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!!

Categories

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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 […]

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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

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 [...]
La Vie En Rose

La Vie En Rose

December 27, 2025

La Vie En Rose (3:17) Édith Piaf “La Vie En Rose” literally translates to “life in pink,” but it’s a French idiom that means to see life through rose-colored glasses, or to view life in a happy, optimistic, or romantic way. It conveys a feeling of bliss and happiness, often brought on by being in love. It is the signature song of legendary French singer Édith Piaf, written in 1945. The song became very popular in the United States in 1950, when seven versions reached the Billboard charts including covers by Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, and of course, Louis Armstrong. OK, this is interesting.  You would think that a songwriter would know an immortal hit when they wrote it. Right? However, Piaf’s peers and songwriting team did not think the song would be successful, finding it weaker than the rest of her repertoire. Heeding their advice, the singer put the song aside, only to change her mind the next year. It was performed live in concert for the first time in 1946. However, “La Vie En Rose” became a favorite with audiences and was the song that made Piaf internationally famous! It’s lyrics expressed the joy of finding true love and appealed to those […]

Andrea Miller photo

Summer’s Almost Gone – (Andrea Miller vocal)

September 21, 2024

Andrea Miller Summer’s Almost Gone Well, today you are in for a very special treat!  First, we have a guest jazz vocalist, my friend Andrea Miller (www.andreamillersings.com). I imagined an arrangement of Jim Morrison’s ‘Summer’s Almost Gone’ with a haunting, lyrical female vocalist and Andrea came up with a version that far exceeded my imagination!  She has such a lovely voice – I hope you like this delicate, beautiful audio recording as much as I do! Enjoy, Dr. Weiss Dedicated to my friend Leonardo

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The Crystal Ship

March 2, 2024

Jim Morrison The Crystal Ship (3:53) Yesterday we listened to some classical Chopin waltzes.  Today let’s listen to some classic rock. I sent out this video last year, but I enjoyed playing around with the special effects and watching it so much – here it is again for all you Doors fans! We were BIG Doors fans in my Philadelphia neighborhood when I was in high school! In fact, I went to the Philadelphia Doors concert that was recorded live instead of going to the senior prom! ‘The Crystal Ship’  is a good example of “classic” psychedelic rock, a rock music genre (consisting of a variety of different styles) that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelic culture, the peak years of which were between 1967 and 1969. ’The Crystal Ship’ was released in April 1967 – 57 years ago! The music incorporated new electronic sound effects and recording effects, extended solos, improvisation and the incorporation of jazz. In fact, it’s the first time that I’ve ever started a jazz arpeggio improvisation on the very  highest key of the piano (1:29), actually twice! Psychedelic video effects start a little earlier (0:21). Enjoy, Dr. Weiss Some information from Wikipedia The Crystal Ship dedication: Larry S., with whom […]

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Chopin Waltz in C# Minor Op 64 No 2

March 1, 2024

Frederic Chopin Waltz in C# Minor, OP. 64, No 2 (3:31) On this day, March 1, 1810, Frederic Chopin was born in Poland. He was a Polish-French composer and pianist of the classical Romantic period. He moved to Paris at age 21 where he lived until his death at age 39 in 1849. In my opinion, this is one of his most beautiful waltzes (although that’s a difficult choice!) Enjoy, Dr. Weiss Dedicated to David G. and Charlie B. Some information from Wikipedia Related Posts: Chopin Waltz in Gb Major Op 70 No 1 Chopin Waltz in F Minor Op 70 No 2  (Haunting) Chopin Waltz in Db Major Op 64 No 1 (“MInute Waltz”)

Im In The Mood For Love

I’m In The Mood For Love

February 14, 2024

I’m In The Mood For Love (1:55) Recorded 2/13/24 George Shearing   George Shearing passed away ON THIS DAY, February 14, in 2011. One of the jazz greats, Sir George Shearing was known for his incomparable and complex reharmonizations. Usually, in classical, pop, or jazz, a piano player may use (hopefully sparingly) the damper pedal (the one on the right) to blend adjacent similar chords, usually one or two measures (4-8 beats). However, for this arrangement, I’m changing the pedal literally with each beat!! Listen carefully and you will hear how Shearing makes the song his own. Thanks, George, for showing us a new way of playing and listening. Happy Valentine’s Day! Enjoy, Dr. Weiss