Monsoon Season Report

I’ve got a list, sorry for the length.

Monsoon Season in Tucson

It never rains, but then it pours.  I’ve heard that before.  Now I live in it.  This is our first “monsoon season” in Tucson, and we finally got our first really strong rain of the season yesterday afternoon.  It was a good “gully washer”.  I didn’t have to water my back-yard last night.   Maybe now, I can get something green growing – anything except cactus will do – I’ve about given up on grass.

Tucson has some of the most spectacular lightning I’ve seen anywhere.  There’s something about the geography and its geologic composition that seems to promote some really long stretches of lightning bolts.  I enjoyed seeing it.  The dogs aren’t so sure. 

Restaurants in Tucson

I have determined that the phrase “voted best in Tucson” really doesn’t mean much here.  Either the voting is screwy or there are some really bad places to eat in this town.  I’ve decided that I’m just going to have to find my own “best of” and share my opinions with you.

Here’s a good one:  “Cafe Pacific” at Prince and Campbell (in the Safeway plaza).  This little place is NOT your typical Chinese restaurant.  This is an “Asian Bistro” or something classy sounding like that.  The dinners seem to range from $12 – $20 and that surprised me the first time I saw the menu but only because I did not realize what I was about to eat.  This is the best Asian cuisine I’ve found in Tucson so far and among the best I’ve found anywhere in the country.  If this restaurant was in San Diego, CA or Coronado, or La Jolla, they could double their prices, seat only by reservation, and be full each night.  It’s that good.  But here in Tucson, they’re on the verge of closing for lack of business.  Perhaps it’s because the folks in Tucson who really appreciate healthful, fresh ingredients prepared with care and attention to detail, just haven’t found it yet.  I hope they do soon.  Get your wallet out and treat yourself to some real flavor.  I have really enjoyed the Walnut Shrimp (the walnuts are incredible) and the Coconut Beef Stew (spicy). 

Here’s a disappointment: “Luxor” quit serving dinner.  This restaurant was serving some of the best Middle-Eastern food for the money that I had yet found here.  But after the City told them they could not run a Hookah Bar and a restaurant in the same facility, they chose to close the restaurant.  Go figure.

Music for the Soul

I should have shared this weeks ago.  We had a visit at the Baha’i Center by some young Baha’i musicians performing what they call “music for the soul”.  It certainly was.
Ali Youssefi from Chile’ and his sister Amelia Youssefi (Santa Fe NM), along with Gustaff Besungu from Cameroon, West Africa, gave us a delightful concert of Baha’i themes and scripture set to music.  Gustaff expertly played his African Djembe drum while Ali played classical guitar (and native flute) while the three of them harmonized their voices in a mixture of African and Latin American rhythms and melodies.  It was really fine.  Their music had a simple elegance that masked its sophistication.  Trust me, these young folks know what they’re doing.

Now here’s another part of the story, 35 years ago, when I first became a Baha’i, one of the local Baha’i girls in Northern Virginia was Katie Eckert.  Katie later moved away and married a Persian man named Arzhang Youssefi.  Yep, Ali and Amelia are Katie’s kids born when she and Arzhang lived in Chile’, South America.  (Suddenly, I feel old.)  I took a couple pictures and emailed them to Arzhang, their dad, who happens to be a cousin of one of my best friends in Virginia, Iraj Jaffari.  Here’s one of me and the “young’uns”. 

They were going to end their tour in Seattle.  I hope Russ Salton got a chance to hear them.  And, I hope they will make it to our Music Industry Weekend this fall.

///Darrell

Darrell Rodgers                                             

Singer, Songwriter, Performer, Humorist

http://darrellsongs.com  

Happy Father’s Day – 2008

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all you Dads out there.
 
I often joke that Fathers are bankers provided by God.  Nonetheless there are special gifts that flow to me simply because I am one.
 
I’ve decided that the best gift children can give dad on Father’s Day is their own happiness.  Nothing makes this dad more content than seeing his kids happy, and living with that “attitude of gratitude”.

I have to thank my dear bride for a wonderfully lazy afternoon, with no chores assigned, and one of my favorite dinners at the end.  I spent my afternoon in the exact same way my dear ol’ Dad spent his Father’s Day afternoons – watching the last round of the US Open Golf Tournament (well, it was the last round when in started, but now there’s a playoff). 

My Dad was one of those guys who could watch TV with his eyes closed.  Just when you were sure he was asleep, and reached to change the channel, he’s say “hey, I’m WATCHING that”. 

My dad loved Golf.  He played every chance he got.  He loved the landscape (that he didn’t have to mow) and the camaraderie of his good golfing buddies.  When my younger brother took up the game, he and dad became regular partners on the course.  I never mastered the game.  Heck, I never even “novice’d” it!  But when dad died, my brother and mother gave me his clubs and got me started.  Like my dad, I love the landscape and the camaraderie.  I can’t stand however the frustration and sore aching muscles!!!  Even so, I still try, even though just watching the pros is so much easier.
 
I hope you had a great Father’s day.  Be sure to express your own joy and gratitude to whoever might be “Dad” in your life.

///Darrell

Darrell Rodgers                                             

Singer, Songwriter, Performer, Humorist

http://darrellsongs.com  

Getting Ready for Music Industry Weekend 2008

I know October 30 is still a half-year away, but I’ve begun preparations for the 6th annual Music Industry Weekend at Bosch Baha’i School.  This extended weekend conference of Baha’i musicians, producers, recording engineers and promoters has become my favorite event of the year. 

For 3 and a half days I get to visit with some good friends and make some new ones and they are among the most talented Baha’is I will meet all year long.  I know this because it happens every year.  We’ll have some workshops on things like songwriting and composition, and technical sessions on recording, and even some really good info on the “business” side of the music business.  But I think my favorite part, by far, is jamming with so many really talented people. 

Alan James, my good friend and colleague from Del Dios, California says “When folks play really well, it makes me want to join in and play too.”  That’s the way I feel as well.  There’s no greater spark for my own creativity than witnessing someone else’s art.  Alan’s been writing songs and performing longer than I have (and that’s decades) so he doesn’t get impressed easily.  But he always enjoys this special weekend at Bosch (even last year when Del Dios just about burned down!).

I just went to WordPress.com and in a few hours, assembled a new website to promote the weekend.  You can see it at http://bahaimusicweekend.wordpress.com .  As time goes by, I’ll add schedules and additional workshop information.  And when Bosch Baha’i School publishes the 2008 Fall schedule, we’ll have a hotlink to the session page for registration.

This year is already shaping up as a really good session.  Michael Eissinger said he may be able to return this year (taking a break from grad school).  Michael is the owner/operator of “radioNUR”, the Baha’i Internet radio station (that sometimes even plays my CD!).  He founded this weekend event six years ago to foster collaboration between Baha’i musicians and improve the caliber of the music they produce.  Michael, I’d say you succeeded.  Today, radioNUR broadcasts over 4000 titles of Baha’i-created music covering every genre.  I expect to see 50 or more of the artists at our annual weekend gathering.

I’m looking forward to seeing Jeff and Maya Bohnoff again.  They are extremely talented performers with technical skills to match.  In addition to music, Maya writes science fiction.  She and Jeff produce parodies (or derivatives, I’m not sure which) of popular songs re-themed as science fiction pieces.  They have a vibrant niche market among science fiction writers and enthusiasts.

And my good friend and business advisor Jarome Matthew will be there this year. Jarome produces artists from his studios in Vancouver, British Columbia and travels the globe to do so as well.  He just returned from a project in China.  I’m looking forward to hearing the details.

ONE more thing! Some folks’ path to happiness goes right through the dump.  My bride Deb has overcome much to be who she is today. She was recently interviewed by Warren Oddess-Gillett for his weekly Internet broadcast program “A Baha’i Perspective”.  Check it out to hear Deb’s story of becoming a Baha’i.

///Darrell

Darrell Rodgers                                             

Singer, Songwriter, Performer, Humorist

http://darrellsongs.com