Electronic cigarette that is geared to travelers comes to Nashville

Ruyan America, Inc., Minneapolis, announced that it will introduce its newest E-cigarette smoking substitute/cigarette alternative, the Ruyan Jazz, at the 2009 National Association for Truck Stop Operators (NATSO) to be held January 24th to 28th in Nashville, TN, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. The Company and its distributor, Nashville-based Nathan & James Group, will be at Booth 822 during the exhibit hours.

The Jazz is Ruyan's latest addition to its line and was developed specifically for the convenience store/travel center market. Like the Company's award-winning Vegas E-cigar, the Jazz is a completely disposable product that does not require that its battery be charged or that its cartridges be changed. The Jazz resembles a slightly larger traditional cigarette, 134 mm in length and 11mm in diameter and has the equivalent mouthfuls of vapor found in four to five packs of conventional cigarettes. It carries a MSRP of $24.99. Like other Ruyan cigarette alternatives, the Jazz does not contain tobacco and is not subject to smoking restrictions or tobacco taxes.

William P. Bartkowski, President of Ruyan America, Inc., stated, "The Jazz certainly raises the bar with respect to the product category in terms of convenience, aesthetics and value. It was designed and manufactured specifically to be sold in those venues where smokers most often purchase traditional tobacco products -- retail environments such as tobacco outlets, convenience stores, truck stops and travel centers and hospitality venues like casinos and hotels."

The Jazz is available in four styles -- the Classic, which contains 16 mg of nicotine; the Classic menthol, also with 16 mg of nicotine and menthol flavoring; the Freestyle, with 0 mg of nicotine, but all the flavor of the Classic; and the Freestyle Menthol, another nicotine free product.

Tim McGraw will perform at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Tim McGraw, Jimmy Buffett and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform at this year's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival taking place April 25-27 and May 1-4. The event at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans will feature 11 stages presenting a wide variety of musical styles.

This year's performers also include Sheryl Crow, John Prine, Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint, Delbert McClinton, Del McCoury, Richard Thompson, Widespread Panic, Dr. John, Al Green, Diana Krall, Chick Corea, the Roots and many others.

The "Satchmo" of Germany

This gentleman decided to go get his trombone after listening to the others play for a while. He surprised everyone when he suddenly begin to play along with the others from the back of the room. He was a lot of fun to watch and even sang some Louis Armstrong in a voice just like ol' Satchmo. It was a blast to experience.

Lost in the Music

The Hippie Dippie Jazz Singer

Jazz in Bayreuth, Germany

Nice Jazz Jam at the Podium in Bayreuth, Germany

Jazzman, Milford Graves, Helps to Heal with Rhythm

Milford Graves, 63, a jazz drummer who made his mark in the 1960's with avant-garde musicians like Albert Ayler, Paul Bley and Sonny Sharrock, performs only occasionally now. He spends about half his week teaching music healing and jazz improvisation classes at Bennington College in Vermont, where he has been a professor for 31 years. He spends much of the rest of his week in his basement researching the relationship between music and the human heart.

After descending the psychedelic-painted stairway into his laboratory, visitors are faced with a collection of drums from around the world, surrounding a network of computers. Wooden African idols spiked with nails rub up against medical anatomical models. Amid a vast inventory of herbs, roots and plant extracts sits an old wooden recliner equipped with four electronic stethoscopes connected to computers displaying intricate electrocardiogram readouts.



In 1967, Mr. Graves was honored in a Down Beat magazine critics poll as the year's bright new talent. He had offers of lucrative gigs from artists like Miles Davis and the South African singer Miriam Makeba.

But after years of hard living as a jazzman, Mr. Graves began studying holistic healing, and then teaching it. He became fascinated with the effect of music on physiological functions.

"People with ailments would attend my performances and tell me they felt better afterward," he said.

Curious about the heartbeat as a primary source of rhythm, he bought an electronic stethoscope and began recording his and other musicians' heartbeats.

"I wanted to see what kind of music my heart was making," he said.



Read the entire story in the New York Times.

Visit Milford Graves website for more information on the man, his music and his studies.

You Don't Know Who Jeff Coffin Is?!?!?!

Check this out!!! ~C.S. Webbspun

Jeff Coffin is Coming to Nashville

Yeah man, dig this!!! Yeehaahaha

~C.S. Webbspun

Chick Corea and Bela Fleck

Tonight I watched Bela Fleck and Chick Corea on the Tavis Smiley show. They talked about music and also played some amazing music. They had some amazing chemistry together. I hope they do a show together in Nashville, I'll be there.