The "New" CD is here!!!!!!

It's called 7 More To Go. Its a running personal joke about cats having 9 lives and how many I might have left. Since you're here (presumably by choice) let me tell you about it.

The initial tracking was recorded in 2007. Brian Francis, the drummer who worked with me in Australia, was up for a visit. He'd never recorded before, so I decided to change that. I called my friend and fave engineer Dave Granati and scheduled a few hours of studio time. What happened next was a testament to how well we all work together.

In a matter of roughly 3 hours, we recorded 16 tracks. Most, Brian had never heard nor played before. Basically I told him "It goes like this" and away we went. One track actually took 3 takes! Damned prima donna drummers. The rest of 2007 didn't go so well for me. I was able to finish two of the tracks (with bassist Rob Jacob) to be included on our 2008 release on Cracked Piston Records 'LIVE In Australia' but life had become too insane to finish the rest of the album.

Fast forward to 2010. I was finally able to finish the album. I wanted upright bass on it, so I borrowed my friend Bobby's old Kay upright and got er done. I was ready to release it but the market had gone way south. I knew I couldn't release it without it being immediately bootlegged. I dipped my toe in the world of downloads and streaming for the next few years but that, as anyone knows, is just glorified theft. Without physical inventory, you have to hope that the entity you're doing business with will be honest. They won't. To date, your (possibly) fave merchant of choice  owes me a few thousand dollars that I know I'll never see. In this biz, less than 5000 units is considered a waste of time to chase down the money for. It'll cost more to get it than you'll actually get. So, I let it sit. And sit. And sit.

I recorded other stuff with other people. Same things happened. Bootlegged, ripped off, the usual. I kept writing. I now have enough material for about 3-4 albums worth of stuff. I've got one helluva backlog! And, most humbling, people often ask for new music from me. So, I decided to give it go.

My friend Al Leatherwood has used this company in the past, and I can say that the physical production quality is amazing. No pressure for big orders either. Once uploaded, you just need to order 1 copy every 6 months to keep it in the system. Otherwise, you start over...which really ain't a big deal either. I got my preview copy of the disc the other day and damn, I was impressed with the quality. Definitely retail ready.

Downloads? I don't think so. That might work for some of you but not for me. If I'm gonna get screwed, at least buy me dinner, a few drinks, and take me out to breakfast the next morning. If you want this disc, I'll happily make it available. I plan to have physical copies available at shows, I might put up my website again, and I'll make sure you can order it online. Again, I was impressed with the physical copy, and the music...well, it's mine. I obviously think these are songs YOU might like.

So how do YOU get a copy? Click HERE. 

So you want a sample too? Jeez,you're tough to please but OK! Here's a promo for one of the songs. Hope you like it!

OK, I hope you enjoyed that! Hope to see YOU at a show sometime! Support LIVE music. You just might have some fun and you might hear something you like. It might improve your life. Really.

Until next time kids....SEEEEEEEEE YA!!!!!!!!

Snake In The Cake (Thanks Grace!)

To most folks, its known as Toad In The Hole. Its an old school, tradition British dish made with sausage and Yorkshire Pudding batter. Served best with a nice brown, onion gravy. Thanks to my friend Grace, it will now forever be called Snake In The Cake.

If you know me, you know I love to cook...possibly even more than I like to eat. Contrary to popular belief, I like trying different stuff. When I first went to the UK, I couldn't wait to try the different, authentic, traditional dishes. Some I was not going to try. I have no desire to eat kidney. I'm not big on organ meat, as a general rule. I'd had a taste of heart, brain, intestine, etc. growing up. Some things aren't made for a repeat performance.

Yorkshire Puddings

One thing I fell in culinary love with in the UK is Yorkshire Pudding. Americans think of 'pudding' as a sweet, gooey, dessert mess. Chocolate pudding, tapioca, banana, etc. Yorkshire Pudding is nothing like that. Its somewhere between biscuit and pancake batter, baked at a high temperature with oil, drippings, lard, etc. Served with beef and gravy, its out of this world. And cheap and easy to make!

Toad In The Hole is another, generally inexpensive dish. Sausage (oh how the Brits love their sausages!) cooked in Yorkshire Pudding batter...its cheap, delicious and filling! You'll want a nap afterwards.

If you're of an adventurous mind, here's my recipe for what we'll now call Snake In The Cake:

1 package 5-6 sausages (bratwurst is my go-to for this)
1 large sweet onion
2 cups beef broth
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
3 eggs
salt, pepper, Coleman's Mustard powder
butter

Preheat the oven to 425F

Might as well make the Yorkshire batter first. Mix 1 cup flour (self rising works best) with 3 eggs, 1 cup of milk and a large pinch of salt, pepper, and Coleman's to taste. I use maybe about 1-2 tbsp. I also add a little bit of butter, once everything is mixed. Stir til thick and smooth. Set this to the side.

I use a glass baking tray, about a 9x13. I coat the bottom and sides with butter. Stick it in the oven to get it hot.

Brown the sausages in a skillet but don't cook them all the way through. They just need some color. They'll finish cooking in the oven.

Take the hot baking tray out of the over and arrange your sausages however you want. Make sure there's space between them. Pour the batter over them, filling the entire bottom of the tray. Put in the oven for about a half hour.

While this is cooking, you can make the onion gravy. In a saucepan, add a little oil, get it hot. Chop

Brown onion gravy

your onions however you like. If you like big chunks, little chunks, whatever. Lower the heat to the sauce pan and add the onion. You'll want to caramelize these but not too dark. You'll want them soft but not burnt. When at the desired level, add a tsp of flour and mix it in. Add the beef broth. Stir it all in. Bring to a quick boil then reduce to a simmer. Season with some black pepper, maybe some fresh herbs, garlic, whatever floats your boat. Keep a small cup of water/flour on hand in case you need to thicken it up.

Remove the baking tray from the oven. Let it sit for a minute, slice it how you want, dish it up and serve. Pour the onion gravy on top. Peas, fries, even baked beans, are nice side dishes.

Dig in!

Snake In The Cake!

To London With A Hangover

"We're going to send you to London with a hangover!", he said half-jokingly. It came across almost like a thinly veiled threat.

Leggs, w/ Crazy Cavan & Co. with big shiny records, at a 

Welsh newspaper office. 

The "he" in question was my friend Paul "Leggsy" Barrett. If you're a fan of rockabilly, Teddy Boy music, that sort of thing...you owe him a hearty Thank Ye Kindly.

Leggs passed away earlier today. As his missus put it, he collapsed and died. It wasn't sudden. He'd had health problems in recent years. He was 78 and had spent most of his life in and around the music business. Puts a lot of extra miles on the chassis.

I could go into great detail about his life and career but you can find all of that online yourself. Instead, allow me to give you some personal memories of the Grand Potentate of Penarth.

In 2002, I made my first trip overseas. My friend 2Tone had managed to drum up some interest in my music over there. He contacted his friend Leggs, a well-known promoter, and managed to nab me a few bookings. I remember the excitement of getting the contracts in the mail. The money wasn't huge but I was being paid to play my music in another country. I could cross that one off the proverbial bucket list.

I had no idea what to expect. That said, anything I had expected was not what I got anyway.

My first gig was actually not planned at all. We went to the Thunderbird Club in Wellingborough to see a band called The Doomsday Rockers, and they asked me to do a short set. My friend Lee was also DJ'ing that night. All in all, it was a fair bit of fun and a good warm up (so I thought) for the first 'official' gig, which was a few nights later in Barry, Wales. Leggy set that one up.

I had been in touch with the backing band, sent them my music, and I figured all should go well. I was wrong. The guitarist was the only member of the band to learn my stuff! So after a few disastrous songs, I decided we'd just wing a set of old rockabilly, R&R and old R&B tunes.

I was not what this crowd of aging Teds was expecting. While some of the younger folks in the crowd dug it, the old school Teds found my music to be "Too loud", "Too frantic!" and my personal fave, "Practically PUNK!" (which was not meant as the compliment I took it as). When Leggs commented on my "excessive volume", I asked if he was too old to rock. This led to a pretty hilarious conversation which, I'd say, cemented our friendship.

I did a few more shows in and around Wales. Leggs was usually there. The day before I was heading to London, he called and said that he and his crew were going to send me to London with a hangover. This was not an invitation. This was more of a command.

Leggs had a favorite local pub (the name of which escapes me) and we were to meet up there for a night of drinks, music, and all around bullshitting. What Leggs hadn't counted on was my (then) inhuman tolerance to alcohol.

Sure, the UK beers tend to have a higher alcohol content but the US beers are chock full of chemicals and preservatives. I could down the fresh UK stuff like Coca Cola! They lost count after I'd had about 15 pints. I kept going...and so did Leggs. I remember us having to hold him upright at the urinal. I just chuckled and asked "Who's more likely to have a hangover tomorrow?" Leggs just grunted something at me that might've been English but I prefer to remember it as an ancient Welsh curse.

The next morning, I went with 2Tone to Cardiff Bay to take his dogs for a run and say farewell to Cymru for now. I had a train at 10 and hoped to be at my hotel in London shortly after lunchtime.

Once set and situated at The Dolphin Hotel in Paddington (only the finest accommodations for this rock star!) I went outside to the pay phone (I used the red phone boxes any chance I could! I loved those!) I called Leggs to see how he was holding up. He sounded like he'd been hit by a caravan of moving trucks. He asked how it was possible for a short, fat American to drink so much. I pointed out the factors he had neglected in his quest to send me to London with a hangover:
* I'm an American. We over do everything.
* I'm a musician.
* I come from a German family. As my grandmother was fond of saying, beer is just liquid bread.

Leggs groaned a bit and I bid him adieu. I had sights to see and music to make in London. I spent the day making my way around London, urinating on the back of what turned out to be Scotland Yard, and having an allergic reaction to certain pollens in Hyde Park that my Yankee schnozz was unaccustomed to. But those are stories for another time.

Through my friend Leggs, I got to meet many people, have many great experiences, and I have memories that will last a lifetime. I called my friend Hayden earlier this evening to share the news with him. Leggs had booked some of his first UK shows too. One could also blame Leggs for a certain level of Shakiness...but credit or blame for that would depend on one's point of view.

If this all seems a bit light-hearted and tongue-in-cheek, I think Leggs would appreciate it. I give my deepest condolences and sympathies to his family and friends. If you never got to meet Leggs, suffice to say it would have been memorable. That's the kinda guy he was.

Tonight, I say farewell to my friend. If there is an afterlife, as many of us have been taught, I figure he and Charlie Feathers will be continuing their discussions on politics. Until we meet again Leggs, have fun fun fun til daddy takes the T-Bird away!

Gweddill Mewn Heddwch, fy ffrind!

The Return of the Son of The Night of the Living Thanksgivus!

Just my seasonal silliness...

THANKSGIVUS

Thanksgivus: that's what she called it. The 'she' in question would be a very short, loud, middle aged black woman with retardation who I supervised for years. Her name is Omega...fitting because she truly is THE END!

Omega didn't exactly have a speech problem but I think her hearing wasn't 100% on the mark, as certain words would get slurred together such as "Thanksgivus". Another fave was her version of Social Security, which often sounded more like "sociable secretary" (of which I've known a few).

Thanksgivus (which is what I now prefer to call the US holiday Thanksgiving) is the last Thursday of November (this is for my overseas friends who may not be fully knowledgeable of the subject). It is the holiday where we Americans give Thanks to God for giving us BIG tasty birds, punkin pie & cranberry sauce...all courtesy of a tribe that we soon took great pains to wipe out. In short, when those Pilgrims (essentially English religious nuts) 1st landed at Plymouth Rock, they didn't have a CLUE what they were doing or what they were in for!

After that 1st winter (what do you mean "No Central Heating"???), most of the Pilgrims had died off. A few hearty ones remained (probably by eating the others...but that story seems to have vanished in the annals of history) and it was looking bleak for them, as they didn't know SQUAT about farming North American soil. Luckily, the Indians (bite me, I will NOT be PC) took pity on them, showed them what to do and the Pilgrims survived. They did sooo well, in fact, they had a big feast and invited the Indians. When the Indians showed up, they realized that white folks are either really bad at planning feasts or are just stingy, so they sent some braves to go kill a half dozen or so deer....gotta make sure ya don't leave the table unless yer ready to burst....STILL an American Thanksgivus tradition. NOWHERE on the menu was green bean casserole....PLEASE make note of that! (the Americans reading this will get the humor)

Finally, sometime in the 19th century, after decades of confusion as to what this "New England" holiday was and when it was supposed to be observed, some mad woman wrote everyone in the colonies suggesting the last Thursday in November...just in time to mark the start of Xmas shopping season!

Now, contrary to what some of my English colleagues have been lead to believe, Thanksgivus is NOT the American Xmas. Trust me, NO ONE on this planet overdoes Xmas like the Americans! Here it is, the Sunday BEFORE Thanksgivus and I'm looking out my front door at my neighbor's Xmas lights! 1 month 5 days before we celebrate the Man's b-day (even though we have the date wrong)...1 month 5 days of looking at those damned lights! Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays as much if not more than most people...but I like things to be done for the right reasons...not just to be the 1st, best or brashest.

For the holidays, I wish you all peace, happiness and a full belly. May your homes be filled with laughter (and not just the canned version coming from your TV). May your pockets never be empty, maybe your fridge always be full (with at least 1 6-pack of decent beer...in case I should stop by lol) and may your troubles be few & far between.

In fact, I don't just wish you these things for the holidays...I wish them for you all EVERYDAY.

I'm having a few friends over (as usual) this year for Thanksgivus. It might not be the fanciest dinner but I hope to guarantee all a good meal, a full belly and someplace to sit and digest and enjoy some good company after (and before...as long as they stay OUTTA MY WAY in the kitchen.).

We will revel in the death of a turkey. We shall take delight in the taters, which will be mashed. The rolls will hopefully not be slightly burned on the bottoms...but if they are, that's what butter, gravy & butter knives are for! The veggies will be plentiful and not overcooked. The pie will be chocolate cream...NOT PUNKIN! (my tradition...not yours, OK? ) And yes Virginia...there will most likely be cranberries of some sort...JUST NO DAMNED GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE...PLEASE!

Some Thoughts On Last Night's Show

There are days when I'm amazed that I still do this. I woke up this morning, sore as hell. My arthritic hands...swollen. The foot that I crushed nearly 30 years ago...throbbing. The nerve damage in my legs...burning. I'll happily do this again and again.

We were ON last night. Most nights we play, we are. At 52, I'm the youngest guy in the band. That often cracks me up. I know musicians half my age who couldn't put on a show like we do. Not on their best night! We know what we're doing. We can go into a song we've never done before (and I do believe we did) and play it like we wrote it. Members of the audience often ask how often we rehearse. Honest answer: We don't. This is one of the benefits of being a career working musician. You learn how music works. Once you know what key the song is in, you can probably fake your way through the average pop/rock/blues/country song. Lord knows I've faked my way through plenty. I had to fake my way through a Lionel Richie song once. Wow...it was pretty well-written for a rather dull song.

L-R Rod Zakowsky, yours truly, Buck "Swingin" Johnson
photo by Linda Z.

Sure, we're a blues band. People think blues is easy to play. Usually just 3 chords...yet people still wet themselves over a good blues player. You can fake the basic chords. What you can't fake is the knowledge it takes to do something special with those chords and what to play over or under them. You can know all the music theory in the world and still screw it up. (old rule of thumb I was taught early on: if you hit the wrong note, bend it until its right)

We usually do 3-4 hour shows. Thinking back to when I first started playing, the norm was 4-5. I came up in music playing redneck joints, biker bars, old man corner bars, chicken wire joints and animal clubs. We'd play 9-2. I'm often amazed that any of us have functioning livers. A lot of the young musicians I know have, at best, cut their teeth playing showcase joints. 3-4 bands on one bill. Oh gosh...you had to play an entire set of what? 12 songs? Then waste another 20 minutes while the bands switch over. Snoozeville. We still do 3-4 hours, sometimes more. How? We know our stuff. We can make a song longer or shorter. We play to the room. We gauge how the audience is reacting. Like last night, we also know the crowd because we've played there before. People will request songs that they know we play. They also request certain parts of 'the act'...

"I hope we didn't miss the medley!"
"I hope we didn't miss you guys both playing the same guitar at the same time!"
"I hope we didn't miss you playing slide guitar with a bottle/shot glass/fire extinguisher/walking stick/chair/etc."

We make the audience part of the show. I'll routinely come off the stage during a solo and get into the crowd. I'll walk over and sit down next to someone and play a solo. Maybe I'll try to get them to assist. If I see them with their camera phone, I walk right up to them and let them get a good, up close and personal shot. We try to make each show memorable for every person there. It's really not about us. It's about the music and the people enjoying it. We're just the 4 guys onstage who are also enjoying it.

We usually try to look like a band. Most folks don't want to see a bunch of folks onstage who look like they showed up to mow the lawn. Our front man dresses to impress! His stage look is somewhere between Sunday Best and Super Pimp. He's tough to compete with...but we try. One of my jazz heroes once told me he usually wears a suit and tie...because when he's going onstage, he's going to WORK. When he was growing up, you dressed for work. Made sense to me. Sure, I'm not always dressed up...there've been times when I've dressed down...but that says a bit about how I perceived a particular show. I haven't always been right.

People will often come up to me on a break or after the show and want to talk music with me. Sure! I'm down for it! A guy came up to me last night...a blues fan for sure...and he wanted to discuss my playing style. He said it wasn't the usual blues riffs. He noted that I play a very southern style. I just smiled and thanked him for noticing. Maybe he thinks my nickname "Memphis" refers to the ancient Egyptian capitol.

2 large coffees into me now. The ears stopped ringing. The hands aren't as swollen. Foot still hurts. Legs...not so burny. I still need to take the amp out of the truck. I also have to start thinking about tomorrow's show. New joint for me. New bunch of musicians. Its gonna be fun. It always is. That's why I still do it.

The Queen Is Dead

Another one gone. We lost the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin today. Her voice is irreplaceable. Oddly enough, this is the anniversary of Elvis' death. His passing is still felt across the globe decades later, as I'm sure the passing of Aretha will be.

In recent years we've lost many of the greats. As a guitarist, BB King and Link Wray come to mind. Both were powerful influences on the instrument's place in music. Neither can be replaced. We've lost so many great musical artists.

I guess the big question is WHO ARE THE NEW GREAT ONES?

I can't recall the last time I heard a mind-blowing NEW artist. Someone with a fresh new sound or approach. Its been a long time, that's for sure. Anything new that I hear (and yes, surprise surprise, this old guy does listen to a lot of new music) is usually just a retread of something older. Sure, some of it is good but its neither fresh nor exciting. While not a huge fan of rap/hip hop, I enjoyed the energy of it when it was new. That its still thumping on is, at least to me, amusing. Its just not something I care to hear very often.

The so-called indie stuff...it all sounds like someone trying really hard to write something commercial. Screw that. I want to hear the weird kid sitting in his/her basement making some insane noise that his/her/family and friends all tell him/her is horrible...but he/she keeps doing it because he/she can hear in their head how it works. I want to hear a new sound. A new idea. A new approach. Screw trends. Screw whatever is popular. Screw commercialism.

Give me that singer in church who can wail at a level that makes the Almighty take notice. Give me the risk-taker. Give me the lunatic. I want to hear a sound that will rip the fabric of the universe apart, if only for a moment.

If only I had that ability.

Sure, I play a lot of old stuff. I'm old. Is it really my place to reinvent the spork? I can entertain almost any crowd. I might even be able to make the occasional jaw drop now and then. But I'm no Aretha...or Elvis...or Link Wray...or BB King...or Leonard Cohen. I too will pass and become even less of a footnote than I already am. But I've at least tried in my life.

Where are the new sounds? Have we finally given up?

R.I.P to the Kings and Queens of days gone by. May your musical memory inspire generations to come and set alight a spark of creativity in some young mind. I know I'm ready and waiting to hear it.

The Joy of Cooking...Pops Style!

Most of my friends know that I have a young friend, all of 20. He's adopted me as a surrogate dad , of sorts, and he calls me "Pops".

Throughout our adventures in ukulele playing, psychology, culture, humor and semi-fine dining, he has found that this old man knows how to cook. And dude loves my cooking! It's become a bit of a routine for me to take him dinner at work a few times a week. His tastes run pretty similar to mine, so its even easier for me.

Yesterday, I was trying to decide what to make. I had just made gumbo a few days prior and that was going to be a tough act to follow. (if you've had my gumbo, you know this) I had some leftover peppers, so there was a start. I thawed out some chicken thighs and picked up some fresh onions....now what?

Let the creativity begin!

I sometimes just make up a dish as I go along. I'll take an idea from one dish or other, mix it up, add some things, change some things, just to see how it goes. I've been cooking long enough to know what usually works together. This was no exception.

I decided on a shredded chicken dish. When I lived in Ohio, there was a little joint that sold shredded chicken sandwiches. I loved them, so I figured it was as good as start as any. So I boiled and shredded the chicken.

I chopped up some onion, fresh garlic, and cubanelle and red sweet peppers. I mixed it all together, over low heat. It was coming together. Now to season!

I could have gone with just a plain old spice session. Some salt, pepper, blah blah blah. This needed something special, so I opted for unusual. Sure, the aforementioned spices were good but it needed more. I added in some yellow curry, tumeric, 7 spices,cayenne pepper and some paprika. If'd have stopped right there, it would have been fantastic on it's own. But I wasn't done. Not by a long shot.

It's summertime. That means BBQ! So I added in a sweet and spicy Memphis-style sauce. This took it to whole other level! The sweet and spicy mixed with the other spices was just a whole mouthful of WOW! But was I done? Nope. Knowing my target audience, I went a step further!

I made up some boxed cornbread stuffing, knowing how much he likes cornbread. I then spread the shredded chicken into a small casserole dish, added the stuffing on top and about a cup of chicken broth and threw it in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Who cooks like this on a 90+ degree day? ME! That's who! And it was soooooooooo good! #1 SemiPseudoQuasi Adopted Son agreed. This recipe is a keeper. Oh yeah...I made some honey butter biscuits too.