Brett Jolly’s Thought for Today (A story with Grover Washington, Jr.)

For those of you who remember, Grover Washington was a great saxophonist. He had multiple hit songs but is most remembered for his classic hit “Mr. Magic.” Grover died in 1999 (I believe). My brother, Bill Jolly, was his musical director and I played for Grover on a couple occasions. I wanted to share this one story with you today. Grover enjoyed his fame, but sometimes it was a lot for him to deal with. Years ago my brother and I had a jazz gig at some place called the Blue Horizon (This place is now closed). Grover knew about the gig and for once he wanted to play a show where he “didn’t” have to play “any Grover Washington songs.” He came to our gig dressed up in some big old hat with shades (so that he wouldn’t be recognized) and asked if he could play with us. “OF COURSE” we agreed to that (and yes, we knew he was coming) and for that whole entire night we played all kinds of saxophone songs that were not Grover tunes. It was so much fun. Also, due to contract obligations, Grover couldn’t go under the name of Grover Washington. We asked him his name and he came up with label “Buckshot Lafunk.” We referred to him all night as “Buckshot” and had such a great time. Prior to this Grover was only able to practice in his basement and he just wanted to do an ordinary jam session so he came out to join us. Grover was one of the nicest people you could know and he got us tickets to some of the 76ers games. If you don’t know of him you might want to Google him. I hope you don’t mind me sharing this story with you today. Thank you for checking out my Thought for Today and as always I wish you the very best that life has to offer.

Brett Jolly, Grover Washington Jr., and brother Bill Jolly

Brett Jolly’s Thought for Today (the stories we cover)

When a submersible ventured into the ocean last week to view the Titanic it had 5 people inside of it. Most of us know by now that the vessel imploded and all 5 were killed. The story made massive headlines and the world was willing to come in and help these people. However, at the same time there was a boat near Greece that sank killing 700 people. Guess which story got the most coverage? Please keep in mind that the boat near Greece was smuggling immigrants. The submersible had 5 people who paid half a million dollars apiece ($250,000) to take part. I don’t recall hearing “any” story about the boat with immigrants. For a little more insight here is an interview with former President Barack Obama:

I do realize that there can be a “lot” of news each day. It is tough to give all incidents the same amount of attention. However, what “determines” the news items that receive the most publicity? In “this situation” was it based on the amount of money the five people spent, or were their lives just considered to be worth more? News coverage inspires most of our lives. What we hear from media often dictates how we feel. Many people felt bad for the 5 males in the Titanic sub, but how many “even knew” about the other boat? This reminds me of the “Trial of the Century” years ago when OJ Simpson was brought to court for the murders of his ex wife and Ron Goldstein. “”Many” murders of ex wives/girlfriends happen in society but what made “this particular crime” go viral?” Could it have been the fact that OJ was a popular Black athlete who happened to be married to a White woman? Could it have been something else? While our news media does a great job of informing us we need to finds ways to learn more. For instance, Brittney Griner was imprisoned in Russia and is now free and back home. There was a “LOT of media coverage on her story. We are happy about that. Now what about the”other” prisoner detained in Russia? Does anyone remember him or even know his name? For those of you who don’t know, his name is Paul Whelan. What about any other prisoners? We are affected by what we know and the media we patronize bears a large part of this. We can literally change society through our media. I am not telling people what to cover. I am just making my own observations. Thank you for checking out my Thought for Today and as always I wish you the very best that life has to offer.

KC and the Sunshine Band (KC on the microphone) with Brett Jolly playing bass guitar

Brett Jolly’s Thought for Today (The Titanic sub that is lost)

5 people decided to pay $250,000 to survey the wreck of the Titanic 13,000 feet below the surface. They were inside a tube like submersible that somehow lost contact. They have a very limited supply of oxygen and rescue efforts from around the world have joined forces in hopes of saving them. If you would like to know more, here is a video:

It seems that science knows more about Mars than it does the bottom of the ocean. The water pressure down at that level is “incredible.” This mission was been described as “searching for a needle in a haystack.” The thing I love about this is ‘the attention this story is getting from the rest of the world.” It let’s me know that we all “can unite” for a noble cause when needed. Rescuing them would be a truly positive outcome. Even if they manage to get the sub to the surface the entrance/exit has been welded shut, so it is still possible that they could run out of air. This expedition has had trouble before, and if they survive this ordeal they may want to consider abandoning this expedition for any future activities. I sincerely hope that these 5 people can be rescued alive (even though time is seriously running out). Let’s all pray for their safe return. Thank you for checking out my Thought for Today and as always I wish you the very best that life has to offer.

The Stylstics in concert with Brett Jolly on red bass guitar (upper right side)

Brett Jolly’s thought for Today (Our perceptions… Is everyone the same?)

As a musician (bass guitar player) I have been blessed with the ability to hear just about “any” bass line and “play it” without picking up my instrument to rehearse anything. It has been determined that I have something called “perfect pitch.” My brother, Bill, who plays keyboards, has the ability to hear note intervals really well. He doesn’t have perfect pitch but he has great “relative pitch.” This means if you give him a note he can figure out the other notes that correspond. He is an excellent keyboardist. Other musicians that I know can hear music well, but not all can hear to the same extent that I can. I know of some vocalists who can hear lead melody lines well but yet struggle when trying to sing harmony notes for background singing. This tells me that people’s perceptions are “NOT” all the same. I have played for several big name artists who could not tell the difference between a drum beat and any other instrument. Mostly this corresponds to hearing “audio” sounds, but what about vision? I believe that people “hear AND see” differently as well, and everyone does NOT perceive things the same way. Even though I may see the color red it is quite possible that someone else can look at that same color and see it as blue. Since we can only see through our own eyesight we can’t tell what or how someone else perceives. Evidence of this can be found in people who are “color blind.” Can people actually “learn” how to increase their perceptions? I think so, but I do not know for sure. I believe I could help teach someone how to have perfect pitch, but I have “never really been successful” at it. Since people “hear and see differently” I think we need to do a better job of understanding others. Our brains process a lot of information, but everyone’s brain function is “not alike.” When someone hears “voices in their heads” we hope to understand what they are going through. Do you know your own limitations on what you perceive? No matter what we see and hear, we all have to be able to communicate and socialize with each other. Improving our understanding of others can significantly help us do better. Thank you for checking out my Thought for Today and as always I wish you the very best that life has to offer.

Singer Ashanti onstage with Brett Jolly on red bass guitar

Brett Jolly’s Thought for Today (What do you think will happen “IF” he is found guilty?)

Yes, this is in reference to former President Donald J Trump, who currently is under indictment for several illegal charges. He is the very first President to face prosecution for crimes on this scale. So if he is actually found guilty, what “SHOULD” happen to him? Many say he should go to jail, while many others defend his actions and believe he should be above all charges. I don’t know what will happen if he is found guilty, but here are my thoughts (opinions) on this: First off, his position as a former President will probably have some merit. That fact alone may keep him out of jail. Second, his age is also a factor. If he is placed in jail it would be paramount to a death sentence because I don’t think he will survive in there. Finally, his support base might be a factor as well. Too many people still support him enough to “vote” for him in the 2024 Presidential election. Given all this, what “should” happen to him if found guilty? Well, an aspect of this is that “many people would be totally satisfied if he is never able to become President again.” An interesting scenario would be for him to be declared “mentally incompetent if found guilty.” That could possibly allow him to avoid jail time and could be a win/win for all parties. Considering the things he has already done I don’t think we can rule this out. It was rumored that Ronal Reagan had Alzheimer’s during the final years of his Presidency. As you get older, change happens. Both Biden and Trump may be suffering some sort of dementia due to age. “IF” so, then should we have someone like that running the country as President? That is not up to me or you to decide, but it is something that we ALL need to consider (if it is indeed true and known). For Trump, the key issue here is “the verdict.” I can’t imagine him going to jail but something needs to happen “IF” he is found guilty. It had been rumored for years that he was “unfit” to hold office. Now may be an opportunity to see if this statement holds any type of validity. Get your popcorn and drink. This show is just getting started. Thank you for checking out my Thought for Today and as always I wish you the very best that life has to offer.

Wayne Brady in concert with Brett Jolly on bass guitar

Brett Jolly’s Thought for Today (Faith)

When we are born we “automatically have to depend on somebody.” We cannot raise ourselves on our own because we are not developed enough to survive. Babies can’t raise themselves. We are immediately placed in a position where we have to have “faith” in someone to raise and guide us. As we grow older (and are able to handle more things on our own) our faith usually evolves into something else. We need to “believe in something or someone” and that is why faith is extremely important for most of us. Religion has helped many of us deal with trials and tribulations in our lives. Some others depend on friends, lovers or parents (etc.). Some rely heavily on people in politics. Where would we be without faith? The realness of our faith should make a big difference but this is not always the case. For instance, a lot of people cannot see God or talk directly to Him but they have a “firm faith regardless.” A lot of us depend heavily on people in politics (no matter what indictments or illegalities they are going through). That is a strong sense of faith. People are taught certain things and they choose whether to support them or not. No matter who we believe in, our faith in something or someone helps us all to cope. If you don’t have faith in anything then you are truly “all alone.” This means that you don’t trust anything or anyone. That could be disastrous. Gangs believe in each other because the gang life is practically all they know. Racists have been taught their beliefs and that is why they engage in racist ways. Pastors preach about the ways of religion to those who are in need. That is why our lives are guided by those who educate us. Who do you believe in? There is nothing wrong with believing in something… or someone… Have faith in what you believe in… Thank you for checking out my Thought for Today, and as always I wish you the very best that life has to offer.

Dionne Warwick and the O'Jays in concert with Brett Jolly on red bass guitar

Brett Jolly’s Thought for Today (How I manage to keep my head up)

As a musician, I have “literally done a lot.” I have performed with “close to 200 big named musical artists,” Done “many” personal gigs, wrote many tunes, done many interviews, photographed many people and made many videos. Still on occasion I hear about people who say they “actually doubt” my skills. Of course, they have a right to their opinions, but they don’t have the right to make me feel the way they do. No one is perfect so everyone can always improve in something. When someone demeans my musical abilities it “only makes me stronger.” There are people that I have worked with whose assessment of me is less than flattering. I get it. However, they “can’t” argue with the fact that I am “performing a lot” and my audiences are “loving it.” In fact, when you compare “their” career against mine they are “not even close.” That says a lot. I don’t get angry or harbor any animosities at anyone who feels this way. In fact, I take how they feel to heart and I work on myself to “improve even more.” You see, no matter what I do I will probably not be able to change their minds (and I am absolutely okay with that) but instead I work on myself to make sure “I” feel confident about my abilities. I watch video of myself, I ask questions and I do my homework on figuring out the things I need to do. When I sing I often have to play my bass guitar at the same time (and that is not easy to do). I had to work on that in order to make it happen (and I did). Some people will hate out of jealousy and envy. My success speaks for itself. I am not being cocky when I say that, but “truthful.” Anyone that wants to verify my abilities can simply go to my website WWW.Brettjolly.com. When I hear all the positive reviews from the audiences at my gigs it helps me to ignore the negative remarks from those few who prefer to judge me in a dimmer light. By the way, the best part of this is that I am “still evolving and improving.” I am still smiling while doing so. Life is wonderful, and music is a blessing. For those reading this, “never” let other’s views of you become your views of yourself. “Everyone has haters.” The most important person you need to love yourself is “you.” Thank you for checking out my Thought for Today, and as always I wish you the very best that life has to offer.

Brother Bill Jolly Jon Bon Jovi and Brett Jolly

Brett Jolly’s Thought for Today (Should Critical Race Theory be taught?)

Most times the answers you get “depend heavily on who you talk to.” While there are certain aspects of humanity that would like to ignore and forget some things that happened, there are others who believe that we can’t build for the future until we first acknowledge the past. Many people get angry when they are confronted about things their ancestors did, but the past is “always offensive to those guilty of the infraction.” This is not about racial accusation. To get a better understand please check out this video:

Certain people do not want to be reminded of a bad past. However, until the thought process of that past is fully exterminated then the past can (and most likely will) live on. Critical Race theory lets us know how we have persevered to this point despite the circumstances. If you are going to get rid of critical race theory because it offends you then you may as well get rid of the other history of those slaveholders as well. Yes, our history has not been unblemished, but you can’t “choose” the portions of history that you want to keep. You will never fully appreciate the good in life until you have experienced the bad. The good thing about history is that it is ever evolving. We “are as we do.” We won’t eliminate prejudice and racial hatred until we reach the point where it is “no longer taught.” At the point history itself will make a “monumental change.” What a “magnificent day” that would be. If we are to keep offensive history then we need to keep it for “ALL” of us. Let the truth “set us free.” Thank you for checking out my Thought for Today and as always I wish you the very best that life has to offer.