Some random thoughts

 Last night I attended a Matins service at a local Orthodox church, to say that I have never experienced such beauty in a church service is quite a bit of an understatement. I have been contemplating the idea of beauty recently not only in church but also in art in general. Now that does not mean that I am not going to be playing rock n roll on the radio anymore, far from it it was a sweet reminder that I must absolutely commit to searching out and presenting only the absolute best music that I can find to share with my listeners. Playing music by such artists such as Dirt Poor Robins, Dave Brons, Daniel Day, Dave Bainbridge, Glass Hammer, Michael Hakanson-Stacy & the Gullywhumpers, Music Tellers, The 77's, Nick Fletcher, Mark Lettieri and others in not only a joy it is an obligation that I take very seriously. I was told some time ago by a person who keeps tabs on such things that under the parameters on one show, one host, one station that I am doing the worlds oldest rock radio show. Now that and three dollars will get me on the subway in NYC but if it is true that is a pretty cool. When I first started "Rock N Soul Gospel" I made a promise to God that If he gave the show longevity that I would honor Him by playing only the best music that I could find. With that promise I was hoping for a possible five year run maybe at the most ten. We are just a few short months away from entering our forty fourth year on the air at 88.1fm & WCWP.org. The show airs every Sunday afternoon from two until six pm. Check it out.

 Can it possibly be that I have not written a new blog since January and it is now August. My how time flies when you are secluded due to a worldwide pandemic. So many things have happened personally over the past 8 months. The radio show is going stronger than it ever has and the music, of superior quality, has been coming in slow but steady. With new projects from The Choir, TJ Stafford, Steve Lawson and new music from Dave Bainbridge and Glass Hammer on the horizon I am one happy camper.On the other side of the page though as a Christian I am aware that I do not have the option of giving up on church in general. That being said, although there are some few exceptions, I have for the most part given up on the idea  that the western church cares at all on creating great art and is content with sub-par art and poor propaganda. There was a time in the long ago when the great art and artists in the west were either mentored by or commision

ed by the church. Today we have either K-Love or films so poorly made that they wouldn't even make it on the Hallmark channel. "The Chosen" film series seems to be a pleasant exception though. In just about 2 months time "Rock N Soul Gospel" will be celebrating 40 years on the air at 88.1fm & WCWP.org with the debut of new music from Glass Hammer and Chad Marriott. Hopefully if all goes well I am shooting for a even 50 years of doing the show. Check us out every Friday night at 9 and Sunday night at 8, of course those are NY times at WCWP.org and locally at 88.1fm.

 Today is January 18th 2021 and covid is still raging not only in the United States but all around the world. Besides that the political sense here is extremely tense due to the results of the recent precedential election. The only constant that remains is the need for spiritual healing and the restoration of beauty in the world. In some small way I can only hope and pray that the radio program "Rock N Soul Gospel" can in some way add to the restoration of beauty in the world at large. Now by that I do not mean that I am changing the format to light or beautiful music. What it means is that I will continue to strive to present only the very best music that I can possibly find to share with those who have ears to listen. As I am writing this piece I am listening to the debut album by the band Alloy Field, this is just some really excellent kick ass rock n roll. You really need to check them out!!! Something you also should look into are the Coroenesphere concert series on you tube featuring Mike Roe & Bruce Spencer. They are as of this week up to episode 41. Although live music venues are still shut down, 2020 was a magnificent year for new music as evidenced by new releases from Dave Brons, Iona, Glass Hammer and a host of others including Steve Lawson & Trip Wamsley. There are some hopeful rumors that due to the vaccine that we might be back to some semblance of normality by the autumn of this year although being the pessimist that I tend to be I am not holding my breath waiting for it. "Rock N Soul Gospel" is now in its 40th year on the air at 88.1fm & WCWP.org and I am so grateful that I get to work at the best radio station in NY. Thanks to the grace of God and the compassion of my station manager the great Dan Cox I get to share the best music around and will keep doing so for as long as I possibly can do so. By the way for those of you with a more literary bent be sure to check out the library visits with Malcolm Guite on you tube, they are a balm for the soul.

WCWP radio studio's have been on lock down since mid-March due to the  pandemic, luckily though thanks to the help of Dan Cox I have been able to keep the radio show alive recording from a home studio. Without trying to sound to cocky I believe the show has never sounded better and my enthusiasm for it is at an all time high. Lately I have been reading a number of books on creativity as well as listening to various podcasts such as Amon Sul and True Tunes. Also the you tube visits with Malcolm Guite to his library are veritable life savers.

These have helped give me the shot in the arm that I need when a certain amount of cabin fever begins to creep in. When I was doing the show out of the station I would usually bring along maybe sixty or seventy albums with me to have a good choice so that the show would not sound stale or repetitive. Now that I am recording in my home studio that choice is greatly expanded, so the show sounds better and better each time I open up the microphone. Now don't get me wrong I really miss the interaction with the other DJ's each week, I also miss wandering around the lower east side of NYC and going to the various clubs like the Rockwood Music Hall or the Mercury Lounge and seeing the kids that I play on the radio doing their thing live. Over all though I am one happy camper and although online concerts are not the same as a real live gig they will have to suffice for now. By the way for those of you who have an artistic bent be sure to check out the Hutchmoot Homebound conference coming up in October. In just a tad under two more months "Rock N Soul Gospel will be entering its 40th year on 88.1fm WCWP. The show can be heard every Friday from 9 till 11pm NY time and Sundays from 8pm until 10pm on WCWP.org, those are NY time by the way. As always it is my firm commitment to whoever listens that I will play the very best rock n roll on the radio.

Back in mid-March Long Island University closed its campus due to the covid 19 virus. It also closed down the studios of 88.1fm & WCWP.org, Luckily I had enough back logged programs to tide me over until I was, with major help from my station manager and long time friend Dan Cox, able to set up a home studio to continue to produce new shows. Now I am able to record programs with material from a vast music library at hand. I would usually bring up about 100 CD's to the station, now I have much more of a song choice to work with. Since the home studio has been in effect I feel like I have been given a new thrust of creativity and the shows are better then they ever were before. In just a little over three months the show will enter its 40th year on the air at WCWP and it is my intention now more than ever to play and to share with my listeners the absolute best rock n roll on the radio. How could I possibly do otherwise, actually why in the world would I want to do otherwise. With music from artists like Glass Hammer, Dave Bainbridge, Phil Madeira, Phil Keaggy, Dave Brons and others I can do just that and that is just what I intend to do. I find at my age, I'm in my seventies by the way, I have little to no tolerance for artists who claim to be Christians and yet put out 2nd and 3rd rate material and expect people to put up with it simply because the connect they name Jesus with it. Unfortunately the Western Church seems to have fallen into this mindset which is a true shame. I don't mean everyone in the Western Church has fallen into this habit but many have and it is a shame. I am also seeing that the Eastern Church is producing art not only music but literature and other forms of media of a magnificent nature. Check out Rock N Soul Gospel every Friday at 9pm & Sunday at 8pm, those are NY times by the way at 88.1fm & WCWP.org

Since for the time being Rock N Soul Gospel is playing automated shows due to the Covid-19 situation. I wanted to share some recent amazing music with you via video. Enjoy this music and we will be back live as soon as possible!!! God be with you my friends!!!

Today is the second day of March 2020, next month will be the 52nd anniversary of my very first radio show. It happened aboard the USS Long Beach CGN9 cruising around on the way to the Tonkin Gulf off the coast of Viet-Nam back in 1968. The very first song that I played was "The Supernatural" by John Mayall's Bluesbreakers with Peter Green on lead guitar. It was and is an amazing song which still gives me the chills every time that I hear it even today. It became the opening song for the two years that I did that program on KCGN radio, part of the armed forces radio network in Viet-Nam. Fast forward 52 years and my present radio show "Rock N Soul Gospel" is well into its 39th year on the air at 88.1fm & WCWP.org, the station of Long Island University Public Radio. My opening theme is a tune called "Check It Out" by After The Fire, a British band that was on fire back in the '80's. 39 years later I still get pumped up whenever I hear this song. "RNSG" started out as, for lack of a better term, the atypical Christian Rock show and has developed into a program of music by artists who happen to hold to a Christian world view. To be very honest I have very little interest in what passes for Christian music these days. I tend to find it contrived and boring. The worst offense I could hand my listeners would be is to play boring music, why should I waste their time and mine for that matter. Fortunately the music that I get to play every week is some of the absolute best rock n roll the I have ever heard and I am now 70 years old. Artists like Phil Madeira, Frank van Essen, Mark Lettieri, Tony Gerber & Phil Keaggy and others just continue to kick my butt every time I hear them.. For some of the best music around check out "RNSG" every Friday at 9pm and Sunday at 8pm on 88.1fm & WCWP.org