I woke up this morning, and my kids ran in and jumped on my bed and presented me with framed photos for my office.
Then my wife came in and gave me chocolates.
This was all terribly unfair, as I don't approve of Valentine's Day at all. And now I had to feel guilty about not having bought anything for anybody else.
Well, I stopped at Borders on the way in to work and decided to pick up some music. But...what music to buy? A Wiggles CD for the kids? An ancient Grateful Dead live recording for the wife? I don't think so....
You see, I have a (rather convenient) theory about gift giving. The most meaningful gifts are those that you would have enjoyed receiving yourself. So, what did I buy?
My wife got Cassandra Wilson's "Thunderbird", which is playing right now. I adore Cassandra Wilson (and my wife does too! So this isn't totally selfish), and this album seems really interesting. I'm enjoying at alot. Even if it seems to have a lot of pop-y rhythms going. I think it's more immediately likeable than "Belly of the Sun", or "Travelling Miles", although I've come to love both of those.
My four year old (who loves the guitar) got Tommy Emmanuel's new CD, "The Mystery." He started listening to it, and got the biggest smile on his face. Of course, I did as well. Seriously, I couldn't work out what was better - the music, the smile on Noah's face, or just how sweet Tommy's guitar sounded over my system!
My two year old developed a passion for Ray Charles at a young age. Well...not really Ray Charles. He just decided that "Hit the Road Jack" is the coolest song in the world. So I got him John Scofield's CD, playing "The Music of Ray Charles." When "Baby What'd I Say" started playing, both my boys jumped down from the dinner table and started dancing away in the living room. That was cool.
Anyway - my self-serving gift-giving ploy seems to have worked this time. I think everybody is satisfied.
Oh - Borders was having a "buy three, get one free" sale on CDs. So, I got myself a disc thrown in for free! I haven't had a chance to listen though - Kenny Garrett, "Beyond the Wall." I love Kenny Garrett,and this disc has been very warmly received, with some claiming it finally fulfills the promise that Garrett has shown to produce a truly great album. That one might have to wait for a day or two, though.
Chad
