Garrett profile picture

Garrett

God created Arrakis to train the faithful.

About Me

I'm a musician and philosopher by trade doin' the jazz thing in Iowa. I have an interest in literature, international politics, sustainable agriculture, athiest philosophy, good wine, ok wine, so-so wine, and extemely dark beers. I also play in a few bands. I play tenor sax and sing in Blue Island Tribe and Barefoot Compadres. I also play keyboard and sing for Violet Island. You can check all of those bands out at their respective myspace music sites. Other than that I think it is time that humanity started to pursue an ideal of true freedom instead of continuing on the acquisitive path. Hope is not lost. Have a nice day.

My Interests

I'd like to meet:

Richard Dawkins. I'd like to talk with that guy for about a month or two. You should all check him out. Other than that I'll settle for some intelligent folk who are pretty laid back and like good music.

Music:

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, John Coltrane, James Taylor, Chris Potter, Dave Holland, Paul Simon, Jill Scott, Jeff Coffin, Bjork, Sigur Rös, Earth Wind & Fire, Jamiroquai, Yusef Lateef, Deborah Brown, Dexter Gordon, Gene Ammons, Eric Dolphy, Bill Evans, Will Downing, Locust Toybox, The Shaggs, The Beatles, Albert Ayler, John Tavener, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius, Weather Report, Joe Zawinul, Kurt Elling, Mark Murphy, Sheila Nicholls, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Judith Owen, k.d. Lang, Reel Big Fish, Scott LeFaro, Herbie Hancock, Rusted Root, Gene Autry, Frankenixon, The Fairfield Four, Singers Unlimited, Take 6, The Real Group, Audio Radience, Johnny Griffin, Billy Joel, Ellery Eskelin, Indigo Girls, Sarah McLachlan, Lisa Loeb, Sonny Rollins, Joshua Redman, Joe Henderson, Karl Denson, Keith Jarrett, Kenny Garrett, John Adams, Claude Debussy, Johannes Brahms, Sergei Rachmaninov, Vox One, Duke Ellington, Dreamtheater, D'Angelo, Eric Severinson, Boards of Canada, Maria Schneider, First Call, Sheryl Crow, Pink Floyd, Oliver Nelson, Ben Folds Five, Ben Folds, Bering Strait, Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, Alanis Morissette, Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, Scott Colley, Rufus Wainwright, Christine Hsu, Al Jarreau, Thelonious Monk, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Sun Ra

Books:

Business of Criticism by Helen Gardner, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, The Dune Chronicles by Frank Herbert, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien, The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, The Chronicles of Narnia and A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis, The King James Bible by Whoever, Any and all things written by John Donne

My Blog

Revolucion

My dear friend Alex recently asked me: what is the easiest way to convince and mobilize a large amount ofpeople? I responded to him: There is no easy way.  It takes time and lots of hard work. &n...
Posted by Garrett on Wed, 07 Sep 2005 06:35:00 PST

Descent of Men's Souls Part I

No more than one-hundred years ago society was still basically agrarian. Even amid rapidly increasing industrialization both here and abroad we got most of our resources and food in small operations ...
Posted by Garrett on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST

Score plus 2

Well, another year has come around again. Exactly one year ago today I was getting ready to perform at Carnegie Hall. I listened to some great jazz, had a great time with dear friends, and turned 21...
Posted by Garrett on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST

Die Bavarisch Leben (The Bohemian Life)

Well, moving on from death, let's cover the subject of salsa dancing! I'm in no mood to dwell on such topics as the end of life. But the pope had better start. That aside, this is an afternoon for ...
Posted by Garrett on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST

The Big Sleepe

Death is something that most of us do not think about in our everyday lives. But eventually we'll meet it. Death and what follows has occupied a central point in literature and philosophy for almost...
Posted by Garrett on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST

...Beauty of the Earth

What a day! How blessed we are to be alive. How blessed we are to have the gift of natural beauty to soothe us in our torment. How often do we stop to consider the blueness of the sky, the awesome ...
Posted by Garrett on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST

The Theme

It is my intention for this blog to stay free of any petty or spiteful conversation. I think that it's a problem today for people to talk too much about things that bother them. Personal problems ar...
Posted by Garrett on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST

The Beginning

This blog is going to be a repository for all of the thoughts that may occur to me during the day that I wish to record for anyone that happens to stop by. I suspect that I'll be discussing anything ...
Posted by Garrett on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST