Rediscovering Connecticut Railfanning Hotspots: Where Trains are the Real MVPs! Since I returned to New Haven, I've been rediscovering some of the railfanning spots in Connecticut that I used to visit in my childhood, particularly those along the Hartford/Springfield Line . These spots include less frequented areas like under bridges, behind gas stations, parking lots near the tracks, and some stations. It's a privilege to have a car and be located so close to these places. I can easily decide on a spot, hop in the car, and go, which is an amazing feeling, often therapeutic. In this video, we're once again exploring one of my favorite spots - Route 5 in Wallingford and the border of Meriden. What I appreciate about this area is the many stores along the turnpike where I can conveniently pick up groceries on my way home from catching trains. If that's not multitasking efficiently, I don't know what is.

Kiefer hosts synth musical maestro J3PO on his YouTube Channel Lately, I've been immersing myself in the creations of beatmaker and pianist Kiefer , recognized for fusing jazz and hip hop. He also imparts musical knowledge on his YouTube platform daily. His recent collaboration and interview with synth/keyboard wizard J3PO (Julian Pollack) is truly delightful. It seems like both artists listened to my wishes and collaborated to bring us a masterpiece of musical ideas and insights. Kiefer and J3PO wield significant influence in the realms of music production and live performances. The two together? Legend.

One of my all-time favorite actors of the stage and screen - Brian Dennehy - has passed. Growing up he was an inspiration to watch on TV and in movies. In high school, when I had an idea that I wanted to become an actor in some capacity, my parents took me to New York City to see him play Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman." Looking back, I can think of more than enough to describe what I saw: Masterful, Mesmerizing, Powerful, Nuanced, Raw, Inspiring. Without a doubt, it played a significant part in my desire to pursue a life in performing arts. Thank you Brian for sharing your talents with us and imprinting your legacy on the world. You will be missed.

NPR's Carl Kasell's iconic voice will be remembered Last week we lost a legend of public radio, NPR's own, Carl Kasell. Kasell's voice was a fixture of my childhood and young adult life. I would hear him on the radio every day before school or in the car. He made newscasts memorable by his unique sound and delivery, which had an unparalleled resonance and texture. Whether doing news updates or lending his talents to the popular show "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" his sound was instantly recognizable, so much so that I would try to imitate it later on, lovingly of course. Thank you Carl for making the listening experience worthwhile. Rest in Peace. #carlkasell #npr #publicradio Photo credit: Chip Somodevilla New York Times.

In my nearly 20 years of navigating New York City's ever-changing transit system, I'd thought I'd seen it all, whether it was the revival of the Second Avenue Subway line, the extension of the 7 train to 34th Street Hudson Yards or the recent arrival of LIRR to Grand Central Terminal. Of course, just as I departed the city, the MTA unveiled Open Gangway cars to make things more exciting for subway riders on the C Line, a project years in the making. Stretching from 168th Street in Washington Heights to Euclid Ave in Brooklyn, riders will now be able to walk all the way through the R211T cars without feeling boxed in.

Thoughts on new live music from a legendary musical group I'm a music lover (in case you couldn't tell), and I've been anxiously awaiting the new release of archived live recordings from Miles Davis' first great quintet. It's the last volume in a series of six (four-disc set) which I'm sure his fans will be pretty excited about. Over the years, I've been particularly fond of the Miles Davis Quintet, ever since my father introduced me to it back in 6th grade. The group, comprised of Davis on Trumpet, John Coltrane on tenor sax, Paul Chambers on bass, Red Garland (and sometimes Wynton Kelly and Bill Evans) on piano and Philly Joe Jones (later Jimmy Cobb) on drums, represents a hallmark in music history. The personnel here includes Wynton Kelly on piano and Jimmy Cobb on drums. What this group accomplished in a span of nearly a decade was monumental and defined the sound of its era. As Miles was always a forward-thinking musician, he frequently experimented with sounds, particularly the modal style of the late 50's, beginning on his album Kind of Blue and continuing with other notable musicians soon after into the 60's and 70's. But perhaps the addition to the group of saxophonist John Coltrane was one of his greatest accomplishments—- up to a point, one could say. Coltrane was known for his daring musical abilities, breaking through the traditional tenor sax sound and delivering "sheets of sound" as music critics of the day referred to them. As is evident from the above-linked review: "But none bear the audible friction between Davis and Coltrane on almost every number of this four-disc set..You can hear the sideman straining to push past Davis—the man primarily responsible for realizing that Coltrane could be Coltrane. Audible as well as physical tension. The story goes that Coltrane’s musical experimentations didn’t fare too well with Miles. Miles, in his ever-so-charming way, made a simple suggestion: Coltrane: “I don’t know Miles whenever I play I get so caught up in the music, I can’t stop..What should I do?” Miles: “Take the f—- horn out your mouth!” Classic Miles. Sounds pretty easy doesn’t it? The point being that Coltrane's new sound wasn't aligned with the direction in which Miles was heading musically. However, it is still refreshing to hear a master musician working out the kinks of his playing and evolve into the legend that he was. #BlackAmericanMusic #Coltrane #MilesDavis #Album #newrelease

Rick Beato interviews pianist Brad Mehldau YouTuber Rick Beato recently interviewed one of my favorite pianists of all time, Brad Mehldau. The music community was stunned by this interview, including some of his peers. I had been waiting for something this in-depth for a long time. What I love about this video is the fact that Brad explains musical concepts in jazz and beyond in the most logical, calming of ways, almost like an ASMRist or therapist would. I'm never confused throughout the interview mainly due to Rick's great interviewing skills. The whole video is inspiring from start to finish.

Book Series now being adapted for TV by director Guillermo Del Toro. As a kid, I grew up reading these tales by Alvin Schwartz and scared myself silly. Each of the stories was chilling as were the equally creepy illustrations which kept me from sleeping. I'm excited that Trailer Park cut this recent teaser trailer (see below). Video Source: CBS Films

Thank you Gillette and Grey Group. I'm just gonna leave this one right here. #gillette #thebestmencanbe #greygroup #advertising #commercial Video Credit: Gillette. "We Believe: The Best Men Can Be". YouTube 13 January 2019. 22 Jan 2019

Jimmy Kimmel Live returns with Jimmy himself After a hiatus (and awesome guest hosts!), Jimmy Kimmel is back in the studio and on the air, charged for Fall and election madness... Also? Did a bit of a change-up with the promo voice ;) HEAR MORE >

Amtrak upgrades its locomotive fleet with Siemens Chargers Amtrak is preparing for the future and, as a train nerd, I am totally on board. In a landmark contract with Siemens the rail company will be upgrading its long-standing trains with a brand new fleet of locomotives and passenger cars. Of note, the Siemens ALC-42 Chargers (pictured below) will be the new face of Amtrak by 2024. For now, they are being used primarily on long distance routes. The P42 Locomotives from GE which I have slowly grown to love, will soon be replaced. The reasons for this are obvious. With most transportation technology, change is inevitable. But less fuel consumption, faster speeds and environmental benefits are always desirable. And this new equipment accomplishes all that. Who can say no to that?

HBO's Succession Season 2 Soundtrack Goodness That classical piano cadence, those hip hop beats. They're unmistakeable. Ah, the sound of white collar corruption in NYC. I am speaking of the theme song to HBO's fabulous series "Succession." Season 2's soundtrack is finally out and you can hear it in all its glory... LISTEN HERE #soundtrack #music #succession #season2