Ride on an LIRR C3 train from Bridgehampton to Southampton

Ride on a LIRR C3 train from Amagansett to East Hampton

RFW ride on a NYCTA R32 C train from 81st St Museum of Natural History t...

RFW ride on a NYCTA R32 C train from Chambers St to Fulton Center

April 2015 LIRR action at Babylon

March 2015 LIRR action at Massapequa

RFW ride on a NYCTA R32 C train from 42nd Street to 34th Street Penn S...

NYC Subway action at 59th Street Columbus Circle

Arriving at Bridgeport station on an Amtrak Vermonter train

Passing through New Rochelle on an Amtrak Vermonter train

My thoughts on Louis Armstrong

This is my first Blog post on music.

When anybody thinks about jazz, they usually think about Louis Armstrong.   I mean, the man changed an entire genre of music and helped usher in the Swing era.  His contributions to popular music were enormous, he cut many hit records, had a distinctive voice and of course many people loved him.  He broke down many racial barriers and influenced an entire generation of musicians. 

My opinions on him well, I still acknowledge the many contributions he made in his life.  I enjoy many of his early recordings as well as few of his hit recordings later in life, but I have a hard time enjoying much of his later output.  Maybe because I think it is too commercial or his playing is not what it used to be.  Maybe its because I think life of a world famous entertainer is that of a soulless one or maybe my tastes were different, I don't know.  Maybe I just don't care much about stuff that is overly-commercial.

My opinions on some of his writing on the other hand, well he sounded like a had a bone or two to pick with some people.  In some of them, his recollections about Freddie Keppard (a jazz cornetist I've taken an interest to in recent years) were just rather damning to me.  His recollections of Keppard being egotistical and being a 'fancy' player seems in contrast to the praise he gave to other New Orleans jazz musicians.  It is almost as if he is sweeping Keppard aside despite the fact that Freddie Keppard was in fact a very important cornetist in early jazz.  I'm sorry but I know he may have had a bad experience with him once but I think Armstrong's uncharacteristic negativity is kind of disheartening for me.  To me it almost sounds like he's starting to sweep Keppard under a rug, which I think is wrong.

As of recent years my interest in Louis Armstong has waned.  I still listen to his music once in a while but not as much as I used to.  I think that his style of playing is too widely copied to be special to me.  If I wanted to become a jazz player, I would like to find my own voice rather than copy somebody's playing.

RFW ride on a NYCTA R32 C train from Jay St Metrotech to High St Brookly...

Ride on an R68 D train from 20th Ave to 62nd St

Passing through Whitepot Junction on an M7 train

October 2014 LIRR Massapequa action

A Times Square-bound NYCTA R62A train at 46th St-Bliss St

A Times Square-bound NYCTA R188 departing 46th St-Bliss St station

Passing through Mamaroneck on a MNRR M4 train at speed on the NEC

Ride on a MNRR M2 train on the Park Ave Viaduct

A NYCTA R160 train departing Queensboro Plaza

Ride on a R142 train from Jackson Ave to 3rd Ave 149th St

Ride on an M7 from Baldwin to Rockville Centre

August 2014 LIRR action at Massapequa

Hi bloggers!

Hello fellow blog posters!  It turns out I'm going on a week hiatus with posting videos.  I usually do this during the summer due to lower viewership.  The next video is going to be some LIRR videos (which I haven't done in about 2 months).  Nothing really much is going on lately.  I went to the city last week.  I checked the progress on Second Ave subway construction and it appears to be going steadily.  I went out to the Rockaways long ride out there.  Had dinner at Penn station and went home.  I'm planning to go to Philadelphia this weekend, some of the itinerary is still up in the air at the moment.  I'm hoping to have a productive month so stay tuned!

Ride on a Metro North M8 train from Rowayton to Noroton Heights

Ride on a Metro North M8 from Fairfield to Southport

Ride on an Amtrak Regional train from Fairfield Metro to Bridgeport

Ride on Amtrak Regional on the NEC north of New Rochelle

A RFW Ride on a NYCTA R32 C train from Spring St to Canal St

A NYCTA R142 train at 96th Street

A ride on a NJT Comet V train from Mt Tabor to Denville

A Ride on a NJT Comet V train from Morristown to Morris Plains

100th video:RFW ride on an NYCTA R32 train from West 4th St to 23rd St

NYC Subway action at Fulton St

A Ride on the LIRR Montauk Branch in Eastern Queens

June 2014 LIRR Action at Massapequa

Ride on New Orleans Trolley car 850 at the Shore Line Trolley Museum

Ride on Union Rwy 316 at the Shore Line trolley museum

Hi fellow blog viewers!  I'm sorry I haven't posted for the past two months, winter tends to be rough on me.  This past month especially because of the extreme cold!  It's is snowing outside as I'm typing.  Now that it is March,  maybe I will have more to post besides train videos.  I'm in a bit of a lean period with my train videos due to a shortage of material but more videos will be posted I promise.  Spring is just around the corner and St Patrick's Day and Easter is coming up!  Can't wait for improved weather so I can exercise more! 

See ya soon!

Two Rides over the LIRR Shinnecock Canal Bridge

Eastbound LIRR M7 train passing the 60th Road pedestrian overpass

World's Fair minature train at the Railroad Museum of Long Island

An LIRR M7 train arriving at Mineola

June 2014 LIRR Action at Babylon Part 2

June 2014 LIRR Action at Babylon Part 1