Now Hear This – Sony Walkman W & The Grateful Dead

When I share product reviews they are exclusively food & beverage related. This week I will depart from that truth to tell you about the experience I've had with the Sony Walkman W Meb Keflezighi Edition.

I received my Sony Walkman W as a perk from Klout.com. I’m not a runner, one of the intended audiences, but I do walk a lot, hike and work out in the yard & gardens quite a bit. And working out in the yard is where I found the Walkman W to be a fantastic product.

I've been on a binge with the yard-work in the last couple of weeks. Between getting the existing gardens prepped & planted, clearing for new gardens, new landscaping in the front yard and some spot seeding I’ve probably spent almost an entire work week out there since Memorial Day weekend. Margot has helped with the work quite a bit, but during the times where we have worked in separate parts of the yard or when she was working elsewhere I've enjoyed taking my music with me as a work.

The Sony Walkman W is a about the side of a normal pair of headsets, with small modules at each ear for the electronics and a rubber coated cable connected the two. It has a USB plug for charging and to transfer music. It is designed to be water resistant, not swimming waterproof though, but more so sweat and rain-proof. I've tested both of those scenarios successfully.

The sound quality of the unit is exceptional. My music of choice the last couple of weeks has been live recordings of The Grateful Dead and the Jerry Garcia Band. Some of the audience recordings have good sound quality on their own and others have a bit more of the ambient noise. Even at the max volume the Sony Walkman W does a great job of making the music sound great. I don’t know exactly what the battery life is in practice (the web site says 8 hours), but I haven’t run out in between chargings which have been sporadic since I have been using it.

( A glimpse of what some of all the hard work has been about. )

I'll take a quick detour to share an observation specifically about my choice of music. The pairing of audience recordings of the Grateful Dead and yard work turned out to be superb, bordering on ethereal. The Dead never played the same show twice so the improvisational and organic quality to any collection of live recordings is part of the allure. Working in the garden is connective exercise, human with earth, and that activity and the music seemed linked in a spiritual way.  I prefer to listen to live music outdoors, it just feels better, and I think the experiences I have had in the yard these last few weeks are an extension of those feelings. With the added rush of the physical labor I was genuinely happy even after long, hard days of labor.  

I would highly recommend the Sony Walkman W to anyone who I active and would like to take their music on the go. It is light, comfortable, powerful and has enough storage (2GB) to listen to unique tracks for at least a few hours. The product retails for $69 at Sony's web site. Don’t worry about it getting sweaty or wet, it will keep on truckin'!

Cheers!

Jason

Now Hear This – Kid Rock Helped Me Make Better Beer

( Us from the night in question. )

Where: Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean onboard the Carnival Destiny cruise ship

When: April 2012,  late at night

What: Me joking that I could create a lime-infused ale that is better than Bud Light Lime, not that that is really that hard…

I’ll be honest, I struggled to find what I personally consider worthy beer options at the bars while on the Kid Rock Cruise. If you are a Chillin’ The Most cruiser and are reading this, take no offense. I make my own beer and over the years I have lost my taste for the big three brands (Bud, Miller, Coors), but I believe people should drink what they like. Drink freely my friends.

During one of the evenings on the cruise Margot and I sat outside enjoying both the warm night air and the people watching. The people watching on the cruise was epic by the way. I hit the bar and decided on a couple of Bud Light Limes. As I was drinking my beer I remarked “hey this isn’t so bad” and began talking about how I might craft something similar at home. Margot was goading me on, asking me to express how I really felt about Budweiser and got it all on video, but the video isn’t SFTB (safe for the blog) so you’ll just have to imagine it.

As I thought about it over the remainder of the weekend I figured a basic American ale containing both wheat and corn would be a solid blank slate to layer on some lime. Having worked with citrus flavors in my home fermentations before I knew that a multi-phased approach would work best. I added dried lime peel to the hot wort just before I chilled and strained it, and then fresh lime zest after I transferred the beer to the secondary fermentation container. Finally, lime juice was added at bottling to help bring it all together and lock a solid zip of lime into each bottle.

My plan worked. The beer was brewed on July 4^th, 2012 and we set about enjoying it about a month later. We actually used the same beer base to make a lemon shandy, a beer that went on to take a first place in a brewing competition later in the year. But I digress.

Everyone who tried the lime ale had positive words for it, and some people drank every bit of it in sight each time I chilled some down. It is a light-bodied beer and early on the effect of the corn was not very apparent. We just drank the last of the batch this past weekend and just like when I’ve brewed with corn in the past a rounded, sweetness developed with age. In the first few months after the beer was brewed the lime complex in the beer was potent, adding considerable tartness and crispness to each sip. Nearly a year later the lime was much mellowed, but still present.

Skip to the current day. I brewed a fresh batch of lime ale on my birthday last month, nearly one year to the day I hatched the plan in the first place. The recipe for the beer (provided below) has been slightly modified, but the first dose of lime (dried peel) was added at the same time and the fresh lime zest will be as well. At bottling however I will be using more lime juice, and all of it freshly squeezed rather than bottled. 

Getting an earlier start on the second batch means it will be conditioned and ready to go for the summer drinking season, where I expect it will be consumed even more quickly, meaning I won’t be able to say I finished the last of it ten months later.

As for Kid Rock, he needs to get his ass to my house to try the creation he inspired. If you are reading this Bob (I’m dreaming, but one has to do that now and again) the invitation is open and we can retreat to the basement with openers and straws and see what comes of it!

And with that I’ll leave you with a video from the sail away show from the Kid Rock Chillin’ The Most Cruise #3. I can still hear my favorite Kid Rock songs reverberating across the sand and sea while I stood in the sun enjoying the simple things in life, like when and where.

 ( This video is not my own, but it kicks ass so I shared it! )

Cheers!

Jason

Ancient Fire Lime Ale 2013

SRM: 4.6

OG: 1.050

IBU: 14.5

Mash time: 30 min

Boil time: 45min

4lb Pilsner Dry Malt Extract

1lb CaraPils

1lb Flaked Wheat

1lb Flaked Corn

1oz Hallertauer hops (45 min)

0.5oz Cascade hops (5 min)

0.0oz Cascade hops (post boil, 5 min)

1oz dried lime peel (post boil, 15 min)

Zest of 6 limes (secondary, until bottling)

Lime juice (amount TBD, at bottling)

Maurivin brewing yeast, 1 liter starter

Now Hear This - Music with Soul

This is the inaugural column of Now Hear This, a weekly music-themed article that will showcase the strange interplay between music and beverages which may only exist in my own mind. Maybe it will make sense, maybe it won't. Maybe you will be inspired to check out new-to-you music and beverages as a result of reading it, or maybe you will dismiss me as crazy. Fine by me! Either way each week I get to share something of the inspiration that propels me onwards with only the hope that I might entertain you.

This week's topic is music that have soul. What does this mean exactly? When I was mulling this new column over I remembered a piece by Steve Heimoff in 2012 that touched on the topic of soul in wine and used a music analogy, hearing Marvin Gaye’s "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" as a kid, to set the tone. Heimoff was riffing on the thoughts of another writer (Lisa Airy for the Baltimore Sun) after having read their treatment of the question "What does it take to be great?" in the context of wine. There are two points from the original author that Heimoff specifically crafted his piece around that to me answer the question I asked above. They are “A …wine [that] is a very real combination of scent, flavor and texture that is seamless, multi-faceted, and unending from first sip to swallow, from first sip to last sip.” and “The experience [of a soulful wine] should be such a sensorial onslaught as to capture your complete and undivided attention.” Whether it is wine or music those two statements sum up the concept of soul I am hinting at, multi-faceted, intensely textured, sensorially captivating; demanding complete and undivided attention.

I'm late jumping on the Ben Harper train. He's already been underground and indie, has already gone big and  won awards, been the "it" musician and best I can tell has now settled into his unique stride entertaining loyal fans with performances worldwide, producing for others and giving time & resources to the many global causes he is outspoken about and supports. Ben Harper's music has a vibrant soul, and based on what I've read about him personally, so does he.

I recently caught "I'm In I'm Out And I'm Gone: The Making of Get Up!"on Palladia. The show is part making of and part studio performance for the new Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite collaboration, "Get Up!" At the time I first watched it I knew next to nothing about Harper and absolutely nothing about Musselwhite, and technically I still don't. But the music commanded my attention. Harper on slide guitar (his signature style which of course I would learn more about after downloading more of his music) and Musselwhite on harmonica is a real sensorial onslaught. "I Don't Believe a Word You Say" is my favorite track from the "Get Up!" disc.

The video above is a the performance of "I Don't Believe a Word You Say"  from the Get Up! special. Turn it up loud and listen to the different layers from the musicians. It may be stripped down musically, but is isn't simple and has plenty of soul.

During the special on the making of Get Up! Both Musselwhite and Harper talked about how they met (at a session with John Lee Hooker no less) and that they were “following a feeling” and “letting the music lead them” which brought them to where they were right then. Talk about tuned in, switched on and paying attention!

After the special was over I headed to the cloud. I have been 13 year member of Emusic.com and once I found the Ben Harper page I bounced around the artist bio and album pages to get a feel for what was available and downloaded a cross section of studio and live tunes that I could chew on. Amongst the songs I downloaded there is one I keep coming back to, "The Will To Live". I specifically like the live version of it from the "The Will To Live: Live EP" originally recorded during the 1997 world tour. With lyrics like those below I don't think it is very hard to expect the song to have a bit of soul.

"I met a girl whose heart was on the right hand side

And upon the left an angel did reside

They told her mother that she never would survive

But she kept the rhythm and is still alive, she's still alive

And we must all have the will to live

Oh, you got to have the will to live

Oh, the will, oh, the will

The will to live

..."

I couldn't find that particular version online but this one is similar and should provide context. After listening to the song I immediately stopped to think about what it really means to have the will to live and why don't more people live life to the fullest without having to have experienced calamity for perspective? I've been lucky enough to gain perspective after personal health problems, but I don't think that is required to be able to grasp the soul of this song.

The slide guitar on this track (the live one I specifically like) initially comes across as just behind the bass in the texture stack, then it jumps forward and for the rest of the track they trade places with the guitar also bouncing from right to left and back. It takes focus to absorb it all. Another stylistic facet for Harper is a soulful whisper in his vocals, which is clearly evident on this track. At about four and half minutes (or so depending on version) into the track a group of vocalists, Harper included, create a lullaby type medley that Harper stretches out to nearly the close of the track. There is something so human and soulful there. I'm profoundly touched by it. Examples of this soul exist throughout Ben Harper's collection. If you aren't familiar with Harper and dig an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, rock and plenty of energetic guitar playing find this music and stick it in your brain!

So what about the beverages? I am going to go with a pairing rather than deconstruct the soul of a particular drink this week. The music on the Get Up! record offers a lot to take in with its mix of both mellow and up-tempo blues. It immediately made me think of Bourbon, a great example of the harmony of mellow and lively elements in a glass. I watched the special a second time with a glass of Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon in hand and it was a fine pairing indeed. The Bourbon is complex in its own right, with a nice balance of sweet and smoky elements which played off the music very well. It occurred to me that a cigar might have been a nice addition, but I’ll save that for another day.

Sane or crazy, you decide. Hopefully it was entertaining!

Cheers!

Jason

Music & Wine

I read a blog post last week that caught my interest because it was about the fourth dimension of wine tasting (sight, smell, taste are the first three), sound. The author‘s take on the sound dimension had to do with closures, and specifically the sound made by a cork being extricated from a wine bottle. I personally don’t pay much attention to that occasion and from my sommelier training it is clear that learning how to uncork wine (and especially Champagne) with little to no sound is desired. The author DID present an idea that I can get behind, but I have another way to spin the sound dimension with wine. And that would be through music.

The obvious scenarios that come right to mind would be pairing music with a casual glass of wine and friends, or with a romantic meal. Both are situations where the overall experience can be more than the sum of its parts, and the right music could definitely be a contributing factor. But those aren’t the only ways I pair music and wine.

As a winemaker I often have stints in the “shop”, kitchen, basement, spare rooms, etc, where I am might be cleaning equipment, working with a batch of wine, cleaning bottles to be filled, running blending trials, doing tasting of my own or commercial wines or writing up my experiences to share with you. At those times my “wine” music is important in a whole different way. The right music infuses my body and soul with energy, provides imagery for me to explore as I work, and allows me to focus on the task at hand. I am quite certain that batches of wines I have made have been imbued with an essence of the music I was listening to when I did one thing or another with them.

Now if I just stopped here you would be left thinking, “that is all well and good, but why did I just waste time reading that?” And you would be right. I haven't yet provided any examples.

Wine and food pairing is all about the juxtaposition of aromas, flavors and textures between food and beverages to create experiences. So it is with music and wine pairing when you get down to thinking about it. Here are three experiences I have created as examples of this idea.

As I write this article I am listening to a CD entitled “Buddha Hookah Lounge”. This disc which is a collection of remixes designed for lounge and bar listening. You will have to go with this if you aren’t familiar the genre. I have a lot of it and it works really well in the casual drinking and romantic dinner pairings as well. One song in particular is a remix of the 80’s dance song “Let The Music Play” by Shannon. In the background of the remix are guitar riffs from Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones. What! No, seriously. Here is why this song worked for me while I wrote this. The Rolling Stones make me think of my childhood when my dad would play records out the back window while we played in the yard or worked in the garden. Those were simpler times and remembering that helped me be clear and concise, think simple, as I wrote. “Let The Music Play” was pretty peppy originally, but the remixed version has some real zip to it which drove me to think and type fast. I had an idea I wanted to get out and the music helped it flow. Combine those two facets and you get what you are reading.

Here is more classic example of pairing music and wine, actually homemade cider with friends. In 2009 I made 35 gallons of hard cider. In April of 2010 we had a cider party with friends to celebrate the release of the liquid gold. Rather than bottle some of it ahead of time I siphoned an entire 6 gallon carboy (glass jug) into a bucket with a spigot and let people serve themselves. Being able to walk up and fill a cup off the “tap” was so “delightfully trashy” to steal a phrase from fellow food blogger Janis. But it was so much fun! For the music we cranked up Kid Rock “All Summer Long”. That song is a look back to fun and freewheeling times through the recollections of the protagonist, and specifically of summertime. The mood that song set was perfect for the cider. It was early spring, still cold in New England, and the music and cider took us to that warm and fun-filled place we could all see on the horizon. We drank a lot of cider, and as the night grew long there were volumes of laughs to go around. I always think of cranking up Kid Rock now when I open a bottle of my cider.

I didn’t finish this article on the bus ride home a few days ago, and it is a lucky thing. Yesterday morning I set about to create a batch of plum wine using plums we had purchased and frozen last summer. For music I selected the disc “The Hopeful Machines” by BT. BT is an electronica legend known for his classical composer like focus on his creations which are high tech in their construction. “These Hopeful Machines” was presented as two tracks with slightly under 1 hour run-time each. The individual songs within those tracks were designed to be listened to together, are heavily textured and offer a diversity of styles within the electronic music space. As I sat down to pit 15 pounds of defrosting plums I very much appreciated the journey the music was taking me on. The track “Love Can Kill You" has thought the provoking lyrics of “love can kill you, or love can save us all.” As I sat their doing something I love, making wine, it made me realize the truth in the story about how I came to make my own wine. After my cancer treatment (in 2003) my wife asked me if I would like to pick up a hobby instead of working all the time. I choose making my own beer and wine. Her love for me and her desire for me to appreciate getting the chance to stick around in this world had saved me. I was miserable when I worked all the time, but I thought I loved it. With my hobby firmly integrated into my life now it is much more clear what I enjoy spending my time doing. I of course still work in IT during the day, but at night and on the weekends I eat, drink, make wine/cider/beer and write about my adventures. Way more fun!

I hope you enjoyed my stories about the sounds of wine (or cider & beer too!) that I experience on my adventures. How do you pair music in your life? Do you have music you like to listen to when you sit down and have a casual drink?

Cheers!

Jason