Hey, kids, welcome to another entry of the Phile. So, as you know, I have a special guest here today. No, I am not talking about Nick Moran, although I am sure he's special in his own way. I am, of course, talking about the President. It's crazy, when I started having different political people on the Phile sometime last year, I did not imagine one of those people would be Mr. Obama. But then again, maybe it's not really him... but some White House intern posing as him. LOL. Who the hell knows? It's still pretty damn cool no matter what. Yesterday he showed up in Colorado where there is a lot of sadness, and today the Phile, where there is also a lot of sadness. Speaking of the President, a new poll found that 54 percent of Florida voters here think the country is on the wrong track under President Obama. While the rest of Florida’s voters still think Teddy Roosevelt is president. During the USA-Brazil basketball game, President Obama gave Michelle a kiss when they were shown on the kiss cam. That's cute. It explains why everyone was like, "quick, put him on the fix the economy cam!" Sarah Palin is saying she still hasn’t been invited to the Republican National Convention next month. The RNC says it’s all a misunderstanding... as in, Palin misunderstands the meaning of the phrase, “You're not invited.” Lawmakers in the Netherlands are considering a fine on meteorologists who predict the wrong weather. Or as they’re also known, “meteorologists.” In Cincinnati, Jerry Springer announced that he is endorsing Obama. Don't get too excited. Obama still has to win over Judge Judy and Maury. A new study found that women's IQs ARE HIGHER THAN MEN'S for the first time in 100 years. They would have found it earlier, but the researchers were all men. Well, the Knicks decided to let go of Jeremy Lin. Allowing him to join the Houston Rockets. And, if that weren't bad enough, the Knicks actually had Jason Kidd drive him to the airport. A new study found that Facebook games can cause kids to develop gambling problems. That is not good, no. You'd hate to see a kid's gambling addiction get in the way of their Facebook addiction. Officials in Connecticut found two goats and 25 chickens living in an apartment. That's also known as the weirdest "Real World" ever. They found two goats and 25 chickens living in an apartment. It was really confusing because only the goats were on the lease. For the second year in a row, New York City students have improved their reading scores. Unfortunately, now they can read how low their math scores are. So, have you seen Mitt Romney's new campaign ad in the papers? It's kinda odd. Check it out, I think he's full of himself.
Did you see the new Batman film? I did, and I was surprised on how big Christian Bale got, and how they changed the costume.
So, with the President here on the Phile, I was hoping there was an Obama inspirational poster. When I saw it I was so excited.
It wasn't exactly what I hoped, but it's okay. Alright, as you know all this month I have pheatured one of man's greatest creations. I am talking about the bikini. Today I am showing you the last one I have to pheature, but if you know of any other odd bikini's that I didn't mention, e-mail me. Anyway, todays bikini is the Eyelet-Trim bikini. If you are the kind of woman who would wear Swarovski Crystals anywhere on your body, you would certainly be interested in these bikinis that come with those famed crystals. The White & Pink Eyelet-Trim bikini has been designed by Alessandra Vicedomini and it will make you look almost like an exotic dancer in Paris' Lido. The bikini is crafted in Italy, sent to India for handcrafting, and comes back to Italy for further final touches. It costs $625 and I am sure that isn't a heavy price to pay for these luxurious and sexy bikinis.
Well, kids, there's a lot of blogs out there, not just the Phile. Not all have had over 500 entries, or done twice a week, or get to have the President on them, but there are a lot of blogs. So, once again, I thought it was time for...
Todays blog in the hall of fame is thebigstuffproject.blogspot.com. The last entry was done on November 16th, 2011 and here is a segment of it.
There are various voyageur statues scattered across northern Minnesota. This one is located in Cloquet on an island in the St. Louis River. The plaque on it's base calls it "A Cloquet Bicentennial Project". It was dedicated on July 5th, 1976 by Senator Hubert H. Humphrey and Representative Jim Oberstar. It's made of fiberglass and is still in pretty good shape. Up close you can definitely see some wear and tear and some vandalism, but until you get pretty close to it it looks really good. It also didn't hurt that the sun was hitting it at a great angle for viewing.
That's so exciting, isn't it? Anyway, go to The Big Stuff Project and check it out. After you read the Phile of course. Leave a comment on their page and tell them the Peverett Phile sent you. Well, the world is gonna end in a few months, people. We know this because the Mayans said so. Those Mayans are very smart. So, to help you through the rest of the week I invited a friend of the Phile back to share more Mayan insight. Please welcome back to the Phile...
Me: Hello, Marvin, what kind of advice so you have for us today?
Marvin: Nya b’a’n tu’n t-xi tca’yin muj ku’n nlayx b’et tak’in.
Me: That's great, Marvin, but once again no one understand what you are saying. What are you saying in English?
Marvin: It is not good to look at the clouds or your work will not progress.
Me: Well, thank God I cannot see outside where I am sitting. Marvin the Modern Day Mayan, everyone.
Well, it's that time. This is a huge honor and a milestone for the Phile, if it's true. Please welcome to the Phile, the 44th President of the United States... President Barack Obama.
Me: Hello, Mr. President, welcome to the Phile. So, in the last four years, what has been your biggest change?
Barack: Hello, Phile. When I decided to run for president, I had significantly fewer gray hairs than I do today. Michelle says I've earned them, which is the nicest possible way to say I'm getting older.
Me: I think it's fair to say you've earned every one.
Barack: Thank you.
Me: You're about to have a birthday coming up, right? How old will you be?
Barack: I'm turning 51 in a couple weeks.
Me: Any plans, sir, for your birthday?
Barack: I'm heading home to Chicago for a get-together at my house.
Me: Everyone says you are from another country, but you were born in Hawaii. Do you call Hawaii or Chicago home?
Barack: Chicago is where I fell in love with my wife and where our daughters were born. It's where decades ago I first started as a community organizer and where, six years ago, I first talked with Michelle about the possibility of running for president.
Me: So, with all the craziness going on right now, I bet you are looking forward to your birthday break. If it is a break for you.
Barack: Yes. I'm looking forward to spending a few hours celebrating there before it's all systems go for the final weeks of the election.
Me: Well, I hope you have some fun.
Barack: Should be fun.
Me: Well, as you might know I had a few of your party friends, like Patrick and Debbie for example on the Phile talking about the election and campaign, and how you're getting outraised. What do you think of that? Correct me if I am wring, sir, but this is a first, right, for a sitting president.
Barack: Yes, a first for a sitting president, if this continues. I will be the first president in modern history to be outspent in his re-election campaign
Me: And it's all because of the super PACs?
Barack: Not just by the super PACs, Jason.
Me: Who else then?
Barack: Outside groups that are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into misleading ads, but by our opponent and the Republican Party, which just outraised us for the second month in a row.
Me: I have to ask you, can you win the race if the other side spends more than the Democrats?
Barack: Yes, we can win a race in which the other side spends more than we do. But not this much more.
Me: So, you can be outspent and still win?
Barack: Yes, but we can't be outspent 10 to 1 and still win.
Me: The other week I had your Campaign Manager Jim Messinia here on the Phile and he asked my readers to donate money to the campaign. I don't know how many of my readers did, but do you know how many Americans donated money? I guess there's no telling, right?
Barack: More than 2.2 million Americans have already chipped in for us, and I'm so grateful for it.
Me: Do you believe regular people should decide elections?
Barack: This isn't about me or the outcome of one election. This election will be a test of the model that got us here. We'll learn whether it's still true that a grassroots campaign can elect a president... whether ordinary Americans are in control of our democracy in the face of massive spending. I believe we can do this.
Me: The Romney campaign raises more than you do, sir. I hear a lot about how much they raised, what about the Democrats? Can you break down the math? Math has never been my strong point.
Barack: The math isn't hard to understand. Through the primaries, we raised almost three-quarters of our money from donors giving less than $1,000, while Mitt Romney's campaign raised more than three-quarters of its money from individuals giving $1,000 or more.
Me: And, again, that's not including the massive outside spending by super PACs, right?
Barack: Yes, and front groups funneling up to an additional billion dollars into ads trashing me, you, and everything we believe in.
Me: And anonymous outside groups, right?
Barack: Those outside groups just add even more to the underlying problem.
Barack: Jason, this is a good time for millions of Americans who can continue to benefit from the protections and economic security provided by the Affordable Care Act.
Me: Romney cannot take a yes for an answer, can they?
Barack: The Supreme Court's decision should put to rest the debate over health care, but you're right.
Me: Romney said that the first thing he would try to do as president is repeal the health care law.
Barack: We can't allow that to happen. So we have to win this election.
Me: Your opponent spent a weekend at a secretive retreat for the biggest donors to both his campaign and the super PACs that support him. That's not fair, is it?
Barack: I've got other responsibilities I'm attending to.
Me: Mr. President, thank you for being her eon the Phile. Before you go, what do you think of this election this year?
Barack: This isn't about me or the outcome of one election. This election will be a test of the model that got us here.
Me: And the grassroots campaign?
Barack: We'll learn whether it's still true that a grassroots campaign can elect a president.
Me: Like how?
Barack: Whether ordinary Americans are in control of our democracy in the face of massive spending.
Me: Well, I believe you can do this.
Barack: When
Me: Mr. President, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to be here once again.
Barack: Thank you, Phile, for everything you've done before and everything you're doing now. It matters.
LOL... what I'm doing. I am doing shit. That's nice that the President thinks I am helping his campaign. Anyway, that was pretty cool, right? Alright, let's talk about this, the 21st artist to be pheatured in the P.P.A.G. is Mad Magazine artist Anton Emdin, and this is some of his work.
Anton will be a guest on the Phile in a few weeks.
Today's real guest is a jazz guitarist who heads up his own trio. Their latest album "No Time Like Now" is available on iTunes. Please welcome to the Phile... Nick Moran.
Me: Hello, Nick, welcome to the Phile. How are you?
Nick: Doing great, thanks.
Me: Okay, you have a trio that you play with. Who are the other two guys?
Nick: The group features Brad Whiteley on organ and Chris Benham on drums.
Me: Have you played with each other for long?
Nick: This form of the trio has been together for almost two and a half years, though I've been playing with Chris since he came to New York in 2003.
Me: Nick, where are you from?
Nick: I'm from New York. I grew up in the city on the lower east side, but I've lived here in Brooklyn for the past fourteen years.
Me: There's another Nick Moran jazz musician who plays the sax, clarinet, flutes and bassoon. For a minute I got you guys confused. Anyway, you just play guitar, right?
Nick: I know Nick the saxophonist a little. I occasionally used to receive e-mails for him. He told me about Nick the bassist and said that one day we should form the Nick Moran Trio! Anyway, I used to play trumpet, which I picked up again for awhile, but now it's just guitar.
Me: When did you first get into playing the guitar. Nick? How old were you?
Nick: In eighth grade, when many of the great 70's rock bands were at their peak. I was thirteen.
Me: Do you remember what the first song you learnt on the guitar?
Nick: Yes, that was "The Rain Song" by Led Zeppelin. That was their jazziest song.
Me: Did you always play jazz or did you start off with rock or country?
Nick: I began as a pure rock and blues player, though my first teacher did get me starting with jazz just before the school year ended.
Me : What bands were you into? Did you listen to any Foghat, Nick?
Nick: I loved Zeppelin, of course, but also the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Aerosmith and Earth, Wind and Fire. I never really got Foghat, to be honest.
Me: Okay, that's it, good-bye. Just kidding. What make of guitar do you play? And what do you prefer, acoustic or electric?
Nick: For the past few years I've mainly been playing two guitars built by my friend master luthier Jörg Tandler in Germany. I'd have to say I really prefer playing electric, though the acoustic archtop guitar is kind of a marriage of both.
Me: Nick, if you could play guitar with any musician who would it be?
Nick: I'd enjoy an evening playing with Peter Frampton because he was my very first influence on guitar. He's released some wonderful records in the past couple of years and I've been to see him twice. He's probably my favorite melodic guitarist.
Me: You went all the way to Germany to learn, right? Most musicians go to Berklee... what made you go all the way to Germany?
Nick: Well, initially I went to Germany as a graduate student in German, studying music on the side. At the music department of the university in Mainz they were happy to have students, so I took several courses and attended master classes, as well.
Me: Where in Germany did you go and what was that experience like?
Nick: The short answer is: all over the place. However, I mostly lived in the Rheinland- Mainz, then up the river near Koblenz. The experience was great, but the nature of it changed when I married the woman I met my second year in Europe. The last three years were very family-centered, especially when our daughter was born.
Me: How long were you there for?
Nick: Six and a half years.
Me: Okay, let's talk about your new album "No Time Like Now". Where did the album title come from, Nick?
Nick: "No Time Like Now" is about the preciousness and relevance of this moment. The title was inspired by the sudden loss of a friend whom I spoke with on Thanksgiving day 2009, only to discover that he suddenly took ill and passed away on Christmas Eve that year. We both thought there was more of a future for us as friends, but all we had was our last talk. That was meaningful and important to me.
Me: Did you write all the music yourself or did the other guys help you?
Nick: Apart from my arrangement of the Cream song "Strange Brew" I wrote all the music.
Me: So, a year ago almost to the day I interviewed another jazz guitarist named Rick Stone here on the Phile. He was one of your teachers, right?
Nick: Yes, I studied with Rick while I was in the jazz program at City College.
Me: Have you ever played with Rick?
Rick: Occasionally, but it's mostly been informal. We've sat in on each other's gigs from time to time.
Me: Who else have you played with?
Nick: A number of people here in town: Ray Santos, Akiko Tsuruga. Andy Watson was in the band for awhile.
Me: I have to ask you about the guitar you play... you already told me the make, but you play a seven string guitar? Six strings wasn't enough?
Nick: It depends. When It's called for the additional range can be useful, especially for solo guitar.
Me: I don't know too many people who play seven strings. Where is the extra string? At the top or bottom?
Nick: The seventh string is a low A, so it extends the low end by a fifth and opens up a nearly piano-like range to the instrument. It can get heavy, though, because you need a rig that can deliver the low frequencies. Most of the time seven strings aren't called for, but I do still play it sometimes, mostly for writing.
Me: I have to ask you about the album cover. Where was that picture taken, Nick?
Nick: That was at the Brooklyn Museum. They were really nice to let us come in and shoot.
Me: So, what's next? Are you three gonna be touring?
Nick: I certainly plan to. Schedules are kind of tight as Brad will be on the road with Regina Spektor much of this year, but you'll be hearing from us.
Me: Regina Spektor? You gotta tell Brad to tell Regina she needs to be on the Phile. Nick, thanks so much for being here on the Phile. Please come back soon. Go ahead and mention your website and everything. Take care and tell the others I said hello.
Nick: Thanks for having me. Please drop by my site and say hi on Facebook, too. Here's the scoop: nickmoranmusic.com, facebook.com/nick.moran.98, facebook.com/pages/Nick-Moran-Trio/248496351848248.
Well, that about does it for this entry. Thanks to Nick for a great interview and of course to President Obama and the Democratic party for hooking it up. The Phile will be back for an extra entry this week on Wednesday with singer Tiffany Martin from Dollface. Then on Sunday it's singer Shannon Haley and on Monday it's singer Spence Newell from the band New Hands. So, spread the word. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye.
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