I love to travel, to read, to check out live music, . . . or just to talk about life, art and music. Plus I play the piano and or other instruments daily. And I LOVE my boy Tezcatlipotl, and my beautiful wife.
I also love languages and culture. I'm currently learning German. I speak now English (no really), French, Spanish and Dutch. If I had the time . . . I'd learn 10 languages.
Music
F A V O R I T E S & F R I E N D S
My greatest influences are my friends who continue with high artistic integrity, while never straying from the development of their own unique path. Such artists may never achieve the wealth or notoriety of others, but to hear them is to know the strength of art and the striving of the living soul. Otherwise Joni, Stevie, Keith, Holdsworth, Herbie, Kate, Jamal, Clinton, de Lucia, Juan Gabriel, and even Björk have become great artists for me. Throw in even the integrity and voice of Bonnie Raitt in there . . . . These people are all still living, . . .
J A Z Z
On the not still living side, there are even more so too many to mention. Too too many, and where to begin? The great jazz artists perhaps, like Parker and Monk, Morton, and Armstrong. 'Trane, Dolphy, Christian, Montgomery, Teddy Wilson,Billie and Ella and Dinah Washington, Meade (Lux) Lewis, James P. Johnson. . . Miles, Hines, . . . Bechet, . .
B L U E S
And that's just jazz. Lately Professor Longhair has stormed into my pantheon of world superpowers, which opens up a whole thing with querky blues pianists like Roosevelt Sykes, Jimmy Yancey, Champion Jack Dupree and Otis Spann. . .
Which brings me to blues guitarists from Blind Lemon Jefferson and Leadbelly, to Stevie Ray, (and not to forget the still living B.B.) Should Hendrix come here, or shall he come in later? . . .
C L A S S I C A L
And I listen to tons of classical music as well. My favorites are the more recent impressionists and the 19th and 20th century Russians over the great Germans and the Vienna-ists. So Ravel, Debussy, Fauré, Ravel, Satie, Prokovieff, Stravinsky, and Shostakovich. Then come Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Schubert and Brahms. But I do like them all, but some for different reasons. The French move me more emotionally, the Russians dazzle my senses, and the Germans command my respect. Although Schubert can be excetionally lyrical. . . There's also Haydn, Hindemith, plus a special fondness for Villa-Lobos and della Joio, . . .
Truly, when you love as much music as I do, such a list is impossible. There's also Liszt and Chopin, De Falla, and Copeland, Sibelius and Grieg, etc., etc.,
And I didn't even yet at all mention the "lesser" favorites, . . . like I still give props to Michael despite the U.S. media scandals. And I used to really like the two English guys Squeeze, . . . and there's my new wave list, and I used to like Pearl Jam, and the Frenchies like Gainsbourg, his English wife Jane Birkin, Billy ze Kick, Telephone. . . .
A F R I C A N
And I cannot forget the great great Africans who I think make some of the most beautiful honest and sophisticated popular music on our planet (along with the Brazilians of course, like Lins and Djavan, the Gilbertos and Jobim (who of course could have a page all his own) Elis Regina, Gal Costa) but I was here busy with the Africans. So Papa Wemba with his son of a professional crier's voice, Salif Keita and colleague Mory Kanté, Angélique Kidjo, Baba Maal. . . Franco, Kanda Bongo Man, Kotoja, Rigo Star, Ray Lema, Manu Dibongo, and the great Thomas Mapfumo. . .
A N D M O R E
And so I still forgot in such a list greats like Maria Callas. And perhaps less great in stature but sometimes equally moving can be Laura Nyro. And where do I put Paul Robeson? And I didn't in my jazz set but Art Tatum! Art Tatum man. Art Tatum!
For more over my musical tastes and predilections, please visit my family website at:
Fellini, Truffaut, Almodovar, Lee, Allen, Tati, just to name a few. Back in San Francisco I used to make student films, hang out with filmmakers, work on soundtracks, perform cameo appearances, . . . and a lot of my friends were people in that great alternative film scene. I saw most all of the art films from the late 80's early 90's and then some. But that was long ago now. . .
Television
I have a European satellite hook-up to Astra-1 which is o.k. But I'd love to have something a little less legal whereby I could get say, more French stations for example. I watch a lot of MEZZO (a French arts channel) 'cause they have great jazz everyday, plus tons of classical of course. Their dance programming is even really good.
Otherwise I watch news from all over the world, and sports (man is Eurosport actually a really crappy-ass channel). And my son and I watch Spongebob in German on Super-RTL.
I just read H.G. Well's The Time Machine. That was fun and even a bit scary.
Now I'm reading The Firebrand from Marion Zimmer Bradley. I read years ago her Mists of Avalon, and was even asked by insiders to join her reading sessions that she hosts at her home. That never came to pass, but I did find this autographed copy of The Firebrand in a used book bin in San Francisco's Inner Sunset district a bit later. That was all many years ago, but I am enjoying this book now tremendously.
I'm happy that Chinua Acheba has recently been recognized as a great internationaly talent. Things Fall Apart and the follow up book to that were big in my life many years ago.
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA
Graduated: 1996
Student status: Alumni
Major: Interdisciplinary Art
Clubs: Artist's Make Noise - Avant-garde composer's group.
1986 to 1996
James Logan High
Union City, CA
Graduated: 1986
Student status: Alumni
Degree: High School Diploma
Major: Languages French / Spanish
Clubs: Post Card Punx, Culpural Isplay - these were our own artsy "bands" from the day.
Who I'd like to meet: Joni Mitchell, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, dr bell-hooks, Mozart, W.E.B. DuBois, Beethoven, Keith Jarrett. Les soeurs Labecque, Björk. Dr. Cornell West. My mother's mother. Jan Svankmeyer, Green Gartside. . Robert Glasper. Kate Bush, Maurice Ravel. Johan Sebastian Bach and his sons. Immanuel Kant, Paul Robeson.
I'd have to get into this more to really figure out this list, but for now that's just off the top of my head. If I really think about profiling myself, I should take such a question seriously.
Hola Mi Familia, It's been tooooooooo damn' long & we BOTH act like we ain't got no phones!!!! Have you spoken to Yo Mama since today? If not, you should. I'm just stopping by to send my love to you and Ninah and Tez and to let you all know that we miss you all and we are on our grind, as I am sure you all are doing the same. Still I must make time to stop and smell the roses so 'SNIIIIFFFFFF'! Love you all very much. Your Lil' Sister, Yvonne
Hey Dennis!! How are you?? I'm doing well!! Just started a new semester!! I had some struggles with my last class but I bounced back and kicked ass on the final and I got a B in Neuroscience!! How did your semester go?? Thanks for the video of Tezzie!! I'll have to send it to mom, monica, and dad so that they can see it as well!! How's Ninah?? Tell the both of them that I said hello and that I miss them!! I just wanted to say hey!! I hope all is well! Love and miss you!!
heeye! mr. Thompson! Have a cooooll Birthday!! ( if it is your birthday..) 'Cause if it's right myspace says that you're 100 years old..! :D well.. have a great day! byeee!!
Hey Dennis, It was so great to see you too!! I hate that it took so long for us to see each other!! Tell Tez and Ninah I said hello!! I miss you guys so much already!! I would love to come visit!! Thanks again for spending my b-day with me and thanks for the card!! I listen to the song all the time lol!! I got my grade for my anatomy class!! I got a B!! I was excited!! I didn't do as well on the final as I would have liked but my other grades were great!! I'm taking another class this semester which is neuroscience so I'll keep you posted on that one!! Again it was great to see you and I'll be in touch!! I really would love a cd when it's finished!! I'll talk to you soon and I send my love!!
Meek
P.S. My mom and dad have email addresses but my dad doesn't really check his. If I tell him you'll email him he'll probably check it a little more often!! Mom checks hers all the time!! Here are their address: sbattle@iupui.edu(my mom's) and battle52@sbcglobal.net (my dad's)!
could you please get me an agenda (book for school to write homework assignments in) for the 2008-2009 year. I really don't care how big it is as long as its more then six inches(bigger then the hand or almost) PLEASE>>>>>>
hope spring is great in europe. sorry if i posted way later than you'd expect. i'm rarely on myspace anymore. btw -- new album will be out BEFORE summer ends. same guys and then some and more vocals.
Yea, I found you and sent you a message. Now about the relationship thing what you read is true. I am in a relationship with school and my grades are great, however, there is one person who stole my heart (my boyfriend) and we have been dating for half a year now. Speaking of him, he does remind me of you. The rest of the family said the same exact thing. Now about that skype! Get with the program, letus skype together! Do not be the only one who did not get the memo and left in the dark.
Hey Cuzzo! Great to hear from you!!! Thanks for the love. Yes that's just a fragment of what I've been working on. I'm actually trying to put a band together now. It's tough keeping everyone on the same page though, being that everyone has hectic schedules, kids and what not. So are you guys still coming to visit this summer?
Happy New Year! I BELIEVE in you and in all good things, I know that 2008 has wonderful things in store for you! Thanks again for your friendship... you are phenominal and a inspirational blessing to me! Have a amazing and adventurous new year!!!!!!!!!!!!! Be Well! Thom Take a moment and check out Tim's music... Check Out Tim's Page! .. Click the LINK to ADD Tim!
