T. batalinii In My Backyard

"A little Tulip for rock gardeners to dream about and to secure at the earliest possible moment. It hails from Asia Minor...  It produces four or five stem leaves, and a stout little stem bearing a small generous cup with rather bluntly pointed segments.  They are lightly fragrant.  It crosses freely with its brilliant allies and from these crosses, it is said, have been raised many beautiful forms in pinkish red, lemon, apricot, and peach." (Excerpt "Adventures with Hardy Bulbs," Louise Beebe Wilder, 1936)

Show Tonight at The Delancey

Home from The Delancey. 3.29.10. The show went well. Thanks to all of those who came out. My friend Steve Demarcado, a master perfumer sent me a text message saying he could not make it shortly before the gig.  Then he showed up! He said, I had to come. The Renegades's energy was coming from Saturn; far off, visceral and up tempo.  I heard from many people after the show that we were tight and everything sounded the best so far. Very gratifying.  No one thought we were arriving from far and distant planets. We did Sister Sister as an encore - no rehearsal. We had no encore planned.  I thought Will You Kiss Me and Burning For You sounded good too.   I passed out the new single. Can't Blame It All On You b/w Faker.   My beautiful friend Kristin, black from hair to toe took this photograph.

PS My friend Curt Nielsen (superb actor) wrote me this morning. "... you were so lonely on that stage, undressing before us there, with your songs, each sung another layer dropped." That is how I felt. And it isn't comfortable. I don't feel good.

Bern Nix Article in allaboutjazz

Bern Nix performs on my latest recordings. If you'd like to learn more about one of the great jazz artists of our time. Read this wonderful article in allaboutjazz.com.

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=33841

More Stills From My Film

James Lord On The Street

A still from my film.

Mixing New Songs at Orange Studio

I was at Orange Studio last night mixing two new songs; Can't Blame It All On You and Faker.  James Dellatacoma was at the board and I brought 70, my mysterious Euro bass player to lend his ears. Mixing a song is like editing a movie. The work can be saved or destroyed in the room. Usually things fall in between. Too bad.  After about 5 hours I had to fight the urge to give up and give in.  70 talked at length about dbs and eq parameters and then said "it is up to you man."  I think the songs came out well, meaning we well represented the initial thrust&concept. Though I can barely remember the initial feeling.  The songs seem distant now.  I gave these recordings a lot of thought, but I went in on instinct and impulse.  I'm so far through these songs I've come out the other side. I look at them and wonder what was I thinking?  At one point I felt despair creep in when I realized we could spend a week mixing these songs. Instead we were doing it in one night. Limitations are good, that what I keep saying to myself.  Hah!  70 took this photograph of me in the studio when it was over. I feel it captured my mood. Lost in sea of darkness, with just a little light.  

Avatar vs Andy Pratt

I have not seen Avatar.  But I did download Andy Pratt's debut album the other day. This self titled debut was recorded and released in 1973.  I had the album for years, along the trail most of my records were lost. Like the time my girlfriend asked me to move out of her home at 5:30am. Ok I said. Now. she said.  Itunes is a great way to reclaim your favorite albums.

I bought his first two albums. Played them incessantly.  Then in 1976 or 77,  I went to hear Andy Pratt at the Bardavon Theater in Poughkeepsie NY. He was touring on his second album, Resolution.  The opening band was the Rich Furey Band, (of Poco and Buffalo Springfield fame).  The Bardavon was a beautiful old theater.  It was empty back then, just a few rock concerts.  His band was great, I think the same band that played on the album.  His music is romantic, complex and confessional, intelligent and it rocks!  I'm not describing the confessional sensitive piano/guitar music of the 70's. Wait I like Bread! After the show, I waited a while to met him.  No one else was waiting.  I asked him if he would play at my high school. I was on the student council so I had some pull.  I remember him as tall and thin,  gazing down at me pretty intensely.  Like, is this kid serious?  How many high school show offers did he get back then?  He was gracious.  My high school wasn't interested.   I continued to listen to his albums. His lyrics affected me.  Like much of the music "old & new" I listened to in 1976/77; Talking Heads, Television, Iggy Pop, Bob Dylan, Roxy Music,  it was all startling and invigorating music.

Avator vs Andy Pratt?  I'm confused. Everyone seems willing to see Avatar and pay to see it, but not willing to pay for "independent music" or artists. The "independent" ghetto.   I wonder why Andy Pratt or all the other "independent" artists I know (including myself) are expected to subsist on crumbs.  Oh no, sour grapes isn't my dish.  Bring me the bread, water and wine.