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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

FWIW, I like 'Choosin Texas'. Hell, I PLAYED Choosin' Texas two nights ago for an audience in a casino in New Mexico. I think it succeeds for the same reasons Casablanca succeeds as a movie, the tropes are so deep that *something* plucks at the consciousness of almost everyone who hears it...

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Paying some dues this evening. www.facebook.com/dsolmusicpro...

facebook.com

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I'm playing this stage again tomorrow. With the upright acoustic bass and no drums, and also a fiddle player. Very Spinal Tap.

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

My sax trio that plays Thelonious Monk just landed another public gig in November, so here on John Coltrane's 100th birthday here is Monk and Coltrane at Carnegie Hall www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeGB...

youtube.com

Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane - At Carnegie Hall

YouTube video by La musica di Mcapu

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

One of my favorite places for some low-key Chacoan ruins is a canyon complex: Sand Canyon and Rock Canyon. Sand canyon's fork is called East Sand Canyon. Etc. Etc.

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

@weirdguita.rs I said the other day that my friend Phil owns some guitars that would be of interest, here's the red Tele with the b-bender he brought to a gig this weekend

A red Fender Telecaster on a stand from the front.

The Tele from the back with the bender apparatus visible behind clear plastic

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

So I'm in this saxophone trio playing Thelonious Monk, and last night I went to hear our sax player with James Emery. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_E... Not long ago our drummer played for Chris Jonas en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_J... I'm getting a fast education from these guys in avant modern jazz.

en.wikipedia.org

James Emery (musician) - Wikipedia

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Private gig outdoors on the portal of an old adobe outside Pojoaque

My band setting up. 2 guitars drums and my acoustic upright bass

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

As someone who as a professional software developer worked on supplying the most accurate location-based data possible to US Military Intelligence Special Forces for planning *and* operational purposes, this is appalling.

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Santa Fe! Tomorrow! If you're at all interested in modern jazz, guitarist James Emery and sax guys Alex Murzyn and Jim Goetsch interpret Anthony Braxton's 'Composition 167'. They are all world-class players celebrating releasing an Emery/Braxton discovered record avantjazzworkshop.com/AJWseries.html

avantjazzworkshop.com

Avant Jazz Workshop Series

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I never played more pinball than when I was touring clubs in the South in the 90s. Nothing else to do between sound check and the show.

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I love this place. Robertson Violins in Albuquerque

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

NM and Hatch chile crop devastated by all kinds of things from drought to pests but it boils down to climate. www.koat.com/article/new-... This is going to be the case for a lot of crops. My favorite growers supply my favorite roasters and their whole crop was done in August after like 2 weeks.

koat.com

New Mexico chile crop faces up to 50% shortfall as heat, disease and pests hit harvest

Demand for New Mexico green chile remains huge, but supply is shrinking and wholesale prices are climbing. The shortage is affecting farms, roasting operations and a $54.8 million state industry.

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Santa Fe NM has a vibrant music scene, jazz in particular, mostly happening out of the sight of even local media. www.jazzbattery.com/p/avant-jazz...

jazzbattery.com

Avant Jazz Workshop show Sept 19

Jim and guitarist James Emery celebrate an Anthony Braxton recording with Alex Murzyn

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I just got the new COVID vaccine, it's GA for everyone as of real recently, so you and everyone you know should get one too.

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Reposted by Chris McMahon

Joyce Park @troutgirl.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

But it's VERY possible to turn us all into bad QA for LLMs!!

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Removing human beings from software development turns out to be really really really hard. Probably impossible.

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

OK so this is true about cell phones but there was a telecom bust after the dotcom bust because while no one was giving up their cell phones, *making money* for companies in cell phone applications was freakishly difficult. I was there for that.

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Speaking of piano/bass jazz duos, if you're in Santa Fe, I'm playing at the art opening for a super interesting show, 5 til 8 tomorrow Sept 10 at Relay, also a really interesting space if you haven't seen it. More info at the Sun & Dust Gallery web page: www.sunanddust.gallery/show/sun-dus...

sunanddust.gallery

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

So every other month I do a jazz duo show with my piano player friend Joseph at an assisted-living place on a Friday afternoon, just mellow entertainment, and this past Friday we had a guest singer for a few numbers, when suddenly about halfway through the show the manager rushes into the room...

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

OK I wasn't going to participate but this is actually kinda clever

The stupid map that renames 'New Mexico' to 'New America' but the biggest city is labled 'Charliquerque'

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Late 1980s maybe I heard Miles Davis for free at an outdoor show in Grant Park in Atlanta. I don't remember who else was in the band at the time but Kenny Garrett was playing saxophone. It was a nice day for an outdoor show so the crowd was into it but not super duper into it, mostly just vibing...

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Thelonious Monk is kicking my ass. Again. I thought I knew this tune but it was only a superficial understanding, as I see now.

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

It just occurred to me that it's exactly two years since I pulled the trigger and got my bass. In that time I've gone from 'haven't touched an upright in 30 years' to playing a few shows every month in a few different bands and making a little money doing it.

Me in a colorful shirt with grey hair in a loose ponytail playing my acoustic upright bass.

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

I only heard Cassandra Wilson sing live one time, at Yoshi's in San Francisco (RIP). It was memorable.

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Me and my friends in high school desperately wanted to catch Prince on the Controversy tour (pre-1999 breakout) but he played the one club in Atlanta that absolutely banned underage people, no exceptions. Mostly we drank where we wanted as teens in the late 70s/early 80s.

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

As someone trying to jump into a local music scene after a 30 year hiatus I feel this with all my soul. Local media, to the extent it exists at all, is fragmented, confused, and inadequate on every front.

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I spend a whole lot of time on youtube and Adblock Plus is the only thing that makes it bearable.

My $40US receipt for Adblock Plus Premium

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

The company I work for @beehiiv.com is #19 on the Inc list of 5000 fastest-growing private companies in America at 10,000% growth over the last 3 years. www.inc.com/inc5000/2026 That's pretty nifty. I've worked for startups before but not like this one.

inc.com

Inc. 5000 2026: Meet the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America

Meet the 2026 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies working in AI, health care, software, consumer products, food and beverage, and more.

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Wildfire smoke blanketing Santa Fe this morning with the tops of the Sangre de Cristo mountains peeking out of the haze

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

My Thelonious Monk saxophone trio is starting to really come together on more than 20 Monk compositions. We have a couple of shows in October and I'm sure we'll put it on a few more stages over the fall/winter. There is a newsletter if you're interested, not much traffic yet... jazzbattery.com

jazzbattery.com

Home | The Jazz Battery

The Jazz Battery events, news and information

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Smoke from the Frijoles Fire over Santa Fe just now

A smoky hazy view of the Sangre de Cristo mountains looking east

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

My friend Dave played drums for Chris Jonas en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_J... at an art gallery in Santa Fe Thu. Decent crowd, 40 people or so. I liked it, more melodic than I thought it would be. Dave and I are in a rocknroll band and we're also rehearsing an all-Monk sax trio. He's really good.

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

on my Slack at work just now. I'm sure these will be useful. Very businesslike.

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

There’s Flocks from St. Louie down to Missouri Oklahoma city looks oh so pretty Cut ‘em down in Amarillo and Gallup, New Mexico Flagstaff, Arizona, don't forget Winona Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

I own a 1990 Seagull S6 acoustic guitar. Today it would cost you around $600. I also own a fairly new Martin HD-28. It runs about $3700. The Martin is a gorgeous instrument but if I had to go busk for a living I'd choose the Seagull, it has a big brash in-your-face voice that the Martin never will

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

or as B.B. King always says "never make your move too soon"

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

I think I'm already seeing that. In my town nterest in jazz is spilling over from a hard core of older folks to a younger audience. One older pop singer I work with has decided her immediate future is not only acoustic but fretless with me on bass and a 5-string fiddle player backing her on guitar.

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Surely someone has done this one? Discipline Beat Three of a Perfect Pair

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

And this folks is why you need to own and run your own mail list. Third parties are not reliable. Social media is not reliable. You can pretty much rely on email.

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Long ago in Atlanta I had a conversation with Bruce Hampton (before the ARU) who told me that the best job he ever had was route delivery for a cookie company. Everyone loves it when the cookie man arrives.

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Chris McMahon @chrismcmahon.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Forget crypto. Forget tokens. Forget cash even. The REAL currency of the new economy is advertisements sold and advertisements consumed. digiday.com/media/time-h...

digiday.com

Time has started serving ads to AI agents

Time is selling ads targeting AI agents, betting that markdown pages will make its content (and advertisers) more visible in AI search.

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