Lot of Music - the way I like it!

It has been a Very busy week. The three Indian gaming casino gigs were a blast. The shows went over incredibly well, standing ovations on all. Great venues especially the Valley Center casino, the stage was out doors and part of the area was cut into the mountain side. Just lovely.

The stage was about 7 feet high and allowed the ground crew to work from underneath. It was funny to look underneath as it was obvious the stage crew makes themselves at home. "Hammocks were hung, laptops and coolers resting near by with little christmas tree lights strung all around" . It looked like an underworld tent city.

The real excitement for me of any tour of this nature... "Hotel/Gambling casino's" is that in being part of the act you get to eat for free. Soooo these tours become the "Whose got the best Buffet" tour! "AND the winner is!!" The "Valley Casino" with the "All You Can Eat Lobster" buffet. Apparently I can eat a lot of Lobster, crab legs and shell fish... I had a wonderful meal, It took me about an hour and I topped it all off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream that I put in my coffee... Ahhhh very nice day.

After that string of tour dates I returned home and needed to finish some horn arrangements for the TV show theme I co-wrote with Lance. Great theme (in our opinion Lol). The session went fantastic and the Theme came out even better than I imagined. My worry was that I don't write horn charts that often, the session horn players hired are top notch session players and I didn't want to show up with something 'poorly written' out.

One tip to good writing is considering the nature of the instrument you are writing for... for instance... I play a stringed instrument, I don't blow into my instrument, so I can 'eat' donuts and drink coffee before I play an not worry about blowing "bits of food and drink" down my horn!! or more on topic... Horns run out of air when holding out notes, not a pretty sight to watch 'em run low, even less pretty - is the look you'll get for writing out notes that long!

I will confess I pushed it, effective to the tune - but non the less a bit long... any less of a horn section would have collapsed. "Great job Guys!" and sorry. (They were kind - no glares just pro playing). Tomorrow the 'suits, executives, decision makers, those that write the checks" come into the studio to listen. Keep your figures crossed for us. This would be a nice gig.

After tomorrow, I will go back to writing/recording for the Smooth Jazz CD. It is coming along just great. I'm very happy with it, great players and the studio we have to mix and master in will just give it that 'high end' pro sheen it will need to fit that style of music.

My next Progressive Rock solo CD needs is coming along as well. I'm halfway through writing it and a lot of that has been recorded all ready.

Speaking of PROG ROCK, the "3 Rivers Progressive Rock Festival DVD" is out. THis was a great concert feature 10 Prog Bands:

"Rocket Scientists (yay us) , Flower Kings, Spock's Beard, Neal Morse, California Guitar Trio, Gongzilla, IZZ, Mandrake Project, Manifesto and Kalon." (A lot to see and hear to be sure!)

I was sent my 'promo' copy and enjoyed it a lot. The camera angles (multi camera shoot) and editing are very nice. The sound is "BIG". Impressive package. I recommend it.

Very nice 'still' picture section to the DVD of each band. "Deluxe picture of me on one of the DVD pages. Ya gotta love that, nice surprise.

Okay, long day time to relaxe.

Have a great weekend everyone and I'll do the same!

Don

Golden Boys/gig in San Diego area

I had taken down the "Golden Boys" gig at Valley View Casino (through a mix up) that gig fell through for me.... however I just got the call . I'm on it. See you all there if you are planning on attending. It is a very nice show and a lot of fun to see. Great memories if you are familiar with these 50's icons of early rock.

Deluxe, Cool, Super, "See your there!"

Don

Long Day but a Good Day!

I had a double session today starting at 10:AM. That was fun, long day but a great day. The first session was for a young band (Average age 17), great writing and playing. I brought my NS/Stick but they opted for the standard Fender Jazz. Thought they might select that as it has a less intense low end. They had several basses to choose from as well as the NS. I played each with pick and fingers for them to decide.

The compression used was the Tube Tech CL 1B (Out board gear - not a plug in). I really like the response and umph it adds to low end. I've wanted one for my own rig back in the day when I rolled around with a 15 space rack. I never splurged for the price is high and the studios always had one or something comparable. I guess I figured, (Okay I was being cheap) and thought "Why buy the cow when you get the milk free" or something silly like that.

The hardest part of the session for me was the simplicity. No flash, no flare just play under the guitar chords like an extension of the lowest note of the chord. I'm always 'seeking the creative line' to link the chords, rhythm and harmonies together, the last thing I would think to do was just play roots.

After hearing me warm up the producers first words - in a sincere and apologetic tone, where, "I'm so sorry we are not going to be using all your talents today, you'll just play "beyond simple bass lines"... . And so I did just that. My ' internal reward to myself' after the session was just knowing they got exactly what they were after and were very happy with it. The band will have great success, there is a lot of talent, excellent production team and connections behind them. I'm sure they will have a YouTube video up of the song and I'll hear my bass part... but see a teenager with tatoo's rockin' my part.
Ya gotta love it.

The next session (2:PM) was a two song session as well but for two different projects. I played both projects with the NS/Stick "with the intensely fierce low end". This producer uses the Pultec Eq and Fairchild plug ins for the NS. 'That' sound really works for me. Huge clear intense low end - with sub low end punch.

This project I got to stretch out on, be creative and throw a few gymnastic NS bass parts in. Just enough to let the Producer/engineer know, 'hey there's a player on board here!" without 'taking over' the tune. (There's kind of an art form to that... you always want to address a song with 'your style' but not get in the way, as you want to 'enhance' what the writer envisioned - not cloud it.

The second tune was a theme for an upcoming TV show. Very exciting tune that was the kind of a production tune that had rock and swing elements in it. In this kind of session I feel so glad I have a lot of experience in many styles of music. You can just 'grab on" to the elements that make 'swing' swing and Rock 'Rock' with authority and intensity and drive the track where it needs to be. In the end when you accomplish that, you have Happy writers and producers and that makes for a happy session.

Hopefully lots more where all that came from as it was a wonderful musical day.
Have one for yourselves!
Don

"Alas poor Urich, I knew him well!"

I went to the taping of season 3 of "The Guild". I was BLOWN away. The shoot was taking place at my friend Pat Duncan's house.( great writer/director- Pat wrote one of my favorite movies Mr. Hollands Opus). 

When I drove up I saw Pat's house with a moving van out front. The Van was full (now empty) of Movie making equipment, everything you need to make "Lights, Camera and ACTION!!!".

Each room in his house was a 'set' to look like each characters house in the show. Movie Stuff EVERYWHERE, even the Kitchen. People everywhere from wardrobe to make-up to grips.

I said, Wow you no longer live in a house you live in a movie set! 

Pat was at a meeting so while waiting for him it was fun to stroll through the house and watch all the action. My son Aaron was with me so while we were there, we set him up to be an 'Extra" in the show. He loves the show, so now he'll have the added bonus of 'while watching it' he can 'watch himself' while watching tv. 

Pat came in, saw there was barely room to move - and since we came to go have lunch anyway.... that was a good time to do so.

So Pat, Aaron and I went to "Campanile's" Restaurant. A bit of a historic place and speaking of movies and sets... It was Charlie Chaplin's office building and it also had apartments that he used for guests as well to live in. Classic look and now an elegant restaurant.

Pat is immediately recognized by the staff as we walk in and we are shown to a wonderful table. The food was "GREAT" real class, with there 'special' chef creations that even make everyday items taste fantastic. I usually don't over eat... but I did. Stuffed and it's two days later, I'm still full.

So now we go back to Pats, production is still in full swing - it's 3:pm and they started at 6:am. It reminded me of how glad I was not to pursue acting, I'm not a morning person unless I've been up all night giving me a  "running start into the next morning".

Aaron heads over to the 'shoot' tomorrow morning "8:am" start... again "Glad I didn't pursue an  acting career". Go super Aaron! Call me when your done... "Give 'em you best Hamlet quotes!"

Excellent!

Don

"Certified!"

Strange but true story for me... and a first.

I'm driving home this evening and stop at the traffic light, the girl driving in the car to my left is mouthing words... so I roll down my window to hear what she is saying. 

She says, "Dude, you are soooo cool!"

Stunned I said, 'Thanks that's so kind of you to say!" and drive on.  

Coincidentally my cell phone was ringing right afterwards and it was my wife, I was so excited to tell her, I said, "Hey, apparently I'm certifiably cool because an unknown third party has just verified this!" She laughed! As I'm still stunned.

She's such a good sport, it reminds me of the time this band I was in  would announce our hotel room numbers on stage. Everyone gave wrong numbers but me cause I was always curious who would show up! Apparently no one as months went on like this.

One day going back to my room two lovely ladies are heading in the right direction. I follow thinking, Nah... never happen. Well now there they are knocking on my room door. I'm stunned!  Extra stunned because on that tour I also had my wife an young son with me on the road. I watch the drama unfold as my wife answered.... Look the girls over and said, " C'mon on it he'll be here soon he's always wondered if anyone would ever show up!"

Thats' my girl. Married 33 years... and she never ceases to amaze me.

Well, lots of cool stuff comin' up next week, I'll write more then. Perhaps I'll have  an "I'm certifiably cool" T-shirt made up by then!"

Excellent!

Don