The Real Memphis Mike (don't settle for imitations)

 I've been posting this for what, 14 years? 16 years? I've lost count. Its 2020...time has lost meaning. Each day feels like a month. Some hours feel like weeks. But thankful? Damned right I am. If you're reading this...we made it this far! Time to dig in, avoid green bean casserole at all costs, and count our blessings. FYI...green bean casserole is what started this mess! 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 holida...

 I'm pretty sure no one reads this anymore...and really, I'm OK with that. So, this ones for me. This whole pandemic thing has been hard on me. I know...BOO HOO. Its been hard on everyone. I just need to vent. It'll be good for me. As I was saying, pandemic hard...me no handle well. For the first time in 40+ years, I have no shows booked. I had shows...but when I ceased working with Hawkins (for reasons most of you probably know) those shows went.  Still buying gear...like a damned junkie. Bought a lap steel, a new guitar (both dirt cheap) and a surprisingly inexpensive upright bass. (its worth a LOT more than I paid...but I digress) My depression finally kicked into full gear in August. It had been bouncing around, up and down, since March. Probably a similar situation for others who share this particular malady.  I had been functioning pretty well. Just slower than I'd like. I've become a hermit. With the exception of necessary trips, I've not left my neighbor...

photo by Nick Ker It seems the country is ideologically divided. This is never a good thing. The so-called conservatives have the White House, control of the Senate and a majority on the Supreme Court. They've been going out of their way to fill judicial seats wherever they can. How does this play out in the long term? Something to think about. Come November, there is always a chance of an extreme Red Wave. Complete and utter control of all branches of government. What if that wave extends through all 50 states? Then what? What sort of dystopian horror show might we one day soon wake up to? Immigrants Pretty easy to guess they'll be gone. Our borders will become super fortified. No one gets IN or OUT. You have to worry about that last part. Immigrants aren't just migrant farm labor, housekeepers and drug dealers/rapists/bad hombres. A growing majority of doctors in this country are from other countries. Names like Singh, Patel, Chang, Hidalgo, Reyes, Nguyen, e...

I've been a money-earning guitar basher for 40 years. Some might tell you I know what I'm doing. God and I will probably have a chuckle at that...but I digress. People often ask me who I listen to. The answer could take weeks, possibly months, to answer...if its even possible. I listen to all sorts of music, for all sorts of different reasons. Some because its music I should listen to (Bach is at the top). Some simply because I dig it (The Blasters, The Beatles, The Ramones all come to mind). I love my blues! Gimme the Alberts (Collins/King), the Kings (BB, Albert, Freddie), the jazzier cats like Tiny Grimes, Bill Jennings, and Little Charlie. I listen to some music for inspiration, some for instruction. Some stuff I'll listen to on recommendation. But just what the heck am I listening to these days? Aside from SEE ABOVE, this is a short list of my more recent go-to pickers...and what I dig about them. Jim Campilongo: A bizarro Telebender. I first got hip to him when...

"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 goo...

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...

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 ...