First, imagine this scene:
It's my freshman year in college as a Division 1 basketball student-athlete. I have a free education due to a 4 year scholarship. One weekend I go out with some friends to the local disco in town. Pretty young ladies are everywhere and I am on the dance floor rocking the night away with one of them. The tune playing is Michael Jackson's Billie Jean. At that moment, I felt like I was floating on a cloud! I said to myself, "Ah,......this is the GOOD LIFE". I knew that the night, the rest of year and my final three years would be something special. And were they ever - I soaked up college like a sponge and enjoyed moments that were were absolutely delicious.
Micheal Jackson started it off for me that weekend and his music was ubiquitous during my four years as I vividly remember dancing at parties to "ABC" or other great Jackson 5/Michael tunes. In college, I don't recall an event or party that didn't feature at least one Jackson song.
His greatness is undisputed and I listened to his music frequently throughout the years. "Thriller" is an amazing album although I am partial to his first solo album, "Off the Wall". Also, if you haven't heard his childhood songs (i.e. With a Child's Heart or Ben), I implore you to do so as they are some of his most beautiful.
I doubt the world will ever see another Michael Jackson as he had it all - voice, dancing ability, sensitivity, fierceness, international appeal and work ethic. Unfortunately, he was laughed at during the majority of his adult years. Despite the unbelievable talent and joy he gave to the world, he never had the chance to sit back, relax and enjoy it due to the multitude of off-stage issues - some self inflicted, others perpetuated by the public and media. What a shame. At least now, he can rest in peace after his untimely death and we can focus solely on his memorable music.
Second, "AIR" Jordan otherwise known as Michael Jeffrey Jordan.
I played college basketball during the same period as Michael Jordan (MJ). My Vermont Catamounts competed against some top teams in the 1980's although we never had a chance to play North Carolina (NC), MJ's alma mater. People tend to forget how great MJ was in college. The system at NC was team-oriented and didn't always bode well for individuals to stand out thus many were surprised when they witnessed MJ in his first couple of years as a professional. I wasn't since I remembered his college days.
MJ was unbelievably dominant in his last two years of college. Some of the dazzling moves and dunks that we loved when he was with the Chicago Bulls were in plain sight during his college years if you were a fan of college basketball. Of course no one could have predicted how ferocious, intense and successful he would become after college. I was fortunate to witness many of his games in person when I worked at Madison Square Garden (MSG) as an account executive for sales. Whenever MJ played against the New York Knicks, the celebrities came out and we treated our best clients to a night of dinner, drinks and basketball. Interestingly, MJ and the Bulls often played on Mother's Day so many of the top executives couldn't make it thus we had better seats to choose from for our clients. I never missed a game when MJ was in town and he never disappointed. The energy and excitement in MSG (The World's Most Famous Arena) was unforgettable!
What made MJ so unique is that he played the game at such a high level both offensively and defensively and had no weaknesses. In my opinion, he is the greatest of all time due to the fact that I cannot possibly imagine how someone (past, present or future) could be better. Most of the greats of the NBA have a deficiency somewhere in their games - not MJ. In addition, his Chicago Bulls never went to a 7th game in any of their 6 NBA Finals which speaks volumes. Maybe most importantly, anytime I witnessed a game in person or on TV with MJ, there was never a doubt about who was the best player on the court. Never.
There are only two athletes I would always make time to watch. One is Tiger Woods and the other is Michael Jordan. As a passionate basketball fan, I am thankful to have witnessed such a remarkable athlete in my lifetime.
Finally, my favorite musician - Michael Franks:
If you know music well, you should have heard of Michael Franks. If not, consider this an introduction to a truly unique singer and songwriter. It's not easy to describe his music although I refer to it as a mixture of jazz and soul with an eloquent and calming quality. He's been making music since the 1970's and his songs have been recorded by Diane Krall, The Manhattan Transfer and Patti Labelle and he has worked with artists such as Patti Austin, Brenda Russell, David Sanborn, The Yellow Jackets and Jeff Lorber.
I learned about his music in 1986 after a visit to Wellesley college, an all female school. One night, I was visiting a friend and we were joined by 8 of her close friends when the subject of Michael Franks came up. They were surprised that I had never heard of him and I was surprised that this group of lovely black women knew his music so well. I was hooked after hearing a few songs!
What I enjoy most about him is the beauty of his lyrics and the smoothness of his voice. He studied literature in college and has put that talent to good use by creating memorable and unique songs for over thirty years. His music is not for everyone yet those who are fans tend to REALLY love his music! His appeal is diverse which surprised me when I went to a New York City concert in 1999. There were various colors in attendance along with young/old, upscale and middle class. The most shocking part of that evening were two brothers who looked liked they came straight out of a rap video yet knew every song and were giddy like school girls in their first row seats.
I have introduced my two year old son to his music, often singing it to him before he goes to bed. He has taken a liking to it and occasionally blurts out a few lines during the day. I believe the mellowness of Michael's music has helped to make my son a sound sleeper as I usually play a few songs for him before he drifts off to sleep. Recently, I began introducing other artists at bedtime so he won't overdose (like me) on Michael Frank's music. My wife is happy about that!
I've had the pleasure of seeing him in concert seven times and meeting him in Boston after one of his gigs. He's a gentle soul and very appreciative of his fans. For over twenty years, his music has never been far from my ears and it's been a powerful and soothing delight in a world that has become increasingly more complex and dangerous. For that, I am grateful.
My personal favorites are Tiger in the Rain, Mr. Blue, Tell me About It, String of Pearls, Hourglass, Nightmoves, The Lady Wants to Know, Rainy Night in Tokyo, Amazon, Dragonfly Summer, Coming to Life -- I'll stop now as the list is too long. If Michael Franks is new to you, start with Soulmate, Tell me About It or When I Give my Love to you - easy on the ears and good for beginners. If you like those, you can ease into a few of the aforementioned tunes.
Happy Gswede Sunday!
Gswede playing with clients and colleagues on the famous floor of Madison Square Garden.
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