GRAMMY AWARD WINNING PIANIST DANILO PEREZ TO PERFORM

IN ROCKPORT ON FEBRUARY 10

Concert to benefit the North Shore Jazz Project

 Grammy award winning artist Danilo Pérez is bringing his distinctive blend of Pan-American jazz to the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport on this Friday, February 10. The event is a fundraiser for the North Shore Jazz Project. Perez’s music has attracted critical acclaim and loyal audiences around the world.  As a bandleader and performer, Perez earned three Grammy nominations and scored two Grammy Awards.

The North Shore Jazz Project (NSJP) All-Stars will open the show.  The All Stars consist of some of the best jazz players from the North Shore, led by educator and bandleader Michael Tucker. Tucker is a graduate of Danvers High, Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory.  Musicians come from towns including Rockport, Ipswich and Georgetown.

  

“We are very excited about this artistic collaboration between Danilo Perez and the North Shore Jazz Project,” said Henry Ferrini, resident of Gloucester and cofounder of the NSJP. “Mr. Perez is a personification of the NSJP’s mission.  Throughout his career he has been an active participant in creating an environment where jazz performance, education and appreciation can flourish.” 

Event details: February 10, Shalin Liu Performance Center, Rockport, MA, 8 PM. Ticket prices: $25, $30, $35. Buy online at http://www.rcmf.org/tickets.html or call 978.546.7391.  

For more info on the North Shore Jazz Project please visit http://northshorejazzproject.org/

Submitted by Terry Webber.

Hey Joey!

Just wanted to spread the word on my Facebook contest for my Web-store Driscoll’s Jewelry and Gifts. We use Amazon as our web-store so people have a trusted source that protects them and their purchases. The contest is a free entry on Facebook for a set of His and Her Silver Claddagh Rings retailed at around $150.00. The only requirement to qualify is that the entrants let the contest post that they entered. We will be checking the winners facebook page to make sure it is there, or that they shared our page.  Drawing ends Feb 12th and winner will be drawn on Feb 13th.  Here is the link to the Facebook Entry Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Driscolls-Jewelry-Gifts/367978363216632?sk=app_28134323652 

And here is the link to our Amazon listings and categories: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_jewelry?_encoding=UTF8&node=3367581&field-brandtextbin=Driscoll%27s%20Jewelry%20%26%20Gifts 

Thanks! 

Daniel Driscoll

Over the past year I’ve been updating you on my adventures in independent publishing. This past year closed for me with extraordinary sales figures. I went from 1,000 books sold in 2010 to 20,000 in 2011 (combined print and e-book totals). So far in January I am over 9,000 sales and, for the first time in my life, am earning more in royalties than I am from my business.

I thought maybe your readers would be interested in learning more about Amazon’s new “Select” program which they introduced in December. Authors who enroll books in Select agree to give Kindle an exclusive listing for 90 days. During that time their books can be “borrowed” by Amazon Prime members and the author is paid for every borrow. In addition the author has the option to promote their book by offering it for free for up to 5 days which allows readers to download the book at no cost thus increasing the books visibility in rankings and hopefully garnering more reviews. I have enrolled 4 of my 15 titles in Select and, let me tell you, the free promos have really boosted sales once the book returns to its regular price!

In February I’m offering two more free promos. From Feb. 12-14^th, my collection of 8 love stories, My Last Romance and other passions will be free and from Feb. 18-20^th (Mardi Gras), my collection of 3 love stories, Mardi Gras Was Over will aloe be free.

This is an exciting time in digital publishing. eBook readers are being sold at an average of 1 million a week! Amazon now sells many times more eBooks than paper books and many books, particularly main-stream and genre novels, are no longer being offered in print! I’m always happy to offer advice and share my experiences with anyone who is contemplating e-publishing. Thanks so much for your great blog!

The lowest ebb is the turn of the tide.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

When I went out to go to an early doctor’s appointment this morning, my Annie van wouldn’t start.  I opened the hood and pulled out my handy car starter, which usually does the trick.  As I was hooking it up, a Knight in a white van pulled up and asked if I needed help.  I tried starting her with the starter – nothing.  He pulled his van up in front of mine and pulled out one of those battery reading gadgets and tested the battery, which was nearly dead, and then gave me a jumpstart, which worked and got me on the road in time.  The Knight’s name is Oliver and he is a landscaper that does work around Annisquam.  I owe him a debt of gratitude, and it was just one more reinforcement of how incredibly kind people are on Cape Ann.  Thanks so much Oliver. 

The picture is one of my new glass paintings, and since it is a flower and he is a landscaper, I thought it would work since I didn’t have my camera to capture him jumpstarting my old girl. 

E.J. Lefavour

www.khanstudiointernational.com

“There’s Always Next Year!”

 

When I was younger and rocking my new born son Salvatore, while watching the Up’s and Down’s of the 1986 World Series and seeing the Sox Lose was at that time devastating. People at work were walking around like zombies because of all the late night games. But, When you get a little older. You realize that it’s only a game. These athletes will get over it. Give them a week. They have been treated like Royalty since they were in the High School sports programs. When we lived in New Hampshire (I’m not saying which Town, just in case we move back next year) The sports athletes had special privileges. Parking spaces, tutoring, etc, etc.  The Patriots will get over it. Brady will head back to NYC with his Model Wife. Belichick will head back to the Cape to go fishing. The rest of the team will have their golf Vacations. Life goes on. Take a day to get over it and move on. There are more important things in Life.

Go Bruins!

The Tsiu River (pronounced sigh-you) is essentially a gravel rich drainage for a number of streams, creeks and ponds combining to form a flood plain channel of about five miles in length that empties into the Gulf of Alaska some 100 miles east of Cordova. The upper headwaters in the Yakataga State Game Refuge at the foot hills of the Wrangell Range provide for some of the very best silver salmon (aka. Coho) spawning habitat to be found anywhere in Alaska and for this reason it is the best silver salmon fishery in the state.
Read the whole story by Capt Skip Montello in the February 2012 edition of On The Water magazine.
Also catch Skip’s monthly Cape Ann to the NH border  "Fishing Planner Column" beginning in the April edition and running through October.

North Coast Angler www.northcoastangler.com

Skip Montello Photos www.skipmontellophotos.com

I’ll admit when I’m wrong. The Madonna half time show wad much better than I expected. That being said. If you gave the acts I highlighted earlier the same stage and effects it would have been great as well.

So there you go.

Sigh

http://www.goodmorninggloucester.com

Dreams of Flight

 

About 64 years ago, I got my first two – wheeler.

It had been junked by its prior owner and my eagle eyed

father thought it would fill the bill. He was right, but he didn’t know

that for many years that bike would trigger my dreams of flight.

 

For the few years I had that rusty wreck that had marginal

brakes and a seat that twisted and pointed as I leaned my body

into high speed turns, tricky maneuvers and sneaker sole stops,

it not only served as my principal means of transportation,

it was also my plane which, after achieving sufficient ground speed,

I could lift into the air by pulling back on the handlebars.

 

Landings were always fun. I would identify the edge of

the runway some distance off and slowly descend until the

wheels touched the earth to begin the bumpy taxi to

the hangar. While other kids my age had their motorcycles and trucks,

I had my small light plane, just like the ones we watched dust the crops.

 

Long after the bike was gone, I repeatedly dreamed of flight.

If I ran fast enough and spread my arms, I could lift off

and fly over the neighborhood, without need of plane or wings,

but when I awoke, I’d always remember that old bike.

 

I hadn’t had flying dreams in many years, but when we moved here

to Gloucester and watching seagulls launch, and gain altitude, soar

into the clouds and land, became part of my daily routine; and

since I believe, no matter what others may think , that the gulls

feel joy and pride when they fly, I, now, nearing 70 years,

once again dream of flight.

 

Marty Luster

 

Another wonderful photo taken by Charlie Carroll of Capt. Joe & Sons.  It was shot was a Canon EF 24-105mm, IS L Series set to 50mm @ f7.1 – 250/sec and the ISO was set to 160.  Check out his viewbook at http://seasquared.viewbook.com/ to see his new February photo collection. 

Don’t we just live in the most beautiful place surrounded by the most creative and talented people!

E.J. Lefavour

Biggest Stage In The Universe.

You Can Book Anyone.

Who Do You Book?

Here’s My Picks-

Why Ya Got?

launching day!

From NBC Connecticut-

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind for Dr. Terry Oder.

Oder, of West Hartford, was at the AFC Championship game between the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots with friends Jan. 22, when he became a part of sports history. He caught the football kicked by Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff, after the ball sailed left, missing the uprights and landing in the stands. A field goal would have tied the game, sending it to overtime. Instead, the miss sent the Patriots to the Super Bowl.

Oder held onto the treasured ball until Saturday, when he presented it to Patriots owner Robert Kraft in Indianapolis, the site of Super Bowl XLVI.

"It’s very kind of the good doctor to be donating it to us," Kraft said. "This will go in our Hall of Fame."

The Patriots owner rewarded Oder and two of his friends with prime seats at Sunday’s Super Bowl in Indianapolis.

The Patriots owner rewarded Oder and two of his friends with prime seats at Sunday’s Super Bowl in Indianapolis.

Catching that ball in the AFC Championship was no accident, Oder feels. One of his best friends and fellow Patriots fan, Aran Patrican, died heart infection two weeks before the AFC Championship. While Patrican couldn’t be at the game with him, Oder feels he was definitely there is spirit.

"That’s what makes me think this was some type of divine intervention, because he was a prankster before he was a police officer. So it would be just like him to do something like make the ball miss the uprights and land in our hands," Oder said. "I can’t help but also think that the spirit of Myra Kraft was involved."

The whole story here