Retro-actively posting today....

Busy, Busy. Music is all I ever do now.

Thurs night, Crosby Loggins, SOHO in Santa Barbara.

Great show, we played our new song, and it smokes. Pretty stoked on that. The other band was pretty badass too, Vajra from Santa Barbara. They are all music school fusion shredders who play hip-hop/fusion with an M.C. and a trumpet.

They were really good, except that their bass player was one of the strongest soloists in the band. I think he took like a solo every other song. He can play alot of notes, and fast.

On our last song of our set that night, Crosby gave me a solo on a section that kind of jams out tword the end of "World Turning" (a Lindsey Buckingham song).

I've NEVER had a solo in this band. And I've never soloed on that song. It was a spur of the moment thing, and so, thinking about how the other bass player could play so much more and faster than I, I decided to throw my super-swanky phrasing at the crowd. I thought about Monk as I used lots and lots of silence and behind the beat lines. It worked!

Kenny Loggins was in the crowd and he said to me, and I quote, "Hey, great job tonight!". I've always thought that he didn't like me or my playing so I felt pretty damn good about that. That guy doesn't give false compliments.

Though somehow, in the course of the evening, I smacked my finger against something tremendously hard. It is still swollen and bruised 3 days later. It doesn't help that it's my primary bass finger and that I play every night, not giving it a chance to heal. I'm actually worried about it, it hurts like a bitch, I can't play my upright correctly or slap or play fast or anything. I've been icing it off and on, but I've got a LONG week ahead of me with no days off.....

Do you like it hot or mild?

Had a terrific jazz gig tonight, packed house, great listeners, applause after solos, good vibe, the whole thing. Had a great time.

This guy, Chris, that I've known for a long time was calling me out during every solo, egging me on. Turns out it worked, it made me play better. He was getting all drunk and next thing you know, in the middle of a mellow-ass ballad, he's in the corner brawling with a bunch of dudes. Crazy. I wouldn't say that 'Beautiful Love' is exactly fighting music, but each to his own!

Here's an mp3 of 'Sabroso', the latest project I'm involved in. It's probably the funnest band I'm in right now, great players. This is a rehearsal cut so it's a little rough around the edges playing wise, but it was multitracked with a protools rig so it sounds great -

Juan Pachanga

Listen for the horrible splice at the end. It's a real bad edit.

I promise never to grow old

The whole aging thing is inevitable. Most people resign and figure there is nothing they can do about it. Screw that. I know old people who don't ACT like old people and I think that's the key.

So here's my pledge to you. Help create a better future for everyone and pass it along. Email it to a friend (click the little envelope icon at the bottom of the post) or print out this PDF and stash it somewhere amongst your stuff in a place where you won't find it for years. You know, like in your copy of the bible.



I, __________________________________, promise never to be a crotchety old person.

I promise never to drive UNDER the speed limit, and if anything, drive OVER it.

I promise never to wear 'Old person' Clothes. You know, the stuff you have to wade through by the ton at Goodwill to find the good stuff. Nobody wore that stuff when they were in their prime, so they shouldn't wear it when they're old.

I promise to keep my health up so I won't need a walker or a cane. And if I do need a cane, I promise that it will be the type that pimps use, with a sword in it and a solid gold handle.

I promise never to bore the crap out of the younger folks around by talking about how hard things were back in my day. Everyone knows the generation before them had it rougher. Let's just agree on that and be done with it.

I promise to keep up with technology so I don't appear to be the confused old fart who is afraid to touch my grandkid's computers and gadgets.

I promise to keep a somewhat open mind and try not to get 'set in my ways'. You know how stubborn grandpa can be. Let's try and keep it cordial at least.

And last but not least, I promise never to use the term 'Sonny' in reference to a younger person than myself.



From a man apparently struggling with his own age,

Forrestt

Funked Up

Busy week, a friend passing, a serious sickness (of which I'm still getting over), a recital for our students at the music store, work, rehearsals....

Tonight there was an electric storm floating through the county. I stood at the edge of the ocean and watched as several bolts of lightning fought violently with the earth every minute. It was a sight to behold.

Gary Drysdale was on this gig, and he's probably one of the most knowledgeable and shreddingest guitar players in the county. It's a little intimidating to play with him, cause I don't think my chops are up to his standard.

But it went well. I focused and held on real well, only getting lost twice. I played some good solos that brought the house down. Darryl kicked ass as usual on the drums. He's great to play with, I think we lock and vibe pretty well. He keeps calling me for gigs so I imagine he thinks the same. He's a real pro.

Still trying to get to 100%. I'm about 75% myself right now. Which means I'm 25% someone else? I don't know.

I do know that quitting smoking sucks. Especially when you're sick...

How Inspiration Sucks

I found out tonight after work that my good friend from high school, Ben Bradley, had been stabbed to death and dumped in a ravine in Wyoming.

Yeah, so then I had to go play a Jazz gig. Wow.

So there I am, all setting up and feeling like ass, having lost all faith in the Human race, and trying to keep my cool.

Long story short, I played better than I ever have in my entire life.

Ever.

Jake Odell, a local shredding guitar player was on this gig and HE told me that I was shredding, which meant a lot coming from a mr. Berklee school of music degree-having, jaded musician. I don't know what happened, I had a lot of pent up frustration that came out tonight. I know I wasn't imagining it because ALL the super sexy, scantily clad ladies came up to me saying, and I quote, "You were amazing!".

But I wasn't feeling that flow, all things considering.

Plus my house is a wreck and in no shape for guests.

2 different events in front of thousands of people part 2

But the real interesting part was being a hired gun to back up some country guys, Josh Graham and Rick Russel from the Smoking Armadillos. They are doing their own thing now and Dennis and Jarred (Leadbirds, MFC) used to play for the 'Dillos.
We were contacted Thursday, and wrote sketch charts out Fri. night, Listened to the charts on the way to the gig, rehearsed in the dressing room, and went on stage to play the songs in front of a thousand or so people.
Which means we (4 of the six Leadbirds) had to leave IMMEDIATELY after our set in Ventura and drive straight to Bakersfield for the country gig.
Granted I made a few mistakes, but for the most part, the band was hot.
(the pic is crappy cause it was nighttime by then and my phone camera sucks.)
Straight ninja style. Learn it right before and walk out and kill it!

2 different events in front of thousands of people part 1

Sat. Nov 30th.
Crosby Loggins and the Leadbirds open for Michael McDonald and Jackson Browne. Pretty happening event! Brett Dennon played before us and he was great, he had a real down to earth vibe about him.
It was at a great outdoor venue just outside of Ventura and it was a blast. We had some Record execs there to see us based on the good words circulating around from Thursdays' show. Heck yes.