Welcome to my music blog - The Soundtrack of My Life!

Many of you have asked me “What’s with all the music, Dr. Weiss?” Well, as I’ve told some of you:

I personally call every surgery patient on the evening of surgery just to make sure they are doing well and have no questions that need answering. Occasionally, I would be at the piano and play a song that we had listened to that day. I gradually realized that I wanted to go through all the music that I had played during my life and at least start making a list of the songs that I had recently played.

Well, there are now about 600 songs on the list and I realized that it in a way it represented the ‘soundtrack of my life’! And that’s how I got the idea to record these songs and share them with my patients, friends and family. After I record them they will reside here, for easy access.

Music is truth. It’s honest. It’s really the first social media, where in a way, people could share their souls directly. And isn’t that what the purpose of social media is and why it’s so popular - trying to share who you really are, as completely and directly as possible?

Finally, it has been (and will continue to be) a genuine pleasure sharing these different songs with you and I really appreciate all of your positive feedback!!

Musical Genres

Streets of Minneapolis image 2 web

Streets of Minneapolis

March 5, 2026

Streets of Minneapolis (4:02) I’ve been furious since the shootings by ICE agents (United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in Minneapolis—especially since I first heard the song Springsteen wrote in the 24 hours after the killings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renée Good, then recorded and released just two days later. It landed like an emotional gut punch. Renée Good was shot three times in the head from point blank range on January 7 while in her car and turning away from ICE agents. The head of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension later disclosed that the FBI revoked their access to evidence related to the shooting—reversing an earlier understanding that the agencies would conduct a joint investigation. Leaders in the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division declined to open a constitutional investigation, prompting more than a dozen federal prosecutors in Minneapolis and Washington to resign in protest. Video evidence and widely reported preliminary accounts indicate that on January 24, federal agents fired 10 shots in roughly five seconds killing Alex Pretti after he was pepper-sprayed, tackled, and pinned to the ground. Several shots were reportedly fired after he was no longer moving. DHS officials also reportedly prevented local police from […]

DALL·E 2023 12 31 13.56.14 A visionary depiction of AI fostering global peace, featuring an AI entity as a glowing, ethereal figure at the center of a diverse assembly of people

Peace Blog 2026 – One Spirit – Footprints In The Sands Of Time

March 3, 2026

Illustration Credits: Rick and Dall-E We are constantly trying to make sense of why we have all the wars and misery around the world, and what we can do about it. I decided to ask chatGPT (while I was in an Uber with a driver who was from Senegal, recently arrived from Africa.) We both agreed on the plan below that chatGPT came up with in seconds. My New Year’s wish is that the countries of the world select leaders who also agree.   Rick: How to get world peace? ChatGPT: “Achieving world peace is a complex issue that humanity has been grappling with for centuries. However, many ideas and steps are generally agreed upon as necessary to get closer to this ambitious goal. Here are some of them: Education: Access to quality education for everyone can contribute significantly to world peace. Education can foster understanding, tolerance, and empathy among different cultures, nations, and ethnic groups. Poverty Reduction: Poverty often leads to conflict and strife. Therefore, global efforts to alleviate poverty can directly contribute to world peace. This includes economic development, fair trade practices, and aid for underdeveloped countries. Conflict Resolution: Encouraging peaceful resolutions to conflicts instead of resorting to violence is crucial. This can be […]

Screenshot 2026 03 01 at 10.10.41 PM

Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out – Live!

March 1, 2026

Sometimes we just like to say thank you to our awesome family of patients and friends, hang out, and have a little fun. And that’s exactly what we did at this event! We couldn’t invite everyone (at least not until the SuperDome rent drops a little), but some lucky folks got to eat, drink and be merry with a little accompaniment by the fabulous live music of Dr. Weiss and Nutty Jazz. Thanks for the memories!! Enjoy, Dr. Weiss Dedicated to all my friends, family and patients. I hope that you are all doing well.   You can find more about Nutty Jazz and their music here: http://nuttyjazz.com/

People

People

February 14, 2026

People (4:25) This Valentine’s Day I’d like to celebrate lovers with a song made famous by Barbra Streisand (Music – Jule Styne, Lyrics – Bob Merrill).  As these lyrics remind us:   “Lovers are very special people They’re the luckiest people in the world With one person, one very special person A feeling deep in your soul Says you were half, now you’re whole…”   So today I’m dedicating this beautiful song – and my rendition of Mark Hayes’ arrangement – to my wife, thoughts of whom inspire me every time I play it.  I’ve been shaping this interpretation mostly through headphones, so it’s also a little Valentine’s surprise for her. I hope you also enjoy it.   Dr. Weiss

Sugar Magnolia

Sugar Magnolia

January 11, 2026

Sugar Magnolia (3:13) As I mentioned yesterday, Weir’s “Sugar Magnolia” was the first Dead song that I learned on the guitar, and I took a folk guitar with me when I first drove cross-country from Philadelphia to California when I was 18 (in my brand new emerald green AMC Gremlin) – and must have sung it for many dozens along the way. So today, as promised, I worked up a version of “Sugar Magnolia” for you. I literally haven’t played this song for at least 30 years and wasn’t sure if my fingers would remember how to play it, but here it is. OK. Here’s my Bob Weir story about the time when I physically protected Bob Weir from his fans on-stage during an encore of “One More Saturday Night” at a concert in LA. I had found myself alone in the wings for the encore (how I got there is a story for another time, but it had to do with our mutual interest in supporting efforts to cure international blindness). Anyway, anyone who has ever been to a Grateful Dead show knows that there is a lot of dancing, including many ‘whirling dervishes.’ Well,  during the encore some of the more uncontrolled dancers jumped […]

New York State of Mind

New York State of Mind

December 31, 2025

New York State of Mind (5:02) Billy Joel This Billy Joel track from 1976 has always felt deeply personal to me. I first met New York as a 17-year-old freshman at New York University, and I was fortunate to experience the city early—enough to grow comfortable with its pace, its noise, and its energy instead of being swallowed by it. Over the years, NYC became something familiar, a place I could return to in different seasons of my life. Whenever I sit down to play “New York State of Mind,” these memories come rushing back—scenes and moments that aren’t in any particular order, but all feel stitched into the song. Please humor me as I share this scattershot collection of personal memories—after all, it is my blog. Leaning out the window at the Mayflower Hotel to see snow drifting down on Central Park the night I got married Windows on the World lunch at the World Trade Center The Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center with tux and oysters Lunches at Café des Artistes The smell of the bakery across the road on Cornelia Street Rays Pizza on Bleeker St. (still has a line!) La Metairie every time passing through My engagement party at […]

Laura

Laura

December 30, 2025

Laura (1:41) Music: David Raksin.    Lyrics: Johnny Mercer “Laura” is a movie theme melody written by David Raksin in 1944 for the film Laura, a noir mystery directed by Otto Preminger. Preminger had originally wanted to use Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Lady” as the theme, but Raksin was not convinced that it was suitable. Angered, Preminger gave Raksin one weekend to compose an alternative melody, and over that weekend he got a personal letter from his wife asking for a divorce – which may explain its haunting quality. The melody is lyrical, chromatic, and bittersweet, moving between major and minor moods. Because of its sophisticated structure, it became a favorite among jazz musicians for improvisation. It was recorded by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker, Nat King Cole, Bill Evans, and Julie London, among many others. Today, it’s considered one of the most enduring and frequently played ballads in the Great American Songbook and probably the most notable film noir music theme. The lyrics were written by Johnny Mercer after the film made the tune popular. Mercer makes Laura not just a woman, but a metaphor for elusive beauty and memory. I tried to match my illustration to the lyric: “And you see Laura […]

Keepin Out of Mischief Now

Keepin Out of Mischief Now

December 29, 2025

Keepin’ Out of Mischief Now (2:26) Thomas “Fats” Waller “Keepin’ Out of Mischief Now” was composed by Fats Waller with lyrics by Andy Razaf in 1932 and first recorded the same year by (who else?) Louis Armstrong. In 1963 it was covered by Barbra Streisand (her again?) on her debut album. Fats Waller has always been one of my favorites. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid the groundwork for modern jazz piano. His best-known compositions, “Ain’t Misbehavin” and “Honeysuckle Rose”, have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Enjoy, Dr. Weiss Some info from Wikipedia Related post: Ain’t Misbehavin’ Weiss Music Minute PS. I was considering doing a short vocal for this, but you deserve to hear Louis Armstrong’s or Barbra Streisand’s versions (or Dinah Washington, Dianne Schuur and others). Check them out on YouTube or any streaming service. Lyrics to “Keepin’ out of Mischief Now” Keepin’ out of mischief now I really am in love and how I’m through playin’ with fire It’s you whom I desire All the world can plainly see You’re the only one for me I have told them in advance They can’t break up our romance Livin’ up to all my vows ‘Cause I’m keepin’ […]

Free Again

Free Again

December 28, 2025

Free Again (3:44) Music: Canfora and Baselli   English lyrics: Robert Colby “Free Again” was written with French lyrics in 1965 and later made famous by Barbra Streisand on her eighth studio album, Je m’appelle Barbra (1966). She sings much of that album in French—yet “Free Again” appears in English. I originally planned to include it simply as another French-adjacent song, following my last post about Édith Piaf. But three things about it pulled me in. What grabbed me Using AI to create the visual — a practical example of how prompts can shape (and improve) an image. (See below.) Why the song feels so powerful — I realized it’s driven by emotional dissonance: the lyrics and the music tell different emotional stories at the same time. (See below.) How a spare arrangement can spotlight a piano — especially when the instrument is beautifully recorded. In this case, it’s the sampled Bösendorfer sound from a Clavinova, with a clarity that reminded me of something I heard as a teenager. When I was 14 or 15, I was babysitting and listened—on headphones, through a good stereo—to one of Sinatra and Carlos Jobim’s recordings. I remember being stunned by how good a simple piano line could sound, and wondering why my own piano didn’t. Now I understand: the […]

Teddy bears..perhaps getting ready for a picnic

The Teddy Bears’ Picnic

December 28, 2025

John Walter Bratton, died on this day (February 7) in 1947. Bratton was a Tin Pan Alley composer and wrote “The Teddy Bears’ Picnic” in 1907.  I guess that makes the song 102 years old! He wrote it without lyrics, and during the silent film era it was used as background music for a number of popular movies and later, even as background music in some of the Looney Tunes cartoons. He wrote over 250 songs, but this song is his only lasting hit.  Twenty-five years later, Jimmy Kennedy wrote the lyrics in 1932!  Interestingly, Kennedy, in a career spanning more than fifty years, wrote some 2000 songs, of which over 200 became worldwide hits, and about 50 are all-time popular music classics. Until Lennon and McCartney, Kennedy had more hits in the United States than any other Irish or British songwriter!!!  [Incidentally, Stephen, Kennedy also wrote “South of the Border”, a popular song describing a trip to Mexico, inspired by a holiday picture postcard he received from Mexico. Frank Sinatra recorded “South of the Border” when I was 2 weeks old! But I digress. “The Teddy Bears’ Picnic” was one of the earliest sound recordings, released by Edison Records [...]