Jazz and Poetry a little spot for notes & words to dance

Dreaming of jamming at sea

In between emails and other word munching for work I started wondering what the saxophonist Skerik might be up to these days. I remember catching him play with Sadhappy in Seattle in the early 90's. In the midst of all the guitar players flooding the city at that time it was impressive to see how he could rock a woodwind. A quick Google video search pulled up a slew of new fan video bites from the Jam 7 Cruise at the beginning of the month.

A musicians life may be a bit bumpy at times, but things can't be all bad if you're jamming with Les Claypool on a cruise ship headed for Belize and Costa Maya.

My dad is headed for Puerto Penasco, and the Chinese New Year revelers from Asheville have hit Negril, Jamaica to jam on the beach there. I'm wondering if the Hawaiian sounds of Kon Tiki at The Purple Onion in Saluda this Saturday will be enough to quench my thirst for sea faring musical adventure. For now, I'm winter cloud drip computer working and dreaming of sun jamming music on the ocean.

Dancing on the ceiling

Why have I never seen this?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac6o8PXthzQ&hl=en&fs=1]

Here's the rest of the dance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggDjnjrinkY

Dodging the Chasm

One of the most amazing things about a good improviser is that you never notice when they make a mistake. In fact, a great improviser can even cover other people's mistakes. Whether it's poetry or theatre or music, one of the most frustrating things is when the performance to comes to a grinding halt because someone drops a word or line or phrase that sends everyone onstage spinning into the chasm of panic. Yet my favorite magic moments on stage are when suddenly everything is "real" for a moment as the performers respond and dance gracefully around the chasm.

In real life, every day is improvisation reacting to and relating to the events that happen. No script can be read to determine what will happen next. Flying solo, it is easy to react to the whim of the world if you allow yourself to be flexible enough. (Pause here for a moment to catch a bit of Oscar Aleman of Argentina improvising a bit to please his listener.)

When I woke up Saturday morning I realized that I'd spent the whole week in a juggling act of personalities and musical talent that somehow landed me right side up alone in my home once again to catch my breath. I can't say whether I'd do it all again, but there is one highlight worth mentioning.

For the first time in the six years since we met and made music together, I finally got to spend time on stage in front of audiences as a duo with my best friend. It involved running late of course, as well as crafting a "clarikazoo" on the way out the door with duct tape. We practiced one song in the car on the way to the first stop and then let go of worry and simply played whatever came into our heads. We even played one song that neither of us had ever performed, but we'd played the record many times. The audience laughed with our goofy antics and we laughed with each other and every song landed with gracious applause. It was exhilerating to finally cross the chasm of fear that had kept us from making the leap and learning that together we can fly.

I could have danced all night

J's at MoDaddy's

What do you get when you mix former and current members of The Blue Rags, Snake Oil Medicine Show, Mad Tea Party, Firecracker Jazz Band, & Squirrel Nut Zippers on stage with electric instruments? High powered rock and roll baby!

I had just finished a fun evening of singing and playing trad jazz with Dan Petrella & Caroline Pond in SC and was too wired to think about sleep. So, I trucked up the hill to meet C-Po at MoDaddy's and check out what the Screaming Jay's sounded like now that they were just the J's. I couldn't help but dance.

Thanks to Jake, Abe, Krekel, Mikey Fresh, and the H-bomb for a great finish to an evening full of music.

Frank Vignola

I just had the pleasure of interviewing the amazing jazz guitarist Frank Vignola before he arrives for a show here in Tryon, NC on October 18. I am in utter awe. Here's the video link he sent when I mentioned learning to play clarinet.

I mentioned some of the folks playing for our gig earlier in the day (Dan Petrella who he met years ago in Detroit, Tuba player Henry Westmoreland, piano player Reese Gray) and he said "bring instruments and we'll jam in the second set." I said I didn't know if they'd have a piano set up and he said "I was thinking of the clarinet." I think I have some practicing to do before then.

The Art Deco Review

Last night was the first Russ Wilson Art Deco Review at Eleven on Grove in Asheville. For me, it was my first real opportunity to play with an Asheville audience doing something other than Poetry Alive! For a moment, I felt intimidated when I looked at the band's "script" for the show that just had my name in capital letters between every act. I knew what my "bits" were though and had mapped out where I needed to be and what I would be doing for each one and focused on that instead. By the third time I interrupted Russ I had the audience heckling Russ on my behalf and I knew it was working.

By the time I sang with the band, even though I only had two friends hiding in that audience and doubt any of them had ever seen me on stage, I had them cheering for me more than any "star" that performed that evening. There is something terribly addictive about winning over an audience and getting them laughing with you and cheering you on.

As if that wasn't special enough, I got a big smile and thumbs up from the local jazz diva (retired Chicago music teacher/jazz pianist/community chorus director) I admire most at the library show the Dixie Rhythm Aces played earlier in the day.

Funny, there's one musician I've been trying to prove myself to for years. When I release all that work and energy to the rest of the world I get more back than one heart could ever return.