Close Enough For Jazz

"Close enough for jazz..."
That was a running joke between friends 35+ years ago. Its a phrase I still use today. Musically, I use it for whether I get a musical phrase right but more often, I use it in regard to tuning my instrument.

Most would believe that being in perfect tune is important. To that, I say BULLSHIT. I have a deep and abiding love for old blues, jazz, and hillbilly records. A lot of those are nowhere near concert pitch unless a piano was involved. Even then, its questionable.

Why? Back in the day, electric tuners weren't a thing yet. If you wanted everyone in tune together, you'd all have to tune to the one instrument with set pitch...like a piano. I remember doing that at home when I first started playing. Hell, I think I played guitar for almost 10 years before affordable electric tuners were available. Tuning forks were readily available but not exactly useful for solidbody instruments. Sure, I could have spent $300 (of 1980s money!) on a good strobe tuner...but that was the price of a brand new guitar or amp then. Wasn't gonna happen.

Probably unlike most guitarists, I didn't spend my time playing along with records or trying to pick out solos from records. That seemed tedious then and still does now. That said, I did try to perfect my pitch by tuning to the opening note of "Day Tripper" by Them Beatles. But here comes a lifetime WHOOPS! Either the recording wasn't in concert pitch or there was a slight drag in my turntable...so I basically tune automatically to somewhere in the neighborhood of E flat. It hasn't exactly slowed me down. It's only ever an issue if I'm working with someone using a set pitch instrument (piano, horns, etc). When necessary, I tune to them. And yes...I do use a tuner at most gigs simply because its just easier.

I love playing old blues and old country blues. LOTS of open tuning stuff. Again, concert pitch is rarely a concern. A lot of those songs sound better, more resonant and soulful in a less-than-perfect tuning. While discussing this phenomenon with Phil Alvin once, he described it as giving it 'the moan'. And as usual, Philip is correct.

While he could have easily (but thankfully didn't) go into the mathematics of it, suffice to say it simply has a more organic sound/tone. Listen to people speak. Listen to animals or the wind. Things are rarely in a perfect concert pitch.

I was just listening to an old Mississippi John Hurt tune. I wanted to figure a certain phrase he was playing, so I grabbed the nearest guitar. I knew roughly where on the neck he was playing but I also knew it was nowhere near concert pitch. So down I tuned...almost a full 1.5 steps down. But MAN it sounded killer. The low E string just had that BOOM! and the higher strings, where he was playing melody lines, had that moan!

So now my guitar is sitting here, in whatever pitch it is, and I've been playing different old blues and jazz bits and thinking
CLOSE ENOUGH FOR JAZZ!

Thanksgivus...again!

If you've been playing along with the home version, you should already know this. You should also know that I am, if nothing else, a creature of habit. That said, It's Thanksgivus Time!!!!!

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 6pack 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!

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!