One of the few regrets I have in life is that I didn't take up cello sooner than age 32... by which time there were no teachers willing to waste time on adult students, regardless of ability. Anyway, I just couldn't get the crazy idea out of my head, so I bought a beautiful old Johann St?ber (Dutch) cello in pieces and restored it to playing condition. This simple melody is one of the first, and remains one of the few (recognizable) things I can play on it.
 

I love that tune.  I tried to work it up several years ago with a descending bass line similar to the one in the climatic verse in (which is itself a wonderful arrangement of Simple Gifts setting up a beautiful pastoral movement of chords), but didn't come up with anything worth keeping.  I still would like to work up an arrangement of it at some point.

That's fantastic Dave!
 
One more, with lyrics:
 
I just played an obnoxiously loud bar gig, so this is helping with the unwind/chill-out phase!

Beautiful!

Sitting here listening to Jorma...Embryonic Journey, Quah, and River of Time as I grade the papers of my University juniors and seniors.
 
It is really sad to consider the significant decline that has occurred with respect to  this generation being able to effectively express themselves through the use of the written word.

Uh-oh... sounds like Professor Hammer is about to hand out some poor marks. =)
 
Strange coincidence... (may, or may not have anything to do with your post) I just posted on another forum a minute ago about the utter disregard for grammar. I guess it's the same as it ever was, just adjusted for inflation. Nowadays instead of sloppy penmanship, it's smartphone and computer lingo, and you still have to decipher what someone meant.  
 
Not that diagramming a sentence ever *directly* helped in my job, but when composing an email, I take a small amount of pride in knowing none of the recipients will have trouble understanding it.

been listening to the new Dream Theater - 'The Astonishing' over the weekend.  It's a double concept album set in a dystopian future where music has been outlawed. As you'd expect there's a lot of 'samey' stuff running through the whole piece with a fair bit of orchestra (and bagpipes!!)  John Myung doesn't seem to get as much space to excite as he usually does but there are a handful of exceptional riffs. I believe Petrucci and Rudess pretty much wrote the whole thing so there is more than enough keys and guitar noodling. That said, so far I'm enjoying it. Will take a few listening sessions to make my mind up fully though.
 
Graeme

Windy Valley Band, the premier  string band in Skagway, AK, at their weekly Sunday gig at the Red Onion Saloon.  Surprising good pizza, great beer, fun music, plus 2/3 of our sons & 1/3 of the grandsons.

Peter (who's still smiling)

Gary Willis...Armageddon Blues

Context: Lost my mom to cancer on Christmas Eve. I've heard this song a lot of times, but something about losing my mom just makes it super poignant.

James Taylor (with Jimmy Johnson!), Fire and Rain:

Joe Jackson's I'm The Man and Look Sharp. Just released remastered lps by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. I'd forgotten about Graham Maby's bass being featured as the lead instrument on these two great albums. "In heavy rotation"
Jon

Jon, my favourite cover of a Joe Jackson song must be by Anthrax #

Graham Maby always credits Joe Jackson for coming up with the basslines. I must have played along to the whole I'm The Man album hundreds of times, as an eager teenager. Good times!

Lubos Malina: The Day Banjo Players Ruled the World from Piece of Cake with Tony Trischka and Bella Fleck and Peter Rowan
http://tidido.com/a35184374794878/al56011d6ee7c622686a7865bb/t56011d6fe7c622686a786640

Bob Dylan and Van Morrison Live Duets
https://www.song365.name/album/bob-dylan-van-morrison-amp-bob-dylan-%E2%80%93-live-duets-19841998-bootleg-74557.html

The Byrds; .

Edgar Meyer, Mark O'Connor, Yo-Yo Ma;