Product Review

Whether you are an every - day listener or an avid jazz fan, the Christian McBride Trio's new record, "Out Here" (Mack Avenue Records,) is a tasteful and enjoyable album in every regard. Headed by bass virtuoso and jazz giant Christian McBride along with his two younger counterparts, pianist Christian Sands and drummer Ulysses Owens, both in their late 20's, the trio's elegant and swinging selections are steeped in tradition yet bring with them a refreshing quality given the members' young ages. Combining both originals as well as compositions of influential artists to the members of the trio, "Out Here" provides a glimpse into the musical history of McBride and his band mates as well as a vivid and transcending listening experience as a whole. The record opens with McBride's "Ham Hocks and Cabbage," a straight ahead, "no nonsense" blues that will have even the most inexperienced jazz listener dancing in their seat. Sands's melodic and carefully - placed runs and flurries sit atop McBride's pounding bass lines and Owens's classic yet signature swing groove; three distinct voices playing in unison and creating a feel - good experience for the listener. McBride's other compositions, such as "I Guess I'll Have to Forget" and "I Have Dreamed"  both present a different flavor to the record; a relaxing break from the warm and blues - drenched characteristic that is prevalent throughout the rest of the records. "Easy Walker," written by Sands's mentor, hero, and jazz icon Dr. Billy Taylor, is a less well known gem that makes an appearance on the record as well. Serving as a tribute to a man that played a significant role in his musical development, the track is particularly special due to Sands's authentic yet new-age approach, developing after studying with modern piano greats such as Vijay Iyer and Jason Moran. Ending with McBride's arrangement of Johnny Taylor's Motown hit "Whose Makin' Love," the trio leaves the listener on a funky note, bringing in a new element on top of all of the incredible music taking place on previous tracks as well. Overall, "Out Here" is certainly recommended for anybody curious to listen. The record brings forth some of the most skilled and creative playing on the jazz scene today, in a manner that is truly for the people. In a musical world that is always moving forward, for better or worse, "Out Here" takes a step back in acknowledging what has come before us, doing it at the highest level possible. If you would like to hear some of the present - day pioneers in jazz music and grab a record to lift your mood and make you simply feel good, "Out Here" by the Christian McBride trio is the way to go.

"Almost Home" Blog #2

Almost Home by Tina Kelley is reaching a very vivid and turbulent point in Paulie's story. In the beginning, Paulie describes his adventures fishing with his father, before he abandoned him and his mother, catching rainbow trout and trolling for salmon in the Kenai River. However, the reminiscent and somewhat nostalgic mood is quickly broken when a fight breaks out between him and his father. Kelley describes the fight in somewhat disturbing detail; "But his father pinned him against the wall in front of the dining cabinet, his hand around his son's throat. Then, suddenly, he dropped Paulie and left the room, returning moments later with a gun."
Unfortunately, this violence is a typical occurrence in Paulie's life given his abusive father and underprivileged family circumstance. I am curious to see how his relationship with the father will manifest itself, and if the dad admits and realizes his faults and returns to the family with a fresh outlook.

"Almost Home" (1)

Almost Home by Kevin Ryan and Tina Kelley is a very introspective and depictive book describing the real - life scenarios of teenagers just like us who have been born into underprivileged families and live in poverty. Each Chapter serves as a small book in itself, telling the lives of several teenagers - their background, what their families do, and how they manage to get through their difficult lives. So far, I have a read about a boy named Paulie, who grew up in a broken home, but worked up the motivation to become a champion kickboxer and cook despite his challenges at home. He lives in a trailer in Palmer, Alaska, where the weather is always cold and earthquakes are frequent. His father, Hank, left him and his mother to become a crab fisherman on the Bering Sea, leaving them without a job or source of income. To pass the time, Paulie practices kickboxing and cooking in addition to spending time with his younger siblings, trying to make the most of their situation.
Up to this point, the book seems very surreal. As teenagers living in a community like Maplewood / South Orange, I think we sometimes forget there are people just like us living like this. It definitely puts things in perspective and makes me realize all I have to be grateful for in my life.

Journal Entry #6

This post is about the last few chapters of A Night to Remember. After the agonizing and horrific experience of witnessing the Titanic sink, the few remaining passengers on the lifeboats were left waiting and hoping for a rescue. One passenger explained, "Over a radius of four or five miles, 18 little boats wandered about through the night or drifted together on a sea as flat as a reservoir." After a night of many brutal hours both fighting for their own survival as well as listening to the screams and cries of the passengers left behind, Titanic passengers could only wait. By mid - morning the next day, The Carpathia, after receiving a distress call from the Titanic, raced full steam ahead towards the Titanic, hoping to rescue any survivors. The ship had sped through the same ice fields that sank the Titanic, risking their own lives and crew to save others. When the ship finally came, passengers cried out tears of joy, hardly believing that they had made it out alive. The scene aboard the Carpathia for the passengers was warm and welcoming. After being lifted on board by lines off the side of the ship, the passengers' names were written down and they were quickly given warm meals and blankets. A few nights later, the Carpathia docked in New York City on April 18th, 1912. Survivors were greeted with an enormous crowd of both the public as well as press, wanting to receive all the information they could. To sum it up, this book was a very interesting read, and I highly recommend it.

Journal Entry #5

A Night to Remember by Walter Lord is coming to an end at this point. The scenes depicted in the last few chapters of the book are very difficult; all of the survivors recall what occurred inside of the life boats. This included many things, but to them the worst was, despite knowing they might make it out alive, feeling the guilt that they were the lucky few, and for each one of them there were many more who wouldn't make it. Graphic scenes by the survivors recall bodies of countless passengers, still and lifeless, floating in the water, and making a desperate attempt to find anyone who survived the freezing water. One passenger described the water as "a thousand knives stabbing every part of your body." These few chapters are underlines by the fear that the passengers experienced when trying to row away from the ship as it was sinking. The pull of the ship as it sank downward into the water would pull anything remotely near it meters below, which passengers knew would be fatal. Fortunately, all of the lifeboats managed to row away in time.
After the ship sinks, the mood inside of the lifeboats becomes sad, quiet, and mournful. However, the next morning, the lifeboats pick up again, and the moods inside of the boats lifted. One passenger even said it "reminded him of a bloomin' picnic!" Despite this optimism, another passenger recalled, "As the cries died away, the night became strangely peaceful. The Titanic, the agonizing suspense, was gone. The shock of what had happened, the confusion and excitement ahead, the realization that close friends were lost forever had not yet sunk in. A curiously tranquil feeling came over many of those in the boats." Overall, I'm interested to see how long it will take for the passengers to be rescued and their reactions when it does happen. 

Journal Entries #4

A Night to Remember by Walter Lord is getting to a very intense point in the book. Now a little over half way through, the scenes depicted at this point take place between 2-4 hours after the Titanic struck the iceberg. Previously, the crew's attempts to have the 1st class women and children get off the boats in lifeboats quickly and smoothly went down the tubes fast, and as the ship sank more rapidly into the ocean, it was declared by the captain to be "every man for himself"- passengers and crew.
Now, the ship is almost vertical in the water, and everyone is completely hysterical, doing anything they can to escape with their lives and beat the freezing water around them. Almost all of the lifeboats have been lowered and launched, many not even containing 1/3 of their potential number of passengers. Vivid recollections from survivors who were inside the lifeboats recall stories of crewmen rowing the boats having to "beat people off with oars," simply to prevent them from crawling in and capsizing the boats. Now, there is little in the book that is light-hearted or humorous, however it is still interesting despite the seriousness and sadness to see how people managed to survive the Titanic.

Journal Entry #3

In these recent chapters, the book A Night to Remember by Walter Lord, a novel describing in detail the sinking of the Titanic, has become much more dramatic and intense. In the first few chapters, the tone was relaxed and at some times even humorous. The author describes the beginning of the ship's  trip in the first few chapters; everyone was thrilled to be on the "unsinkable" and luxurious Titanic's maiden voyage, especially under the direction if its captain, Captain Smith, who J.P. Morgan himself called a "bearded patriarch," explaining how many of the world's most influential and wealthy business people and artists would alter travel plans to sail in a ship commanded by him.
After the crash however, the mood drastically changes. At first, passengers don't know what to expect. Many in the upper decks think it is a problem with the propeller, but once they realize the severity of the situation the book suddenly turns into a "cliffhanger," leaving the reader constantly wanting to know what happens next. In these parts as well, the stories and events recalled specifically become very sad and hard to comprehend; wives separated from husbands, children separated from parents when entering the lifeboats, and many other examples. Though difficult to read at times, I am looking forward to see where the book will go from here.

Journal Entries #1

My nonfiction book is A Night to Remember written by Walter Lord. The book is a novel written about the sinking of the Titanic, based off of first - hand accounts from people who were there and survived. In the past, I have liked all kinds of reading; if the book is interesting and well written, I would most likely read it. However, nonfiction books are particularly interesting because they help describe in more specific detail experiences in peoples' lives, history, etc. Although fictional stories are enjoyable also, nonfiction stories have always appealed to me for that reason.
I chose this book specifically because the sinking of the Titanic was a major event in history, and it seemed fascinating to learn more about how it happened especially since it was so long ago and most of the survivors are not around. After a very successful movie by James Cameron, people might have misconceptions about what actually happened that night, but reading this story provides a realistic glimpse into the actual things that took place in a very significant event in world history.

Journal Entries #2

So far, A Night to Remember by Walter Lord is a very interesting book. It is fascinating to learn about how the sinking of the Titanic actually happened based off of Lord's interviews with the passengers that were on board and survived. Surprisingly, there are actually many similarities between the story and other sources such as the movie by James Cameron that tries to recreate the event. I was surprised, more than anything, to hear about how casually the majority of the passengers and crew took the crash when it first happened. Passengers with rooms higher up in the ship felt nothing but a light vibration, and were told it was simply a problem with one of the propellers, refusing to even leave their rooms or put on a life jacket. The pieces of iceberg on the decks drew many passengers out from the cabins as they played soccer with the fragments and wondering what happened, expecting it to be nothing serious. However, interviews with crewmen who worked in steerage and in the boiler rooms in the bottom of the ship tell stories about unimaginable amounts of freezing seawater rushing into the ship and narrowly escaping under crowded doors and flooded hallways. The book so far is very intriguing, and I look forward to reading and finding out more.