Kewl pic, yeah? This is jazz musician Marion Meadows; saw him Sunday night at the Sea Walk Pavilion in Jax Beach. I contemplated going out on my beach cruiser in the rain to catch his act, along with Gerald Veasley and the Robert Harris Group. It was the last in the summer jazz concert series, and despite the precipitation, it was a phenomenal evening - well worth having my tie-dye beach blanket soaking up ten pounds worth of rain water I had to then haul back home on my bike.
The sound system at the beach venue is amazingm and, the roadies really have it in gear; quickly and efficiently changing out drum kits and keyboards as the musical baton is passed from one band to the next. Kudos to Jax Beach for bringing the sound of smooth jazz to the First Coast.
The only sour note is the lost chord of a local smooth jazz station in the First Coast listening area. We did have a really good one, up until a couple of months ago. I thought I was having a nightmare when I awakened to the sound of my clock radio screeching out hiphop one morning. No warning or anything. Went to sleep to the sound of smooth jazz, fully expecting to wake up to it as well, only to be jolted from slumber with rap crap.
Before you begin to judge me, let me just say that I love music of all kinds. Indeed, I have an extremely eclectic taste in music. My vinyl Iron Butterfly "Inna Gadda da Vida" could very easily be followed by "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller, followed by The Cure. But, imho, hip hop is just not music. It may be entertainment to some peeps, but it's most deffo NOT music. 
Music requires the creative utilization of the actual eight standard notes, arranged in a pleasing to the ear, artistic and soulful manner. My cockatiel, Gibson, whistling a medley of his seven standard tunes is far more a musician than the vast majority of hiphop artists.
K. In any case, what I heard Sunday night at the beach was absolutely fabbleous! And, these musicians clearly love their music, their bandmates, their contemporaries, their instruments, and their fans. They had fun on-stage, and even those of us braving the ocean mists and liquid sunshine, without an umbrella or hat, enjoyed ourselves.
Kudos to Robert Harris, Gerald Veasley, Marion Meadows, and their musicians, sound techs, and roadies ... and, many thanks to the businesses who make the summer jazz concert series a fantastic experience.
Musically yours,
miscmood 
ps Now, PLEASE, could we have a jazz station of our own back on the First Coast????
