!!! meeting QUINCY JONES !!!

So, our trip from Los Angeles to New York was blessed with some magical inspiration from Mr. QUINCY JONES who I met after I ended up seated in the EXIT ROW next to Quincy's personal assistant JOE RIVERA...and incredibly sweet man who took immediately to the documentary - in particular the focus on Bob Dorough & Miles Davis's 1962 collaboration "Blue Xmas (To Whom It May concern)...and after discussing music and Miles and his influence and a little bit about Bob's career (bob worked for a time back in the 50s as the musical director for boxing great boxer Sugar Ray Robinson, who had temporarily left boxing and was putting together a song and dance revue and it was during this time that bob actually met Quincy Jones who himself had been touring with Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra)...anyhow, Joe Rivera graciously offered me several minutes with Mr. Jones once we touched down at JFK.

You can view the video clip here QUINCY JONES ...

Its difficult to hear the audio but the jest of the conversation was one of Quincy telling me how the youth of today (especially in America) don't know their history...and how glad he was that someone from Canada was telling HIS story, Miles Davis's stroy, and Quincy seemed particularly taken with my summary of my chapter on race and christmas music and how _ and why - a song like "Santa Claus Was A Black Man" figures into the documentary.

Man, what a moment, what a priveledge, what an honour to have met him!

!!! An Xmas Visit with the Good Doctor !!!!

So, we've spent the past THREE DAYS with legendary LA disc jockey and musicologist, Barry Hansen aka Doctor Demento !!! I must say that to have unencumbered access to his musical lair and to the nearly 300,000 + archive of LPs, 45s, 78rpms, cassettes and various other sundry seasonal items has been pure heaven for me.

Though Dr. Demento is best known as the KING of novelty tunes, his encyclopedic knowledge - and passion for - all genres of music is unsurpassed!

You can explore his entire career here at HIS DEMENTED WEBSITE...and we'll be posting a few more clips from the extraordinary time we've spent with the good doctor! Here's the first:

!!! SANTACON INVADES Bootie Xmas 2009 !!!

So, this year's Bootie Xmas was the official "AFTER PARTY" for the annual Santacon Parade (imagine about 500 merry misfits all dressed up like Ol' Saint Nick and slamming down their first drink at 1pm) so by 9pm when the doors of DNA Lounge swung open, they were all in fine form!

We encountered this couple on our way back to the hotel after lunch...they somehow new I was a SANTA too ! And they made a Santarchy sandwich out of me, Kirk & Jeff...I told them about the film and asked them to come by the club afterwards, but trying to find them in a crowd of ONE THOUSAND later on in the evening wasn't in the cards ; -P

Kep your eyes & ears on this blog...I'll be posting a TON of more updates later tonite !!

We are now in Los Angeles on our way to meet the good DoCtOr DeMenTo !!!

YEEE-HAAAW !!! San Franciskeee !!! BOOTIE XMAS 2009

TONITE at DNA Lounge in San Francisco...Smash-Up Derby with Adrian & Mysterious D...BOOTIE XMAS 2009 !!! I CANNOT WAIT !!!

Some SERIOUS XMAS MASH is going to be piled high on VINYL PLATTERS along with an unbelievably funky-fried LIVE set from SMASH-UP DERBY...

BOOTIE (San Francisco) Launched in 2003 in San Francisco by DJs Adrian & the Mysterious D, Bootie was the first club night in the United States dedicated solely to the burgeoning artform of the bootleg mashup -- and is now the biggest mashup event in the world, with monthly parties in eight cities on three continents. Mixing and matching every conceivable musical genre, era, and style into one big dance party where everyone feels welcome, Bootie provides the soundtrack for the A.D.D. generation -- with free mashup CDs given away like candy!

Bootie has released two Christmas mashup albums, "A Very Bootie Christmas" 1 and 2, featuring the best holiday mashups from producers around the globe, hand-picked by Adrian & the Mysterious D. These CDs are not only given out by the hundreds at the parties, but also available as free downloads, becoming internet sensations. Bootie is also known for throwing epic holiday parties each year, with live mashup rock band Smash-Up Derby performing Christmas songs mashed-up with popular rock and pop songs, DJs spinning holiday mashups for the dance floor, and Christmas-themed performances ranging from drag to burlesque.

MSN.ca sings Jingle Bell Rocks!...

I met the journalist - SANTEZ ! - LAST Night and did an interview with him. He's is one of El Vez & The Straitjackets BIGGEST fans...he's also incredibly articulate about why the music they make matters...and how it will hopefully resonate with more folks who get to see the show as it continues its sleigh ride across the good ol' U.S. of A!

http://blogs.music.msn.ca/2009/12/merry-mexmas-and-jingle-bell-rocks.html

merry merry
m

!!! EL VEZ & LOS STRAITJACKETS !!! TORONTO !!!

I am OFF to the fabulous LEE's PALACE for tonites punk rock Merry Mex-Mass with the MExican elvis, EL VEZ and the insane antics of LOS STRAITJACKETS...

CLIPS to follow...they forecast for tonite is for A SNOW STORM !!!

LAST TRAIN HOME in World Doc Comnpetition...

We interrupt this Xmas Season with an announcement from the prestigious SUNDANCE Film Festival:

Click here for PRESS RELEASE !

Last Train Home just WON BEST feature doc in competition at IDFA Film Fest in Amsterdam...now its on its way to Park City !!! Congrats to Daniel Cross, Mila Aung-Thwin, Bob Moore, Halima Ouardiri, Daniela Flori and the rest of the EyeSteelFilm team in Montreal!