Texas Heritage: ZZ Top

For Houstonians, before there was Beyonce’, there was ZZ Top.  There have not been a whole lot of major bands and artists who call Houston home; afterall, Houston is not known as a cultural mecca.  But, during the 1970s and 1980s, it was hard to turn on the radio in Houston and NOT hear a blazing ZZ Top song.

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Transitions: Blitzen Trapper

As I gaze back upon my life, I can chunk it into meaningful periods according to the music that I listened to at the time.  These periods tend to coincide with major life events — or transitions.

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CMT 1986

Country Music Television (CMT) conjures a very specific cluster of memories for me.  One crisp January morning in 1986, the CMT programming was interrupted when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded just after takeoff.

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Lead Me from Tortured Dreams: Pictures at an Exhibition

Pictures at an Exhibition is one of the very few classical pieces to which I ever listen.   There are ten movements in the piece, each representing a different painting at an art gallery, and the imagery really comes through — from lumbering ox carts to bustling markets to the majestic Gates at Kiev.   But, it was the dreamy, repetitive Promenade which played over and over in my 7th grade head.

Summer Swimming

When I retired from the Marine Corps in the Summer of 2010, we moved to Lake Oswego, Oregon.  I was super jazzed to cultivate fond summer swimming memories for my ten year old daughter while creating new/richer memories for myself as well.

Wilco

I began exploring the alt-country music of Uncle Tupelo which eventually led to Wilco’s first album, AM.  I was hooked by Wilco’s alt-country heritage and vibe, and then I was transfixed by their evolving artistry and sound.