I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Carrie, Murphy and I had a great time. They've been in NYC for a week and we've been doing fun NYC things ever sincea; Rockefellar Center, Central Park, Carrie went Ice Skating, etc. On Christmas Day we went with Carrie's sister and her husband (who are in town visiting us) to a friend of their's home where their mother made a fabulous Christmas dinner. We had a roast, stuffed mushrooms, roasted potatos, brussel sprouts, rolls, soup, baked apples, fruitcake, and turkish delight. Quite a menu. Afterwards we played Scrabble. I haven't played in years yet Carrie and I came a close second. I think I like the game and would like to play more. I have all of my professional Scrabble moves down after watching the world championships on ESPN2.

Before we left for dinner we opened presents and had brunch here at the apartment. I got an iPod video from Carrie. Quite a nice gift!

Week 8 at the Carlyle was nice. Katie Couric came again and Steve Martin was there Friday night. Only eight shows to go. Hard to believe, at times it has felt like this last week would never come.

But here it is.

Sunday Carrie and Murphy finally arrived. It was so good seeing them again and really good having them here. After watching the Colts LOSE (WTF was that about?) we went to dinner for the Boss's birthday at a really nice Italian resteraunt in Brooklyn. We ended up going out afterwards and Carrie was treated to one of my late-night NYC hangs first-hand.

Monday was the Christmas party and it turned out to be a blast. We were busy all day long getting food, making phone calls, etc. (we did take a break in the middle of the day to see the absolute WORST holiday movie I've ever sat through, The Family Stone ... please stay far away from this movie). The party was supposed to start at 8, I had all of the food out and was ready to go and no one was there! But by 10 the place was hoppin'. I had invited 10 or so people and at one point we had 20 folks in our apartment. And I live in LA! That was really nice, everyone had a good time. Guys from the band, friends from NY, friends from the Carlyle, Paul Schaefer even showed up at my apartment for the party with Lewie. Crazy. It was a lot of fun for sure.

Then we woke up to this MTA strike. How terrible is this? My wife finally gets here and we are looking forward to enjoying the city over the holiday and now we are stuck in our neighborhood. No subways, no busses, no fun! Taxis are now $10 just to get in and making our way to the Carlyle is a lot of trouble. I don't see how something like this could happen. My love for NYC has dwindled a bit. It's too bad the selfish parties involved cannot reach an agreement at Christmastime. Pathetic.

Week 8 at the Carlyle has begun. Not much longer before I'm headed home.

Week seven? Wow, seven weeks. You might think that time would fly being in a place like this during the holidays but that's not really the case. It certainly feels like I've been away from home for seven weeks. I'm to the point where I'm really looking forward to going back to LA and being at home with my family.

But THANK GOODNESS my family will be here in a few hours. These next two weeks will be great with Carrie and Murphy here. We're going to have a great Christmas. Her visit starts with a bang tomorrow with the boss and his girlfriend taking everyone in the band out for a nice dinner. Monday is our Christmas party here in the apartment. I'm looking forward to both.

The gig is ... the gig. Still going strong, still fun to perform, but still feels like a day job. No celebs I can remember but the crowds are still good.

Two weeks left.

I'm late getting this post out. My roommate Jon went to Florida on our days off and I was left without a computer.

Last week at the Carlyle was fine. I was sick most of the time so it really felt tedious. I'm feeling better but I haven't kicked the thing 100% yet. Miles Davis's widow Francis came as did Ronan Tynan. If you don't know who Ronan is he's the Irish Tenor who sings "God Bless America" at Yankee games. He has a fantastic voice. He and Steve sang "Smile" together, it was a lot of fun and an honor to play with him.

Sunday I played a really fun gig with an old friend of mine from Western Michigan who is a New Yorker now. We hadn't played together in a long time, I had a blast. And I got some folks to come out and see me (shout out to Jeff!). That night I saw some music. Monday some friends from LA were in town and I went to see their concert as well. It was a good couple of days off.

So we started back up tonight. Hopefully the gig will be more pleasant for me now that I'm feeling better. And only a few days until Carrie and Murphy arrive!

I have a cold. I thought I could escape NY without getting ill but so much for that one. It is so freezing cold here, my body can't take it. And I haven't left Manhattan for a month. And I'm no doctor but I think partying until dawn consecutive nights does no good for your immune system.

Whatever the reason, I'm miserable. I'm a bad sick person anyway but here I have no dog or wife to complain to. And I HAVE to go to work, no calling in for me.

I've been taking vitamins, Airborne, Tylenol, and anything else I can think of so hopefully I can kick this soon.

Please direct your sympathies here ...

Work went really well this week. I like the set we've been playing (it includes two tunes I sing on, not bad) and the crowds have been really enthusiastic. No big celebrity sightings save for Fran Davis, Miles Davis's widow.

Last night the drummer and I went downtown after the gig to see my buddy Lew Soloff play (Lew is on my CD, now available). The resturaunt he was playing at was fantastic, the food was really good. The musicians were incredible as well. It was a great hang. Afterwards I walked outside to catch a cab home and found that it was snowing. It made me realize that I haven't seen snow for a couple of years. Then I was reminded of my very first year in Indiana. I have very few memories of my early childhood, but this one stands out. I was in kindergarten one day when it started snowing. My teacher realized I had just moved to Hawaii and asked me if I had ever seen snow. I had not to my recollection and I stood by the window watching the snowfall as she walked outside and scooped up a glassful. She brought it back in for me to look at.

These days I'm glad I don't live around snow, too much hassle for me. But walking through the snow last night I realized what warm memories I have of the stuff, in particular my grandmother.

... a very nice way to end the week

It seems like everyone wants some details about the Letterman show. I'm afraid there's not too much to tell. We rehearsed in the afternoon at a studio that the drummer and guitarist own (right across from the Ed Sullivan Theater). Regis showed up and we ran through the songs a couple of times. He was nice and funny and gregarious. You can tell that he's a really good guy and that there's no Hollywood bullshit in him. After that we went to the stage and soundchecked. It was really cold. It was funny seeing Biff the stage manager, he seems like a nice guy as well. Everyone there was all business and we cranked out the soundcheck.

We waited for about an hour watching the taping from our green room (we had a different green room than the other geusts). Then we went to the stage where we were joined by the Donald (he didn't show up to the rehearsals and everyone was worried that he'd mess up the perforance, but he was fine). We did the song (my sister in law Kelly likened it as an "odd post modern performance" ... I totally agree) and everyone left. That's about it. Didn't meet anyone else really (besides Biff). I'd already known Paul and the other guys in the band as they are friends with Tyrell and his crew.

And I did buy a coke from Rupert at the Hello Deli.

I have to admit it's pretty cool doing shows like this where there are a bunch of fans standing around and you get to walk right through them into the stage door. Makes you feel more important even if you are just the bass player.

So the fourth week of our nine week run is over. We're almost half-way through. Playing the same songs every night is starting to wear on me but I'm still having fun when the crowds are good, which they were this week. Celebrities this week included Joan Collins, designer Chris Madden, Dennis Farina, and Robin Givens.

Thanksgiving was great. Carrie and I went to the Macy's parade in the morning (I hope to have pictures up soon). It was fun ... crowded and cold but fun. Then we had lunch at a great Italian resturaunt on the West Side with the Tyrells and other family and friends from the band. It was really good; pumpkin and ginger soup, pumpkin ravioli, turkey with stuffing and sauce, pumpkin pie with cinnamon gelato. We had to work that night which sucked ass because nobody was there, but it was still a nice holiday.

Carrie had a good visit, it was so nice seeing her again. We didn't do much touristy as the crowds were terrible and I had to work every day, but we did walk up and down 5th Ave. to look at the window displays, have dinner with friends, etc. I can't wait until she comes back.

For anyone interested, I'm going to be on Letterman Tuesday night playing "Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer" with Regis. That's right, I'm playing with friggin' Regis. Steve is his producer so there will be a few guys from the Tyrell band there. It should be a lot of fun so tune in.

Hope everyone had a great holiday.

This is it folks.

After all the hard work, time, energy, finances, headaches, and stress, my debut album is finally out.

I've been so stressed for the past couple of days waitng for my CDs to get here from the replicator. They look great, I really am quite proud of the final product. I sent out a mass email but I'm sure some folks might not've recieved it due to spam-blockers and the like.

You can check it out and order it here: LMbass

Tell everyone you know about it, it's now time for "shameless self promotion mode." I have 1000 of these things lying around!

Not much to report from the third week of our run. No celebrity sightings or anything although I did see Lauren Hill in the lounge of the hotel with an enormously combed-out afro.

The crowds were good this week. I can't believe so many people come to this place. It will be interesting to see how the crowds are over the holiday.

The tree at Rockefellar Center is going up. It's massive and has scaffolds all around it. I'm sure my neighborhood is going to be utter insanity by Friday.

So it seems like my life is hitting a stride here in NYC. I joined a gym and seem to be getting a routine down. And if you know me at all I'm not much for a daily routine so I'm starting to get a little bored. I'm going to start calling some friends and doing different things during the day and after the gig. But all in all things are going quite well.

And things will be going very well next week when Carrie comes! I'm really looking forward to seeing her, absense makes the heart grow fonder but catching up on that fondness can is a lot of fun!

Only days until the CD is released, not long now kids!

Birdland is one of the greatest jazz clubs in the world and my favorite jazz club in NYC to play at for sure. The owner is a fan of Steve's and came to see our show opening night.

Tonight after the gig we headed over to Birdland to check out singer Hilary Kole who is the owner's girlfriend. She sang some on Steve's last record. Well she was incredible. She did the songs of Marylin and Alan Bergman, two of the best lyricists ever ... "The Way We Were," "You Must Believe In Spring," "Theme from Tootsie" ... all great songs. It was a lot of fun. And we were on the geust list and had the best seats in the house. Not bad.

In other news the CDs are finished. Not long now before they are delivered and The Funky Supervillain hits the streets.

Keep your ears to the ground, dig?

The Butterfat Trio is being featured on All Things Considered, so check it out.

And if you don't have the record yet, you best get it!

Today I saw this movie Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic. It's basically Silverman doing standup and it is outrageous, seriously. She says some shocking stuff. It was funny. Check it out if you're interested.

So we flew to Boston on Sunday to give a concert at Berklee College of Music. It went really well, it was nice to play in an actual concert hall instead of the "tony" club we've been playing in (thanks Kelly). I didn't get much sleep Sat. or Sun. night and I've been dragging my feet ever since I got back home yesterday. I better not be getting sick. Nothing worse than being sick on the road, Carrie isn't around for me to whine to! But I'll be fine I'm sure.

It's back to work tonight.

Things went pretty well this week. The band is starting to tighten up and groove and we are getting used to playing in such a small venue. The audiences have been very enthusiastic as well.

Not many celebrity sightings this week, only one. Don King came to the show last night. He was really funny, he kept shouting out things during the show like he does when he promotes a fight "Yeah Steve Tyrell!", "You guys are the best", etc.

I also remembered a funny story about the hotel I wanted to post about. Last week Prince Charles and Camilla stayed at the Carlyle. It was the night we opened, Tuesday. Well there are a lot of impressive photos around the Carlyle of people that have stayed there, presidents, celebrities, etc. I noticed a very nice picture of Jakie O right outside of the club. Well a couple of nights later the picture of Jackie O had been replaced by a picture of Lady Di.

Turns out the folks at the Carlyle didn't want to upset Camilla so they replaced Diana's picture with Jackie's during their stay.

... or I'm gonna get fat, fat, fat. I've been researching and it looks like New York Sports Clubs is going to be my best bet. At $125/month it is the best deal. That's still expensive but what am I going to do? There's too much great food in the city for me to just sit on my butt all day long. And I bet getting to bed before 4 AM and cutting back on the post-gig brewskis would help as well.

The weather started getting cold. I was chilled to the bone heading to the gig and I know this isn't nearly as bad as its going to get. Southern California has spoiled me.

The Colts have exorcised the demons. They FINALLY beat the New England Patriots after years of losing to them in hearbreaking fashion. What a game. I made dinner for a couple of the boys in the band and sucked back some beers while enjoying the victory. A good night for sure.

Yesterday was fun. I got to see some good music during the day and had dinner with a friend of mine in Brooklyn that night. It's been a good "weekend" for me. Back to the grind tomorrow.

Well the opening week at the Carlyle is finally finished. This is the first day off I've had in well over two weeks and it couldn't have come at a better time, that's a lot of playing.

The week went well, the only downer was Steve's scathing review in the New York Times. Actually, the guy does have some valid points. The review in Variety was much nicer (of course yours truly got no mention in either, when is the bassist going to get love?).

There were celebrities abound this week; George Steinbrenner, Robert Wuhl (actor from Arliss), Katie Couric, Regis, Frankie Vallie, and Frankie Avalon got up and sang with Steve (something tells me he might've been "overserverd" at the bar if you knowutumsayin). Its been a fun week.

One down, eight to go.

-Grocery stores are a pipe dream. They don't exist around here. I guess I'm going to have to shop online or catch a cab to buy some friggin' eggs and bananas.

-There is constant noise. Nothing loud or disturbing, but it's never serene, fo' sho'.

-The falafel guy on 6th Avenue is great, I've never had better food from a cart at 2 AM.

-Laundromats are about as plentiful as grocery stores.

-Walking down 5th Avenue in the middle of the afternoon would be great training for NFL Runningbacks.

-I love it, but I'd certainly never have the money to live here on my own means.

Well so far I'm digging my situation here in NYC.

Our apartment is great, really. It's big and we both (that is Jon the keyboardist and I) have our own bedrooms with plenty of privacy with a nice living area and kitchens. We're going to be throwing a Christmas party for sure.

Last night was opening night at the Carlyle. Before the show we had gruelling rehearsals the evening before and the day of. The Carlyle is a small room and I mean SMALL. They usually only have trios in there but there are seven guys in Steve's band ... It's tight and uncomfortable when I'm playing, hopefully something can be figured out, I'd hate to play the entire run like this.

I'm "living" right by Rockefeller Center and all of the expensive shops on Madison and Fifth avenues. It's cool but I'm sure we'll be overrun when the holidays start. But it's a nice spot and a nice building.

So there you go. I've been trying to stay away from black and white cookies and pizza ... Hasn't worked so far.

Well, I'm off.

In a few hours I'm getting picked up to head to NYC for my two-month gig. This day was a long-time coming. I've known about the gig for so long it was just sort of looming there on my datebook.

Being away from home is going to be hard, but I will get to see Carrie in a few weeks over Thanksgiving. For those that know her please drop her a line and check in on her for me, I hate that she's by herself. I can't stand sleeping in our bed alone, I don't know how she does it.

And Murphy! Will he forget who I am? I hope not. Luckily he will be flying out to join us at Christmas time.

But adventures in the Big City await! I'll be sure to update my blog often, the holidays in Manhattan, it should be quite an experience.

I've just set up a MySpace site for the new record. Read about the band and listen to songs here.

For any other MySpace-types out there I've also set up a site for myself. Add me, I need friends.

<---And dig the new LINKS section to the left

... templates, fonts, CD encryption codes, UPC labels, bar codes, panel-layouts, reference numbers, label name, photo choices, jewel case choices, color choices, text layouts, final mastering, song order, design mechanicals ...

... all done.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Funky Supervillain has been delivered. It will be pressed over the next couple of weeks. It won't be long now.

Last night after the gig I was having a drink with some of the guys in the band and was reminded of this story from Japan.

The first night I was in Tokyo I went to a jazz club with Lou and a friend of his. At the end of the night our bill came and I owed 900 Yen (about $9). I put in a 1,000 Yen bill and a few minutes later the waiter comes back and hands me a 10,000 Yen bill (about $100). I say "no, this is too much" but the waiter is insistent that is the change I am owed. I figure maybe I made a mistake and took the money. Later that evening I was looking through my wallet and found my ATM receipt, I had only withdrawn 10,000 Yen that day so the waiter had given me too much change. I felt weird about it, but what are you gonna do, ya know?

A few days later I was in Osakusa with Lauryn. We went to bank to get some more money. I stepped up to the ATM Machine and what was sitting there? Another 10,000 Yen bill! At this point I think "this is a test, someone up there is F'in' with me." I wanted no part of that 10,000 Yen, it felt like devil money! So I took the bill back in to the bank and gave it to one of the tellers. I tried explaining what had happened even though it was obvious he didn't speak English.

A few minutes later he comes back out and hands me a present. Weird, right? He was bowing and saying "thank you" so it was obvious that this gift was for returning the money. It was wrapped so I open it. Guess what it was ...

... a dishtowel

Not even a nice one. A thin, terricloth dishtowel. How crazy is that? Lauryn and I laughed our asses off, what a crazy, random gift to give someone. What's even crazier is that they have stuff like that laying around just in case there's a gift they need to give.

It's obviously a cultural thing. A couple of guys got some girls they met in a pub on the guest list to see our show. They brought them thank you gifts as well ... Stickers. A "no smoking" sticker and an "exit" sticker.

Wacky stuff man, wacky.

I got the final mastering product from the mastering engineer today. Man, it sounds great. I couldn't be more happy with the overall sound of the recording; the guys who mixed and mastered it really did a wonderful job. The basic designs for the CD insert are finished, just a few minor tweaks and it will be all set to send off to the printer.

I met with a duplication company today. They do good stuff and the guy there seems easy to work with and the price is decent.

I'm starting to get a little concerned now. I'm certainly not going to have the record in hand by the time I leave for NYC, so I'm going to be on the other side of the country when it is finished. As far as the actual product goes, this is not a huge deal, the guy at the duplication company said he could mail the CDs wherever so I can have a hundred or so mailed to me and the rest mailed to my website guy who will be selling them. But now that I think about it it would be great if I were in LA so I could call people, give it to them, etc.

Maybe that's nothing to be concerned about. As long as the CD is available online and I have some to send to places to get reviewed I can wait for the heavy "marketing" and CD release shows until next year. That sound like a fine idea to you?

The last couple of days of the tour were fine. We played two nights at the Tropicana Showroom to enthusiastic crowds. I got to play some poker and relax a bit.

Tonight we start a seven-day run at Catalina's here in Hollywood. It's always nice playing at home but seven straight nights is a bit much. I'll be pretty worn out by the end of the week.

I leave a week from today for NYC. Nine straight weeks in the city. That's a long trip and I have a lot of things to do before I leave including finishing up the CD. Not only do I have to prepare for the trip but I don't have a day off until Nov. 6. No rest for the wicked this week.

I forgot to mention that last night some fans came to the show that I had seen and spoken to before when we'd been on the east coast. They know I am a Pacers fan and they are Pacers fans as well. Before the show I get a note from the stage manager saying that this couple was in the audience and had a present for me. Afterwards they met me in the lobby and gave me a really nice Reggie Miller book that commemorates his retirement. That was really nice of them.

It's good to have fans like that.

Our show last night in Jersey went really well. It was a nice theater with and entusiastic crowd and the band had the same guys as the Japan tour so everyone sounded good together.

Today we are off to Glenside, PA. I like touring the East Coast, everything is a lot closer so you can drive or take a train to gigs.

latuh ...

This morning I'm off on another tour. This is a short east coast trip to Red Bank, NJ, Glenside, PA, and Atlantic City. Two days in AC will be fun. I like playing in casinos because they usually give you a pass to the 25 hr employee cafeteria so you don't have to pay for food while you there. And I can play poker of course. Speaking of, I played with some of the boys last night. It was fun, quite a few friends I hadn't seen for a while.

I got a load of new CDs. A bunch of good stuff came out while I was on tour, new discs by Jamie Cullum, Brad Melhau, and Robert Glasper. I also picked up this new disc by a group called Brazillian Girls. I have a lot of listening to do; I still haven't checked out all of the records I got in Tokyo yet.

Yesterday I picked up the original artowrk for my album from the artist Jim Mahfood. It looks great, I can't wait to frame it and get it up on a wall. And Jim has a great apartment in Hollywood, makes me wish I lived over there.

And how 'bout dem' Colts!? Big come-from-behind victory last night. Unfortunately I'm going to miss Sunday's game because that's when we'll be flying home, but they'll be fine against the lowly Houston Texans.

I wish Carrie could come with me, I just got home!

I finally made it home. I left Osaka Friday at 5:30PM and arrived in LA on Friday at 12:30PM. In other words, I arrived before I left. Crazy huh?

It's good to be home although I'm pretty jet-lagged at the moment. It's 3:30AM and I'm wide awake. This is a problem seeing as how I went to bed at around 11. I'll manage.

Leaving Japan was bittersweet. I had a great time there, but I was really, really missing Carrie and Murphy.

Our drummer Kevin gave me some pics from his digital camera:

Here we are at the traditional Japanese resteraunt in Tokyo on our first night. No shoes, please.

The band at a kaiten sushi place (this is where the sushi travels around on a sort of conveyor belt and you pick up what you want).

Me and Steve's daughter Lauryn who joined us in Tokyo.

My last couple of days in Tokyo were fun. I went to Roppongi Hills (a really nice and massive shopping mall), Asakusa (a small shopping area with many local shops), and Shibuya again. I also saw more music with Lou. I really had a great time, Tokyo is so fun and the people are really sweet. The rest of the shows at the Blue Note went well, I think they'll have us back.

Yesterday we flew from Tokyo to Osaka where we are playing another even for Cartier today. Osaka is nice, much more laid back than Tokyo but still a big city.

I'm having fun but it will be nice to be home again.

Things are still going really well here in Tokyo. Our first hotel was in an area called Repponghi where all of the nighclubs are. Now we are staying in Akasaka which is more of a business district. There is an area with great resturaunts and I have found a cheap noodle place to eat at ... this is helpful since things can get pretty expensive in this city.

Saturday I went to Shibuya that is a lot like Time Square/Midtown Manhattan. I went by myself on the subway. I always like doing that, it really gives you a feel for the city you are in. I went to the Tower Records there and got some great CDs that you can't find in the states very easily, I'll give a report on those later. The subway here is fantastic, a lot cleaner and easier to manage than the NYC subway.

Tonight was our first gig at the Blue Note. It went really well. There were a lot of folks in the audience which is good since this is Steve's first time in Japan, hopefully we can come back. The crowd was very enthusiastic and the club really treated us well. It's going to be a fun couple of days.

After the gig I went to another jazz club with Louie and heard some great musicians. We hung out with them afterwards. I love doing stuff like that. Hanging out with locals makes you feel like less of a tourist.

Okay, it's almost 4 AM. I'm definately back on schedule from the jet-lag now.

I've only been here a couple of days and I can already tell you that Tokyo is one of the best cities I've ever visited. Where to start?

First off the hotel we stayed in the past couple of days was without a doubt the best hotel I've ever stayed in. And I've stayed in a lot of really nice hotel. The Grand Hyatt is simply awesome. Everything from the ambiance and wonderful breakfast to the heated toilet seat and remote control blackout curtains was exquisite. It had every modern amenity including remote control lights, an enormous bathroom with a rainfall shower head, two flat-screen televisions with a Bose audio system, DVD player (and check this out, DVDs are regional so DVDs from the US won't play on a Japanese DVD player, but after calling the front desk they replaced my DVD player with one from the US), and a ridiculously comfortable bed.

Tuesday night I went to a jazz club with our trumpet player (Louie) who has many friends in Japan. The musicians we saw were really great, there was a singer, guitarist, and a guy doing human beat-box. Unusual, but really good. It was nice to be in a club that locals hang in ... We definitely were the only foreigners there. It was a lot of fun.

Yesterday we had two performances for Cartier. They were having some sort of conference that we played for. I was thinking about running off with a tennis bracelet for Carrie but logic got the best of me. Afterwards our hosts from the Blue Note took us to a great Japanese restaurants that looked a lot like the restaurant from the end of Kill Bill. It was traditional Japanese, we had to take our shoes off, no forks, etc. The food was great as was the Saki. I've discovered a great Japanese liquor that I like called Shochu, good stuff. Somehow I got overserved last night ... How did that happen?

So we changed hotels today, this new hotel is very nice as well. We don't have anything to do for a couple of days, I plan on soaking up as much of Tokyo as I can.

Did I ever have a bad flight getting over here. There were probably 40 100lb. Japanese women on the flight and I get stuck sitting next to the only other big Amercian guy. I made it though and here I am.

We drove 1.5 hrs. to get here from Tokyo. So far I'm really digging Japan. Everyone is really quiet, polite, and short. And I've had some good, interesting food so far as well.

I forced myself to stay up last night to catch up with the time difference. I think I've done it, that's really good for only being here a day. Later on we have a soundcheck and our first show at a club called Motion Blue before heading to Tokyo tomorrow.

I had to jump on a computer to find out that my Colts won yet again ... the only television stations with English here are CNN and BBC. Even though I'm half a world away I can still get excited about an undefeated start for my boys!

Yesterday was a long day. We flew from St Louis to Oklahoma City at the butt crack of dawn. We had lunch, soundchecked and did another show. The folks here in OK are really nice and the promoters of the concert took us to some great restaurants for lunch and dinner yesterday. We have another show tonight and then the fun starts.

Tomorrow morning we leave (once again EARLY in the morning)for a 2hr trip to Chicago then the 14hr trip to Tokyo. You heard me. Fourteen friggin' hours. I'm prepared; I have my Gameboy, book, iPod, pills ... all the necessities for a long flight.

Be thinking about me tomorrow when I'm crammed on a plane for hours upon hours upon hours ...

Greeting from St. Louie, Louie.

We had our first show last night, it went really well even though I was beat from the plane ride and getting up so damn early. We play two sets a night through Thursday and they are all sold out. That's good news, an enthusiastic crowd ALWAYS makes for a better show. Remember that next time you go see music and everyone is sitting on their hands.

My record has been mixed. I've been listening to it quite a bit and I must admit the mix is pretty happenin'. Only a few minor tweaks before it gets sent off to be mastered.

I leave for another tour tomorrow. The driver is picking me up at 4:45 AM ... that's damn early! First St. Louis, then Oklahoma, then Japan. I hope to make some blog entries while I'm on the road, I'm pretty excited about the trip and it would be fun to update from another country.

Wish me luck.

Since I began making my record I made sure not to put any unneeded pressure on myself regarding the recording and manufacturing of it, no hard deadlines, no strict course of action.

But as the record gets closer to being finished and my schedule gets busier I find myself under more stress to get it done. I really need to have this thing pressed by the time I leave for my 9-week gig in New York City. If that happens, I'm going to make it under the wire. A lot of important decisions need to be made and a lot of money needs to be paid in a short period of time.

*whew* I hate pressure.

So for a break in the stress I am going to present to you some fine women who grace the cable airwaves weekly. You won't see these ladies on Entertainment Tonight or anything, but if you watch the Travel Channel or Food Network as much as I do you will recognize them for sure. And not only are they hot, but they are talented and good at what they do.

First up we have one of my faves, Samantha Brown.
She looks like your best friend's hot mom when you were eight. She hosts Passport to Europe and Great Hotels on the Travel Channel. Killer body.

Next up, the adorable Rachael Ray.
My mom loves Rachael Ray. So do most people who watch Thirty-Minute Meals. She's way cute and has this high-pitched, raspy voice that is super sexy. And she can cook too.

Speaking of cooks, here is Giada De Laurentiis.
She hosts Everyday Italian on Food Network. Isn't she gorgeous? She can peel a garlic clove in no time, now that's hot!

And finally #1 poker hottie Shana Hiatt.
Shana hosts The World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel. Unlike the other three who are quite talented in what they do, Shana is just a hottie. No way around that one. Unfortunately she will no longer be hosting the WPT, I think she wants to pursue a career in acting. I actually saw her say two lines in the wretched movie Must Love Dogs. Nowhere to go but up Shana! For those who are really interested you could probably find some nude pics of Shana from when she did Playboy a few years ago ... That's what I hear anyway.

Aaaah, that's more like it. I'm feeling a little better now. So I'm off to choose fonts and work on licensing and all of the other crappy stuff you don't think about when you want to make a record.

If any of you out there read Downbeat, the jazz magazine, check out page 166 of the October issue. There you will find a picture of yours truly jammin' onstage at the International Society of Bassists Convention. The picture is part of the "Student Music Guide" section of the magazine. Every year Downbeat has a special issue covering all of the schools in the country with a jazz department. I can only assume my teacher at WMU sent in the pic as the caption says "Lyman Medeiros, Western Michigan alumnus."

So it's not like an article on me or anything. But it is a cool picture. And it's cool to be in the magazine regardless.

So I'm back from a roller-coaster visit to Indianapolis. I had a wonderful time. The show Friday night was incredible. There were so many people who came to see me and support me I almost was overwhelmed. During the show it was quite obvious that a large percentage of the crowd was there to see me instead of my BOSS ... but Tyrell was a good sport about it and the band had a good time. You can see some pictures on J's Blog.

Thank you to everyone who came out to the show. I hope to be back to Indy with my own band early next year.

The rest of the time in Indy I spent visiting with friends and family and watching the Colts whup up on the Jaguars. I had a great time at the game and a great time seeing some old friends. I even went back to my old high school yesterday to visit with my old band director. Things have changed a lot at the school, sure sign I'm getting older. But it was great to be re-united with the man who first introduced me to jazz.

Now it is back to work, recording session today and tomorrow, show with Tyrell on Saturday, then we leave for a three-week long tour (that indcludes Japan) on Monday.

Just so you know, I've changed the settings on my blog so anyone can leave a comment if they like, not just registered bloggers.

So tomorrow I leave for Indiana to do a show with Tyrell. It's the first time I've played in Indy for at least 6 or 7 years and I'm pretty excited about it. There are a lot of people coming ... everyone from my high school band director to my wife's family. It should be a lot of fun.

And I get to see the Colts on Sunday, GO BIG BLUE!!

See you next Wednesday.

So I've picked up some new stuff over the past couple of weeks. I haven't gotten a chance to digest the stuff yet, but I plan to on the plane this weekend.

Ray Lamontagne is a singer/songwriter who was recommended to me by my buddy Phil (the guitarist with Rachael Yamagata, they opened for him this summer). Trouble is his first CD and what I've heard of it is really good. He has a roughness to his voice that I really dig. So far all of the songs have the same vibe though.

I am a longtime fan of Lonnie Plaxico's. His record Emerge is one of my favorites and was an inspiration when I was writing the music for my record. This new one, Live at the Jazz Standard features a young band and arrangements of some jazz tunes that I'm anxious to hear.

KanYEWest-Late Registration. While I kind of dug his comments about Bush even though they were a little off-target and ill-timed, that is not the reason I bought this record. Producer and musical savant John Brion produced a lot of the tracks, he's so creative I can't wait to check out what he did.

Drew Gress is one of the most creative and solid bassists in New York right now in my opinion. I believe this is his first record, 7 Black Butterflies. I can't wait to hear what his compositional style is like compared to his contemporaries Scott Colley and Reid Anderson.

I've had some time off and some time away from the bass. It's nice but I'm starting to miss playing. I won't have that problem soon enough.

I leave this weekend for my big return show in Indianapolis with Tyrell. That will be a lot of fun. Then I come home and have a two-day recording session with a singer. Then I leave for my long trip to St. Louis, Oklahoma, Japan, AC, a week here in LA, then I'm off to NYC for a couple of months. From this weekend on things will stay pretty busy for me. And I have to get my record mixed and pressed in that time too. I'll have a lot of music around me for a while.

But I still need to practice. So I'm off.

This looks to be the start of a great season.

The Dodgers and Lakers were both disappointments. The Pacers were just a tragedy. But it looks like Big Blue is in for a true Superbowl run.

Tonight I went to a Dodgers game courtesy of my good friend Cory who has season tickets. The Dodgers are not very good this year and have been losing a hell of a lot more than winning. But Dodger Stadium is always a good time and the seats are great so of course I jumped at the chance to go.

It was a great game. Literally the best baseball game I've been to. The Dodgers were up until the 7th inning when the Giants (the hated rivals) pulled ahead by as much as three. The Dodgers won it in the bottom of the 9th scoring three runs in one inning for the come from behind victory. It was great, exciting stuff. It was a good night for sure.

If you've ever sat in box seats before you know that food is free. After Corey called me this afternoon to ask if I wanted to go I didn't eat a thing for the rest of the day. Ballpark food is the best. I think my last count was two Dodger Dogs, chips, peanuts, ice cream, root beer, and lemonade. Not a bad haul.

... here are some more fun facts to sway you. I can't believe I just heard about these things:

-Two days after the hurricane hit President Bush was in San Diego giving a speech at a fundraiser.

-FEMA did not ask for assistance until five hours after the storm hit when it had been predicted to hit three days earlier.

-Vice President Cheaney is still on vacation. Hope he's having a good time.

Thursday I went to see the Jean-Michel Basquiat Exhibit at MOCA. I've been anticipating this exhibit ever since my sister-in-law saw it in New York and told me it was coming to LA. It has been open for about a month or so but I've waited until I had a day to myself to see it. I had never seen a Basquiat in person before yet he is my favorite painter and I've read extensively about his art and his life.

I must say the exhibit is phenomenal. It truly is a comprehensive collection that captures his entire career perfectly (granted his career spanned less than 10 years, it's still pretty remarkable). Literally the only thing missing would be his old SAMO graffiti before he started painting, and I don't think there is much of that out there.

All of his "greatest hits" are there including Untitled (Head) which is featured on all of the publicity for the show, Six Crimee what I consider one of his best, Untitled (Sugar Ray Robinson), Now's The Time, etc. The only one I expected to be there that wasn't was Self-Portrait As A Heel, but I was pretty impressed that all of these were in the same collection. There are also many paintings (such as Grillo) on strange canvases (wood panels, doors, etc.)that are pretty exciting to view.

The show is laid out chronologically for the most part. You get to see his work as he hit the ground running with pieces from his first show to the end of his life where the quality of his work tapered off. This was interesting and sad for me to see. JMB died in 1988 and by 1987 his paintings were noticeably sub-par to his earlier work. His paintings always had a primal, rough quality to them, but by the end it seemed as if his stroke had lost it's intensity and his eye for composition was too sporadic. But even in the midst of sloppy work such as Victor 25448 and Riddle Me This Batman there are gems such as Eroica and Pegasus. The show ends with Exu. I can tell just by looking at it that Basquiat was a mere shell of what he once was when he painted it and drugs had damaged his mind and his hands to the point of self-parody. That being said it is still a beautiful paining as it bookends his tragic life.

It is commonly believed that the soundtrack and sometimes inspiration to Basquiat's work is jazz music. JMB himself said it on more than one occasion. But I must respectfully disagree. Jazz is my music and JMB is perhaps my favorite artist but the connection between the two is superficial. You can look at Basquiat's work and see an improvisational and African approach that is present in jazz as well. But that parallel is too easy. You see with jazz music improvisation and personal expression come from technique. While most of our greatest jazz musicians never attended a music school or conservatory they all spent relentless hours practicing, listening to other musicians, and honing their craft. All of these things are blatantly (and beautifully) missing in Basquiat's work. I see no technique, just raw expression.

The soundtrack to Basquiat's work is rap music. Both were born in NYC in the early eighties, both are unapologetic in their rejection of standard artistic concepts. Like a rapper grabs a mic and freestyles about his surroundings on top of a drumbeat, JMB grabs his paintbrush and vigorously paints surrounded by his source material (comic books, magazines, television, etc.) on top of a canvas. These parallels are much more obvious and accurate ... To this observer anyway.

I plan on going back to the exhibit at least one more time. Maybe more. I'm sure I will have more to say after those visits as well.

The entire situation in New Orleans is a tragedy. I'm sure everyone feels my sadness and empathy towards those people stranded in terrible conditions without food or water, clothes or shelter.

The government can send tens upon tens of thousands of troops to the Middle East in a matter of days but they can't get people out of New Orleans or get food in? That is disgusting, simply disgusting. It is apalling how long it took troops to get rations into an American city. And the tales of death, murder, and rape are sickening. And true to form with this administration's actions the rich of the city were tended to before the masses huddled at the convention center and SuperDome (see above article).

CNN paints a rosier picture. But this is only the beginning. This tragedy is going to have a far-reaching empact. It brings up a lot of issues concerning class and race discrimination in our country and in our government. I'd bring up some initial thoughts I have about it but I might sound like a raving conspiracy theorist and I don't want to do that. There are enough raving lunatics in the White House right now.

I haven't figured out a way I can help, if you have a suggestion let me know. I just had to comment some how.

I present, the cover to The Funky Supervillain

Last night I went to see singer Rachael Yamagata at this club in Hollywood. I've posted about her before, I'm a big fan of her record, her voice, and her songwriting.

A friend of mine is playing guitar with her right now, so not only was I excited to see her, I was stoked to see him play as well. They both were great, really great. I was skeptical because she's not touring with a drummer I guess. Even worse she has no bass player (can you believe it?!). It's just her singing and playing piano (or guitar), a guitarist and cellist. But the show was great regardless. Rachael has such a phenomenal voice, I was floored. Her pitch was nails, I didn't hear her sing an off note the entire night. We had a good time.

This club, the Hotel Cafe, used to be a little dive where we would have late night jam sessions a few years ago. They've totally revamped the place and made it a lot bigger. It's a totally different place now.

I got back from a weekend gig with Tyrell yesterday. We played a benefit at a "resort" (I use the term loosely) on the Lake of the Ozarks. It was a fine gig, the band sounded good.

So I've got two weeks of nothing on my calender right now. This is good because once I hit the road again I don't really stop until next year.

The shoot went well. It was a lot of work, I think I was there for almost twelve hours, but it was still fun. Whenever I do stuff like this I always think to myself, "no wonder everyone in this town wants to be an actor." Craft services is always there with a bunch of food in addition to all of your meals being catered, you have a dressing room all to yourself (typically), you have a wardrobe person dressing you, a hairstylist doing your hair, and a makeup person covering your blemishes and powdering you between takes. Not to mention that you seem to be killing time more than shooting something. Nice work if you can get it.

They tried to get me to wear the fedora ... but I held my ground!

I just downloaded a bunch of Nat King Cole songs off of iTunes. I go back and forth daily over who the more perfect singer is; Nat or Frank. Nat wins this evening.

I got a call a couple of days ago from the wardrobe lady working on the video tomorrow. She was telling me some stuff to bring including a fedora (if I had one). Let me tell you something; I've been a jazz musician for a long, long time now and I've never, EVER seen a serious jazz musician wearing a fedora. Maybe some of the commercial swing bands wore them back in the late 90s when that crap was hot, but none of my heroes wear them. Why the heck is that a jazz stereotype?

So I'm off to the shoot tomorrow. It should be fun even though the pay is slave-wage ... that's good ol' Disney for you. I'm getting my hair cut at 7:45 AM then shooting off to the studio.

For those of you wondering Carrie is feeling better and her medication is finally taking effect, very good news. Dr. Lyman can cease giving the shots now.

1.Ten Years Ago-I was 19 years old. This would’ve been the summer after my freshmen year of college. I wanted to stay in Muncie (where my university was) instead of living at home for the summer. I sublet for a friend and moved in with my buddy Ryan. My cousin Neil gave me his old car, an 80s Chevy Citation. I was broke as a joke and had to work at a Burger King which actually wasn’t a bad job. That summer the legendary funk band NoodleBoy Stout was formed and I played all of the campus bars for the first time with them. I was clueless about girls and didn’t date at all.

2.Five Years Ago-The summer of 2000 was a monumental one for me. In that summer I graduated with my Masters degree, got married, honeymooned in Hawaii for a couple of weeks, drove across the country with my wife and moved to Los Angeles. I also attended the Henry Manicni Institute for the second time during the month of July.

3.One Year Ago-Last summer was a little slow for me. I was in town most of the time and went on the road very sporadically. I accompanied improvisation classes at the Mancini Institute and worked quite a bit in Orange County with a pianist/singer. I also started getting compositions and rehearsals together for my record which still isn’t done.

4.Yesterday-I hung out with my wife and her sister and husband who are visiting from Chicago. We took Carrie to the blood lab so she could get some tests done, ate breakfast at a really good spot Jinky’s, lounged by the pool all day long, ate dinner at a great Caribbean restaurant Ginja Lyon, then came home and played the classic Midwest card game Euchre. Carrie and I rarely get to play as it’s not popular here in L.A.

5.Today-Woke up and made pancakes for our guests. Read Lena’s blog and got memed, here I am. It’s still early.

6.Tomorrow-Hopefully get a haircut and manicure for the video shoot on Tuesday. I have a gig tomorrow night on a boat in Marina Del Ray.

7.Five Snacks You Enjoy-bananas, chips and salsa, Oreos, grapes, nuts

8.Five bands I know the lyrics of most of their songs-The Beatles, Soul Coughing … I dunno, I know a lot of the tunes Sinatra sings. That’s probably about it, most of the music I listen to doesn’t have lyrics.

9.Five things I would do with $100,000,000-Buy a great house, buy my mother a great house, build a fantastic recording studio, buy the greatest bass I could find, start a record label.

10.Five locations I’d like to run away to-I like where I live but I’ll say Kona, HA; downtown NYC; Saugatuck or any other nice lake town in Southwest MI; Melbourne, Australia; London.

11.Five bad habits-hamburgers, french fries, Coke, cookies, donuts.

12.Five things I like doing-playing my bass, kissing my wife on the cheek, experiencing great art, going to the comic book shop, listening to a hot new CD.

13.Five TV shows I like-Curb Your Enthusiasm, The World Series of Poker, Blow Out! (guilty pleasure), SportsCenter, any Dodgers, Lakers, Colts, or Pacers ball game.

14.Famous people I’d like to meet living or dead-John Coltrane, the apostle Paul.

15.Biggest joys at the moment-My dog is the cutest around, Carrie is starting to feel better finally, the wonderful SoCal summer weather.

16.Favorite toys-My GameBoy and GameCube fo’ sho’.

17.Five people to tag-I don’t read that many blogs … Jason and whoever else would like to do it.

LMBass has launched everybody. Dig the new site here:

LMBass

Still under construction, but let me know what you think.

The past couple of days have been interesting to say the least.

I’ll make a long story short for you guys. Yesterday Carrie woke up with some swelling in her leg. She has had pain in that leg for the past few weeks. I took her to the Emergency Room at a nearby hospital and we soon found out she had a blood clot behind her knee. They immediately checked her in and started her on an IV that contained a blood thinner. She stayed over night and came back this afternoon. She is good right now. She’s going to be on a blood-thinning medicine for a few months and she needs shots twice a day for the next few days. (Guess who gets to give her the shots … Dr. Lyman!!). Hopefully the clot will begin to dissolve soon and stop making her uncomfortable. Being in a hospital is always scary on a certain level even if the problem doesn’t seem critical.

Thank goodness I was able to clear my schedule and be with her, I’m really glad I wasn’t on the road. Carrie’s sister and her husband are coming for a visit this weekend; I’m sure some fun will be good for her.

If you’re curious the doctor suspects the clot was caused by a combination of birth-control pills (which can cause them) and a long plane ride. Carrie’s leg started bugging her after we came home from Indiana a couple of weeks ago. She has a tendency to pass out from takeoff to landing. Staying still for that long probably did it. I’m glad my bladder hates airplanes and I have to “go” so often during a flight.

So there’s the skinny.

In other news I’m filming a music video with Tyrell next Tuesday. The video is for the song “Bella Note” from the Disney movie Lady and the Tramp. Steve’s new record label is Hollywood which is a Disney company. They are going to put the video on the Lady and the Tramp DVD that is being released next year. I might get a manicure before the shoot since every cameraman I’ve ever been in front of loves to get a shot of my hands playing the bass.

If I do get a manicure I offically become a certified, card-carrying metrosexual. Set the VCR to record Blow Out! and make sure I have the right pomade before heading over to check out the new Kenneth Cole selection at Robinsons/May!

Jerri Ryan, the unbelievably hot actress who played “7 of 9” on Star Trek: Voyager has been following me around. First I see her last year at the Cheesecake Factory in Sherman Oaks, then I see her at the Hollywood Bowl party I played at a couple of months ago, then she’s on my plane to Philly last Friday. She’s gorgeous and all but I’m married, ya know? I have to think of a way to let her down easy.

What a week it’s been. What a summer it’s been. I was looking at my calendar and I noticed that from July 26 to August 19 there are only two days off. Two! Out of twenty-five … I know, I know … cry me a river. But it has been a hectic summer. It looks like things are going to ease up some next month though. Tyrell just cancelled a grip of dates. That really sucks because it’s around two weeks worth of salary I was counting on, but in a way it’s alright. Next month I can relax a bit and finally finish my record. The wheels are in motion for the mixing and CD design. Hopefully it will be pressed at the end of September.

Yesterday I had a really long meeting with my friend Vinnie. We began work on my new website. It looks really good so far. It should be up and running next week. It will still be under construction when it goes up so you’ll have to bear with me for a while, but I’m really excited about it.

Today I had a really big gig downtown at CalPlaza. I didn’t play my best for sure. I was a little disappointed with my performance, I think all of the running around I’ve been doing caused me to lose a little focus. Oh well.

So tonight I’m taking a Red Eye tonight to Atlantic City, NJ for a gig tomorrow with Tyrell. We don’t get into Philly until 6 AM or so and then it’s another 2 or 3 hours to AC so it’s going to be a rough trip. But I’ll be happy when the gig is over and I can play some poker. That should be fun, I’ve never played in AC before.

Be back on Monday.

I finally bought some new strings for my bass. I hear you’re supposed to change your strings every year or so (and seeing as how a set of upright bass strings can run you from $100-200, that’s not so bad), but I’ve probably had the same set of strings on my axe for over two years. It was only recently that I started noticing a sound difference. You have to understand changing strings can be a real drag, they take about a week darken up and lose their brightness, they slip out of tune, it takes a while for your bass to settle with a new set, etc. Even though I’m really busy it couldn’t wait any longer. I went to the music shop I go to and they put a new set on for me right before a gig at the Mancini Institute accompanying an improv class. I was a little concerned with their sound during the class but once I got home and messed with my bridge and played them a little more I really think they sound great. I think I’ll change them every year from now on weather I hear a tonal difference or not.

A lot of bassists experiment quite a bit with different strings going through many different sets looking for the right sound. My opinion is the longer you dwell on something like that, the bigger problem it becomes. I found a setup that works well for me (orchestral gauge D’Addarios for the top two strings, standard jazz Spirocores for the bottom two) and will probably stick with it.

While my bass was getting worked on I killed some time at Amoeba Music. You know how I’ve been saying that I’m behind on my listening? Well, let me tell you that didn’t stop me from buying four new records today, three LPs and a CD. I seriously need to chill out and catch up but I found some really killer deals on used LPs, what am I supposed to do? Once of the LPs I picked up is a solo bass record by Ron Carter. Nothing but bass, I didn’t know Ron had a record out in that setting. It’s nice. I listened to it and realized that his sound these days really lends itself to solo playing, maybe even more so than group playing.

I'm pulling another double shift tomorrow; a recording session for the Institute from 10 AM to 5 PM then a rehearsal for a concert this Friday from 7 PM to 10 PM. Ugh.

Yesterday we took Murph to the vet. She gave him a couple of shots (antibiotic and antacid) and told us to bring him back if he didn’t get better. He hasn’t pukes since around 5 PM yesterday so we think he’s feeling better. We’ll be able to start feeding again this evening, only bland food though (boiled chicken and rice). I think he’ll be fine in a day or two.

Besides that all I did yesterday was take a nap and read a lot of comics … ideal way to spend a Saturday afternoon, no?

Last night Carrie and I went over to my good friend Vinnie’s for his birthday party. A bunch of people were there including the Woodman boys. There was a LOT of good food too. We had a jam session before it got too late, what a blast that was. Vinnie has a lot of musician friends (including some guys from the band Royal Crown Revue) and they were a lot of fun to play with. We layed down some pretty righteous grooves too I do believe. Another friend of Vinnie’s video recorded it so we’ll see soon enough. Killer party for sure brah.

Alrighty, I’m off to another gig (Work on a Sunday? No rest for the wicked!).

Today was the final day of the summer jazz improv class I’ve been teaching for the past month. We gave a little concert for the parents of the students in the Music LA program (there was a ‘classical’ class as well). It was a lot of fun. I was really proud of our students. They played really well and I honestly think they learned a lot over the past four weeks. I kind of dreaded teaching again since I hadn’t done it for so long, but I’m quite glad I lead the class. It was a good experience for me.

I’ve been playing quite a bit at night in addition to teaching and accompanying classes at the Henry Mancini Institute during the day. Busy schedule, but busy means playing music so buys ain’t so bad. Tonight I had another gig with the latin jazz group I play with, fun times. I dig playing with that band because I can sing a bit. Plus, I dig latin grooves. When they’re played right they swing as hard as anything.

I still haven a lot of listening to get in to. I’ve picked discs by Terence Blanchard, Charlie Hunter, Chick Corea, and William Parker over the past couple of weeks. I’ve liked what I’ve heard, none of them struck me on the initial listening though. I need to dive into them a little more.

On a different note, poor Muprhy is sick. The little guy has been vomiting quite a bit over the past 36 hrs. or so. He’s going straight to the vet tomorrow. Hopefully it won’t be anything serious.

I have a day off tomorrow before another ten straight days of work (including a trip to Atlantic City with Tyrell).

Well, the year is half over, more than half over actually. So here’s a list of my favorite things of 2005 so far:

Favorite CD: This is a tough call. I have bought a lot of new music that I’ve liked quite a bit. The experimental jazz music I’ve been checking out has really been inspiring to me but I think Mike Doughty’s “Haughty Melodic” might be the one that has resonated with me the most.

Favorite Movie: Not a great year for movies thus far. Cinderella Man was decent, War of the Worlds was a hell of a lot of fun but not an excellent piece of cinema, steer clear of Must Love Dogs … I’ll say my favorite movies thus far have been Sin City and Crash.

Favorite Comic: Conan by Kurt Busiek continues to be the most consistent comic out there. I really liked Identity Crisis from DC as well.

Favorite City visited: I’ll say Washington D.C. Moscow was wonderful and a great cultural experience, but not really the type of place I would like to live. Too gray.

Favorite Performance: Tough one. While I’ve had a lot of gigs this year, none of them really stand out for me artistically. Maybe that’s because I’m at a point in my career where I want to start playing my own music. I dunno. But the Butterfat Trio gig at the ISB Convention is my favorite for the year.

Favorite Dog: Murphy Medeiros.

Favorite Date: Valentine’s Weekend Carrie and I went to Santa Barbara; that was a lot of fun. The weddings in Indiana and Iowa were fun as well.

Favorite Video Game: Resident Evil 4 without a doubt. My geekiness knows no bounds.

Favorite Sports moment: Reggie Miller’s curtain call during the Pacers final home playoff game. Look for the Colts victory over New England on Monday Night Football in November take this award later in the year.

Favorite Book: Diary by Chuck Pahlaniuk.

Favorite addition to the family: Chloe Barnnett

Favorite Website: http://www.postsecret.blogspot.com/ You have to check this site out. People anonymously mail this guy their deepest secrets on postcards. He then puts them up on his blog. Both sad and funny this is a brilliant idea for a site and will really make you think.


There you have it. The rest of the year is busy as hell for me. A lot of work here in LA this month and then I’m out on the road for a great majority of the year. The 2-month-long New York City gig looms large. As does football season!!

I'm really bad about taking pictures. Someday I'm going to look back at my life and wish I had more photos of the places I've been. Case in point, I just got some film developed from a roll I've had lying around since Febuary or so. Needless to say the photos don't have a lot of continuity. But I thought I'd share anyway:


We'll start out with the cutest guy in the land--Murphy! 

This is me in Red Square, it was taken before a performance with Tyrell in Moscow. Red friggin' Square ... whoever thought I'd be standing in the middle of that place? 

I posted a while back about having a really great but nerve-racking performance at the International Society of Bassists convention in Michigan. This is the gig where I played with the Butterfat Trio in front of some of the greatest bass players in the world. None of them made me as nervous as these two guys--Hans Sturm and Tom Knific, my bass profs during my college years. I'm really glad I have this picture, makes me feel like I've come a long way. 

And here are the three studs that comprise the Butterfat Trio; Jeff, Lyman, and Rob 

I did a gig a few weeks ago with a good singer friend of mine, I had never met the pianist before but after listening to the way he played and talking to him for a bit we soon discovered that we both dig the same brand of experimental jazz. He very enthusiastically told me about this band Kneebody. The band is made up of a bunch of LA guys, but I'd never heard of them. Oddly enough I was having a meeting a couple of weeks later with some other musicians about the summer improv class I/we are teaching and during the meeting I am introduced to a fellow bassist. After the guy leaves I find out that he is the bassist for Kneebody. So I took this coincidence as a sign that I should check the CD out.

So I go to Amoeba and buy the disc, and the coincidences don't stop ... turns out they recorded a couple of the tracks at f.boo studio, the same place where I recorded MY record. Okay, this was getting eerie. I was anxious to give it a listen after that.

The shit is off the hook. The influences of The Bad Plus and Bloomdaddies are obvious but not overt. They play hard rockin' grooves but are melodic as well, the arrangements are creative, and they are outstanding improvisers. This album is the first release from NY-based trumpeter Dave Douglass's new label. I hope the rest of his releases are this refreshing.
 

The wedding back in Indiana was a lot of fun. I got a chance to see a lot of family the day I got in. The rehearsal dinner and the wedding were both a lot of fun. Carrie was the Matron of Honor and she just sparkled the entire weekend. She was a knockout in her bridesmaid’s dress and gave a terrific toast at the reception. We really did have a great time.

Sunday I got to see my new baby “niece” Chloe. What a beautiful baby. Once again big congrats to Jason and Corrine (http://www.jbdeckard.blogspot.com/)

It is good to be home even if I did have a great time in Indy. Murphy was happy to see us when we picked him up from the kennel. He does really well there but this time he came home smelling like, well, dogs. Go figure.

So it’s back to the grind. My work schedule is full this week as well. All of the gigs are in town. The next Tyrell hit is the second weekend in August when we head to Atlantic City. I’m really looking forward to that. Last year I went to Vegas a total of four times for gigs and just to hang out. I haven’t been once this year. Now, AC is no Vegas by any means but at least being there will help me scratch my casino itch.

I got some new music that I’m really into as well. I’ll tell you about it later.

Peace and chicken grease.

What a week.

San Diego was once again a lot of fun. This time I stayed at a hotel with a bunch of online friends of mine. It was a blast. Comics geekout during the day and partying at night with good people doesn’t get much better than that. The highlight of the trip was the ComiCon Funk Jam on Saturday night. This is where a bunch of artists get together and do live art while being accompanied by DJs and musicians. The whole thing was organized by Jim Mahfood, one of my favorite artists and the guy who’s doing the cover of my record. I bought a helluva lot of great comics and saw some really cool stuff. Can’t wait to do it again next year.

My good friend Brett stayed with me for a few days before and after the Con, and on every one of those days I had a gig. He’s a good guy and was a fun houseguest. I feel exhausted right now. Brett left today while I was at a gig. Tonight I take Carrie to the airport to fly back to Indy. I have another gig tomorrow during the day and I fly out to meet her tomorrow night.

These daytime gigs I’ve been doing are mostly this improv class I’m teaching to middle school kids in downtown LA. It’s been fun so far. I was pretty nervous about teaching a month-long class since I haven’t taught in a really long time. But I think it comes pretty naturally to me so I’ve been enjoying it. In addition to that I’m accompanying another improve class at the Henry Mancini Institute. But I’m only playing bass for that, not teaching.

I have a lot of new music to check, but I haven’t had a free second to yet. I’ll get them on the iPod and listen to it on the plane.

The trip to Indy should be fun. It’s always good to go back home and see my family. Carrie and I are attending a wedding in which she is the Maid of Honor. I think she’s a little nervous about it but I know she’ll be great and look beautiful. Then I come right back to more work.

I got more dates from Tyrell’s tour manager the other day. He’s going to be hitting the road pretty hard at the end of the year, looks like we’re even going to Japan for a week or so in October. That’s pretty exciting; I’ve wanted to go to Japan for a while now.

Busy, busy, busy, busy … I was looking at my schedule the other day and I realized if I didn’t get another call for the rest of the year I’d be totally fine. Seriously, I am that booked up. What a good problem to have.

Well my busy July has started and it’s already a whirlwind like I predicted. I’ve had 5 gigs in the past 4 days and I have 2 more before I leave for San Diego tomorrow evening.

I’m really looking forward to going to San Diego. This is the fourth year in a row I’ve attended ComiCon International and I don’t plan on missing any. It really is nirvana for a geek. Plenty of comics, comic illustrators/writers, toys, video games, discussion panels, weirdoes in costumes, movie previews, etc. to keep a geek such as myself well occupied. I’m meeting up with a bunch of friends of mine and am really excited about the trip. I’ll be there until Sunday night and work picks right up Monday afternoon.

I picked up some new music today, more on that after I’ve had the chance to dig in to it.

And let me just say congratulations to my “brother-with-another-mother” Jason Barnett and his beautiful wife Corinne on the birth of their gorgeous baby girl Chloe Marie. I couldn’t be happier for them. Carrie and I are headed back to Indiana next week for a wedding and will get to see the baby then. And we’re very excited to do say. Jason has set up an adorable blog chronicling the birth of the little one. Check it out at http://www.jbdeckard.blogspot.com/

I’ll be sure to let you all know how the comic book convention goes. Until then, peace and chicken grease …

Ahh, summer … the time of year when folks go outdoors to hear music at various festivals, parks, street fairs, etc. It’s so nice, walking around in the breeze and hearing the tunes.

Well this bass player hates it.

Playing outside is a drag. Almost every experience I’ve had playing outside has been mediocre-terrible. First off, my bass hates it. It’s either too hot or too humid and both of those things create a bad sound, difficulty playing, and intonation problems. The soundman is always terrible. You see when you play at a club or a theater you are usually working with a soundman who works at the venue all of the time. When you play outside the soundman usually comes from some instrument and equipment rental joint and is about 3 months removed from selling strings at Guitar Center and jamming with his sub-par garage band. There are no acoustics outdoors so the speaker mains are too loud and nothing onstage has any resonance. Then you have a crowd of people who have more fun sucking down plastic glasses of wine and slurping Sno Cones than they do watching the music. Eh, you get about 20 ft. or so of fans who are into the performance and enjoying the music. But from 21 ft. and back it’s nothing but folks talking and kids running around.

Needless to say I had a gig with Tyrell tonight that was outdoors. And another one tomorrow that is as well.

Here’s to a mediocre day tomorrow.

We had a really fun July 4th weekend. After a busy week last week I was ready to relax. My last recording session really stressed me out over that time. Then on Saturday I had a recording session for a gospel/Christian record. It was a lot of work since there were no charts (written-out music) and a lot of the music was rubato. I was playing along with vocals and piano which were already recorded. It was tough.

Sunday Carrie and I hung out and had dinner at a really nice place where a friend of mine works. Then I played poker until the weeee hours of the morning. On the Fourth we went to the annual cookout at the Woodman (an apt. building where a lot of my friends live or hang out). It was a blast. I don’t remember too much of it. But I remember enough to know that I had a great time. Murphy went with us as well. He was the life of the party. He was getting so much attention from everyone, he was in heaven.

Last night I had a gig with a Latin Jazz group I used to play with. I love Latin music but rarely get an opportunity to play it. It was a fine gig.

I have the next three days off before my hectic, HECTIC July begins. Gigs with Tyrell, a regular Tuesday night gig, the high school Improv class, and accompanying improve classes at the Mancini Institute and my vacation to San Diego and a trip back to Indianapolis for a wedding… hooo boy …

Well all of the music is finally recorded for my album.

The last session was yesterday. I was really stressed before and during, I didn’t know how the band would sound because I hadn’t played with the drummer or vocalist that much and I wasn’t as confident with the songs. But it went really well and I’m happy with the way everybody played. The drummer Chris was great, he’s a very creative drummer who is really in to world percussion. He brought a very unique voice to the music. And Jess, the vocalist, was fantastic. She has a sexy voice with a beautiful tone that was perfectly captured.

I thought I’d feel relieved when the session was over and I was finally done recording the music. But the fact is now the tracks have to mixed and I have to start on the CD insert design. Those things are really important and could take quite a while to finish. I’m not sure who I’m going to work with for either yet although I have some ideas. I have friends who are willing to help me out mixing and with the design but both are very busy and I’d rather not sit on the stuff for too long. I could go elsewhere but that could get expensive. So no relief for me yet!

I have a really busy July ahead of me, lots of music and an improve class for high schoolers that I’m teaching. I haven’t taught since I was in graduate school, should be interesting.

On a sidenote, I saw War of the Worlds last night. Even though Tom Cruise is a raving lunatic who reaching Michael Jackson-levels of weirdo-ness, it’s a really good movie.

Friday night I had a gig at the Hollywood Bowl. I wasn’t playing on the main stage or anything (although I did perform there with Buble a couple of years ago), I played with a small jazz combo for a VIP party before the concert began. Not only did the gig pay pretty well but I also got two free tickets to the show. How convenient since my anniversary was Friday as well.

So Carrie went with me to the gig then we attended the concert. We had a picnic of sandwiches, cheese, wine, grapes, and chocolate. The show featured a tribute to Frank Sinatra with Quincy Jones and Frank Jr. Violin virtuoso Joshua Bell also performed. It was a nice concert and we had a good time (Trisha Yearwood played as well but we didn’t really care to see her and bolted to beat the enormous crowd). The Bowl is a fun place, great venue to hear “classical” music but not for jazz. It’s not intimate enough.

Last night I had a gig with a really great vocalist I love playing with. She had some really creative musicians on the gig, it was a lot of fun even though the crowd was practically non-existent.

Wish me luck folks, the final recording session for my record is scheduled for Thursday. I still have to finish the chart for the new song I wrote and I need to work out some arrangements on top of having a really busy week work-wise. But it will be good and I’ll be very relieved to have all of the tracks down.

Peace and chicken grease …

Five years ago today I married a woman who still has the spirit of this little girl. My life will never be the same and I am a better man for it. Happy Anniversary my Love. 

Things have been relatively relaxed for a few days which is good. A few months ago I was worried about this summer because Tyrell is taking so much time off to finish Rod Stewart’s next record (Rod Rapes The Standards Vol. 4). But I tell you, July is getting really busy. I’m teaching a summer improvisation class to a bunch of high school kids with the guys from the Mancini Institute, I have a few things around town with Tyrell and others, then I have two trips planned. One is my annual trip to the San Diego Comic Book Convention, which is nirvana to a geek such as myself. Then it’s back to Indiana for another wedding. Lots of stuff going on, but it should be fun.

I have really been getting in to Mike Doughty lately. Remember him? He’s the guy I tried to go see in Hollywood before driving all the way down there and finding out the show was sold out. Well I really love his latest record:


Haughty Melodic 

It’s just really good singer/songwriter stuff that has great production, great hooks, and great lyrics. One of the best things I’ve heard all year.

Now when I discover an artist like this I have to get more of their stuff. This lead me to buy:

Skittish/Rockity Roll 

This is a two-disc set of a couple of records he did independently, one while he was still with his old band (and all-time favorite of Lyman’s) Soul Coughing. And it is GREAT as well. It’s very stripped down, his vocals are more rough around the edges and the instrumentation is sparse (most of the time it’s just him and a guitar). It is Doughty’s songwriting at it’s very essence: clever lyrics and relentless melodies.

I also have a live disc of Soul Coughing’s coming. Maybe after that I’ll snap out of my Mike Doughty phase. Listening to his stuff so much combined with Rachael Yamagata’s disc is really eating up my listening time. You know these records have to be good if they’re bumping all of my jazz and funk from heavy rotation.

Well, the week-long run at Catalina’s is finally over. And I’m pretty happy it is. Not that I didn’t have a good time or anything, but we played 11 sets in 7 days. That’s a lot. A helluva lot. Add that to the fact that I was either working or flying every single day from 6/4-6/19 and you can see where I’m coming from. But I did have fun playing. Some interesting celebs came out including Burt Bacharach, Debbie Reynolds, Sally Kellerman, Gavin McCloud (Capt. Steubing from the Love Boat), and Andy Griffith. And the band sounded really good, we didn’t really have one weak set.

So I have some a couple of relaxing weeks ahead of me with a few gigs around town. So that means it’s time to finish up recording my record. I’ve contacted all of the musicians I’m going to use and everyone is down. Myself, Quinn (the pianist), and Chris (the drummer, making him #3 for the entire record … it’s like Spinal Tap) all have a gig tomorrow night so we’re going to nail down a day and time then.

And I FINALLY have written a song with lyrics that I’m proud of. I have a few more lines to churn out and I have to get an arrangement down but I’m pretty happy with what I have so far. Writer’s block be damned!

Saw Batman Begins yesterday. It was good. Not as good as it could've been, but I enjoyed it.

Peace and Chicken Grease ...

Tom Cruise has proposed to Katie Holmes. This relationship has creeped me out since I first saw it on the television. Tom, I know you're a huge weirdo but just try dating someone at least only ten years younger than you.

The gig at Catalina's is still going strong. I'm still having a lot of fun playing which is good. Usually at this point of a week-long run I'm bored to tears during the set, but that hasn't been the case lately.

More good news, I actually got a rush of inspiration and wrote some lyrics to a new song that I really dig. I'm going to make phone calls today and hopefully I'll have the next session for my record scheduled by next week.

The gig at Catalina’s has been going pretty well. As predicted, the new drummer is working out fine. After the show last night I had a drink with Steve’s daughter Lauren who is a really cool chick. I was hanging out with her and some of her friends, even though I was the old man (they were all 22) I still had a lot of fun.

I’m putting myself under a lot of pressure to finish this song quickly so I can schedule the final recording session for my record. That pressure isn’t producing results.

Two days of the gig down, five more to go.

So I’ve been listening to some different stuff lately. But oddly enough most of my CD purchases over the past couple of months fall into two genres; experimental jazz and singer/songwriter.

Funny thing is this is totally subconscious. I’ve really felt inspired listening to experimental stuff lately. Jazz is alive and well folks; don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I’m guessing since I’m in the midst of recording my own record that these new artists and new sounds give me encouragement subconsciously.



yo 

Recent CD purchases include:
The Nels Cline Singers The Giant Pin
Vijay Iyer Reimagining
Happy Apple The Peace Between Our Companies

I really love melody. Simple, songlike melodies. That’s probably why I’ve been listening to these singer/songwriter types of late. I can really bog myself down with analysis when I’m listening to jazz. Sometimes it’s nice to hear a band bang out a simple but beautiful song on their instruments.


yo 

Recent singer/songwriter acquisitions include:
Rachael Yamagata Happenstance
Red House Painters Retrospective
Mike Doughty Haughty Melodic
Beck Guero (I know, kind of a stretch to call him a singer/songwriter)

I am beat.

Yesterday the band drove up to Carmel, CA for a performance with Tyrell. Carrie decided to come along and I’m very glad she did. The theater was really nice and we had a good show. I had a lot of fun during the set and was really energetic, probably because the sound was so good. Later that night we partied it up like we usually do but this time Carrie was around which made it even more fun.

So it was up early this morning to head back to LA. But we got stuck in atrocious traffic and didn’t get back home until 8:00 or so. Tomorrow it starts all over again with a soundcheck and our first show of a week long stint at Catalina’s.

The summer is really booking up for me. I have to finish recording the album and soon. Damn writers block … if I could just get some lyrics down for a song or two I’d be ready to head in and finish the music. I might have to go ahead anyway, maybe I wasn’t meant to finish these songs.

I picked up a CD by a great singer/songwriter named Rachael Yamagata. Great stuff, good songs, unique voice, beautiful woman … more later on my odd listening trends lately.

I’m back home in Los Angeles after my trip to the Midwest. The gig at the convention went really well. I arrived in Chicago on Monday then drove to Kalamazoo with Rob (the keyboardist for the Butterfat Trio … dig if you haven’t: http://www.butterfattrio.com/ ). We were both staying with B-fat drummer extraordinaire Jeffy. Monday night we watched the unbelievably lucky Detroit Pistons beat another injured team while sucking down beers then rehearsing our stuff. I went to the convention the next day and picked up the bass I was going to use that night (the fine folks at Lemur Music in OC let me borrow an instrument so I didn’t have to fly with mine). I also walked around the convention and talked to folks I hadn’t seen for a long time. Then I started to get the butterflies. This convention is a pretty big deal and I wanted everything to go off smoothly. Well, it did. That night the guys in the trio played their asses off and everyone I talked to, old teachers and big-time bass professionals alike were really complimentary of the show. And it was good to see some of the old homies in Kalamazoo as well.

What a load off of my back. I was so relieved when the performance was over I had two double Sapphire & Tonics and a beer within the span of 30 minutes. HA! Another night of very little drunken sleep.

The next day I checked out the convention in the morning then Rob and I headed back to Chicago so he could make his Wednesday night gig. I got to have dinner with my sister-in-law and her husband. We had some KILLIN’ BBQ. Good to know that Chi-town can cook up some BBQ propah!

Then yesterday I headed home. And here I am.

I should mention that the gig at UCLA where we were on the same bill as Diana Krall was a lot of fun as well. There were a lot of heavy musicians there; Kenny Burrell, John Clayton, Mike Melvoin, etc. Everyone was really cool and the show went well. And Ms. Krall is simply stunning in person. Wowsers.

I have another busy week ahead of me. I’m working today in OC, tomorrow in Carmel with Tyrell, then on Monday we start a week-long run at Catalina’s in Hollywood.

I'm in the Windy City right now and it's not too windy. In fact it's hot as hell. I forgot how bad the humidity in the Midwest can be.

The shows went really well. I'll give a full report when I get back home.

Peace and chicken grease ...

I’m leaving early tomorrow to perform with The Butterfat Trio at The International Society of Bassists Convention. I’m really looking forward to it while being nervous at the same time. A lot of heavy bassists are going to be there including old teachers of mine, many professors, symphony bassists, etc. Hopefully they dig our brand of experimental funk. The convention is back in good ol’ Kalamazoo, MI at Western Michigan University my alma mater. It will be a fun trip.

Before I leave I have a really interesting gig with Tyrell today. We are playing a big scholarship fundraiser at UCLA along with a host of other big time musicians including Diana Krall and John Clayton.

Two high pressure gigs within a few days of each other. No problemo.

You have to understand, The Bad Plus to me is like Metallica or Green Day to your average pop band, the biggest group of the moment at the top of their game.
I was really psyched when I heard they were coming here, Carrie and I saw them a couple of years ago at the Village Vanguard in NYC and we both really dug the show. So we were happy to see them again.

It was an incredible show, incredible. Last time I saw them they played a lot of stuff from their first record “These Are Vistas.” Since then they’ve had another record released (“Give”) and I figured I’d be hearing a lot of stuff from that. Not the case, they played unrecorded compositions almost entirely. They started off with a tune called “Physical Cities” I believe. The arrangement was really cool, there was a part near the end of the song that sounded like heavy-metal Phillip Glass, one riff rhythmically re-imagined over and over and over and over. The rest of the new originals were great as well, they also performed “1972 Semi-Finalist” from their first record. And they included their trademark interpretations of pop songs. The first was Bjork’s “Human Nature” which wasn’t nearly as clever as their other covers, this was proven later when they closed the set with a terrific rendition of “We Are the Champions” where the melody was fragmented and played inside and out before culminated in an anthemic ending.

For the encore they played fan-favorite “Big Eater” the opening track on “These Are Vistas.” And the final song of the evening was an incredible funk version of “Chariots of Fire.” While the arrangement was very similar to their arrangement of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” it was still the perfect way to close the night.

Let me add that I officially do NOT like the Knitting Factory. The set-up for the main stage is really bad and good spots to watch the show are hard to come by. Maybe they’ll play someplace else next time.

Good show though. And a good time was had by all.

Ron Blake is the truth y'all.



I finally got around to thourhoughly chekcing out this record and let me tell you, it's some bad shit. Like I said before I was really anxious for this record to come out because Mechelle Ndegeocello produced it. Then when I went to pick it up at Ameoba they told me it was filed in the pop section as opposed to the jazz section. Then I was really curious. I was expecting a crossover-type of record with a lot of R&B influence, maybe vocals, etc. ...

But this is definately more of a jazz record than the marketing would have you believe. But you know what? That's cool. It's really cool actually. This is the type of record I want to make, just good funky music that's accessible to anyone who listens to it but is not dumbed down to suit popular taste. The compositions are great, the musicians give outstanding performances. It also came with a bonus CD featuring remixes by Carlos Mena, Dj Spinna, Jahi Sundance and others.

Dig and you will not be sorry.