Since my last two posts were about cocktails I thought I would share a new rye that I recently discovered. I stumbled upon a bottle of Sagamore Spirit at Binny’s here in Peoria. My wife knows when I walk into Binny’s I won’t be walking out without a bottle of whiskey. With a huge selection and growing popularity of whiskey, it can be very hard to choose a new bottle. One of the main (and irrational) reasons I was attracted to this particular bottle was because of the name. Being a history buff, It reminded me of Theodore Roosevelt’s retreat that he had built in Cove Neck, New York, which he promptly named “Sagamore Hill.” Sagamore is the Algonquin word for chieftain and I can honestly tell you I didn't even have to look that up! 

Sagamore Spirit is a distillery out of Baltimore, Maryland of all places, and seems to specialize in rye, and you know that's just fine with me. The specific bottle that I ended up buying was the “Cognac Finish” variety, so I assumed it would be a smooth rye that most of my guests would enjoy. My own bias usually gravitates towards Kentucky based spirits, but this was a cool looking bottle with a great name. Oh, and I forgot to mention that it had a tag stating it received 98 points and won Double Gold at the Denver International Spirits Competition. I was sold again by beautiful packaging and clever marketing, and I’m happy I was.

This is a $70 bottle, but it was definitely worth it. The distillery’s website will tell you that this rye has notes of apple, vanilla, and brown sugar. I’ll simply tell you that it’s smooth as hell. Rye is typically harder for people to sip on because of its bold, spicy flavors, but this stuff is so damn smooth that I would be comfortable recommending it to any beginner. Just don't let me find out you’re using it for any sort of mixed drink. If you’re looking for a nice bottle of sipping rye, then look no further. This is perfect served neat, but if you prefer it on the rocks, make sure you use a big ice cube so it doesn't water down the incredible flavor. Enjoy!

Well I think it's time I change things up a bit and leave jazz out of this one, sort of. As much love as I have for Jazz and all the old standards, there’s one band who has been my favorite since I was a little kid. I listen to them almost daily and if you think I’m kidding you can just ask my wife. In 1975 Nick Mason, Richard Wright, Roger Waters, and David Gilmour performed my favorite, and one of the most prolific and majestic songs of all time. I know this is a very bold statement coming from a music lover who has many “favorite” songs,” but this one stands apart from all the rest. The thirteen and a half minute song is called “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)” (Click on the song to listen to it on youtube). It’s a song paying tribute towards the band’s founding member, Syd Barret, who had been removed from the band due to his deteriorating mental health and drug dependencies. 

If you haven’t already figured out that it was Pink Floyd who composed this masterpiece, it’s because I didn’t want your bias to keep you from giving this song a chance. The composition is so lengthy that they had to make a radio version but it doesn’t even come close to doing justice to the original version. I’ve personally never heard it on the radio. I would even bet that you’ve never even heard this song, unless of course you’re a Pink Floyd fan like myself. Listening to this song is like watching a film because of its thoughtful archplot structure. I’m especially fond of it because of the various Bluesy solos played by my man, David Gilmour. Blues, funk, jazz, soul, rock, and incredible vocal harmonies are among the many distinct sounds that made this tune one of the most genius pieces, not only in its time, but in today's overproduced musical landscape as well. 

If you claim to be a lover of the blues, then this one will really make you feel the emotions that are undoubtedly reminiscent of the greatest blues that has ever been played. David Gilmour was heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix and Bo Diddley, and it’s pretty evident if you listen to his work. This song has an arching and ominous intro that paves the way for the first of many guitar solos performed by Gilmour. The blues really starts to stand out at 4:31, after Nick Mason begins drumming his way into the life of this song. The emotion continues to intensify at 6:05 when Gilmour’s fingers really start to shred the strings of his stratocaster. The last piece I’ll tell you to look for is towards the resolution of the song at 11:08 when the sweet jazzy sound of the saxophone brings this one home.  And if you think the music in this song is profound, just pay attention to the sad, and somehow uplifting lyrics that pay homage to the band's long lost founder and friend, Syd Barret.  

The best way to listen to this is with some noise cancelling headphones. Of course you can just listen to it on your computer or phone, but if you really want to get the full effect and hear all of the fantastic noises that this one has to offer, listen to it on some headphones. Then tell me what you think!

Just in case you were wondering, The Joe Rogan Experience isn’t the only podcast I listen to. As a history nerd, I love to listen to lessons from the past. My favorite history podcast by far is “Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History.” His podcast is so well produced, that it rivals any historical audiobook or any regular book on history that I have ever read. If you’re into history as much as I am, you need to check out this podcast. I should probably warn you though . . . This is a very intimate and detailed account of events in history. He doesn’t sugar coat a damn thing. On top of that, each event is covered in a series of individual episodes. Very, very, very long episodes. 

The current series I’m re-listening to is on what seems to be the most complicated war in the history of the world - World War I. I thought the Vietnam War was complicated, but this one is on a whole other level. The series is named “The Blueprint For Armageddon,” and it's broken up into six individual episodes. All six incredible episodes add up to an astonishing 19 hours of audible genius. I wasn’t joking when I told you that they were long. I can’t even imagine what it takes to put content like this out, while still being incredibly entertaining. If you have a job like mine where you can dedicate an immense amount of time listening to something like this, I would very highly recommend it!

You know that I’ve been working on my giant Miles Davis woodcut, so we’ll leave him out of this one. This past Saturday my wife and I were hanging out and she had the idea to carve some small prints. Initially I thought to myself, “Woman! Don't you know I carve at least 50 hours a week?” Of course I didn’t tell her that, so I thought of something to carve. Well, before I knew it, I had a ton of ideas. I started to carve a pocket sized version of one of my favorite musicians, Stevie Ray Vaughan. Despite my initial thought when my wife suggested to carve, this little project ended up doing a lot for me. Since the projects I work on take so damn long, this broke up the sort of monotony that comes from working on one single project for months at a time. This also led me to a grander idea.

I will be creating a series of pocket sized musicians, starting with my “Legends of Blues” series. It’s still a working title, but you get what I mean. I felt super excited about this side project, so I knew I had to pursue it. Nowadays I only work on projects that excite me, and I thank God everyday that I’m fortunate enough to do what I love for a living. It’s something that I feel strongly about and now I’m writing about it, as a way to hold myself accountable. If you're an enthusiast of the best music that was ever created (according to me) then you’re going to love this series. My goal is to carve one musician a week. . . Yeah . . . I still have to carve a minimum of 50 hours a week on Miles, but I’ll find a way. Click here to see my first carving of SRV, which I’m giving away for FREE!

Oh and by the way, all you have to do to get one of these sent to you for absolutely free is leave a comment on this blog, or any of my past blogs. There’s only 60 of these prints in existence so don’t wait! One lucky person will also win the hand carved linoleum block, framed in a shadow box! If you want a chance at winning the linoleum block, all you have to do is share this blog by hitting the “share” button at the end of the blog.

On Energy

One of my favorite things to do with my free time is to pour myself a nice bourbon, put some vinyl on, and simply sit and think about life. This experience is enhanced ten fold when I take a couple of hits of what my friend Jim likes to call “Jazz Cabbage” - figure it out . . . Anyway, I’ve had a recurring theme that has been stuck in my head during a lot of these thought exercises - Energy. I’m not just talking about the kind of energy you get when you slam a couple espressos either. I’m talking about the kind of energy you give off to your friends, family, strangers, and ultimately the universe. And before you dismiss this “woo-woo” idea, please give me a chance to elaborate, and not only does this have to do with art, it also has to do with everything in your life.

Energy is the force that has made every famous person famous, or infamous for that matter. It’s the force that allows individuals to climb the ladder to success in all fields of work. It’s also the relentless and unstoppable force attributed to all the incredible individuals who made a real difference in their time. Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglas, Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Martin Luther King Jr. just to name a few. And what about creatives? Bernini, Van Gogh, Picaso, Bach, Ellington . . . The list goes on and on. All of these people had an energy in them that allowed them to transcend their individual disciplines, and ultimately led them to a permanent place in history. I think it's safe to say that incredible energy lives in all human beings, but it’s up to the individual to decide whether or not they will use it to their fullest potential. I think it’s probably also safe to say that, sadly, there’s a significant percentage of the population that will never pursue their true interests, therefore leaving the true force of their energy bottled up inside, or worse, using it to go against the natural and universal laws of a civilized people.

The real question I’m trying to put before you is - If everything in this world has energy, then why do some people stand out among the masses? Is it luck? Is it a gift from God? Or are they all just #blessed? Well, after carefully examining this thought,  the answer now seems obvious to me. The energy you put out in your everyday life as it pertains to your family, friends, hobbies, career, and all other things, is a direct reflection of who you are, and sometimes, who you’re striving to be. Why do you think Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Hendrix, and every other famous guitar player you can think of, earned a spot in musical history? It’s because the energy they released to the world in the form of music, was so incredibly profound and undeniable, that it elevated them above the common hobbyist. They were obsessed with music. Like the individuals I named in the previous paragraph, they released so much positive and influential energy in this world, that they will forever be remembered in the highest regards, as it pertains to their chosen craft. 

What in the hell does any of this have to do with art? Well, it has everything to do with art, and more. In all of its various forms, art is capable of releasing the same energy as the riffs played from a musical genius like David Gilmour or Muddy Waters. This is the reason why famous and influential creatives of all sorts exist. Visual artists, actors, comedians, musicians, architects, sculptors, etc. . . . The question is, how can you carve your own path towards becoming a known figure in your chosen genre of work? And I’m not just talking about creative pursuits. I’m also talking about your everyday job, especially if you’re making a career out of it. This shouldn't be a surprise, but you can’t really believe that you're going to become who you want to be without an enormous amount of effort and sacrifice. If it were easy to become a CEO, an actor, an astronaut, or a celebrity of any kind, the world would be littered with participation trophies. Except this time the adults would be on the receiving end, not our kids.

Let’s say you’re an incredible artist, musician, or actor. You should know that more often than not, it's not enough. You can’t assume that things will immediately work out just because you’re exceptional at something. You must give off energy in several different ways if you want to give yourself the best chance for success. The painter will remain unknown if she doesn’t do everything in her power to put her work in front of the world. The musician will never become a rock star without enduring the struggle to do gig after gig in the right markets. The actor will never walk the red carpet if he or she doesn’t relentlessly pursue auditions. All of these necessary actions will test your real desire to succeed. This is the reason why it is imperative for you to realize that your energy cannot stop at your artwork. Your energy should resonate throughout your life as a whole, and not just the thing you’re good at. I know I’m not saying anything new here, but you really should sit down and think about these things as they pertain to your career, family, friends, and anything else that you affect. And you affect so much more than you think you do!

You have the choice to affect your career in a positive way by being a “go-getter,” a positive influence, and by showing yourself and/or your employer that you’re capable of achieving great things. These are all aspects of positive energy. When I first joined the Air Force (my first career) and met my new co-workers, there was a Staff Sergeant named Bert Daniel. It was evident to me that he was universally liked and trusted among everyone in my shop. He wasn’t in charge of the shop, but he was definitely a good leader. He was such a fun person to be around, and he was very good at his job. Bert was always courteous, upfront, honest, and he always made sure that he made decisions for the good of the shop, and not for his own personal agenda. He never played the political game, like many others did, but instead earned the respect of everyone around him by being kind and diplomatic. Bert is now a Chief Master Sergeant (the highest rank an enlisted member can achieve), and he got there by positively influencing everyone he came in contact with on the base. His positive energy had everything to do with it. If Bert would have chosen a different career, I know he would’ve climbed the ranks in a similar way, because I know his intentions are good.

I won't name anyone for this part, but for every Bert, there seems to be at least two or three individuals who mismanage their energy to the point where it becomes negative and sometimes even toxic. Come on, you know what I’m talking about. I think we can all relate to this. It doesn’t matter where you work because you’ll always run into slackers and complainers that act like the world owes them a debt of gratitude. Do you think Dwayne Johnson went from professional wrestler to “A-List” celebrity by acting this way? Of course not. It’s completely obvious that he’s a super positive human being with an unwavering work ethic, and that’s exactly what I’m talking about here. He’s a perfect example of positive energy. Have you ever seen a video of him being rude to someone? No, instead the videos show him being polite, laughing, having fun, exercising, working, or eating a huge stack of pancakes. There’s not a single negative thing you can fault the guy for, unless of course you’re one of those people. You know who I mean. Haters gonna hate!

Now, am I telling you that you're going to become The Rock if you start being positive? Not in your wildest dreams! What I am telling you is that It’s definitely worthwhile for you to examine this for yourself and start using the energy you have in you for good. I believe that your energy should equally be applied to discipline, learning, teaching, and growing, not only as an artist, but as a fellow human. It is imperative that you don’t let any of your energy go to waste, because here and now, there’s someone else out there who’s working harder than you, who is going after the same goal. Use your energy to show the world who you are as an artist, athlete, politician, human being, or whatever it is that you do, and don’t stop until you reach your goals. What’s the worst that can happen? Are you so scared of personal growth?

Most things in life are complicated, and you know as well as I do that it’s not black and white. There’s a lot of gray areas in life, and it’s incredibly complicated, but that’s just a part of being a human. Oftentimes there isn’t one simple answer to things, especially if you're doing something crazy like selling art for a living, but positive energy is different. You can change someone's shitty day for the better by being positive. You can empower someone to pursue their passions by giving them some of your positive energy. And above all else, you have the power to become who you want to be. Just remember, Even The Rock had to start somewhere. He wasn’t always the superstar he is today. It’s never too late to pursue your dreams and it’s definitely never too late to make a change in your life. Start aiming the energy you do have in a positive direction, especially in strange times like these. Thrust me, your family, friends, and the universe will thank you.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this long ass assessment on my philosophy and interests. Please click the heart and share this with someone who might find it useful. Stay inside and be smart.

Much Love To All,
Alex Carmona