Inlaw Joe

My first session with Marty Rifkin is already up on MySpace, and I am back from California sitting in my apartment.  That was a quick trip.  Marty and I recorded 5 songs, and I put the first four up so anyone can listen to them.  Even though the new MySpace player can have more than four songs, this fifth number is sort of an unconventional one, called "Inlaw Joe."  

"Inlaw Joe"

Here’s one from the ol’ glory days
But you haven’t heard this one yet from me
To protect the characters I had to change the names
She was Lindsey, he wasn’t Joe let’s just say

Joe played songs he wrote from the heart
Lindsey’s love for him grew ever so strong
In truth it wasn’t that simple, but in short it wasn’t that long
They both knew it was love

     It was an unscripted affair
     Complete with electric guitars
     And now the family is saying the in-law is a rock star

One day Joe left without leaving a note
You know someone long enough and you get your heart broke
And then he was back in the driveway of their home
Asked if they could start over again

Lindsey, that girl was big on second chances
Never heard a Neil Young album that spooked her out of her senses
They fell in love again listening to the remasters
Happy they didn’t have to divide up the collection

     It was an unscripted affair
     Complete with electric guitars
     And now the family is saying the in-law is a rock star

     So being that the album isn't done, I don't really know what to do with myself.  I'm looking for some new gigs and friends to my myspace page, and trying to settle into a regular sleep pattern for the better of those around me.  I think the next big step is starting a podcasts this weekend.  Then there are some things around the apartment that need to be taken care of too, but I don't consider this a "what I did today" blog.  For now check out all the songs that are up on MySpace, and I will be posting more lyrics soon.  

Lee Oskar, you dog!

I just received a few long awaited harmonicas in the mail.  In all honesty I needed to buy harmonicas a few months ago but let it slide.  Not unlike changing strings harmonicas have a life span of a about a year for me (strings about a month).  Obviously if you play it more or harder it would need to be changed more frequently.  I've also heard dipping your harp in water will get it to sound nice if you do it right before you play, but the downside is that it may lessen the lifespan.  I've seen Neil Young do this in his MTV Unplugged but don't make a habit of it myself.  

I'm not a huge harmonica guru. In fact that tidbit about the water just exhausted my knowledge of harp playing!  I play folk harp with a diatonic harmonica around my neck.  I'm also about to get a lesson I deserved a while ago when I should have ordered these harmonicas:

In addition to a few harps (C, G, D, A) I also replaced a ten year old neck rack with the Lee Oscar rack that I've seen repeatedly get 4 or 5 stars from online shoppers.  I always played this old one-size-fits-all rack that I must have gotten from one of the guys in my first band.  I'm glad it lasted 10 years but my new one makes it look and feel like scrap metal.  

The only problem is that this rack has a different design and a new feel resting on my neck.  I just put it on, and I feel like I don't know how to play harmonica anymore.  It's going to be a while before I'm comfortable playing harmonica with this thing.  I'm thinking, "can I show up at my next gig with just the new one?"  I'm pretty sure the old neck rack deserves a comfortable retirement, but maybe this switch was more than I bargained for.  

Working Out a Solo

To take a deeper look into what I'm doing to prepare for recording, I can boil it down to one word - selecting. One of the things I was least prepared for the last time I went into the studio was what 5 songs to select for recording. Fortunately I met with the producer and he made me cut it down. That's a big thing to consider, and this time I haven't figured out how many songs are manageable in what time I have.

I eventually worked out some great solo material the last time I went into the studio that I was extremely proud of, but it took a lot of preparation. There's only so much you can plan unless you've been playing the song for years and know exactly how it should sound. My songs are fresh and this will be the first time a second guitar part will be played over them.

I am also writing in a bubble, such that no one hears my lyrics before they are finished. Just like the guitar solo I have to make sure the lyrics are nice and tight, with maybe a little wiggle room for discretionary changes. I'm going through every song one after the other, over and over, selecting what will be the final composition.

A great example of this is one song called "Heartstrings," which I am considering recording. I'm currently trying to work out a guitar solo, but the lyrics and chord changes are what make it a song people raise an eyebrow at. I am personally rooting for "Heartstrings" to make it onto the second half of the album. I just don't know how long this album will be. The better I make everything now, the better chance it has, so now I'll go back to work fine tuning each bit of it.

Another Busy Day

One question I get at my shows frequently is, "How long have you been playing guitar?"  More than any other question it seems like this is what I get asked.  The answer?  I started when I was 11 or 12 I remember, but it was only because I could get out of being in chorus twice a week if I took lessons on an instrument.  Pre-teen boy's favorite choice?  Survey says?  Guitar. 

The reason I bring this up is that I had a guitar lesson this morning and have a gig tonight, so it made me think of it.  I'm playing my regular "first Saturday" gig at Xtreme Bean Coffee Shop in Tempe, AZ.  Whoohooo!  Right now I have to get ready for tonight, so what do I do besides write a blog to get ready?  Well tonight I have to change some batteries on my tuner and "compression sustainer," the two pedals I rely on at any show.   Next I'm going to pack up my PA system, play a little guitar, load the car and get to the gig.  I like to sing a little too before a gig, which I can do all the while.  I don't like to swim or take a shower because it makes my fingers prune up and I need them to be firm and callused.  Finger care is a must if you're a guitar player.  

Other than the few things I have to do to make sure everything goes right I also try to relax as much as possible.  That used to mean smoking, but now it means trying to get there a little early and meet coffee drinkers and tea drinkers and students doing their homework on a Saturday night.  Hopefully they will stay around to watch me play, and after the show one might ask me, "How long have you been playing guitar?"  If I get that question from someone tonight I'll be really excited, as I always am, because it means I'm doing something special still.  

Happy New Year 2009!

I've been planning on recording a full length CD in 2009 and decided to start a little blog to go along with it.  Welcome to what I've created!  I used to blog when I lived in Florida and would post every week or so onto my MySpace page.  Surprisingly it was read by a small crowd of music fans, friends and family, and that's sort of what I look forward to with this nascent project.

As with my last blog, music will not be the sole topic, as I tend to throw in really random subjects, such as food, nature, books, and anything else under the sun.  But I'll try to keep it centered around music because that should be what's keeping me busy most of the time.  I've been setting up this blog for longer than you might imagine, so I'll have to keep this post short and work on my profile.

Through the year I hope to really make this blog a record of events and forum for discussion about the new album.  I'm looking forward to 2009 and invite you to take part in the experiment that will be this new year with me and with my music.