Zach Nielsen Trio
I’m listening to Zach Nielsen Trio’s jazz EP, Songs in a Minor Key. As I write this post I’m listening to the Trio’s arrangement of Nirvana’s “Come As You Are.” Nirvana sounds great set to jazz. Below is Zach Nielsen’s explanation of the EP. Buy Songs in a Minor Key on iTunes.
I am pleased to announce my first official jazz release. It’s a five song EP called “Songs in a Minor Key”. This recording took place this past spring in Albuquerque, NM with some of the best musicians the city has to offer. It is far from perfect (what jazz recording is?) but I think you’ll find some rich moments throughout that will peek your interest and engage your ear.
Recording jazz is a very different process than my pop/rock recording experience in the past. In jazz, all the musicians play together and we do a few takes and simply choose the best one of three or fours takes. With a rock recording you usually analyze every square inch of the recording and slave over all the minutiae. Not so with jazz. We attempt to capture a performance that is rich with energy and life but perfection is not the goal. Communication, interaction, and artistic expression are the goals and I think those goals were met in these short recording sessions.
For some, jazz is esoteric and obtuse. To the unacclimated, it can sound like random noise that is challenging to listen to for extended periods of time. For that reason I recorded a couple songs that most people will recognize. The recording kicks off with my arrangement of Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” and later on you’ll find The Police’s famous hit, “Message In A Bottle”. In my experience, if people hear a simple melody that they recognize it greatly increases their enjoyment and overall listening experience. I hope that is the case for you as you encounter this recording.
The remaining three tracks are jazz standards from many decades ago. First, “Nardis” is a Miles Davis tune made famous by one of my piano heros, Bill Evans. Second, there is a lesser known Wayne Shorter tune that I learned back in college called, “Black Nile” and finally another jazz standard called, “Beautiful Love”
When God Doesn’t Answer Your Prayer
I’m noticing a pattern in my life. Each summer God puts a book in my lap that I really need and that sets fresh trajectories for my life and ministry. Last summer it was the book mentioned in this post.
This summer, quite unexpectedly, I stumbled upon Jerry Sittser’s book from 2003, When God Doesn’t Answer Your Prayer. During my 1.5 years at Whitworth University I enjoyed having Jerry Sittser as a professor. He was/is a great man with a story of suffering that gives unusual weight to his teaching and writing.
Just like last summer’s book, When God Doesn’t Answer Your Prayer is a book about trusting God. I recommend you read this book, read it in conjunction with last summer’s book.
We want God on our terms, to make life nice for us and to cut a safe and secure path for us, with no hassles, no inconvenience, and no suffering. Unfortunately, there is no such God, and there is no such life.
-When God Doesn’t Answer Your Prayer, pp. 172-173
The Mount Hermon Bookstore
I’m spending this week at Mount Hermon. If you live in the Bay Area you need to visit the Mount Hermon Bookstore. It is, by far, the best Christian bookstore in the entire 8 million person Bay Area, probably in all of Northern California.
My good buddy from seminary, Todd, is the buyer for the bookstore. For the past few years he’s made sure this isn’t your typical Christian bookstore filled with precious moments figurines. This is a store stocked with solid books.
Visit the store.
Conferences
There are probably five or so conferences I want to attend this year. I don’t know that I’ll make it to any with moving to a new city, planting a new church, having a new baby, and not having a conference budget yet, but at the top of my list is The Gospel Coalition 2011 National Conference. Watch the overview video. And, by the way, Lukas Naugle is the one who films all these top-notch TGC videos. Have you hired Lukas yet? If not, you’re foolish.
The 4 Books That Shaped Tim Keller
During our Skype conversation with Tim Keller (Tim in his home study; us in Phoenix here at the One Institute), Tim shared with us the 4 books that have formed the foundation of his Christian walk and ministry:
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Jonathan Edwards, The Religious Affections
Richard Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life
J.I. Packer, Knowing God
Mark Mitchell
For the past 4 years I served at Central Peninsula Church under the leadership, care, and friendship of lead pastor, Mark Mitchell.
Mark is an amazing man of God. If you haven’t already heard Mark’s sermons from CPC or on PreachingToday.com, you should.
You should also check out the two books Mark has written:
A Biography of the Beer That Changed the World
I want to buy Stephen Mansfield’s new book, The Search for God and Guinness: A Biography of the Beer That Changed the World.
Check out the video introduction:
HT: JT
Surprised by Grace
My friend Tullian Tchividjian has written a new book, Surprised by Grace: God’s Relentless Pursuit of Rebels. It’s a great book. You should buy it.
This is the first book I’ve written an endorsement for. Here’s the blurb I wrote for the book:
The gospel is a surprising message of news seemingly too good to be true. Tullian shocks us with the gospel as he retells the story of Jonah, the story of a God who pursues, rescues, and even uses people who run away from him. What makes this book stand out is how Tullian presents the gospel in story form, carving deep grooves in one’s memory. I will not forget this book, and I will recommend it to all the “Jonahs” in my life, which is most everybody I know.
Go here to buy the book and read the rest of the endorsements.
The Good Book Company
In conjunction with the Together for the Gospel (T4G) conference going on right now in Louisville, Justin Taylor has some great things to say about two great publishers. I especially encourage you to check out the study on Hebrews that Justin Taylor mentions. :) If you’re at T4G, buy a copy.
If you’re going to be at T4G, here are two booths you should consider visiting: The Good Book Company and Matthias Media. Neither originated in the US (and you may not be familiar with them yet), but both are producing some of the best materials around for discipleship, Bible study, small groups, etc.
The Good Book Company recently sent me a new small-group study guide on Ephesians by Thabiti Anyabwile (in a series edited by Tim Chester). The format looks very use-friendly, and the content is rich and accessible. See too this study on Hebrews by Justin Buzzard.
They also sent me Beginning with God: Book 1, an attractive and helpful guide for talking about the things of God with your little ones. “This book provides a simple way to start your child in a regular habit of reading God’s Word and growing to know God, who loves them.”
They also have good evangelistic materials, like Christianity Explored.
The Matthias folks are behind Two Ways to Live, The Trellis and the Vine, these interactive Bible studies, and many other resources.
I’m grateful for great ministries like these two. Again, I encourage you to get to know them at T4G.
Red Letter
I’ve been listening to tracks 4 and 6 of Red Letter’s album, Red Letter, over and over again the past few days. Go here to learn more and to get the free download.
