Upcoming Music: Shai Linne, "Storiez"

The release date for new album from Shai Linne has been bumped back to November 18th.

Check out this preview:



Shai's most recent project, The Atonement, has been on heavy rotation for me since it first came out. Well, that's an understatement. I've played it for everyone who's ridden in my car for the past 6 months.

NoiseTrade: Synthar

a SWEET new service called NOISETRADE found this album for me by SYNTHAR. I love it.http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

Brian Blade Fellowship

Check out this live show by the Brian Blade Fellowship, live at the Village Vanguard.

It's very accessible jazz, which dips toward the movie soundtrack sound, in a good way.

Save Money! Slow Down!

CNN says:

In a typical family sedan, every 10 miles per hour you drive over 60 is like the price of gasoline going up about 54 cents a gallon.

Read the whole thing here.

The new ESV Study Bible is "Filthy and Sick"

You have to read the whole thing to understand.

ht: jt

Word Link Fun

Black
Photos and Shorpy
Crazy

Submit Nominations!

I'm going to be posting a list of best BOOKS and MUSIC from 2007.

What should be on it?

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like

An updated post from last year with help from BCL.


On The Prowl for new Christmas Albums?

The classic albums to own are Charlie Brown Christmas, Nat King Cole Christmas, The Carpenters, and (maybe it's just me) Mannheim Steamroller. (In the interest of full disclosure, I grew up in rural Nebraska and saw "the 'mroller" live in concert at least twice.)

In the jazz world, Wynton Marsalis' album is great, while Cyrus Chestnut wins the award for coolest Christian solo piano album. I love it. This Warner brothers album has a lot of modern giants (and is worth the hard effort to track down a copy), but for pure class, you've got to hear the Ellington Nutcracker.

In the gospel world, you might know Israel Houghton's album, but you should really check out Broadway Inspirational Voices for that awesome choir sound. Wowsers. Worship pastors should get the sheet music and do some of the songs, and pianists should go to school on the album.

Let's talk rock. My favorite is Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb. SOO good. Also, Songs for Christmas (Sufjan Stevens) and O Holy Night by Duvall (featuring WORLD-CLASS keyboard parts.

Also, you should really hear Bob Kauflin's album Savior. It's really great.

Piano Heroes

A lot of you know that I play the keyboards. Here's some of my heroes.

Billy Preston


Richard Tee - solo starts at 3:10


Kenny Kirkland. Played with Wynton and Sting. This is him jazzing through Giant Steps, but his pop solos on "Bring on the Night" and "La Belle Sans Regrets" are my favorites.


Stevie Wonder.


Bruce Hornsby


Brad Mehldau - favorite living pianist.


John Medeski


PJ Morgan


Other favorites are Fernando Ortega, Herman Jackson, Johnny Costa (from Mr. Rogers), Josh Eckburg, Aaron Lindsay, Ken Boer, George Duke, Matt Rollings, and Jackson Berkely.

A Remedy is Coming

I'm assuming most of you already know about this . . . but the new Crowder album is coming. Looks tasty. Check the website for sounds.

O.K. Computer: 10 year tribute

A tribute album is available for download here. Get it while you can. It won't be up for long.

h.t. reformissionary

Current Reading and Listening

Summer Reading is officially in full swing! What are you reading? Here's my current list.

Reading:
1) just finished "The Devil and the White City" - a fun read about the world's fair in Chicago. Pretty spooky secondary story about a serial killer.
2) "Manhunt" - the story of John Wilkes Booth's assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the country's search for him immediatly afterward.

Listening:
CDs I got for my birthday:
1) Paul McCartney's "Memory Almost Full".
2) Allison Krauss's "A Hundred Miles or More".

Worship CDs
1) Jeremy Riddle's "Full Attention"
2) Brooke Frasier's "Albertine"

Resources for Fathers of boys

As you may or may not know, I am the father of two boys. Ethan turns five tomorrow, and Owen turns three in early August. Our third son, Levi, is due to be born in three weeks.

Life is an adventure. A big climbing, tumbling, wrestling, yelling, diving adventure. For a specific example, you can read my greatest blogpost ever: 8 minute segments.

I have found a few resources that have helped me as a father of boys, and now I pass them to you.

1) Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood: This bio DVD was very inspiring, but these television shows were sooo important to me as a kid. For example, I play jazz piano because of this TV show. It's true.

2) C.S. Lewis' letters to Children: Lewis is a genius at speaking truthfully and respectfully to children at the same time. Whenever I find myself dealing with my boys in anger, I try to think of the tone of this book.

3) Dangerous Book for Boys: this is a new book that I bought last night on Al Mohler's recommendation. A quick read through shows the chapter on dinosaurs will need some explaining, but I don't mind.

4) Raising Children Who Hope in the Triumph of God: John Piper's ministry has been huge in my personal life, and this series of sermons on parenting were very influencial. The sermons include:

• Will the Next Generation Know? Judges 2:6-14

• Educating for Hope, Psalm 78:1-8

• Fathers Who Give Hope, Colossians 3:21

• He Must Manage His Household Well, 1 Timothy 3:4-5

• Raising Children Who Hope in the Triumph of God, Ephesians 6:4

• Do Not Forsake Your Mother's Teaching, Proverbs 1:7-9

• Raising Children Who Are Confident in God, Psalm 78:1-8

• One Generation Shall Praise Your Works to Another, Psalm 145:4

Also, these broadcasts Dr. Piper did through Family Life Today were great. Here's a quote.

5) Seven Words to Change Your Family: Although, to be honest I've never read the book. :-p I did hear the sermons. He is such a part of my DNA, I don't even know when I'm quoting Pastor James anymore.

6) Show Yourself a Man: Southern Baptist Seminary's newsletter has great articles by Al Mohler and Randy Stinson.

7) Awesome God: Rock music from Sovereign Grace's songwriters. We don't do a lot of kids' songs in our house at my wife's request, but this one passed the test. So did this gospel DVD. Otherwise, the kids listen to my music: Redman, U2, Keane, Brad Mehldau, MMW.

Suggested Worship Books

I just taught a seminar on worship resources, and passed out the following list to about 40 worship leaders and church folks at our Harvest University. Any I should add for next time?

Books on Worship

Bennett, Arthur. Valley of Vision. Banner of Truth, 1983

Carson, D.A. (ed.). Worship: Adoration and Action. Baker Book House, 1994

Engle, Paul (ed.) Exploring the Worship Spectrum: 6 views Zondervan, 2004

Frame, John M. Worship in Spirit and Truth. P & R, 1996

Kendrick, Graham. Worship. Kingsway Communications, 1984

Longman, Tremper III Immanuel in Our Place: Seeing Christ in Israel's Worship (The Gospel According to the Old Testament). P & R Press, 2001

Mahaney, C.J. Humility. Crossway, 2005

Noland, Rory. Heart of the Artist, The. Zondervan, 1999

Page, Nick. And Now Let's Move Into a Time of Nonsense: Why Worship Songs are Failing the Church. Authentic Media, 2005

Peterson, David. Engaging With God: A Biblical Theology of Worship. Intervarsity Press, 2002

Piper, John. Desiring God (3rd Ed.). Multnomah Publishers Inc, 2003 (chpt. 3 especially)

Redman, Matt. The Unquenchable Worshipper: Coming Back to the Heart of Worship. Regal Books, 2001

____________. Facedown. Regal Books 2004

Ross, Allen P. Recalling The Hope of Glory: Biblical Worship from the Garden to the New Creation. Kregel, 2006

Tozer, AW. Whatever Happened to Worship. Christian Pubns, 1985

Current Intake

First, MY TURN:

Reading: Allen Ross "Recalling the Hope of Glory"

Listening: Jason Gray "All The Lovely Losers"

Watching: Branford Marsalis Quartet "Coltrane's A Love Supreme"

Bible-ing: Finished Lamentations this week. Now starting 1 and 2 Samuel.

Next, YOUR TURN: Four categories: Reading/Listening/Watching/Bible-ing

A Question of Good Taste

Warning: Bad Joke Approaching!

Did you hear that "Snap", "Crackle" and "Pop" were murdered?

The police think it was a cereal killer.

You have got to try this cereal sometime. It's SO tasty. Tasty. Tasty.

I remember reading a book where the author described a dark time in his life. He was questioning his faith. He was questioning the meaning of the universe.

Then he bit into a Chic-Fil-a chicken sandwich.

And he knew that there was a God. And he knew that God was GOOD.

I'm telling you, that's crazy. And there's something really helpful in it as well. Can you think about the things in life that are GOOD? And I'm not talking about "Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels."

I'm talking about things that reveal God to you. John Piper writes that things can either RIVAL God, or REVEAL God. I think that's very helpful.

Here's your goal today: every time you see something that's beautiful; every time you taste something delicious; every time you feel something wonderful...

Say to yourself "Thank-you, Lord."

Good Friday Meditation: The Sacrifice

Every year for Good Friday, I prepare my heart by reading this poem, by George Herbert. The spelling is from 1633, but the easily readable. Read these highlights, but click here to get the whole thing.

OH all ye, who passe by, whose eyes and minde
To worldly things are sharp, but to me blinde;
To me, who took eyes that I might you finde:
Was ever grief like mine?

Arise, arise, they come. Look how they runne!
Alas! what haste they make to be undone!
How with their lanterns do they seek the sunne!
Was ever grief like mine?

Judas, dost thou betray me with a kisse?
Canst thou finde hell about my lips? and misse
Of life, just at the gates of life and blisse?
Was ever grief like mine?

See, they lay hold on me, not with the hands
Of faith, but furie: yet at their commands
I suffer binding, who have loos’d their bands
Was ever grief like mine?

Some said, that I the Temple to the floore
In three dayes raz’d, and raised as before.
Why, he that built the world can do much more:
Was ever grief like mine?

Then they condemne me all with that same breath,
Which I do give them daily, unto death.
Thus Adam my first breathing rendereth:
Was ever grief like mine?

Why, Caesar is their onely King, not I:
He clave the stonie rock, when they were drie;
But surely not their hearts, as I well trie:
Was ever grief like mine?

Behold, they spit on me in scornfull wise,
Who by my spittle gave the blinde man eies,
Leaving his blindnesse to my enemies:
Was ever grief like mine?

My face they cover, though it be divine.
As Moses face was vailed, so is mine,
Lest on their double-dark souls either shine:
Was ever grief like mine?

The souldiers also spit upon that face,
Which Angels did desire to have the grace,
And Prophets, once to see, but found no place:
Was ever grief like mine?

O all ye who passe by, behold and see;
Man stole the fruit, but I must climbe the tree;
The tree of life to all, but onely me:
Was ever grief like mine?

Now heal thy self, Physician; now come down.
Alas! I did so, when I left my crown
And fathers smile for you, to feel his frown:
Was ever grief like mine?

In healing not my self, there doth consist
All that salvation, which ye now resist;
Your safetie in my sicknesse doth subsist:
Was ever grief like mine?

Betwixt two theeves I spend my utmost breath,
As he that for some robberie suffereth.
Alas! what have I stollen from you? Death.
Was ever grief like mine?

They give me vineger mingled with gall,
But more with malice: yet, when they did call,
With Manna, Angels food, I fed them all:
Was ever grief like mine?

Internet Resources

Do yourself a favor and spend two minutes each messing around with these two websites.

Ever try to send big files, but your email won't let you? Here's an easy answer I use about twice a week.

www.yousendit.com


Ever need blank staff paper? Wish you could find blank string quartet paper? With bar lines preprinted? Want 5 bars per staff, 3 staffs per system, 4 systems per page?

www.blanksheetmusic.net

New Believer Book Recommendations

In the comments section, please recommend ONE BOOK that you would give to a new believer (besides the bible). You may suggest more, if you'd like.

Then, please pick ONE BOOK that you would never give to a new believer.

No big essays required, people. But let's get a lot of participation on this one!

Harris and Warren converse on Atheism

There's a facinating article in Newsweek. It's a debate/conversation between Sam Harris (atheist) and Rick Warren (megachurch pastor).

Required [retro] reading.

Click there immediately.