This May Be the Craziest Piece Ever Written for Piano [VIDEO]

This song is so fast the piano keys start to smoke! (Photo courtesy Rousseau/YouTube)

The piano is a huge part of my life. Having taken piano lessons for most of my youth, it has always provided me a means to relax. Even if I am not behind a keyboard myself, I love listening to pianists, regardless of the genre they’re playing. Growing up, I didn’t truly appreciate classical pieces like I do now because my first love has always been and always will be jazz. But when I came across this video on YouTube recently, it stopped me dead in my tracks because it may very well be the craziest piece I’ve heard or seen performed on the piano.

Jathan FinkDecember 13, 2020Leave a comment

Books

Justin Newland Rewrites History in ‘The Coronation’ [BOOK BLAST]

Eagle — Did an eagle change the course of history? (Photo courtesy Canva)

There are some authors who deposit their characters in the midst of history, showing how their lives parallel historic events. Then there are authors like Justin Newland who bend history to their will and use fantastic elements to show us what could have been. If you enjoy the latter, you won’t want to miss The Coronation, a tale about war, fortune, and family honor. Enjoy!—J&H

Jathan FinkDecember 9, 2020December 8, 20201 Comment

Books

Mitchell James Kaplan’s ‘Into the Unbounded Night’ Transports Readers to Ancient Rome [BOOK BLAST]

Night sky over the Coliseum — (Photo courtesy Regal House Publishing)

We love a big, juicy, historical saga, particularly when it brings a particular time period to vivid life like few have before. That’s the case with Mitchell James Kaplan’s Into the Unbounded Night, a novel that has been praised as “brilliant” (Burton Book Review), “haunting” (Wayward Reader), and as “an outstanding piece that… creates a compelling, realistic story hard to put down” (Midwest Book Review). We hope you try this engrossing tale of first century Rome. Be sure to let us know what you think! —J&H

Jathan FinkDecember 7, 2020December 1, 20202 Comments

Food, Travel

Remembering Seven of Our Favorite Watering Holes on Bartender Appreciation Day

Heather sips her first hurricane at Pat O’Brien’s Bar in New Orleans. (Photo by Jathan Fink, Jadeworks Entertainment)

Happy Bartender Appreciation Day! Although we’re stuck at home in the midst of a pandemic, it’s a great day to meander down memory lane and remember all those great watering holes we’ve discovered over the years as we travelled from one coast to the other. Each one of them holds wonderful memories for us, always punctuated by yummy drinks and a bartender with a liberal pour. Read on to find out if your favorites made the list.

Jathan FinkDecember 5, 2020December 5, 2020Leave a comment

Food

Slow-Cooked Marinara Sauce [RECIPE]

Now that temperatures have dropped, we start thinking about comfort food. And what’s more robustly flavored and delicious than scrumptious Italian food on a cool autumn night? This marinara sauce is a little different than others we’ve made because it utilizes pancetta (an Italian bacon) to lend a hint of smoke to the flavor profile, which we love. It’s also great to make ahead, stores well, and is super easy to prepare. Best of all it is really versatile and goes wonderfully with everything from spaghetti and meatballs or chicken parmesan to a big dish of homemade lasagna. Yum!

Jathan FinkDecember 3, 2020Leave a comment