Record Store Day 2013

If you weren't aware, this past Saturday the 20th was Record Store Day (RSD). For the past couple of years, ever since I began collecting vinyl records, RSD has been one of my favorite days of the year; Saturday was no exception. 
I originally had planned to go to Absolute Vinyl on Arapahoe Ave. in Boulder which opened at 11am; however, I was too excited to wait so I went to Bart's Record Shack which opened an hour earlier. This turned out to be a good move because when I arrived at Bart's there were a few albums I had wanted: 

• Side by Side: Skulls by the Misfits and Lemonheads  (7" Picture Disc)
• Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die by Willie Nelson (7" Green Marble Vinyl)
• See Emily Play by Pink Floyd (7" Pink Vinyl w/ Poster Insert)

I also got a freebies there:

• I Lie When I Drink by Dale Watson and His Lonestars (Red Translucent Vinyl)

After this, I went to wait outside Absolute Vinyl for about 15 minutes only to discover when I got inside that there were only a couple of RSD releases including no 45s. Kind of discouraged I decided to check some of his other stock (he said he put out around 1000 of his own personal vinyl records). This is when I found an album I've been looking for for the past two years: They Might Be Giants by They Might Be Giants. In addition, on my way out I got a RSD bag and a couple of free vinyl records:

• The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Soundtrack by Ennio Morricone
• SRO by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass

Overall, I'd say the day was a success even though I wasn't able to acquire everything I had wanted. The TMBG album is what made the day a success simply because its rare to come by in record stores (online it's easy to get).

  

R.I.P. Nico Osorio

I've been putting this off for awhile. It's been pretty tough dealing with the loss of such an awesome person that I was privileged to call my friend. Although I only knew Nico for a little more than a year and a half, he easily became one of my closest friends. I still remember the time I met Nico: CU band camp 2011. I was getting my stuff all ready for the first day of band camp and meeting all the new freshmen when up to me comes this guy wearing a black beater with tattoos and toe shoes. We said hi, introduced ourselves, and meanwhile I'm thinking to myself "this kid's kind of strange, who the hell wears toe shoes?" However, over the following week and marching season, I realized this guy was one of the coolest and most mature freshman I've ever met and he became my one of my closest friends. I don't think I've ever had a friend I felt more comfortable spilling my secrets to, and he probably knew more about me than 99% of all my other friends.

At first, he was kind of an introvert, at least it seemed that way. But after I kept talking to him and nagging him to come out with the cymbal line to parties and such, the closer we became. The one moment that kind of solidified our friendship was after a cymbal party when we slept over and took care of one of our friends. During this we had a drunken tell-all and got to know each other very well. 

Over the remainder of the season, we became even better friends. At one point I needed a suit for band banquet. So the only person I would ever trust with fashion advice, Nico, came out with me and for 5+ hours helped me pick out a suit (which btw, is my favorite suit I've ever owned). 

After the season ended, we hung out every now and then, but nowhere near as much as we did during the season. When we did hang out, we usually drank scotch, listened to jazz, and just talked about life.

The last time I saw him was at our cymbal party, only briefly, in early February. I wish I could have seen him more and talked to him more during that time, but there's really nothing I can do now. I am grateful I was able to hang out with him one on one the week before. 

I miss my friend. I miss the one person I felt wouldn't judge me. I miss the continuous back-and-forth Family Guy references. I miss the mustache jokes. I miss Nico Osorio. 

Billy Joel was right when he said only the good die young. He was the best of us. I miss the hell out of the man and I can only hope that he's in Heaven and that I'll see him there some day.

Love you Nico. 

Updates

Well it has definitely been awhile. I sure have been busy over the past few months with life issues and school.  Lets start from the top.

-Since mid-February school has consumed most of my life. With the exception of Fridays, Saturdays, and most of last week, I have spent about 6-10 hours per night on homework in addition to school and 10 hours of work every week. This doesn't even include the days on the weekend when I have been called in for snow removal on campus. The extra money is nice, but the work... well not so much.

-In addition, on February 26th, 2013 tragedy struck as the life of my close friend and colleague Nico Osorio came to a tragic end. This was very difficult to deal with, and I still am dealing with this loss. The Monday following his death, I had gone to his funeral with a group of my friends who also were his. This was a sad event, but I believe it did help out as I was able to grieve with others who knew him well. The worst part about this was that I had thought he committed suicide; however, I found out this weekend that he actually had a seizure. While this doesn't take away from the pain that he's gone, it does give me some closure to know that he didn't die by choice but rather by chance. I'm still hurting emotionally from his loss and it's going to hurt for awhile. That's all I have to say about that.

-On a bit of positive news, I'm an uncle for the 3rd time as my new nephew Mack entered this world on March 6th. He's been having some trouble with his O2 levels and with eating so he is still in the hospital. But, we're all hopeful and praying that he'll get better and he has been getting better. It's looking like he'll soon be out, and the family's still praying for that.

-Last week I found out I was accepted to the NAPIRE program in Costa Rica and will be living in Costa Rica for 2 months over the summer. This is excellent news since I had missed some other application deadlines and wasn't too hopeful of getting this one. I also get to spend 2 months studying biodiversity in the tropics! So exciting.

That's about it. Otherwise, I'm just looking forward to Spring Break.

Just a Little Update

Well its finals week here at the University and as a result, I haven't had any time to for the Part 2 to the Christmas music listening guide. But after Dec 20th, I should be back for some additions to the list.

Dashing Through the No: Your Christmas Music Listening Guide, Part 1

With Christmas approaching quickly and radio stations turning to their repetitive list of Christmas "favorites," Jingle Bell Rock and Christmas Shoes can get really old, really fast. If you're like me and enjoy Christmas music but look for better alternatives than the usual staples (and enjoy Jazz), this is the list for you.

 

Duke Ellington arranged one of my favorite Christmas pieces in his 1960 version of the Nutcracker Suite. His masterful modernization of a holiday standard is both remarkable and refreshing.

 Duke Ellington – Three Suites (Nutcracker: Tracks 1-9)

 

Vince Guaraldi's often overlooked career as a jazz composer and musician has produced some timeless gems such as this. In the 1965 album A Charlie Brown Christmas, Guaraldi's interpretations of Christmas standards and original compositions are pure gold and remain one of my favorite holiday albums.

Vince Guaraldi Trio – A Charlie Brown Christmas

 

The Ramsey Lewis Trio came up with another gem of a Christmas Album in his 1961 album Sound of Christmas. The balanced incorporation of differing musical genres into jazz arrangements of classic Christmas songs keeps this album fresh and away from some of the cheesiness found in other holiday arrangements.

Ramsey Lewis Trio – Sound Of Christmas 

Well that's all for now, I'll be sure to keep this list going in the next few days, time permitting. I hope you enjoy these suggestions and keep checking back for more. Merry Christmas.