From my living room playlist

Like a lot of people, I am the type of person who cannot stand absolute silence. While in the living room, I often turn on the TV and it's quite easy to find a semi-interesting program on US cable TV with tons of channels. The alternative is of course listening to music. That's usually my "accompaniment" for breakfast time. I alternate between the Opera channel from Music Choice (iOS app exclusive channel) and the Audiophile Classical channel from Shoutcast. And if nothing is good "on the air", I can always count on Spotify, on which I have setup a bunch of playlists: one for Alto Sax, one for Metal, and a very special one with violin music only (which I could play when other family members are there too!) I am listening to this playlist just now and it was the first time I listened to "Prince of Clouds," a double violin concerto composed by Anna Clyne for this album and performed by Jennifer Koh and her mentor Jamie Jaredo. In fact, the whole album featured 4 pieces of double violin works, starting with the seminal one by Bach. I like this "concept" a lot! I hope someone who do a "Three x 4" using Beethoven's Triple Concerto as its model!

Now my goal is to listen to enough classical music on Spotify that it will create a Daily Mix for me (we have 3 family members listening to the same account at different times. 1 playlist is Cantopop. 1 for "US" pop. 1 Metal and for some reason Spotify made 2 jazz mixes for me)

電影馬拉松

近年很少去戲院的我在去年底竟然去了三次！看的包括Da Vinci Code作者Dan Brown小說改編的Inferno（前年去意大利時一直在讀）, 源於漫畫人物的Doctor Strange, 以及迪士尼破紀錄地賣坐的動畫Moana。承接這道戲癮，今年在家中試用Netflix，又看了一大堆新舊戲：

• The Magic of Belle Isle：這是一套有點超現實的電影，皆因劇中有一段老年黑人男子同中年白人女子愛情故事，發生在底特律附近一個不差的社區。不過由老戲骨Morgan Freeman飾演該男子又作別論，角色是一位才氣橫溢的作家（及前職業棒球手因傷殘轉行）女主角則是出道時以飾演「艷女」聞名的Virginia Madsen，近年也成為演技派。作家因喪妻意志消沉避世於該地，三女之母則在辦離婚中，幾個聰明伶俐又有奇想的小朋友和老人家互相啟發，總算讓人看得心頭暖暖。
• A Mile in his shoes：這也是一套勵志式電影，以飾演電視版超人聞名的Dean Cain在片中的角色是一支半職業棒球隊的領隊兼球探，在開車前往物色球員途中抛錨，意外地認識一名農村少年，該少年有自閉症但特別擅於投擲水果，領隊視他為棒球投手可造之材！在相當保護其子的父親不太情願的情況下，領隊把少年帶入球隊，其才華得到發揮，當然亦招妒中詭計，但總算在挫折中成長。
• Captain America 3 Civil War：本片的主線是Avenger成員分裂互揪，因為各國政府認為他們屢次闖禍，必須受約束，以Iron Man為首一派同意，以美國隊長為首一派則反對。這個主題在動畫及漫畫我均已看過，所以不感陌生，反而覺得真正大戰來得太遲，原來已是電影尾聲！當然埋下伏筆拍下一集了。
• Arrival：本帖多套電影中這套最為出色。女主角是一位語言學家（想起老友妹妹！）透過同外星人接觸，受他們語言影響了思考，學會預知未來的秘技。到結尾觀眾會發現全片情節並非順序發生，實在巧妙。值得一提：電影改篇自得獎科幻小說Story of your life，作者是美國華裔Ted Chiang（姜峯楠）
• Horrible bosses：片中三位波士豈止horrible，簡直就是變態！Kevin Spacey飾演一間企業高層，下屬為搏升職被「駛到盡」卻不獲公平回報；Colin Farrell飾演一間生產商的二世祖太子爺，父親是良心老闆但急病去世由他接替，他在公司胡天胡帝亂炒下屬；Jennifer Aniston飾演一個脅迫下屬和她做愛的中女牙醫。這三個組成的卡士實在有來頭，其實主角是要向他們三人報復的下屬，演員的名氣遠遜其「波士」，本片笑位頗多成績不俗，相信令三位男主角「升價」不少。
• Jaco：去年提過這套關於低音結他鬼才Jaco Pastorious的電影，將另文專述。

書法在香港招牌

在香港的日子，家住得遠，又喜歡常常周圍去，花在坐車的時間實在不少，幸好不用自己開車，所以可以隨意欣賞街景。近年醉心書法，發現香港街上店舖招牌的字體變化多端，實在很有觀賞價值！原來隸書行書甚至草書也很常用。當然，從小學和寫的楷書是主流。近年這些招牌上所用的字體成為了話題：領展旗下的店舖招牌「被統一化」，早年常用的「北魏楷體」被換為「黑體」。以下摘自中文字體設計師許瀚文接受《香港01》的訪問：

小店所用的「白底紅字」為北魏楷書，是世界有名、香港獨有及廣泛運用在商店和招牌的中文書法風格，對於北魏楷書被換走感到可惜。許以圖中「永記辦館」為例，指原有招牌的北魏楷書感覺神氣、有精神而靈活，在本土香港人眼中與辦館小店形象更為配合。 許瀚文補充指，北魏楷書筆劃誇張明顯，字的輪廓鮮明，辨識度極高；加上店舖招牌風格能否讓顧客留下深刻印象至為重要。許指，雖然新更換的黑體有簇新感，但黑體四平八穩，無甚驚喜；缺乏性格之餘，亦失去北魏楷書的靈活感。

計我話：這位許生實在太客氣了！這個黑體不止無驚喜，根本就是死氣沉沉！「輸入」電腦文字處理時使用（就如現在在此ipad打字），排得整整齊齊，也算合適，但「輸出」讓人觀看就毫無美感了。想不到我這個觀點有專家同意！此文引述字體設計師陳濬人：

電腦字體主要用作輸入內文，放大變成標題跟字款本身的設計原意有所不同，變成招牌感覺更是奇怪。

陳並指北魏體能夠盛行因夠實用，「起筆收筆都很誇張，比較鈍和倔，回筆很粗，令字體挺拔突出，最重要是遠距離亦能清楚看到。」

其實這些書法招牌出自何人手筆，傳媒也有查究，上文介紹了（內有多圖，包括不同字與字體的例子，其中一個有張又有蘇，正是我兩位寫書法的老友的姓氏！）多位「街頭書法家」，寫這張蘇記的是華戈，而當年很多北魏體招牌出自名家區建公，另一位多產的書法家則是精於隸書的謝熙，根據百度：

1952年，他旅居香港，對索書者，有求必應，從不高價取值。故他的書法於50年代中，便已遍布港九商市及文化單位。如惠康、永安，大元等公司，國際、嘉麗華酒樓、新鴻基地產、通亨銀行等招牌大字均為先生所書。

這單爭議令我對魏碑體增添了不少興趣！魏碑既有楷書也有隸書，例如前秦廣武將軍碑就很有參考價值。（經友人指出，作為五胡十六國之一曾經實力強橫的前秦滅亡後才有北魏，不過似乎該時代的作品也被統稱為魏碑）

中文課本插圖出錯被學生發現

話說人民教育出版社一本教科書有一幅關於宋朝知縣的配圖，圖中知縣衣裝為紫色，一名小五生指出應為青綠色。北京藝術博物館文物專家胡桂梅解釋：

按宋代服飾制度，只有三品以上才能穿紫色服，七品以上綠色，「書中的官員如果是縣令，應屬八品，按宋代的服飾制度，應該服青色而不是紫色，小朋友說得有一定道理。」

出版社應該對該學生寫個服字！

當在街食重平過街市買返黎煮既時候

你就會懷疑：喺街外食既究竟係乜野材料？雖然餐館入貨有volume discount，但又有燈油火蠟喎。舊年在台灣西門町及各大夜市的確食得好過癮，但睇完呢篇文，真係有啲保留。

得罪人多稱呼人少

寫另一帖時無意中看到一則祖國名咀在美國開車藏槍藏毒被捕的新聞，比較有趣的是此君經常出口傷人，例如批評演員徐崢「演豬挺像，演人挺囧」（前半句指徐崢在《春光燦爛豬八戒》中扮演的豬八戒，後半句指他在《泰囧》中的角色），令徐崢相當尷尬，但也不能不讚他的口才／文筆呢！此外，他又說春晚（春節晚會）的觀眾都是農民，「我根本不屑上春晚的舞台，春晚的觀眾都是農民，我不想讓那麼多農民認識我」Well，有很多港星倒是恨上春晚得不得了呢。

Jazz saxophone music recommendations again

Can't stop listening to good jazz sax!

- Troy Roberts: Tales and Tones
I actually wanted to write about his 2015 album, Secret Rhymes, since 2015 but never got to it. Well, he has already released another one, for 2017 :) If you enjoy hard bop, he really nailed it. And you can't go wrong with Robert Hurst on bass and Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums.

- Western Jazz Quartet: Free Fall
Speaking of high quality post bop, one should listen to "Free Fall," inspired by a jump from the edge of the space to fall at 843 mph and break the sound barrier. I thought the "west" in the name refers to, well, the west coast but it's actually Western Michigan (yeah, the same school who lost to Wisconsin at the Cotton bowl this new year!) They are the resident jazz quartet at the school.

- Florencia Gonzalez: Between Loves
Last week I wrote about the interesting interplay between alto saxophonist Kris Allen and his tenor player Frank Kozyra. If you enjoy unison/harmonized horn playing, you should definitely listen to this one, with a "triple horn attack" (sax, trumpet and trombone) This reviewer thinks they sounded bigger than they are (almost like a big band) and I couldn't agree more.

Music and politics

香港近年經常有人說不要把事件政治化，也有人說在社會發生的事和政治不可分割，以下所講發生在美國一事相信就見證了後者。美國著名搖滾樂手「波士」Bruce Springsteen一向被不熟悉音樂的外國人誤以為是大美國主義者，連他唱的名曲也名為Born in the USA！其實相反：該曲正正批判退伍軍人不被美國社會及制度善待，也有其他作品關於藍領勞工階層遭遇的不公；是不折不扣的liberal政見人士，當然不支持候任美國總統杜林普！杜林普上台慶典自然不會找到波士來表演，不過演出名單卻有一隊波士的cover band（我想中文可稱此樂隊為專演出波士的音樂的致敬樂隊）他們解釋主辦單位早於數年前已和他們簽約，本來不想事件政治化，只想履行合約，其實支持及反對者都有；不過最終決定毀約，已有賠毀約金的打算，因為波士不會同意用他的音樂去慶祝杜林普上台。

作出這樣的決定，又引起更多議論紛紛，不少指他們在整個派對只是小角色，有更多大牌歌手樂隊；也有人認為，靠波士的音樂揾食，還是順順他的意比較好吧。無論如何，我覺得他們出來講這幾句有百利無一害：相信面對輿論壓力，主辦單位不敢要求太多毀約賠償金吧。政治這東西，不是想避就避得到的！

Jazz saxophone music recommendations

It has been a while since last time I wrote about the saxophone music I have been listening to. These are some good ones I listened to in the past few years:

- Kris Allen: Beloved
This CD is recommended by my favorite Podcast: "In the Groove - Jazz and Beyond, by Ken" as Kris Allen is a Hartford musician local to the Podcaster. It got my attention as Allen is an alto player and I was totally into alto lately. And I found this album interesting immediately because it featured 2 sax (Allen on alto and Frank Kozyra on tenor) but no piano (actually no chordal instrument at all) and I could see the challenge (which he explained here) It's worthwhile to mention the rhythm section provided great support and was recorded well.

- Antonio Arnedo: Travesia
This jazz album is also piano-less but it does feature a chordal instrument: guitar played by the highly regarded Ben Monder. Arnedo played some very beautiful and sometimes haunting soprano here. 

- Bill Bruford's Earthworks: A Part, yet Apart
Bill Bruford is probably more well-known as the drummer of the progressive rock band Yes. However, he has also been playing jazz for a long time (saw him with his fusion group Earthworks at the Knitting Factory in 1999 and so impressed that I bought their "The Sound of Surprise" CD later on, which was the release after this one) And I particularly enjoy the tenor and soprano saxophone parts on this album, played by Patrick Clahar.

- Reggie Codrington: Always in Motion
Well, this is another detour, to smooth jazz. Saxophonist Codrignton is definitely not a big name you hear often like Dave Koz, Marion Meadow or Everett Harp but this is one high quality smooth jazz album with the "classic" smooth sax sound, beautiful playing on soulful ballad and energetic on funky tunes. Judging from the varieties of old and new artists on Smooth Jazz channels (like Music Choice provided by cable) and podcasts, I think the scene is actually quite healthy, contrary to what the "smooth jazz hating" music critics would like to portray.

Coin show

My mom loves collecting stuff like stamps and rare money (paper or coins) so I learned that from her when I was a kid. I don't have as much enthusiasm though. So my collections have grown just a tiny bit from those days. And I got some nice additions from the first coin show I have ever attended last week as I took my son there to fulfill his requirement for a boy scout merit badge. And it was his lucky day: one seller was very eager to teach us some basics of collecting and while we were there one of his customer bought 100 $1 coins that worths $1800 and suggested the seller to give one to my son. We also learned from him that 1921 silver dollar is known as a Morgan dollar, and it contains real silver (the amount of silver itself worths ~$13 today) Nowadays coins do not contain any precious metal. Another beautiful coin I saw there that I would like to collect but too expensive was an Indian head $5 gold coin. It worths ~$420 today with ~$300 of gold content.
Then we checked out another seller's interesting paper notes. He showed us some special US dollar that was stamped with a Hawaiian brown seal. Those notes were released to the Islands after the Pearl Harbor attack as a counter-measure: all notes were replaced there with the stamped notes just in case the Japanese put in some counterfeits to screw up the system (like what they did in Asia during WWII)
Before we left, I visited a seller with many inexpensive foreign coins. Since I don't really have much knowledge, I randomly pick the ones with designs I like and bought 11 for $4.
It was fun.

Update: my son and I both entered the show's prize draw and my son was so lucky to win a buffalo nickel in mint condition!

美國開國功臣逸事

今日看了一段紀錄片，講NY哈林區有間古蹟大宅，由美國開國功臣Alexander Hamilton所起。話說他是律師又係政治家，總統華盛頓很賞識，找他當首任財政部長。該片說他心地很好，由於自己出身寒微，很樂於扶貧。某日有位Maria Reynolds女士來訪，說她被丈夫抛棄，和女兒生計成問題，希望Hamilton打救。Ham哥當晚就拿錢去女家，乾柴烈火就燒了起來，起初相安無事直至Reynolds先生寫信多次勒索他，每次US$1000, Ham哥最終拒絕就範，對方真的爆料，Ham就寫作篇長長認錯之，然後得到太太和國人原諒，但幾年之後Ham和對頭（當時美國副總統）決鬥死於其槍下！

Women at NASA

作為2017年首帖，當然要寫點振奮人心的東西。很多電腦外行內行人都聽過史上第一位程式員是十九世紀的Ada Lovelace女士；但上世紀四五十年代美國還是嚴重性別及種族歧視的年代，太空總署開發太空人升空探險的計劃，負責運算及編寫電腦軟件的人員，竟然是女子組，更有多位黑人女士，那是上月帶小朋友去看電影從其中一條電影預告片中得知，老實說，有點難以置信；在History channel網頁看到更多詳情，對她們有更深的敬意。如果業界和學術界有心推動女性加入科研行列，實在應該多提此事啊。

Car commercial sends wrong messages to kids

I think this has become Lexus' yearly tradition, i.e., commercials showing families getting luxury vehicles as X'mas gifts. I guess that 1% of the Americans could really afford doing that. Not sure if that's the only American population the company is going after though. As one of the 99%, I am kinda pissed. But then it got worse: this year's commercials are about making their kids to ask Santa for cars for the parents. Looks like the "target" audiences are not as rich as before and needed financial help? Let the kids get their own presents from Santa, OK? One version of the commercial is particularly bad IMO: the kid bargained so the parents allow him to request an "add-on" pet dog for himself. And I am not the only one who think this is bad. (Yeah, I dislike the Apple commercial too. Too fake)

No cappuccino on Starbucks menu

I have been a Starbucks shareholder for years but I didn't drink coffee until early this year so they rarely get my businesses except a frappuccino once in a long while. As a self-proclaimed cool dude of course I am anti-mega-chains and pro-local-business so I am still not getting my coffee fix from the likes of Peet's and Starbucks (I think its stock does fine without my contribution) I did tried Peet's cappuccino once ('coz my daughter gave me a coupon) but I found its foamed milk too firm and didn't mix with the espresso much. A few days ago I need to get online and my best bet was the Starbucks at Truckee. The place was ideal: large table and plenty of power outlets. I actually did my stuff for 30 min until I got a break and of course I needed to do the right thing: order something! (Well, the line has been long with tons of tourists coming in and out anyway) I thought it's time to try Starbuck's capp but I double-checked the menu when it's my turn to order and I couldn't find it! Why why why? Well, I did find the closest thing, which is latte. Of course I expected more milk in it but the whole drink tasted more like milk than coffee. Definitely not my thing. Then I had to go online to find out why there is no capp on SBUX's menu! I figured this is significant enough to make the news. I still don't know why SBUX cannot hire all those baristas capable of making perfectly well cappuccino at the local coffee shops. Maybe not hiring them are good for the profit margin? I'm fine with that and I would just try Flat White next time if I really need to. To all coffee-drinking readers of this article: please keep getting your coffee from SBUX! That's my kids' college fund :)

廣東話正字時間

早幾日我在另一個blog po文要寫岩巉兩個字，唔識寫後者，當然揾Google打救，揾到呢篇文：廣東話最緊要正字 岩巉還是岩蠶？佢講其餘嗰幾個字詞都成日唔識寫／打：

1. 「搲」爛塊面
2. 瞓「捩」頸
3. 心「悒」
4. 頭「耷」「耷」
5. 黃「黚」「黚」

抄左落呢個po，第日就有得"reuse"了 :)

冬大過年

今天是冬至，在美國已很少在正日慶祝，雖然每年都會聽到「冬大過年」這句說話，卻從來沒有考究何解，而事實上做冬只食一餐大餐，過年有團年飯開年飯甚至人日也有藉口食大餐，過年舞龍舞獅派利是燒炮仗，怎會比冬至「小」呢？今年終於從早前在FB add了的史檔學到原因：這其實是中國古代農業社會的傳統，農民生活耕作和天氣息息相關，所以陽曆的廿四節氣（冬至是其一），影響反而比陰曆的新年更大！古時社會上上下下包括帝皇都隆重慶祝冬至，之後那天官方有假放。

Top jazz 2016

又到年尾，又到各大樂評媒體發表全年最佳作品的時候，這幾年在FB added爵士鍾情的頁（同名網上電台節目由香港有料音樂人鍾氏兄弟主持），讀到不少和爵士樂相關文章，就全年最佳作也有兩篇：HuffingtonPost這一篇可算十分「直接」：列出碟名，唱片封套圖像，再加音檔連結，老老實實，不少樂評寫一大堆無甚意義的文字：旋律優美，節奏感強勁，成員合拍之類，倒不如讓讀者自己聽下評斷好過！榜上大家相信都耳熟能詳的名字包括Orrin Evans (piano), Warren Wolf (vibes), Shirley Horn (vocal), Julian Lage (guitar), Fred Hersch (piano),部份他們的新作我已從其他podcasts聽過亦十分欣賞。另一個榜來自Jazzwise Magazine，作為一份爵士雜誌，他們的樂評當然更詳盡，包括交待創作背景等等，此文介紹的新作中，我相當喜歡John Scofield的Country for Old Men,   Sco玩fusion及straight ahead瓣瓣皆精，玩country 自然也難不到他，其實鄉謠味真不太重，借題發揮意義較大，不過Sco倒是cover了我唯一喜歡的鄉謠歌手Shania Twain的You are still the one。此外EST Symphony一碟我也相當喜歡，不是太刻意爵士化或古典化，值得一聽再聽（可惜Spotify沒有全碟）該雜誌對Charles Lloyd and the Marvels一碟評價麻麻，樂評人尤其不喜唱片公司無厘頭加插一首格格不入的Norah Jones主唱作品You are so beautiful（歌本身也不壞）其餘的作品都相當Charles Lloyd, 即是新派得來不致過份前衛。聽了少許Jack DeJohnette/Ravi Coltrane/Matthew Garrison三人合作的In Movement，頗為欣賞他們挑戰高難度，一來色士風三重奏從來我都覺得少了一件chordal instrument較為單薄，二來有Ravi父親John Coltrane及Rashied Ali珠玉在前，藝高人膽大值得支持。

Top metal 2016

It's that time of the year so a "rock (but also tons of pop and other genres)" publication like the Rolling Stone magazine of course has to write about their 20 best metal albums. I might not agree with their choices (as my taste of metal is kinda narrow) but still appreciate the effort. It's always good to learn about the new bands/albums out there. And several well-established bands have released albums in 2016 that I wasn't aware of, like Megadeth's Dystopia and Meshuggah's The Violent Sleep of Reason. Both are at their usual high standards with great guitar parts. Of course, the biggest release has to be from the biggest metal band in the history of music: Metallica! The first single was actually quite enjoyable. The rest are actually not bad too but the vocal still reminded me too much of the black album and thus do not measure up to their best (Master of Puppet, And Justice for All)

Not all "big enough" bands that had new release in 2016 made the list though, e.g., Death Angel's "The Evil Divide" and Testament's "Brotherhood of the Snake" (even though I am a huge fan, gotta admit this is not among their strongest works)

There are surely plenty of thrash metal diehards like me. This article talked about all of the above thrash bands' new albums. I learned quite a few things. I also learned that T-shirt with 80's Thrash band logo and album designs have become some sort of retro fashion trend this Summer while visiting the H&M store in Hong Kong. Testament's Alex Skolnick wrote a post to ridicule Kanye wearing one. Yeah, wearing tee of bands that you don't listen to is kinda lame.

咖啡世界

開始飲cappuccino不經不覺已是大半年前的事，在屋企及公司附近的Blue Bottle及Philz自然是最初的選擇！前者的Bella Donovan味道相當balanced討好，我更喜歡dark一點點的Giant Steps(當然，作為John Coltrane忠實fans的我非試不可）而Philz的decaf dark French及Jacob's wonderbar 兩溝的味道對我是百喝不厭。花心的我當然不能滿足於僅僅喝兩家咖啡！這幾個月每月都有新發現：Napa Oxbow market內的Ritual coffee, SFMOMA內的Sightglass, SF Mission/Valencia的Fourbarrel, Palo Alto Cal Ave 跑步用品店Zombierunner內的咖啡檔，以及南灣Campbell的Barefoot, 皆各有特色。
特別想推介Walnut Creek downtown 附近的Pacific Bay Coffee Company, 在這貴租地區一杯cap賣$3.5一點也不貴，而且播smooth jazz網台好好feel，老板見我會說廣東話多談了幾句，他告知賣咖啡關鍵是炒豆，一般咖啡店賣所謂一磅豆只有12oz, 因為25%水份在炒時流失，但Pacific Bat就賣足秤16oz， 我買了他的espresso blend，有機會會再光顧。

Oakland artist collective tragedy

年尾傳來一單令人十分悲痛的新聞，就是屋崙「鬼船」大火。該處本身正式用途其實是貨倉，但二房東分租給不少藝術家當工作室及住所之用，亦有時舉行小型音樂會，今次火警發生時正是，因此死傷人數如此之高。據報導，該處被間成兩層，樓梯用木板搭成，防火滅火裝備不合格，裝修又像迷宮一樣，不少參與音樂會的觀眾就算不是被困在二樓，也因為不熟內裡格局而找不到逃生之路。其實市政府也曾接過關於該處用途成疑的投訴，只是例行公事地去看看，無人開門就不了了之。
除了物業安全監管，是次慘劇引起其他多個值得討論的話題，包括小眾電子音樂人表演場地難找，就如今次音樂會的主角，藝名Golden Donna的男樂手來自Wisconsin，其作品由小型唱片公司出品，靠本身或公司的能耐，要找個正規表演場地有難度，老實說，從YouTube找到的視頻可見鬼船攪這類音樂會氣氛實在不錯，可惜卻有安全問題。而灣區高昂的租金對低收入人士，包括一眾藝術工作者越來越不利。一方面，灣區人才濟濟，造成一個刺激創作的氛圍；但另一方面，無法負擔住所／工作室的租金，只有離開這裡才能解決問題；實在可悲。