New track available @ name-your-price

As I mentioned in earlier posts, my musical endeavors have met with a number of formidable obstacles over the years, partly owing to precarious health and financial circumstances, and partly due to an overweening conventionalism of musical taste within the United States and consequent lack of institutional support for authentic artistic activity. 

There have been other problems as well. 

It was extremely fortuitous that I took the liberty of uploading this track to my BC page a 'day early', on Thursday. I had actually intended to release yet more new music the following day. Instead, I was arrested and spent the next 24 hours languishing in the county jail. Needless to say I was subseqently released, and lest anyone start to worry let me reassure you that the charges are so totally ridiculous they have little hope of impressing any judge. They are not at all serious, and will likely be thrown out without too much deliberation (this is one of the positive benefits of 'cashless bail' which Republicans would rather people not consider). Nevertheless the experience has left me somewhat shaken and underscores the continuing problem facing the United States regarding unjust co-optations of the legal system in the service of petty or corrupt interests. It would appear that certain neighborhood residents, possibly with the assistance of the police department of North Chicago, have been strategically harassing me ever since I moved here because they believe, perhaps incorrectly, that it will benefit them financially. In fact I am about to send a couple of complaints to the State AG over the incident. Fortunately in the mean time I'm considered an extremely low risk by the state, so few restrictions have been placed on my freedom. I will say nothing further on the matter until the case is resolved, save that I have retained the services of an attorney. Wish me luck! 

Many calls are made to restore tolerance and respect in public discourse, but who will champion respect and toleration of themselves, by themselves (that is to say, self-respect), without which there is no chance of the former having any effect, or even any meaning?

Honorifics (aka They Can't All Be Right)

The Wary Reverend 

The Scary Reverend

The Hairy Reverend

The Fairy Reverend 

The Berry Reverend

The Sherry Reverend

The Dairy Reverend 

The Very, Very Reverend

Is A Very Reverendindeed

Without Any Revendation

New track out now, FREE DOWNLOAD

Sorry it's taken me so long to release any new music. 

Suffice to say there are various logical reasons for this, but none are of course satisfactory to me. I had this idea sitting around for over ten years (yes, really!) before finally finishing a version I was happy enough with to share, but for reasons somewhat unrelated to taking a long time to release new material in general, if that's at all clear.. 

Of course it isn't, but it doesn't matter. I'll explain later.

The important thing is: Get ready for more dope shit to drop!  

...They're here!!!

 

What is "mysticism", apart from taking pleasure in that which is unknown? 

It is simultaneously the rationalization and the ritualization of uncertainty; the conversion of fear into comfort through the substitution of an ordered but necessarily emprically unfaithful cosmology for the chaotic, yet intricately structured, world we actually find ourselves living in.

And yet it is not the only philosophical system that derives pleasure from the obscure, the hidden or the unknowable. Skepticism in its own way also delights in the unknown, but seldom goes on to subsequently erect an ordered ontologocial edifice or pattern of belief in the absence of persuasive tangible evidence... or even in the presence of the same.   

The best way to travel...

This monster fusion album features in Bradley's Billboard book, along with a few other Passport releases. I was grateful for the introduction at the time, and still am. This spring saw the ten-year anniversary of Mr. Smith's unfortunate passing. I still miss his friendship a great deal and will always admire his achievement, despite our occasional differences. After all, I am primarily a musician, not a critic. Brad had a great ear and a keen sense of aesthetic coherence, but was never trained on an instrument and never attempted to produce music himself. He did compose at least a few poems and produce what I thought were actually some pretty good abstract paintings. The latter's an area I've dabbled in also, but not for quite some time.

Perhaps I'll share a couple of examples in an upcoming post :)