Jammin’ with NAHüM

I had a blast last Saturday night performing at the El Ojito Springs Center for Creativity.  I was one of two “openers” for NAHüM – a band that performs what it calls “Scripture Rock”.  I’d say, if electric guitars and basses had been around at the time of King David, the Psalms would have sounded like this.  I have not heard bible verses delivered like this anywhere, anytime.  It’s different.

 

NAHüM is comprised of three very talented men: Brian Taraz, front man (guitar and vocals) and songwriter, Tony Wegener (Bass), and Michael Parker (Drums).  I have known Brian for about 12 years.  No one I know has more energy or better stage presence.  His partners Tony and Michael are masters of their instruments and play so “together”, it’s like they have been doing so since they were born. 

When they asked me to join them with my slide guitar in a blues rendition of the 23rd Psalm, I could not resist.  It was fun fun fun.  I also played along with Gina Chesler, a red-haired singer/songwriter with a great voice and some real talent for writing.

I hadn’t played with a band since my younger days with Wasatch Front (in Ogden Utah)
It was a blast.

Two dogs? Again?!!

Well,,,, we’re back to TWO dogs.  In addition to “Rocket” the Pit-bull, we adopted a 3-yr-old Golden retriever – Chow mix named “Sage”. 

I can’t begin to tell you how strange this is for me.  I really never had a dog as a kid and quite frankly, didn’t want one now.  But my bride longed for a dog, so we got one.  Then she said “Rocket needs a playmate”.  What?  Now we need a dog for the dog?  What just happened? 

We went to the Humane Society this time – a much better experience than the county shelter.  Sage was such a loving and mild-mannered dog, I figured what the heck, give it a try.  We got lucky. She and Rocket (the Pit-bull) have become great pals.  These two sleep cozily together in the same crate without so much as a cross growl all night.  That’s a good thing for all beings, canine and human, in the house. 

///Darrell

Darrell Rodgers                                             

Singer, Songwriter, Performer, Humorist

http://darrellsongs.com  

Taylor Guitars – a stronghold of Customer service

You’ve heard me rant about the decline of competence and Customer Service in America.  Well, I’m pleased to report that it is alive and well at Taylor Guitars.

Just before I moved to Tucson from Imperial Beach, I took my Taylor Guitar over their factory in El Cajon, CA (about 20 miles from where I then lived) to have the “Expression System” – the internal pick-ups and pre-amp – fixed.  The pots had begun making horrendous noise when I tried to make any adjustment.  It was the Expression System that moved me to buy the Taylor in the first place.  I needed a good guitar and a way to record a decent acoustic sound without relying on microphones (too much ambient noise at the beach!) 

“JR”, the lead guitar tech there at the factory said he would try to complete the work before I moved but would ship it to me for free if it took too long. He explained how they carefully crated each guitar they shipped. I thought, that’s attention to detail by a man who knows his job! But on the following Wednesday, two days before the move, JR called me to say it was ready for pick-up. Fantastic!  As usual, not only had he repaired my beautiful “Limited Edition” 710CE, he put on a brand new set of strings (Elixir) and polished the guitar.  And now the best part – when I asked what had been replaced he said “well, since you had one of the early versions of the Expression System, we decided just to replace the entire electronics package and upgraded you to the latest version”.  Wow.  Now, get this: Price tag: $0, zero, nada, zip.  All covered under warranty.  Friends THAT’s customer service!

Last night I played (at El Ojito Springs in Tucson) through a PA for the first time since moving.  What a joy it was to be able to adjust my tone and volume without any pops or cracking.  And of course, the guitar sounded sweeeet.  After all, it’s a Taylor!

///Darrell

Darrell Rodgers                                             

Singer, Songwriter, Performer, Humorist

http://darrellsongs.com  

News from Around the Country

News coming from around the country this past week included a message from Angelique Bollard in Troy, Montana who just joined the darrellsongs mailing list. Angel and I met years ago when we were “home-front-pioneering” Baha’is in the same town – National City California.  That little piece of Baha’i jargon means we each moved there in order to achieve a membership count of 9 adult Baha’is in that city, and form a local Spiritual Assembly – which we did! Welcome Angel!

My producer friend Jarome Matthew in Vancouver British Columbia is heading to China this week for a recording project there.  Good luck Jarome.  We’re expecting great things!

And Laura Harley is working on the release of her new CD.  She has chronicled the process on her own website and I’ve enjoyed following along.  Laura is learning a great deal about production and promotion.  I hope to get her to share some wisdom at our next Music Weekend at Bosch.

On a sad note, the world lost a great man last week – Dith Pran. You may know his name from the movie “The Killing Fields” about his escape from destruction in the Cambodian genocide of the Pol Pot regime.  What makes this particularly poignant for me is his friendship with my bride Deb.  Deb was a newspaper reporter and editor for 20 years before becoming disabled.  She “met” Pran “on-line” through a mutual friend.  Pran took it upon himself to regularly send Deb humorous stories and encouragement making her bed-ridden days (now behind her Thank God) much more tolerable.  Imagine that! – a man of world fame who came through greater horrors than most folks can imagine, took the time to comfort a pen-pal he had never met face to face – just because he knew she needed it.  Friends, That’s how God works through us. 

Deb says: “Pran kind of adopted me. He sent me prayers, inspiring stories and jokes almost every day. There were times when I was in the lowest depths of despair and a silly joke from Pran would snap me out of it. That’s how I came to value humor so much when facing any difficulty. That Pran took me on while still fighting on behalf of fellow Cambodians, working full-time, etc. Well, he was just a truly special individual.”

And I must give a hearty THANK YOU to my artist friend Moro Baruk down in the Caribbean nation of Haiti!  Moro makes very artistic items he sells in Haiti and on his website.  Among his creations are very clever CD-boxes that appear to be held or toted or sat upon by little Haitian people.   You will notice from the pictures in his photoblog, how my Darrell’s Birthday Party CD appears in the “Place d’honneur”, as Moro calls it.
Check out Moro’s craft at:   http://www.photoblog.com/baruk/2008/04/05/

Next Saturday I will be “opening” for Brian Taraz and NAHuM at El Ojito Springs on 4th Ave in Tucson.  I was able to rehearse a blues number with them last weekend and had a ball.  Last Wednesday, Brian played solo at the “Open Mic” there and inspired me to perform there this Wednesday.  If you’re in town, come on down.

///Darrell

Darrell Rodgers                                             

Singer, Songwriter, Performer, Humorist

http://darrellsongs.com