Category: Music Reviews
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Saturday Serenade: Some of My Favorite Piano Pieces*
Midday/Early Afternoon, Saturday, January 4, 2025, Miami, Florida * Including piano transcriptions of orchestral compositions. Hi, everyone. I’m feeling a bit better today, but still dealing with a persistent cold. I’m exhausted from the symptoms and medication. Instead of my usual long blog post, here are some of my favorite piano performances. Enjoy!
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Music Album Review: Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Shines in Kiri Sings Kern
Kiri Sings Kern (1993) Label: Angel/EMI Records Genre: Crossover/Standards Artists: Kiri Te Kanawa (Soprano), London Sinfonietta (Orchestra), Jonathan Tunick (Conductor/Arranger) Release Date: March 16, 1993 Jerome Kern (1885-1945) remains one of the most influential composers in American popular music. Alongside legends like Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Richard Rodgers, the New York-born Kern…
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Evening Reflections in Madison, NH
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Autumn 2024, Creative Writing, Donating “Reunion: A Story” to the Conway Public Library, John Williams (Composer), John Williams in Vienna, John Williams Live in Vienna (2020 Album), John Williams: Live in Vienna, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Madison (NH), Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Music & Concert Specials, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaOn the evening of September 28, 2024, in Madison, New Hampshire, a chill settled in as night fell. After visiting the mailboxes with Patti’s husband, Marc, the narrator had a relaxing day, enjoying pizza and a brief walk. They listened to John Williams’ film scores while contemplating the fate of their novella, “Reunion: A Story,”…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Shall We Dance?
A swinging night at the Moonglow Club unfolds with the Swinging Millers performing classic swing tunes. Jim hesitates to dance due to past insecurities, but Maddie convinces him to join her on the dance floor. As they sway to the music, Jim is haunted by memories of a lost love. This excerpt is from the…
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Narrative Threads: A Conversation on Crafting the Reunion Duology, Part the Fourteenth
Music and Emotion: Maddie is a concert pianist for the New York Philharmonic. How did you use music to enhance the emotional depth of the story? Are there specific pieces of music that played a significant role in the narrative? Music is a huge deal in the Reunion Duology, and it shapes the story in…
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May the Fourth be With You: Music to Help Fans Celebrate ‘Star Wars Day’
Today is May the Fourth be With You Day, so instead of a usual blog entry, here are music videos featuring themes from the space fantasy series “Star Wars.” May the Force be with you.
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Musings & Thoughts for Sunday, December 31, 2023, or: Weekend Update, Part the Second (New Year’s Eve Edition)
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Amazon Music, Christmas 2023, Creative Writing, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), John Williams (Composer), Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 and Onward), Movies, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Weather in New Hampshire, Winter 2023-2024Late Morning, Sunday, December 31, 2023, Madison, New Hampshire Hi, everyone. I hope that you are doing well today, which is (depending on where you are right now) either the last day of 2023 or the first day of 2024. For me, it’s late morning on the last Sunday (and day) of 2023. It’s a…
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More of My Top Fives: A (Hopefully) Self-Explanatory Set of Five ‘Favorites’ Lists
More of My Top Fives: A (Hopefully) Self-Explanatory Set of Five ‘Favorites’ Lists For my friend Patti Aliventi. Music Albums – Movie Soundtracks Music Albums – Classical Music Albums – Pop/Rock Music Albums – Jazz/Standards Music Albums – Miscellaneous
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Tempus Fugit: Yesterday Was My Mom’s 95th Birthday….
Yesterday was my mother’s 95th birthday. She, of course, is no longer here. She died in the early morning of Sunday, July 19, 2015, after a five-year struggle with dementia and the effects of a long and eventually failed recovery from an operation to repair her spine. I do my best not to dwell on…
A Certain Point of View, Too 