Random Notes

December 20, 2006

Period at the end of the sentence.

As the end of the year draws near some things are becoming more and more clear.  First off, I am sure you have noticed that updates to this particular page have become less frequent recently.  The main reason for this (other than trying to have a life outside of sitting in front of a keyboard and screen) is the machine I use to update this particular page is on a computer that is sloooow.  The hard drives are overworked, the CPU has seen better days and on top that, and it’s on a wireless network that takes its own sweet time to do anything.  The software I have used to maintain parts of this site has seen better days. 

With tools like the google online word processor, I can start an essay and pick it up wherever and whenever I get online.  I can then transfer the edited page to an online page (like the myspace page I have been blogging on recently).  What I want to do is utilize blogging software at this domain.  Myspace has its own set of issues as well.  So once I have researched this a bit more, random notes will be a bit further developed. Hopefully with rss feeds and all the rest of the modern features that will make it easier for me to publish and communicate with you wherever and whenever it is appropriate.

I also have to change out this machine as soon as I can.  I don’t need a dual processor box with a lot of bells and whistles (this is mainly used to do word processing) but I need it to be fast and without a lot of crap.  It amazes me to no end how many upgrades adobe wants to make to its software on my computers.  And even firefox wants to reboot itself whilst I’m in the midst of reading an article or whatever.  Ok I'm done.

Last week I purchased a couple of pieces from my favorite online music store (audiomidi.com).  Hopefully they will remain that way (after what I share with you).  I’ve been meaning to get a focusrite liquid mix system.  Very smart design and tool.  It arrived yesterday and very much looked the business. It lights up and looks very nice however, it doesn’t communicate with any of my computers.  I have tried 3 different firewire cables and 3 different machines in all types of configurations.  And it’s odd because the box will power up through the firewire cable connected to the computers but it won’t shake hands with any of them.  It will be going back today.  I get to stand in line at the post office 5 days before xmas. Happy happy joy joy. 

I also purchased a package of software by waldorf electronics that has a version of the waves 2.3 digital synth on it.  I own one of these things (presently in storage).  The software version has no buzz (like the physical one) and otherwise sounds like (if not better than) the original.  Plus when I purchased that thing in 85, I think it was around 4000.00.  But it allowed me unique sounds and as such the ability to earn a living.  So I can’t complain (yea I know we wrote a song with that title).  It’s nice to have the sonic signature back in my digital arsenal.  Anyway it’s late.  Happy 5 days before xmas.   

Oh by the way, I posted a ghetto performance of me in a hoodie playing The First Noel for your listening pleasure (on myspace AND youtube.com).

November 9, 2006

Not very long ago, the eagle landed here in Atlanta. Mom came in town to see the new spot and hang out for a few days (she really liked it but that's not the point).  I don't ordinarily write about my family but something happened I wanted to share.  While she was here, I took her to the King Center.  Every time I go, I learn even more about the history of my people and our collective experience in this country.  There was an exhibition that featured the 1963 March on Washington. What was especially poignant was looking at my mother, looking at the pictures and mementos from that event.  You see, she and my father were there.  They made the trip from NYC to DC and became a part of history.  To see that you were part of a movement (in this case the civil rights movement) that affected positive change is a very powerful thing to observe. 

I also wanted to mention that the music store is almost ready for business.  Actually it IS ready for business UNLESS you choose to use an AOL email account.  For some reason, AOL is dumping emails from my domain.  I think we have the problem narrowed down to the root cause, but I would suggest anyone wanting to use the store to use a different account (free email accounts are available at gmail.com, hotmail.com and yahoo.com and work perfectly).   Otherwise, Christmas Blue is available at itunes (as are most of my other projects).

Tuesday was Election Day for Americans so if you are one, I hope you voted. 

October 27, 2006

Last week I did a photo session with Mr. Davide Stennet for the new CD. The concept was kinda like Reverend Lee (think Roberta Flack's first album) meets the Cuban liberation of the 50's with a bit of the Black Panther from the 70's in exile in Paris thrown in to boot.  Sounds confused but it works! 

What was interesting was how quickly the session went.  Because we shot in a digital format (Davide finally broke down and joined the digital movement in photography) in 5 hours I had been styled, made up, photographed and retouched (in Photoshop).  All for that "natural look."   We even did a mock up of the front and back covers.  I’m not sure how the ladies in Glendale who do my album layouts are going to take to that but we have given them a head start. 

I have also been working on this site.  I want to try to do some different things with this. If you check out the contact page, you will notice I was feeling kind of minimalist.  I know some sites have a very consistent feel from page to page, and I kind of started like that but, now, I look at each page as a different picture or type of "text painting" so to speak. My intent over the years has been to hire different web designers to work with me on different parts of the site.  Unfortunately, that has never worked out.  Web designers and me don’t ever seem to get it right.  The first kat I tried to hire did everything I asked him not to do.  And then he wouldn’t respond (neither on the phone or email) when I tried to get him to fix it.  Same thing with designer number two.  I tried to explain that I wasn’t like his other client (who was a female porn "actress"). 

It happened again while trying to customize this online store (for a sneak peek, go here).  This time, I went to my friend's apartment and tried to explain what I wanted to do (change the color and a couple of other things).  That was over a week ago and this was maybe, one hour of work.  Two if he was doing laundry.  I still haven’t heard from him.  So I did what I usually do, use what I have to try and get things done.

When I first started this website (many moons ago), I did the initial design in word.  I learned how to use some basic HTML tags if necessary and slap up something on the web.  I posted audio, pictures, video etc. however, over the years, I have switched computers, hard drives have died and I have switched ISP providers.  And in the process, files have been lost. That is why there are no video or audio samples that work. And haven’t for a looong time.  To that end I apologize.  I am fixing those things by and by. In the case of the audio, I figure if I send you to the new store, you can listen to clips for free over there. And if you are so inclined, leave me a little something and download a song or two.  Beats leaving it on the nightstand.  I do want to do some other free audio things but I'm not sure exactly what (maybe an occasional podcast or something).  In terms of the video, I will be posting new things in the next few weeks so please hold on just a little longer. 

But back to my basic web design skills.  In working with the software that created the store, I learned about a tool that is brilliant but was beyond my scope of knowledge when I started.  There is a metafile (so to speak) that has been developed to allow web designers and browsers to have continuity in how a web page is seen.  That is called a css (cascading style sheet).  With a css attached to a web page, I have been able to tweak a template and actually see how it will look when it’s on the web.  Brilliant!

Anyway, it’s gettin late and I'm gettin’ hungry...peel me a grape!

October 7, 2006

(posted October 14th)

So I went to Lowe's earlier today.  I have this plastic piece (channel) which hides the wires between a wall mounted television and the stereo components beneath it (because there is a sideways stud in the wall I couldn't run the wires behind the wall.  I went to the customer service area and asked where they would have a hack saw or tin snips to cut this plastic channel.  The conversation kind of went like this:

RJ: Where do you have the hack saws and tin snips?
Lowes Customer Service: What?
RJ: Where do you have the hack saws?
LCS: What's that? (after thinking a moment she asked her co-worker) Where do we have the saws?  (directed to me) At the "tool box" area.
RJ: OK, so what about tin snips?
LCS: What are those? 
RJ: You snip tin with them.
LCS: (to co-worker) What about tin snips? (directed to me) Tool box. 

So I go over to the box of tools and there is a kat (who works) there. I explain what I want to do and ask what should I use to cut this thing for the lowest price (I am only going to use it once).  He directs me to some scissors on sale (which I needed anyway) and I asked him why his co-worker didn't know what the tools I mentioned to her are.  He just kind of smiled.  Talking to her, I thought I was at Macy's for a minute. 

Needless to say, the scissors didn't really work and I ended up using a very sharp knife I had bought at my favorite Asian Market down here (for about 5 bucks). 

In other home news, I have a kat that I use to do painting. He is very good...when he shows up.  And therein lies the rub. He doesn't always show up when he says he is.  I hope he gets that together. He will be a very successful businessman when he does.  One bedroom was painted a calming color in a shade of umber.  The other room was painted a very light celery color. I think its a great color but I look at it and call it instant Martha Stewart in a can.  Well it did come from her paint line.  All I need now is some sheer white curtains billowing in the light breeze with a glass of lemonade on a white table and the...OH NEVER MIND!!!

This past week I heard on independent radio out here, a couple of very talented young artists whose music I have purchased. One is a young lady named Georgia Anne Muldrow and the other is Anthony David.  I also purchased Vikter Duplaix's new project as well.  I have yet to listen to them fully but as I am supposed to be traveling out of town next weekend, I will use them as traveling music.  I purchased all of these artists music on ITUNES and then burned CDs of them as backup (a practice I just do as a normal practice).  I then rip them back into the PC (as mp3 files) hosting the music on my network that plays through my systems around the house. 

I've been trying to figure out a strategy with my music projects.  Here is what I have come up with. 

I am going to re-release So Amazing (so to speak).  What I mean is I plan to reintroduce it into the marketplace, getting it out to places where I think it will be well received.  To that end, it is now on ITUNES and will be available on many other downloading sites as well in the coming weeks (as well as my second CD Naked Soul).  I think that the story behind my not wanting to promote that CD earlier (than now) is one that people may appreciate in that it shows the struggle of an artist trying to find the balance between appropriate and marketing.  When a famous artist passes, major labels usually rush to put out all types of collections of their work, especially if the artist was ill for a while and takes a turn for the worst. I heard that WB and EMI had teamed up when they knew Sinatra was ill.  Its the nature of supply and demand but in the case of someone like me, being the record company as well as artist, makes it a bit more delicate in the case of my tribute to a friend's music and the perception by my potential audience is something I had to keep in mind. Plus I just didn't want to do anything like that at the time.

That project continues to be an ongoing process but in the meantime, later this month, I am going to re service Radio (terrestrial and satellite) with my Christmas single, Christmas Blue (and The First Noel).  That piece will be available on line (hopefully) soon. And I hope to have my uegmusic.com download store open by the end of October.  Wishful thinking I know. 

In addition, I cannot stand to have this Hillside Stories project sitting around here much longer, so what I hope to do is have it available for pre-release at the uegmusic store in December and release it commercially next year.  I have a performance of the lead song from that project that I will post on you tube and wherever else I can think of  in the next few weeks.  The nature of the album is very terse and pointed (to say the least) so I'm not trying to push this as a holiday gift release (doesn't make a great stocking stuffer for anyone on the edge).  But as I stated earlier, I can't stand having it sitting around not being heard. 

September 19, 2006

audio purchases ‘n stuff

at least once a year (usually in the latter part of the year) I try to assess my equipment and make changes and purchases as I see fit.  The main things I am into at this point are microphone preamps.  I was able to find an American company that makes great preamps for not a lot of money. I purchased it through a company that knows what they are talking about and I will prove that they know their customers. 

I called mercenary audio for their (highly opinionated but valid) advice regarding preamp units.  I had narrowed it down to two units in my price range (under a thousand dollars).  One was the grace audio unit which they didn't carry and the fmr really nice preamp (that's what it’s called, not what I call it, which I really do but anyway...) which they do. 

I asked Zach the sales rep to sell me on the RNP.  What he said was the grace unit was boring.  He gave the analogy of taking a girl out on a date that was pretty but boring. Nothing wrong just no fire.  The RNP he said was like a date with a girl who had a lot of personality, was fun to be with and was still classy.  I was sold.  I have used the preamps on this unit on a series of piano/vocal performances I am doing and will be posting to some website or other (I think I'm calling them, late night sessions as that is what they are). And they (along with the FMR RNC-Really Nice Compressor) sound incredible. I have been trying different ways to get quality audio onto my camcorder and so far, this is the route to take (although I do use a mixer to bring down the volumes as the inputs for the camcorder are very sensitive.)

Plus for the price of one very clean (and boring) grace preamp, I got two channels of great sounding Really Nice Preamplification. 

I went to the storage locker and felt like Little Jack Horner (not Horny...get your mind out of the gutter).  I went in there and pulled out a box of prerecorded dat tapes of various pieces I've worked on over the years.  I have started to transfer them to hard drive, and they're now available to access via the media players I have on my network.  In the meantime online, I just watched Steve Jobs from Apple give a presentation where they are releasing a media player (1st quarter next year but I bet they release before that) that will work with movie and television companies to play Apple protected files from them.  I am wondering if they leased this technology from Rokulabs as they're not releasing a new video playback product until next year. Hmmm.  As Kelly Bundy (from Married with Children) might say, "the mind wobbles."

The other thing I have to do with the aforementioned video footage is edit it.  I am not the type who enjoys looking at myself perform, emote etc.  But if I want YOU to do it, I should be able to stand it myself I suppose.  I think the performances are pretty honest but by no means perfect.  I wouldn't call it compelling entertainment but it is a document of my work and musical direction in 2006 (in a late night and solo setting). 

I have a copy of Vegas on order and I may pick up a copy of Final Cut Express (don't think I need FCP for what I want to do right now).  I do know the editing programs that I have right now are marginally OK (Video Factory and Imovie HD) but I figure I can learn the basics with these two other products and decide which platform I like better for this type of work.  One thing about the Vegas program is you can use processing power from more than one machine on your network to render a project. 

Since I started working on this entry a few days ago, it’s come to my attention that saxophone great Dewey Redman has passed. I loved that man's musical voice. It was a dream of mine to work with him on a piece I had written (lesson learned, don't hesitate when trying to realize one's dreams...act on them when you can). I don't plan on asking his son Joshua to play instead. A different sound. I know that may have been ones initial thought. I would rather the piece not have a sax at this point. 

I was on wikipedia and somehow ended up on the page for the group Chic. From there it was a quick jump to the CHIC TRIBUTE site (which reminded me I STILL haven't received a copy of Darryl Easla's book which I was interviewed for grrrr).  In any case, there was this footage that I couldn't stop on the main page of Nile Rodgers and his band performing as Chic in Switzerland.  I saw the musicians come onstage and one kat kind of looked like me when I wore glasses.  I thought, "Man how eerie." It was my buddy Omar Hakim who had shaved his dreads off (which wasn't a bad thing as his hair had thinned a bit over the years.  A casualty of middle age.  Something I know all about LOL).  I never thought we looked like each other (and I still don't) but on that footage, it reminded me of American Bandstand 1979.  Then I saw another musician I worked with in NYC, Barry Johnson on bass.  I had hired Barry to do a gig with me in NYC a few years ago (which ultimately he was unable to do) and I was trying to show him what I had done to (or with) the CHIC song Le Freak.  He had no idea that was the song we were playing until we were done with it (not even while we were playing it).  I heard the band play Everybody Dance and I just felt how far I am from that music.  Doing the thing with Norma and Luci was fun and the Tony Tribute was great but wow, I am really not in that space otherwise.  Just an observation.

Now if I can just figure out what this last song for this video thing is going to be.  I may upset the apple cart (and change the whole look of the thing) and rent some more lights at the insistence of one of my film producer friends out "on the coast" as Duke Ellington would've said. 
 
This afternoon I was watching Judge Mathis (my favorite urban judge...sometimes he gets a bit pompous and he can split a verb like no one else on TV).  After the show ended, I wanted to check out Rachel Ray's new show but I wasn’t near the remote.  I saw a bit of some lousy sitcom called What I Like About You.  On the opening production credits, I noticed I worked with one of the executive producers.  Everything I have seen him involved in (except for one adult drama) has been kinda crap.  It wouldn’t be nice of me to mention the idiot's name.  My TV experience was interesting and financially beneficial but I know that at this point in time, not anything I am interested in other than a show using some of my material.  Speaking of which, I understand some TV talent show of duets with “stars” featured my man Jeffrey Osborne singing SWMT with Alphonso Ribiero.

And one more thing, Noah’s Arc just proves to me that (both male and female) black actors in Hollywood are starving for parts to play no matter how trite or badly written (or produced).   

September 6, 2006

This past weekend was event filled for many. I however was happy to keep out of the fray. My best friend from Cali was here for a few days to check out the city and get some rest from his 16 hour work days.  One thing I have noticed about good friends; we don’t seem to get in each other’s way or on each other’s nerves.  I guess it’s the knowledge that the time we get for each other is so brief that there is no need for that. 

Even if your friend insists on watching the Flavor Flav show (Flava of Love).  After watching a segment of the show, I figured it out.  This is a way for young female “exotic dancers” and “models” to get some national exposure.  As such it made sense that the show was taped in Las Vegas (don’t they have legalized prostitution there?).  There is nothing new about the alliance between prostitutes and the music business.  Billie Holiday worked at a whorehouse as a girl and listened to Jazz and Blues on the gramophone.  And I read about Stravinsky taking some friends to a whore house in Switzerland (I believe) as a young man.  So nothing shocking here.  The show was just so transparent.

I also was victim to parts of the BET Awards show replay (didn’t that happen 4 months ago?).  Mary J Blige continues to astound me.  I knew her producers had used the software autotune (or something similar) on her vocal on one of her recent singles.  Hearing her live pointed out just how much they relied on it. 

Yesterday I heard that Ron Isley is going to jail for 3 years on tax evasion charges. This is very sad news as he has had a stroke and cancer and I don’t know if he will be treated for his health conditions very well as well as his vocal gift will not be heard for that amount of time.  AND he has a baby on the way.  It’s very sad.

Also, choreographer Willie Ninja passed away on Friday. I think I met him in NYC one night. If I remember correctly (it was a long time ago) a friend and I were walking past a club where Mr. Ninja was working the door.  My friend and he spoke and we were introduced.  I read that he wanted to be remembered as an innovator.  That he was.  Rest in peace sir. Job well done.

August 24, 2006

This entry is certainly going to live up to the name of this endeavor.  A lot of good news and a little sad news that hopefully will end up being life affirming and good will come from it. I guess I should start with the heavy stuff first.

My buddy, Washington DC based writer Tom Terrell has stage 3 prostate cancer and no health insurance.  A fund raiser is being held for him on September 11, 2006 at the Canal Room located at 285 West Broadway (at Canal Street) in NYC.  Doors open at 7pm and the performance begins at 8pm. 

There is going to be a wealth of great musicianship on the stage.  It is the type of thing I want to be a part of.  Especially after the memorials I was a part of for Tony Thompson, Linda Martinez and Kenny Kirkland (you may not know about that one, but Scott Galloway and I put on a fund raiser for Kenny’s family after he passed and the LA musical community came through and we raised the roof with love and exceptional musicianship).  To help Tom beat his illness is a cause I am behind 100%.  But I have concerns about trying to barge in on something that already seems to be in place.  So I plan to send the money I would use for airfare to get to NYC as that is what is most important. 

To give you an example of how much I respect Mr. Terrell, I have given two people copies of my upcoming album for their comments.  Tom and Norma Jean Wright (who I mention on here many times). 

In other happenings, I was driving to the gym last night and was playing WCLK on the radio.  And lo and behold, they were playing Harlem Blues (from Mo’ Better Blues).  I pulled over and called the station and spoke to the DJ.  I told him who I was (producer and arranger) and thanked him for playing the song and keeping the music alive.  He thanked me for calling and expressed an interest in speaking again sometime soon.  I gave him some contact information. 

The digitization project I mentioned earlier on here is going remarkably well.  I did end up buying a PC that is strictly used as a music server (and since it’s in the guest room, for guests to surf the web and check emails).  Desktop PCs are very inexpensive these days.  I have ripped two moving boxes of CDs and am looking for a few more CDs that were probably in one of my vehicles.  A lot of those CDs are probably in a box in my storage unit buried underneath other boxes in the unit. 

In preparation for the release of Hillside Stories, I picked up a mini DV camera to work with for my EPK (electronic press kit) and a performance at the piano (or two).  I thought I was going to be able to drag this process out like I have done many times before.  The most recent excuse was, “I have to have the piano tuned.  I’m not gonna be postin’ no performance with the piano out of tune.”  I thought I was going to have to wait a few weeks for a tuner to turn up (as it happened in LA).  I called around and got some bids and all of them were available within a week.  One is coming over later today to do the job.  I guess now the only thing I have to do is warm up a bit and steady the cam on the tripod and let whatever is going to happen, happen. 

Also in preparation for the project, I have started setting up a page on myspace.  

There is hardly anything up on there but I will start to mirror blog entries on both sites.  I will also post the video stuff through that site and probably on youtube.com as well. 

Oh Yeah I almost forgot. I finally got around to getting the SO AMAZING (SONGS FROM THE LUTHER VANDROSS SONGBOOK) and NAKED SOUL CDs over to CDBABY.  The reason for that is not so much to sell CDs but to make this music available as downloads at all the usual suspect sites (itunes, walmart, napster, etc etc).  It takes a while but the music will be there before you know it.  Next on the “to do” list: get Christmas Blue and Acts of Love over there in the next few days. 

August 24, 2006 

Part two

Carl Lewis

I had CNN on the other day and heard about Olympic Athlete Marion Jones failing another test.  They showed some footage of her in a recent track meet and she looked twice as big as some of the other women.  It made me long for the days of eastern European women in sporting events that looked like they took so many steroids they were about to grow beards. They would’ve been more evenly matched than those poor young girls at the meet with Ms Jones. 

Anyway, after the Jones story, they did a segment with Carl Lewis who basically just laid it out. He said that it was important for young athletes to stay clean and drug free.  He spoke about his Olympic win in Seoul Korea against Ben Johnson and how they actually took the medal from Mr. Johnson and gave it to Mr. Lewis after Mr. Johnson failed drug tests after the race in Seoul. 

It was good to see that Carl Lewis can speak with a voice that is honest about his sport and he has maintained himself and looked well.  After the broadcast, I did a web search on Ben Johnson just to see what he had been up to.  I found this and this.  Make your own decision. 

Anyway, when I lived in Cali, I had occasion to meet Carl and he is very down to earth and a cool kat.  I’m glad I got to meet part of Olympic history and I’m even gladder that he is taking a stand and giving voice to people in competitive athletics about training naturally.

And one last thing, April Winchell is a funny broad (you know how I love those '50's expressions).

August 1, 2006

One of the things I wanted to do in this new home was to set up a system where I could access music where it is treated as data as opposed to CDs, Cassettes, and LPs etc.  I wanted to have a music server that would be accessible via wired or wireless networking to any audio systems in the house. There are various components to this project. One of which is to digitize the music to one or two standard formats (mp3 190kb or 320 depending on the source material and wav files).  Also media server(s) have to be created and audio systems that can access the data set up. 

In the last place I lived (above the saints) I had digitized some of the things I was playing and would listen to the rest in my car.  I bought most of the music from itunes when I wanted to hear something I didn’t already own or  have access to.  What I have begun to do is to rip the material that I actually think I will listen to (I have a HUGE music collection and a lot of the CDs are not really that interesting or good).  Because of copy protection issues with itunes and window media files, I have to burn CDs for some of this material and then rip it back into the server(s) as well even though it is already digital.  GRRRRR.  Plus since I want to build redundancy into the system, all data will be on more than one server.

I am starting with the CDs and in a few months I will be move into the cassettes and albums on a case by case basis once other things are done around here (basement will be have a den area with a storage system for albums, cassettes etc.).  One thing I love about this accessibility is that the gear needed to do this is relatively inexpensive.  The first purchase I made was of an audio media player from Rokulabs (M1000) and it is fast, small and well designed.  I only wish it played video and pictures.  Because it doesn’t, and they don’t currently manufacture a device that does (new one in 07) I picked up a piece from DLink that is good but not as well thought out.  What I mean is that since it has a keypad like a phone dialing system, why not be able to use it to scroll through artist’s names or album titles?  I’m still not sure how to set up a play list on the fly.  You CAN setup a play list on your server and it will then read songs from that and you could in theory set it on random to vary it up but it could use some design work.  And anyone who knows me knows I will let them know my thoughts. If they don’t get customer feedback, how will they know what they can improve with the next generation products?  It is interesting to me that manufacturers decide things that consumers do and don’t want from a product when it would be just as easy to include or remove things that would be revealed in a bit more marketing research.  I say this coming from an industry where manufacturers are very involved with their customers and their wants and needs.  Now it seems like a design team is almighty and then they have it built in China and if successful make huge profits once R&D costs are covered.

Anyway back to my grand scale project. The other thing this whole thing will allow me to do is listen to playback of mixes of my material from current or older projects without having to fumble through (in the case of older material) DAT tapes or cassettes or CDs that were treated badly in cars over time.  I give it a good 6-12 months to get this up and  running on all cylinders but it looks promising.  Now I have to buy a new music server box because the one I am using now is just not up to the job.  And I need a wireless signal booster and speaker stands and and…..

One thing I did pull out of storage was my old speakers from Polk Audio. I have had these things since 1979 (or so…I just remember buying this and my receiver when I was in Chic so it would’ve been in that time frame).  One of the drivers had blown and needs to be replaced. I didn’t know the model number but I called Polk and they were helpful and are sending a replacement driver.  They also told me the model number (Monitor Ten I believe) of the speaker cabinet.  I did a little search online to see what I could about these monitors and there were some user reviews about these things that confirmed what I have known for years. These are very accurate, easy to listen to speakers that were a great value at the time and have held up over all these years.  I know some of my design forward friends are going to HATE how they look in my family room (where they are currently placed) but they may go into the master bedroom when I get another media player device and hook up some amplification.  In the meantime, it is so cool to have these hooked up to the audio out of the monitor and be able to hear great sounding audio from the TV, DVD or Music Server. 

This past weekend I went with a friend to look at the new Martha Stewart collection of houses near my house (raise up the area’s property values ka-ching).  She has raised KB Homes to a new level of respectability.  They have seven model homes to choose from 1900 sq feet to over 4200 sq feet.  What I liked about the larger homes was when you came into the home you didn’t know exactly where everything was.  Many builders (including mine) have floor plans that look similar to each other.  Having said that, I love my layout but I can definitely appreciate what Ms Stewart and KB Homes have done. Can’t wait to see the homes across the street from them at Le Jardin (where construction is taking place as I write this). 

July 18, 2006

My neighborhood is a construction site where a few people have moved into their brand new homes (at least in this section of the community).

Most of the work is being done by immigrants from Mexico (from what I can see).  Blacks and Whites are usually employed to bring in the concrete or to level the land but the main daily activities are done by the Hispanic workers that I have a feeling may not be 100% legal. Just a hunch not a known fact. 

In any event, I went to the local shopping center to do some business and get some food. I went to the Mexican restaurant and noticed that the gentleman making my burrito was African American.  And so was everyone else working in this establishment.  Go figure. 

I am soooo late to the party. I recently picked up a copy of the Ron Isley/Burt Bacharach collaboration Here I Am (from 2003).  Where have I been?  Oh that’s right I was self absorbed and forgot.  Hearing the quality of writing on that album and Mr. Isley’s singing were reminders of how high the bar is for excellence in music.  No wonder I don’t really get into the song Laffy Taffy.  Don’t get me wrong there is plenty of creative work being done in various genres of contemporary music. It’s just that most of it won’t make the Hot 100 radio stations unfortunately.

Last week I was checking out one of the Caribbean spots nearby and ran into (of all people) Chuck D.  He knew who I was and we were talking about living down here (he’s been here 16 years) and music and life stuff.  I sometimes listen to his show on Air America Radio on Sunday nights and told him as much.  He introduced me to his crew and we exchanged information.  In addition we met an aspiring playwright/actor and his wife who are taking a project on the road before they film it.  We spoke about possibly working together.  I suggested his using my music library project (at very little cost) and if nothing on that is suitable, I am planning on writing things for the next installment of that project and I could incorporate some of his needs into that.  Ever the music publisher I am!!

July 12, 2006

See? I told you it was going to take a minute before I could get back online. Actually the delay was mainly because the PC I use to update this site needed a piece of hardware (and of course software) in order to work on my new network.  I am back to using DSL as opposed to the cable modem I wanted. Unfortunately when I was ready to set up service with overpriced Comcast (cable modem), they were telling me they didn’t have my address on the list (although I saw little flags outside my house with the word Comcast on them) so I decided not to mess around with them right now. The thing is, if I try to do a few things on a computer in here and one of them is stream internet radio, it makes the thing hiccup and I have the highest speed connection they sell for this area (6 MB per second) and that isn’t supposed to be an issue. 

In any event, I love the new house. I have hosted friends here who seem to enjoy it as well.  A friend sent me a housewarming gift of 1000 thread count sheets and all I can say is it’s a different world.  Very nice indeed.  I had ordered furniture online while I was in the apartment and I put it together in here and everything fit the overall idea of what I wanted the house to look like.  Everything has a good feel about it and I am threatening to do a jazz musician’s version of Cribs once I have up a few window coverings (best laid plans).  In the meantime, I am planning to do some taping for the Hillside project. I want to do a short EPK (electronic press kit) which I will either post here or at a site on myspace.com I am considering putting up.

The thing I felt most free about was I wanted to play the piano endlessly once I moved from living above the “saints.”  I was playing songs I wrote over 20 years ago, I was playing old be-bop songs (Moose the Mooch is one of my favorites), I was playing all kinds of things that just popped into my head. And after I tuckered myself out, I thought to myself, “Well, you’re not awful.” 

One last thing, the Lynne Fiddmont album is absolutely wonderful and please check her out if you have a moment.  My only complaint is I wish there were a few more songs on this album but in any event, what is there is pure classic soul jazz music. 

June 25, 2006

Two kool things have come to my attention recently.  The first is a new CD by one of my favorite singers (and people in the music business) Ms Lynne Fiddmont.  I ordered it as soon as I became aware of its existence on the eurweb site.  The other thing I have been watching on and off this whole weekend is Al Gore’s channel, current tv.  It is mainly short pieces supplied by viewers who are paid $100.00 for any piece they submit that is aired.  Much of the content looks very very good. 

I am supposed to be moving into the new house this week so I will probably be offline a few days (especially judging from the vague response I got from my networking guy about when he is going to show up).  So in the meantime, enjoy summer!! My favorite time of the year. 

June 18, 2006

RJ PhD?

About a week ago, I was hired to give a musical presentation for Black Music Month at a community college in Polk Co. Florida.  It was a great experience and I enjoy speaking to young African American audiences about the rich culture they are a part of.  I try to find ways to show how the past has relevance to the present and future.  This presentation featured one of the professors on the campus who also is a DJ on the side.  I pointed out how the introduction on Goldigger by Kanye West and Jamie Foxx was sung in a style not unlike the field call hollers of slavery times.  And I did mention that I was NOT present at that time but any study of those songs will show the direct correlation of that style of phrasing.  If I was up on my African musicology, I am sure I could have traced it back (directly) to pre-Islamic singing styles in West Africa as well.  But I made my point well enough I thought while I tried to keep the discussion interesting and involved.  And yes I played musical examples on the piano and brought up some of the kids who sang as well.

At the end of the evening’s presentation (there was a local hip hop group as well as the DJ); I was presented with a plaque acknowledging my presence at the college.  I got a call as the plaque was being presented. I wanted to pick it up and yell, “I’m gettin’ an award. Call me back.”  But it went to voice mail. 

After the presentation, Professor Little (the brotha that brought me down there) took me to see some of the other sights around the area.  He showed me a mansion that one of the founders of the Publix food store chain owns, the home of one of the former governors of Florida as well as some University buildings built by Frank Lloyd Wright.  Those in particular were amazing.  What I found fascinating was how Wright was able to design things that even today cannot be replicated.  And I love how he had the bricks that were used in this particular construction built by the students on site. 

After all of this heady intellectual stuff, I was thinking about what other types of awards I might be able to score from doing more of these presentations.  Shoot, I wanna see if I can get an honorary doctorate from some mail away school so I can do like Bill Cosby and make people call me Dr. Jones.  But my friends would end up calling me Honorary Doctor Jones.  Or simply Ho Jones for short.  Maybe this isn’t such a good idea after all. 

My building inspector, Nita and I went by the house yesterday to do a thorough inspection of the house before I meet with the building inspector supplied by the builder (as opposed to the one I hired).  There are a few things that need to be corrected but most of the things are easy fixes as long as they get them done.  If they do their job, I will be moved in a couple of weeks. Should that happen, there WILL be a gap of blog entries of a few days as I get settled in.  Thanks in advance for understanding!!

Before I forget, Will Wheaton has a new CD I hope you will check out!

June 12, 2006

Here are a couple of shots of the kitchen with the countertops installed and a peek at the dining room with the light fixture in place. 

June 9, 2006

A. Scott Galloway has written a piece acknowledging the life and artistry of the late Billy Preston. May he rest in peace.

June 7, 2006

Busy busy busy.  Since I last wrote something on here, I was in San Juan doing a show for the San Juan Bruthas.  I have become their “go-to” guy for musical presentations (requiring more than a track for a singer to sing to). Although flattering, the success of their annual function has caused some um, how do I say this…confusion.  For instance, I didn’t know when my flight was leaving two days before I was supposed to depart and in cases like that; I do what I did when I was waiting for the potential buyer to come up with the financing for the purchase of my LA house.  Nothing.  I didn’t pack, I didn’t ask any questions.  My position is these are grown folks that know what they need to do.  When it came together I packed and caught my flight.  The show was fine and I think the people who came through, enjoyed it.

This past Saturday my friend (and neighbor) Darryl came by to look at my new house which has fixtures and surfaces going up (like the stucco on the front exterior and marble around the fireplace).  We noticed a stack of wood in the back of the house.  I told him it looked like the wood for my deck (it’s a nine foot drop from the kitchen/breakfast area doorway so there HAS to be a deck).  This was around 5 or 6 pm. On Monday afternoon (around 3pm) when I went by with my realtor Nita, there was a deck completely built (save for the landing on the bottom level; I guess that is an add-on that will be assembled and bolted into place).  And this thing is solidly built!  When I think that in California, I spent seven grand for a new deck on my old house and it took a month to build.

There is quite a bit of new development going on in my neighborhood and two of the most exciting projects are about 3 miles from my place (and across the street from each other).  I took both Nita and Darryl over to see both of these.  One of these developments is called Le Jardin.  The other is a KB Home development that is a partnership with the woman herself, Martha Stewart.  In fact on Monday when we drove into the community (which is not really open to the public and Nita and I drove right past the “Do Not Enter” signs) the builder was nice enough to tell us that Madame Stewart and her staff had been there that morning and the staff was running around as if it were a TV show (my interpretation not his actual words) making changes on the fly.  Its one thing to tweak a television segment, quite another one to tweak building specifications once they have been approved, signed off and built. 

The agents at Le Jardin are so tired of seeing me bring people over there; they treat me like the help.  But these ladies are so sweet and phyne, it’s almost alright.  They want me to sell my house and buy one over there.  I just want them to be successful and raise my property values.  Plus it is great to see an African American athlete (baseball star Brian Jordan is the visionary behind this community) do something progressive and positive with a portion of his earnings.   

Yesterday I was watching CNN and listening to Air America at the same time while trying to move my utilities over to the new address.  Lou Dobbs had the weekly segment where he had 3 radio talk show hosts in a roundtable discussion (once again James Mtume was making those inane sports analogies…give it a rest and write a damn song).  I had heard Randi Rhodes on her radio show talking about how she needed her make up man for an hour and a half before she was ready to leave her house and appear on the show.  It reminded me of when the women I worked with on the Keenen Ivory Wayans show had to have a couple of hours in the afternoons for hair and makeup everyday.  Except Randi said something that was funny as s**t. She said that before her make up guy can get started, she needs some drywall patch a coat of primer.  She is what in the days of the rat pack (Sinatra, Dino, Sammy etc.) would be considered “a great broad.”   

May 24, 2006

This past Sunday something happened I thought was kind of amusing so I thought I would share it.  First let me give you a little back story: 

I don't usually talk too much about my neighbors in this apartment complex.  The main reason is because there isn't too much to say. I hardly know them and they don't know me although I do know one of my neighbors because she and I keep running into each other at our cars.  She’s from Brooklyn and has a sense of grace and ease about her that makes her great to be around.  A cool neighbor.

My neighbors below me seem to have to play church music early in the morning and at night and in between sometimes (unless the parents are out and then the teenage daughter blasts her hip hop).  I'm not sayin' that I have anything to do with that...(not going down that road)

I don't usually say much to them one way or another and if I work, I try to play my acoustic piano during the day and use headphones at night with my recording setup now that Hillside is pretty much a done deal.  

But back to this past Sunday.  I believe my neighbors below got a Karaoke machine recently because around 7pm they started having Karaoke Church.  They were shoutin and screamin and testifyin. I looked at the time and wondered if the morning service had been enough church for this family.  Or perhaps they had missed it and were making up for it that evening.  At one point Sister Loud was on the mic and was singing along to that Kirk Franklin rip off of Haven't You Heard by my girl Patrice Rushen.  Sista was demolishing that song so badly the only thing I could think to do was call my buddy Freddie Washington (a co-writer of the song) and left a message to tell him these people were doing things to his song God never intended.  He called me back laughing hard!!! I asked him if there was an agency we could go to.  He suggested they send him a check. 

I told my attorney about it and he thought it was interesting that I could and would get one of the writers on the phone.  I guess after decades in the music business I still have a few connections...

The cabinets have gone up in the house. Here is a picture of the kitchen a few days ago.

The countertops haven't yet been installed but they were laying the concrete driveway and painting the interior earlier yesterday.  Turns out they covered the cabinets before they painted.   

One more thing, I just saw Kathy Griffin’s new standup show on Bravo. She is Fu**in brilliant. 

May 19, 2006 (words and pictures)

Two weeks ago today I got a call from Spike Lee.  He was having the 20^th anniversary of his production company (along with a charity fund raiser) on a cruise liner docked in Manhattan.  He wanted me to play solo piano for the dinner portion of the event.  Dinner music for the black cinema set and their supporters.  Hmmmm…ok I’ll do it.  And a week ago today, I did just that.

First off while waiting for the ship to arrive, I was calling friends telling them I was waiting for my ship to come in... Get it? Ship to come…er never mind. That joke went over like a lead balloon with each of them as well.

When it did turn past the Carnival cruise ship to load passengers, let’s just say that we couldn’t see the Carnival ship when the Freedom of the Seas docked.  It is humongous.  Here is a picture I took of the ship as my attorney and I were leaving the party. 

I had a list of people in order of involvement with 40Acres that I had planned to invite depending on their availability (I was allowed one guest). Norma wasn’t available so it went to my attorney who had the pleasure of telling me a couple of years ago that I was making the 40 Acres legal council and clients apoplectic but I digress.   While waiting in line to board the ship, I noticed a noted filmmaker in front of me. Jackpot!  Here is a picture of me and George Lucas (Star Wars for my friends who read this and have been under a rock or in church the past 20 years and I do have friends like that so…). 

Once I got myself situated in the cabin (though I didn’t plan to stay overnight which was an invitation extended to me but I needed a place to change), I went to the dining area (4 story dining hall with grand piano in the middle of a staircase landing) to find the sound man and do a quick sound check.  While there, the 40 Acres Production Assistant that was assigned with making sure I was where I was supposed to be was shocked that I actually was doing my job.  I just did my gig. 

I was to perform from 7:30 to 9pm and then the rest of the evening was supposed to be free.  When I stopped playing at 10:30, I asked a waiter to rustle me up some grub as all of the well to do folks had been treated to a classy meal with champagne and stuff.  I never saw the waiter again.  However, I did have my camera and you dear reader gets to see all manner of celebrity victims as I worked the room!!

Here is Oprah and Gail

Here are me and Gail

Me and Dick Gregory

Me and Chris Rock and Carol Ross (Film Producer Monty Ross’ wife)

Me and Wesley Snipes

Me and Joie Lee (one of my favorite people in show business..She has always been sincere and real)

I had asked another of Spike's PA's to take a picture of me and Rev Al Sharpton. This is what we got.

Here is a picture of the O Jays at work

And here is one of unhappy Dave Chappelle (the unfunniest man of the evening)

At the end of the evening I went back to Queens.  For dinner I had a bag of plantain chips and a Snapple as I waited for the Long Island Rail Road.  So much for the glamorous life!!

I spent a couple of days in NYC with my family. Since it was Mother’s Day weekend, my niece made a brunch on Sunday and I bought some champagne, OJ and glasses and made mimosas.  After we ate the wonderfully prepared meal, my mother fell asleep as I cleaned up.  My friends in NYC think it was done intentionally but I didn’t mean get my mother tipsy.  All in all, she said it was one of the best Mother’s Days she had ever had. 

I had given her a cell phone as well and we programmed it the following day.  We got to the point where she needed to leave an outgoing message.  She was not cooperating and the first message just had the sound of my niece laughing.  The second attempt after the proverbial beep was simply Ms Jones exclaiming, “Oh Jesus.”  I wanted to keep that one but my niece said we couldn’t (thank God someone had some sense).  The third time was a charm as Ms Jones simply said, “Have a nice day.”  So if someone from the NSA wants to have their head messed with by a nice old lady when they wire tap more Americans, call her.

I spoke to the house builders today. They have given me a final walk through as well as a closing date in June.  I went past the property yesterday and there are walls up.  The cabinetry was off to the side in the garage ready to go in after the dry walling had been completed and I suspect after some painting is done. 

May 9, 2006

I just saw a segment on CNN where there were two talking heads along with the host of the “news” broadcast.  Firstly, I am so tired of these softball questions that get lobbed around in the name of being newsworthy discussions.  I don’t want to get into the details but I want to secondly state that JC Watts is an…apologist….ass…wipe.  I have no use for these black people that are going to defend actions that hurt his own people as well as the country at large.  This point I will explain.  I am talking about AW (as I shall refer to him) trying to defend the oil companies (Exxon/Mobil) having the largest profits of ANY corporation in the history of the USA EVER for the past two quarters.  And gas prices are consistently hovering at record highs. At the same time this administration (as well as the American car companies) pays lip service to converting vehicles to use “flex fuel” that could use either ethanol (which can be made by American farmers from corn and processed in the Midwest and other places) or gasoline or any combination of the two. They are doing this very thing in Brazil as I write this (with ethanol from sugar cane) and that country is energy independent. So AW, keep your head up the A’s that keep it warm at night but don’t be surprised when your own people turn their backs on you. I forgot, you turned your back on us already. 

April 27  2006

Recently I had a conversation with overpriced Comcast.  I wanted to know why my digital package included some stations (like CNBC) and not others like (MSNBC). They probably both had about the same amount of viewers.  In true Comcast fashion, they upgraded my lineup for another 5 dollars a month to include a whole host of channels.

In addition to watching Keith Oberman’s countdown, I spent the past few days watching The Africa Channel which is mainly out of South Africa but features music videos from the entire continent and has cultural and news shows that feature the continent as well.  There is even an African version of Big Brother proving that the concept for that show is terrible regardless of whom the contestants are. 

One of the other things I noticed was the prevalence of African American culture on many (but not all) of the performers and dancers in the music videos.  I had a good chuckle when I saw one South African artist’s dancers doing what looked like a modified version of the running man dance of the late eighties.  It was similar but had a twist.  And to see the clothes of the African youth reflecting a take on hip hop fashion was curious to me. It was yet another example of black youth taking basic concepts and twisting it to their environment.  Seems like how hip hop in the South Bronx in the late ‘70’s, or in Los Angeles with the Egyptian Lover and his crew in the early ‘80’s got started. 

Anyway, I drove down Big House Lane earlier.

There are some big ole houses being built on my street.  They put a roof on my house.  I didn’t take a picture as there wasn’t really that much going on otherwise. 

I’m going to NYC this weekend for my 30^th high school reunion.  Even though I didn’t finish at the school I am visiting, my buddies want me to attend the proceedings.  And I have found it easier not to weasel out of these things but to simply go, have a good time, and enjoy the company of some of the greatest people I know. 

Once I return, I will see the house before they begin to put up the drywall. 

I hear that On the Low will be featured tonight on Logo. I'm sure it will be replayed…often!  Like early MTV, FOX or BET, they don’t have a lot of programming yet so keep an eye out for it. 

April 20, 2006

This past Tuesday I was listening to Randi Rhodes as I was driving to the construction site and she mentioned that she was going to be on the Lou Dobbs show on CNN that evening.  When I got back after checking out Big House Lane as I have come to call my street, I watched the segment that featured the three radio hosts. The other two were a guy from WABC I believe and James Mtume.  Now I wasn’t very up on the WABC guy but he seemed to be the Middle of the Road/conservative voice and Mr. Mtume was the “black” voice with Randi having the “liberal” (with white inferred) perspective.  As she said on her show yesterday, it wasn’t a fair fight.  She said (and I agree) she could’ve taken them both on with one arm tied behind her back. 

As an example, Mtume was asking where various former Bush cabinet members were and what were they doing now.  Randi was pointing out who they were, where they were, (i.e. Wolfowitz is head of the World Bank) pronounced their names correctly on her show (which Mtume did not do on one occasion).  The other guy said something about the Dems not putting forth solutions on things like Iraq.  I have heard (and Randi pointed out) both Jack Murtha AND John Kerry lay out comprehensive plans for pullout strategies in addition to the fact that the Black Caucus was against the war in the first place (something else Mtume could have pointed out).  The whole segment put to rest the notion that these three people on the radio were in the same sphere of political awareness. If CNN wants to ever have a fair and equal dialogue, I plan to suggest a more knowledgeable politically oriented African American in the NYC area, like Gary Byrd or Mark Maron. 

The reason I am harping on Mr. Mtume is I have known him for a very long time.  And my opinion has been based on observations over time. Read on.

When I was a young songwriter (we’re talking in my teens) I sometimes co-wrote songs with a percussionist who is now world renowned.  His name is Bashiri Johnson. He was a student of Mr. James Mtume.  Mtume was well known for having played in Miles Davis’ band in the Agharta period when the grooves were deep and most experimental after the breakup of his 60’s quartet.  Anyway, Bashiri would take our little songs over to Mtume and they were never good enough for him.  I personally didn’t mind that because I have ALWAYS had a sense of self worth as far as my creative abilities.  I knew even in my teens that art and music were subjective and I had no worries about the future of my art as long as I could be creative.  What I remember from those days was there was never any constructive criticism of how to better structure or otherwise improve the songs. And more importantly, when the comments came back, there was never any encouragement.  That can mean a lot to a young musician coming up.  I guess its why, as lethal as people say I can be with folks, I try to give guidance as to what might help them achieve their own goals.

 So anyway, over the years, I have known Mtume as a co-writer and co-producer of some great R&B hits for artists like Roberta Flack & Donnie Hathaway, Stephanie Mills et. al as well as a successful career as a solo act/band with the hit Juicy.  After that period in his career I remember him being music supervisor for the popular Fox drama NY Undercover.  And now in NYC he is a DJ on Kiss FM and I assume it’s a public affairs program he has (and I am sure he has a faithful listening audience). 

Now I know that people can be more than one thing in their working lives.  But in music, you usually have the freedom of expression to voice your ideas from time to time.  I never got a strong political sense from him in the past.  And most unique creative artists (especially the black ones) end up going against the grain of society at one point or another but I’m just saying in his case I never saw any of that. 

 However, the first time I saw him on the Lou Dobbs show a week or two ago, he seemed to be not engaged in the conversation, and the football analogies he brought up were completely useless. 

I was doing the Scooby Doo “huh?” at that point and was cringing because in these most important discussions on topics that affect our world, I want to hear articulate and incisive people with various opinions.  When Mtume said he wasn’t Democratic or republican, he just went with the best ideas; I felt like they could’ve dragged that Larry Elder onto the screen and let’s just say that HE inspired a song from me on this new CD of mine.  Here’s a hint: it’s called Misled.  The days of just having a black face on the tube are long gone.  Amarosa is useless.  I need more intelligent black (and white and everyone else for that matter) people talking about the possibility of war in Iran, the failed rebuilding of Iraq and New Orleans along with the rest of the Gulf Coast affected by Katrina. I need someone to talk to the “Decider” and ask him if he can help get the petroleum prices down to reasonable levels (how can there be huge profits in oil when the gulf coast operations were supposedly so damaged by the 05 hurricanes). We need smart people talking about how to be less energy dependent by building cars and other vehicles to run on alternative fuels. We need to hear more people talking about our trade deficit with China and what Americans can do about it.  Why is so much low technology manufacturing being done overseas and very little being done here (esp. if there are going to be illegal migrant issues in this country)?  The list goes on…but I guess people would rather hear Simon Devoid of Funk Cowell critique someone who doesn’t fit his idea of good.  Keep in mind he worked for the people that gave the world Bananarama & Rick Astley.

April 13, 2006

June Pointer

Rest in Peace

You and your sisters have given the world so much joy through music.  I was saddened to hear of your troubles in past years and most of all your passing.  But I will always remember when I met you in Bremen Germany backstage at the Musikladen television show and how kind you & your sisters all were to me; a star struck kid that was playing with another band on tour (CHIC). 

April 13, 2006

I got a call the other day. It was my sister Carolyn sayin’.. Oh never mind that’s Aretha Franklin

I got an email the other day. It was my buddy independent filmmaker Luther Mace.  He was giving me an update on his gay coming of age story On the Low.  A little over a year ago, I had encouraged Luther to use some of my material for his soundtrack beds on the film (at a very low cost…well free actually; this was a film done on a shoestring budget). I believe he has used 3 pieces from my Intimate CD although I forget which ones. 

The film (a short) has been winning awards and getting shown in festivals around the world.  Luther mentioned that a deal to air it on Logo is eminent.  So once again, just by supporting creative artists, I find myself ahead of the curve.  There is nothing Brokeback about this film. Simply it’s just a story that needed to be told.  And though it will be nice to see a couple of performances show up in my writer’s royalties after it airs (lesson: this is how you make money in the music business, by having your material played in various places in the media…the pennies add up as you expand and exploit your catalog; exploitation is OK if you are the owner of your works), it’s more important that various voices are heard in the media.  And to be honest, I would much rather be associated with groundbreaking and quality projects, than safe uninteresting crap.

If you have been reading this journal, you are probably aware that I am having a house built in ATL. I wanted to share a little bit on its development.  This first photo:

is what the site looked like before they started building. This was last November I believe.  This second photo:

   is about 3 weeks ago when they laid the foundation and the third photo:

   is this past weekend and is the framing of the house.  Hopefully they will remain on schedule (well actually a month behind) and I will move in when I am supposed to (June). 

April 5, 2006

I sat in my car yesterday and listened to my album project.  I listened for continuity, balances, levels, consistency of performances etc.  I have done this repeatedly over the past few months as I was finalizing the material but yesterday the material was in the most complete state yet. 

I haven’t played this project for anyone else in this state. I’m not sure why that is but it is. Usually I play something for the musicians who have worked with me on a project (outside of the material they are working on) but not this time.  Though I will never know what it feels like to carry a baby to term I can honestly say I feel that I want to release this baby into the world so that I can get on with other concerns. 

Yesterday was the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination. 

As I listened to the material, I saw how his inspiration came up directly and indirectly in this set of pieces. 

Other political and social issues come and go but the ideas of love, peace; equality and decency towards one another are the long view goals that I hope we as humans on this planet can stay focused on.

Please don’t get me wrong tho.  I am very happy that Congressman Tom Delay is stepping down from the House of Representatives.  It’s interesting that one of the main reasons is because (he says) he may have a close election if he stayed on.  Funny, I seem to recall it was at his bequest that they ended up changing the district lines in Texas so that there would be a majority of Republicans in the state. And still he has concerns about winning?  And to try to blame “liberal Democrats” for his legal troubles after two of his staffers pleaded guilty to conspiracy regarding dealings with convicted lobbyist Jack Abrhamoff?  It was almost as ridiculous as his interview on CNN with Wolf Blitzer yesterday where he said he regretted nothing and that he did nothing wrong in his political life.  Hold that thought Tom.  I can hear special prosecutor Fitzgerald looking up from his Scooter Libby trial prep to pass along some tidbits to the Texas DA and the next Federal special prosecutor being lined up to see what is really going on in Sugarland. 

March 17, 2006

Stereo Buss

It’s been a while since my last posting. The reason is simple.  I been workin!! I went to NY to do some final overdubs for Hillside with percussionist Steve Scales.  The recording went great.  I booked a soundproofed rehearsal room in midtown Manhattan and brought my laptop and fixin’s and got the work done.  Once again when you hire the right person the creative part just happens. Occasionally there may be a challenging moment but usually it’s because the road to creation is not neat and clean.  But it is an adventure I love and all too often, done too soon. 

When I returned home, I began to combine and balance my tracks so that I could mix the songs I hadn’t mixed when I was living in LA. While working with my new setup, I realized that I wasn’t looking at the stereo buss on the mixer/controller.  That is because there are no meters on the thing. On my old setup with my Yamaha 02r mixer I could always see if I was overloading the stereo buss (the final stereo output).  With my current setup, I have to check the meters in a software page and although I noticed that none of my individual tracks were overloading, when I combined them in the stereo buss, they were overloading big time.  The danger in this is that because the work is now being done primarily in the digital domain, when one overloads the signal, it is not the type of pleasing distortion that analog gear gives off. It is a nasty sound that one tries to avoid at all costs. 

I had just read an article in Mix magazine that spoke about some of the pre mastered projects mastering engineers receive and how their clients want to have the loudest CDs but there is no “headroom” (a term used to express how much overage is left before distortion comes into the mix) on the mixes.  This situation impedes their work.  From what I can tell, this is part of the legacy of analog recording and cutting discs for vinyl album pressing. In digital, having the loudest CD usually means that the product’s audio has been smashed into an uninteresting audio file with no dynamics.  And it will not make your CD sound any louder on the radio. The reason for this is that FM radio will compress and otherwise make everything the same volume before it hits the airwaves.

So I have to watch that stereo buss.  This project is challenging enough. I don’t need to add any distortion to it that ISNT supposed to be there. 

While I was in NYC, my attorney and I had dinner at riingo restaurant.  I’d seen Chef Marcus Samuelsson on a few shows (and yes one of them was on Fine Living channel…go and say it, “He’s Bougie”) and wanted to check out this combination of Swedish and Japanese foods.  It was pretty cool and not very expensive (but it wasn’t Golden Crust Jamaican cheap either…but then they weren’t trying to close the restaurant down a half hour earlier than the posted sign stated, while telling me, “We closing in 10 minutes so I don’t know if you gonna be able to finish yo food,” needless to say I took my time and ate but I digress).  The rest of the trip was good and was able to help out my family around the house doing some mundane stuff.  One thing I found interesting was, since I didn’t rent a car, I took what we call “car services” to shuttle me back and forth to the train stations.  Now a “car service” is usually one which you call for via phone and they may be licensed but I don’t think it’s with the city’s taxi and limousine commission (which charge tens of thousands for a medallion-the legal right to charge metered fares).  I was usually picked up by one of my brothers from the Diaspora. If it weren’t a West African driver, it was one from the Caribbean.  The main thing was I could barely understand what any of them were saying. Their accents were heavy and thick.  Especially the Jamaican kat I rode with in this mini van that looked like he was taking a break from doing a “dollar van” shift (another mode of transportation that is like a jitney service that runs the same routes as the city buses but are about 3x as fast and reckless.  I even saw 5 minutes of a bootleg copy of Soul Plane last summer on one of them).  This Jamaican brother kept saying things that required me to respond and I just kind of laughed and said, “You right man.” 

So I will have this project mixed by the end of the month (hopefully) and mastered next month.  I am even thinking about where and when I want to start playing live again.  I plan to learn a Bach piece for some dexterity. Maybe just a 2 or 3 part invention or something from the Well Tempered Clavier.  I just feel a need to return to the standard repertoire and play through some things.  Learn just a few bars a day and within a few days, a piece will be learned. 

I received a copy of the Andy Razaf biography in the mail the other day.  He was the lyricist for a number of great songs of the Great American Songbook.  Two of which are Black and Blue and Ain’t Misbehavin’ (co-written with Fats Waller).  I will write more about it once I have completed it. 

One last thing, re: the Academy Awards, The Sound of Music, West Side Story, Shaft, It Ain’t Easy For A Pimp….WTF?

February 27, 2006

Libation TV

Here in Atlanta the local news seems to believe in the adage: “if it bleeds it leads.”  After a bit of that, I get turned off from watching it very often.  I end up watching things like C-Span or CNN or even FOX News if I want to know what the xenophobes are thinking or frothing about.  Often I watch the Fine Living channel and there are two programs I seem to see fairly regularly.

One of which is a show hosted by Andrea Immer who is a French trained cook and sommelier (wine expert). She is constantly teaching her audience about wines and pairing them with foods to further enhance the experience of enjoying wine.  She is bright and articulate and has the type of expertise that puts someone like Martha Stewart to shame.  She is a specialist. I appreciate her enthusiasm and professionalism. 

There is however another show that seems to be on the program schedule after Ms Immer and is called The Thirsty Traveler.  The concept is that the host (whose name escapes me at the moment) travels the world to see how local libations are made and to sample the beverages. He will sample at the factory, at local festivals, at people’s homes, etc. 

After watching a few episodes of this particular program, I seriously think Mr. Thirsty Traveler may have had a few too many.  This came to light while I was watching an episode where he was in France tasting Cognacs.  In addition to starting to look a little travel drained, he had been taking part in some local festival and was knocking back (yet) another cognac before jumping into the river and screaming WOOO as he did.  To me, it didn’t seem like great TV to have the host knocking back shots and doing back flips into a body of water with a slow moving current. 

I think the Thirsty Traveler may need to dry out and have a few Shirley Temples for a while and put that show on hiatus. 

February 18, 2006

Two things

I don’t have much to report but there are two things I want to share.  The other day I saw a friend of mine at the gym.  Though we have played phone tag, we’ve been unable to speak directly since I moved here although we live 10 minutes away from each other.  He asked me to stop by after the gym for a drink and so that I would know where he lived (one of the reasons I wanted to be in ATL was I didn’t want to feel as isolated as I did in Cali). 

As we caught each other up on the past few months of our lives sipping Grey Goose, he was playing music in the background.  The tracks were ok but as I drank a bit more, the singing was more and more annoying.  It was a Mary J Blige compilation he had assembled and it was wearing me out!  I try to not speak badly about other artists unless they get on my bad side and I have come to realize that for me Mary and Vodka are a bad combination. It didn’t help that my host kept saying every few minutes, “Mary got it going on.  She singing that song ain’t she?”  I just smiled and drank.  And left.

The other thing I wanted to mention was I have been spending the past week upgrading my G5 computer to a point where it is usable for music making.  Although Ivory (which I mentioned earlier) is playing well, I can still make it trip up even though I have 2 GB of RAM.  I have upgraded plug-ins I haven’t been able to use for years (like Pluggo and Reaktor Session) and added a few new ones.  I also upgraded my copies of Live! and Reason to work in the machine.  For some reason Reason has been giving me a hard time (I can’t say the blues as that would not be such a bad thing if they were soulful blues!).  I have been on the phone with Sweden already trying to get the thing working properly, emailed them for a different issue and I am about to compose another email as the program (which had to be installed twice…once for the upgrade of the upgraded version which I had to download twice).  I also purchased the Korg Digital Legacy plug-ins (M1 and Wavestation and effects unit) which had the most obscure security protection I have yet to deal with (I don’t have any ILok programs though).  This purchase renders my rack mounted Wavestation A/D useless as well as my M1REX (which is in storage).  I am effectively working with 3 synth modules in my stripped down setup (one of which I actually use on a regular basis).

After all this busy work on my rig I tried to play with the gear and come up some musical ideas. I was completely fresh out of anything interesting. 

Try again another day.

February 10, 2006

CORETTA SCOTT KING

(And other things that don’t quite measure up to her greatness)

The queen of the civil rights movement passed a week ago. Living in Atlanta now, I had no excuse but to pay my respects which I did (although my mother told me, “I didn’t think you would.” Great vote of confidence I’d say Ha Ha).  I stood in the rain with so many others to say goodbye to Mrs. King.  I went to Ebenezer Baptist Church

and saw Mrs. King looking regal and so familiar.  It was a surreal scene to say the least. The crowd was peaceful and loving and I knew I wanted to be no where else in the world but there.

The following day was the funeral for Mrs. King and Atlanta did it right. I must commend WSB TV Atlanta for carrying the whole funeral commercial free and I must admonish BET for the opposite reason.  They didn’t cover it at all.  They have become a useless diversion for African Americans.  I hope Mr. Johnson (the man who sold the station to Viacom) is happy with his sports team or whatever he is doing. Kudos to Cathy Hughes and her station TV ONE for carrying the event. 

The ceremony had so many high points such as Reverend Lowery saying his pointed and spot on good-byes, Maya Angelou relating to us about telling Mrs. King off color jokes in their late night phone calls.  Attilah Shabazz recounted her memories as did Sen. Ted Kennedy.  It was a great momentous moment in our nation’s history. Having said that I must say the former and current Presidents Bush were in a league and zone of their own.  When Rev. Lowery mentioned in his poem about there “not being any weapons of mass destruction over there” GW Bush rolled his eyes from what I have heard (the WSB camera didn’t focus on him at that time) but I do know there was a thunderous standing ovation from the assembled parties when the Reverend said what he said.  And George Herbert Walker Bush had a moment of clarity when he said he had never seen such a gathering before.  Now I know mega-churches are relatively new but NEVER?!  Where exactly did he go when he was in office for those four years that precluded him from seeing a large peaceful assembly of people of color in worship and praise?  And where was Mrs. Barbara Bush?  Of course President Clinton was a crowd pleaser who HAD to mention how good Mrs. King looked well into her seventies.  I realized something about Clinton.  He didn’t read any speeches (unlike Hilary).  He just riffed off the top of his head like a jazz musician.  He improvised his thoughts off the cuff and was the best speaker outside of Kennedy in the governmental bunch.

The musical performances were great.  I didn’t know that Reverend Abernathy’s daughter was such an accomplished operatic soprano.  I was completely in awe.  As I was with the other operatic singer that performed.  The only thing I noticed (uh oh here it comes) was she was doing these startled head jerking motions that I can only describe as looking like a scene from Rupaul’s Supermodel video. 

And then there was Steve “vocal gymnastics” Wonder.  One of the greatest talents in the world and he was swinging from note to note like a high wire circus act.  I know there was an Eye and a Sparrow but that was a completely new song they worked out.  I really enjoyed BeBe Winans performance.  He was in the moment and he took you with him. CeCe followed and she didn’t take ME as much but she was in great voice. 

I was in a store today and I overheard a worker say the whole thing was too long.  All I kept thinking was, “What do you have to do that would be better than watching history being made?  Dummy.”  I kept my mouth shut in the name of non violence though. 

The day following the King Funeral was the Grammys.  I NEVER watch those things but I got a phone call earlier in the day from one of my buddies that was part of the crew working on the SLY STONE segment.  He was standing with Nile Rodgers and wanted us to say a quick hello.  I missed that opportunity but I saw them on the show later that evening.  I must say that Sly’s skin looked remarkably good for all the life that he has lived (in his “seclusion”).  Unfortunately whoever was in the booth mixing the feed for television (and I know my buddy was tearing his hair out) didn’t have the good sense to turn up Sly’s keyboard.  I just wanted to hear him comp on HIGHER (could there have been a more appropriate choice of song?).  For me to hear him just lay in the cut would be like hearing Basie, Monk or Ellington comp behind a soloist.  If you don’t know what I am taking about you have homework to do…but its fun…honest.  It was wonderful to see my dear friend Patrice Rushen playing behind Sly and the gang and Nile doing his thing as well as Randy Jackson playing music you can tell he loves.  And I give Sly credit.  He was a true star among stars... He came out, did his thing and didn’t stay too long.  I’m just glad he showed up and let us know he is still among the living.

I kept the television on while I was setting up my new/old G5 (with the old hardware slots…I have a UAUDIO card which I refuse to give up and it will only work with EARLY last year’s model).  I was treated to some of the strangest things that are considered entertainment and “music”.  I have come to the conclusion that most of these television show performances are simply glorified talent show shtick.  I had no idea why Cierra was warbling through Sly’s music and Josh Stone sweet as she can be really has to learn what makes a riff funky.  Timing AND execution sweetheart.  Nuff said bout that.  Still not sure why Kanye West is so big and Jamie Foxx is singing like Ray Charles to sell records but it was one ole spectacle as was the Linkin Park. Jay Z thing. The lead singer seemed a bit how can I put this, safe but not in the cut, more like afraid to screw up.  Nothing interesting and not sharing joy through music.  But I don’t think of joy when I hear JayZ.  Before you say I am hating, there are plenty of rappers I enjoy but the only thing I have liked from Mr. Z was his part in Crazy in Love. 

I think the worst offenders of the talent show ilk were the Herbie Hancock/Christina Aguilera collabor-crash of “A Song for You”.  She was trying to riff er’y line and I kept saying, you know, there is music somewhere in the midst of all that.  Herbie who is all things musical to me was playing every note he could and I found it hilarious that he had a chart sitting up on that piano.  I was like Man, fake it…you know that song backwards and forwards by ear.  But what do I know?  I still love him but I want to send him a card that says, RESTRAINT.  Just ‘cause you know every trick in the book doesn’t mean you have to show us all of ‘em.  At one time, in one song. 

So when I FINALLY finish Hillside, I am going to enter it for Grammy consideration in the FOLK field.  All you NARAS members I am putting it in your hands.  Needless to say I will be in Atlanta (or someplace warm and sunny) next year on Grammy night, either working or working out...or watching the show if they haul out another reclusive legend (and I am not talking John either).  I made a (lousy) funny!! Not a bad way to end this.

January 18, 2006

Valley of the Dolls

Last night I returned from a trip to LA where I had major dental work done.  Most of my time was taken up either in the dentist’s chair or recuperating from it. I have had to take so many pills I felt like I was hanging out with Neely O’Hara. Only I wasn’t chasing down my “dolls” with booze to “make ‘em work faster.”  But I was in the (San Fernando) Valley.

I did manage to have a few business meetings and see a few friends.  I was trying to catch up with my former next door neighbor as I had left a box of artwork in her garage and wanted to get it out of her way.  I was staying at a hotel 3 blocks from where I used to live. Some of my friends found it odd that I had no interest in seeing my old house.  I did eventually go past the house looking for Laura but I had no emotional response.  All I said to myself was, “Oh good.  They got that dish off the roof.”  I had an oversized satellite dish on my roof that I could never get anyone to come remove at a reasonable cost. Then I went and ate sushi and Japanese soup.  I think Cybil Shepard said it best on her old sitcom, “Once I get rid of a car, I don’t care who drives it.”

Once I was done with the first three days of dental work, I changed locations and stayed over in West LA.  I went over to Amoeba Music and picked up a few CDs. One CD I bought was something I heard in the store.  It was a compilation of music from Brazil on EMI records from the 60’s and 70’s.  It was a sort of singles collection from various artists and was post Bossa Nova and more geared towards Funk and Rock from a Brazilian perspective.  Now from what I could tell, most of the artists were secondary to the producers/impresarios/arrangers.  Some of the music was a little heavy handed but a lot of it was very well written and performed. There was one instrumental that was funky, jazzy and sexy all in one.  I wish I could see some of the dances the people of that era did to this music.  I’m sure it was as beautiful as when I was a teenager playing in Latin Bands in walk up clubs in Brooklyn for Salsa dancers.  One of the things I liked about this one cut was the form of the song was unique.  The main theme was based around a 5 bar phrase.  Most Western music is usually based around 4 bar phrases although I have heard some Jazz cats say that Brazilian music is often based around 8 bar phrases.  But 5 is a unique number and to keep it funky was a very hip and creative thing to do. 

Monday was MLK day and on KPFK radio they played speeches by the man.  If he were alive today the current administration would be trying to “Swift Boat” him like Congressman Murtha or John Kerry.  His words were so succinct, telling and prophetic.  On Air America Radio, Randi Rhodes was reminding folks that (when a congressman) VP Cheney was one of 3 congress people that voted against instituting the MLK holiday.  He also voted against any measures to pressure South Africa in the ‘80’s to end apartheid. 

Also re: MLK, I had a chance to see a couple of episodes of the Adult Cartoon The Boondocks.  One episode dealt with King surviving the assassination attempt, and him coming out of a coma just prior to 9/11.  It was hilarious and thought provoking and will probably piss off quite a few folks.  The following night I saw the creator of the show on Nightline.  Anyone who quotes the late great historian John Henrik Clarke as he did has my respect and support.

Lastly, I was saddened to receive a note from David Nathan which reported that Angela Bofill has suffered a stroke.  I have known Angie since the late ‘70’s (we worked together in the Ecstasy Passion and Pain live band and when I worked for George Duke, I had produced a track for her) and wish her a speedy recovery.  The note stated that fund raisers were being planned to help with her medical bills. With all that she has given the world, there should be health care for her through her union, state (CA) AND country.  I happen to feel that all Americans should have universal health care coverage as they do in some other industrialized countries and that if you want to add additional coverage to that (for specialized treatments), fine but everyone should be able to receive good and adequate health care for their needs.  

January 2, 2006

New Year Stuff

I hope all have had a safe and fun holiday season.  Mine was good and different.  I was more social than I usually am. One of my best friends was in town from NYC so I went to the place where he was staying (a business associate’s house where he had a wing of the home).

The home is located in Stone Mountain GA and is a more established community.  I was looking at it to see what my new neighborhood will look like in a few years.  I hope my new neighbors will keep the wire reindeer laced with Christmas lights to a minimum.  I don’t want to get bogged down in how so many religious folks get bogged down in pagan symbols in celebrating the Christ Mass.  Their issues not mine.

In the course of conversation amongst the people in the house, we spoke about the roots of black music.  We spoke about various musicians and singers (the two are not always one and the same as I have mentioned in previous entries on this journal).  There was a lot of opinion and love of the history of th