Creating Musical Passion again

Please join me in the launch of my new jazz album for dreamers and lovers, "DreamCatcher".
The campaign runs until April 10, and you have an oppotunity to pre-order the new album, or get other cool rewards.
Remember: "Now is the new Later", so do it now!
Here is the promo video for the George Kahn Kickstarter campaign.

It features George on piano, with Alex Acuña on drums, Pat Kelley on guitar and David Hughes on bass. We are performing "I Feel Pretty" by Leonard Bernstein as it will be featured on the new album. Jonathan Brock and his team do a great job filming the session. I think you get a real sense of the joy and excitement we had recording that day. Watch it here, and then pledge at

 http://bit.ly/GeorgeKahnDreamCatcher

https://youtu.be/lUMNZkgUH1s

Passion Party #591 - Be Careful What You Wish For

About 25 years ago, when digital music streaming was in its infancy, I remember thinking "wouldn't it be great if someone created a 'universal jukebox' that had every song ever made on it, and you could just plug into it and listen to whatever you wanted whenever you wanted?"
Then about 15 years ago I remember asking the Recording Academy to set up a free listening platform so that Grammy members could actually HEAR the music they are supposed to vote for, rather than just vote based on the name of the artist or what record label the person recorded for. They told me at that time it could not be done because there was not one platform that all the companies could agree upon to use and the technology was beyond their ability.
Now the "universal Jukebox" has arrived. Actually we have many of them, from Spotify, Amazon, Apple, etc. And we don't need the Grammys to allow us to listen to whoever we want for free (or close to free).

But has this improved the quality of music? Or improved my ability to enjoy listening to music?

It has improved the QUANTITY of music out there, and the amount of time people are streaming music (the video of Old Town Road has now been viewed over 400 Million times).

But along the way the idea of liner notes, concept albums, the actual musician performing the music, album art and packaging, all have been lost to the pursuit of the single, the fast hit, the rush for "virality".

A 19-year old from the Netherlands known as YoungKio created the “Old Town Road” beat, incorporating a sample from the song “34 Ghosts IV” by rock legends Nine Inch Nails. Lil Nas X purchased the beat in 2018 for $30, which came with limited distribution rights. He crafted a lyric, crossing country music cliches with rap, opened it up for sharing on Tik Tok, and..whoa.

But as my music professor in college used to say, "It's interesting...but is it music?"

And Billie Eilish, the 17-year old nihilist Goth-Pop prodigy of Interscope Records, is up for a slew of Grammys. She just signed a $25 Million dollar deal for an Apple+ TV documentary. Today in the LA Times she is quoted saying "Last year was maybe the worst, I felt like I missed everything...I wasn't enjoying it and I lost all my friends."

Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.

Passion Party #590 - Warren Buffett, Dr. Oz, Joe Stumpf and 9 Things for the New Year

I love learning. And I love reading lists. So I love reading lists of what other people have learned.
These bits of knowledge do not transform my life. That is, unless I take them and make them part of my daily routine, so they become a habit.

Today is Rosh Hashanah, the start of a week of reflection and repentance. Here's my list of 9 Things for the New Year, culled from three pretty smart people, my business coach Joe Stumpf, Dr. Oz, and a word from Warren Buffett as well.

1) Create a morning ritual to get centered: Stretch, meditate, write, share
2) Stop eating by 8PM each night.  Start eating again after 8:00 AM the next morning
3) Get enough sleep (7-8 hours night)
4) If you feel lonely, pick up the phone and call a friend.  If your friend is not available, make a new one! 
5) Reduce calories to lose weight.  exercise to build strength and stamina, not to lose weight.
6) Have a Date Night with your significant other at least 2 times a month
7) Spend at least 5 hours each week learning something new
8) Always have a project you are passionate about to work on.
9) Give more than you get, every day!

Have a happy, healthy and blessed New Year!

Passion Party #589 - Competeition vs. "Rising Tide"

As I go through life I have many choices.

Every day, every minute I can choose the direction I want to take:

Go to work or go to the beach

Go to the gym or eat bon-bons in bed...

In a similar way I get to choose the people I surround myself with, my "tribe"

In my business there is a tribe called the Competition Tribe.  This tribe has leaders and followers, a few winners and many losers.  This tribe measures itself by the sales board, or perhaps how many push-ups you can do.  This is not a bad thing, but in a Competition Tribe there can only be one first place winner. If you come in second, you are a loser.

I have chosen to build a "Rising Tide" Tribe. This tribe has leaders and followers, but no winners or losers. The game we play is to get better at our craft each day, and bring others along with us so that everyone improves. The tribe measures itself by the quality of life we live, not by how many units sold this month.

Of course I still love to become better, smarter and stronger.  But the competition is only with myself. The question I ask is not "who can I conquer today?", it is "how can I improve the well-being of each person I plan to see today?"

Passion Party #588 - The End Of Romantic Militarism

"Romantic militarism" refers to a widespread, European intellectual phenomenon that made its appearance at the time of the French Revolution and carried through our two world wars, a belief that war was THE way to enforce justice. The only solution for the injustice in the world is a redemptive cataclysm that will bring total freedom and self-expression.

The fact that war brought enormous death, destruction and man-made disaster was secondary.

But after many conflicts the romance has been drained from war. We realize more and more that human life is precious, and the days of glorifying war are behind us.

Perhaps it is time to not only beat our swords into plow-shares, but to also change the traits that we value most. Glory, honor, per-eminence, manliness, heroism and other symptoms of excess testosterone can be downgraded.

Today I will focus more on communication, empathy, collaboration, vulnerability, intuition and patience. This is where I will find my romance.

Passion Party #587: Information Technology and De-Materialization

We have too much stuff.
One of my mantras whenever I go to a shopping mall is "I don't need anything.  I already have everything I need to live a full, rewarding life".
For all the complaints about the crazy time we live in, one thing that is taking place with younger people in particular is the lack of need to OWN things, and to BUY tangible objects.

The cubic yards of vynil that used to be my music collection gave way to cubic inches of compact discs and then to the "nothingness" of MP3s. The shelves full of newsprint and books has been replaced by an iPad.  Now we no longer need to buy the 40-odd consumer products that one "smart phone" contain (telephone, answering machine, phone book, camera, camcorder, tape recorder, radio, alarm clock, calculator, dictionary, calendar, encyclopedia, flashlight, fax, and compass, etc.).

Why buy a car, tools, a bicycle or even a house when you can affordably share these items with a click of your finger on an app?

We are creating a way to de-materialize the material world, and with it the possibility of a more free, more balanced life not so tied to the things we own, as to the experiences we have and the interactions we have with other people.

An Amazing Thing

An amazing thing happened today.  

A month after the release of my new Jazz Trio album, STRAIGHT AHEAD it is now #16 on the JazzWeek radio charts.  If you don’t have you copy yet, you can get it on Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/Straight-Ahead-Acu%C3%B1a-Medeiros-George/dp/B079HRL1XY

We have a CD RELEASE Celebration planned for Saturday April 28, and I’d love for you to join me.

George Kahn – Piano

Pat Kelley – Guitar (Pat is on the faculty at USC School of Music)

Lyman Medeiros – Bass (Lyman tours with Steve Tyrell and others)

Alex Acuna – Drums (this is a rare club appearance for one of the top percussion studio cats in town)

You can hear and see a sample of our music here:

https://georgekahntrio.com/

Herb Alpert's Vibrato Grill, Jazz, & Etc.
2930 Beverly Glen Circle, Los Angeles, CA 90077 
(310) 474-9400

Saturday April 28

Three sets: 6:30, 9:00 and 10:15 PM

No cover for the 6:30 dinner show; there is a $20 cover for the late shows

RSVPs for the early shows a must – we sold out last time we played here
For reservations, please call or make your reservation quickly and easily online by clicking HERE.  For parties of 7 or more please call the Vibrato front desk at  (310) 474-9400 during business hours of 5pm - 10pm to speak directly with a host. 

-George Kahn

To be removed from the music list, please reply with DELETE in the signature line

Passion Party #586 – What Is Your Mission? (The Journey So Far)

My creative mission has been to share my musical gifts with the world on the highest and most professional level and to create joy for others and myself.

1n 2016 I had an idea that it would be fun to record a music album in the classic Jazz Trio format (piano-bass-drums).  I called my two favorite musicians, Alex Acuña and Lyman Medeiros and they agreed to join the project. Alex is a legendary Latin percussionist and jazz drummer (you can hear him on the early Weather Report albums) and he has played on my records since 2003. Lyman is my first-call bass player.  I just love his sound and talent.

This album was a special journey. We began with 2 days in the studio in April 2017 with a video crew, recording and filming our live performance of 4 songs for YouTube videos.  A fifth video was created for a Kickstarter campaign.  We ran the Kickstarter last summer and successfully raised $10,000 (thanks to many of you!) to complete the project.

Then it was back into Clearlake Recording Studios to record eight more songs – mixing – mastering – photo shoots – artwork – package design – video slide shows – replication...

Finally, in January 2018 STRAIGHT AHEAD was complete.

Was it all worth it?

On March 19 the album was released on various music services (CDBaby, Amazon, iTunes, Spotify, etc.). Three weeks later the album hit #30 on the JazzWeek radio charts.  It is being played on 84 jazz stations across the US, as well as Jazz After Hours and Jazz Variations (syndicated jazz shows carried by 89 affiliates). At last count songs have been streamed on Spotify over 3000 times. 1,500 YouTube videos have been watched.

Was it worth it?  Hell Yes!

P.S. We have two CD Release gigs coming up in Los Angeles, and I hope you can join me.

SATURDAY 4/28/18 – VIBRATO, 6:30 – 11:15  GEORGE KAHN QUARTET

Three sets: 6:30, 9:00 and 10:15 PM

No Cover for the early show, $20 cover charge after 9:00 PM, plus $25 min per person RSVPs for the early shows a must - it sells out every time we play here

For reservations, please call or make your reservation quickly and easily online by  clicking HERE.  
Thursday 6/7/18 – CATALINA JAZZ CLUB HOLLYWOOD – 8:30 PM GEORGE KAHN TRIO
$25 cover charge, plus $20 min per person 

Click here for reservations

You just have to create!

The new album has been released, and is available today on Amazon.com, iTunes, CDBABY, Spotify, etc.

George Kahn, Alex Acuña and Lyman Medeiros featured this week on ALL ABOUT JAZZ.com

http://bit.ly/2FV5beu
Please enjoy the first video from the new album

The Music Never Stops

My good friend Alex Acuña once told me that his definition of retirement is just choosing which music gigs he wants to do, and turning down the rest.

The never-ending pursuit of passion, creativity and joy is what keeps me going and keeps me young.
With this in mind I have lined up four gigs over the next few months to celebrate the release of my new CD, STRAIGHT AHEAD.

I hope you can join me in celebration and love

1) Another Swinging Sat. Night 2/24

George is joined by Pat Kelley for a return engagement at Herb Alpert's Vibrato Grill, Jazz, & Etc. This is possibly THE premiere jazz club in Los Angeles now, great sound system, great lighting and great food.

- There is NO COVER CHARGE for the dinner set, $20 per person starting with the 9:00 PM  and 10:15 sets

- The band: George Kahn - piano, Pat Kelley - guitar, Jamey Tate - drums, David Hughes- Bass

Herb Alpert's Vibrato Grill, Jazz, & Etc.
2930 Beverly Glen Circle, Los Angeles, CA 90077
(310) 474-9400

Three sets: 6:30, 9:00 and 10:15 PM

RSVPs for the early shows a must - it sells out every time we play here
For reservations, please call or make your reservation quickly and easily online by  clicking HERE. 

2) Future Dates for the George Kahn Trio

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SATURDAY 4/28/18 – VIBRATO, 6:30 – 11:15  GEORGE KAHN QUARTET

Pat Kelley- guitar, Me – piano – Lyman Medeiros – bass, Alex Acuña – Drums 

Three sets: 6:30, 9:00 and 10:15 PM

No Cover for the early show, $20 cover charge after 9:00 PM, plus $25 min per person 

RSVPs for the early shows a must - it sells out every time we play here
For reservations, please call or make your reservation quickly and easily online by  clicking HERE. 

Thursday 6/7/18 – CATALINA JAZZ CLUB HOLLYWOOD – 8:30 PM

GEORGE KAHN TRIO

Lyman Medeiros – bass, Alex Acuña – Drums  

$25 cover charge, plus $20 min per person 

Click here for reservations

 

Pasion Party #585 - Be Thankful

Be Thankful  

These words from an unknown poet remind me to be thankful on Thanksgiving and all the other days, too.

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times, you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.
It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.
I love the thought that Thanksgiving is less of a meal and more of a mindset. May your Thanksgiving be filled with friends, family, love and all that is important to you.

All love,
George Kahn

Passion Party #582 - Avinu Maleinu Part 2

Accepting the premise that there is some God-like entity or energy to pray to, the Avinu Malkeinu prayer from the Jewish New Year is really a series of requests from the congregation to "Our Father, Our King".

In a nutshell, we are saying, "I have screwed up this year; have compassion God, let me try again for another year."  It is made up of 15 short statements, almost all of them requests:

1) a statement that there is a God

2) a request, prefaced by "for Your sake" asking for mercy.

This presents an interesting relationship between the believer and God. It is in God's benefit to show me mercy because I believe in him.  If I am not shown mercy, who will believe in God?  Who will be left to do God's will?

3) a request for healing of the sick (this is one of the few requests that is not "all about me".)

4) a request to remove the decree against me

5) a request to be inscribed in the Book of Life

6) a request for God to remember our good deeds

7) like #2, a request to save us "for Your sake".

8) a request to be heard

9) a statement that we have sinned

10) a request for compassion for us and our family

11) a request to end sickness, violence and hunger (finally not just for me and my family)

12) a request to end the reign of those that cause pain and terror

13) a request to be entered in the Book of Goodness

14) a request for a year of goodness

15) finally, a request for an answer to the prayer, to be saved through acts of justice and love.

Like so many prayers that I learned in Hebrew School, this one feels somewhat misguided.  It does gratefully move for centering on "all about me", finally requesting things for the greater good (from "me" to "us" to "everyone").

I have come to believe that requesting specific action from God or the Universe is a waste of time.  The Universe just is.

The best we can do is fit into the positive flow of energy and avoid the negative.

So my prayer is, "What can I do today to better serve Your will?  Relieve me of the bondage of self. Show me what acts of justice and love I can do now so that I can better serve Your will and Your way of life.  Your will, not mine, be done."

Passion Party #584 - Income/Expense - Part 1

It's been about a year and a half now that my wife and I have talked about creating a budget.

Budget is such a dirty word
For me it has elements of shame and discomfort built into its definition

It has been easier for me to make more money rather than look at how I spend it.
But that time is over.  It's time to pull the curtain back and see what the Wizard of Oz really looks like.

Why is this important?
Its about getting clarity
and focus
and removing the weight of worry and doubt
It will give me a purpose as to what I am working for
or not working for
It will give me a clear path to work from/off of

My argument against getting this clarity was that my income fluctuates so much each year, how can I ever really predict the future?
But then I realized that it is not about predicting the future
It is about looking at the past and seeing where the money went, not where it is coming from.
The budget will create itself
once I have clarity on how I spend my money.
The budget will allow me to make choices.

Right now it is just about clarity
Putting my expenses into categories
filling in the pieces of the puzzle
with no judgement - it is what it is.
The income/expense comes later.

Passion Party #583 - Every Day

I found this poem in the Prayer Book for Yom Kippur at our Temple:

Prayer - by Marie Howe

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Every day I want to speak with you. And every day something more important

calls for my attention - the drugstore, the beauty products, the luggage

I need to buy for the trip.

Even now I can hardly sit here

among the falling piles of paper and clothing, the garbage trucks outside

already screeching and banging.

The mystics say you are as close as my own breath.

Why do I flee from you?

My days and nights pour through me like complaints

and become a story I forgot to tell.

Help me. Even as I write these words I am planning

to rise from the chair as soon as I finish this sentence.

Passion Party #581 - Avinu Malkeinu Part 1

One of the prayers we say during the Jewish New Year is Avinu Malkeinu.  The literal translation is "Our Father, Our King."  It is often interpreted as "Almighty and Merciful."
The metaphor is saying that God is a judging, commanding and awe-inspiring Sovereign, and at the same time is a loving, compassionate parent.

She could wipe us all out with a look in the eye, but instead chooses to guide us through our foibles with mercy and compassion.

The first question that comes to mind is: Do I believe that an "Almighty and merciful God" exists?  Do I believe that there is some one, or some force, guiding the universe and acting in some way that directly relates to this speck of dust we call "earth" and its inhabitants? Do I believe that somehow the floods, hurricanes and earthquakes we are currently experiencing have some kind of Divine cause, and somehow in all this devastation there is mercy and compassion?

Logic tells me this does not make sense.

But my belief and faith says that, yes, there is a chance that in our inter-connected universe there may be an energy guiding our better human intentions.  Between the "I am That" and the "That I am" I am somehow connected to something greater than myself.

My Sea of Faith is almost gone, but I still have hope.

Passion Party #580 - Farm To Table

I am blessed to live in Los Angeles
the land of pleasant weather
the place where almost any day of the week there is a Farmer's Market within a 7-mile radius of my home
the home of celebrity chefs that create restaurant "experiences" that cost $250 per person (not including wine).
But who needs a chef when you have a back yard?
This year I started a new vegetable garden in the back yard and filled it with tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, zucchini and more tomatoes.
Now with June coming to an end the harvest has begun, and the dinners become more and more amazing.
Last night may have been a pinnacle of gastronomic happiness.

• Diana's cauliflower soup with farmers market potatoes, carrots and celery
• fresh off the vine sliced cucumber
• fresh sliced Cherokee Purple tomato, drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper
• steamed rainbow Swiss Chard
• grilled lemon-pepper turkey thighs (cooked on the backyard BBQ)

Instagram photos would not do it justice, so we did not take any.  But here's the garden this morning:

Passion Party #579 - Purpose Vs. Passion

There is a lot of fear going around.  I feel it.

I see it in the news. I hear it from my friends.

At times like this I feel a need to rise above, to filter out the noise.

I am lucky.  I found a job that I love, a job that lets me help people get to their goals, a job that relates to my purpose in life. 

I love to use my talents to inspire others and help them build a better life, whether it is through banking or music or education.

Some people are not so lucky.  They struggle to find their purpose in life.  They may feel lost, or on a treadmill, not really living - just existing day to day.

"Finding Your Purpose In Life" can be a drag.  It can feel like another chore.  Why bother?

Better to find the passion in your life.  What lights your fire? What makes you want to wake up in the morning?  If money were no object, what would you do today?

Even here the answer may not be so obvious.  It might not be the first thought that comes to mind. But do it, take action, see how it feels.  Can you wear this comfortably?

When you find your Passion, your Purpose will follow close behind.

Passion Party #578 - Context Vs. Content

Most people want the short answer, the quick fix.  "Just tell me what to do and I'll do it".

They think if you give them the answer, they will know the question. But just like Carnac The Magnificent (OK kids - Google it) the answer might lead to the wrong question.

There are hundreds, probably thousands of books and articles about how to be a positive person - the power of positive thinking, etc.  The steps of "How  to" are easy and simple, virtually anyone can really do them.  The "What to do" is a short list, nothing to it.

But before we get to the content of any discussion, it is important to set the context.  The "Why" is the key.  The "what's important about being a positive person, to you?" must be explored.  Otherwise it is just another feel-good pamphlet sitting in that stack at the edge of your desk; another book of affirmations that you never open.

Context is set by asking probing questions, giving examples, analyzing what actually changed in people's lives and what triggered the change.  Change is the one constant in life, and change is hard.  It is so much easier to stay in the status quo, to accept that, maybe, life sucks a large percentage of the time.

Or maybe - when we have established the context of Positivity, the How and What will become not only easy, but will make sense and be worth pursuing.

Passion Party #577 - The Land Of Distraction

The world is a distraction
from what's important.
Infuriating, frustrating and confusing.

Time to get back to what I love,
what is important to me.
Time to get back to
why I get up every day.

To share my love
to share my knowledge
to share my joy
to share my abumdance
to PLAY BIG.

To show the world that this is not a zero-sum game.
We do continue to grow
We do continue to learn
We do continue to prosper
when we place ourselves in the stream of abundance
and live in faith instead of fear.

Do What You Love, and then Do More of What You Love

I am so excited to start 2017 with a new project.  This trio will bring the schwing, for sure.  If you are in the Los Angeles area, I hope you can join me in Studio City later this month

George Kahn - Piano

Alex Acuna - drums

Lyman Medeiros - Bass

One night only, Sunday 2/26

8:00 - 10:00 PM

Vitellos E Spot Lounge in Studio City

$15 cover, plus minimum

MAKE RESERVATIONS HERE!