Andy McKee ~ Amazing Fingerstyle Virtuoso

[Thanks to Divya Nair for introducing me to Andy McKee!]

NOW HERE'S 11-YEAR-OLD SUNGHA JUNG DOING A COVER OF ANDY MCKEE'S RYLYNN...

[First posted 5 January 2009]

Paco de Lucia (21 December 1947 ~ 25 February 2014): in loving memory

Francisco Gustavo Sánchez Gomes (21 December 1947 – 25 February 2014), known as Paco de Lucía, was a Spanish flamenco composer, guitarist and producer. A leading proponent of the New Flamenco style, he helped legitimize flamenco among the establishment in Spain, and was one of the first flamenco guitarists who has also successfully crossed over into other genres of music such as classical and jazz.

Richard Chapman and Eric Clapton, authors of Guitar: Music, History, Players, describe de Lucía as a "titanic figure in the world of flamenco guitar", and Dennis Koster, author of Guitar Atlas, Flamenco, has referred to de Lucía as "one of history's greatest guitarists." [Source: Wikipedia]

I miss my Uncle Frank! Happy Solstice, Folks...

FRANK ZAPPA (21 December 1940 ~ 4 December 1993): I was a true fan

Munich 1978

New York 1978, featuring Terry Bozzio on drums

City of Tiny Lights, New York 1978, featuring Adrian Belew on guitar & lead vocal

Rome 1982, featuring Steve Vai

Steve Vai gets spanked

Black Napkins @ The Palladium, New York, 1981

Chick Corea jams with Dweezil Zappa, 26 August 2011, in Kansas City

Last interview: Frank Zappa talks about his friend, Nicholas Slonimsky

Stravinsky conducts Zappa (just a clever and charming spoof, Zappa was a great fan of Igor who died in April 1971, long before Zappa wrote "Strictly Genteel")

“Music is the only religion that delivers the goods.” ~ Frank Zappa

“If you end up with a boring miserable life because you listened to your mom, your dad, your teacher, your priest, or some guy on television telling you how to do your shit, then you deserve it.” ~ Frank Zappa

“A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open.” ~ Frank Zappa

“I never set out to be weird. It was always other people who called me weird.” ~ Frank Zappa

“There's a big difference between kneeling down and bending over.” ~ Frank Zappa

“Take the Kama Sutra. How many people died from the Kama Sutra as opposed to the Bible? Who wins?” ~ Frank Zappa

“The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater.” ~ Frank Zappa

“A composer is a guy who goes around forcing his will on unsuspecting air molecules, often with the assistance of unsuspecting musicians.” ~ Frank Zappa

“Government is the entertainment division of the military-industrial complex.” ~ Frank Zappa

“Anybody who wants religion is welcome to it, as far as I'm concerned - I support your right to enjoy it. However, I would appreciate it if you exhibited more respect for the rights of those people who do not wish to share your dogma, rapture, or necrodestination.” ~ Frank Zappa

“May your shit come to life and kiss you on the face.” ~ Frank Zappa

“The essence of Christianity is told us in the Garden of Eden history. The fruit that was forbidden was on the tree of knowledge. The subtext is, all the suffering you have is because you wanted to find out what was going on. You could be in the Garden of Eden if you had just kept your fucking mouth shut and hadn't asked any questions.” ~ Frank Zappa

Pauline Butcher with Frank Zappa backstage in Anaheim in 1968 (Plexus Books)

FRANK ZAPPA, HIS GROUPIES AND ME
Zappa's one-time personal assistant, Pauline Butcher, has written a book, titled Freak Out! My Life with Frank Zappa - 43 years after she relocated from London to Laurel Canyon, a suburb of Los Angeles, to work for the man with whom she was utterly besotted. She subsequently returned to England, continued her studies, and married a guy named Bird, who's now a banker with Rothschild's, based in Singapore.