A comprehensive directory for Day Tripping About seventeen years ago, I had the occasion to visit a new museum that opened near Trafalgar square in London, UK. The display was divided into two sections, the first being a walkthrough of the bunker offices where Churchill and his command team operated during WWII. The second part of…

Life is filled with Crossroads. Choosing those which fire the imagination — As we move through life we are met with choices. If you move slowly, the choices are bountiful, and sometimes too many. So you speed up a bit, travelling past successive crossroads at a pace where a decision isn’t an option. Then, you find you’re moving faster and faster, and…

At least, my family thinks I am — The play on words aside, a better fiction writer is what I aspire to be, and reading better writers like Liam Ireland and Britni Pepper inspire me to pick up my game. Finding these terrific writers on ILLUMINATION-Curated and ILLUMINATION has somehow lit a fire in my brain. Their inspiration…

How to get more from your viewing experience — Movies of the past still hold magical powers of imagery and symbolism that resonate today. If you appreciate the artistry and detail that goes into filmmaking and you would like to explore cinema’s rich and diverse history with a discerning eye, please join me on a journey of rediscovery. …

Rock goes off the rails — Few American performers explore more musical genres than our final entry. Even fewer reached the excellence of his musicianship while thumbing his nose at the industry establishment. Like a fine single malt, Frank Zappa is an acquired taste. But make no mistake. Zappa was also a master marketer with business…

The trail takes the train — Around a year before Little Feat formed, a seven-piece band of extraordinary musicians came together. Coming out of the northernmost outpost of the blues trail, that group adopted the city’s name and created a marketing scheme out of its stylized font. Behind the musical arrangments of trombonist James Pankow and…

Following the musical trail — Now, I must be honest. Elvis Presley never carried the aura for me that so many others grew to love. That said, I can certainly appreciate the magnificent talents of the Memphis superstar. I recently went to see the much anticipated Elvis docudrama, which many consider a grand accounting of…

Let’s Give Musicians the Power — The world’s leaders are making a mockery of all that is decent. And of course, every shmuck with a megaphone or media platform thinks they are the righteous ones with wisdom to impart on us lowly souls. It seems appropriate now to treat others with total disdain. Well, if you…

When worlds Collide — Although less commercially successful than he rightfully deserved, Lou Reed paved paths for more musicians than anyone can count. And his influence carried on into the new millennia. As Sweet Jane ended, I looked to the right column on YouTube to continue my search, but I didn’t get far. I…