Reminiscing

Ya know over time ya just gotta stop and reflect. Goals you've wanted to achieve, goals you have achieved etc,... I look around my studio, I have a Gold Album on the wall. Oh yea for reals. Why back in the day if you were a part of an album that sold over 500,000 copies... "You" got to join the club of Gold Album honorees. So, there I am (I co-wrote a song for Pat Benatar) and got a nifty Gold Album. Ya can't do that now... Why? Cause they have CD's now, you get a gold CD now days I guess. So, I'll look forward to one of those.

I have a Hammond Organ in my studio.. Always wanted one of those. I have the rotating Leslie speakers too.The top is cut off so the rotating speaker is exposed, (louder that way). Fun to watch the top rotor speaker spin. I don't have much office space so 'things' collect on top of that cabinet. Fun to 'fire up' the 'ol Hammond and watch as the speaker spins, stuff just goes "Flyin' everywhere as that baby whirls like a helicopter takin' off.

My old Rickenbacker bass hangs on the wall with other assorted instruments, even gotta "accordian". Why!?!? I don't know, something I always wanted... however I never figured out why.

The Middle of Nov. a new DVD will come out of Rocket Scientists live at the 3 Rivers Festival. It should be a great DVD, I recall the concert and venue being superb. Think Tank Media always does a top notch job with production and sound. I'm excited as the 'big' solo piece of mine is part of the show. "Ya know, you never think of it this way but... I never get to see it". I'm always on the other side of my eyes. Hopefully I'll be as happy when I watch it as I was when I was performing it - from my side of the mirror.

A solo I'd like to see of mine... but alas never did, was a solo spot I had many years ago in front of a 4,000 seat arena and televised to boot. It was a bass solo. I thought I'd make a 'grand' entrance from the band by jumping off the piano players bench to the front of the stage. Well I jumped to hurriedly, and the bench teetered (even with the piano player still on it), I recovered my balance and landed okay, thinking to myself (ohhhh close one, but now let's play).

I was so pumped up from nearly falling over I started 'slappin' the bass strings but not realizing how 'hard' I was doing it. Suddenly when the notes weren't sounding right, I looked over and noticed... I hit the strings so hard they all bounced off the neck and all the strings where now in the same 'string slot' as the first string!!!! The only thing I could think of to do was to make it a 'bongo' solo... so I kept slapping and banging on the bass like they were bongos!!!

Oh well, maybe that solo is one, best remember from my side the eyes.... and ears. It was in Korea so... maybe fortunately it never made it to the US.

Ya know... another thing I think is funny as I notice you get more famous, (I'm not a house hold word by any means but in my small circle - slightly larger than my wife, son and mom) I get recognized occasionally and ya begin to think about stuff differently.

Like say, your playin' in a club, and before you go on, the dinner you ate 45 min. ago starts backin' up on ya. You think to yourself - 'should I use the restroom in the club!' Because when I get done... the next person's that open that door are gonna have the 'smell shock' of their lives... "Then there gonna see it was me!" Then the show will start - and I'm thinking "No matter how well I play,... there gonna be tellin' all their friends, "ya know, that guy really stinks! really!"

Sooo ya end up holdin' it... that can't be to healthy either.

Okay, I'm off on a silly tangent here. You all have a good night!
Don

"Together again for the first Time"

Hi All and everyone,

Oh about a year ago, (whew time fly's by) I did a recording for a German artist "Valenteano" (sounds Italian to me but hey, I just play the notes). Wonderful writer and in this case a more 'classical' vein. I thought I was playing on a "Bon Jovi" type ablum when first contacted and when I got the tracks, it was classical acoustic guitar... "SURPRISE".

Well, needles to say I dove in and had a blast. The CD releases next month called "VALENTEANOacoustics". I played NS/Stick bass side doin's only, but I got in a few high slides. I went for a fretless feel.

Then for the adventurous of ear! Listen for the 'cello' like part. OH YES indeedy! It's me again, bouncin' back big 'n loud with the Bowed Guitar! The manufacturer calls it the GuitarViol(www.togamanguitars.com). Either way, it's a guitar set up with a curved bridge so you can bow each string. Lovely sound, (Emmett was so gracious to set it up for me so I could "YES, you guessed it!" what else would I want to do but "Tap and Bow" together!!! OF course I would, however this tune shows no example of that! Lol, Just bowing, Give a listen.

Acoustic Guitar, NS/Stick and GuitarViol. Together again for the first time

Go to:
http://www.myspace.com/valenteanoacoustics
Scroll down to song number 6 "ELEGIE"

Take care, off to the Santa Cruz seminar... See you there, Donut in hand.
Don