Blogcritics Author: Gray Hunter

Music Reviews: Three Jazz Records From Jim Shearer, Pam Purvis, and Lazlo Gardony

Gray Hunter — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 11:33:07 EDT

A tuba, a diva's voice, and master of musical styles.
Why three jazz records? Because two or four is just a regular beat. This is jazz, music for the heart and the mind. JIM SHEARER & CHARLIE WOOD – THE MEMPHIS HANG All hail Deathtongue! In the 80s there was a comic strip called Bloom County. Towards the end of its run, some of the regular characters were put into a band called...

Software Review: NolaPro - A Business Management Application

Gray Hunter — Sun, 3 Aug 2008 17:48:37 EDT

For a small business, this is a perfect program. No cost up front, and lots of room for future expansion.
You've had it with your "regular" job. You're ready to strike out on your own, to unleash your business on the world. You finally take the plunge and your business becomes a success.The more successful you become, the more you'll need some way to handle your accounting. You'll end up with inventory to track, billing needs,...

Music Review: Ben Wolfe's No Strangers Here, Marc Copland's Another Place, and Tim Hagans' Alone Together

Gray Hunter — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:50:17 EDT

Why three records? Well, two or four would just be a standard rock beat.
Why three records? Well, two or four would just be a standard rock beat. This is jazz, music for the heart and the mind. The three artists featured here have created some beautiful work. Ben Wolfe – No Strangers Here Bassist Ben Wolfe wrote, arranged, and orchestrated the songs on No Strangers Here. Uniting a jazz ensemble with a...

Book Review - American Earth: Environmental Writing Since Thoreau - Edited by Bill McKibben

Gray Hunter — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:23:31 EDT

"In wildness is the preservation of the world," said Thoreau. Environmental writing wages war on exploitation in this sublime anthology.
Bill McKibben, author of numerous books on topics such as global warming and genetic engineering and more, is determined to further efforts in saving our planet. “Every important advance in American environmentalism has coincided with – sprung from – some piece of writing, some book. We can't afford those voices to die...

The Dewmocracy Begins: Mountain Dew Lets You Decide on the New Dew

Gray Hunter — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:45:50 EDT

One Dew to vote for, one Dew to support, one Dew to rule them all - with drinker's rapport.
Do you want power? Mountain Dew is ready to provide it to you, and not just with a jolt of caffeine. Do you want to be heard? Mountain Dew is ready to listen, and not just for the change in your pocket. The makers of Mountain Dew want you to help them decide what will be their next Mountain Dew flavor.This month, three new Dews hit the shelves for...

TV Review: Stargate: Atlantis - Highlights of Season Four

Gray Hunter — Sat, 7 Jun 2008 10:23:12 EDT

Check out these highlights from season four as you get ready for the next season of Stargate: Atlantis.
July 11 is the premiere date for season five of Stargate: Atlantis. To get ready for that, let's consider the past season. It had some changes, to be sure. It wasn't the best season, but it did the job of furthering Atlantis' adventures.The biggest change in the fourth season of SGA was at the captain's chair, so to speak. Weir...

Music Review: Three Outstanding Jazz Records from Mark Weinstein, Salongo, and the Steve Elmer Trio

Gray Hunter — Wed, 4 Jun 2008 22:45:55 EDT

Three exciting jazz records. Listen and expand your musical horizons - just enjoy!
June sees the release of some excellent jazz records. Here's a look at three of them. Mark Weinstein – Straight No ChaserJazzhead Records releases Mark Weinstein's new recording, Straight No Chaser, on June 5. The album is ten tracks long, over an hour of jazz flute and guitar. According to Weinstein, this is a straight-ahead style...

Music Review: Dialtone - No Hang-Ups

Gray Hunter — Tue, 3 Jun 2008 09:49:56 EDT

Dialtone releases their debut album. It's a strong start to a promising career.
Playing with a grin and a wink, Dialtone is a three-piece band from LA and they just want to rock. The band consists of brothers Paul and Mike Orea and George Maiale. Paul writes the lyrics and plays guitar; Mike is the drummer and George the bass player. Their debut album, No Hang-Ups, releases on June 4. Pick it up and enjoy.They've been...

Music Review: Oleg Kireyev - Mandala

Gray Hunter — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:50:20 EDT

Oleg Kireyev and his Feng Shui Jazz project rock, if you'll excuse the term. A finely balanced jazz fusion record.
I try a lot of new music out at work. Sometimes it’s distracting, sometimes it’s boring and then there’s stuff like Oleg Kireyev's Mandala. It makes you wish you were sitting at home with a wall full of speakers and a growler of craft beer and nothing else to do. It’s a canorous album that grooves the day along.Jazz fans...

Music Review: Marilyn Mazur - Elixir

Gray Hunter — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:34:30 EDT

Musical alchemy via percussion and saxophone. Beautiful, mesmerizing music.
Listening to Elixir is like stepping into a Masai speakeasy in a galaxy far, far away. Marilyn Mazur and Jan Garbarek perform musical alchemy on this recording, transforming seemingly random and basic percussions and notes into an ethereal experience. I've been a drummer in the past and I'd selfishly been hoping for copious use of a basic...