As much as Clear Channel might like you to think, jazz isn't the stuff they play on that Wave station at the end of the FM dial, which has the humanity produced out of it. Nah, that stuff can't be real jazz because it doesn't swing. Pop drumming and a soprano sax doesn't equal jazz.
Real jazz is performance music, usually put on by a small ensemble of four to ten players. The drummer doesn't play the obvious, patronizing beats you hear in pop music. Instead, he plays on the "two-four" pocket, following the tonal instruments as if he himself were a part of the melody. That's real jazz.

And you'll have a chance, tonight in fact, to hear some real jazz. Cleveland's annual Tri-C jazz fest will be in full swing, offering a mix of trios, quartets, and jazz revolutionaries, including the infamous Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.  These guys combine bluegrass and jazz in an experimental exploration that isn't all that experimental any more, but is still a blast to hear.  For the cost of a trip to Playhouse Square and a ticket, you'll get to hear Bela live and in the flesh, but you'll also get to hear his amazing bass player, Victor Wooten.  Now go check it out!

Anybody else in Ohio drinking Dortmunder Gold lager?

I'm not completely convinced that the Great Lakes Brewing Company lager is the best damn beer period, but I'm getting there.  To establish, at least in my own mind, that Dortmunder is indeed the best beer on the planet, I had to ask myself, "Could ANYTHING really make Dort better?"

Sadly, the answer is Yes. Something can improve the Dort experience--and that something is Irish music. So I'd love for all you Clevelanders to head out to Great Lakes' Irish Music Night this Monday night at the GBLC's Beer Cellar. It starts at 6 and runs until 9, and some well-known local Irish musicmongers will be present to perform, including Francis Quinn and some of the Portersharks.  And if you've got a singing voice, there'll be an open mic.  Come, entertain me as I drink Dortmunders, and perhaps then I can say, "Yes, Dortmunder Gold IS the best beer in the world."

For more info and the directions, check out GLBC's web site.

Well, today's the first day that the second unit of Spider Man 3 is filming in Cleveland. Yes, it's true. Of course, a number of high-profile films have been made either partially or totally in the Treed City, but Spider Man 3 is sure to be such a blockbuster, that an encounter with actual film crew would be pretty cool, indeed.

While I drove down E. 9th street today, I noticed that Euclid heading out of downtown was closed to traffic.  As I pulled to the stop light, I took a look, and, sure enough, a group of filmy-looking people were working out of the back of a white box truck. I'm not sure exactly what they were filming, but it appeared like shots of cars in motion.

Closer to lunch time, as I drove out of downtown, a decent-sized crowd of folks were hanging around the National City plaza on Ninth looking at the shoot. Did any body else catch any of the action?

A few days ago, Weblogs Inc. editor Brad Hill approached me about blogging for BloggingOhio. I couldn't wait to say "yes," because Ohio is a place I cherish. This is a beautiful state with diverse landforms, climates, cities, and industries. And the people who live here absolutely love it. Ask any Ohioan how they feel about Ohio, and you'll more than likely get the same response. For my part, moving to Ohio eight years ago was the best move I've ever made.

Let me tell you about that. I grew up in Detroit, and by Detroit I mean the city of. Crack houses, casinos, and what I considered to be, at the time, a complete lack of a future for my young family (those are my kids Maddie and Jake in the photo).  Fortunately, one day in the spring of 1998, I landed a job here in Cleveland, and I've been a Clevelander ever since.  The thought of moving back home doesn't appeal to me any more, because Ohio has become my home sweet home. This place grows on you.  I didn't even mind when the Buckeyes pounded the snot out of the Wolverines last fall, because, hey, I'm an Ohioan, after all. (Now let's just hope the Browns pick up A.J. Hawk in the draft, huh?)

Today, I am an independent consultant working in the fields of advanced networking and Voice over IP.  I've been writing blogs for Weblogs Inc.'s voipfan.com for a year now, and O'Reilly Media has published two of my books about the subject of Voice over IP. 

I'm especially interested in local music, the local publishing and radio industries, fine dining, and, naturally, local technology stories. As part of the "Ohio 5" series, here are a few questions I'd like to answer, so you can get to know me!

1) You and your town: a marriage of love, convenience, or necessity?

I call Elyria, OH home. This is a very quirky town indeed. The mayor never had a full time job prior to being elected, and he lived in with his mom well into his adulthood. Local politics are frustrating, economic opportunity is limited, and my house hasn't gained one red cent of value since I bought it three years ago. But this is a very affordable town, and I live near I-90, so zipping onto the freeway is a snap, and heading east to Cleveland is only a quick thirty-minute affair.

2) A mysterious benefactor gives you $75, with the condition that you
must do nothing productive. Where in town do you go, and what do you
do?

Maybe I am a glutton at heart. Or maybe I just like gourmet food better than a trip to a Cavaliers' game. Either way, I think I'd take my wife to the Nemo Grille in Avon, Ohio, for a cheese plate, a filet mignon, and a chef's presentation of seered salmon.  OK, maybe that's *slightly* more than 75 bucks.

3) You are your town's tour guide, on a tight schedule. What is the one place you show visitors? OK -- two places.

I'd probably take my guest to the Stocker Center at Lorain County Community College for a stage show or concert (especially if the Elyria Fiddlers are playing), and if it were a Friday night in the fall, I'd head over to an Elyria Pioneers or North Ridgeville Rangers high school football game.

4) The mysterious benefactor is back, this time with $500, three days off, and the condition that you must not leave the state. What's your plan?

Day one, a Tribe Game at Jacobs' Field followed by drinks at Cooperstown, the joint owned by aged rock star Alice Cooper across the street from the Jake.  Day two, eighteen holes at Spring Valley Country Club. Day three, prepare an all-organic meal after stocking up on fresh produce goodies at Trader Joe's at Crocker Park in Westlake. Too exciting for you, isn't it!

5) You're an Ohioan. What about that makes you proudest? The flip side of pride is shame; go there too if you want.

I'm actually quite proud that such great opportunity exists in Ohio for a technical businessperson like myself. Believe  me, doing Silicon Valley work at Black River Valley costs is a heck of a lot more economical than living in a shoebox apartment in San Francisco, where tech jobs are in abundant supply. Here in Ohio, it may be tougher to engage in my line of work, but I have a four-bedroom house for a fifth of what it would cost to buy one in tech central.  Of course, the local political process in Cleveland is often shameful. But I keep reminding myself: it isn't Detroit.  Oh yeah--it sucks having to drive all the way to Columbus or Pittsburgh to see a pro hockey game!

When Robert Moore was a toddler, he was burned all over his body in a car explosion. He was pulled to safety and grew up with a scarred body, no ears or fingers, and a heavy heart. It was at the age of fifteen, after he'd moved to Lorain, OH, that he first started to express his point of view through rapping.  Today, his album is nearly complete and he's hooked up with a Cleveland producer to record and distribute it. Quoting the news story from the Chronicle Telegram:

Although the outer parts of his ears were singed off in the fire, the inner ear organs were not damaged, and Moore said he hears “loud and clear.” The fingerless keyboard performance and masterful beats are impressive, but Moore’s rapping inspires awe. The velvet timbre of his voice fills every crevice of a song with the experiences he’s been able to come to grips with.

When Moore schedules a concert, I'll keep BloggingOhio readers in the loop.  (Photo credit: Chuck Humel, the Chronicle.)

When I was a teenager, I played in a rock and roll band called Eden Rock. I so desperately wanted to make it as a professional rock and roller that I was practically drooling the first time I stepped foot on the grounds of Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The place was like my Mecca, and I had made the pilgrimage (all the way) from the Motor City. Once inside, I couldn't believe that all that separated me from Ian Anderson's flute was a quarter-inch-thick sheet of glass. There was even a hand-written note paper with the lyrics to Jethro Tull's "Aqualung" displayed in the case alongside the flute.

Then, there was the fabulous Pink Floyd display, a giant recreation the infamous Wall, complete with one of Roger Waters' bass guitars suspended from the ceiling, well out of reach. Of course, as my journey through the Hall neared completion, I couldn't help but be disappointed. Where was the live music? Where was the rock and roll?

The whole thing seemed to me a bit underwhelming. Instead of a live rock band jamming out on a three-foot stage in a crowded bar, there was only a ten-inch screen of Roger Waters explaining why he sued David Gilmour and quit Pink Floyd. Instead of a thumping live drummer and bassist jamming out some legendary rock number like "Stairway to Heaven" or "Fly by Night," I saw a glass-encased display of Video Killed the Radio Star by the Buggles, a one hit wonder band that never made it further than the Yes farm system.

In two words: Who CARES?

I want the rock hall to have rock and roll, not some stuffy museum-like exhibits and little TV screens with talking heads explaining how cool the Beatles were. Do people really care how Paul learned to play the guitar? These guys are rockers for Pete's sake, not historical revolutionaries. Give me the rock and roll, baby.  That's why I  went to the hall of fame.  And without it, that's why I don't intend to return.

Have you been to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recently? Is it any better these days?

A week or so ago, I opened up my Chronicle-Telegram newspaper, which is delivered to me daily. This northeast-Ohio paper serves the Lorain-county area, and, though it's considerably smaller than big city heavyweights The Plain Dealer and the Beacon Journal, I prefer the Chronicle because of its position of leadership within its community.

Case in point: The Newspapers in Education program, which is administered by the Chronicle and a number of commercial sponsors, uses the newspaper in school activities to help students engage in community affairs, understand journalism, and stay on top of current events.

Recently, the paper held a contest to see who among the students in the Lorain-county area could write the most compelling editorials, and who could design the best newspaper ad. The results are astounding. The kids, who range from elementary to high school ages, put together some great stuff.  Submitted entries were published in the paper, and some of the advertisers like the student-designed ads so much that they decided to use them.

This ad, for a local Honda dealership in Elyria, OH, features a Honda with a clock superimposed over the sunrise, a great metaphor for the ad's slogan, "Hondas last a long time". Check out some of the other submissions here. The Chronicle has made them available in PDF format.

When people are looking for a place to live and work, they need to take into consideration the cost of living. But what constitutes that cost? Obviously, there are factors like real estate prices and the price of food and insurance, all big factors on the negative side of a family's balance sheet. But there are also less obvious contributors to the cost of living. Take, for example, the cost of a work commute. Driving from San Francisco to Palo Alto every day is no walk in the park, especially with Silicon Valley traffic.  In fact, California has some of the most costly metropolitan areas in the country.

But does Ohio offer compelling enough cost of living appeals to make it a consideration for a smart working professional with a family to consider moving to the midwest?

A recent trip to Salary.com yielded a few results as I attempted to figure out how Ohio stacks up to other states. Compared to San Jose, for example, the cost of living is 29% lower in Cleveland, Ohio, while the average payroll is only 15% lower, meaning that the net disposable income of folks in Cleveland is actually nearly 14% more than those living in San Jose.

Compared to somebody working and living in Manhattan, the difference is even more distinct. New Yorkers' cost of living is said to be 43% higher than those living in Cleveland, but their typical pay is only 15% more. That means that Clevelanders recognize a nearly 28% higher disposable income, on average.

The trade-off? Jobs. Especially high-end jobs that appeal to college graduates with hefty tuition loans to pay back. Since Ohio has only three cities with 450,000 or more people (Cleveland, Cincinatti, and Columbus), there's a much lower volume of engineering and technology jobs. But does this mean that tech works really need to look to the higher-cost areas of the country where tech jobs seem to be in greater supply?  Or would a groundswell of new tech jobs in Ohio have an inflationary effect on the cost of living here?