. There is a small but concerted group of musicians in the straight ahead genre that seem to think marketing themselves as having the cultural keys to the kingdom based on their ethnicity is the right thing to do. Their choice so let's call it a push. What is not a push is to disrespect the names of people like Ellington and Dizzy and to claim your self indulgent, racist and offensive attitudes and remarks in their name. Because I have been outspoken on this issue people like Orrin Evans and Dwayne Burno have physically threatened me on social media. Bully a critic? I must have hit the nail on the head. The resolution? To hold the door so they can take their seat on that short bus and never mention or review any work that is attached to their name.
3. As a former member of the secret pseudo intellectual jazz elite society, I am turning in my membership card at the stroke of midnight so I can have more time to focus on the up and coming Independent artists who have one concern and one concern only - music.
4. I will not make back handed digs at smooth jazz in general, merely the artists that have deserved it. The vast majority of these deserving souls recording for one label in particular but it is still the Holidays and I am filled with love and good cheer or maybe its sleep deprivation....so I will not go there.
4. I will not make back handed digs at smooth jazz in general, merely the artists that have deserved it. The vast majority of these deserving souls recording for one label in particular but it is still the Holidays and I am filled with love and good cheer or maybe its sleep deprivation....so I will not go there.
5. I'll stop being this critic's worst critic. Life is a 24/7 learning curve and as Coleman Hawkins said and allow me to paraphrase - " If you don't make mistakes you ain't trying..." Those that travel in my inner circle know I always try.
6. Finally hoping each of you that take the time to read can perhaps find out about a great new release and maybe tell a friend or maybe give you some cool back story you were not aware of.
I wish each and everyone of you ( except those cats on the short bus ) a very happy, healthy and successful New Year!
Hey, I said nothing about stopping that nasty habit I have of holding a grudge!
