You are going through some serious challenges right now my city, but you will get through it like you always have. I am sorry for everyone that has lost power and does not have running water right now. I am sorry for anyone that last a loved one. Hang in there.
Live Tracking
Showing posts with label new york. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new york. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Thursday, May 26, 2011
New Lights
I am finally settled into my own place and so much happier not to have a roommate. There comes a point in life when you need your own space. It is time to make up for lost time and create even more.
Sweet Georgia Brown has invited me to sit in with her at the Lenox Lounge. She performs every Tuesday there. I sat in with her band this past Tuesday and will continue to do so since she has laid out a nice welcome mat. Stew Cutler was on guitar, Greg Lewis was on organ, and Warren Grant was on drums. They play their a---- off every time I see them. Georgia has become a mentor for me. I watch her and absorb all the seasoning. She is a great entertainer. She is so fun to watch. She calls herself one of the Last Red Hot Mamas. She definitely is. The room was full of tourists. There were people from Morocco, Russia, and Mozambique. I am very grateful to be surrounded by wonderful musicians who are positive. When I am singing, I feel most alive and free. I have a lot of covers to learn and a lot more songs to write. It is still so on. :)
I want to say Rest in Peace to Phoebe Snow. She was such a kind woman. We went to the same temple and I remember looking up to her. Someone once told me we have a similar voice. So, I began listening to her. When I moved to NY, she actually came to where I lived to help enshrine my Gohonzon. You never know in life.
Sweet Georgia Brown has invited me to sit in with her at the Lenox Lounge. She performs every Tuesday there. I sat in with her band this past Tuesday and will continue to do so since she has laid out a nice welcome mat. Stew Cutler was on guitar, Greg Lewis was on organ, and Warren Grant was on drums. They play their a---- off every time I see them. Georgia has become a mentor for me. I watch her and absorb all the seasoning. She is a great entertainer. She is so fun to watch. She calls herself one of the Last Red Hot Mamas. She definitely is. The room was full of tourists. There were people from Morocco, Russia, and Mozambique. I am very grateful to be surrounded by wonderful musicians who are positive. When I am singing, I feel most alive and free. I have a lot of covers to learn and a lot more songs to write. It is still so on. :)
I want to say Rest in Peace to Phoebe Snow. She was such a kind woman. We went to the same temple and I remember looking up to her. Someone once told me we have a similar voice. So, I began listening to her. When I moved to NY, she actually came to where I lived to help enshrine my Gohonzon. You never know in life.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Embryos
The new songs are coming out. Let the games begin. I am contemplating in participating in Make Music NY again this year. AB and Toby called. We will be recording new music in June most likely. I am buckling down. My fans keep me inspired to keep on keeping on. Love also does. Love does everything when you think about it. It can make you get out of bed in the morning or stay in bed in the morning. :) Anyways, I am working hard to complete this new project. It is too bad that AB and Toby don't still live here. We would be creating a storm and spreading it all over the place. Lots of lightning.
I don't know why, but for some reason, I have been thinking a lot about Brad from Sublime.
Fucking heroin man. One of my friends was trying to play matchmaker with us when I was younger. We spoke on the phone for a while and I will never forget how he talked to me like he had always known me. He was fine and I loved his voice. Watching this video makes me remember moshing and feeling so free. I get sentimental sometimes and think about the true people that I have known. I am thinking about California a lot too. That is probably why. I need to go cool out. I miss being able to go to the beach whenever I wanted to. The guys are different here. People feel more guarded when you walk down the streets. It is just different.
I don't know why, but for some reason, I have been thinking a lot about Brad from Sublime.
Fucking heroin man. One of my friends was trying to play matchmaker with us when I was younger. We spoke on the phone for a while and I will never forget how he talked to me like he had always known me. He was fine and I loved his voice. Watching this video makes me remember moshing and feeling so free. I get sentimental sometimes and think about the true people that I have known. I am thinking about California a lot too. That is probably why. I need to go cool out. I miss being able to go to the beach whenever I wanted to. The guys are different here. People feel more guarded when you walk down the streets. It is just different.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
Georgia Brown has also invited me to sing for her birthday bash at the 55 Bar . It is this Saturday, March 28, 2009. She has a lot of people coming down to wish her a Happy Birthday by performing. They call her one of the last red hot mamas and that is truly what she is. She reminds me of Shug Avery in that she is totally free when she performs. She says exactly what is on her mind. A very strong woman indeed. She has been kind enough to give me advice and take me under a wing a bit. I have a lot of respect for her and her experience. People need to observe and listen more.
My friend,Jim,had a great gig this past Tuesday. It always feels good to support one of my fellow musicians when they are doing the type of music that they really want to. It was a clean show in the sense that it was precise. You could tell the players had been around and knew exactly what they were doing.
It has been a long time since I have written here. I usually find myself writing when something intense has happened. This usually happens when you are truly living. And with that said. I am opening up and writing new songs.
It is finally spring. Well it is supposed to be. It is actually pretty cold outside. I need to spread my wings and start making some dramatic changes and at the same time let go.
My friend,Jim,had a great gig this past Tuesday. It always feels good to support one of my fellow musicians when they are doing the type of music that they really want to. It was a clean show in the sense that it was precise. You could tell the players had been around and knew exactly what they were doing.
It has been a long time since I have written here. I usually find myself writing when something intense has happened. This usually happens when you are truly living. And with that said. I am opening up and writing new songs.
It is finally spring. Well it is supposed to be. It is actually pretty cold outside. I need to spread my wings and start making some dramatic changes and at the same time let go.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Changes
All my life experiences change my outlook and how I relate to life and people. The weird thing is his cruelty has inspired me even more. He thinks we musicians should get "real jobs". Anyone that downs you or your passions is not truly living. I call it emotional meat that gets added to my bones. I sing songs with a different timber and color. I don't know if you ever are able to forget or stop completely loving someone.
I went to support some friends in the circle I call it. It is either people I have worked with or friends of musicians that I respect. Musicians that are the full package. Good people who also happen to be great musicians.
The gig was great. It was at Barnes and Noble. I only wish I could have heard his, Tomas's, vocals more. Danny Sadownick played with his soul.His eyes closed as he got into the style of Tomas. The mic was not hot enough,because he was standing up playing his guitar and he is so tall. But you could hear that his songs are very strong and that the band is tight. There were also other performers like Allan Harris He was so smooth like Nat King Cole. He was clean in the black,southern since of the word. Very polished indeed. Every song was beautiful. When you see any of my peers, you will not have missed a minute of your life. They are the cream of the crop. If you like music. Support these guys and of course me. :)
Since when is my next show.I am paying off an incredible amount of debt and in light of the economy, saving what I can. Changes in my life need to be made. I wish I was financially capable of making all of them I want to right now,but it will work out. It has to work out. It costs money to pay my musicians. They have bills like I do.
I am writing new material from these experiences, from what I see,and from what I observer others' experiencing. It is a shedding if you will.I have been going to jam session to stay vocally active. Use it or lose it. I am meeting more great musicians and people that support art.
Let the good times roll, right Georgia.
I miss the way it was, but know it has to be different. "Life is Change," someone once told me. Sometimes change hurts, just like working out,just like a woman giving birth.
I went to support some friends in the circle I call it. It is either people I have worked with or friends of musicians that I respect. Musicians that are the full package. Good people who also happen to be great musicians.
The gig was great. It was at Barnes and Noble. I only wish I could have heard his, Tomas's, vocals more. Danny Sadownick played with his soul.His eyes closed as he got into the style of Tomas. The mic was not hot enough,because he was standing up playing his guitar and he is so tall. But you could hear that his songs are very strong and that the band is tight. There were also other performers like Allan Harris He was so smooth like Nat King Cole. He was clean in the black,southern since of the word. Very polished indeed. Every song was beautiful. When you see any of my peers, you will not have missed a minute of your life. They are the cream of the crop. If you like music. Support these guys and of course me. :)
Since when is my next show.I am paying off an incredible amount of debt and in light of the economy, saving what I can. Changes in my life need to be made. I wish I was financially capable of making all of them I want to right now,but it will work out. It has to work out. It costs money to pay my musicians. They have bills like I do.
I am writing new material from these experiences, from what I see,and from what I observer others' experiencing. It is a shedding if you will.I have been going to jam session to stay vocally active. Use it or lose it. I am meeting more great musicians and people that support art.
Let the good times roll, right Georgia.
I miss the way it was, but know it has to be different. "Life is Change," someone once told me. Sometimes change hurts, just like working out,just like a woman giving birth.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Gotta keep on moving forward
In spite of the recent heartbreak and shock, life must go on.Maybe he will come around. Maybe he wont. I still have to sing. I will always have to sing. Sometimes people try to down your dreams because they are miserable inside and their kindle is dwindling. Stay away from them. Stay around people with as much light as you can.
My friend Baby Monroe is also a singer and he always invites me to join him at different jam sessions. Last night we went to Sapphire and then we went to Mr. Biggs. All of the musicians are the best of the best.They have worked with everyone. So, you know when you sing with them, they have your back. Sapphire's band leader is a guy called Moogie Klingman . He is the one that wrote the song, " You Got to Have Friends." Even Steven Levee was on bass and Chuck Hancock played sax with his cool silver jewelry. Baby sang with tons of emotion as he always does. The sign of a true singer. Always sing like it is your last song. There were a few other singers. All with different styles. Mr. Biggs is fun because there Steve Marshall always has loads of eye candy dancing while the band plays. What I mean is he has two women usually dancing with form fitting clothes slapping a half tambourine to the music. Then there is this guy following everyone around the club filming it. Be Careful, you never know who is watching you. :) The band is tight. The guitar player has a long ponytail kind of reminiscent of the 60s and he plays without a pick. They can play just about anything. I always have a good time at the jam sessions. It is a great way to keep "working out" or keeping your chops up to par. It is also a great way to meet people. It is cool to go with Baby too, because he keeps the riff raff at bay. Like Moogie's song says, you gotta have friends.
Ah, I forgot, one more thing. Thursday night, I lost my cell phone, Baby and I went back to Sapphire only to see that it was not there. To make a long story short. It was in the cab we took over there. I called it all night and the cab driver answered the phone the next morning. He dropped it off that morning. His name appropriately was ATIF which means Compassionate,sympathetic, or nice. Who says New Yorkers are not nice. Here is to Atif's kharma bebe. :)
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