Music Recording Thwarted Again

Oh well, it was a great idea.  Recording some of my songs in that empty “live” living room with the hardwood floor was going to fun.  But alas, it was not to be.  Mostly, I cleaned and fixed things when I wasn’t driving or flying to business meetings for my “day” job (hey it pays the bills!).  But I did play one of my electric guitars in there and loved the natural reverb I heard.  I had some lyrics inspirations for a new blues tune I’m working on:

“Lullaby in Blue”
The loneliness echoes off the silence of home.
Your lover has gone and you’re again on your own.
You dreamed of a life as husband and wife,
Now the shards of those dreams stab your heart like a knife.
You sang your love song, now love is gone,
But tonight there’s something you can do,
Find a new dream to keep,
Sing yourself to sleep,
with a Lullaby in Blue.

(Dedicated to a young lady I know who is going through some changes)

I met some of my neighbors in Tucson during this trip.  Greg from across the street gave us a bag of fresh-picked tangerines from his own tree – delicious.  Now I’ll have to revive the orange trees beside my house to return the favor one day.  Those poor trees really got hit hard by record-setting summer heat but were sadly neglected by the watering department.  There’s still hope though and I believe they will come around.

I can’t end this post without expressing my gratitude to DMJ Contracting here in Tucson.  The back corner of my house (on my “studio” room) was sagging – victim of improper “water management”.  But Dan Jensen and his crew did an excellent job of putting things right.  It’s amazing what can be done with some concrete and a 20-ton house jack.  Thanks Dan!

///Darrell

Darrell Rodgers                                             

Singer, Songwriter, Performer, Humorist

http://darrellsongs.com  

We’re moving to Tucson

Decision made.  We’re moving in a couple weeks to our little house in Tucson.  It’s an old post-war brick rambler that I can best describe as a great kitchen with and old house around it. 

 

It’s undergone a few changes through the years, all done with the quality of a do-it-yourselfer, I’m afraid.  Oh well, it will give me plenty of “happy homeowner” moments in the coming months as I try to fix things.  We’re at the house now, taking advantage of business travel to Arizona, to get in some cleaning and repairs over the weekend.

Living in two places is difficult.  So often I need something I have, but realize I didn’t bring it.  And because I have one in California, I’m reluctant to go buy anther one in Arizona.  I guess we just need to get moved in completely!

I brought along most of studio stuff.  I want to do some “live” recording in my living room while it’s still empty.  It has a great reverb.  I’m not expecting any great tracks, I just want to have a little fun. 

I’ve had some good song writing ideas lately – some generated by the stress of moving.  How ‘bout this for a title: “The Honeymoon’s Over Blues.”

She used to greet me at the door in a sexy negligee’
Now baggy pants and sweat-shirts is what she wears all day
I’d get up and make her coffee, now I just hit the “snooze”
I guess I’m just afflicted with them Honeymoon’s Over Blues

Ha! That’ll be a good one.

///Darrell

Darrell Rodgers                                             

Singer, Songwriter, Performer, Humorist

http://darrellsongs.com  

PS -

I’m evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they’re letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

• The best blogging techniques.
• How to get traffic to your blog.
• How to turn your blog into money.

I’ll let you know what I think once I’ve had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it’s still free.

Home Repair, Competence, and Michael Fath

Back in Tucson Tonight

Ah! Home ownership. It took half of a day just to buy the stuff I thought I would need here at the house in Tucson.  I walked until my feet ached at both Home Depot and Lowes.  I bought a new ceiling fan for the living room – one with a pull-chain.  That’s right, a regular old ceiling fan.

You see, the one that’s been up there since I bought this place is a fancy remotely controlled unit with three fan speeds and a remote dimmer for the lights which are made to resemble bells, or perhaps Morning Glories hanging, down from the ceiling.  The whole assembly measured over 25 inches from the ceiling to the bottom of the glass lamp “bells” (I also bought a tape measure).  It was probably designed with a very high ceiling in mind, one so high perhaps that a pull-chain would have been impractical or just looked ugly.

But the brilliant folks who owned this house before me decided THEY should have such a remotely controlled lighted fan even though the living room ceiling is but eight feet high.  This means that the lamps have been hazardous to any visitors taller than me.  Worse than that however, is the blasted remote-control.  We’ve been through two.  Now the fan’s receiving unit appears to have failed.  And guess what – there’s no manual switch!  I had to find the right breaker on the fuse panel to turn off the fan (the lights quit long ago).  This fan is an illustration of my old adage: Just because we CAN (build/do/have something), doesn’t mean we SHOULD.  Sometimes, low tech is right tech.

Celebrating Competence (a rare commodity)

Many folks have heard me wax about how I appreciate competence more as I grow older.  It doesn’t matter what the task is, when I see someone who really knows how to do their job, I enjoy watching it.  I’ve been saying that for years.  I just discovered that H.L. Mencken, the famous “sage of Baltimore” said the same thing long ago:

• The older I get the more I admire and crave competence, just simple competence, in any field from adultery to zoology.  –H.L. Mencken

Well, recent encounters lately with the uninformed, unmotivated, “zombies of retail” have only heightened my longing to observe and celebrate competence. 

ME: “Excuse me, I’m sorry to interrupt your break, but do you carry chimney caps?” 
CLERK: What?
ME: “I need a chimney cap – that “hat”-like metal thing with a screen that covers your chimney flu and prevent birds from nesting in it.”
CLERK: “Did you look in plumbing?”

I long for the past age of “craftsmen” who could make complicated work look easy.  I remember watching a friend of mine in the window business years ago frame out some new windows in his own home.  He handled the metal bender with swift precision. After having only briefly examined the opening, he quickly created metal flashings that fit perfectly.  It was a joy to watch.

Michael Fath’s Incredible Guitar!!

BUT HERE’s a Bright spot!  Michael Fath is perhaps The MOST competent guitar player you’ll ever have the pleasure of seeing perform.  What?  Never heard of him?  Did you like Jeff Beck?  Liked Hendrix?  Well then it’s about time you heard Michael Fath.  Start here with Michael’s Website, and go right to the “Merchandise” page and click on “Yesterday’s Child”.  Go to the “buy” tab and listen to a sample of the title cut.  Wow.  Go on now, Buy It!

 

I grew up with Mike. His late brother Eddie and I were childhood pals.  So when I took my bride to Virginia last fall, for her birthday, we went to see Michael Fath perform.  He played Jazz that night with his Viceroy Jazz Ensemble.  It was incredible.  Mike gave us a copy of his recent Jazz CD “In My Life” and a copy of “Yesterday’s Child” which is progressive rock mostly, with some jazz, and even a supercharged country number.  Well, I had a “senior moment” and  left the CDs in my brother’s car.  But he just mailed them to me.  So, on our long drive to Tucson, I heard “Yesterday’s Child” for the first time.  It brought to mind the Jeff Beck records I used to listen to years ago.  I heard licks every bit as inventive as Stevie Ray Vaughn, but with better clarity and articulation. Fantastic.
 
Michael, I have long been your friend, but now I humbly stand also in your long and growing line of FANS.

///Darrell

Darrell Rodgers                                             

Singer, Songwriter, Performer, Humorist

http://darrellsongs.com  

Rich Pellegrino – An Italian named Latino Person of the Year

A friend of mine in Atlanta, Georgia, Mr. Rich Pellegrino is an amazing man of principle and courage.  Although he is himself Italian-American and his lovely wife Vesta is Caribbean-American, he has nonetheless just been named “Person of the Year” by Atlanta Latino magazine.  Here’s the article in English.

To my knowledge, Rich is the first non-Latino to be honored this way.
The reason is simple.  HE DID SOMETHING.  While most folks talk a good game, Rich MOBILIZED! 

Rich is unafraid to speak out about what he feels in his heart toward our immigrant population and does so with wisdom, tact and eloquence.  Rich, Vesta, and their children started their on “family movement” back in December 2006 by making a sign and holding it up on a street corner in Atlanta.  It reads Welcome to ALL and “We are ALL Immigrants”  have a look:

In the summer of 2007, the Atlanta Interfaith Council decided to hold an interfaith prayer vigil for the immigrants and the healing of the nation in regards to this issue.  Rich Pellegrino represented the Baha’is.

Last Fall, Rich was instrumental in the “Labor of Love” campaign where many community members, organizations and faiths came together to build a giant heart composed of 7000 red, white and blue flowers in downtown Olympic Centennial Park.  In a news interview, Rich, as one of the organizers, spoke well and delivered an important message: Though we all come from different ethics origins, we are all ONE PEOPLE.  And all of us are worthy of dignity and respect in our diverse national neighborhood.

Since no good deed goes unpunished, Rich has taken a bit of ridicule from neighbors and friends.  It seems that some folks have a hard time distinguishing Immigration from illegal border crossings.  But Rich’s message is simple and pure:  Love and Unity.  The immigrants to our country came here because they loved the promise of America.  They came here seeking a better life for their children.  It has been the same since our founding fathers.  Standing up for the principles of Unity and Love can never be wrong, even if it incurs great persecution.  Such persecution, willingly borne, will undoubtedly open hearts and minds of others.

“Love and unity are the needs of the body politic today. Without these no progress nor prosperity can be attained. Therefore the friends of God must adhere to that Power which will create this love and unity in the hearts of the sons of men.” (From the Baha’i Writings)

///Darrell

Darrell Rodgers                                             

Singer, Songwriter, Performer, Humorist

http://darrellsongs.com