I met Samuel Claiborne on an airplane flight from Boston to Newburgh. It was one of those random encounters that you end up remembering for a long time. The kind that reaffirms your faith in the human race for having met so interesting and passionate and compassionate a person by accident.  He was the kind of guy who had seen a lot of shit and rough times in his life, and had come out on the other end of it with his head up and wiser for the wear.

We talked about music for the entire hour long flight and he gave me a cd  called The Annunciation : Piano Improvisations. Honestly I didn’t think I would like it very much and it sat in my office for a long time before I thought to check it out. It tuens out its a beautiful, beautiful album. I have listened to it dozens of times at work. Its the kind of music that can get you out of a bad mood. Its the kind of music that alters your mood no matter in what state you start listening to it in.

I told him that I would get in touch with him and share my music, he invited me to bring the band to dinner at his house if we were ever headed to NYC or playing a show in the Hudson Valley. Maybe I’ll take him up on the offer eventually but for now having the music is just swell on its own.

mp3: Samuel Claiborne : Joseph (Cuckolded by God)

The album is available for purchase here : http://musicishere.com/artist/75444-Samuel-Claiborne/61958-The-Annunciation