Random Notes

December 20, 2006

Period at the end of the sentence.

As the end of the year draws near some things are becoming more and more clear.  First off, I am sure you have noticed that updates to this particular page have become less frequent recently.  The main reason for this (other than trying to have a life outside of sitting in front of a keyboard and screen) is the machine I use to update this particular page is on a computer that is sloooow.  The hard drives are overworked, the CPU has seen better days and on top that, and it’s on a wireless network that takes its own sweet time to do anything.  The software I have used to maintain parts of this site has seen better days. 

With tools like the google online word processor, I can start an essay and pick it up wherever and whenever I get online.  I can then transfer the edited page to an online page (like the myspace page I have been blogging on recently).  What I want to do is utilize blogging software at this domain.  Myspace has its own set of issues as well.  So once I have researched this a bit more, random notes will be a bit further developed. Hopefully with rss feeds and all the rest of the modern features that will make it easier for me to publish and communicate with you wherever and whenever it is appropriate.

I also have to change out this machine as soon as I can.  I don’t need a dual processor box with a lot of bells and whistles (this is mainly used to do word processing) but I need it to be fast and without a lot of crap.  It amazes me to no end how many upgrades adobe wants to make to its software on my computers.  And even firefox wants to reboot itself whilst I’m in the midst of reading an article or whatever.  Ok I'm done.

Last week I purchased a couple of pieces from my favorite online music store (audiomidi.com).  Hopefully they will remain that way (after what I share with you).  I’ve been meaning to get a focusrite liquid mix system.  Very smart design and tool.  It arrived yesterday and very much looked the business. It lights up and looks very nice however, it doesn’t communicate with any of my computers.  I have tried 3 different firewire cables and 3 different machines in all types of configurations.  And it’s odd because the box will power up through the firewire cable connected to the computers but it won’t shake hands with any of them.  It will be going back today.  I get to stand in line at the post office 5 days before xmas. Happy happy joy joy. 

I also purchased a package of software by waldorf electronics that has a version of the waves 2.3 digital synth on it.  I own one of these things (presently in storage).  The software version has no buzz (like the physical one) and otherwise sounds like (if not better than) the original.  Plus when I purchased that thing in 85, I think it was around 4000.00.  But it allowed me unique sounds and as such the ability to earn a living.  So I can’t complain (yea I know we wrote a song with that title).  It’s nice to have the sonic signature back in my digital arsenal.  Anyway it’s late.  Happy 5 days before xmas.   

Oh by the way, I posted a ghetto performance of me in a hoodie playing The First Noel for your listening pleasure (on myspace AND youtube.com).

November 9, 2006

Not very long ago, the eagle landed here in Atlanta. Mom came in town to see the new spot and hang out for a few days (she really liked it but that's not the point).  I don't ordinarily write about my family but something happened I wanted to share.  While she was here, I took her to the King Center.  Every time I go, I learn even more about the history of my people and our collective experience in this country.  There was an exhibition that featured the 1963 March on Washington. What was especially poignant was looking at my mother, looking at the pictures and mementos from that event.  You see, she and my father were there.  They made the trip from NYC to DC and became a part of history.  To see that you were part of a movement (in this case the civil rights movement) that affected positive change is a very powerful thing to observe. 

I also wanted to mention that the music store is almost ready for business.  Actually it IS ready for business UNLESS you choose to use an AOL email account.  For some reason, AOL is dumping emails from my domain.  I think we have the problem narrowed down to the root cause, but I would suggest anyone wanting to use the store to use a different account (free email accounts are available at gmail.com, hotmail.com and yahoo.com and work perfectly).   Otherwise, Christmas Blue is available at itunes (as are most of my other projects).

Tuesday was Election Day for Americans so if you are one, I hope you voted. 

October 27, 2006

Last week I did a photo session with Mr. Davide Stennet for the new CD. The concept was kinda like Reverend Lee (think Roberta Flack's first album) meets the Cuban liberation of the 50's with a bit of the Black Panther from the 70's in exile in Paris thrown in to boot.  Sounds confused but it works! 

What was interesting was how quickly the session went.  Because we shot in a digital format (Davide finally broke down and joined the digital movement in photography) in 5 hours I had been styled, made up, photographed and retouched (in Photoshop).  All for that "natural look."   We even did a mock up of the front and back covers.  I’m not sure how the ladies in Glendale who do my album layouts are going to take to that but we have given them a head start. 

I have also been working on this site.  I want to try to do some different things with this. If you check out the contact page, you will notice I was feeling kind of minimalist.  I know some sites have a very consistent feel from page to page, and I kind of started like that but, now, I look at each page as a different picture or type of "text painting" so to speak. My intent over the years has been to hire different web designers to work with me on different parts of the site.  Unfortunately, that has never worked out.  Web designers and me don’t ever seem to get it right.  The first kat I tried to hire did everything I asked him not to do.  And then he wouldn’t respond (neither on the phone or email) when I tried to get him to fix it.  Same thing with designer number two.  I tried to explain that I wasn’t like his other client (who was a female porn "actress"). 

It happened again while trying to customize this online store (for a sneak peek, go here).  This time, I went to my friend's apartment and tried to explain what I wanted to do (change the color and a couple of other things).  That was over a week ago and this was maybe, one hour of work.  Two if he was doing laundry.  I still haven’t heard from him.  So I did what I usually do, use what I have to try and get things done.

When I first started this website (many moons ago), I did the initial design in word.  I learned how to use some basic HTML tags if necessary and slap up something on the web.  I posted audio, pictures, video etc. however, over the years, I have switched computers, hard drives have died and I have switched ISP providers.  And in the process, files have been lost. That is why there are no video or audio samples that work. And haven’t for a looong time.  To that end I apologize.  I am fixing those things by and by. In the case of the audio, I figure if I send you to the new store, you can listen to clips for free over there. And if you are so inclined, leave me a little something and download a song or two.  Beats leaving it on the nightstand.  I do want to do some other free audio things but I'm not sure exactly what (maybe an occasional podcast or something).  In terms of the video, I will be posting new things in the next few weeks so please hold on just a little longer. 

But back to my basic web design skills.  In working with the software that created the store, I learned about a tool that is brilliant but was beyond my scope of knowledge when I started.  There is a metafile (so to speak) that has been developed to allow web designers and browsers to have continuity in how a web page is seen.  That is called a css (cascading style sheet).  With a css attached to a web page, I have been able to tweak a template and actually see how it will look when it’s on the web.  Brilliant!

Anyway, it’s gettin late and I'm gettin’ hungry...peel me a grape!

October 7, 2006

(posted October 14th)

So I went to Lowe's earlier today.  I have this plastic piece (channel) which hides the wires between a wall mounted television and the stereo components beneath it (because there is a sideways stud in the wall I couldn't run the wires behind the wall.  I went to the customer service area and asked where they would have a hack saw or tin snips to cut this plastic channel.  The conversation kind of went like this:

RJ: Where do you have the hack saws and tin snips?
Lowes Customer Service: What?
RJ: Where do you have the hack saws?
LCS: What's that? (after thinking a moment she asked her co-worker) Where do we have the saws?  (directed to me) At the "tool box" area.
RJ: OK, so what about tin snips?
LCS: What are those? 
RJ: You snip tin with them.
LCS: (to co-worker) What about tin snips? (directed to me) Tool box. 

So I go over to the box of tools and there is a kat (who works) there. I explain what I want to do and ask what should I use to cut this thing for the lowest price (I am only going to use it once).  He directs me to some scissors on sale (which I needed anyway) and I asked him why his co-worker didn't know what the tools I mentioned to her are.  He just kind of smiled.  Talking to her, I thought I was at Macy's for a minute. 

Needless to say, the scissors didn't really work and I ended up using a very sharp knife I had bought at my favorite Asian Market down here (for about 5 bucks). 

In other home news, I have a kat that I use to do painting. He is very good...when he shows up.  And therein lies the rub. He doesn't always show up when he says he is.  I hope he gets that together. He will be a very successful businessman when he does.  One bedroom was painted a calming color in a shade of umber.  The other room was painted a very light celery color. I think its a great color but I look at it and call it instant Martha Stewart in a can.  Well it did come from her paint line.  All I need now is some sheer white curtains billowing in the light breeze with a glass of lemonade on a white table and the...OH NEVER MIND!!!

This past week I heard on independent radio out here, a couple of very talented young artists whose music I have purchased. One is a young lady named Georgia Anne Muldrow and the other is Anthony David.  I also purchased Vikter Duplaix's new project as well.  I have yet to listen to them fully but as I am supposed to be traveling out of town next weekend, I will use them as traveling music.  I purchased all of these artists music on ITUNES and then burned CDs of them as backup (a practice I just do as a normal practice).  I then rip them back into the PC (as mp3 files) hosting the music on my network that plays through my systems around the house. 

I've been trying to figure out a strategy with my music projects.  Here is what I have come up with. 

I am going to re-release So Amazing (so to speak).  What I mean is I plan to reintroduce it into the marketplace, getting it out to places where I think it will be well received.  To that end, it is now on ITUNES and will be available on many other downloading sites as well in the coming weeks (as well as my second CD Naked Soul).  I think that the story behind my not wanting to promote that CD earlier (than now) is one that people may appreciate in that it shows the struggle of an artist trying to find the balance between appropriate and marketing.  When a famous artist passes, major labels usually rush to put out all types of collections of their work, especially if the artist was ill for a while and takes a turn for the worst. I heard that WB and EMI had teamed up when they knew Sinatra was ill.  Its the nature of supply and demand but in the case of someone like me, being the record company as well as artist, makes it a bit more delicate in the case of my tribute to a friend's music and the perception by my potential audience is something I had to keep in mind. Plus I just didn't want to do anything like that at the time.

That project continues to be an ongoing process but in the meantime, later this month, I am going to re service Radio (terrestrial and satellite) with my Christmas single, Christmas Blue (and The First Noel).  That piece will be available on line (hopefully) soon. And I hope to have my uegmusic.com download store open by the end of October.  Wishful thinking I know. 

In addition, I cannot stand to have this Hillside Stories project sitting around here much longer, so what I hope to do is have it available for pre-release at the uegmusic store in December and release it commercially next year.  I have a performance of the lead song from that project that I will post on you tube and wherever else I can think of  in the next few weeks.  The nature of the album is very terse and pointed (to say the least) so I'm not trying to push this as a holiday gift release (doesn't make a great stocking stuffer for anyone on the edge).  But as I stated earlier, I can't stand having it sitting around not being heard. 

September 19, 2006

audio purchases ‘n stuff

at least once a year (usually in the latter part of the year) I try to assess my equipment and make changes and purchases as I see fit.  The main things I am into at this point are microphone preamps.  I was able to find an American company that makes great preamps for not a lot of money. I purchased it through a company that knows what they are talking about and I will prove that they know their customers. 

I called mercenary audio for their (highly opinionated but valid) advice regarding preamp units.  I had narrowed it down to two units in my price range (under a thousand dollars).  One was the grace audio unit which they didn't carry and the fmr really nice preamp (that's what it’s called, not what I call it, which I really do but anyway...) which they do. 

I asked Zach the sales rep to sell me on the RNP.  What he said was the grace unit was boring.  He gave the analogy of taking a girl out on a date that was pretty but boring. Nothing wrong just no fire.  The RNP he said was like a date with a girl who had a lot of personality, was fun to be with and was still classy.  I was sold.  I have used the preamps on this unit on a series of piano/vocal performances I am doing and will be posting to some website or other (I think I'm calling them, late night sessions as that is what they are). And they (along with the FMR RNC-Really Nice Compressor) sound incredible. I have been trying different ways to get quality audio onto my camcorder and so far, this is the route to take (although I do use a mixer to bring down the volumes as the inputs for the camcorder are very sensitive.)

Plus for the price of one very clean (and boring) grace preamp, I got two channels of great sounding Really Nice Preamplification. 

I went to the storage locker and felt like Little Jack Horner (not Horny...get your mind out of the gutter).  I went in there and pulled out a box of prerecorded dat tapes of various pieces I've worked on over the years.  I have started to transfer them to hard drive, and they're now available to access via the media players I have on my network.  In the meantime online, I just watched Steve Jobs from Apple give a presentation where they are releasing a media player (1st quarter next year but I bet they release before that) that will work with movie and television companies to play Apple protected files from them.  I am wondering if they leased this technology from Rokulabs as they're not releasing a new video playback product until next year. Hmmm.  As Kelly Bundy (from Married with Children) might say, "the mind wobbles."

The other thing I have to do with the aforementioned video footage is edit it.  I am not the type who enjoys looking at myself perform, emote etc.  But if I want YOU to do it, I should be able to stand it myself I suppose.  I think the performances are pretty honest but by no means perfect.  I wouldn't call it compelling entertainment but it is a document of my work and musical direction in 2006 (in a late night and solo setting). 

I have a copy of Vegas on order and I may pick up a copy of Final Cut Express (don't think I need FCP for what I want to do right now).  I do know the editing programs that I have right now are marginally OK (Video Factory and Imovie HD) but I figure I can learn the basics with these two other products and decide which platform I like better for this type of work.  One thing about the Vegas program is you can use processing power from more than one machine on your network to render a project. 

Since I started working on this entry a few days ago, it’s come to my attention that saxophone great Dewey Redman has passed. I loved that man's musical voice. It was a dream of mine to work with him on a piece I had written (lesson learned, don't hesitate when trying to realize one's dreams...act on them when you can). I don't plan on asking his son Joshua to play instead. A different sound. I know that may have been ones initial thought. I would rather the piece not have a sax at this point. 

I was on wikipedia and somehow ended up on the page for the group Chic. From there it was a quick jump to the CHIC TRIBUTE site (which reminded me I STILL haven't received a copy of Darryl Easla's book which I was interviewed for grrrr).  In any case, there was this footage that I couldn't stop on the main page of Nile Rodgers and his band performing as Chic in Switzerland.  I saw the musicians come onstage and one kat kind of looked like me when I wore glasses.  I thought, "Man how eerie." It was my buddy Omar Hakim who had shaved his dreads off (which wasn't a bad thing as his hair had thinned a bit over the years.  A casualty of middle age.  Something I know all about LOL).  I never thought we looked like each other (and I still don't) but on that footage, it reminded me of American Bandstand 1979.  Then I saw another musician I worked with in NYC, Barry Johnson on bass.  I had hired Barry to do a gig with me in NYC a few years ago (which ultimately he was unable to do) and I was trying to show him what I had done to (or with) the CHIC song Le Freak.  He had no idea that was the song we were playing until we were done with it (not even while we were playing it).  I heard the band play Everybody Dance and I just felt how far I am from that music.  Doing the thing with Norma and Luci was fun and the Tony Tribute was great but wow, I am really not in that space otherwise.  Just an observation.

Now if I can just figure out what this last song for this video thing is going to be.  I may upset the apple cart (and change the whole look of the thing) and rent some more lights at the insistence of one of my film producer friends out "on the coast" as Duke Ellington would've said. 
 
This afternoon I was watching Judge Mathis (my favorite urban judge...sometimes he gets a bit pompous and he can split a verb like no one else on TV).  After the show ended, I wanted to check out Rachel Ray's new show but I wasn’t near the remote.  I saw a bit of some lousy sitcom called What I Like About You.  On the opening production credits, I noticed I worked with one of the executive producers.  Everything I have seen him involved in (except for one adult drama) has been kinda crap.  It wouldn’t be nice of me to mention the idiot's name.  My TV experience was interesting and financially beneficial but I know that at this point in time, not anything I am interested in other than a show using some of my material.  Speaking of which, I understand some TV talent show of duets with “stars” featured my man Jeffrey Osborne singing SWMT with Alphonso Ribiero.

And one more thing, Noah’s Arc just proves to me that (both male and female) black actors in Hollywood are starving for parts to play no matter how trite or badly written (or produced).   

September 6, 2006

This past weekend was event filled for many. I however was happy to keep out of the fray. My best friend from Cali was here for a few days to check out the city and get some rest from his 16 hour work days.  One thing I have noticed about good friends; we don’t seem to get in each other’s way or on each other’s nerves.  I guess it’s the knowledge that the time we get for each other is so brief that there is no need for that. 

Even if your friend insists on watching the Flavor Flav show (Flava of Love).  After watching a segment of the show, I figured it out.  This is a way for young female “exotic dancers” and “models” to get some national exposure.  As such it made sense that the show was taped in Las Vegas (don’t they have legalized prostitution there?).  There is nothing new about the alliance between prostitutes and the music business.  Billie Holiday worked at a whorehouse as a girl and listened to Jazz and Blues on the gramophone.  And I read about Stravinsky taking some friends to a whore house in Switzerland (I believe) as a young man.  So nothing shocking here.  The show was just so transparent.

I also was victim to parts of the BET Awards show replay (didn’t that happen 4 months ago?).  Mary J Blige continues to astound me.  I knew her producers had used the software autotune (or something similar) on her vocal on one of her recent singles.  Hearing her live pointed out just how much they relied on it. 

Yesterday I heard that Ron Isley is going to jail for 3 years on tax evasion charges. This is very sad news as he has had a stroke and cancer and I don’t know if he will be treated for his health conditions very well as well as his vocal gift will not be heard for that amount of time.  AND he has a baby on the way.  It’s very sad.

Also, choreographer Willie Ninja passed away on Friday. I think I met him in NYC one night. If I remember correctly (it was a long time ago) a friend and I were walking past a club where Mr. Ninja was working the door.  My friend and he spoke and we were introduced.  I read that he wanted to be remembered as an innovator.  That he was.  Rest in peace sir. Job well done.

August 24, 2006

This entry is certainly going to live up to the name of this endeavor.  A lot of good news and a little sad news that hopefully will end up being life affirming and good will come from it. I guess I should start with the heavy stuff first.

My buddy, Washington DC based writer Tom Terrell has stage 3 prostate cancer and no health insurance.  A fund raiser is being held for him on September 11, 2006 at the Canal Room located at 285 West Broadway (at Canal Street) in NYC.  Doors open at 7pm and the performance begins at 8pm. 

There is going to be a wealth of great musicianship on the stage.  It is the type of thing I want to be a part of.  Especially after the memorials I was a part of for Tony Thompson, Linda Martinez and Kenny Kirkland (you may not know about that one, but Scott Galloway and I put on a fund raiser for Kenny’s family after he passed and the LA musical community came through and we raised the roof with love and exceptional musicianship).  To help Tom beat his illness is a cause I am behind 100%.  But I have concerns about trying to barge in on something that already seems to be in place.  So I plan to send the money I would use for airfare to get to NYC as that is what is most important. 

To give you an example of how much I respect Mr. Terrell, I have given two people copies of my upcoming album for their comments.  Tom and Norma Jean Wright (who I mention on here many times). 

In other happenings, I was driving to the gym last night and was playing WCLK on the radio.  And lo and behold, they were playing Harlem Blues (from Mo’ Better Blues).  I pulled over and called the station and spoke to the DJ.  I told him who I was (producer and arranger) and thanked him for playing the song and keeping the music alive.  He thanked me for calling and expressed an interest in speaking again sometime soon.  I gave him some contact information. 

The digitization project I mentioned earlier on here is going remarkably well.  I did end up buying a PC that is strictly used as a music server (and since it’s in the guest room, for guests to surf the web and check emails).  Desktop PCs are very inexpensive these days.  I have ripped two moving boxes of CDs and am looking for a few more CDs that were probably in one of my vehicles.  A lot of those CDs are probably in a box in my storage unit buried underneath other boxes in the unit. 

In preparation for the release of Hillside Stories, I picked up a mini DV camera to work with for my EPK (electronic press kit) and a performance at the piano (or two).  I thought I was going to be able to drag this process out like I have done many times before.  The most recent excuse was, “I have to have the piano tuned.  I’m not gonna be postin’ no performance with the piano out of tune.”  I thought I was going to have to wait a few weeks for a tuner to turn up (as it happened in LA).  I called around and got some bids and all of them were available within a week.  One is coming over later today to do the job.  I guess now the only thing I have to do is warm up a bit and steady the cam on the tripod and let whatever is going to happen, happen. 

Also in preparation for the project, I have started setting up a page on myspace.  

There is hardly anything up on there but I will start to mirror blog entries on both sites.  I will also post the video stuff through that site and probably on youtube.com as well. 

Oh Yeah I almost forgot. I finally got around to getting the SO AMAZING (SONGS FROM THE LUTHER VANDROSS SONGBOOK) and NAKED SOUL CDs over to CDBABY.  The reason for that is not so much to sell CDs but to make this music available as downloads at all the usual suspect sites (itunes, walmart, napster, etc etc).  It takes a while but the music will be there before you know it.  Next on the “to do” list: get Christmas Blue and Acts of Love over there in the next few days. 

August 24, 2006 

Part two

Carl Lewis

I had CNN on the other day and heard about Olympic Athlete Marion Jones failing another test.  They showed some footage of her in a recent track meet and she looked twice as big as some of the other women.  It made me long for the days of eastern European women in sporting events that looked like they took so many steroids they were about to grow beards. They would’ve been more evenly matched than those poor young girls at the meet with Ms Jones. 

Anyway, after the Jones story, they did a segment with Carl Lewis who basically just laid it out. He said that it was important for young athletes to stay clean and drug free.  He spoke about his Olympic win in Seoul Korea against Ben Johnson and how they actually took the medal from Mr. Johnson and gave it to Mr. Lewis after Mr. Johnson failed drug tests after the race in Seoul. 

It was good to see that Carl Lewis can speak with a voice that is honest about his sport and he has maintained himself and looked well.  After the broadcast, I did a web search on Ben Johnson just to see what he had been up to.  I found this and this.  Make your own decision. 

Anyway, when I lived in Cali, I had occasion to meet Carl and he is very down to earth and a cool kat.  I’m glad I got to meet part of Olympic history and I’m even gladder that he is taking a stand and giving voice to people in competitive athletics about training naturally.

And one last thing, April Winchell is a funny broad (you know how I love those '50's expressions).

August 1, 2006

One of the things I wanted to do in this new home was to set up a system where I could access music where it is treated as data as opposed to CDs, Cassettes, and LPs etc.  I wanted to have a music server that would be accessible via wired or wireless networking to any audio systems in the house. There are various components to this project. One of which is to digitize the music to one or two standard formats (mp3 190kb or 320 depending on the source material and wav files).  Also media server(s) have to be created and audio systems that can access the data set up. 

In the last place I lived (above the saints) I had digitized some of the things I was playing and would listen to the rest in my car.  I bought most of the music from itunes when I wanted to hear something I didn’t already own or  have access to.  What I have begun to do is to rip the material that I actually think I will listen to (I have a HUGE music collection and a lot of the CDs are not really that interesting or good).  Because of copy protection issues with itunes and window media files, I have to burn CDs for some of this material and then rip it back into the server(s) as well even though it is already digital.  GRRRRR.  Plus since I want to build redundancy into the system, all data will be on more than one server.

I am starting with the CDs and in a few months I will be move into the cassettes and albums on a case by case basis once other things are done around here (basement will be have a den area with a storage system for albums, cassettes etc.).  One thing I love about this accessibility is that the gear needed to do this is relatively inexpensive.  The first purchase I made was of an audio media player from Rokulabs (M1000) and it is fast, small and well designed.  I only wish it played video and pictures.  Because it doesn’t, and they don’t currently manufacture a device that does (new one in 07) I picked up a piece from DLink that is good but not as well thought out.  What I mean is that since it has a keypad like a phone dialing system, why not be able to use it to scroll through artist’s names or album titles?  I’m still not sure how to set up a play list on the fly.  You CAN setup a play list on your server and it will then read songs from that and you could in theory set it on random to vary it up but it could use some design work.  And anyone who knows me knows I will let them know my thoughts. If they don’t get customer feedback, how will they know what they can improve with the next generation products?  It is interesting to me that manufacturers decide things that consumers do and don’t want from a product when it would be just as easy to include or remove things that would be revealed in a bit more marketing research.  I say this coming from an industry where manufacturers are very involved with their customers and their wants and needs.  Now it seems like a design team is almighty and then they have it built in China and if successful make huge profits once R&D costs are covered.

Anyway back to my grand scale project. The other thing this whole thing will allow me to do is listen to playback of mixes of my material from current or older projects without having to fumble through (in the case of older material) DAT tapes or cassettes or CDs that were treated badly in cars over time.  I give it a good 6-12 months to get this up and  running on all cylinders but it looks promising.  Now I have to buy a new music server box because the one I am using now is just not up to the job.  And I need a wireless signal booster and speaker stands and and…..

One thing I did pull out of storage was my old speakers from Polk Audio. I have had these things since 1979 (or so…I just remember buying this and my receiver when I was in Chic so it would’ve been in that time frame).  One of the drivers had blown and needs to be replaced. I didn’t know the model number but I called Polk and they were helpful and are sending a replacement driver.  They also told me the model number (Monitor Ten I believe) of the speaker cabinet.  I did a little search online to see what I could about these monitors and there were some user reviews about these things that confirmed what I have known for years. These are very accurate, easy to listen to speakers that were a great value at the time and have held up over all these years.  I know some of my design forward friends are going to HATE how they look in my family room (where they are currently placed) but they may go into the master bedroom when I get another media player device and hook up some amplification.  In the meantime, it is so cool to have these hooked up to the audio out of the monitor and be able to hear great sounding audio from the TV, DVD or Music Server. 

This past weekend I went with a friend to look at the new Martha Stewart collection of houses near my house (raise up the area’s property values ka-ching).  She has raised KB Homes to a new level of respectability.  They have seven model homes to choose from 1900 sq feet to over 4200 sq feet.  What I liked about the larger homes was when you came into the home you didn’t know exactly where everything was.  Many builders (including mine) have floor plans that look similar to each other.  Having said that, I love my layout but I can definitely appreciate what Ms Stewart and KB Homes have done. Can’t wait to see the homes across the street from them at Le Jardin (where construction is taking place as I write this). 

July 18, 2006

My neighborhood is a construction site where a few people have moved into their brand new homes (at least in this section of the community).

Most of the work is being done by immigrants from Mexico (from what I can see).  Blacks and Whites are usually employed to bring in the concrete or to level the land but the main daily activities are done by the Hispanic workers that I have a feeling may not be 100% legal. Just a hunch not a known fact. 

In any event, I went to the local shopping center to do some business and get some food. I went to the Mexican restaurant and noticed that the gentleman making my burrito was African American.  And so was everyone else working in this establishment.  Go figure. 

I am soooo late to the party. I recently picked up a copy of the Ron Isley/Burt Bacharach collaboration Here I Am (from 2003).  Where have I been?  Oh that’s right I was self absorbed and forgot.  Hearing the quality of writing on that album and Mr. Isley’s singing were reminders of how high the bar is for excellence in music.  No wonder I don’t really get into the song Laffy Taffy.  Don’t get me wrong there is plenty of creative work being done in various genres of contemporary music. It’s just that most of it won’t make the Hot 100 radio stations unfortunately.

Last week I was checking out one of the Caribbean spots nearby and ran into (of all people) Chuck D.  He knew who I was and we were talking about living down here (he’s been here 16 years) and music and life stuff.  I sometimes listen to his show on Air America Radio on Sunday nights and told him as much.  He introduced me to his crew and we exchanged information.  In addition we met an aspiring playwright/actor and his wife who are taking a project on the road before they film it.  We spoke about possibly working together.  I suggested his using my music library project (at very little cost) and if nothing on that is suitable, I am planning on writing things for the next installment of that project and I could incorporate some of his needs into that.  Ever the music publisher I am!!

July 12, 2006

See? I told you it was going to take a minute before I could get back online. Actually the delay was mainly because the PC I use to update this site needed a piece of hardware (and of course software) in order to work on my new network.  I am back to using DSL as opposed to the cable modem I wanted. Unfortunately when I was ready to set up service with overpriced Comcast (cable modem), they were telling me they didn’t have my address on the list (although I saw little flags outside my house with the word Comcast on them) so I decided not to mess around with them right now. The thing is, if I try to do a few things on a computer in here and one of them is stream internet radio, it makes the thing hiccup and I have the highest speed connection they sell for this area (6 MB per second) and that isn’t supposed to be an issue. 

In any event, I love the new house. I have hosted friends here who seem to enjoy it as well.  A friend sent me a housewarming gift of 1000 thread count sheets and all I can say is it’s a different world.  Very nice indeed.  I had ordered furniture online while I was in the apartment and I put it together in here and everything fit the overall idea of what I wanted the house to look like.  Everything has a good feel about it and I am threatening to do a jazz musician’s version of Cribs once I have up a few window coverings (best laid plans).  In the meantime, I am planning to do some taping for the Hillside project. I want to do a short EPK (electronic press kit) which I will either post here or at a site on myspace.com I am considering putting up.

The thing I felt most free about was I wanted to play the piano endlessly once I moved from living above the “saints.”  I was playing songs I wrote over 20 years ago, I was playing old be-bop songs (Moose the Mooch is one of my favorites), I was playing all kinds of things that just popped into my head. And after I tuckered myself out, I thought to myself, “Well, you’re not awful.” 

One last thing, the Lynne Fiddmont album is absolutely wonderful and please check her out if you have a moment.  My only complaint is I wish there were a few more songs on this album but in any event, what is there is pure classic soul jazz music. 

June 25, 2006

Two kool things have come to my attention recently.  The first is a new CD by one of my favorite singers (and people in the music business) Ms Lynne Fiddmont.  I ordered it as soon as I became aware of its existence on the eurweb site.  The other thing I have been watching on and off this whole weekend is Al Gore’s channel, current tv.  It is mainly short pieces supplied by viewers who are paid $100.00 for any piece they submit that is aired.  Much of the content looks very very good. 

I am supposed to be moving into the new house this week so I will probably be offline a few days (especially judging from the vague response I got from my networking guy about when he is going to show up).  So in the meantime, enjoy summer!! My favorite time of the year. 

June 18, 2006

RJ PhD?

About a week ago, I was hired to give a musical presentation for Black Music Month at a community college in Polk Co. Florida.  It was a great experience and I enjoy speaking to young African American audiences about the rich culture they are a part of.  I try to find ways to show how the past has relevance to the present and future.  This presentation featured one of the professors on the campus who also is a DJ on the side.  I pointed out how the introduction on Goldigger by Kanye West and Jamie Foxx was sung in a style not unlike the field call hollers of slavery times.  And I did mention that I was NOT present at that time but any study of those songs will show the direct correlation of that style of phrasing.  If I was up on my African musicology, I am sure I could have traced it back (directly) to pre-Islamic singing styles in West Africa as well.  But I made my point well enough I thought while I tried to keep the discussion interesting and involved.  And yes I played musical examples on the piano and brought up some of the kids who sang as well.

At the end of the evening’s presentation (there was a local hip hop group as well as the DJ); I was presented with a plaque acknowledging my presence at the college.  I got a call as the plaque was being presented. I wanted to pick it up and yell, “I’m gettin’ an award. Call me back.”  But it went to voice mail. 

After the presentation, Professor Little (the brotha that brought me down there) took me to see some of the other sights around the area.  He showed me a mansion that one of the founders of the Publix food store chain owns, the home of one of the former governors of Florida as well as some University buildings built by Frank Lloyd Wright.  Those in particular were amazing.  What I found fascinating was how Wright was able to design things that even today cannot be replicated.  And I love how he had the bricks that were used in this particular construction built by the students on site. 

After all of this heady intellectual stuff, I was thinking about what other types of awards I might be able to score from doing more of these presentations.  Shoot, I wanna see if I can get an honorary doctorate from some mail away school so I can do like Bill Cosby and make people call me Dr. Jones.  But my friends would end up calling me Honorary Doctor Jones.  Or simply Ho Jones for short.  Maybe this isn’t such a good idea after all. 

My building inspector, Nita and I went by the house yesterday to do a thorough inspection of the house before I meet with the building inspector supplied by the builder (as opposed to the one I hired).  There are a few things that need to be corrected but most of the things are easy fixes as long as they get them done.  If they do their job, I will be moved in a couple of weeks. Should that happen, there WILL be a gap of blog entries of a few days as I get settled in.  Thanks in advance for understanding!!

Before I forget, Will Wheaton has a new CD I hope you will check out!

June 12, 2006

Here are a couple of shots of the kitchen with the countertops installed and a peek at the dining room with the light fixture in place. 

June 9, 2006

A. Scott Galloway has written a piece acknowledging the life and artistry of the late Billy Preston. May he rest in peace.

June 7, 2006

Busy busy busy.  Since I last wrote something on here, I was in San Juan doing a show for the San Juan Bruthas.  I have become their “go-to” guy for musical presentations (requiring more than a track for a singer to sing to). Although flattering, the success of their annual function has caused some um, how do I say this…confusion.  For instance, I didn’t know when my flight was leaving two days before I was supposed to depart and in cases like that; I do what I did when I was waiting for the potential buyer to come up with the financing for the purchase of my LA house.  Nothing.  I didn’t pack, I didn’t ask any questions.  My position is these are grown folks that know what they need to do.  When it came together I packed and caught my flight.  The show was fine and I think the people who came through, enjoyed it.

This past Saturday my friend (and neighbor) Darryl came by to look at my new house which has fixtures and surfaces going up (like the stucco on the front exterior and marble around the fireplace).  We noticed a stack of wood in the back of the house.  I told him it looked like the wood for my deck (it’s a nine foot drop from the kitchen/breakfast area doorway so there HAS to be a deck).  This was around 5 or 6 pm. On Monday afternoon (around 3pm) when I went by with my realtor Nita, there was a deck completely built (save for the landing on the bottom level; I guess that is an add-on that will be assembled and bolted into place).  And this thing is solidly built!  When I think that in California, I spent seven grand for a new deck on my old house and it took a month to build.

There is quite a bit of new development going on in my neighborhood and two of the most exciting projects are about 3 miles from my place (and across the street from each other).  I took both Nita and Darryl over to see both of these.  One of these developments is called Le Jardin.  The other is a KB Home development that is a partnership with the woman herself, Martha Stewart.  In fact on Monday when we drove into the community (which is not really open to the public and Nita and I drove right past the “Do Not Enter” signs) the builder was nice enough to tell us that Madame Stewart and her staff had been there that morning and the staff was running around as if it were a TV show (my interpretation not his actual words) making changes on the fly.  Its one thing to tweak a television segment, quite another one to tweak building specifications once they have been approved, signed off and built. 

The agents at Le Jardin are so tired of seeing me bring people over there; they treat me like the help.  But these ladies are so sweet and phyne, it’s almost alright.  They want me to sell my house and buy one over there.  I just want them to be successful and raise my property values.  Plus it is great to see an African American athlete (baseball star Brian Jordan is the visionary behind this community) do something progressive and positive with a portion of his earnings.   

Yesterday I was watching CNN and listening to Air America at the same time while trying to move my utilities over to the new address.  Lou Dobbs had the weekly segment where he had 3 radio talk show hosts in a roundtable discussion (once again James Mtume was making those inane sports analogies…give it a rest and write a damn song).  I had heard Randi Rhodes on her radio show talking about how she needed her make up man for an hour and a half before she was ready to leave her house and appear on the show.  It reminded me of when the women I worked with on the Keenen Ivory Wayans show had to have a couple of hours in the afternoons for hair and makeup everyday.  Except Randi said something that was funny as s**t. She said that before her make up guy can get started, she needs some drywall patch a coat of primer.  She is what in the days of the rat pack (Sinatra, Dino, Sammy etc.) would be considered “a great broad.”   

May 24, 2006

This past Sunday something happened I thought was kind of amusing so I thought I would share it.  First let me give you a little back story: 

I don't usually talk too much about my neighbors in this apartment complex.  The main reason is because there isn't too much to say. I hardly know them and they don't know me although I do know one of my neighbors because she and I keep running into each other at our cars.  She’s from Brooklyn and has a sense of grace and ease about her that makes her great to be around.  A cool neighbor.

My neighbors below me seem to have to play church music early in the morning and at night and in between sometimes (unless the parents are out and then the teenage daughter blasts her hip hop).  I'm not sayin' that I have anything to do with that...(not going down that road)

I don't usually say much to them one way or another and if I work, I try to play my acoustic piano during the day and use headphones at night with my recording setup now that Hillside is pretty much a done deal.  

But back to this past Sunday.  I believe my neighbors below got a Karaoke machine recently because around 7pm they started having Karaoke Church.  They were shoutin and screamin and testifyin. I looked at the time and wondered if the morning service had been enough church for this family.  Or perhaps they had missed it and were making up for it that evening.  At one point Sister Loud was on the mic and was singing along to that Kirk Franklin rip off of Haven't You Heard by my girl Patrice Rushen.  Sista was demolishing that song so badly the only thing I could think to do was call my buddy Freddie Washington (a co-writer of the song) and left a message to tell him these people were doing things to his song God never intended.  He called me back laughing hard!!! I asked him if there was an agency we could go to.  He suggested they send him a check. 

I told my attorney about it and he thought it was interesting that I could and would get one of the writers on the phone.  I guess after decades in the music business I still have a few connections...

The cabinets have gone up in the house. Here is a picture of the kitchen a few days ago.

The countertops haven't yet been installed but they were laying the concrete driveway and painting the interior earlier yesterday.  Turns out they covered the cabinets before they painted.   

One more thing, I just saw Kathy Griffin’s new standup show on Bravo. She is Fu**in brilliant. 

May 19, 2006 (words and pictures)

Two weeks ago today I got a call from Spike Lee.  He was having the 20^th anniversary of his production company (along with a charity fund raiser) on a cruise liner docked in Manhattan.  He wanted me to play solo piano for the dinner portion of the event.  Dinner music for the black cinema set and their supporters.  Hmmmm…ok I’ll do it.  And a week ago today, I did just that.

First off while waiting for the ship to arrive, I was calling friends telling them I was waiting for my ship to come in... Get it? Ship to come…er never mind. That joke went over like a lead balloon with each of them as well.

When it did turn past the Carnival cruise ship to load passengers, let’s just say that we couldn’t see the Carnival ship when the Freedom of the Seas docked.  It is humongous.  Here is a picture I took of the ship as my attorney and I were leaving the party. 

I had a list of people in order of involvement with 40Acres that I had planned to invite depending on their availability (I was allowed one guest). Norma wasn’t available so it went to my attorney who had the pleasure of telling me a couple of years ago that I was making the 40 Acres legal council and clients apoplectic but I digress.   While waiting in line to board the ship, I noticed a noted filmmaker in front of me. Jackpot!  Here is a picture of me and George Lucas (Star Wars for my friends who read this and have been under a rock or in church the past 20 years and I do have friends like that so…). 

Once I got myself situated in the cabin (though I didn’t plan to stay overnight which was an invitation extended to me but I needed a place to change), I went to the dining area (4 story dining hall with grand piano in the middle of a staircase landing) to find the sound man and do a quick sound check.  While there, the 40 Acres Production Assistant that was assigned with making sure I was where I was supposed to be was shocked that I actually was doing my job.  I just did my gig. 

I was to perform from 7:30 to 9pm and then the rest of the evening was supposed to be free.  When I stopped playing at 10:30, I asked a waiter to rustle me up some grub as all of the well to do folks had been treated to a classy meal with champagne and stuff.  I never saw the waiter again.  However, I did have my camera and you dear reader gets to see all manner of celebrity victims as I worked the room!!

Here is Oprah and Gail

Here are me and Gail

Me and Dick Gregory

Me and Chris Rock and Carol Ross (Film Producer Monty Ross’ wife)

Me and Wesley Snipes

Me and Joie Lee (one of my favorite people in show business..She has always been sincere and real)

I had asked another of Spike's PA's to take a picture of me and Rev Al Sharpton. This is what we got.

Here is a picture of the O Jays at work

And here is one of unhappy Dave Chappelle (the unfunniest man of the evening)

At the end of the evening I went back to Queens.  For dinner I had a bag of plantain chips and a Snapple as I waited for the Long Island Rail Road.  So much for the glamorous life!!

I spent a couple of days in NYC with my family. Since it was Mother’s Day weekend, my niece made a brunch on Sunday and I bought some champagne, OJ and glasses and made mimosas.  After we ate the wonderfully prepared meal, my mother fell asleep as I cleaned up.  My friends in NYC think it was done intentionally but I didn’t mean get my mother tipsy.  All in all, she said it was one of the best Mother’s Days she had ever had. 

I had given her a cell phone as well and we programmed it the following day.  We got to the point where she needed to leave an outgoing message.  She was not cooperating and the first message just had the sound of my niece laughing.  The second attempt after the proverbial beep was simply Ms Jones exclaiming, “Oh Jesus.”  I wanted to keep that one but my niece said we couldn’t (thank God someone had some sense).  The third time was a charm as Ms Jones simply said, “Have a nice day.”  So if someone from the NSA wants to have their head messed with by a nice old lady when they wire tap more Americans, call her.

I spoke to the house builders today. They have given me a final walk through as well as a closing date in June.  I went past the property yesterday and there are walls up.  The cabinetry was off to the side in the garage ready to go in after the dry walling had been completed and I suspect after some painting is done. 

May 9, 2006

I just saw a segment on CNN where there were two talking heads along with the host of the “news” broadcast.  Firstly, I am so tired of these softball questions that get lobbed around in the name of being newsworthy discussions.  I don’t want to get into the details but I want to secondly state that JC Watts is an…apologist….ass…wipe.  I have no use for these black people that are going to defend actions that hurt his own people as well as the country at large.  This point I will explain.  I am talking about AW (as I shall refer to him) trying to defend the oil companies (Exxon/Mobil) having the largest profits of ANY corporation in the history of the USA EVER for the past two quarters.  And gas prices are consistently hovering at record highs. At the same time this administration (as well as the American car companies) pays lip service to converting vehicles to use “flex fuel” that could use either ethanol (which can be made by American farmers from corn and processed in the Midwest and other places) or gasoline or any combination of the two. They are doing this very thing in Brazil as I write this (with ethanol from sugar cane) and that country is energy independent. So AW, keep your head up the A’s that keep it warm at night but don’t be surprised when your own people turn their backs on you. I forgot, you turned your back on us already. 

April 27  2006

Recently I had a conversation with overpriced Comcast.  I wanted to know why my digital package included some stations (like CNBC) and not others like (MSNBC). They probably both had about the same amount of viewers.  In true Comcast fashion, they upgraded my lineup for another 5 dollars a month to include a whole host of channels.

In addition to watching Keith Oberman’s countdown, I spent the past few days watching The Africa Channel which is mainly out of South Africa but features music videos from the entire continent and has cultural and news shows that feature the continent as well.  There is even an African version of Big Brother proving that the concept for that show is terrible regardless of whom the contestants are. 

One of the other things I noticed was the prevalence of African American culture on many (but not all) of the performers and dancers in the music videos.  I had a good chuckle when I saw one South African artist’s dancers doing what looked like a modified version of the running man dance of the late eighties.  It was similar but had a twist.  And to see the clothes of the African youth reflecting a take on hip hop fashion was curious to me. It was yet another example of black youth taking basic concepts and twisting it to their environment.  Seems like how hip hop in the South Bronx in the late ‘70’s, or in Los Angeles with the Egyptian Lover and his crew in the early ‘80’s got started. 

Anyway, I drove down Big House Lane earlier.

There are some big ole houses being built on my street.  They put a roof on my house.  I didn’t take a picture as there wasn’t really that much going on otherwise. 

I’m going to NYC this weekend for my 30^th high school reunion.  Even though I didn’t finish at the school I am visiting, my buddies want me to attend the proceedings.  And I have found it easier not to weasel out of these things but to simply go, have a good time, and enjoy the company of some of the greatest people I know. 

Once I return, I will see the house before they begin to put up the drywall. 

I hear that On the Low will be featured tonight on Logo. I'm sure it will be replayed…often!  Like early MTV, FOX or BET, they don’t have a lot of programming yet so keep an eye out for it. 

April 20, 2006

This past Tuesday I was listening to Randi Rhodes as I was driving to the construction site and she mentioned that she was going to be on the Lou Dobbs show on CNN that evening.  When I got back after checking out Big House Lane as I have come to call my street, I watched the segment that featured the three radio hosts. The other two were a guy from WABC I believe and James Mtume.  Now I wasn’t very up on the WABC guy but he seemed to be the Middle of the Road/conservative voice and Mr. Mtume was the “black” voice with Randi having the “liberal” (with white inferred) perspective.  As she said on her show yesterday, it wasn’t a fair fight.  She said (and I agree) she could’ve taken them both on with one arm tied behind her back. 

As an example, Mtume was asking where various former Bush cabinet members were and what were they doing now.  Randi was pointing out who they were, where they were, (i.e. Wolfowitz is head of the World Bank) pronounced their names correctly on her show (which Mtume did not do on one occasion).  The other guy said something about the Dems not putting forth solutions on things like Iraq.  I have heard (and Randi pointed out) both Jack Murtha AND John Kerry lay out comprehensive plans for pullout strategies in addition to the fact that the Black Caucus was against the war in the first place (something else Mtume could have pointed out).  The whole segment put to rest the notion that these three people on the radio were in the same sphere of political awareness. If CNN wants to ever have a fair and equal dialogue, I plan to suggest a more knowledgeable politically oriented African American in the NYC area, like Gary Byrd or Mark Maron. 

The reason I am harping on Mr. Mtume is I have known him for a very long time.  And my opinion has been based on observations over time. Read on.

When I was a young songwriter (we’re talking in my teens) I sometimes co-wrote songs with a percussionist who is now world renowned.  His name is Bashiri Johnson. He was a student of Mr. James Mtume.  Mtume was well known for having played in Miles Davis’ band in the Agharta period when the grooves were deep and most experimental after the breakup of his 60’s quartet.  Anyway, Bashiri would take our little songs over to Mtume and they were never good enough for him.  I personally didn’t mind that because I have ALWAYS had a sense of self worth as far as my creative abilities.  I knew even in my teens that art and music were subjective and I had no worries about the future of my art as long as I could be creative.  What I remember from those days was there was never any constructive criticism of how to better structure or otherwise improve the songs. And more importantly, when the comments came back, there was never any encouragement.  That can mean a lot to a young musician coming up.  I guess its why, as lethal as people say I can be with folks, I try to give guidance as to what might help them achieve their own goals.

 So anyway, over the years, I have known Mtume as a co-writer and co-producer of some great R&B hits for artists like Roberta Flack & Donnie Hathaway, Stephanie Mills et. al as well as a successful career as a solo act/band with the hit Juicy.  After that period in his career I remember him being music supervisor for the popular Fox drama NY Undercover.  And now in NYC he is a DJ on Kiss FM and I assume it’s a public affairs program he has (and I am sure he has a faithful listening audience). 

Now I know that people can be more than one thing in their working lives.  But in music, you usually have the freedom of expression to voice your ideas from time to time.  I never got a strong political sense from him in the past.  And most unique creative artists (especially the black ones) end up going against the grain of society at one point or another but I’m just saying in his case I never saw any of that. 

 However, the first time I saw him on the Lou Dobbs show a week or two ago, he seemed to be not engaged in the conversation, and the football analogies he brought up were completely useless. 

I was doing the Scooby Doo “huh?” at that point and was cringing because in these most important discussions on topics that affect our world, I want to hear articulate and incisive people with various opinions.  When Mtume said he wasn’t Democratic or republican, he just went with the best ideas; I felt like they could’ve dragged that Larry Elder onto the screen and let’s just say that HE inspired a song from me on this new CD of mine.  Here’s a hint: it’s called Misled.  The days of just having a black face on the tube are long gone.  Amarosa is useless.  I need more intelligent black (and white and everyone else for that matter) people talking about the possibility of war in Iran, the failed rebuilding of Iraq and New Orleans along with the rest of the Gulf Coast affected by Katrina. I need someone to talk to the “Decider” and ask him if he can help get the petroleum prices down to reasonable levels (how can there be huge profits in oil when the gulf coast operations were supposedly so damaged by the 05 hurricanes). We need smart people talking about how to be less energy dependent by building cars and other vehicles to run on alternative fuels. We need to hear more people talking about our trade deficit with China and what Americans can do about it.  Why is so much low technology manufacturing being done overseas and very little being done here (esp. if there are going to be illegal migrant issues in this country)?  The list goes on…but I guess people would rather hear Simon Devoid of Funk Cowell critique someone who doesn’t fit his idea of good.  Keep in mind he worked for the people that gave the world Bananarama & Rick Astley.

April 13, 2006

June Pointer

Rest in Peace

You and your sisters have given the world so much joy through music.  I was saddened to hear of your troubles in past years and most of all your passing.  But I will always remember when I met you in Bremen Germany backstage at the Musikladen television show and how kind you & your sisters all were to me; a star struck kid that was playing with another band on tour (CHIC). 

April 13, 2006

I got a call the other day. It was my sister Carolyn sayin’.. Oh never mind that’s Aretha Franklin

I got an email the other day. It was my buddy independent filmmaker Luther Mace.  He was giving me an update on his gay coming of age story On the Low.  A little over a year ago, I had encouraged Luther to use some of my material for his soundtrack beds on the film (at a very low cost…well free actually; this was a film done on a shoestring budget). I believe he has used 3 pieces from my Intimate CD although I forget which ones. 

The film (a short) has been winning awards and getting shown in festivals around the world.  Luther mentioned that a deal to air it on Logo is eminent.  So once again, just by supporting creative artists, I find myself ahead of the curve.  There is nothing Brokeback about this film. Simply it’s just a story that needed to be told.  And though it will be nice to see a couple of performances show up in my writer’s royalties after it airs (lesson: this is how you make money in the music business, by having your material played in various places in the media…the pennies add up as you expand and exploit your catalog; exploitation is OK if you are the owner of your works), it’s more important that various voices are heard in the media.  And to be honest, I would much rather be associated with groundbreaking and quality projects, than safe uninteresting crap.

If you have been reading this journal, you are probably aware that I am having a house built in ATL. I wanted to share a little bit on its development.  This first photo:

is what the site looked like before they started building. This was last November I believe.  This second photo:

   is about 3 weeks ago when they laid the foundation and the third photo:

   is this past weekend and is the framing of the house.  Hopefully they will remain on schedule (well actually a month behind) and I will move in when I am supposed to (June). 

April 5, 2006

I sat in my car yesterday and listened to my album project.  I listened for continuity, balances, levels, consistency of performances etc.  I have done this repeatedly over the past few months as I was finalizing the material but yesterday the material was in the most complete state yet. 

I haven’t played this project for anyone else in this state. I’m not sure why that is but it is. Usually I play something for the musicians who have worked with me on a project (outside of the material they are working on) but not this time.  Though I will never know what it feels like to carry a baby to term I can honestly say I feel that I want to release this baby into the world so that I can get on with other concerns. 

Yesterday was the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination. 

As I listened to the material, I saw how his inspiration came up directly and indirectly in this set of pieces. 

Other political and social issues come and go but the ideas of love, peace; equality and decency towards one another are the long view goals that I hope we as humans on this planet can stay focused on.

Please don’t get me wrong tho.  I am very happy that Congressman Tom Delay is stepping down from the House of Representatives.  It’s interesting that one of the main reasons is because (he says) he may have a close election if he stayed on.  Funny, I seem to recall it was at his bequest that they ended up changing the district lines in Texas so that there would be a majority of Republicans in the state. And still he has concerns about winning?  And to try to blame “liberal Democrats” for his legal troubles after two of his staffers pleaded guilty to conspiracy regarding dealings with convicted lobbyist Jack Abrhamoff?  It was almost as ridiculous as his interview on CNN with Wolf Blitzer yesterday where he said he regretted nothing and that he did nothing wrong in his political life.  Hold that thought Tom.  I can hear special prosecutor Fitzgerald looking up from his Scooter Libby trial prep to pass along some tidbits to the Texas DA and the next Federal special prosecutor being lined up to see what is really going on in Sugarland. 

March 17, 2006

Stereo Buss

It’s been a while since my last posting. The reason is simple.  I been workin!! I went to NY to do some final overdubs for Hillside with percussionist Steve Scales.  The recording went great.  I booked a soundproofed rehearsal room in midtown Manhattan and brought my laptop and fixin’s and got the work done.  Once again when you hire the right person the creative part just happens. Occasionally there may be a challenging moment but usually it’s because the road to creation is not neat and clean.  But it is an adventure I love and all too often, done too soon. 

When I returned home, I began to combine and balance my tracks so that I could mix the songs I hadn’t mixed when I was living in LA. While working with my new setup, I realized that I wasn’t looking at the stereo buss on the mixer/controller.  That is because there are no meters on the thing. On my old setup with my Yamaha 02r mixer I could always see if I was overloading the stereo buss (the final stereo output).  With my current setup, I have to check the meters in a software page and although I noticed that none of my individual tracks were overloading, when I combined them in the stereo buss, they were overloading big time.  The danger in this is that because the work is now being done primarily in the digital domain, when one overloads the signal, it is not the type of pleasing distortion that analog gear gives off. It is a nasty sound that one tries to avoid at all costs. 

I had just read an article in Mix magazine that spoke about some of the pre mastered projects mastering engineers receive and how their clients want to have the loudest CDs but there is no “headroom” (a term used to express how much overage is left before distortion comes into the mix) on the mixes.  This situation impedes their work.  From what I can tell, this is part of the legacy of analog recording and cutting discs for vinyl album pressing. In digital, having the loudest CD usually means that the product’s audio has been smashed into an uninteresting audio file with no dynamics.  And it will not make your CD sound any louder on the radio. The reason for this is that FM radio will compress and otherwise make everything the same volume before it hits the airwaves.

So I have to watch that stereo buss.  This project is challenging enough. I don’t need to add any distortion to it that ISNT supposed to be there. 

While I was in NYC, my attorney and I had dinner at riingo restaurant.  I’d seen Chef Marcus Samuelsson on a few shows (and yes one of them was on Fine Living channel…go and say it, “He’s Bougie”) and wanted to check out this combination of Swedish and Japanese foods.  It was pretty cool and not very expensive (but it wasn’t Golden Crust Jamaican cheap either…but then they weren’t trying to close the restaurant down a half hour earlier than the posted sign stated, while telling me, “We closing in 10 minutes so I don’t know if you gonna be able to finish yo food,” needless to say I took my time and ate but I digress).  The rest of the trip was good and was able to help out my family around the house doing some mundane stuff.  One thing I found interesting was, since I didn’t rent a car, I took what we call “car services” to shuttle me back and forth to the train stations.  Now a “car service” is usually one which you call for via phone and they may be licensed but I don’t think it’s with the city’s taxi and limousine commission (which charge tens of thousands for a medallion-the legal right to charge metered fares).  I was usually picked up by one of my brothers from the Diaspora. If it weren’t a West African driver, it was one from the Caribbean.  The main thing was I could barely understand what any of them were saying. Their accents were heavy and thick.  Especially the Jamaican kat I rode with in this mini van that looked like he was taking a break from doing a “dollar van” shift (another mode of transportation that is like a jitney service that runs the same routes as the city buses but are about 3x as fast and reckless.  I even saw 5 minutes of a bootleg copy of Soul Plane last summer on one of them).  This Jamaican brother kept saying things that required me to respond and I just kind of laughed and said, “You right man.” 

So I will have this project mixed by the end of the month (hopefully) and mastered next month.  I am even thinking about where and when I want to start playing live again.  I plan to learn a Bach piece for some dexterity. Maybe just a 2 or 3 part invention or something from the Well Tempered Clavier.  I just feel a need to return to the standard repertoire and play through some things.  Learn just a few bars a day and within a few days, a piece will be learned. 

I received a copy of the Andy Razaf biography in the mail the other day.  He was the lyricist for a number of great songs of the Great American Songbook.  Two of which are Black and Blue and Ain’t Misbehavin’ (co-written with Fats Waller).  I will write more about it once I have completed it. 

One last thing, re: the Academy Awards, The Sound of Music, West Side Story, Shaft, It Ain’t Easy For A Pimp….WTF?

February 27, 2006

Libation TV

Here in Atlanta the local news seems to believe in the adage: “if it bleeds it leads.”  After a bit of that, I get turned off from watching it very often.  I end up watching things like C-Span or CNN or even FOX News if I want to know what the xenophobes are thinking or frothing about.  Often I watch the Fine Living channel and there are two programs I seem to see fairly regularly.

One of which is a show hosted by Andrea Immer who is a French trained cook and sommelier (wine expert). She is constantly teaching her audience about wines and pairing them with foods to further enhance the experience of enjoying wine.  She is bright and articulate and has the type of expertise that puts someone like Martha Stewart to shame.  She is a specialist. I appreciate her enthusiasm and professionalism. 

There is however another show that seems to be on the program schedule after Ms Immer and is called The Thirsty Traveler.  The concept is that the host (whose name escapes me at the moment) travels the world to see how local libations are made and to sample the beverages. He will sample at the factory, at local festivals, at people’s homes, etc. 

After watching a few episodes of this particular program, I seriously think Mr. Thirsty Traveler may have had a few too many.  This came to light while I was watching an episode where he was in France tasting Cognacs.  In addition to starting to look a little travel drained, he had been taking part in some local festival and was knocking back (yet) another cognac before jumping into the river and screaming WOOO as he did.  To me, it didn’t seem like great TV to have the host knocking back shots and doing back flips into a body of water with a slow moving current. 

I think the Thirsty Traveler may need to dry out and have a few Shirley Temples for a while and put that show on hiatus. 

February 18, 2006

Two things

I don’t have much to report but there are two things I want to share.  The other day I saw a friend of mine at the gym.  Though we have played phone tag, we’ve been unable to speak directly since I moved here although we live 10 minutes away from each other.  He asked me to stop by after the gym for a drink and so that I would know where he lived (one of the reasons I wanted to be in ATL was I didn’t want to feel as isolated as I did in Cali). 

As we caught each other up on the past few months of our lives sipping Grey Goose, he was playing music in the background.  The tracks were ok but as I drank a bit more, the singing was more and more annoying.  It was a Mary J Blige compilation he had assembled and it was wearing me out!  I try to not speak badly about other artists unless they get on my bad side and I have come to realize that for me Mary and Vodka are a bad combination. It didn’t help that my host kept saying every few minutes, “Mary got it going on.  She singing that song ain’t she?”  I just smiled and drank.  And left.

The other thing I wanted to mention was I have been spending the past week upgrading my G5 computer to a point where it is usable for music making.  Although Ivory (which I mentioned earlier) is playing well, I can still make it trip up even though I have 2 GB of RAM.  I have upgraded plug-ins I haven’t been able to use for years (like Pluggo and Reaktor Session) and added a few new ones.  I also upgraded my copies of Live! and Reason to work in the machine.  For some reason Reason has been giving me a hard time (I can’t say the blues as that would not be such a bad thing if they were soulful blues!).  I have been on the phone with Sweden already trying to get the thing working properly, emailed them for a different issue and I am about to compose another email as the program (which had to be installed twice…once for the upgrade of the upgraded version which I had to download twice).  I also purchased the Korg Digital Legacy plug-ins (M1 and Wavestation and effects unit) which had the most obscure security protection I have yet to deal with (I don’t have any ILok programs though).  This purchase renders my rack mounted Wavestation A/D useless as well as my M1REX (which is in storage).  I am effectively working with 3 synth modules in my stripped down setup (one of which I actually use on a regular basis).

After all this busy work on my rig I tried to play with the gear and come up some musical ideas. I was completely fresh out of anything interesting. 

Try again another day.

February 10, 2006

CORETTA SCOTT KING

(And other things that don’t quite measure up to her greatness)

The queen of the civil rights movement passed a week ago. Living in Atlanta now, I had no excuse but to pay my respects which I did (although my mother told me, “I didn’t think you would.” Great vote of confidence I’d say Ha Ha).  I stood in the rain with so many others to say goodbye to Mrs. King.  I went to Ebenezer Baptist Church

and saw Mrs. King looking regal and so familiar.  It was a surreal scene to say the least. The crowd was peaceful and loving and I knew I wanted to be no where else in the world but there.

The following day was the funeral for Mrs. King and Atlanta did it right. I must commend WSB TV Atlanta for carrying the whole funeral commercial free and I must admonish BET for the opposite reason.  They didn’t cover it at all.  They have become a useless diversion for African Americans.  I hope Mr. Johnson (the man who sold the station to Viacom) is happy with his sports team or whatever he is doing. Kudos to Cathy Hughes and her station TV ONE for carrying the event. 

The ceremony had so many high points such as Reverend Lowery saying his pointed and spot on good-byes, Maya Angelou relating to us about telling Mrs. King off color jokes in their late night phone calls.  Attilah Shabazz recounted her memories as did Sen. Ted Kennedy.  It was a great momentous moment in our nation’s history. Having said that I must say the former and current Presidents Bush were in a league and zone of their own.  When Rev. Lowery mentioned in his poem about there “not being any weapons of mass destruction over there” GW Bush rolled his eyes from what I have heard (the WSB camera didn’t focus on him at that time) but I do know there was a thunderous standing ovation from the assembled parties when the Reverend said what he said.  And George Herbert Walker Bush had a moment of clarity when he said he had never seen such a gathering before.  Now I know mega-churches are relatively new but NEVER?!  Where exactly did he go when he was in office for those four years that precluded him from seeing a large peaceful assembly of people of color in worship and praise?  And where was Mrs. Barbara Bush?  Of course President Clinton was a crowd pleaser who HAD to mention how good Mrs. King looked well into her seventies.  I realized something about Clinton.  He didn’t read any speeches (unlike Hilary).  He just riffed off the top of his head like a jazz musician.  He improvised his thoughts off the cuff and was the best speaker outside of Kennedy in the governmental bunch.

The musical performances were great.  I didn’t know that Reverend Abernathy’s daughter was such an accomplished operatic soprano.  I was completely in awe.  As I was with the other operatic singer that performed.  The only thing I noticed (uh oh here it comes) was she was doing these startled head jerking motions that I can only describe as looking like a scene from Rupaul’s Supermodel video. 

And then there was Steve “vocal gymnastics” Wonder.  One of the greatest talents in the world and he was swinging from note to note like a high wire circus act.  I know there was an Eye and a Sparrow but that was a completely new song they worked out.  I really enjoyed BeBe Winans performance.  He was in the moment and he took you with him. CeCe followed and she didn’t take ME as much but she was in great voice. 

I was in a store today and I overheard a worker say the whole thing was too long.  All I kept thinking was, “What do you have to do that would be better than watching history being made?  Dummy.”  I kept my mouth shut in the name of non violence though. 

The day following the King Funeral was the Grammys.  I NEVER watch those things but I got a phone call earlier in the day from one of my buddies that was part of the crew working on the SLY STONE segment.  He was standing with Nile Rodgers and wanted us to say a quick hello.  I missed that opportunity but I saw them on the show later that evening.  I must say that Sly’s skin looked remarkably good for all the life that he has lived (in his “seclusion”).  Unfortunately whoever was in the booth mixing the feed for television (and I know my buddy was tearing his hair out) didn’t have the good sense to turn up Sly’s keyboard.  I just wanted to hear him comp on HIGHER (could there have been a more appropriate choice of song?).  For me to hear him just lay in the cut would be like hearing Basie, Monk or Ellington comp behind a soloist.  If you don’t know what I am taking about you have homework to do…but its fun…honest.  It was wonderful to see my dear friend Patrice Rushen playing behind Sly and the gang and Nile doing his thing as well as Randy Jackson playing music you can tell he loves.  And I give Sly credit.  He was a true star among stars... He came out, did his thing and didn’t stay too long.  I’m just glad he showed up and let us know he is still among the living.

I kept the television on while I was setting up my new/old G5 (with the old hardware slots…I have a UAUDIO card which I refuse to give up and it will only work with EARLY last year’s model).  I was treated to some of the strangest things that are considered entertainment and “music”.  I have come to the conclusion that most of these television show performances are simply glorified talent show shtick.  I had no idea why Cierra was warbling through Sly’s music and Josh Stone sweet as she can be really has to learn what makes a riff funky.  Timing AND execution sweetheart.  Nuff said bout that.  Still not sure why Kanye West is so big and Jamie Foxx is singing like Ray Charles to sell records but it was one ole spectacle as was the Linkin Park. Jay Z thing. The lead singer seemed a bit how can I put this, safe but not in the cut, more like afraid to screw up.  Nothing interesting and not sharing joy through music.  But I don’t think of joy when I hear JayZ.  Before you say I am hating, there are plenty of rappers I enjoy but the only thing I have liked from Mr. Z was his part in Crazy in Love. 

I think the worst offenders of the talent show ilk were the Herbie Hancock/Christina Aguilera collabor-crash of “A Song for You”.  She was trying to riff er’y line and I kept saying, you know, there is music somewhere in the midst of all that.  Herbie who is all things musical to me was playing every note he could and I found it hilarious that he had a chart sitting up on that piano.  I was like Man, fake it…you know that song backwards and forwards by ear.  But what do I know?  I still love him but I want to send him a card that says, RESTRAINT.  Just ‘cause you know every trick in the book doesn’t mean you have to show us all of ‘em.  At one time, in one song. 

So when I FINALLY finish Hillside, I am going to enter it for Grammy consideration in the FOLK field.  All you NARAS members I am putting it in your hands.  Needless to say I will be in Atlanta (or someplace warm and sunny) next year on Grammy night, either working or working out...or watching the show if they haul out another reclusive legend (and I am not talking John either).  I made a (lousy) funny!! Not a bad way to end this.

January 18, 2006

Valley of the Dolls

Last night I returned from a trip to LA where I had major dental work done.  Most of my time was taken up either in the dentist’s chair or recuperating from it. I have had to take so many pills I felt like I was hanging out with Neely O’Hara. Only I wasn’t chasing down my “dolls” with booze to “make ‘em work faster.”  But I was in the (San Fernando) Valley.

I did manage to have a few business meetings and see a few friends.  I was trying to catch up with my former next door neighbor as I had left a box of artwork in her garage and wanted to get it out of her way.  I was staying at a hotel 3 blocks from where I used to live. Some of my friends found it odd that I had no interest in seeing my old house.  I did eventually go past the house looking for Laura but I had no emotional response.  All I said to myself was, “Oh good.  They got that dish off the roof.”  I had an oversized satellite dish on my roof that I could never get anyone to come remove at a reasonable cost. Then I went and ate sushi and Japanese soup.  I think Cybil Shepard said it best on her old sitcom, “Once I get rid of a car, I don’t care who drives it.”

Once I was done with the first three days of dental work, I changed locations and stayed over in West LA.  I went over to Amoeba Music and picked up a few CDs. One CD I bought was something I heard in the store.  It was a compilation of music from Brazil on EMI records from the 60’s and 70’s.  It was a sort of singles collection from various artists and was post Bossa Nova and more geared towards Funk and Rock from a Brazilian perspective.  Now from what I could tell, most of the artists were secondary to the producers/impresarios/arrangers.  Some of the music was a little heavy handed but a lot of it was very well written and performed. There was one instrumental that was funky, jazzy and sexy all in one.  I wish I could see some of the dances the people of that era did to this music.  I’m sure it was as beautiful as when I was a teenager playing in Latin Bands in walk up clubs in Brooklyn for Salsa dancers.  One of the things I liked about this one cut was the form of the song was unique.  The main theme was based around a 5 bar phrase.  Most Western music is usually based around 4 bar phrases although I have heard some Jazz cats say that Brazilian music is often based around 8 bar phrases.  But 5 is a unique number and to keep it funky was a very hip and creative thing to do. 

Monday was MLK day and on KPFK radio they played speeches by the man.  If he were alive today the current administration would be trying to “Swift Boat” him like Congressman Murtha or John Kerry.  His words were so succinct, telling and prophetic.  On Air America Radio, Randi Rhodes was reminding folks that (when a congressman) VP Cheney was one of 3 congress people that voted against instituting the MLK holiday.  He also voted against any measures to pressure South Africa in the ‘80’s to end apartheid. 

Also re: MLK, I had a chance to see a couple of episodes of the Adult Cartoon The Boondocks.  One episode dealt with King surviving the assassination attempt, and him coming out of a coma just prior to 9/11.  It was hilarious and thought provoking and will probably piss off quite a few folks.  The following night I saw the creator of the show on Nightline.  Anyone who quotes the late great historian John Henrik Clarke as he did has my respect and support.

Lastly, I was saddened to receive a note from David Nathan which reported that Angela Bofill has suffered a stroke.  I have known Angie since the late ‘70’s (we worked together in the Ecstasy Passion and Pain live band and when I worked for George Duke, I had produced a track for her) and wish her a speedy recovery.  The note stated that fund raisers were being planned to help with her medical bills. With all that she has given the world, there should be health care for her through her union, state (CA) AND country.  I happen to feel that all Americans should have universal health care coverage as they do in some other industrialized countries and that if you want to add additional coverage to that (for specialized treatments), fine but everyone should be able to receive good and adequate health care for their needs.  

January 2, 2006

New Year Stuff

I hope all have had a safe and fun holiday season.  Mine was good and different.  I was more social than I usually am. One of my best friends was in town from NYC so I went to the place where he was staying (a business associate’s house where he had a wing of the home).

The home is located in Stone Mountain GA and is a more established community.  I was looking at it to see what my new neighborhood will look like in a few years.  I hope my new neighbors will keep the wire reindeer laced with Christmas lights to a minimum.  I don’t want to get bogged down in how so many religious folks get bogged down in pagan symbols in celebrating the Christ Mass.  Their issues not mine.

In the course of conversation amongst the people in the house, we spoke about the roots of black music.  We spoke about various musicians and singers (the two are not always one and the same as I have mentioned in previous entries on this journal).  There was a lot of opinion and love of the history of the music.  It was an encouraging thing to behold.  It’s really funny to me though when I have conversations with people and they are referring to folks that I have worked with or know personally as the icons that they are.  When I’m asked how George Duke is as a person, I almost sound rehearsed but he truly is one of the nicest and talented people I have ever known and am so thankful for my working association with him as well as the guidance he gave me. 

It reminds me about when a dear friend of mine in LA gave me a copy of the Luther Vandross biography to read.  I know his intention is to fill in the blanks of what I didn’t know about Luther according to this biographer (the same one who didn’t show up in San Juan this past spring but I will let that go for now).  Yet I feel like, I pretty much know the basics of this story and I knew the person so I really don’t need to read this to know the essence of my friend.  I am sure I will get called on the carpet for mentioning this but it’s a new year.  Let go of the old!!

Anyway, my visiting friend noticed the other day that a former record company executive lives across the street from where he is staying.  I forget the man’s name but he was once a major player at one of the labels.  If I was paying attention I would say someone in the WEA family but I wasn’t interested.  Today, my friend thinks he saw Andre Crouch at the executive’s home. 

I had no real concept regarding the depth of which black music movers and shakers are in and around this city.  I do know that one of my buddies from high school (David Linton) and his wife who are industry marketing and promotion consultants (really good and honest ones) moved here just before I did.  And basically for the same reasons that I did. 

All of this to say I am just taking notice of my environment as I finish putting together cheap computer desks and Ikea lamps and chairs from office depot to roll around in. which reminds me, how can you play a keyboard on a chair with arms (I saw this guy on that Yamaha DVD I mentioned earlier do that….I kept thinking he cant really be playing too much)?  One of those things that runs around in my head.

December 31, 2005

Adjustments

I have spent the past few days trying to setup my music room in my temporary home.  I wanted a chance to rethink the recording environment I would work in.  To that end, I put some of my gear in storage and plan to sell most of the things I haven’t used in the past 5-7 years. 

I put my digital mixer in storage because it seemed as if I was using no more than 6 faders on this 40 channel mixer.  I have been premixing in the computer so I decided to try a system with a smaller footprint.  As I am moving my main system over to Apple products, I upgraded the anchor (G4) to the latest OS (Tiger).  Once installed, I upgraded Logic to 7.0 something or other.  When I tried to turn off the computer via a mouse command, it would shut down and then reboot itself.  I have spoken to the Genius Bar at the Apple Store and they have agreed to look at the anomaly.  In the meantime I can power off by hitting the power switch and holding it for a few minutes.

Also recently, I added some memory to the anchor and purchased a great sounding plug-in called Ivory.  It is a very high quality sampled piano plug in.  It came on 5 DVDs and took about an hour to install.  I wanted to install it on my music PC as well but for whatever reason the manufacturer has to send me an upgrade CD or DVD to do this.  It was too large to download and it took them a week to process the order but I’m remaining patient.  The other potentially frustrating thing about this wonderful plug in is that it takes up so much processing power, I can’t play it in real time with this particular machine.  I have to play the part with another sound, and then replace the original instrument with the plug in and then render it off line. At that point I can at least hear the Bosendorfer and Steinway pianos.  A workaround that I will put up with for a few months but not much longer.

After that, I also purchased a Yamaha I88x interface for the anchor which has all types of connections and allows me to work comfortably without a mixer.  I wanted to have a unit to control the computer and software when working so I purchased a Yamaha 01x.  Now these two units are supposed to work together as one combined machine when connected with one wire.  I had automated faders, machine control buttons and a screen with parameters a-going.  The only problem was I couldn’t get any sound out of it.  The I88X was fine by itself but I had to keep loading information to and from the computer (anchor) and still no sound.  I watched the supplied DVD to see what I was doing wrong.  I called tech support. By the time they called back, I had repacked the thing and shipped it back to the mail order place I got it from. 

My feeling is if I can’t get this thing to work, after reading the manual and watching TV about it, its not me…the product is taking me out of my creative mode and forcing me to think like a Yamahaian. 

Once I got my Return Authorization number, I put in an order for an M-Audio Project I/O.  Hopefully that will be a better fit for me. 

After getting the system back to a state that was working without the 01X, I called up a song I am in the process of mixing and two of the drum tracks went missing. Fortunately they are on the PC as well as the anchor.  So I will need to render these tracks and port them over and import them into the song.

Speaking of which, I signed up for basic DSL service with the local phone company.  I use VOIP as my main line.  With this new service, my calls kind of fade into nothingness and the connection is very slow (not good…it may be digital and it may be a subscriber line but it is NOT high speed).  I signed up with (overpriced) Comcast for their high speed internet.  I had to go to Best Buy to get the cable kit and they gave me rebate forms that look like a child’s list to Santa Claus.  I know they think we consumers won’t take the time to fill these forms but I have envelopes and a pen and 5 minutes to fill out and label these things.  I look at it as the money I save on that I can reuse for something in the music room or for my business so I try to take advantage of deals like that. 

My new perspective (which has been my old perspective but just a shorter lead time) is if things aren’t working, find out why and find the solution.  If the workaround isn’t good, do what needs to be done to correct the situation with either a repair or a cost effective replacement.  I don’t think it's a new year’s resolution but more of a credo for working/living & minimizing stress. 

In any event a happy and prosperous New Year to all!

December 15, 2005

OK. I said I would share part of the journey so here goes.  In October I had a buyer for the house lined up and the 2 week escrow they requested turned into a 4 week escrow (their fault not mine), I was planning on how I would get to ATL. A friend said that since my BMW is bigger than the sports car, I should drive it.  I had it checked out by my mechanic in LA and did the first leg as a test.  I drove up to Las Vegas as I had a song I wanted to work on with Randy Hall for the Hillside album.  We had a great time. He and his wife took me to dinner and we got a chance to catch up and compare life notes.  While I was there I was having trouble getting the key into the ignition of the car so I had it replaced. 350.00 thank you very much.

I had to return to LA to complete the sale of the house, move my stuff and everything else related to this process.  I finally got everything moved into 2 shipping containers that would go into a storage unit in ATL near my new home site and a traditional mover shipped the things I needed for my apartment rental unit.  I shipped the sports car and flew back to Vegas to pick up the BMW.  I spent a little more time with Randy and his wife and then was on the road to Flagstaff AZ.  The car started to sputter and die by the time I came down the road into Kingman AZ. I needed a part that took two days to receive.  While I was there I saw exactly 3 black people in that town.  The third one told me to get outta there as soon as I could.  He had been cussed at, spat on and otherwise badly treated by some of the citizens of the town.  Fortunately I was treated very nicely at the hotel I stayed at and the restaurants I ate in.  My main issue was with their high speed connection.  It was an Ethernet cable in the lobby that you could use if no one else was using it (it was a "first come first served but be kind and share" policy).

When I got on the road the part and installation were about 400.00 (along with the hotel charges and the hotwire hotel I had already prepaid in Flagstaff).  Whilst at the hotel, I did a check on the value of this old car.  I had spent more than the car was worth but I thought that to transport myself at this point, it would cost just as much so I would keep going.  I noticed that my cell phone and my laptop were starting to act up on me.  Some days they would work others they would just kind of sit and refuse to do anything. 

I drove to Albuquerque NM and arrived around 9pm on a Friday just before the shops were closing in the old town area.  I wanted to buy a silver and turquoise ring for myself (my one extravagance on this journey) but I realized I would have to wait until morning and go to some of the other shops in the area.  I grabbed a room and relaxed after having some great NM Mexican food.  The next morning I had a great meal at the hotel and then went and found my ring (turquoise is my birthstone and I like wearing silver more than gold for some reason).  I went to Starbucks for some juices and got on the road.  About a mile down the road, I started to smell antifreeze fumes in the driver’s compartment.  I got the car off the road and into a service station with a mechanic.  He looked at the problem and offered to fix the car.  As it was a Saturday, he wouldn’t be able to get the factory part until Monday.  The squirrel in my mind was running and making a dim bulb of an idea appear.  I gave Manuel the key to the car, I called a cab, moved my stuff into boxes, headed to the UPS store and shipped my things ahead and then headed to the airport and flew to ATL.  Now having bought a one way, last minute, walk up airfare, I was scrutinized by security like nobody else.  Except this African American woman who must’ve been on some watch list (erroneously). 

After I got to ATL I looked at my useless laptop and simply said, “You’re next!”  A few days later, I picked up a G4 laptop that has more power than my anchor G4 desktop.  I am setting up my temporary music room and am planning on basing it around Apple products as soon as Hillside is completed (if not sooner). 

I went to NYC to see my family for thanksgiving and went to a friend’s party in South Florida shortly thereafter.  While in Florida, I got rid of my “Billy Badass” phone and got me one of them picture camera jobbies.  No one I know wants me to take their picture so I have no idea when it will get used.

When I arrived back here in ATL I was drained and basically just had to rest for a few days. 

I am one overdub away from being done with the recording of the Hillside project and now I am trying to figure out how to present this thing. It turns out its becoming timely and I don’t want it to seem as if this was planned.  I just wrote about basic situations that seem to be recurring in the political life of this country.

Maybe one day we may even learn from these things.  But probably not tomorrow.

December 11, 2005

Holy crap!  I didn’t realize it has taken me so long to make an entry into this site.  Please forgive my delay.  I have relocated to Atlanta GA.  I know I have made mention of it in the past but I finally decided to do it.  Why?  The reasons are cultural and economic. 

Unfortunately for what I do, the LA music scene has been very slow.  If I had chosen a path of writing for games or the type of films I'm not interested in, I would’ve had more opportunities in the past few years.  My adage is to find something you love and then get paid for it.  As a composer/independent artist it just makes sense to lower my overhead (through relocating) and travel more to where the work is.  Also, my home was becoming an albatross.  It sucked more cash than a vacuum at times although it was a great investment and a great home.  I’m glad I lived there.

Right now I am living in the back of an apartment complex waiting for my new house to be completed.  Living near Stone Mountain is an interesting proposition but it’s been fun although I hate the cold. 

I promise in the near future to share some of the things that happened on the road while making this transition.

For now I just wanted to say HEY!  I am around, and I have high speed!!

October 3, 2005

Credentials

I was watching Jodi Foster on the Actors Studio program with James Lipton.  I think she is a class act and so articulate.  I appreciated hearing her take on her craft and how she approaches it.  What I got from her is that she prepares fully beforehand, and then once she inhabits the character, she lets herself begin the exploration intuitively once the director says, “Action.”  No wasted energy trying to stay in character all day or any method acting shortcuts of that nature. 

In a way it’s like a boxer or a jazz musician.  You prepare condition and then let go.  Depending on how well you trained and how deep you can get into your psyche, the greater the payoff in terms of the performance.  It’s all about the finesse.

In listening to Ms Foster, she spoke of her time at Yale.  I thought, “Wow, she must’ve been incredibly smart to get in there.”  I’m sure she was but beyond her abilities, she was definitely an asset to the school (not to say she didn’t earn her way into the institution, I know she did), but I also know that a future President attended Yale with less than the highest of honors.  Ms Foster was in Yale the same time John Hinckley was shooting at President Reagan and obsessing over Ms Foster.  It was in that climate she first performed on stage in a theatre production and she said she didn’t think she would ever do it again.

I thought about having an education at an Ivy League school like Yale (GW Bush notwithstanding).  I thought about the time when I was trying to get higher education and when I looked around at schools, there weren’t any that were able to give the rigorous training for what I was interested in (film scoring, songwriting, programming and electronics with a new system called “midi”, a jazz program that wasn’t corny at the time I am saying…).  So I had to find teachers for what I was looking for.  I studied counterpoint out of the very old text by Fux, I found an arranger to give me lessons who had written some latter day charts for Duke Ellington and I practiced like a fiend.  I tried to work on my sight reading but please don’t put a full piano part in front of me with no time to run through it LOL. 

I played in Latin, Jazz, Rock and Disco bands as much as I could.  I tried to read as much as possible and learned how to type (I figured if I could play the piano I should be able to type).  I wrote charts for the bands, I wrote lead sheets for people and did whatever I could to place myself in situations where there was quality music being played.  I had a piano teacher that had given me the tools to interpret and maneuver in the jazz idiom. And he taught me the importance of the traditional repertoire.  And I studied scores by Bartok, Stravinsky, Hindemith and other 20^th century composers (tho the tenor clef I am a bit rusty on).  To this day I feel that making students listen to and study music as assignments without them liking the actual music sucks the life out of the whole process.  I would almost prefer for a student to find a piece they enjoy and then analyze why they like it (of course it would have to be in the idiom and time frame that was being studied but love of music should come first even in studies. I guess that is why I never had a use for exercises by Czerny…too pedantic with no music between the notes for me)

I assimilated the musical language of Be-Bop studying pianists Bud Powell, Al Haig as well as Bird, Diz, Max, Miles and all the other bop players as well as the descendants of the stride playing I mentioned in an earlier entry.  I even got to go to some Jazz mobile sessions with the great Barry Harris.  At some future time I may (or may not) further mention my piano teachers.  Over the years we had the typical student growing away from the teacher dynamic.  When I’m ready I will delve deeper. 

So when I got to the songwriting and music production immersion study program of my career, I was ready for the four year course.  I learned the craft of popular songwriting first hand from Messrs Rodgers and Edwards. I got to see how to work in the studio efficiently with a group and how to lead.  After that experience I had an impromptu master class with Arif Mardin at a rehearsal as he walked me through a chart of A Night in Tunisia that Chaka (Khan) had transposed into C flat (every note was flatted, it was a headache to look at on paper but Arif just played it out for me and we blazed through from there).  Our first performance of it was at Carnegie Hall a few days later.  No sweat. 

It wasn’t Ivy League but it was first class training.  At one point I went to Berlitz on my own for some language training (and I need to go back).  Learning a foreign language helped me to better understand English believe it or not.  I already knew about verse tenses and pronouns etc, but when you are dealing with pronominal verbs and the like, it helps you to understand the structure of your own language. 

So it’s always interesting to me to have a meeting with someone and they want to credential me.  I try to let them know very subtly that I have more credentials under my belt than they have belt.  And it’s not just me. My dear neighbor Dori Caymmi who is an incredible composer and arranger and has worked with more people under the sun than you could even name, was being credentialed by some prospective film producer.  He wanted to know which university he had studied at for his arranging (in Brazil).  Dori has taught master classes at Brazilian Universities and is widely recognized as part of a family that is a Brazilian national treasure.  I think he just told the guy, I don’t have a college degree! 

That poor sap didn’t realize that innovators like Dori (not me because I am just a working guy) have to teach the schools what they don’t know.  It’s like Herbie Hancock went to school for electrical engineering. I maintain that the world is a better place because of his musical training outside of Northwestern University.  Next time I see him, I want to ask him about his time playing with Eric Dolphy.  I know they did a gig together. I want to know if there was more than the one recorded gig.

In an unrelated matter, my pool sounds like a toilet ever since I had a new skimmer line put in (at least 2 grand thank you very much).  Whenever the filter is running and the water is just hitting the skimmer, it sounds like a toilet that wont stop.  Arrrgh!!

September 29th, 2005

Times change

The other night I was at the gym and I noticed there was a song playing by a young lady who was singing the praises about having herself a thug.  Her vocals sounded refined and pretty (not very meaningful however) and it got me to thinking.  If young brothas are following the examples of most of these R&B/hip hop songs there would be no motivation to do much but ride around in gas guzzling cars and buy shoes for Beyonce and get your flow/hustle/whatever on.  How come none of the songwriters/producers are creating songs about a young woman falling for a tight accountant or a suave physicist? Unfortunately I believe the answer is because most of the writers haven’t allowed themselves to think outside of a box in terms of subject matter.  A box they did not create and have little control over.  That old model of being hood rats is old and needs to be abandoned.

Some people actually see things change and adapt.  I give the example of Suge Knight who I just saw on the news.  He is saying he wants to take young ex (or soon to be ex) gang members and create some sort of football team/league for them.  I read somewhere that he played in college.  Maybe with that last shooting in Miami during the MTV/VH1/BET Viacom whatever the hell it was awards right (after Hurricane Katrina left south Florida) he saw that maybe there is an easier way to live.  I’m sure there would be metal detectors at his training camps.  And I hope he would include academics for the guys so they can do more than run and tackle.  I say that because I have a friend who reminded me of the first time basketball player Moses Malone was interviewed during halftime at an NBA game.  They put a microphone in front of him and he was inarticulate and unintelligible (he was one of the earliest players to be drafted directly from High School and he may not have graduated at the top of his class in the area of academics).  From that day on, any interviews of any player had to be approved by the NBA and a representative had to be nearby.

Things are also changing for Tom Delay. He has been indicted on a conspiracy charge in Austin TX.  Something about money laundering.  We shall see how it all shakes out.  The thing that I don’t like about many of these current politicians that get caught up in scandal is they try to present themselves as having this high moral compass and are arrogant with the deeds they do that are anything but moral or high minded. 

As I write this I am hearing fire trucks in the middle of the night with their sirens blaring.  As in past years the Chatsworth area of the San Fernando Valley is ablaze from brush fires (again).  The Red Cross is setting up evacuation centers in Canoga Park and Pierce College is taking animals and people and giving shelter as well.  It is strange to see your neighborhood adjacent to what may well become another disaster area and people a town away running over to Starbucks and Blockbuster like nothing is wrong.  I wonder if the people in those million dollar homes in Chatsworth that are being displaced will be considered evacuees or refugees on the news in a few days (right now the fire is 5% contained).  In any event, it goes without saying that I hope their homes are ok and they get through this with a minimum of stress and inconvenience. In other words I hope everybody will be ok.

September 19, 2005

Today for the first time I saw an advertisement for the album titled: So Amazing-All Star Tribute to Luther Vandross.  I had to smile to myself.  The “stars” and Clive Davis are now on a page not too far from one I was on a few years ago.  Our perspectives were different but they have come to pay tribute to a man.  An artist beyond reproach. 

I chose to do it while he was still alive and my project was conceived before he took ill.  I wanted to celebrate a legacy of someone who could still let you know what he thought about it.  For having that little bit of sense, I am grateful. My goal was to turn introspectively into the compositions LV poured his soul into and hopefully give them as much of my own inner fiber as he did.   

I hope LV can feel all the energy and emotion he has inspired.  And so what if some of the “All Star” performances are staged for show (theirs not mine).  The overall true intent is to further the legacy of a great artist and that is all that matters. 

September 14, 2005

The other day, Mike Brown the head of FEMA stepped down after bungling the whole emergency management of Hurricane Katrina (I don’t know if that link to his page at FEMA is going to work now).  President Bush is now accepting blame for any inadequacies in the handling of the situation (just a bit late no?).

In the meantime, the displaced folks are trying to rebuild their lives and move forward and mourn the loss of those that didn’t make it. 

I have been doing many things that have kept me very busy and moderate my stress levels so that I don’t get too angry.  I have been reading a book on Malcolm X.  I wanted to know more about his back story.  He didn’t just arrive, he went through a metamorphous process and it’s very interesting to read about.  The writer spoke to many relatives and friends and got candid recollections about Malcolm Little (X). He even spoke to Malcolm’s infirmed mother.  In its own way the discussions with Mrs. Little are as insightful as those from Jasmine’s book on Afeni Shakur are (only not as extensive). 

This evening some of my deceased family members were on my mind.  I turned and looked in the mirror at the gym and I noticed my smile looks like that of my father’s (the squint lines on the sides of my eyes).  And when I laugh at something about myself, I can hear my sister’s laugh.  It is a joy to keep them in joy in my life. In that mindset I was doing a search on one of my aunts.  She worked as a maid for one Tallulah Bankhead (yes that one).  I found a mention of Aunt Rose on a site talking about Bankhead. 

The blurb is as follows:

Riley, Rose

Tallulah's maid at Windows (her upstate NY residence). According to Tallulah, Darling by Denis Brian, she was the first Negro maid allowed in the White House as a guest. Rose eventually left Tallulah after an argument, but Tallulah kept her on the payroll until Tallulah's death.

Once my mother asked Aunt Rose what she did when she and Bankhead went to London on a tour.  Did she get out and see the city?  Big Ben, London Bridge (which was in London at the time).  No.  Aunt Rose stayed in the hotel.  She couldn’t have been so bothered.  And if this is the same trip, Tallulah was greeting the Queen doing cartwheels ending in a split or some such nonsense!!

Earlier today I was watching one of my favorite but rarely seen shows, Cribs.  It had Bow Wow and two other people I didn’t know (one was a football player with the New England Patriots with a home in South Florida-no city given, the other an MTV host in Bel Air).  It was the typical combination of gas guzzling cars and beautiful houses decorated with money and minimal personal style and refrigerators full of Gatorade and energy drinks (product placement anyone?).

At the end of it, I kept thinking I wanted to see a show called After Cribs.  It would feature artists that are past their shelf life in popular music culture.  I would suggest hip hop artists like Kool Moe Dee, Big Daddy Kane, Whoudini, Erik B., Chubb Rock, Aaron Hall, Chauncy from Jodeci and so many others.  What I would hope they would do is encourage young impressionable kats to not spend their money on gold chains that don’t actually have much gold in them, or cars that lose their value.  Or 370 pair of gym shoes unless you plan to sell some on eBay.  I am not hating.  I simply want to see the survivors of the music and entertainment machine have a chance to be seen and heard from.  

September 11, 2005

On this fourth anniversary of the 9/11 incident, I take a moment to pay tribute to my fellow citizens who perished.  In the wake of all that has happened in this country in the past couple of weeks, I wonder aloud if any of us feel we are wiser and more secure as a nation (Michael Moore has raised the same question).  It seems our federal leaders who should be taking responsibility in Louisiana and Mississippi for the rebuilding and security are farming it out to private corporations and leaving us with a cold feeling.

In the sixties, African Americans had at least two schools of thought regarding our civil and human rights.  Both served their purpose for my people.  From my perspective the same dual pronged concept applies.  We can be reactive and proactive at the same time. 

I think that outrage should be used to constructively help people in need, making sure those that perished in the Gulf coast area hit by Hurricane Katrina (or Corina as Laura Bush called it) are properly laid to rest.  And we need to question who is going to rebuild New Orleans (and for what type of wages) as well as when we are going to let the people of Iraq run their own government and secure themselves so our military can come home.  A perfect example of this in action is people associated with Camp Casey doing relief work for the hurricane evacuees. 

I heard a woman on KTLK radio today. She was a guest “caller-inner” (think Lisa Douglas from Green Acres).  She was one of these African American apologists that feels that because a situation of racism doesn’t affect them directly, the victim (or in this case victims of Katrina) should just get over it and pull themselves up by their bootstraps and let God help them (but God doesn’t take taxes for nation building).  Of course she lives in the O.C (people like this seem to never live near a lot of other black people...).  Orange County has been referred to as the Orange Curtain.  Of course Dennis Rodman lives there but he’s an entertainer (and he's "different" although rowdy).  MY POINT was that she seemed to feel that the Feds have done everything they can.  Even though the President has stated that the performance of the government was not acceptable (other than the fact that the head of FEMA was, “doin’ a good job.”) 

Hearing this dolt on the air and the fact that she was trying to overtalk the host of the show with her talking points, was the first time I ever called a radio station and then had to apologize to the screener because I was unable to put my anger into words the FCC would let on the air.  I just figure that she will find out what they think of her in the O.C. one day.  Racism exists and by acting as if it doesn’t does not make it go away.  Intelligent laws don’t make it go away.  I do know that most mature people who interact on an equal basis with other races have no use for racism or other blatant prejudices.  I know that as people learn more about the planet, they find that all people have good and stupid folks amongst their ethnic groups.  And most importantly, it becomes clear that the only people that profit from institutionalized racism are the ones that control the institution.  Everyone else is left to fight amongst themselves as cogs in the machine if it suits the powers that be.

Its time to be smarter than that and come together and make sure our country is whole and safe for all of us.  That is what I hope we have learned from the past four years.

September 9, 2005

The time for poetry is near

But I cannot yet write it

My pen will push too much venom

For inept fools

That I did not vote for or even have

A good feeling about

And I was not wrong

Tho I wish I was

And while some foolish blogger thinks

He is removed from what has occurred

We know that his isolated world

Is connected to ours in various ways

Subtle and direct

But no poetry today

September 8, 2005

I have tried to limit how much news coverage I take in.  I get so angry and frustrated that I am not able to do more to help heal the situation.  I know many share my feelings.  As I drove past a Catholic church in my neighborhood, I saw a long line of cars dropping off donations of clothes and things.  I see people in my area on TV doing collections and sending trucks due east to Texas and other places.  I am seeing some of the mega-church folks organizing and doing things to help.  What I haven’t seen is many organizations of “right to life” people coming forth to help pregnant women or adopting families. 

Today on the news, Dick Cheney made his way to the gulf region to make statements and get cussed out the way he cussed at Patrick Leahy.  He said it was the first time he’d heard anyone say that to him.  I wonder…

I contacted the NAACP to ask if they were planning any demonstrations re: FEMA’s handling of the emergency management which directly affected disenfranchised poor people  I was told that the organization’s directive is that there will be time for that but right now we must all be quiet and support the victims.  I said that one could hold a sign with one hand and sign a donation check with the other.  I didn’t understand why there wasn’t a two pronged approach.  I had to remember that their leader is formerly from the corporate world (former Verizon executive) and not an activist per se (although I am sure he would be considered part of DuBois’ talented tenth, but I don’t want to go down that road right now). And I had to remind myself that I was dealing with an organization of “colored” people.  They really do need a name change at some point.

The other night I watched the Tavis Smiley show (can I just say that he has the worst setup for a question? He takes about a minute to finish his diatribes before the guest can actually hear his question, and I wish to GOD he would use the word FOLKS instead of FOLK [when he speaks of people in the plural] all the time; switch it up Tavis).  He had two evacuees from N.O. on and at the end of their segment, the woman (unrelated to the man she sat next to), told Tavis that they were not refugees.  They are American taxpayers and resent being called refugees.  Hmm, now where did I see something about that?  Was it on this website? Let me scroll down and check… Oh Yea (ok so I stated the obvious; and I don’t need TV to tell me the importance of language, chalk one up for basic understanding).

September 6, 2005

"Qu'ils mangent de la brioche!" Marie Antoinette

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?pid=20080#comment

I went by West Angeles Church yesterday and it was inspiring to see all of the people who dropped off clothes.  The line was around the block with cars loaded with bags of clothing.  Last night on the news I read on the crawl (I cant read the crawl and watch the news at the same time) that the agency that collects phony label clothing is donating those clothes to the relief effort as well. 

I had to have a wisdom tooth extracted today so I am probably going to eat some oatmeal and chill out in a few.  

September 4, 2005

“Save your regrets for the dead

but for the living

Give them love and give them bread” (T. Rundgren)

I heard today that West Angeles Church is doing a clothing drive for the hurricane victims so I called a couple of my friends and we collected together some clothes which I am supposed to deliver in the morning to the church.  I called the church to verify the cutoff time of the truck.  The church’s offices are closed on Sunday.  I kinda thought that maybe…somebody…might….on a Sunday….

So I plan to get there by 11am hopefully and that will be early enough to get the clothes delivered.  In a way I feel like a delivery man for the Fashion Club of Lawndale High as my lady friends are very stylish and I am sure they are giving away very nice things for the ladies to wear (my donations are a bit more basic like tee shirts and suit pants). 

In our own individual ways, we all come to a place where we try to help find solutions to this situation but please don’t let anyone make you feel compelled to give. As a taxpayer, you already are (who do you think is paying for FEMA and Homeland Security).  If you can do more, then give as you can.  And any amount can help.  Think about it.  If each American gave 5.00, that would amount to 1.5 Billion (if there are 300 million of us in this country).  But in any event, let’s see what the next few days hold for the evacuees and this great country.

September 3, 2005             

Our president has failed us. He waited until 4 days after the levees broke in New Orleans before any buses, food, water or National Guard entered the city (two days after he was playing the guitar onstage in TX and enjoying his vacation).  Within that four day time period, people have died (and some were subsequently gnawed at by rats), been subjected to water borne diseases.  It was also the same day that he took a tour of the area.  From Jack Cafferty to Kanye West people in front of a microphone are finding ways to speak out on the situation.  To me it was My Pet Goat all over again (the book Bush was reading when the 2^nd plane crashed into the World Trade Center).

I called a couple of news agencies to ask if Vice President Cheney was making a tour of the area or raising funds for the BushClintonfund from Halliburton or something.  One local news outlet didn’t know who I was talking about when I asked if there had been any public statements from Dick Cheney.  Another news desk person said that he was at an undisclosed location.  I called CNN and the woman (part time I am sure) told me to call the White House.  I asked her for the number, but she told me to call information.  Happy Labor Day to you too.  I see you don’t want to do too much labor.

Why didn’t the head of FEMA know that people were being told to go to the New Orleans Convention Center by FEMA officials?  Why does he seem to spend more time justifying his job as opposed to quietly doing it?

Some people including the First Lady seemed to be trying to scapegoat N.O. Mayor Ray Nagin.  Without naming names she said that N.O. was not prepared. I wonder if she knew about the requests for buses and the like that the mayor had made to the Feds when the storm was out in the Gulf of Mexico and was turned down. I saw the First Lady give an impromptu press conference at a facility in Northern Louisiana that was setup to take evacuees.  She was remarking how it was orderly and clean.  It also didn’t have many people in it other than the Secret Service and the staff ramping up the place for the incoming people (I later heard that particular shelter was sending people over to Houston by the end of the day).  She seems like a very nice lady that was trying to put a pretty face on a very sad situation.  It was a disservice to her and our country.

Most of the people I saw on TV that were directly affected by the situation in New Orleans were complaining about the Federal Government not taking care of its people.  There was one woman from New Orleans who had been taken to the Astrodome in Houston TX, that Fox News had stuck a camera damned near up her nose.  This older woman took off her sunglasses and said to the camera, “Look in my eyes.  George Bush you will never get a vote from me.”  They went to commercial so fast I didn’t have time to even digest what had just happened.

Mayor Nagin and President Bush were very close for the official Photo Op on Friday (and although the Governor spoke, Mayor Nagin was not asked to speak at that photo op). 

Today I was watching the three hour Larry King fund raiser and Harry Connick Jr. was on.  The first thing he did was apologize about misstating that Mayor Nagin had left N.O.  Currently, Nagin's staff is working out of Baton Rouge but he remained in the city.  Mayor Nagin is the most impassioned politician regarding this whole thing and he seems to feel powerless in how this thing has been handled.  But why is Harry Connick Jr. or Eric Clapton or Sting or whomever else they drag out there important at this particular moment in time?  Why should performers take up precious television time from people who can give us information and are doing the ground work and planning for the future?  (I.e. Why is Sela Ward talking about her home in Meriden?  She has enough money to have it fixed and keep some people in the community working for a few weeks.)  I hope that television executives aren’t stupid enough to think that you need to have pretty people on the screen in order to raise money for flood victims.  What am I saying?  TV executives think?  How silly of me

Anyway, I understand Mr. Jr. had a house/school built in Louisiana through Habitat for Humanity but I don’t really care about one house or the fact that Russell Crowe wants to donate some money or labor.  If he does then good.  Maybe if he does some manual labor we won’t have to hear about him threatening hotel workers.  But quite honestly there is a greater need for many homes to be built.  I want to hear from elected and appointed leaders what the plan moving forward is going to be.  Why aren’t the abandoned barracks that are not being used on closed bases (like the parcel in Oakland that the Wayans want to buy) being mentioned as temporary places for these taxpaying folks? 

Where is the part of the National Guard that built a train station in 3 days after the big earthquake out here in 1994?  In Iraq.  Building schools and sh*t for them when they aren’t getting shot at. 

And why are gas prices out here going up?  From what I understand, we don’t even get our refined oil products from the gulf pipelines.  Is the governator going to investigate?  HOLLA!

September 1, 2005

Like most others, my heart goes out to the people affected by Hurricane Katrina.  As I watch the current situation on the news I have questions.  In New Orleans, before the storm hit, the mayor wisely asked the residents to evacuate the city.  He explained that the levees may not hold and the city might flood.  Although the hurricane did not hit the city dead on, that is exactly what is happening with Lake Pontchartrain.  My questions are why didn’t the people leave (I know some folks were infirmed and were unable to go very far and for that I have the utmost compassion) and why didn’t the US Army Corps of Engineers, have the levee fortified for a Category 5 hurricane instead of a Category 3? Come to find out, a couple of years ago, the Federal Government took the money earmarked to fortify the levees and used it for the war effort in Iraq, which is where many National Guard troops from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are stationed (for the building of Iraqi schools and infrastructure). 

And why is it that white people on the news can “find” bread and food in a flooded grocery store but people of color are “looting” flooded stores for the same things (although why people are taking some of the unnecessary things like jewelry is beyond my understanding)?  This is such a human drama irrespective of race. I wish for one minute the people delivering the news (and the powers that control them) could treat us as if we are all human without regard to race, etc.  And to that end, why are the people that have been confined to the Superdome (and now being moved to Texas) being regarded as refugees as opposed to hurricane evacuees?  And now a few hours later the Astrodome is refusing any more people.  Where are they going to go? 

Well it’s been said for a long time that New Orleans was part of the Third World. 

In regards to the harrowing scenes we are seeing in Mississippi and Alabama coastal towns, I keep asking why the people didn’t leave when they were ordered to evacuate.  If the government agencies can foresee a storm is headed in your direction and you refuse to leave your coastal community, why should we feel excessive compassion?  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to see people suffer but what was so important that they couldn’t leave their home for a few hours or days and if necessary, rebuild?  I don’t mean to sound bourgeois but I thought the most important thing was staying alive and safe.

I had a conversation (which I did not instigate by the way) last night at the gym.  A brotha was telling me how badly he felt for the people in the Gulf region.  I agreed but voiced the same feelings I mentioned above.  He later referred to me as “Mr. Noncompassion”.  I told him I have plenty of compassion but I don’t have a lot of it for stupidity or arrogance against the forces of nature.  Hurricane Katrina was the size of Florida just before it hit landfall.  And if you lived a few blocks from the shore in Mississippi, why wouldn’t you heed the advice of the government agencies that are telling you to evacuate and head inland. 

Granted the people that are now in TX from New Orleans are having a hard way to go, but why was Fats Domino in the 9^th district which is (from what I understand) at one of the lowest depths in the city (and one of the first to flood).  He refused to leave his home and he was missing for some time.  He is a national treasure and I wish his family could’ve convinced him to leave before the flooding.  But that is the kind of stuff that just adds to the sadness and frustration.

Lastly, I just saw GW Bush give a short speech flanked by his father and former Pres. Clinton.  He said the two former presidents were going to raise funds through the business community.  I’m confused.  This isn’t Sri Lanka.  Why cant the Federal Government of the richest country on earth manage the rebuilding process and resettlement without donations from the business community (outside of voucher and fixed cost programs) or other governments (I just saw that 20 nations are lined up to help with this operation)?  This is the only president I have seen that has been flanked by former Presidents outside of a funeral setting on more than one occasion (in one year) to assist him. I just couldn’t see FDR or Kennedy or even Ford doing too much of that.

August 27, 2005

Bobby and Whitney  

I wasn’t sure if I was going to comment on this reality series after I had watched it (all 8 episodes).  I almost didn’t but there are so many things going on in that show, I think I would like to add my thoughts to the comments I have read and heard people say. 

Firstly, it seems Ms Houston was in charge of the finances of the household and it was ever so slightly implied that Bobby was on an allowance and had to get WH’s permission to buy any high ticket items outside of his allowance (I hear that in the Confessions of a Video Vixen book the author confirms that BB was on an allowance and got kicked out of a hotel when he overspent).  Seems like that may be a problem for a man as outrageous as BB.  I suspect that the 4 million they paid him to do the series may help him to regain his independence (and I read the series was picked up for a second series).

WH without trying seems to emasculate BB by through the way she is controlling situations outside of the bedroom.  I don’t think this is conscious I think it’s just the dynamic of their relationship.  Speaking of which, it was brought to my attention that in the course of the show, they never had a basic conversation without horseplay or arguing or making up/being romantic.  They never really just communicated about anything meaningful on camera. 

Also, I feel that BB should NEVER eat on camera in a restaurant again if he is going to go full on glutton and then later reveal himself on camera half nude and try to present himself as a sex symbol.  From the people I have heard talk about the show, it was embarrassing (but that is what made the show the highest rated show in Bravo’s history).  I don’t think that WH needs to share on camera when her BMs were coming on and how big/intense they were going to be.

WH is still a great singer.  Even when she would sing in stores for people while shopping it was apparent that her gift is still there.  I know people have said she will never sing as she did 20 years ago but really, who can?  As Sarah Vaughn got older, her top range diminished but what she gained in richness of voice and technique within her range definitely made up for it. 

BB loves to perform and should be able to relaunch his musical career in some form or fashion.  I wish him well with it and hopefully he will be able to strike a deal where he can own more of the product than if he were just trying to make a comeback without a hit TV show.

WH should never call (yell) Bobbi Christina by her middle name.  It starts to remind one of a Hollywood legend’s daughter whose first name was the same as BC’s middle name.  This woman wrote a book about her hell on earth being raised by her mother.  I’m sure you know who I mean.

On the subject of BC, she seems embarrassed by her parents many times and food seems to be her outlet.  She and BB’s other children are all sweet kids.  The older ones seem to be relatively well adjusted and Robert Jr. and BC seem to get along well.  I hope this show does not do irreparable damage to any of them (any more than what they have already experienced).  They deserve to have happy childhoods.

To that end, WH taped those shows before she went to rehab for the 2^nd time (from my understanding).  I hope that she remains clean and sober for the sake of her health, her family and her career.  I further understand BB got sober as well.  His choices of “adult beverages” on the show were borderline “freshman away at college” (Boone’s farm wine and lots of beers) so I hope he can stay clean and sober for the same reasons. 

Watching Being Bobby Brown is like watching a car wreck on the other side of the highway.  You don’t want to rubberneck but the SUV flipped over and the other car in the ditch is on fire. And they are landing the Jaws of Life on the roadway (ok maybe that is a bit much but you get my point).  Its not must see TV but its more like, I can’t stop watching this mess TV.  The DVD should be out by Christmas.

One more thing: I think Tommy Brown is a genius for putting this together and letting the world peek into his brother’s/client’s/sister-in-law’s/niece’s lives.  I know having WH involved sold the thing but he gets major props for packaging the thing. 

August 25, 2005

Go Daddy     

If you were wondering why my site was down for a few days, here is the answer to the mystery.  About a month ago I knew my website domain was up for renewal and I wanted to change where it was parked; from network solutions to godaddy.com.  That process was more involved than getting a car loan or a passport (or so it seemed). I thought I had completed the process (in the midst of changing everything over, I found out that my listing on whois was incorrect and more time was spent trying to get that rectified).  But when the changeover was to occur, I found I had no access to my website or email. There was one step I had overlooked (even though I thought I had handled it on the phone with the godaddy tech support rep).  Needless to say, I corrected the error and had to wait another few days for network solutions to send the domain information over to godaddy (with yet another whois updating to be done over at verisign).  I can honestly say that if this is their way of making sure I don’t want to use either of their services in the future, its working (both godaddy and network solutions were slightly unhelpful but network solutions won the prize in that regard-verisign on the other hand was helpful beyond belief). 

I was checking my account on CD Baby (which at this time only handles the Intimate CD), to see what the activity has been.  I noticed that quite a few new places had been serviced for online distribution.  I remembered that Liquid was one of the places that had been serviced (they are Wal Mart’s online distribution arm).  I went over to the Wal Mart music download site and lo and behold, there was the Intimate project available for download at WAL MART.  The fact that CD Baby and Wal Mart are doing business makes my head spin.  Effectively, that means that anyone with enough sense to put together a reasonably decent musical project can get it to the world through one of the most powerful pipelines.  Heady stuff if one has something to say.

I make that last comment because I have many friends who are middle aged professional musicians/singers and have been talking about doing something for themselves (they have been talking about it FOR YEARS).  Sometimes they finally get something going but most times they don’t (for any number of reasons).  I used to cheer lead these folks to get them to do something but now I don’t.  I don’t believe that musical expression should be forced onto someone.  If there is enough drive in the person to actually create the musical expression, they will figure out how to finalize it and commit it to CD and downloadable digital formats. 

On the other hand, if someone asks me for help in getting resources for their project, I am more than happy to help.  But I rarely get those calls.  And I don’t ever get asked to play on things.  I have no idea why that is as I have made myself available to friends and associates so I just do what I do.  I think that is one of the unfortunate aspects of this current time frame (musicians out here don’t interact as they did when I was coming up in NYC).

But back to the whole independent artist thing. There is a part of me that thinks it’s sad that there is a whole generation of kats that are missing the boat on exploiting the technology that may be able to enhance their careers.  I liken it to a fear of success or maybe completion.  In my case I have held onto songs for so long and I can’t stand them sitting around my house not being heard so I am compelled to get them out.  In my way of thinking, my hope is that it will allow new songs to come through (but sometimes they are a bit hesitant about revealing themselves, but I am patient for them).

ESESSION

The other day I went to a live demonstration of the esession website.  It is very impressive indeed.  I asked the hosts (Gina Fant-Saez, Kevin Killen) what is the target market for using this service.  It seems like it will be people trying to come up who may want to use professional artists and have a few bucks to spend to hire folks (the same younger folks that seem to be buying the “vintage gear” on eBay for classic sounds whereas the older pros are increasingly going digital to get the job done).  If that becomes the case, it will make for some very interesting times for musical interaction. 

One thing I noticed was that I was the only African American musician in the bunch and that concerned me.  It wasn’t because esession didn’t do an outreach.  They have been extremely gracious and outgoing.  I have to wonder aloud yet again why are there so many that are not taking advantage of what is available and useful to one’s career.  Aw to hell with it!!

August 21, 2005

Dr. Robert Moog has made his transition. 

August 18th, 2005

Bob Moog

There are people in this world that have made a difference in their industry.  Bob Moog is one of those people.  He has been ill with a brain tumor and as his family states on his website; “he will not be with us for much longer.”

You may not know his name but if you have heard the music of Stevie Wonder, Keith Emerson, Zapp, George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Return to Forever, Wendy Carlos, Gary Numan,  and so many many more (least of all me), you have heard musicians rocking the house with the synthesizers he created so many years ago.  There are many websites that can give you more information about the history of electronic music but suffice it to say that Mr. Moog is a legend.

I met Mr. Moog a couple of times but the time I best remember is when I spoke to him on the phone.  The reason was because I had done some programming work for the Talking Heads and rather than have them pay me, I asked them to buy me a Vocoder distributed by Mr. Moog’s company (at the time) Big Briar. 

The transaction had gone well and I had received my vocoder but as the instructions were in translated English from Dutch (the manufacturer was based in the Netherlands) I misunderstood the directions and ended up tearing up the innards of the machine before I even got to use it.  Mr. Moog answered the phone (when I called) and when I told him what I had done he got a big laugh out of it.  He replaced the unit but I remember not letting him off the phone until I got a chance to thank him for doing all he had done.  I was tripping on the fact that I spoke directly to this brilliant man who changed the face of music. I still have the vocoder as well as my Mini Moog.

I share this with you to say that if you think his work has touched your life (and even if it hasn’t) please send Mr. Moog a good thought. And when he chooses to leave this plane of existence, that he has a painless and peaceful transition.

August 16th, 2005

Did you ever get the feeling that you weren’t part of something or that something wasn’t intended for you?  The other day I was watching the Fine Living channel.  As the show went to commercial, they had this info-commercial thing they do where it’s sponsored by whoever was paying for the upcoming (real) commercial but is supposed to give helpful tips to better living. 

This particular info thing was about sun exposure and how too much is not a good thing.  I was like, “OK, let’s see where this is going.”  Of course there were the typical warnings about the sun making skin look rough etc. but then they went the extra mile.  The dermatologist said that pale skin was the best solution (for everyone?!).  I thought about the times I had been to West Africa (Ghana, Ivory Coast) and how the people were walking around without thinking about a sunscreen.  I thought about my ancestors on the plantations working in the fields for long hours without sunscreen.  There was no way they were ever gonna be talking bout no pale skin.  And what about the body creating vitamin D through sunlight?

I truly felt that info was one sided to the extreme (and I am being generous here). We still have a long way to go before we have an understanding of what multi-cultural and multi-ethnic truly mean.

August 9th, 2005

Last night I participated in a memorial show for Linda Martinez who passed away in May of this year.   Things of this nature are a pained pleasure to be a part of.  As a way of expressing grief and hope through music it is cathartic but it takes a lot out of the performer.  In my case, I wanted to make sure that when I spoke I wasn’t too depressing or disrespectful (in any way) as the family was right in the front row.  I told a story of when I was the Music Director for Mr. Keenan Ivory Wayans, Linda would be in rehearsal playing with one hand and reading her Spanish lessons with the other.  At that moment my challenge as her boss was to get her to be more of a team player with a band that was trying to find itself but not discourage her thirst for knowledge. 

The other musicians on this show fell into one of three categories, peers, students or teachers (and of course there was overlap with all of these).  The collected musicians had a consistent level of excellence, it made the night breeze on by.  There were combos, solo pianists, guitarists and vocalists.  My friend Denise from the KIW days read a poem she wrote for the occasion while she played a CD of Linda playing Christmas music.  It was touching and beautiful as were the words Linda’s mother spoke at the end of the evening. 

I played a solo piano version of Somewhere.  I introduced it by telling the audience I felt as though this was a song LV should have performed and now I think he should be accompanied by Linda in the great hereafter.  As I sat to play I felt something I usually don’t feel when I am in front of a piano.  Nervous.  The reason is because I was playing directly in front of the family (mom and sis and other family members).  And I heard talking right behind me where they were.  I couldn’t “shhsh” them like I have been known to do on my own gigs.  But afterwards a woman came up to where I was sitting in the audience and said, “I don’t know who you are but your playing brought me to tears.”  Do I say, “Thanks?”  I don’t know what to do.  But two of the female performers told me the same thing so I’m just thankful that what I chose to do connected with people.  Marvin Gordy and Steve Pandis deserve major props for creating this event so that people could express their love and respect for such a great musician.

As wonderful as the event was, unfortunately there was a downside and it.  I have played at Catalina’s a couple of times in the past and the staff has always been helpful and supportive.  This time, it was a different situation.  When I came in for the sound check, I was sitting at a table in the club waiting to get Marvin or Steve’s attention and ask them what they would like me to do.  As I sat at the table with Denise and her daughter (who is all grown up now from the last time I saw her in 1998) I was being hustled by the waiter to purchase drinks.  I explained that I was talent, I wasn’t drinking (I don’t drink socially before performing) when I do play in a venue they usually supply the band with a soft drink or at least water in the dressing room.  Although Steve and Marvin paid a security deposit to rent the room, the band was expected to pay for drinks and pay the music charge the customers were paying.  I didn’t have a problem with the music charge because that was to get back the security deposit for Steve and Marvin and any additional funds were going to a scholarship fund set up in Linda’s name.  But I don’t like being hassled by a club when I am there for a charity event.

Long story short, when I tried to explain to the waiter that the bill was incorrect as the performers were told (by Steve and Marvin which obviously they had worked out with the club earlier) we had a half price rate for drinks, the manager came over and basically tried to make it seem like I was being unreasonable.  What I was trying to do was to pay with my credit card and add more money to Linda’s scholarship fund in the process.  The manager basically told me that Steve and Marvin were going to have to pay for Denise’s and my bill (they had mingled our tickets).  Usually I would pick up the bill on something like this but we all wanted to do our part and the manager had a nasty attitude.  Especially since Mondays are usually slow nights (in LA) in the nightclub business usually and this show had a really good turnout.  I took the manager to the side and told him that this was the most unprofessional thing done by a club I had ever seen in over 30 years of being a performer.  I had to go to the gym afterwards to do some lifting and decide how I wanted to share this with you.  I wanted it to be known how so many gave so much music and love in spite of draconian venue behavior. 

August 8th, 2005

In the mid nineties I got a call from one of my favorite singers out here.  She had an audition with a big name rock artist and was poised to get the gig but there was a problem.  They wanted a tape of her singing some material (I guess to see how she sang lead and backgrounds) and my friend had no tapes at the time that would showcase her abilities as she would’ve liked.  She was wondering if I had anything she could sing on and present to these people.

I knew my friend’s abilities and I knew that this gig was hers so I agreed to help her (she was broke so this was just a case of helping out a friend).  I had done a version of Todd Rundgren’s tune Can We Still Be Friends.  I love(d) the song and had learned and recorded it for my own edification.  I’m a baritone and my friend is an alto so it was an easy fit.  The second song we did was a song that Norma and I had written called Justice (it’s a love song not a social statement).  The song was created when NJ sent me a lyric and let me do with it as I pleased.  It was a rock oriented piece and my friend KILLED it.  Needless to say she got the gig. 

I recently discovered my demo of Justice and it got me thinking about quite a few things.  Firstly, my friend’s version is sooo much better and I need to find it.  Secondly, I have been toying with an idea of a musical album that would feature music from my former life as a proper LA Songwriter.  Those days have long gone (when I was interested in having meetings with A&R people and co-writing with the “Hot” writers of the day that my manager or publishers thought I should hook up with).  Still I have this body of work from that era that contains some good songs.  Some are pop, some are R&B but the best of them are well written thoughtful compositions.  So on my “to do” list is a project called: Confessions of an LA songwriter…but that might seem like I am biting off of Usher (or Arsher as they seem to say in ATL).  How about: My former life?  Or My Lost Work?  Too pretentious huh?  I will come up with a working title for this but can I just say, don’t look for this to see light of day any time soon.  Just sharing what happens when the rabbit (or insert your favorite small furry rodent here) gets on the treadmill in my mind and gets going. 

July 27, 2005

I’m having some work done around my house and I have to be up early tomorrow.  In order to get myself drowsy, I tried watching some mindless TV shows.  I believe it was Marx who said that religion is the opiate of the people but I believe it is BAD TV that is the true opiate.  I watched The Insider (well it was on and I was walking around the house) and it amazed me how little of it was even interesting.    Well I suppose I am not their target audience.  Usually if I need to get sleepy in a hurry, I will turn on the shopping network for jewelry.  That can knock me out so fast I cannot tell you. 

In the realm of cheap TV, the other day I saw a show about Memphis TN and its current hip hop artists/producers.  There was one Atlanta based producer who is originally from Memphis that was featured on this show.  In a sign of how I am getting older, I don’t remember his name, and am not really that interested to know it.  I’m sure that fact would not be lost on him or his father who was an original member of the Bar Kays (Otis Redding’s backup band).  The father was one of two members who did not perish in the plane crash that took the other members and Otis Redding’s lives back in the sixties.  I did notice that the father of this young hip hop producer told his son that you can never have your name in a song too many times.  I am sure he meant the annoying practice of announcing in the song who the artist and/or producers are.  I know you probably won’t believe this but I almost subscribe to this practice.  Let me clarify.  What I mean is, I absolutely don’t believe that you need to sing or speak someone’s name in the middle of a piece of music.  But if you are an original artist, your signature will be revealed within a few notes of your music.  As an example after my last entry on this site, I went to double check the authorship of Something to Live for. I had no doubt it was written by Billy Strayhorn.  His signature was all over that music.  And that is what I am talking about.  What I didn’t know until recently was that song was the first song written by Strayhorn that the Ellington band ever recorded (in the 1930’s).  And neither Ellington nor Strays needed to have their nicknames spoken in a song.  Or Stravinsky, or Tatum, or Joni (Mitchell), or (insert original artist’s name here).

This past weekend, Kristi Lomax and I went to see Osunlade perform at the Temple Bar-ette or whatever it’s called (Golden Temple, Temple annex?).  We weren’t sure if it was going to be a musical performance with a band or a DJ set.  It was a DJ set with a percussionist (sort of).  There was an opening DJ and along with said percussionist, they did what they did.  I will say this; the djembe drum saved a lot of percussionists from unemployment.  I went over to say hello to Osunlade as he stood in the audience waiting for the DJ to finish her set.  I asked him if his move from San Juan P.R. to South Africa was completed and he told me, “Sort of.  I’ve been working too much.”  I went back to where Kristi and friends were. She mentioned that his current business address is in St. Louis. 

Anyway, after the DJ finished her set, Osunlade came on and played a set.  It’s kind of odd to stand and watch a DJ play CDs.  The percussionist kind of played along for half a song then went to get a drink.  Then he came back onstage (drink in hand) and looked out into the audience and then walked around the stage for a bit.  Osunlade was being spot lit (as was the previous DJ) but his performance was I dunno, um, a DJ standing in front of some turntables and CD players and a mixer.  It was almost a case of it would’ve been better to have heard but not necessarily seen.  Maybe I am just caught up in the old Para dyne. 

Ok that’s it for now; I have to see the sun from waking up not from going to sleep.

July 21, 2005

When I was in New Jersey last year with Norma and Luci (taping Get Down Tonight for PBS), I had received a phone call.  It was a music supervisor telling me about a reality show that needed a composer.  It was being done for Bravo and was called Being Bobby Brown.  It was almost as ridiculous as the baby doll top Bonnie Pointer was parading around in (at the time) with her tummy coming out.  I laughed so hard I almost dropped the phone when they told me that they needed the composer to be based in NYC.  I said, “Why?  So we can have meetings about the mood of the music when Bobby goes to court?  Or when Bobby and Whitney get into an argument or Bobby has too much to drink?”  Little did I know that my predictions would come true.  I don’t think I am going to say any more about the Being Bobby Brown show until I have seen all eight episodes.  At that point I may revisit the subject.  In the meantime….

This past weekend I read a book written by Fats Waller’s son Maurice.  It was very interesting and insightful from a musical as well as personal perspective.  I had read another biography about Waller over 20 years ago and now I need to reread it.  This was a well researched book (it had dates of performances and recordings in it and a very comprehensive discography for the time it was written-1977).  One interesting fact is that James P. Johnson who was Waller’s mentor and most important teacher of the style of piano called stride lived for many years in the same area of NYC that I am from (South Jamaica).  I contacted the South Jamaica Chamber of Commerce to ask them if they knew where Mr. Johnson’s home is (or was).  I wanted to take a picture of it the next time I go back to NYC.  There is a map of famous Jazz Musicians of Queens but it cuts off with the older musicians.  There is no mention of musicians my age (Omar Hakim, Marcus Miller, Tom Browne, Tom Barney, Donald Blackman, Lesette Wilson and I am not really even thinking about it) and slightly older (i.e. Lenny White as a “for instance”).

What was really great was that PBS was replaying the Ken Burns documentary Jazz and they were focusing on the 1930’s and Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller and lo and behold, James P. Johnson.  It was great to have visual reinforcements to what I had just read about.  It was also interesting to note little things like, the song Charleston (which was made popular with the dance) was written by James P. Johnson and the version that was played on the show was by bandleader Paul Whiteman’s orchestra.  Also in the book on Waller, much mention was made of the friendship between George Gershwin and Waller.  Gershwin in fact recommended Waller to his counterpoint & harmony teacher.  Waller wanted to elevate his art to the concert hall and in fact did a concert performance at Carnegie Hall in tuxedo and tails and no mugging or side comments while performing.  The show was going very well but at intermission, Waller’s friends inadvertently got him drunk backstage and he screwed up the second half of the show. 

While in that mood, I went to itunes and downloaded a piece by Ellington titled Reminiscing in Tempo which was a 12 minute piece composed upon the passing of his mother (in that same time period of the 1930’s).  The harmonic movement in the piece was completely fresh and innovative (I also have been listening to Ella Fitzgerald's live recording with the Ellington Orchestra of Something to Live for written by Ellington collaborator, Billy Strayhorn; the performance is in a word Timeless and I would encourage you to listen to this example of greatness, pure musicianship and artistry all around).  To think that all this was popular music 70 years ago and these days a hit record in black music usually only has 4-8 measures of actual music that repeat over and over.  Sometimes people wish they could go back to past time periods.  In this case I don’t.  I just wish there had been more technology to document those great artists with video and film.  This particular era of technology has so many possibilities.  As an example check out this site.

July 13th 2005

I spoke to a couple of friends who attended LV’s funeral.  They both said it was a beautifully done service and it was touching to see Harlem come out to say goodbye as it did.  I expected nothing less.  I have sent notes to a few friends and said that every musical community in the country with an R&B contingent should have a tribute show of some sort so vast was LV’s influence in black music over the past 20 years.  I am hoping that something we are planning out here can take place.  I will make more mention of it as it evolves.

In other happenings, I don’t know if you are aware of a battle that has been taking place between Nile Rodgers and Luci and Norma (aka The First Ladies of Chic).  He was trying to sue them for trademark infringement or some such madness.  It was even reported in the NY Daily News that he got a default judgment against them (they weren’t served at the time).

Well he will never be a Lady and they will never play Guitar or Bass.  I don’t understand why Nile didn’t offer to book the Ladies (now known as Norma & Luci) for track dates and the new band he calls Nile Rodgers and Chic would do the live band performances with all parties coming together as one big unit on special occasions.  But I think this whole thing is about to backfire on Mr. Rodgers.  Norma and Luci have a top 10 club hit with a remake of (all things) Le Freak (currently #7 with a bullet).  Now how can you stop people from promoting a remake of your song?  And I have heard the new version and remixes.  I like it a lot!!

In my own musical world, I had been playing a lot but not doing very much writing.  It wasn’t that I didn’t want to.  It was as if I was unable to connect with that ether that carries musical clarity and creative spark.  I wasn’t sure if I would write anything for a while.  And it has been a matter of months.  But I wrote something over the weekend that was triggered by a troubling vision I had (but am not at liberty to share at the moment).  For me the piece is light in tone although it is deceptively so.  I hope to record it on the Pulse record if I can figure out what to name it.  At this point I think the Hillside project (which may get a slight name change) will be released later this year and Pulse will come a few months into 2006 (or later if need be).  At least there is a basic plan right?

July 6th, 2005

The following is a note I submitted to David Nathan's tribute page for LV

I have spent the past days in thought.  Reminiscing about our time together working with Nile and Bernard in Chic.  How I knew after you left that situation you were bound for great things.  It was apparent when you were warming up the singers backstage (while on tour) with songs from your group LUTHER (the song Superlovin’ immediately comes to mind) that you were in preparation for what was to come. 

As a rough around the edges 19 year old, you taught me lessons on how to be a professional onstage and not make faces even in the dark (a lesson you learned as a camera flash caught you in the dark, looking disdainfully at Todd Rundgren climbing up a speaker stack).  You taught me to believe in your own worth and vision and let no one stop you from your dreams.  You brought wonderful people into my life like Fonzi, Alfa and so many others.  And whenever and wherever we ran into each other, it was always like seeing a long lost friend and compatriot who shared a point in time that no one can ever take away and stands on its own as unique.  I will always appreciate that. 

I never got to tell you that there was a time when I had been called to sub for Skip (Anderson) on one of your tours and I was learning your book without you knowing.  The crew didn’t want you to be upset and wanted me to be prepared for the day when Skip simply wasn’t there and I was in his place ready to play the show.  Fortunately, my services weren’t needed but I remember a couple of nights at the Palladium in NYC sneaking around not being able to get a bear hug from my buddy!! 

We love you and you are gonna be truly missed man!!

RAYMOND JONES

July 1 2005

Luther Vandross

April 20, 1951-July 1, 2005

Your spirit, humanity, humor and music will be deeply missed.

June 29th, 2005

Earlier today I went to a presentation of the Cakewalk software Project 5.  I like to sometimes go to things like this to see what the new tools are in the marketplace.  The demonstration took place at West LA Music in West LA (they have a North Hollywood store as well). Although the store was closed for business, they have staff on hand in case anyone wants to buy the featured product.  I was curious to see Project 5 because it is being marketed as a PC version of Garageband (an Apple product).  P5 has many professional features and someone could get a lot of work done with it.  What I didn't hear was a whole lot of playing as most of the music being generated was existing loop based (nothing wrong with that, just an observation).  The presenter was very professional but some of the information was getting slightly technical.  The room which was darkened for a projection screen blowup of the computer screen was a bit warm (as if the AC had been turned off).  A gentleman sitting in front of me started nodding off and then snoring.  I nudged him in the back at one point to wake him up when it started getting loud but I really did understand how the combination of tech talk, warm room and darkened lights could lull him to sleep. 

I had planned to write about genius in this entry but since I don’t know how to define it, I will just make some broad statements and let the chips fly where they may.  The reason I wanted to write about genius is because the other day I heard Stevie Wonder's recent single "What the Fuss."  There wasn't any (fuss or genius).  I noted to my workout partner that it amazes me how someone could go from creating "Living for the City" to what I heard the other night.  I wondered if genius came and went.  I do know that creativity excels in a supportive environment.  But I am sure Mr. Steveland Morris has any and everything he needs to create.  I thought that maybe it was the technology but that is just a tool and he can be creative with just a piano or his voice or harmonica (but please...no more guest solos for a while...sing background or play drums or something).  Then I was in my car listening to Air America Radio tonight and as the host was going to commercial, he was playing Steve's" Jesus Children of America."  I don't know what he was drinking back then but I wish he had a bottle of it right now. 

My neighbor behind me and I share a fence that is falling down.  We had spoken last year about chipping in to have it rebuilt.  I was ready but her husband decided at that time that he didn’t want to pay anything towards it and the deal fell through.  I have grape vines that cover the thing so it wasn’t even visible.  I got a call today telling me they are having the fence rebuilt starting tomorrow and they would like me to pay for part of it.  I asked them how much the total bill was and she said four thousand bucks!!  I told her I’m open to discussing contributing to the project but I would've liked a bit of notice and a few bids from other fencing companies.  We should be able to work this out I hope. 

Recently I was approached by a friend of mine who is a booking agent.  He asked me if I would put together a funk band for a private function.  I considered the offer and decided to take him up on it.  I have wanted to do a different type of project unlike the main things I do.  I am thinking about having a unit of players from the funk era as a type of party/flame keeper excursion. 

In considering this I thought about TT.  One thing I loved about Tony Thompson was the fact that he never looked back in his musical endeavors.  When we did the tribute to him it was incredible how much ground we covered.  I think that on a limited basis it might not be a bad thing to present music of the funk and soul era and show folks how it’s supposed to be done (looking back with love and respect to the music).  No Neo nothing!  At least that is my thinking at this juncture.  I just want to assemble people that will learn songs on their own and bring me no issues or drama.  If they suck the joy out of doing something like this, I may have to write about them on this site...

June 23, 2005

I did another solo piano gig last night at Fitzgerald’s down the street from my home.  They fixed the piano (sort of) and it was in relative tune.  The first half of the gig I spent getting reacquainted with the instrument.  The second half I spent getting deeper into the music in my mind.  I actually played all of the songs from the SO AMAZING CD.  I usually mix it up but I really needed to visit those pieces.  I have been trying to learn Brenda Russell’s PARIS RAIN and wanted to play it but I would have only been able to play 30 second passages and then fade out into something else.  It’s so interesting to me that these folks are at this hotel lounge watching something take place that isn’t typical lounge fare.  I play material with long improvised introductions (hopefully thematically related to the piece by some very thin strand of thread) and delve into introspective investigations of the pieces.  I try to convey a sense of awareness of the audience in between songs but I have stopped trying to entertain to any degree and have focused on finding the core of what I find interesting in the piece.  I have played material they have never heard before and try to give insights to why I am playing it (for instance, I have taken to playing It All Comes Around from my ACTS OF LOVE CD). 

Last night I played my interpretation of HE IS, a song recorded by Brandy that I have found very dark and brooding when I play it (a whole lot of minor seventh chords in sequence).  I have chosen to mainly play music by other people with a few of my own pieces in the mix as I am doing this partially as an interpretation exercise and partially because my own works that I have been focused on recently (the Hillside songs) are a bit too intense for this presentation (e.g. DOSSIER is a song about a black nationalist that has come to read the files the government has collected on him over the years).

Last night I closed my eyes and imagined that I was in Europe or Japan performing this work in a recital presentation for an audience without booze and waitresses. They were following where I was taking them and we were at one with the music.  Then I opened my eyes and saw that I was playing in front of a bunch of road warriors trying to relax after another day on the road away from home. 

June 17, 2005

My mother’s birthday is never dull.  One year, we buried my father on that day.  This year, Michael Jackson was acquitted of all molestation charges and conspiracy and whatever else.  And I get ½ year older (our birthdates are exactly 6 months and some years apart). 

The Jackson story has been in the news for a very long time and has become a subterfuge for any real news.  If anyone reads this entry years from now, I want to say that while MJ and the state of CA were duking it out in court, our government leaders were trying to find out who knew what about Iraq and Guantanamo Bay and when they knew it.  The democrats were trying to hold a hearing last week (featuring people who have been victimized by the  Patriot Act which is coming up for renewal) in the House of Representatives and the republican chairman (Rep. Sensenbrenner), shut down the meeting ON CAMERA on CSPAN in a manner that was out of order to say the least.  By doing so, he has brought more attention to the matter. 

All the while news host Nancy Grace was getting her panties in a twist about the MJ verdict.  The more I see that woman, the more she looks like Tweety Bird.  It’s a combination of the hair and the eye makeup, but she is on news outlets owned by Time Warner so who knows?  It might be some sort of cross marketing synergy someone cooked up!!  Speaking of looking like, the guy that they have on trial for killing the civil rights workers in 1964 in Mississippi looks like the Six Flags dancer dressed up as an old man.  When I saw him in his wheelchair being wheeled into court, I halfway expected him to jump up and start dancing and that annoying techno music to start playing as he led Nancy Grace; uh I mean Tweety Bird and friends into court.  (Six Flags is yet another property owned by Time Warner and I did see the footage on Headline News also owned by TW). 

Last night, as I was driving down the 405 freeway, there was a news update on the radio station I was listening to (for the traffic). They casually mention that there was a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Northern California and subsequently a TSUNAMI ALERT for the entire west coast of the US, Canada and Mexico was in effect.  They then talked about some local shooting or robbery as though no one should be alarmed.  I was stunned. I noticed the traffic had slowed to a crawl in front of me.  But it was a bottleneck of traffic unrelated to what I had just heard.  I live on the inland side of the Santa Monica Mountain range so I wasn’t too concerned if water did hit the coast in regards to my own home and safety but the nonchalant attitude taken by the state and media outlets concerns me.  Who do you call to talk to about this type of thing?  The local news covered it the following day but it didn’t lead the news.  It was all very understated.  Strange. 

On a lighter note, I was driving down the main drag out here (Ventura Blvd.) yesterday afternoon trying to find a new Chinese Restaurant with a proper health code rating (I try to only eat at places with an “A” rating).  As I was coming home from my new find (the best I could find was a Japanese place) I saw my neighbor Xhibit riding his motorized scooter up and down the sidewalk with no shirt on. He looked like a big kid living in the suburbs trying to have some fun.  I mention this because every now and then one of my brethren chooses to parade down Ventura Blvd. shirtless.  Last time it was a brotha who is a porn star that lives in the area.  I don’t know what it is about that street that makes em strip like its Venice Beach (because it really really isn’t anywhere close to being that).  In the name of fairness I must admit that I have been known to be shirtless while going outside to get the mail on more than one occasion (9x out of 10 unless its raining or just cold). 

The sistas tend to keep their clothes on out here however. 

June 2, 2005

This entry begins on a sad note.  One of my greatest hopes for the future of music has passed.  Linda Martinez was a brilliant musician whose bright light shone far too briefly. 

I was Linda’s boss when we worked on the Keenen Ivory Wayans show in 97-98.  Her amazing ear and technical abilities on the keyboards were a joy to watch and challenge.  I looked forward to her doing great things in music.  She will be sorely missed.

In other happenings, I just returned from a trip to NY, Miami and San Juan (where I performed).  I had been invited to perform solo at a Luther Vandross tribute show as part of a circuit party hosted by the San Juan Brothas.  Circuit parties a great way for any artist (independent or otherwise) to reach a niche audience and I was glad to do it.  The audience was receptive to the music and was interested in my behind the scenes stories I told between songs. 

At one point, lacking a big voiced singer (neither the vocalist nor the Vandross biographer showed up for the event), I pulled someone from the audience to sing House is Not a Home.  The gentleman was great and got a standing ovation.  Make Lemonade I Say!!

On the way to San Juan, I ran into Spike (Lee) and his family at Miami airport.  We hugged and spoke.  It was a warm meeting.  I will send him some music soon (not that he asked and I am certainly not soliciting, just a friendly gesture).

I started the trip in NY spending time with my family and let my mother critique and deconstruct her child.  I’m thankful for any time I get to do that.  I just have to remember to let things roll.  The one thing I sometimes tell her is, “I hate when you act like you are the only one in the room with a brain.”  Though she enjoys doing it, it keeps me from doing the same to others (most times).  As an example, during my travels, I was asked if I was driving to Puerto Rico from Miami.  I simply said, “No.  I’m flying there instead.”  What I wanted to say was, “Just let me get my Chitty Chitty Bang Bang out of the garage.”

Before leaving LA, I had purchased a copy of Hugh Masakela’s autobiography on amazon.com.  I just got it.  I hope the seller doesn’t want me to rate or comment (like on ebay).  The day I left town, I bought a copy of Footprints, the Wayne Shorter biography.  The book was revelatory about one of the greatest jazz composers/saxophonists (living or dead).  Also, since Wayne has rarely spoken about his time with Weather Report, it was great to get his insights from that era of music.  Not to mention his time with Miles, Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, etc.  I truly internalized his journey as I read this very well written book. 

The night before I left LA, I went to see UK artist Omar for the first time.  It was pure music and was the kind of performance I love to see.  At the venue (Temple Bar) I picked up Rocky Dawuni’s new CD (Book of Changes) which I love.  Afro pop mixed with reggae.  Serve me up a big bowl please.  Great work Rocky.  Don’t make us wait so long next time!!

May 10, 2005

I want to apologize to anyone who tried to access this site last week.  I had to change web hosting companies after communications with the old one got out of hand.  I didn’t start the nastiness but I wasn’t about to let a company think they controlled my website to any great degree.  If that were the case, why am I doing this stuff independently?   In any case, I have found a new home for my website at half the cost.  I plan to add a couple of new features in the near future that will help uegmusic.com be ground zero for all things RJ. 

Last week I did a show at that nightclub at the hotel down the street from my house.  I sent out a notice to my email list but I did it a couple of days before the gig.  I knew the first time I was going to do what I did, there would be a few bumps in the road.  The first thing was the piano.  It was grand but it wasn't the Yamaha they used to have.  It was a Samick.  A SAMICK.  One of the notes stuck and one didn't play.  And I needed my Db.  But to no avail.  So I played.  I talked to the audience, I played and sang.  There was a lot of it that was fun.  But there was a group in one corner of the bar that had this woman that was shrieking LOUDLY and hysterically (hittin' the sauce a little heavy as they used to say in the 50's).  And then all of a sudden they were gone. 

Just before I left the house, I looked at what I had on (charcoal grey slacks and a pink button down shirt).  I thought I looked like a cross between Cuban Pete and the brotha that does the commercial where he says, "I have two loves." He was talking about luncheon meats.  But as they say, the show must go on.  So I made the best of it. 

In the meantime, while I was entertaining some of the road warriors, I had a sale going on Ebay.  My 24 track analog machine sold.  And fortunately not to one of the people that was asking me stupid questions (Q: can you crate it up for me A: NO.  The ad states buyer is responsible for all shipping and handling).  I haven't used my 24 track machine since 1999 and have no plans on using it so...let someone who has a use for it buy it. 

But back to the show.  It was important for me to do this solo piano thing as I have a few others lined up.  And I wanted to do this in the worst case scenario.  So now, I'm ready. 

April 19th, 2005

Dance Music

The first few years of my performing life was with bands that played music people danced to.  I worked with various Latin bands and learned various styles of Afro Cuban and other Caribbean music.  From there I went to work with the disco/R&B unit Ecstasy Passion and Pain where I met Tony Thompson and from there went on to work with Nile and Bernard in Chic (mind you I played with rock bands and jazz units along the way as well).   The point I am trying to make is that I have been involved with music that people would move to for a very long time.

This leads me to what I wanted to write about.  This current phase of music that is considered dance music/club music seems to be headed in two distinct directions.  One is rhythmic and one is not.  And I keep wondering, how you gonna do (timeless and funky) music without strong rhythms?  And this is not based on any type of ethnic or racial issues because some very funky dance music has been made by people of various backgrounds (can anyone say KC and the Sunshine Band?).

I bought on itunes a copy of the new Verve Remixed project.  It seems like each subsequent project in that series gets less and less funky.  This third volume sounds like they sucked the funk out of the music. I told a friend of mine it sounds like music created on a grid.  How on earth can you make Billie Holiday or Shirley Horn sound unsoulful?   I guess when you let the computer run amok without human taste overriding the musical choices, you can. 

The only really good track (for my money) was the Sarah Vaughn version of the theme from Peter Gunn.  If you didn't know that song has lyrics, are you in for a treat.  That song sounds like it was tailor made for Ms Vaughan.  The only thing is it wasn’t a complete remix.  It was more of an add-on to a great song.  I mean, the song starts with the same ostinato figure as the original, it uses parts of the big band arrangement and they added some guitar, organ and drum beats to fatten it up some.  It really showed me the strength of Mr. Henry Mancini's music and Ms Vaughan's timeless vocal. 

I spoke to Norma a couple of weeks ago and she told me she ran into Sylver Logan from the most recent Chic band.  Sylver has a single with a producer/remixer we had hired to do a remix of Coochie Power for the Wasabi Tuna movie.  Norma said Sylver tore the place apart when she performed the song at a NYC club recently.  I heard the song on my DirecTV dance music channel and she sounds great on the record.  I just wish the track had a little more funk on it.  It seems to be straight up and down.  No hip movement from side to side.  Think of an Island woman with a baby on her back with a basket on her head as she is coming home from market.  She is gonna have some sway and slide in her glide.  Poetry in motion.  There was none of that motion goin on in that music.  Too bad. 

Last night I heard Kristi Lomax's show on KPFK for a minute and her first set was all rhythmic and African dance stuff.  I spoke to her today to tell her I couldn't get out of the car to go in the gym because the stuff was so tight!!  She said it was all music from Osunlaude's label but I couldn't figure out who the artists were.  If it aint John or Arnold or some Judeo-Christian name, I usually need to hear it a few times before I can remember who it is (part of my western conditioning). 

Speaking of the gym, I was in the locker room watching the new Nine Inch Nails video (I am a NIN fan) when I heard all this noise behind me.  This portly man was putting on a plastic garbage bag on between his athletic shirt and sweat suit.  I liked the fact that the video was basically a performance video but I am going to have to see it again because that damned garbage bag was crinkling every which way but loose.  The song seemed like it was dance music oriented but of the straight up and down kind (I will just chalk it up to getting out a single on a deadline). 

To end this set of observations, I wanted to mention that I saw Lil John on TV the other night.  He is more articulate than his video performances would lead one to believe (my first introduction to him was Dave Chapelle's send ups).  The interviewer asked him what he was thinking about when he put together a track.  His answer was, "The clubs.  You gotta be able to dance to it in the clubs.  It's gotta be crunk!"  (I might be paraphrasing but he said something like that).  I always thought that crunk had something to do with drug use but I am not an authority on any of that. 

April 7, 2005

Recently I have been working on recording a song I wrote five years ago.  I remember the circumstances surrounding the song as it was inspired by certain events.  I had gone to Brazil to shoot a video for Codajas from the Naked Soul CD and was stopping through South Florida to edit the tapes with a friend based down there who had access to an editing bay (owned by one of the major shareholders of a MAJOR drug manufacturing firm) in West Palm Beach.  If I said rich I would mean extremely rich and old monies.  I had booked myself into a hotel in South Beach the day I arrived back from Brazil and was trying to find out information about a small plane crash that had occurred near Martha's Vineyard.  JFK Jr., his wife and sister-in-law were lost at sea.  I remember trying to find CNN on my television in my Miami hotel and I called to the front desk.  The clerk said, "If you don't see it we don't have it." and hung up on me.  Now I had just been in a hotel in Brazil that had CNN and MSNBC in it so I wondered why I couldn't get it in the states.  Let me just say it was one of two times in six years of using the service that I had to complain about a hotel I booked through Priceline (in addition the popcorn ceiling was falling off into my bed-and this was a 2 1/2 star hotel).  The other time was in Newark NJ but that is another story...

Anyway, when I got home I wrote this song called Waiting, and contacted my old friend guitarist Vernon Reid about his participation on the piece.  So that you know, I have known Vernon since we were in ninth grade together and were best friends until life moved us in different directions over time.  Although we attended a science high school (Brooklyn Tech) in NYC, more performers and musicians have came out of that school that have gone on to achieve recognition (some of our classmates were drummer/percussionist EJ Rodriguez, vocalist/violinist Miles Jaye, drummer, producer for Vanessa Williams and SESAC executive Trevor Gale, vocalist/songwriter Mic Murphy from the group The System, Kim Coles, Ellen Cleghorne, film producer/political consultant Geoffrey Garfield).  I was probably the first in the group to get high profile gigs after high school (hell I was doing gigs while IN high school).  Some of my other buddies outside of high school during that time period included bassist Tom Barney, drummer Omar Hakim, bassist Barry Johnson, pianist Lesette Wilson, percussionist Bashiri.  As I write these names, its no wonder I always feel I had a rich musical background. 

But I digress.  Over the past few days I was working on the song Waiting by myself because I had approached Vernon years ago about us doing a recording that would include some of the more experimental work we'd done with sonics and loops that no one had ever heard.  I felt this was the song that was strong enough to withstand an all out sonic assault (although my rough vocal was just that).  After five years, I figure Vernon either wasn't interested in the proposition or just got too busy (or simply forgot) so I'd better do it myself.  My arrangement is a bit less astringent and sonically different from what I had originally envisioned but it’s I feel is honest.  And I can sing the song without straining (I don't know when I started to be able to sing high F's above middle C-high for a Baritone voice but I can do it consistently after warming up ). 

My thing with collaborations and the like is if after my initial outreach, and follow-up call there is no response I figure the person isn't interested.  Either that or life is pulling them in so many directions at once that smaller things get put to the side.  I try to not be a pest but to encourage people to do what is in their heart.  I have a track I sent over to a well known R&B singer a year ago and same thing (we met at that Gary Taylor show last year-that should've been my first clue! I'm joking of course).  No harm no foul. I want to explain that I am not trying to put a spin on things to my advantage.  I just want to share some of what goes on in this business of creating art.  Or at least a decent piece of music.

March 23rd, 2005

As if it were a continuation of my last entry about things going fast, I am compelled to add these words. 

I had to call my mother earlier today and tell her how what happened over the past few days was her fault (she seems to think she gets quite a bit of blame but no matter).  When I was a kid, I wasn’t allowed to watch the Little Rascals and things of that nature.  Ms Jones said that they were a “bad representation of the Negro.”  She was determined to raise children that would not have self esteem issues stemming from bad media influences (at least in her home).

So on to this past Sunday.  I was watching a documentary on TV One about Valaida Snow, an African American woman who was a famous (but now long forgotten) musician, singer and dancer.  She played trumpet and was called the ‘second best trumpet player in the world’ by Louis Armstrong.  Anyway, the program went to commercial and a spot for a ring tone company came on.  It’s called zulutones.com and its logo was (of all things) a black sambo with a bone in its hair winking at me with a hand gesture as if it were holding a phone.  I was stunned to say the least.  I got online and found the parent company (www.qtones.com).  I sent them a letter explaining that the logo was going to be a problem for them and suggesting that they should contact someone from Operation Push or the NAACP and get some sensitivity training if they wish to tap into the lucrative African American market without issue. 

The following day (Monday), I contacted a few friends and TV One as well.  I got the number of one of the senior VPs (Mr. Bernard Bell) and left a message with his assistant.  At first she was “too busy” but I asked her to give Mr. Bell the website information and then call me so that we could discuss this matter.  Mr. Bell called me back and expressed his concern over this advertiser.  He assured me that this would be dealt with within the company and someone would contact me once it was.  Mr. Bell called me back today (Wednesday) to let me know that the station has pulled the ad from their programming and thanked me for bringing it to their attention. 

Ms Jones was quite pleased to see that some of her parenting skills did not go to waste.

Now if we can get Patti Labelle to stop talking to and looking directly into the camera on her show (Livin’ it up) and make it more of a reality series about something as opposed to her goin to get her jewelry cleaned and shopping for shoes…..

March 17th 2005

Sometimes things move slowly, sometimes quickly.  The other day I was writing on here that I had done a remix on a Deirdre song called Firefly.  Last night she was in town performing and I had a chance to meet her and give her a copy of the mix.  All within a couple weeks time of me even knowing who she was.  The performance was at the Temple Bar in Santa Monica.  It reminded me of a NYC kind of bar/hang.  One thing that reminded me of my age was I was looking to sit down somewhere (I hate clubs that have about 8 seats and the rest is a kind of dance floor).  This was one of those 3 bands a night kinds of places and I sometimes like to sit for at least part of the performance (unless it’s so bad it raises me outta my seat-like in November in NYC at that restaurant).  In any event, Deirdre and company were the third act on the bill.  The show started around 11.20 (which I liked but it seemed that part of the audience had to leave and get some sleep  to get to work on time in the morning as it thinned out a bit as the show progressed).  There were a trio of performers onstage with her and I say performers because they were all positioned behind laptop computers and the one musical keyboard I saw seemed to be more for triggering events than actual playing.  And one of the computer operators was in charge of the visual effects (there was a projection screen to the right of Deirdre). 

Deirdre was very pregnant (seven months) and I think her child is going to be a very musical baby.  The performance was energetic and fun.  One thing I found very interesting is that the next to last song she played was the song I had originally been seduced by (as music oftentimes does).  It’s named, “More Than the Ocean.”  She explained it was one of the songs on the album that was inspired by a friend of hers who had passed away leaving two young children behind.  I didn’t know any of that when I first heard it but she definitely put her heart and soul into both the album recording and the live performance last night. 

Last weekend a friend had an extra ticket to go see Keith Jarrett (with Jack DeJohnette and Gary Peacock).  Keith was one of my biggest inspirations as a pianist and I haven’t seen him in over 20 years.  The last time was at Carnegie Hall in NYC performing with a string orchestra and Jan Garbarek and Charlie Haden doing his Arbor Zena orchestral pieces.  And that performance was breathtaking.

When I got to the theatre in the UCLA campus (after getting lost) I saw a man at the piano looking much older than I had remembered.  The way the piano was facing (45 degrees inward towards the band) on our side of the stage, we were in the direct line of him when he lifted up from his seat and was shaking his fanny.  I kept thinking about that cartoon The Critic where the mother was talking about (and showing a camera crew) Jay’s childhood thermometer, “He would shake his little fanny and say ‘take my temperature mommy!’  And he wasn’t even sick.”

ANYWAY, for the past two decades Keith has worked mainly in the trio format, reworking songs that are between 50-80 years old (the “standards”).  And some of that music sounded about that old.  I have a reverential respect for the legacy the men and women who created those songs have left us.  But how many times are we gonna have to hear “Just the way you look tonight.”  Having said that, “Somewhere” was beautifully interpreted.  For my money, I still am partial to Aretha Franklin’s version and don’t even mind Streisand’s version if I need something a bit more strident (no pun intended). 

As I left the concert, I thought about the origins of this American Classical music.  How Jelly Roll Morton would have loved to have played in fine concert halls for packed houses full of adoring fans in the prime of his career.  But when the innovators did play in concert halls here and abroad (in spite of the racism of the times and a whole lot of other crap they had to deal with), it was as such and not as repertory interpreters which is what I felt I had just seen.  Well meaning keepers of the flame.

I feel that is what Mr. Winton Marsalis does in his Lincoln Center Jazz whatever it is.  He once said that pianist Cecil Taylor would NEVER play at Lincoln Center.  Mr. Taylor retorted, “What has HE created?”  In an alley fight, I think I would put my money on Mr. Taylor between those two.    

March 10^th 2005

Where to start, where to start.  I went to the Pan African film festival last month and only saw one film called, A Panther in Africa.  The film was inspirational in seeing someone have ideals in their life and living up to them all these years later.  For me, the Panthers were one of the freedom fighting units in my time period.  Yes they were infiltrated by the FBI and all that and there were some larger than life characters.  But the truth remains, they were trying to help my people in an era when our greatest non violent leader (MLK) had been killed and young African Americans were demanding change.  And here is Brother Pete O’Neal in Tanzania teaching children how to use computers and speak English and feeding them.  He is engaging in dialogue with people all over the world in how to effect change through perceptions and actions.  I walked out of that theatre glad to know that man and his wife’s story.

As I left the theatre (early one Sunday afternoon), I walked over to the mall to see some of the art vendors that were in the mall for the weekends of the film festival.  I picked up a couple of small paintings from a brother who came in from Lagos Nigeria.  As I was walking in the mall, I saw that my old friend Jasmine Guy was going to be signing the paperback edition of her book on Afeni Shakur (Tupac’s mother).  It was interesting in that Geronimo Pratt, who was featured in the film, is Tupac’s godfather.  In any event, I walked around the mall waiting to see Jasmine.  I saw her in the mall trying to do some quick shopping before doing her signing.  I don’t see her that often but when I do, Jasmine has this way of understanding what I am feeling, and synopsizing it in a couple of sentences, confirming what I feel as she adds her take on it.  And that particular day, that was exactly what I needed!!

I gave her a copy of my solo piano CD and I picked up a copy of her book.  I don’t want to read it until I take a cross country plane ride (nothing scheduled right now).  I get most of my pleasure reading done while flying.  My mother in NYC has a stack of books I have given to her from past arrivals.  I think it is she who got me into the habit of reading as she was a voracious reader when I was a child.  Stacks of novels by her bedside.  I don’t think I ever saw my dad read a book for enjoyment.  He seemed to read instructions and then go DO stuff.  I see how I got both of them in me. 

I spoke back to that club in the hotel near my home.  It turns out they stopped charging a cover charge for entertainment at the bar.  The musicians will now work for tips.  I think that once I have lined up some PAYING gigs in town, I may rent out the room for a Sunday afternoon or evening and do some live recordings.  It’s a great room with a great piano but the brandy snifter thing aint my thang.  To that end, there are some other prospects on the horizon.

I finally changed my CD changer in one of my cars (tight winter budget).  The last one died and the repair place I use told me to just toss it.  I got the new one (same manufacturer as the old one) and was able to install it myself.  Drill holes connect cables insert disk magazine, it worked…so far anyway.  To celebrate, I went to Amoeba Music to get a new CD or two.   I had to call my friend DJ Kristi Lomax (from KPFK 90.7 Monday nights-how’s that for a plug) for recommendations.  I ended up with Louis Vega’s new one and it’s very cool.  I love dance music with Latin and Afro Cuban elements.  I want to create more music in that realm at some point fairly soon.  When I did the television show with Norma and Luci last year, I spoke briefly with the house band percussionist about that very thing.  All things in time. 

I also downloaded from itunes Muddy Waters’ Electric Mud album. That album has such a sordid past.
Mr. Waters HATED that album. I was interested in it for a number of reasons. Firstly, it was co-produced
by one of my heroes, Charles Stepney. There is an interview he did with Downbeat Magazine available
online and it kind of outlines his view of the musical world he lived in.

From that perspective, it makes perfect sense for him to do the Muddy Waters record as he did. If one
looks at the time frame and body of work, essentially Electric Mud is a Rotary Connection record without
the orchestra and Minnie Riperton. The other reason I was interested in that particular album is I am
investigating the work of guitarist Pete Cosey. He is so underrated yet influential in many circles. One
such person he inspired (and I believe taught) was my good friend Randy Hall (they both later worked
with Miles Davis). There are many incredible black guitarists that worked in the rock/jazz/funk genres that
the general public is not aware of. Some of them include Mr. Cosey, (the aforementioned) Mr. Hall, Mike
Hampton, Ronnie Drayton, Billy Spaceman Patterson, Thomas Murray (my cousin), Fred Clark, Eddie
Hazel, PHIL UPCHURCH and so many more.
 

I also had dinner with another guitar great this evening, Mr. Michael Gregory.  He is in town for a few days and we are hoping to do some writing before he goes back to the Northeast.  He is such a gifted player.  I was encouraging him to do a power trio (or quartet) and tour it.  I hope he takes me up on it.  Hell, I drove to the Bay Area to see Ledisi; I will travel for a great performance!!

I have been checking out this French singer named Deidre.  She does a kind of twisted punk/funk.  Its fun and I like her songs.  She currently has elements of one of her songs on the acid planet remix contest site.  I have been working on a remix of the song Firefly although my reason is to play it for prospective clients looking for remixes in certain styles.  In the meantime, it’s allowing me to flex a creative muscle I am always trying to strengthen.

February 11, 2005

The past few nights I have been in my studio working on the recording of a song I wrote a few years ago.  Somehow my original vocal track has been lost (moving the song folder and files from platform to platform) so it had to be redone.  It has taken me the past three nights and parts of each day.  I think I’m almost done.  One can only hope.

I have been in conversation with a talent booker at a venue out here with a beautiful sounding seven foot Yamaha grand piano.  It’s housed in a nightclub attached to a hotel out here in my neck of the woods.  We are trying to figure out how and when to do something.  What I want to do is a series of performances not unlike what artists do in NYC where they may do a residence at a venue (even Sam Rivers did something similar in Florida with his big band).  But of course, there are budget concerns so we are trying to find a way to creatively make this make sense.  I will probably do a few solo piano things in the room and book the room for myself when it would ordinarily be dark (Sunday evening) and do a series of live recordings with my trio and larger ensembles. 

In a completely unrelated subject, TV show celebrity Judge Judy has a book out entitled, “Don’t Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It’s Raining.”  I have been using that phrase lately.  The reason being, I have been corresponding with a publishing firm I did a business deal with over 20 years ago.  Over time they have unilaterally shifted the dates of accounting in direct conflict with my agreement and let’s just say they are telling me it’s raining. 

One would think that it would be best (for them) to not tangle with someone who uses words and music to make a living but they choose to stand firm in misquoting my contract.  I am reminded of Faye Dunaway playing Crawford in Mommie Dearest in the PepsiCo boardroom scene, “I’ve dealt with worse than you in Hollywood for YEARS.”  I suppose I’m just touchy about major corporations screwing people (and in this case ME) after all that the pioneers of Rock & Roll and Rhythm & Blues went through.  So I feel that it is a noble cause to keep a corporation living up to its side of an agreement or return the property (in this case, the copyrights).  Who knows, maybe my attorney and I will end up on Celebrity Justice after all (I thought we were going to be on there when I did that Pepsi commercial). 

If you are in Los Angeles this coming week, the Pan African Film Festival is going on.  Check out a film and support creative black film making from around the world.

One more thing (and I apologize in advance if this seems like a rant, but here goes), I just saw a new show from B. Smith on TV One (a cable channel majority owned by an African American woman out of DC).  I was hopeful when Ms Smith wasn’t singing the theme song (I still want to know who signed off on her singing that other theme song).  What came afterwards was an hour (tho I could only stand 40 minutes or so) of consumerism in the most blatant of ways.  It was an extension of Cribs (conspicuous consumption) and one step away from being insulting. 

Ms Smith and her husband were planning a romantic weekend.  EVERYTHING they did revolved around buying something new.  Please don’t get me wrong.  A nice meal at a restaurant and a horse drawn carriage are great ideas (though maybe a bit shop worn and I don’t know many cities outside of NYC where one would be taking a horse and carriage-I know in LA there would probably be a high speed chase and the poor horse would be dog food as well as there being a run in with the TV show COPS but I digress). 

Ms Smith and her husband couldn’t just wear something nice from their wardrobes.  They both had to have NEW outfits for a special night on the town.  OK, so they both go shopping in major department stores.  I kept wondering why neither of them went to visit any of their friends in the fashion world that could give them a special look and showcase new (hopefully minority) talent from the world of fashion.  Before he passed (and I had a need for them and the money to pay for them) I had found a brother in DC named Edward Burke who designed suits for me.  So I can talk the talk so to speak. 

I would just like for a lifestyle show like this to encourage people of color who may not be as prosperous as Ms Smith to use what they have and not feel as if they were lacking.  We have enough societal issues as it is.  As grown ups we are supposed to not have to buy new towels and sheets because we want to be romantic.  OK. I’m done with that.

February 4, 2005

Chinese Microphones

I read today that the Hit Factory recording studio in NYC has gone out of business.  It is the end of an era in pro audio and I say that the death knell was Chinese Microphones.  Reuter's news service states, "The rise of inexpensive digital audio workstation equipment has allowed high-quality recording to be accomplished in virtually any environment by non-professional recordists."  I think they miss the obvious point that the revolution started with more powerful computers, and software and ended with Chinese Microphones.

Why I keep harping on the microphones is it is the first stage of capturing audio generated by the human voice or acoustic instruments.  If one has the capacity to record acoustic audio accurately, the rest is gravy.  But I am getting beyond myself here.  The history of Chinese Microphones goes something like this (according to me anyway).  Microphone technology evolved with German companies like Neumann doing the most innovative work in that field in the 1940's and 1950's (and for the most part has only evolved incrementally since then).  When Germany was divided into the eastern and western parts for over 40 years, the eastern division had its own microphone factories with members of the Neumann Company continuing R&D as did West Germany's Neumann.  In that "Cold War" era, China needed microphone technology and because of embargos from the west, developed its own microphone factories that basically emulated (ripped off with no concern of copyrights) the best of the German designs. 

Over the years as trade with China became part of how the world got cheap goods to fill the Wal Marts and Ikeas etc., electronic companies began to outsource their manufacturing work or simply face plate designs that were copied from the west and provided at a lower cost than was available otherwise.  With many years of experience in doing this work, the Chinese factories have learned how to turn out a high quality product at minimum cost.  An example would be the advent of Tube Microphones (valve microphones for my UK friends).  Five years ago, one would expect to pay at least $1000.00 for a decent tube microphone.  Now, a high quality Chinese microphone can run between $180.00-$250.00.  Once home recordists are able to capture quality live audio, and do all sorts of fancy mixing "in the box" (computer), the need for a larger facility diminishes.  Not to say that the pro audio manufacturers that don't use Chinese factories haven't tried to take advantage of this.  One example is SSL the console manufacturer.  They have developed a line of outboard gear that is essentially components of their large scale audio consoles.  You can use these modules to get that "SSL" sound into your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) and then use additional software to emulate treatment with other big name outboard equipment (Sony, Neve, API, Fairchild, etc.).

There will be a need for some large scale studios around the world but I personally believe that the smart music producers of the world will continue the process of working in smaller spaces and uploading files to the larger facility to do specialty work (in 2-3 hour blocks working with musicians that can read and interpret) and send the additional files back to the server where the producer can continue to work in his or her low overhead workspace. 

All because of the Cold War and Chinese microphones.  See, those history classes in High School had some use after all.  

January 11, 2005

The past couple of weeks have been full of rain.  It is important for LA to receive its fair share but we have had houses sliding down hillsides and people getting buried in mud.  People have been getting trapped in cars while trying to navigate flooded roadways.  It has been quite a time out here.  People have called to ask if I am ok and I explain that my area although hillside based, is fine.  The next issue we will have will be with the brush growing in the spring and the subsequent brush fires in the late summer and autumn.  Cycle of life I suppose. 

I got rid of my gas guzzling truck recently as I haven’t been using it and could better use the money.  I keep wondering when I’m going to miss it but I haven’t as of yet.  I have put my German tank back on the road since the sale.  My Bimmer is old but the engine is purring and it’s a great driving car.  I haven’t spent much time behind the wheel of any MBZ vehicles but I know that BMW knows how to design automobiles.  In the future if I need more cargo space, I will probably get a hatchback or some sort of hybrid SUV.  I noticed that if I drove a 25 mile trip on the freeway with that truck, I could see the gas gauge move.  Not good. 

Before going out one night in the rain this past week, I tried to find a copy of a Todd Rundgren album I had on tape.  There was a song I wanted to listen to.  I couldn’t find the Back to the Bars album I was looking for so I settled for the Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren album.  It turned out to be a wonderful album for me to listen to while driving through the rain.  I usually listen to NPR or Pacifica broadcasting in the evenings but this thing had me mesmerized.  What I found especially captivating was the songwriting and the stylistic influences.  I did a bit of research online about this project as nothing lives in a vacuum.  It was released in 1971.  The Vietnam War was going on and the society was changing in massive ways.  But musically this album was inspired by the Beach Boys, The Beatles, Brill Building songwriting, the blues, and early rock and roll, soul music, Laura Nyro, country music and a whole bunch of other elements.  This combination created a wonderful gumbo for those willing to accept its flavors.  The song that stood out for me was Wailing Wall.  I think it is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard.  I don’t know how I had forgotten that fact but one listen was enough to remind me. 

In listening to that Todd record, I was reminded why I will never be a jazz purist.  Although Jazz is in my veins, I am a product of other musical genres as well.  It sometimes seems to me that my job is to combine and assemble new work but with a foundation based in the various disciplines I know, Jazz, Blues, R&B, Latin, Rock&Roll, Dance and traditional European Concert Music (aka Classical). 

It was weird.  In that same time period (this past week), I was watching a bit of the Quincy Jones tribute show and Lionel Richie sang his hit song Hello.  He performed that song like a jazz singer.  I’m not talking about any type of affectation (i.e. Chris Jones), but with a heartfelt reinterpretation of a well known work.  Paul Jackson Jr. played the guitar solo and he sounded as if he were straddling the fence of adding new phrases and utilizing the recorded solo at the same time.  It was a gentle reminder to me that classifications of music are for people outside of the creative process to decide.  When one is inside the process of creation, the rules for any style of music cease to exist if one is truly in touch with that pure spark of inspiration.  That is when one transcends any rule or preconceived notion.  A perfect example (in popular music) of that is Good Times by Chic.  It goes way beyond what the definition of the genre of dance music was before it existed.  It is for that reason that it stands far and apart from other such pieces of the time. 

I was talking to Norma earlier and I was relaying to her that during the Christmas holidays I played a party with the trio.  We had a great gig but as we were packing up, one of the hosts offered us some “leftover appetizers.”  I tried to admonish her about calling them leftovers but it came out sounding more like, “Why you gotta (mmmph) call ‘em leftovers (mmunch mmph)?  Why cain’t you just call (munch chomp) ‘em appetizers?  I need something to wash these down with.  Can I get a drink ticket?” 

So much for being indignant.

January 1, 2005

Happy New Year!

My hope is that all have had a great 2004 and 2005 will be even better for all of us. 

Like everyone else, my heart goes out to the many people who lost their lives and the survivors in Asia and Africa; victims of the tsunami following the large earthquake in the Indian Ocean.  Events like this help keep the precious nature of life in our awareness.  It reminds me that in a brief moment, everything can change.  So to that end, my hope for the New Year is to try my best to stay optimistic and not be overly judgmental (but I can still have an opinion right?  I just don’t have to share it...except on this website).

Last night I went to a New Year's Eve/Kwanzaa party.  It was a great party and crowd.  The music was varied and much to my liking.  At one point they played Grace Jones' Private Life (originally by The Pretenders). It reminded me of when I worked for Ms Jones on a recording session for her brother Chris (over 20 years ago).  The producer had assembled some of the best musicians for a track completely not worthy of it.  The musicians included Sly and Robbie on drums and bass respectively, Mikey Chung (from the Wailers) on guitar, me on keys and my comrade Ms Carol Steele on percussion.  Now THAT'S A BAND!!  And Chris got in that studio and did some sing songy thing on top of this percolating groove.  He kind of sang part of it and (I loosely use this word) rapped part of it-think a fey male doing Tom Tom Club type of rhyming.  I still remember a few of the lines,”

"American Lover, let it go

American Lover, let it flow"

(And the last lines of the spoken part)

"One more thing before we go

Keep it hard but take it slow"

I would love to hear that track again however.

I have been putting together lists of songs I want to use on the next two studio albums.  Hillside is about halfway done and Pulse is about 1/10th done but almost all of the songs exist in some state or another.  I have so many songs in my head that I often have to write down notes to remind myself of their existence.  The Pulse project is kind of interesting as there are a couple of pieces that are instrumental but don’t require me to improvise across them.  There is one piece, Funky Etude that is all about the parts interconnecting.  I am at a point where I am asking myself is the groove enough?  Do I need singing or melody getting in the way?  Why not let the music breathe?  Isn't that the point of the exercise (etude means study in French)?  

Hillside sounds like an album of electronic chamber music folk songs.  Strange huh?  I plan for it to be an interesting journey for the listener.  This project was conceived when I really didn’t understand why I was supposed to be in LA.  And I was pretty unhappy about it.  But the songs are not about my personal angst (it wasn’t that deep anyway).  They do however reflect thoughts outside of what one ordinarily is presented with in a musical project by African American artists working in the soul/jazz/neo soul arena.  For the most part they are NOT relationship songs with the exception of one piece commenting on being an outsider in terms of the subject matter.  You can understand why I am in no rush to try and bring this one to market.  But rest assured I do plan to do so. 

December 1 2004

These past few weeks have been busy and fun.  I flew to Chicago to attend the premiere of the ballet MOVE.  It was amazing to watch.  When I met the dancers afterwards, I apologized to them for all the work they had to put into the piece.  They are all so nice and talented and professional.  It was a joy to see.  The stage crew was great and a young filmmaker was shooting a documentary on the company.  I was interviewed and I talked about my contributions to the piece.  I explained that because my movement is club based, and contiguous, I used Kraftwerk as a model on building themes on a basic pulse.  I also explained that Gershwin was an influence on the final theme of the piece in that I used parallel chordal movement with major chords with minor thirds and dominant sevenths going across the chords in the melody.  It was very early 20^th century in its influence.  The original music for the ballet is available for sale at the Deeply Rooted website.

While in Chicago, I visited the Willie Dixon Heritage Chess Records Museum on Michigan Ave.  That place has so much history attached to it in the history of the blues, rock and roll, R&B and jazz.  It has been restored and was very cool.  One thing that wasn’t so cool was the two staircases.  For those that don’t know, the back staircase was the one the black musicians had to use to enter the studio whereas the white musicians could march up through the front of the building.  That blatant racism spoke to the times in which all that great music was created.  As an aside, it was interesting to see the area where Minnie Riperton worked as a receptionist and buzzed people into the offices on the main floor. The secretarial pool’s loss is the music world’s gain.  One disappointment for me was the fact that there was no real mention of Charles Stepney who was a part of the ’60’s era of Chess Records.  He was the label’s music supervisor and a staff producer at one point but I was told that the Museum was focusing mainly on the Blues artists and composers. 

Sunday morning, I took a train to Detroit and planned to meet up with a friend who would pick me up.  The plan was to go to Baker’s Keyboard Lounge after having dinner and then drop me at the Greyhound bus station to catch a bus to Toledo that night.  While I was on the early morning train I called ahead to Detroit to remind my buddy that I was coming in.  The conversation went something like this:

RJ:  Hey!  I’ll be in town in a few hours.  Where should I get off the train?

Marvin: I thought you were coming next week.

RJ: No, I will be there in a few hours.

Marvin: But I thought you were coming next week.

RJ: NO.  I will be there by 3.

(Long pause)

Marvin: But I thought you were coming next week.

RJ: So where should I get off the train.

Marvin: Dearborn station.  I had it in my book that you were…..

RJ: (abruptly) OK.  So what time will you make it to the station?

And on it went.  I waited at the Detroit station for a couple of hours and hung out with the cab drivers.  We were making bets on who needed a car and who didn’t and we watched the Lions get clobbered.  Marvin came through and we had a great time.  Turned out Baker’s had a very good Sunday dinner menu and I spoke with the club’s manager.  He asked me to sit in with the band on the jam session they were having later that evening. I didn’t want to do that and explained that since I had sent the owner a copy of the solo piano CD, would it be ok if I played something solo for the audience before the jam session started (the owner was in Vegas at the time).  They said it would be ok.  Now this is where I bring Marvin back into the story.  Just before I get up to play and introduce myself, Marvin and I were talking about another club in Detroit called Flood’s.  So of course I get on the stage and promptly welcome everyone to FLOOD’s (at Baker’s Keyboard lounge).  They corrected me QUICK and I went on and introduced myself and my music, played and sat back down.  The people were great and I hope to play there in the spring with my band. 

Afterwards, my friends from Toledo came up to meet us and we hung out and ended up at FLOOD’s later that evening.  At first I thought it was going to be Karaoke night but it ended as we got in there.  There was a band performing and from what I heard that Sunday night, between the jam session at Baker’s and the R&B I heard at Flood’s, Detroit musicians are holding it down.  That night we drove back down to Toledo and I played them the music from MOVE.

The next day, my friend in Toledo, took me by the city’s Jazz Festival Organization.  They have a festival dedicated to pianist Art Tatum.  Probably the most influential pianist in jazz.  In fact the piano at Baker’s was picked by Mr. Tatum many moons ago.  So his influence in the region is still felt first hand. We had a very nice meeting and then we went by the city’s best (and only) jazz club.  Very nice people indeed.  Then it was off to Cleveland.  I hadn’t been on a dog (Greyhound) in years but it was exactly what I had anticipated.  I think my favorite part of the bus ride was brotha man in front of me using his ice cooler as a footrest in the aisle. 

I didn’t spend much time in Cleveland but I wanted to see an old friend and visit a few nightclubs and see where I could perform with a touring band.  Didn’t get to the nightclubs but did have dinner with my old friend.  At this point I have to wonder why my friends don’t want me to mention them on this website (possibly because I might inadvertently trash people).  Suffice it to say it was great to see her and it is nice to see people grow and evolve.  I saw it with my friend in Toledo as well.  Life moves on and it doesn’t have to be in Hollywood or NYC where good people make important contributions to society.  My friends inspire me and help me to keep moving forward.

The rest of the trip was a combination of NYC, DC, Philly, Wilmington DE, and ATL (for a brief stopover where I got downtown for dinner before heading home).  I saw the ballet in NYC with my family and friends.  I sat with the two artistic directors as the dancers performed MOVE.  We were all making mental notes, mine were musical and theirs were dance related.  That is what creative people do.  Continue to analyze the situation until we abandon it.  After the show, a group of us went to a restaurant up in Harlem.  The food and room were nice but I spied upon some musical instruments off to the side.  I prayed we would finish eating before the band started playing.  We didn’t.  I hate having to talk over a loud band in a small place.  And that is exactly what we had to do.  The keyboardist’s left hand was so sloppy (falling off chords like he had slippery hands). And I don’t think he knew the chord changes to the tunes that had been called because it was painful to hear (let alone listen to).  The singer was loud and too much for the room.  Between the two of them (the drummer was fine and the bassist adequate), I had to stand up and walk around.  The end of a perfect evening. 

Before I go, I wanted to share something that happened Thanksgiving day.  I was invited to dinner at a friend’s house.  She is someone I have known for most of the time I have lived in LA and I treasure our friendship.  Because she doesn’t cook, I also treasure the fact that her mother prepared the meal!!  One of the people she introduced me to was a tall brother named AC.  I thought he looked familiar and pulled my friend to the side and asked, “Isn’t that…”  She replied, “Yeah he’s been a friend of the family since we were kids.”  It was AC Cowlings from the OJ Simpson days.  In case you don’t remember, he was the driver on the slow speed chase through LA with OJ acting a fool (his ex-wife and her friend had just been murdered-by someone….who it was depends on what you want to believe and I am not going down that road). My point was that I was having after dinner conversation with a part of pop culture history.  A Jeopardy answer or an answer on Trivial Pursuit.  And he is a very nice man.  And life goes on …..

November 8^th 2004

My workout partner and I were at the gym the other night and in the locker rooms there are TVs.  One had mtv2 playing.  I watched yet another white rock band lip synching and I remarked that there are hardly any black bands (in R&B, Neo-Soul, Hip Hop or whatever) that are functioning as bands in popular music.  This is nothing new of course but I wondered aloud about the development of musicians if there are not outlets for them.  Yes I know that the R&B and Hip Hop touring artists hire bands to play along with the tracks or whatever they choose to do.  But I was wondering how someone at 19 or 20 would be able to develop as a touring and performing musician as I was fortunate enough to do. Occasionally there comes a situation like the Keenen Ivory Wayans show where he hired young female musicians that could actually play (and THAT was a battle for them everyday because they had to do hair and makeup for a couple of hours everyday after rehearsing in the mornings).  But that gig is now a part of television history and we are moving forward.

I know there are no easy answers here and I think the challenges are varied.  First is the fact that venues for African American musicians to perform in have to be developed and encouraged for styles outside of rock where bands can evolve.  Audiences need to be presented with live performances without tapes and enhancement so that truly live music outside of church will be supported.  Radio and record companies and independent labels need to present to the public real bands not those things they used to call “boy bands” which were singing groups.  American Idol and its copy cat type shows have a place for singers.  Maybe another national event can be developed for non vocal musical talents as well (but it would probably encourage showmanship over musicianship and I would be complaining about that as I am griping now).

In my travels I have seen pockets of live performances and I have not been very happy at some of what I have seen.  In NYC for instance, there are some clubs in Greenwich Village which feature African American musicians playing R&B tunes strung together as hour long medleys and the band passes around a tip bucket to supplement their base pay for the evening.  And the musicians on those stages are world class.  I have worked with some of them and others are well known.  But it’s a gig and no one has put guns to their heads so there is no one to blame. 

In Atlanta I went to a “Jam Session” which wasn’t.  It was an R&B band playing covers and over singing.  The keyboardist got a call onstage and the reason I know is because he ANSWERED IT ONSTAGE while playing with his right hand.  I was disgusted.  And on it went with the band playing Jill Scott’s “A Long Walk” and the singer singing Scott’s ‘Living my life like its golden” on top of the music.  And as much as I love Atlanta, I know that if I were to live there, part of my job would be to try and help raise the level of excellence and professionalism for the musicians.  So that their craft is well respected and also there is respect by the artists for the craft.  So instead I work out of my hillside domain in the LA suburbs and try to create work that is honest and present it from time to time with the hope that I have something worth listening to.  I tend to work with younger musicians that I can share ideas with as I think they are more open to experimenting with new and old ideas and moving the music forward. 

A few days ago, I was supposed to be working in the studio and for some reason ended up on amazon.com.  I don’t know why but I did a search for the School Daze Soundtrack CD and read some of the reviews posted over the years.  I was so touched by the amount of people that singled out my compositions on the CD, I wrote something about the creation of the songs.  The following is what I wrote:

I composed the songs BE ALONE TONIGHT and WE'VE ALREADY SAID GOODBYE that were featured on the School Daze soundtrack and film. It is nice to see that the music has found its audience. As a writer and musician it’s the ultimate compliment.

BE ALONE TONIGHT was written for a band project I was trying to do with Dolette McDonald (Sting, Laurie Anderson etc.). I had envisioned it as a throw back to girl groups of the sixties. My concept for our planned video was for Dolette to be singing on a show like SHINDIG (a 60's dance show) looking like a Ross/Reeves/Ronnie Spector styled singer. She would be singing into the camera but actually singing (while holding back tears) to a Berry Gordy type character (her love interest) that was behind the camera. I had envisioned it as a sad/defiant type of love song. After my group broke up, I played it for Spike when he visited LA in '85 and he loved it. Before I knew it, I was in Atlanta recording the vocals with Tisha, Jasmine, Paula and Michelle (but not before torturing drummer Steve Ferrone with the drum overdubs at Sunset Sound in LA). While I was listening to a playback of the track at Sunset Sound, who walked in but BOB DYLAN bopping his head in approval. I thought hey, I might have something here!!!

We've Already Said Goodbye was based on a relationship breakup I was going through at the time. Pieces of a Dream did the track in NYC. They were curt and professional. Ain't seen 'em since.

We recorded the strings with arranger Clare Fischer who was doing a lot of things with Prince at the time. I was a fan of his work from the Rufus days so I was glad he obliged. Saxophonist Branford Marsalis takes off for flight on that song and even quotes Stravinsky's Rite of Spring near the end.

At the end of the song Portia Griffin tells us to "turn that sukka off" because we were at the end of the song and she didn't feel she had anything else to sing (after she got all up in that mofo) and we had kept the tape running just in case she had anything else brilliant to add to the performance. She did. It just wasn’t sung. And being young and cocky, I decided to keep it as the end.

I'm glad y'all have enjoyed that music over the years as it was great fun to create!

October 30, 2004

Last night I performed with the trio at the Jenesse Awards and silent auction event at the Hyatt Ballroom downtown LA.  It was a beautiful event and a sold out turnout.  The spokeswoman for the event was MS HALLE BERRY.  Because of the way the stage was setup (one podium and not much else), it was requested that the band be onstage as opposed to off to the side.  For the whole night, I was about 10 feet from Ms Berry and I have to admit that all of us in the band were distracted.  I had to stop looking at the table where she and a group of other beautiful women were seated. 

I had a run down sheet for the evening and I thought we would be playing for about a half hour during dinner.  I noticed that after a while the audience had begun to applaud after each song.  Then I noticed bottles of wine on the tables.  I always said we sound better with booze.   I checked my watch after the 10^th song.  When one of the hosts came up to speak, the band and I walked offstage.  I was sweating like Whitney Houston.  I was walking around like I had finished a concert at a stadium (fanning myself and trying to not sweat up my suit). As soon as we got off stage the organizers told me we had to go back up and play for the dessert presentations.  I kept wondering what music do you play for food?  I settled on the piece Lover by Richard Rogers.  I had heard it played in ballroom scenes in old movies (I think Grand Hotel-for one).  I have always loved that song and never had a reason to play it but last night it seemed appropriate.   

Last week I recorded and pressed up a small amount of cds of a single I wrote for the occasion entitled RESILIENT WOMAN.  We sold some copies (in conjunction with album sales) at the show and I will sell the rest at gigs along with album purchases.  I am setting up an online account to sell downloads through sites such as Itunes and Walmart so anyone who wants to, can hear and purchase this music.  A portion of all sales of RESISIENT WOMAN will be donated to the Jenesse Center. 

Michael Anthony sang the song near the end of the evening.  He noticed that as he was being introduced Ms Berry left.  I told him not to take it personally.  After all, she had been there the whole evening and even was auctioned off for a date at one point (she raised $15,000, for one date). 

I wanted to go up to the bay area today to attend the AES show.  I wanted to drive but it seemed like I would only get a chance to attend the show on Sunday when they would be tearing down the exhibits and besides I didn’t want to be in SF during Halloween.  I have a feeling it would remind me too much of Wasabi Tuna.  So I am going to do some nightclub shopping out here (I hear Herb Alpert has a very nice club with a great piano so….).   And get back to work on the music library volumes (and the other things that are part of my work load these days).  

October 15, 2004

It is a little less than a month before the premiere of the ballet MOVE in Chicago and my work on the piece is going smoothly although a little slower than I had hoped.  I have one more person to overdub on the piece and the final mix can begin.  Because the piece is over twenty minutes long, I have been sub mixing and premixing as I go along so that the final work is not as overwhelming and any changes can be done easily and quickly.  The other piece I am working on for the project is a song called HEAVEN which was created by a young artist named Anthony Moten out of PA.  He and the directors of the dance company were here a couple of weeks ago and we worked on the bulk of the piece then.  I had been trying to locate a harmonica player for the end of the piece.  In doing so, I went to a blues club in Leimert Park (an area of “South LA”) for the Monday night jam session.  There were some really good cats (mainly guitarists) and a few that were lost in the changes of the music (I kept saying, it’s a 12 bar blues form, how are you gonna get lost in that?  But they did).  I saw a harmonica player on stage that night but I didn’t hear him play much so I figured I’d better ask one of the better musicians onstage that night for a recommendation.  After we finished eating the soul food buffet they served (around 11pm-that listening works up an appetite) I got the name of a guy named Bobby Z.  Bobby came by this afternoon and just blew the solo out of the water. 

HEAVEN should be easier to mix as it is based around one main theme and is only around nine minutes long ;-)

While waiting for musicians to become available for the MOVE project, I was focusing on other things I have to work on.  I was trying to find a female vocalist to work with me on the fund raiser at the end of the month.  I was talking with the man that hired me for the job and he requested that one of the songs be a male vocal performance of a song about a woman’s strength.  He mentioned that Luther Vandross had recorded such a song and I kind of glazed over at that point.  I knew he probably didn’t realize that I didn’t want to intrude on Mr. Vandross’ territory any more than I already have and secondly, I am a composer so I just set about writing a song for the occasion.  The resulting song is titled Resilient Woman.  It is a very “Jonesian” piece.  I can hear where I stole parts of it from three of my other songs (two of which you haven’t heard).  And the structure of the piece mirrors other things I have done.  And although there are similarities it stands on its own as a piece.  And I think the sentiment is unique in my library of songs. 

My plan is to record it (with a friend of mine singing) right after I complete MOVE and HEAVEN (hopefully in the next few days) and have it available as a special CD single for the night of the event.  I will then make it available online as a downloadable song via ITUNES and other services, donating a portion of any sales to the organization.   

I am going to do some shows around LA in the next few months (finally).  I love performing but sometimes I get sidetracked with other things and I put it on hold.  I want to find that balance between performing too much and not often enough when I’m in town.  And I am really interested in the process of setting up jobs around certain cities and then do circuits around the main city.  I have spoken of this process before but I want to concentrate on this process.  I find it ironic that so many other musical genres have this type of network but professional musicians specializing in contemporary jazz have only the larger touring circuit (if the booking agent and promoters want you).  Smaller clubs usually have in-house talent in many of the smaller cities so it’s going to be interesting figuring out where to work.  That is why many of my compatriots go out on tour as sidemen with larger acts and work out deals to sell their product at their shows. 

No argument here.  I just am more interested in something different from that. 

September 28, 2004

I have realized that my professional life consists of two main jobs.  One is creating music in one form or another. The other job is selling said music.  The past few weeks I have spent my days shipping and chatting up Urban Soundscapes Volume 1.  Recently, I have spoken to heads of music depts. at major film and television studios, independent music supervisors, a former NFL football player producing an independent film, adult video receptionists (I can only imagine their job description), the guy who does the music for Pimp My Ride (one of MY favorite shows), the woman who does the music supervision for Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and host of other folks.  I think there are a few good leads in this bunch.  It’s easy for me to sell things as long as I don’t have to sell ME.  Being from Jamaica NY, I think I am hard wired for trying to stay modest (before some of my friends collectively howl let me elaborate) in terms of selling myself.  I can sell the box on the table or the car on the lot, but I can’t tell you how wonderful I am.  I hope that is a good quality because I like that aspect of myself.  And most of the musicians I grew up around have a similar way of behaving.  Blame it on the basements, trees and parents that were impatient with children behaving in a manner considered too precious. 

I have been driving my little red sports car the past few weeks (I try to give my cars some love although the SUV sucks up too much gas to do much with her).  It’s been fun driving it as I recently got it out of the shop.  The only thing that needs repair now is the CD changer in the trunk.  This has relegated me to playing old cassette tapes.  I decided to listen to the two albums Mavis Staples did with Prince in the 90’s.  The second one (The Voice) is definitely the preferred one.  With that album he realized that Ms Staples’ career had been based mainly on songs that had a message of some sort and not her singing about crawling around stalking her prey like a jaguar. 

I did an online search to see what has been written about Ms Staples and the All Music Guide writer completely missed the point.  It seems like his little cubicle in Ann Arbor MI has finally gotten to him.  He unfavorably compares Ms Staples to other African American female singers and that is not what its about.  Like historical leaders in the African American experience, they all exist together (i.e. Hurston and Langston, Dubois, Booker T. and Garvey, King and Malcolm, etc.).  Mavis Staples can simply be called Soulful and it would say everything and not nearly enough.  For me personally, it’s all about her timing.  She knows what to say and when to say it.  She even smacks her lips in tempo.  

I noticed that Lalah Hathaway has a new CD out.  I heard snippets from it on her website.  I was nosing around her site as I noticed that the CD I worked on (with Sami McKinney) A Moment was available for sale via Amazon.com.  I read a couple of reviews by buyers not people in Ann Arbor that get their music for free.  The first reviewer mentioned the song we did “Do You Suppose” as the standout cut from the album.  My first reaction was, “He got it.”  He called the song, “Grown Folks Music.”  Sami and I were not interested in grown women calling their men, “boy” or telling insipid stories in song.  I thought it was interesting that he singled out “Tain”Watts’ playing on the song.  Especially as he was the last musician on the scene that night and there was some problem with his drums delivery.  The actual tracking of that song went smoothly (it was 2 keyboards, 2 guitars, bass, drums, percussion and Lalah singing a reference vocal live along with the band).  I wish I had written something for Lalah’s new CD that had that kind of vibe on it.  But I wish her the best with her project and hopefully I can catch the next one or the one after that.

I have a couple of interesting projects coming up in the near future.  I have been commissioned by my old friend Kevin Jeff’s ballet company to participate in a new multi sectioned piece they are doing.  The company (Deeply Rooted) is based in Chicago and the piece premieres there in November.  So I will be working very hard very soon. 

Another very special project I am working on is a performance at a silent auction held by a charity that helps victims of domestic violence.  The host of the evening is a very prominent African American actress.  I am so honored that I was requested to perform at this event and I don’t want anything to go wrong.  I was going through my song list and I removed “Bad for Me” as I don’t want even the most remote possibility of being insensitive to members of the audience.  The thing with most of my songs is  I like hearing women singing songs about their own free will and not being victimized by anyone or thing.  Even a song like All I Need is about what a woman wants and needs and is a celebration of having found those things without ever knuckling under someone to have them.  It’s very much a song of equal give and take.

In the meantime, I am going to try and get this ink off my fingers (I bought one of those ink refill things for my printer cartridges and let’s just say that the instructions were a little confusing). 

August 31, 2004

For the past few months, I have been working on a project that is completely unlike what I usually do.  When I create music, I usually want the listener to pay attention to what I am doing (or at least trying to do).  This project is different.  I have been working on the first volume of a music library for film makers, video editors and music supervisors.  The idea was to supply them with music that would be useful in their productions while not becoming too prominent.  The reason for this is very simple.  As a composer/musician, I am able to create things that may serve a purpose for the industry I work in but have no emotional attachment to after the creation of it.  This is that type of project.  By investing a small amount of time in a project of this nature, if it gets utilized it will enable me to help underwrite labors of love that I have in the pipeline. 

The thing with musicians is we are trained to do so many things (read, play, interpret various styles etc.).  We need to find ways to create and perform that allow us to pursue our musical vision without that feeling of selling out.  That would be the wrong reason to do anything and the music would suffer for it.  I am using this project to explore various musical idioms and supply a need in the industry at the same time (like having someone subsidize your tuition).   

The first volume of the Urban Soundscapes is an instrumental hip hop thing.  It was fun for me as I was able to explore the structure of contemporary hip hop (as well as classic tracks in the idiom). I was then able to put together musical beds that were faithful to those styles.  I had a very strict way of working as I didn’t want to over think this process.  Every day I worked on a piece (I did close to 30 but ended up with 20), I would listen to something in the style I wanted to try (say, mid ‘90’s Dr. Dre style track), and then I would work all day on that track.  The next day I would listen and remix it as would be necessary.  But by the end of day one, it was usually there or at least very close.  It was a very refreshing way to work (one because there were no vocals to deal with) and I was able to use a lot of the things in my studio that might not get use on other projects (i.e. software like LIVE! and Reason and making them work together via the Rewire protocol and extensive use of plug-ins in Logic as well).  And I was able to work in genres of music I have an interest in.  

I did however; create pieces that were not as strict to my guidelines that will see light of day on album projects I am working on.  I had intended for my next CD to be one of reflection and intense moods but working on this project changed that.  Now I’m working on a collection of songs that I’ve grouped together under the name PULSE.  These songs (fast and slow) have a basic sense and atmosphere of groove and swing that I want to live in for a while. The reflective thing will come to light after that (and of course Hillside will come after that-ck Jan 2004 random notes).  And then I have been thinking about another solo piano thing but that is a whole other story.

I have sent copies of Urban Soundscapes Vol. 1 to a few music supervisors, film makers, etc. to gauge their response.  If they use any of the material, I will mention it in these pages (so that you can ignore it as intended while you watch the production). 

August 20, 2004

“I’m drowning in my nostalgia.” David Sylvian

I just got back from a quick trip to the NYC area.  The reason for the trip was a show for PBS that Norma Wright and Luci Martin were doing featuring acts from the ‘70s and ‘80’s.  Since I performed in the show with Nile Rodgers and Jeff Bova in December to raise funds for Tony Thompson’s family, I figured I would like to be a part of a show with Norma and Luci (billed as the First Ladies of CHIC) that would be a document of our celebration of the music from that time in our lives. 

What I saw when I got to Asbury Park NJ (where the show was taped before a sold out live audience that paid $100.00 per person to be there) was a cavalcade of acts that will probably tour on the oldies circuit.  There was however a lot of evolved and mature musical talent that probably wouldn’t be allowed to create new music for the most part (for whatever reasons there are under the sun-and some of the artists may be looking for a route back to the mainstream). 

Having said that, KC and the Sunshine Band were just having fun on that stage.  His keyboard player was playing the funky clavinet parts on Get Down Tonight with one hand and I was feelin that funky stuff he was playing.  KC had some phyne young female singers and dancers that were doing choreography along with him (or was that the other way around).  When it was his time to “get down tonight” he was getting down like a middle aged white guy that was a little clumsy and he was not apologetic about it.  I loved it!!  Also, the (Disco Inferno) Trammps sounded amazing.  The lead singer was as powerful as 25 years ago.  And they “burned the mutha down.”

Luci and Norma and the five background singers did a fine job on Le Freak.  We ended up doing an on the spot shortened version of Good Times that surprised all of us in the band.  As I was watching the bassist and guitarist downstage with Norma and Luci, for a split second I could see silhouettes of Nile and Bernard on that stage as I did many times years ago while on the road.  It was a comforting vision and the musicians all did their best to create the vibe of the original tracks.  After the performance, I felt it was really nice to look back for a moment but I need to keep looking forward.  I have Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson, Nile and the rest of the band in my heart and our musical conversations continue there. 

I introduced myself to France Joli who I had written a song for many years ago.  I didn’t think she would remember the song but she started singing it to me.  It was very sweet of her to do that and she commented on how much she liked the song (Give Me Your Love on the Witch of Love album in case anyone was wondering).

Some of the other people that performed were Carol (Doctor’s Orders) Douglas, Anita (Ring my Bell) Ward, Leo Sayer, Frankie Valli, Wild Cherry, Peaches and Herb.  I spoke with Herb and his guitarist who I have known since the late ‘70’s.  Great guys.  Martha Wash was there to sing It’s Raining Men.  She and I spoke about her new single which should be out soon on her own label.  I encouraged her to get it released as a download as many people do not buy vinyl or buy CD singles.  I wish her the best success.

The most curious people there were Bonnie Pointer whose performances include her singing, rapping and scatting like Louis Armstrong.  She has a lot of energy.  The other memorable person there was Ms Irene Cara who did not seem to be very happy with anything going on.  She sang, she got off stage and that was that.  She did make a comment to me while waiting for the elevator at the hotel, that she thought that the hotel we were staying in looked like Jack Nicholson might come out of the elevator with an axe.  I chose to wait for another elevator and let her get on the first one leaving. 

I don’t know when this show will air but whenever the PBS stations start begging for money, they will haul this show out.  I promise. 

August 2, 2004

Yesterday I went to the Central Ave Jazz festival.  I wanted to see Gerald Wilson and his big band perform.  They did not disappoint.  They were incredible.  They had the audience dancing in front of the stage and gave a varied and interesting program of material.  A lot of the material is based on and inspired by some of the greatest jazz musicians to walk the earth.  Dedications were made to Count Basie, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, etc.  The band was swinging and had something to say.  After the smooth jazz I heard on Wednesday, this was like a refreshing sorbet to clean the palate. 

Before the Gerald Wilson band took the stage, there was a unit of musicians that came on with horn players, string quartet and a rhythm section.  They did a piece that was intellectual but wasn’t swinging AT ALL.  I kept feeling like Anthony Braxton was in the room except I have heard him swing on some pieces.  It reminded me of my younger days playing in the east village (in NYC) playing some “outside” stuff.  It was fun to explore and there were a few people around to vibe with it, but I really like music that has rhythmic pulses that make the body want to move.  Or at least groove.  On top of that I feel like you can put anything.  For me, jazz is about the swing of the beat. 

The Central Ave. Jazz Festival was across the street from the Dunbar hotel.  This hotel has a great history.  It was built in 1928 as The Hotel Sommerville (renamed Dunbar Hotel in 1929 after African American poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar), by Dr. John Sommerville (who, with wife Vada Watson, were the first African Americans to graduate from the USC School of Dentistry). The hotel hosted the first national convention of the NAACP in the west.  The hotel often hosted famous guests like Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Cab Calloway and other jazz legends.  It is now a home for senior citizens but the lobby is open during the week and there is a display of photos of its grand past. 

The reason that area was popular was because back in the early part of the 20^th century, there were restrictions on where blacks could purchase property.  An area that included Central Ave. had land sellers and home owners that sold property to blacks for their homes and business.  Today the area is predominately Hispanic but there is still an African American representation in the neighborhood as well.  And it was especially nice to see banners of jazz greats including the late Joe Henderson flying on the lampposts.  I had the opportunity to hire Mr. Henderson to play on the State of Art album (along with Ladysmith Black Mambazo on the song Police State).  Those were heady times!!  But back to the subject at hand.

I noticed that the audience for the small part of the two day festival I saw was predominately black and it seemed local.  It was a great group of people that enjoyed the music and the relatively non commercialism of the event.  It was an audience that was there for the music.  All in all, it was a beautiful jazz filled summer day on Central Ave.

July 29, 2004

This has been an interesting time for me.  I just returned from doing someone a musical favor. Let me explain.  Here in LA we have one of those Smooth Jazz format stations (the Wave).  This station has a weekly series at a club in Hollywood where they feature artists played on the station.  This evening they did a special show featuring the new CD on Verve Records that features compositions by Luther Vandross performed by Smooth Jazz style artists.  They were selling the new CD at the venue and proceeds were going to a diabetes charity. 

Some of these people performing I know personally, others I know of through friends and associates.  I noticed a couple of things about the event.  First, it was mainly African-Americans supporting this thing.  Secondly, it was packed!  It was full of single men and women over 30 on a “school night.”  I have seen this in other cities but the only other time I had seen it in LA recently was when I performed with Gary Taylor (and I had a million other things on my mind that evening).

I had been asked by a woman that works at the station to accompany her (she sings as well) on a version of A House is Not A Home in between sets by the main band.  I had hoped I would be able to introduce my music to the audience and that sort of thing but it was not to be.  I played a couple of minutes of Superstar by myself and then segued into House and we took off from there.  She was the strongest singer of the evening so it made my work very easy.  Then Cookie, (the singer) jumped into an impromptu performance of Natural Woman. Thank God I was able to catch the key.  As we were leaving I played a little bit of We Are Family (since Luther sang on that record; if you listen you can hear him singing the chorus with the other session singers).  I figured that if it was good enough for the Democratic Convention in Boston, it was good enough for these folks.  It really touched me that music that we did in 1979, has become a timeless moment in the musical culture of this country.  But back to the WAVE gig. 

The ensemble music was, in 3 words, smooth and jammy.  A lot of musical vamps (chord changes that cycle and cats play over the chord cycle) once the main song had been played through.  I felt that many of these players were playing at the top of their game.  Yet I think I heard a bunch of musicians that were comfortable playing where they were.  It wasn’t like when I heard Ravi Coltrane play at the Kenny Kirkland show we put on in 1998.  That man rose the temperature of the room.  Or when I am playing with my band and we are stepping into uncharted waters.  I love when we go there.  In any case, I can’t judge a musical position because in any event, it is a valid one for someone to have.  I simply feel I am on a different road.  But it was nice to see what that other road is like. 

I had a discussion with Paul Jackson Jr. who explained to me that he wanted to create music that was radio friendly that he could stretch with onstage.  I guess because I don’t get airplay from stations of that type, I don’t even think about that.  The only time I did consider doing anything for the smooth jazz format was when a promotion man I was considering hiring asked me to send him an edited version of Bad for Me (from the Intimate CD).  I didn’t change any of the actual music, I just cut it down.  But it was rejected by the company that consults many of the smooth jazz stations on what to play. 

Anyone who knows me knows I just continued doing what I do and didn’t even worry about it.  I get airplay from stations that consider themselves, Quiet Storm format (if at all) and that suits me just fine.  I am glad that people seek out what I do and I don’t worry about the radio formats. 

The day before that show, I got a call from Mr. Spike Lee.  I know I haven’t been very clear about our communications over the last year and change.  But basically there haven’t been any.  I think I covered some of that last year in these notes. 

In any case he’d seen my CD at Eso Won Books.  He bought it and called to tell me he loved it.  We “buried the hatchet” and will move on from here.  I just feel that when you have real friends and associates, the best way to deal is to be up front with them.  If you mutually respect each other, ruffled feathers will straighten themselves out again.

Before I go any further, I want to know why no one in the Democratic Convention (going on this week in Boston) has remarked on G.W. Bush’s “flip flops.”  The one that most currently comes to mind is when Condi Rice wasn’t going to testify before the 9/11 commission.  No way no how.  Then lo and behold, there she was testifying and explaining why a document about Al Qaida wasn’t really a priority in the months before 9/11.  Then there is the whole matter of the commission itself.  I seem to remember that the administration did not want an independent inquest.  It was the families of the victims that made that happen.  And I believe that G.W. now supports the findings of the commission.  And I like Ms Kerry.  Anyone that will speak their mind, I respect them.  I respected Strom Thurmond for letting us know what he thought.  However when I found out he had a black daughter, I just thought yet another liar.  Cant even live up to your own racism.  What a world!!!

July 8, 2004

I hate when I wait to update these pages as I have so much to say when I do finally get to it.  Where to start…

One of the first things is that a couple of weeks ago, I had a listening/Tupperware party for the So Amazing CD project at my house.  I invited friends and people I know that have been supportive to my projects over the past few years for a special wine and cheese gathering at my house.  I then played a couple of numbers live in my library and recorded them.  It takes forever for me to listen to things like that but I am planning on uploading at least one of the performances to the sounds page on this site. 

In any case, the party was a great success and I would like to thank all of the people who came and purchased CDs and just enjoyed a nice Sunday afternoon with me.

I know its going to seem strange but a week before she passed (over the holiday weekend), Syreeta Wright was on my mind.  A lot.  I never met her but I wanted to listen to some of her work with Stevie Wonder from the ‘70s.  Her musical essence was in the air around these parts.  I wish I could explain it but I just can’t.  I am planning on purchasing some of her music from David Nathan’s site (Japanese imports). 

I went to see Fahrenheit 911 over the holiday weekend.  Twice.  The second time was not because I particularly wanted to but I was with a group of people and I was outvoted.  I didn’t mind as I watched the other 8 people’s reactions to the film.  It was a powerful piece of filmmaking.  It was at points funny, sad, painful and thought provoking.  My favorite part features a little old lady talking about the current affairs of the government that are mentioned in the press.  She lays it out like only an old lady from the northeast can. 

I heard one of my friends call the film manipulative but as one of the congressmen in the film pointed out, the whole terror alert scheme is quite manipulative.  One member of the president’s staff tells us we are about to be attacked, someone else says we should enjoy America and travel freely and go about our every day.  Today, Tom Ridge went on air and said that we are under eminent threat from Al Qaieda but the terror alert hasn’t gone up and we should look out for suspicious behavior. From…..?  And as I said aloud over a year ago and Michael Moore pointed out recently (re: the war on terror), how do you declare war on a noun?

June 7, 2004

I have been on the road for the past couple of weeks.  I was visiting family, stores, clubs and friends.  Whenever people ask me if my trip was business or pleasure I always say, “Yes.” 

While traveling I was able to read a copy of a book given to me by Steve Ivory (Fool in Love : One Man's Search for Romance . . . or Something Like It.)  The man can surely write.  My only regret is that I think I read too fast when I enjoy something and this book was completely read by the time I got off my flight to NYC. 

In terms of the CD, I have been doing direct sales to various stores I have dealt with in the past (as well as some new ones I was interested in).  I used to go into the stores and say hello to the various managers and buyers but this time around, I am planning on using third party distribution as little as possible.  The reason for this is because the last time around, I was told that they (the distributors) wanted to send me some returned product from a previous release (1002-NAKED SOUL) but that they were either going to charge me for warehousing the product or destroy it (as if warehousing is an added expense for a distributor-along with shipping I suppose). 

I thought that was ludicrous and told them to do neither, and I would come pick up my boxes of product from their warehouse but I suppose they went ahead and destroyed them or are selling them or whatever.  I can’t worry about that but I can always print up some more if the occasion arises.  As it is, I am doing just fine doing direct sales and limiting the amount of CDs going through other channels. 

But in order to get CDs into chains like Borders Group, Inc., I am in the process of deciding whether I will just go through a “One Stop” or through a company called The Orchard which is an independent distribution company set up for smaller operations like mine.  I am leaning toward the one stop but I don’t know if they are leaning toward me!

In the meantime, on my purchase web page, I have a list of stores and websites I have set up deals with and hope that if you are interested, you can support these places.  They are becoming far and few between and the people that run them truly are lovers of music. 

April 26, 2004

Every year around this time, I try to do a few things around the house (improvement wise).  This year, I’m trying to deal with the never ending battle with my yard.  My house is built into a hillside.  The yard is on a downward slope that has been leveled (to a degree).  I noticed that in the area where I wanted to plant sod (not grass seed, instant grass also known as SOD), it was extremely damp.  Well let me explain the situation via the following is a letter I had to write to my neighbors.

Dear Neighbor,

You might have noticed that my yard has an area of wild plants native to wetlands growing freely in an area adjacent to your property.  What is happening is the water from your irrigation system (by my fence) is running into my yard and collecting there.  I am writing this note to ask if you could water a bit less so that I don’t have this constant collection of water in my yard.  Thank you for your help in this matter

After that had been worked out (the letter worked), I sent an email to a plant vendor re:  purchasing and growing a banana tree.  Here is the back and forth:

Dear Raymond,

Thank you for visiting the Monrovia Web site.  Here is the answer to your question:

You asked:

I am thinking about purchasing a banana tree that would be situated below my elevated pool deck.  My concern is the tree would attract rodents (rats that may nest in the tree by the roots).  People tell me that banana trees attract rodents. 

I don’t want to have rodents doing back flips into the (in ground) pool.  How can I avoid that potential problem?

Answer:

I've read that rats are attracted to banana plantations, but I can't find any information on their being attracted to a single banana tree. I suspect they could live in a plantation because dead leaves and overripe fruit are often discarded directly beneath the plants rather than carted off to a disposal site. Rats (and mice, for that matter) prefer cover and can invade areas of thick groundcover (such as ivy). Some climb palm trees and nest in the dead fronds. But I don't think they would nest in the roots of a banana tree unless the base was overgrown with a thick groundcover. If you want to plant a banana tree, just keep the old foliage clipped off and don't plant groundcover beneath it. I think those two simple tasks will assure the plant will remain rodent free.

See the things you learn by reading a musician’s blog?

April 3, 2004

The other day (March 31^st) I was part of the Gary Taylor show at Catalina’s in Hollywood.  It was a very strange day to say the least.  The day before at rehearsal, I was leading the band thinking I would be playing Gary’s music as well as my own on the beautiful Yamaha Grand the club owns.  The morning of the show, I was informed that Gary wanted to have more synthesizers in the arrangements and had hired another musician to play in my place.  But I was welcome to perform a song on one of the electronic keyboards on the stage before Gary came on. 

I had planned to present the So Amazing CD at this show so I figured I should go along with the program and make the best of the situation.  As it was, for me it turned out great.  I got to open the shows (2).  I introduced myself to the audience and gave them some of my history and then played a song from the new CD.  It went over well on both sets and I was able to sell quite a few copies of the new CD as well as INTIMATE and even a few copies of NAKED SOUL. 

The other part of the story was that the day of the show, the Digipak covers for the CD were being shipped down from Canada. I had requested that a small amount be overnighted to me in time for the show.  They arrived via FEDEX right around 10:30 AM on the 31^st right on schedule.  Then about an hour later, the rest of the shipment (that I thought was traveling via ground) showed up on a pallet.  My CDs were ready from the manufacturing plant in Diamond Bar CA.  A small amount was to be shipped for delivery on the 31^st as well.  I checked on the UPS website to make sure they were sent and to track their movements.  At around 3 pm, with many thoughts on my mind, I called UPS and they explained to me that although they had received the shipment and it was near me, I wouldn’t receive it until the 1^st of April. The package wasn’t properly scanned for billing until that morning and held up its release from the depot.  I said, “OK.  Well let me head out to Diamond Bar and get some more CDs for this show.”  Traffic near my home was crawling at about 10 mph and I was about 40 miles away.  There was no way I was going to get out there and back for a sound check in Hollywood that I may or may not need to be at (but the sax player left his charts at my house where we’d rehearsed so I needed to get him his music).  I called the manufacturer and told them my dilemma. They arranged for another 100 CDs to be sent via messenger to the venue.  I went to the sound check where I wasn’t needed.  I had brought my own electric keyboard which has a piano sound and feel I am used to.  I was told I wasn’t going to be able to set it up and I would be using Bill Steinway’s Yamaha Motif keyboard (how is that for irony?).

I agreed and left.  First I went to an office supply store to buy some SHARPIES in case anyone wanted a signed CD.  No parking in the lot.  Circle around for a while then finally a spot.  Then I went to take my gear back home and get a quick beard trim at a nearby barber shop.  I had called the barber to make sure he would be there.  He said he would.  He wasn’t. I called him on his cell and he said he was at a meeting for his new spot he would have soon.  I reminded him of our conversation an hour or so earlier but I just figured I should just roll with it and use the guy in the shop.  He turned out to be a cool cat and that mission was accomplished.  I then went home and at my doorstep was the original box of CDs that UPS said wouldn’t show up until the following day.

I drove back to the gig after picking up a friend of mine at a subway station (yes we have a metro system out here) who would help me sell the CDs.  We got to the gig and assembled some CDs and then I went on. 

A couple of people asked me why I didn’t play the covered grand piano on the ramp at stage left.  I just shook my head and went back to the CD area.  I will say that I poured my frustration into my performance (especially the first show where I played If Only for One Night).  I felt chills when I hit the last D minor chord.  I knew I did what I was supposed to do. 

Moving on.

Norma (Jean Wright) and I had licensed a master to some guys in Denver a while back and the remixes they did are now out and making some noise on the club circuit.  It’s a song called You Lift Me Up and you can check it out here. 

This weekend I am compiling a list of web casters that might be interested in a solo piano record of R&B classics done with a jazz approach.  HMMMM.  Next stop, quiet storm radio.

March 19, 2004

I just performed with my band at an awards dinner for an organization called glaaacc (catchy huh?).  It is a minority based empowerment group as far as I can see and they gave out awards to companies and individuals that are helping economic growth for minority businesses.  The mayor of LA and many other dignitaries from the city as well as a representative from the White House attended.  Former TV Talk Show host Rolanda Watts was the host and was great fun to work with.  She kept the event moving and flowing and she enjoyed the musical interludes we provided.

The job was basically a two part thing.  They wanted music for the dinner portion of the evening.  I gave them some selections from my shows (Intimate, Woman’s Touch etc.).  And I tried out an arrangement I had done of a David Bowie song called Seven.  I had tried it once before with another group of musicians (at a rehearsal) and it was godawful.  This time it came together really nicely.  I also tried out one of the songs from the SO AMAZING CD with the group.  I wanted to see how that will work out when I am doing performances with the group and want to feature that material.  I think it will be just fine.

The other part of the show was the walk ons and things to cover the awards portion of the show.  I figured that these folks would want some funky fun kinds of things.  Being a bit subversive in my musical tastes, I included some things that wouldn’t ordinarily be heard at one of these things.  I was never more proud than when I called off (Sun Ra’s) Space is the Place and had the people bouncing their heads to it.  We also did (Grace Jones’) Slave to the Rhythm, (Eddie Kendricks’) Girl You Need A Change of Mine and some Chic material (including My Forbidden Lover-how many times do you hear anyone play that?) and a few old compositions of mine.  One was a tune called Heaven in Your Eyes.  The original demo was myself, Bernard Edwards on bass and Omar Hakim on drums.  It was subsequently recorded by Denise Williams and produced by George Duke (where he copped part of my piano solo-I was never so flattered). 

I wanted to take this job so that I could warm up my band and try some things with the new material (on someone else’s dime).  Plus they gave me ad space in their program for the event as well as a full page bio.

This coming Sunday I am participating in a round table discussion on business and the arts for minorities.  My goddaughter’s mother is one of the people putting it on and I am glad to be asked.  I look forward to the people on the panel having some interesting insights.  I hope I can add something helpful. 

In the meantime, I have been speaking with Gary Taylor about our performance plans.  The first show we will do with a band is going to be on Wednesday the 31^st at Catalina’s in Hollywood.  Looks like it should be a fun event.  I sent off the CD Masters and Artwork for the CD covers to their respective plants.  Everyone assures me I should have pieces back before the 31^st.  I am hoping to sell signed pre release copies at the show. Hopefully, it will happen.

More soon.

Feb 9, 2004

Last night, the Grammy awards aired.  I don’t usually watch award shows (although I am partial to the Academy Awards show for some strange reason).  In fact, last night, my workout partner and I were at the gym, arguing and encouraging each other on.  I did see the memorial sequence (at the gym) and it touched my heart to see Tony (Thompson) recognized in the montage they did. 

The other thing that stood out to me was that the pop artists of today have no balls.  There has been this whole issue of Janet Jackson’s boob exposed on the Super Bowl half time show.  If this were the sixties or seventies, I could only imagine Janis Joplin or Grace Slick doing something like that and then apologizing?!  They would say get over it and move on.  It was a boob for cryin’ out loud!! And then to see Justin Timberlake apologize was like watching a dog with his tail between his legs.  For me he is becoming a modern day Pat Boone. 

I have been saying for a while that pop music has its soul consulted right out of it.  I tell people all the time, if they want to see the future of Hip Hop, look at Smooth Jazz.  Hip Hop was at one point a revolutionary art form and statement (as was Jazz) but now it is being co-opted and homogenized for mass consumption.  I think that is why that song Hey Ya by OUTKAST is so popular for broadcasters.  As well as being infectious, its innocuous.  And THAT is not what Hip Hop or Jazz or Rock n Roll were about when they were being created.  Quite the opposite.

I wrote a song called Get Out of It What You Can, a few years ago and it speaks to the travails of a performer trying to be an artist in the current cultural climate.  It will be on a project I have code named Hillside.  I have been working on Hillside as a way of not thinking about the upcoming Luther song CD.  I feel a strong sense of making the Luther project come to light with the most sincere of intentions.  I am very concerned that I am not perceived as trying to cash in on the sympathy coming from his health issues.  But no matter, I have to let this music go so that I can continue my other musical explorations.

Jan 21, 2004

I hope everyone has had a great holiday.  I was preoccupied over the holiday season.  The story why starts about 2 ½ years ago or so.  I had received a call from a friend at J Records.  The label had just signed Luther Vandross and was having a press party for him in Beverly Hills.  They wanted someone to play Luther’s classics on a grand piano rented for the function and would I be interested?  I have known Luther since the late ‘70’s and thought it would be a great time and I agreed to do it.

 I knew that there would be different perspectives for this.  What I mean is that I like to think of myself as a foreground musician.  I don’t much care for performing in the background and here was a situation where that was what the function needed.  I wanted to find a balance between both foreground and background as I learned and interpreted the songs I chose to play.  I felt that I was playing a concert in an ambient setting.  I thought about Brian Eno’s Music for Airports and his work with Robert Fripp.  I thought about French composer Erik Satie and his works for ambient ensembles (I believe they were considered intermission pieces).  And I started with that approach. As I watched the press have brunch on that April afternoon in 2001, I thought that I would like to one day record these pieces as foreground works and I had promised myself I would do just that. 

Two years and some months later, I finally recorded the music.  On December 30^th I went to Mad Hatter Studios and played their beautiful Steinway piano.  My only hope is that you enjoy the project when it is released (early spring this year).  I spent the days before the 30^th reviewing the songs I wanted to record.  I kept myself pretty sequestered as I am not that pleasant to be around when I have situations like this.  On New Year’s Eve, I listened to playbacks from the session until 5 AM New Year’s Day.

I scheduled a photo shoot with my friend Davide shortly thereafter, and have submitted most of the materials to Adriana at Impressions Design.  Between these two people, they do a wonderful job laying out my CD projects and making me look presentable. 

After that process, I put myself on a plane and went to visit friends in south Florida.  I enjoy my time down there so much.  I spoke at my friend (Larry DeCarmine)’s school in West Palm Beach and enjoyed a lot of Caribbean food.  I went up to Atlanta for a couple of days to check out what it felt like to be in the city during the MLK holiday.  To go down roads and breathe the air these people breathed that changed the world in the fifties and sixties for all humanity.  I was unable to attend the parade or services at Ebenezer Baptist Church but I did get to hear MLK III on TV and he is a great speaker.  He reminded us that this holiday is about service and for the work to continue; it’s not a day off.  In this jaded world of ours, his was an inspirational message. 

Well I’m back in LA and working on preparations for the upcoming CD and two other solo projects I have been developing.

More soon.

December 17, 2003

THE FOLLOWING IS A NOTE I SENT TO MY WEST COAST MAILING LIST

Last night, a group of people, friends of Tony Thompson came together and paid a heart felt tribute to the man and his music.  As a professional musician for 30 years, I can honestly say this was one of the most heart felt and wonderful experiences I have ever had on a stage.  There was so much love pouring into the music that any mistakes or (potential) train wrecks were simply walked over laughed at and left in the dust. 

I want to thank so many of you that responded to my last email with your words of compassion.  But please know that we gave our buddy a great send off and his spirit and legacy are with us as we move forward. 

For those who may not know, the program mainly consisted of songs that Tony had played drums on.  As I listened to the many great songs that the various musicians played, I realized that these songs have transcended the time in which they were created.  Tony’s rhythms have transcended time.

While playing Le Freak, Nile Rogers and I made eye contact and shared musical conversations onstage that were began 20 years ago and picked up where they left off.  I was having chills.   I knew that Bernard Edwards and Tony were smiling on us.  I felt the intensity of Carmine Rojas, Eddie Martinez and Jose Rossy playing What Can You Do for me as if it were 1975 with Labelle.  Playing Keyboards with Jeff Bova was like having a 20 fingered monster up on that stage. It reminded me of our times of working with Nona Hendryx and how great a band she had at the time (with Ronnie Drayton, Shaun Solomon-who recently passed, Trevor Gale, BJ Nelson, Michelle Cobbs, Dolette McDonald, Steve Scales and on and on).

And there were so many other musicians whose names I have failed to mention here that gave unselfishly with their music as well.  Especially music director Michael Fogle who was able to lead us forward and keep us focused.  His job was the equivalent of herding cats!!!

I share these words only to say that although I wish all of you who were not able to make it could have been there, your positive vibe was felt regardless. And the best news is that the event was sold out!!!  And the website (www.tonythompsonfund.com) was so busy the servers crashed!!  All of the money raised will go to Tony’s family to help pay the medical bills.  Tony had no health insurance so it was important to us that we help raise funds last night.  There was however, more sad news last night from Tony’s surviving sister Cookie.  Their mother passed away a week ago Monday.  But in the true spirit of our industry, the show went on and raised the roof.

One thing I wanted to mention was that an encore performance of a Led Zeppelin song Kashmir was performed with a female string quartet.  Awesome is all I can say. 

So as I end this note, I want to thank all of you once more.  Thank you for your supportive words.  Thank you for letting me share these thoughts with you.  Thank you for supporting this event and all my musical adventures as we go through this incredible journey we call life.  Much love to you ALL!

See you next year!

Early October

In less than a week, we have a recall election for our governor.  I don’t think he’s (Gray Davis) a great communicator and I don’t think he’s a great governor but I don’t think bringing in Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to be much better.  I have been reading things about Arnold that I know he would like to control.  I’m talking about things like his apathetic voting habits over the past few elections.  I’m talking about the fact that women are accusing him of treating them badly (grabbing and trying to undress them) while working for him (on films, etc.).  I personally don’t care what he does as a private citizen (as long as it doesn’t infringe on another human being).  When he is responsible for laws for women’s rights and equalities for all citizens of California, I do care whether he is running around groping women (when they don’t want him to) and his calling black men “niggers.”  But I guess my fellow citizens of this state think he is the best person for the job.  So we will see. 

We have a couple of changes to make on Wasabi Tuna.  Nothing major (a couple of songs fell out), but I have a few more days of work on that project.  I am being considered for a couple of other projects coming up so I do my work on my own music until notified otherwise. 

I purchased an SUV recently.  I am now a true American.  I have a gas guzzling; pollute the air/ozone layer, living room on the road of my very own.  Before anyone accuses me of anything, I got that thing because I plan to do more regional performances and I am setting up a rig to record performances.  The cars I own do not have the space to cart the equipment back and forth and running to car rental places or U-Haul was getting tiring as well as pricey.  And I needed to do something as my sedan’s clutch pedal was spending more time down than up (something to do with the master cylinder-uh-oh). 

While driving my vehicle, I have been playing some new (to me) CDs (the convertible’s CD changer stopped playing a while ago).  The new Kraftwerk CD is good.  I like it but I do not think its going to make anyone stop and think twice.  I think that the last Herbie Hancock CD was a bit more experimental (anything with the late Tony Williams and Herbie playing together is going to get experimental by the end of it).

My cousin Blast Murray’s CD (Afrofraktal) is powerful and edgy music.  I really love his tone (as well as his choice of notes).  It reminds me that I have to work with him on something.  Soon.  I also picked up the recent Wayne Shorter CD.  I like it a lot.  Nice orchestrations and songs (of course, Wayne is a master composer).  And Wayne is playing his azz off.  There was one song where he is playing soprano and tenor Saxes at the same time (via overdubs not like Rassahn Roland Kirk with both instruments in his mouth at the same time).  A lovely sound if ever there was.  Jill Jones has a very nice CD where she has collaborated with a guitarist from the world of SEAL.  Very nice production and songs.  I read that Jill will be a part of a concert Sheila E is going to have coming up either this month or next in LA at the Forum in Inglewood.  Both the Blast Murray and Jill Jones CDs are available via CD BABY.

Then we get to the Roy Hargrove CD.  Maybe its me.  I just don’t know.  It sounds like some jam session with two chords to hold it together.  I haven’t finished listening to it but I actually think I really am.  I need to find younger musicians that are doing interesting and creative music in hip hop and jazz.  This aint it for me. 

I also purchased the new SEAL CD.  I played bits of each song (I was testing out a CD ROM on a PC I had built).  I didn’t know what to think.  I spoke to my buddy Scott Galloway at the Urban Network magazine.  He called it, “Worst by Far.”  As there is an album by UK artist OMAR called, “Best by Far” (and it really is, in his case), it gave me a bit of a chuckle.  What I did notice is that Trevor Horn’s production sounded dated to me (from what little I heard).  I hope I have a different perspective upon further listening tho..

While working on Wasabi Tuna, I started to really work with the G4 I had purchased earlier this year.  As an emagic endorsee, it was in my best interest to purchase a G4 to work with new versions of the Logic Software (as it was being developed for OS X on the Mac platform only-they had stopped PC support a year or so ago).  I called emagic once I had received the G4 and asked what audio card I should use as the Korg card I was using was not compatible with the machine (first red flag should have gone up but hey….)

I installed my new RME Hammerfall card into the computer and was ready to begin work.  The audio drivers for that card under OS X 10.2 were not happy lil drivers.  I could not get the system running in a stable manner so I swapped out the audio card for a USB audio box that worked.  Sometimes.  As I was trying to run Quick Time movies along with audio data, I needed audio drivers that were stable.  What I had was a system that was fussy, cranky and a mouse cursor that was flying all over the screen whenever it was nudged.  PLUS some of my other emagic software didn’t work in OS X and OS 9 support with audio programs was not happening on the G4.  So I had no Sounddiver to run my synth libraries nor was I able to use Waveburner CD software either for any mastering I wanted to do.  And my VST plug ins were not OS X compatible either (like Pluggo  for instance). 

In the midst of this madness (and trying to stay on schedule for the film) I built a P4 PC and used the last versions of emagic software I had acquired from the company and kept on going.  I also installed REASON on the PC.  I would recommend this software for any musician trying to come up with ideas quick, fast and in a hurry.  It is very powerful software that is not expensive.  The sequencer is a bit dodgy but REASON can be used as a rewire plug in of sorts so it can stay useful in other programs like Logic or Cubase. 

I have been working on the PC platform with as much of my older hardware as possible and it has been quite stable.  The G4 is in the shop right now to see if they can stop the runaway cursor.  I hope to use it in the studio with a Yamaha O1 x box I have my eye on right now.  I like the idea of using a protocol like MLAN to mix and match boxes as are needed to create a mobile system.  I don’t know how much mileage I am going to get with the G4 and now with the G5’s being released….

Almost forgot to mention the passing of Robert Palmer.  A wonderful musician and singer.  It brought to mind my own experiences with him.  When I worked for the Tom Tom Club (somewhere around 1982-1983), we recorded at Compass Point Recording studios in Nassau.  The studio was across the street from Robert’s home.  At the time, he had this very exotic keyboard I was interested in trying out (PPG 2.3).  He let me come over and play around with it.  I was so impressed I bought one (quite a few thousand at the time, now you can have it as a plug in for your PC).  I also remember we were recording some male background parts for the TT Club’s version of Under the Boardwalk.  Robert and I sang the low parts and he remarked on how low I could sing the part.  As David Byrne might say, “what a day that was.”  Thanks for being a great cat.

Gotta run!

Até Logo

Early September 2003

Its been a while since my last entry.  I ended up scoring the film WASABI TUNA for producer Celia Fox.  A friend of mine was supposed to do it but backed out and I was approached for the job.  It was a lot of fun and a lot of work as well.  I knew that it would be both and was intrigued with the process.   

Celia asked me to produce a song for (actor/drag queen) ALEXIS ARQUETTE (yes THOSE Arquettes), for the soundtrack.  We did a song called PUSSY POWER with ALEXIS and Entertainment Tonight came down and did a piece on her.  In addition, they shot a video for the piece that is so campy, it should be an international curiosity.  Working with ALEXIS was fine.  He showed up in boyish clothes and talked his way through the song.  Then the next day he showed up in drag and I almost didn’t recognize him (her). 

WASABI TUNA premiered in late August and it looks like the film should have distribution soon.  Once the film was completed, I took a trip to visit friends and family up and down the east coast. 

I am planning on recording a solo piano record in the coming weeks and I need to find a room with a good instrument.  I need to talk with the folks over at Steinway and see if they can recommend a room for me.   In the meantime, I practice and prepare yet still keep it loose enough so that inspiration can come through without the playing sound too facile.  There are things that need to have a certain depth and I want to keep a sense of deliberate intentions in the playing in those passages.  Hopefully I expressed that in a way that makes sense.  If not, hopefully the melody on the box will explain (a quote from Carolyn/Aretha Franklin-check the song ANGEL by Aretha).

Mid May 2003

I recently got directv for the house and I was watching this lifestyle channel (finer living-I think its called).  They had a show about south beach Florida (or SoBe as it’s called).  I love the south Florida area so I was getting into the program.  They were talking about the various influences and cultures but I found it amusing that in all their mention of culture and the like, the African-American influence was nowhere to be found.  I kept hoping to see Trina (hip-hop artist) pop up on something or maybe see Luther Campbell play golf (with his crew along with him).  These people are a very important part of popular culture from south Florida but I guess it’s not for “finer living” as it was.  I had to remember I was not watching MTV’s CRIBS TV show.  I love that show.  It reminds me of something a friend of mine once said when I took her to a rich friend’s home.  Her comment was something about the house we had visited looking like, “Someone with money lived there.”  Not taste, just money.

I have spent the past week shell shocked.  Three people I know passed away within three weeks of one another (two of cancer and one from a heart attack).  Two of them passed within three days of one another.  Having to buy a Mother’s Day card and three sympathy cards at one time was very numbing.  My mother hasn’t received her card before Sunday so I hope she gets it the Monday after Mother’s Day. 

As I thought about my writing this journal entry, I knew that it was time for me to mention the passing of my beloved sister a year ago February.  I was very unwilling to write in public about that event as it was the saddest and most painful experience I have ever had to deal with.  And I didn’t want to exploit her passing as just so much fodder to post on the internet.  She was my closest ally in my family.  I know it may sound strange but in all our years on this earth together she and I had no sibling rivalry.  She made me feel I could do anything.  More than anyone else, she was there for me with a kind word and I hope she knew I looked up to her so very much.  As her birthday has recently passed and Mother’s Day is upon us (and my sister was a mother as well as educator and respected colleague and friend) she has been in my thoughts more than usual. 

I was back east recently on what I called a “Civilian Trip” where there was no musical endeavor involved.  Actually, that’s not exactly true.  I was asked to be a godparent for my friend’s daughter and I was also asked to write a song for the Christening (since my goddaughter is a beautiful little girl it was not hard to do).  I played and sang the song in a Catholic Church in Philadelphia and it was a beautiful moment.  It was the first time in a long time I had performed in a church and it was wonderful to see people moved by music in a place of spiritual healing.  There was a reception afterwards at an arts centre near my friend’s house.  I brought the other godparents (there are four of us) and the parents, scented candles from a candle maker out here that makes custom scents for his clients.  One of his clients is P. Diddy.  I’m not crazy about Mr. Diddy’s music (however THE BENJAMINS was the JAM), but it’s good to see he has such good taste in candles and scents.  And I do like his Sean John line of clothes ;-)  While in Philadelphia, I saw the Pepsi commercial for the first time.  It was the first commercial on the first break of the Academy Awards broadcast.  I was in my hotel room with two friends.  They were actually watching the show as I was sitting to the side at the desk eating some take out food.  I jumped up to watch and when it was done I said, “So that’s what it looks like.”  Then I went back to eating.  I hear its being played quite a bit.  I have only seen it the one time, but I guess I’m not watching the shows it airs on.  It is very nice and looks expensive (it was). 

While on the trip, I visited with friends and family and just took time to see people I needed to see.  For me, being able to take time to do things of this nature is so important to me for inspiration and just life affirming.  On my way from Delaware to Washington DC, I made a stop at a truck stop and had lunch with some truckers (it reminded me of my days on tour busses in the middle of the country with large tours but I digress). We were watching the Iraq war on CNN and some of the truckers mentioned that they were soldiers in the Vietnam conflict.  It was the first time in my life I had ever heard anyone in-person refer to the Vietnamese as “Gooks.”  So much for life affirming moments.

I have been approached to work on an independent film.  I am not sure what all of my involvement is going to be but at the present moment, I am preparing a track and reference vocal for Ms Anna Nicole Smith to sing (or should we say, vocalize).  That is all I am going to say about that (and in reality what else NEEDS to be said?).

I bought a few CDs recently.  Joan Armatrading’s new one which I love!  She can do more with a V-I cadence than anyone else I know.  And she makes it so damned interesting in the process.  I have been singing those songs for the past few days.  I also got a copy of Aretha Franklin’s Spirit in the Dark CD.  David Nathan wrote the liner notes for the reissue and he did a really good job.  He called that album one of Aretha’s most consistent as it was recorded as a whole project as opposed to some songs collated from recording sessions with no rhyme or reason other than great songs Aretha and the record company wanted to do.  I also got a copy of Osunalude’s CD.  Its dance rhythms with traditional African inspired chants and spoken word and other influences.  It’s a very nice gumbo.  But with Aretha and Joan calling me, I haven’t made enough time for it yet.  I also got a copy of Jody Whatley’s new project.  Love her.  Love the music and enjoy what she is doing conceptually.  The fact that she makes the public statement that she feels that her work is leaning more towards the underground of dance music I think, is a great statement for her to make and live.  She can thrive musically in that world and create music that is successful for her (as opposed to what anyone thinks she SHOULD be doing). 

I have been working on the house and yard as well.  As well as having to have the deck rebuilt, I had to have all of the shade trees removed in the back of the property as they had been uprooting the neighbor’s fence.  She asked me to remove them and now I am curious to know when she plans on us fixing the damned fence.   I was going to get those fence sections and posts from Home Depot and go for it but she has her own ideas so being a good neighbor….

Anyway, the deck is nice and I have lots of ash and pine wood that need to dry out for firewood usage (at least 8-12 months).  Sometimes I get overwhelmed by my plans but I need to do this stuff.  Its good therapy for me to see life rebuild itself through plants and nature. 

Mid March 2003

Well, I just heard on TV that the commercial we did with Beyonce Knowles is going to air during the Academy Awards show this coming Sunday.  I hope to see it.  I hope it looks as good as I’ve been told it does. 

Since I last made an entry in this journal, we rehearsed with DMX for two TV shows.  One (Craig Kilborne) was cancelled and the other one, Jay Leno-THE TONIGHT SHOW, X didn’t show up in time for and was bumped from the show.  It was crazy!!!  The Tonight Show is a very well-run production and when X wasn’t there by 3pm (the show tapes around 4-4:30 pm) the decision was made to pull the plug on his appearance.  The band (Tony Thompson-drums, Aaron Mason-bass, Fred Clark-guitar, Darrell Diaz-programming, keyboards and myself) was still paid but I had to be there that morning at 8:30 to oversee the stage layout and coordinate with the crew and management in NYC who wanted to make sure that we were “on the job.”  The show sent a car for me that morning around 7:30 am.  And you might think that I was getting some kind of special treatment.  Actually what sending a car does is make sure you are close-by until they are done with you and then the car takes you back home safe and sound when the show is done with you. 

While waiting for X to show up, I went to visit a friend that worked on the Days of Our Lives set.  When I got back from my visit with her, the crew was tearing down our performance set.  I wasn’t gone more than 15 minutes.  Jay Leno wasn’t amused from what I heard.  From what I know, X does not have any type of drug problems or anything like that.  It seems more like time management issues (he is working on another film project and a gang of other things as well).

That is all I can really share with you about it. 

As I write this, there is a countdown to war with Iraq.  I have friends overseas in the military and I just want them to be safe and not in harm’s way.  I am still wondering about the timetable and motivation for this pre-emptive attack.  I also wonder about the fallout from this action.  When I was a teenager, the United States was looked upon by third world countries as an Imperialist nation.  That image had changed over the years to some degree, but I am concerned that this nation not alienates itself from allies around the globe.  I am not an expert on geopolitical affairs but I hope that this strategy was well planned and thought out.  I do not get the sense that it is.  But what galls me to no end is the fact that congress has not really discussed these military actions or going to war to any great degree.  I know that for me, debate helps to strengthen one’s position but I feel like these statesmen and women are afraid of how they will look to their constituents if they speak their mind. 

And I really have a problem with these middle aged guys (white and black) on talk radio who are so gung-ho to blow up Iraq and “get rid of Saddam” (but not the oil wells).  AND they have the nerve to question anyone else’s right to disagree with them.  It is obvious to me that as long as it is someone else’s children going into Iraq and doing the dirty work, it’s ok with them.  I wonder if they would be so pro-war if it were their own child on the front lines doing the fighting. 

Late February 2003

It’s been a while (as always) since my last entry.  Since I last wrote, I have been to Florida and Atlanta to generate some gigs and to speak at a friend’s school.  I think the contacts I have in that area (for performances) are promising.  There is not a lot of money being offered but I’m not doing these things to get rich (quickly).  Doing this type of work is long term investment in one’s own future and career.  And fortunately, travel expenses are not that bad any more (with a combination of Priceline, Hotwire and Orbitz, one can make things happen for not a lot of dough).  The plan is to put together a unit out of Atlanta that would be available for things in that region.  I wanted to get down to a spot called Café 290 in Sandy Springs GA on the Sunday I was in Atlanta to check out their jam sessions where the jazz cats come out to jam.  Most of it is just “not awful” but sometimes one can hear a bit of greatness as well as some god-awful crap.  But I gotta tell you, the god-awful kid might become the next great artist.  No one starts at the top.  In any event, I had other commitments that evening and missed it.  I did however meet a wonderful singer at Sambuca Jazz Café.  Her name is Maria and she was the featured church singer in The Color Purple. 

As you probably also read (in the what’s new section) I am the Music Director for DMX for a performance on The Tonight Show.  It’s funny, I tell people the name of the show and then I have to say, “Jay Leno.”  I guess I’m just old.  I remember Mr. Carson and the many guest hosts that sat in his chair.  But I digress.  X has been fun to work with and I hope one day we can do a few gigs with him on a short tour or something.  His energy is inspiring.  His work schedule reminds me of what I’d heard about Tupac Shakur.  In the studio, working on his movie projects and everything else that happens within a hip hop artist’s day. But X looks like he’s having fun with it.  The rigors of being DMX seem to agree with him.  But watch out if you can’t keep up.  He would blaze right past you. ;-)

I have put together some ideas on how to structure some new pieces for a record I want (need) to do.  I want to use the elements of urban musics in a way that is organic but unique.  I spend a lot of time visualizing this method of working.  I have also been programming software synths but I need to do much more.  The palate of sounds is going to be part of the vocabulary I will be using on this project.  But I’m saying too much. In the meantime, I am singing songs from 10-15 years ago that need to see light of day and a song that Vince Morris recently sat in my lap that is so gorgeous.  I know it needs to be recorded and properly promoted. The song is so special it demands a certain amount of attention (production AND promotion).  But more on that later.

Tonight the Grammy’s were held in NYC.  Why does Joan Rivers go to shows like that?  She has no appreciation of the artists self expression through their clothes.  The only time she was kinda funny was when she did her monologue of Michael Jackson jokes.  I shouldn’t laugh as I think that that whole bit about sharing one’s bed with a child was waayy too much for me to handle.  But it was funny in a way that she was funny when she (Ms Rivers) did jokes about Liz Taylor in the 80’s.  I don’t usually like laughing at other people like that but when the person is so out there, I can make an exception.  I like to find humor in things that don’t make anyone look stupid. 

Anyway, Norah Jones won some Grammys as did Springsteen and India.Ierie.  And the Lakers won and Kobe’s on a roll (9 consecutive games with over 40 points). 

LATE JANUARY 2003

So much to share.  Not sure where to start.

I listened to a bit of music today.  The first thing I listened to was one side of a 2 disk vinyl collection called “The Billie Holiday Story.”  It started with Good Morning Heartache and ended with God Bless the Child.  These recordings were from the 1940’s-1950.  She was so amazing at this point in her career.  Unlike her recordings for Columbia in the 1930’s her voice had more resonance, depth, and control.  These were recordings from her time with Decca.  I’m sure she was a handful to deal with.  I get the impression that Ms Holiday was probably her own worst enemy. But I do know that just being around people like that can have its effects as well.  Yet her art comes directly at us like a laser beam of pure light. 

I then listened to a side of Cat Stevens’ Tea for the Tillerman album.  I needed to hear Bitterblue, Morning has Broken, Moonshadow and Peace Train.  In this time of oncoming war, I needed to be reminded of people singing of peace in the 1970’s. So far we are from that time period.  But I know the impression of it still remains in the public consciousness.  I love to hear music that is shaped by the time which it is from. A song like (Rolling Stones’) Gimme Shelter is so important because it symbolizes a perspective about the Vietnam War with the simple words, “War, Children, is just a shout away, it’s just a shout away” that people felt and resonated with.

In my own musical world, I took a side trip for a friend.  A little over a month ago, I was contacted by Spike Lee to write lyrics for a Pepsi commercial with Beyonce Knowles.  I wrote the words, and ended up producing Ms Knowles (a real pleasure) and working with the choreographer making sure the 35 principals on the shoot were lip synching their parts properly.  The spot was supposed to be featured on the Super Bowl but got bumped.  

I’m sure it will air soon.

To be honest, in my mind, I feel that the spot will appeal more to the American Idol crowd than the Super Bowl demographics.  I also learned that in the world of commercials, the client most likely will own your creation at the end of the day.  With my 20 years of experience in music publishing and the concept of ownership of one’s work being paramount, let’s just say that there was more than one discussion about these issues.  A very interesting thing happened on the set of the shoot though.  I met the gentleman who is head of DDB (the advertising firm that Spike has partnered with).  He is the man responsible for the jingle, “You Deserve a Break Today at McDonald’s.”  He said something like, “Oh so you are the jingle writer for this spot.”  I cringed and said yes (thinking in my mind, “Composer.  I’m a composer.”).  But for this job, I was a jingle writer.  I don’t know what my future will be in that sphere of music, but I was glad to do the work. 

In the middle of all this activity something strange happened.  My shows started to make money.  I don’t know how it happened, but it did.  I knew that my unit of the past years was not going to be available for some things I wanted to do, so I assembled a new group of musicians.  I enjoy their playing and enthusiasm for the music so much.  And they can play and sing their asses off (Corey Mason-Drums, Aaron Mason-Bass, and Dawn Bishop-Vocals).  This quartet is blazing and allows me more room to stretch as we have not been working with a guitarist.  Since Fred Clark hasn’t been available, I don’t want to replace him.  His sound is so much a part of my work I’d rather fill the hole with the remaining musicians. 

I spoke to (engineer) Booker T Jones III today about the methods of recording these days, and how we can use technology to make great recordings and alternative ways of getting them into the marketplace.  We spoke of so many interesting things regarding the worlds of art vs. commerce and how the two support one another.  And strategies that can work for major label as well as independent artists.  I told Booker how through working with him, I picked up a helpful tool when mixing a song.  When I hear a rough mix, I make notes of all the things that need to be addressed and then check them off as they get done.  It makes mixing that much more efficient.  Thankx Booker!!

Early Dec 2002

Well, it’s finished and out.  Christmas Blue is on the radio around the country (and in the UK at www.soul24-7.com) and in some stores and available here on this website as well.  My hope is that the song continues to find its audience over the years.  My goal was to create something that would be timeless in its sentiment.  But time will tell.  Right now, I just want to make sure I can sell these CDs I had pressed!!!

Guitarist Bill Nelson wrote in his online diary about his problems with getting paid from EMI for royalties from his Be Bop Deluxe catalog (Wednesday, 27th November 2002 entry).  It is an eye opening account of what happens in this business to so many artists.  And like my former attorney used to say, a contract is only as good as the parties that sign it. 

Late October 2002

They have finally caught the sniper in DC.  Thank God for good police work and sloppy snipers.  The news channels are chomping on this like it’s the last crime on earth.  Unfortunately, its not.  At the present time, there is a theater full of people in Moscow being held captive and threats of war with Iraq and terrorists in Indonesia/Bali and the Phillipines at work.  And lets not forget the melting global economy (a crime partially caused by corrupt companies doing what they feel like doing).

In the meantime, I’m readying a Christmas song for limited release.  As I try to complete this thing by my self-imposed deadline, I am trying to think past the deadline to how will the song best be presented at various radio outlets and retail?  My original thought was to just make it available online and at a few shows we will be doing in December.  But, I think that I might be able to share this song with a larger audience (still small by most standards) yet manageable for what I have in mind. 

The song is called Christmas Blue and it is about how many people feel isolated during the holiday season due to various losses in their lives.  Yet in spite of the sense of isolation, there is solace in the memory of happier times.  And by trying to bring joy to someone else, there is a reason for happiness in one’s life.  I think that this message is one many can appreciate and it’s told in a narrative style that shouldn’t hit anyone over the head.  Ms Alexx Daye is the featured vocalist on the song. 

One of my concerns is that in the mailing of the single to various radio stations, I wanted to include a postcard with the lyrics on the back.  I thought that some contemporary gospel stations might like the song as well as some Quiet Storm and NAC (Smooth Jazz) stations.  However, I don’t want to offend the Christian stations with a postcard featuring a project called INTIMATE and me half naked.  They may think intimate with the Lord but that is not accurate….

We shall see.

Late September 2002

I purchased a couple of CDs the other day.  One was Peter Gabriel’s new one “UP” and the other one was 4-Hero (its new to me-though I know its been out a while).  It must be a challenge being an artist that releases a project every few years.  What I mean is that everyone is comparing your newest work to the last thing you did many years ago.  Having said that, I was hoping to hear Mr. Gabriel smash into new territories as he has done on past releases (esp. PG #3).  For me, it was a case of “I think it will grow on me in time.”  I’m no music critic for the press; I just know what I like.  It doesn’t have to be trendy or new, just honest.  And in that regard, UP is an honest piece of work.  Unfortunately, some of the songs are connected to other songs (from previous albums) so closely; you can end up comparing them to each other.  Examples would be Sky Blue from this album, which is very similar in nature to Don’t Give Up (duet with Kate Bush).  What makes the song unique is the Alabama Blind Boys singing amazing backgrounds esp. near the end of the song.  The Barry Williams Show is a very powerful song that reminds one of Big Time and Sledgehammer.  Not so much for the content but it just seems cut from the same cloth.  Track one (the title of which I don’t remember) sounds a lot like Intruder (one of my all time favorite songs by PG).  I have been listening to the CD in the car so I haven’t been able to make out some of the lyrics with the engine of my little convertible roaring away.  I tried to read the lyrics on the enhanced CD and it just got stuck in my PC.  It might be because I tried to load a beta version of Windows Media 7 (I think) and it has killed the program from working right and the backup boot isn’t happening so until MS releases a fix for the beta, I’m using Sonique to play CDs.  So maybe that is what is going on with that.  Sonically, I know UP was recorded using a million dollar Sony Oxford Console, but I honestly don’t hear that much of a difference in sonics (on a 16 bit CD in a car). In fact, the recording seemed a bit dark for me (but that is just what I am hearing-but I will elaborate in a moment).

The 4-Hero CD was 18.00 (Australian Import for a UK group).  But I really enjoy songs I hear from them on the air or in clubs or wherever.  But this album, I have to listen to it a LOT more to understand what is really going on.  Its not that it’s that dense or deep, I just don’t get it conceptually.  Sonically, it is a very open airy sounding recording.  The live strings are truly just that, LIVE!!!  The strings and live drums are a pleasure to hear.  But these songs are half-composed to me.  And the arrangements could be better. It sounds like they could have hired an arranger with more tools available in his or her arsenal (and a better understanding of the instruments they were writing for). 

They have tracks that move but seem to meander.  I understand about trance and loops and repetition, but this doesn’t seem to have a wealth of ideas going on.  There is one song I heard on the radio called Hold it down (I think).  It’s a perfect example of what I am saying.  The female vocal is doing her thing and the track is bumping but the vocal harmonies and the chordal choices are for me, questionable.  The other thing that is wearing me out is some of the timbre choices for the synthesizers.  Some of them are just annoying.  They were the kinds of sounds that make you pray that if you have kids, God wont punish you by having them come up with sounds like these as they’re siting in their room working on valid musical ideas that yet and still torture the rest of the house. 

The best song on the CD is a remake of Charles Stepney and Richard Rudolph’s composition, Les Fleurs (originally on Minnie Ripperton’s first album on GRT).  Their version just confirmed what I already know.  Charles Stepney was one of the baddest cats to work in popular music bar none.  It’s scary how close this version sounds like the original (they copped the string lines, the guitar and acoustic bass parts, etc) and the vocalist is paying tribute to Minnie (big time).  It also proved my point that Minnie’s first album was a Charles Stepney album with vocals by Minnie Ripperton.  I was thinking that a special concert could be put together to recreate that album and it would be a fitting tribute to both Minnie Ripperton and Charles Stepney. 

But coming back to the 4-Hero track, it was a nice version, but it made me pull out the original version.    Having said all that, in a month I probably will be in love with this album (don’t hold your breath though).

BTW. As a follow up to what is below, I have gotten past my block and have been writing and putting together ideas!!

Mid August 2002

I keep having false starts (mainly) about writing new music and (secondly) recording things that should have been recorded already.  I have this fear I might not ever write anything again.  And that I might screw up the interpretation of the songs I have put on hold for so long.  I have these thoughts from time to time and I just remind myself to be thankful for the music I have been blessed to have come through me that has been properly realized. 

Many other people have said that they feel that music is a divine message that comes through them.  And that they are just receptors for the messages.  The job of the musician/artist is then to make oneself ready for the process when it happens.  And to be able to hear the messages in spite of everything else that goes on in one’s life.  Of course the other side of this is that if one is looking outside of oneself for inspiration, one can blame everything else in the world for not being creative/inspired.  So in the scheme of things, I think it is most important to keep one’s receptors keenly tuned and stay in the moment of creative acts whether it is cooking, child rearing, writing, sexing or whatever it is that someone involves oneself in.  Creative work is all related and I think it keeps one directly involved in the moments of life.  What I mean is that life is then being lived as opposed to observed and that will keep the mind open for creative thought and inspiration.  There now.  Don’t I feel like a new song is a-coming?  No, not really.  Do I feel I should tackle a basic arrangement on that song that needs to be recorded from 1996?  No.  Not right now.

I am spending a lot of time trying to secure shows around the country.  Finally, things are starting to come around.  I have done some traveling to follow up with people that have been contacted in the past.  It is my experience that I get more done with folks on a face-to-face basis than when I am on the phone trying to explain what I want to do.  

I went to a pro-audio music store today to pick up a specialized cable (to connect to a patch bay 14.00 for one cable and it doesn’t work properly-wrong XLR hot pin I guess).  As I walked into the store, which also sells used pro audio equipment, I mumbled something like, “Whoa, here is a museum of recording equipment.”  I saw so much equipment that has been traded or sold, on the floor of this place.  It made me realize that music is not being created the way it was when I got into this business over 20 years ago.  Most audio we hear now is not recorded on “tape” anymore.  Most projects now use hard disk recording as the main medium for storage.  What has happened is that much of the outboard equipment associated with the old methods of recording (outboard eqs, comp/limiters etc) is being used in software.  This is especially true with younger producers in dance music and with older musicians that are creating virtual recording facilities for themselves. That room of old equipment is not yet obsolete but I am seeing that many people don’t need a lot of gear to create music. 

I read what engineers are saying and how some of the older gear sounds better and then I listen to some of the CDs I’ve purchased (or just hear).  And it amazes me what is going on with some of these records.  The Brandy album is a perfect example of a record that has been processed beyond what is necessary.  I really like the song Full Moon but it sounds like someone left the aural exciter on “extra excitation”. 

As Roger Nichols pointed out in one of his many articles, a lot of albums (CDs) have been so processed in the mastering stage that its no wonder that people don’t mind having mp3s of their favorite songs.  The compression has already squeezed the music so much on the CD that by the time the consumer gets it on mp3 format, there’s not that much difference.  So why do you need a Neve 1066 module to process the (sampled) drums?  Does the Avalon preamp sound that much better on the bass guitar (which you end up replacing with a sampled version)?  I am not saying there is anything wrong with classic gear.  Bad for me was recorded on my Trident console onto 2 inch tape (Ampex machine and tape) which was then transferred to disk via an API console and Nuendo audio system.  I can definitely hear the warmth of that recording.  It was also kind of noisy on the drums and needed serious gating. 

So in spite of my thoughts on gear, inspiration and all this other stuff, I do need to get to work

Late July 2002

I write this as the first in a series of random thoughts I have about the state of things in my reality. 

Today I’m vibing on the music of my neighbor Dori Caymmi.  He gave me a copy of his most recent CD available in Brazil and it is truly worth looking for.  It is songs that inspired him as a young musician in Brazil and all I can say is with inspiration like those songs, he had to come up as badd a cat as he is.  One highlight is the duet he has with his sister Nana Caymmi.  Chills run through my veins when she hits her verse.  And those string arrangements are (as the Brits say) wicked.

I am also feeling the Me’shel Ndgeocello CD.  There is so much music on that thing. She is putting it down on so many levels. 

I recently drove up to San Francisco (6hrs each way) to check out the scene and see if its feasible to take a band up there and do some gigs (maybe).  I took my little convertible to get the feel of the road and all that crap.  Bad idea.  The wind was hot and brutal for HOURS.  The car had no A/C and the hills were alive with the smell of manure.  But when I got there (after checking into a nice hotel downtown SF for 50 bucks via http://www.hotwire.com the independent artist’s friend), I went to see Ledisi.  Her music is so damned good.  And she is such a gifted and unique artist.  I met up with her and some of her crew. Seeing them was worth the drive. I went by the radio station up there to try and meet the Music Director and talk him into giving a brotha a little airplay.  He was out of the office but I will be emailing and calling him to say HEY!!!  Maybe the Sunday morning jazz guy might play a little “Intimate”.

The La Ve Lee gig went well on stage however, the address I used for the flyer (which I got from http://www.jazz-clubs-worldwide.com) was wrong and we had to start the set late and we did a long first set so people wouldn’t think they missed anything.  The club asked us to come back in Oct so we will see.  I did however send a scathing email to the website but I don’t blame them.  It was my own fault for not double-checking with the club.  It will be fine on the next one however.  I did see old friends at the show including (drummer) Tony Thompson.  It was such a treat to be able to share music with an old friend.  It is moments like that that make life so interesting and fun.

I am working on songs for the next recording projects.  I am also re-evaluating how I work in the studio and how to get more out of what I do.  I want to spend more time programming and organizing sounds.  And the dance remixes are way behind schedule and I need to ship out CDs to Amazon.com.  But more on all that later (and maybe not).

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