...off to the canyon again
for a week of
music
hiking
reflection...

peace/out...

...giving birth to musical instruments is sometimes painful...

...lest one should get the impression that i'm hung up on basses alone, here is my Yairi classical guitar, a friend in the quiet hours when all the amplifiers and electrics have been packed away...don't play six-string all that well, but have been dedicating a bit more time to it as of late, in the late night hours, quietly finger-picking, hoping that some new songs will come tumbling out...god knows there's all sorts of crazy shit going on to write about...

...this guitar is as of yet nameless...any ideas?

Kewpee

...through this portal is the reason why i stray from vegetarianism...

...this place has been here since 1928...and both of my grandpappy's ate there...

the famous Kewpee burger...double special with cheese please...and as the wrapper says, "Hamburg-pickle-on-top makes your heart go flippity-flop

i think this napkin dispenser has been there since i was a lad...

i heard some whack-a-doodle on the radio today saying that Barack Obama is going to appoint Shakira as Secretary of State...hmmm...interesting...

...makes infinitely more sense than Sarah Palin being one melanoma away from being president...

it's no secret that my total immersion in music has prevented me from vaporizing, most likely decades ago...it is career, lifestyle, artform, psychotherapy all rolled into one...and lately, it has become a form of meditation with some surprising results...

...during a show recently at the Spirit Room in Jerome, Az. the band was closing the night with Stevie Wonder's song 'Superstitious' which we've turned into a vehicle for us to get our ya-ya's out and take as long and crazy solos as one wishes to...especially if the joint is packed and the folks are dancin' and sweatin' and screamin'...this was exactly one of those moments...

...i launched into my solo with the usual down low gut rumbling slappin', just to set the mood, to build the foundation...as it built in intensity, i could feel that wonderful spirit of adventure take over and i knew i was going to be exploring new sonic seas...suddenly the giant musical hand pushed me and 'Third Stone From The Sun' by Jimi Hendrix flowed out and in a weird swirling whoosh, i found that i was standing outside my body, watching as if it were a video...it only lasted for a few seconds before i realized i'd better get back and guide my fingers through the festivities...

...it was amazing...perhaps i'll have the balls to stay out there longer the next time...

Barbara

....this is another of my dear friends, Barbara...the somewhat crappy snapshot doesn't bring out the true beauty of the lovely copper metalflake paint job...old school Fender bass all the way, named for a red haired cheerleader i had a crush on when i was a freshman...she was a sophomore, an older woman and made completely of unobtainium...oh, and her last name was Copper, hence the connection...

Judy

this is Judy, the Zeta electric upright bass...she is far more upright than her fleshy compatriot...

...was just watching a bit of the republican national convention and couldn't help but notice that almost everyone in the hall is white...and old...not to mention a good number empty seats...
...and then the best thing...someone holding a sign that says "Raisin' McCain!" ...how true...a wrinkled old fruit...and a white grape, to be sure...i have no doubt that the bearer of the sign did not realize (or even understand) the double entendre...

how can this political race be even close?...is the american public that fuckin' stupid?