"Richard Nixon: A Fantasy" by David Frye

This was a totally new thing for me.  I figured it was a comedy album, but since my knowledge of the time period is limited I was not sure I would enjoy it.  I was very wrong.  His voice impersonations were excellent.  I am not sure if they are accurate, but his ability to create different ones for his characters was great.  

"Addressing the Nation" was a first side highlight for me.  It rings true of politicians still to this day.  "Dick Nixon's Solid Gold" is especially skewering.  

Producing Unique Pop with Lido

Some cool very quick breakdowns.

Masterclass :: Dominique Ansel

Was looking forward to this class for some time, so was excited when I could clear away things and spend some time with it. I have been a baker and chef in the past but nowhere this level. I wanted to improve my techniques, gather new recipes, and fix and inaccuracies i had in my own cooking.

Going in, I had actually never heard of the cronut. I had no idea who Dominique was or why he was famous.  This was going to be fun.

His mission is very simple. Be creative, love your work, and love food.  Since being a dad, sharing these flavors has always been a thing for me. Baking is precise and ordered.  It is simple and easy to do, if you do the steps, follow directions, and remain calm.

He is a very calm teacher and slow.  He goes into why he does certain things and the stories about how he learned.  Reading past these stories is helpful as you never know when a moment can teach you the lesson you were not expecting.

Lesson 2 he shares the secrets of his success. Don't listen to others, and follow your own sensitivities.  The world is big enough that everyone can have the success they are searching for.  This lesson is also in Steve Martin's masterclass.

The pastry cream is very close to how I was taught.  There are definitely some finer technique that was missing from my method.  This will be recipe fun to practice and master, especially since he uses it in many of the other recipes in the class.

The chocolate mouse was very much how I was taught, except I always whipped the cream too much. I always went to the point it would hold on the whisk. Can't wait to fix this one, and see look on small faces as they eat it.

"Bongos From the South" by Edmundo Ros & His Orchestra

"Bongos From the South"
by Edmundo Ros & His Orchestra

Right off the start it's bongos. 

Throughout the first side, very heavy percussion, and many breaks highlighting them as well. Some well known tunes on hear like "Deep in the heart of Texas", "Moon over Miami", and "When the saints go marching in". A Strauss waltz gets the percussion treatment later on side 2.

"La Comparsa" has a cool little groove to it. The woodwinds have a catchy little ostinato, that sets up the rest of the song as you clave away.  Banjos get broken out for "My old Kentucky home", but the xylophone almost makes it sounds like a  cartoon.

"Brazil" has some moments that make me think "Caravan" from Duke Ellington, but it is a catchy up tempo number regardless. This was a fun tune to end the side.  All in all, side 1 was well worth the $1 alone so far. Some very catchy tunes on here, and some parts I am sure have been sampled through the years. Moving on to side 2.

From the insert

Edmunds Ros learned music in military school much like myself. He was born in Trinidad, but completed his studies in Venezuela, including a period as the timpanist in the Venezuelan Symphony Orchestra.  The height of his fame seems to have occurred during his many years in London. He led his own bands for many years into the 1970s. This album is from 1961.

The second side starts with the well known classic, "When The Saints Go Marching In".  

links: discogs - spotify

Ableton :: Evolving Pads in Wavetable

Thanks for this video!

I very much like how you went into more detail about why you made such choices.  The explanation between high and low settings for various settings was great.  Moving the slider so you could hear it, and giving some words to it.

Ableton Tips

Bound 2 Divide

Review:: masterclass:: St. Vincent

More semi-complete things.

--------------------------------

Really not much too this one.  Super short compared to others.  This however could be a good class for someone just starting out and they need a quick tour of the bigger picture of the entire music process.  

Taking a riff to a full song. She talks about getting to love changing your idea. Don't let it keep you stuck in a form or concept. Take this song, and record it. This could be at home or at a studio.  Then what?

There is a bit DIY element here to these videos. However it comes across a bit like this course is thrown together quickly.  Maybe that is why it is shorter.