Tuesday 17 January 2012

A Life in a Day

crazy day
up late
off to a meeting
to meet a couple heavy corporate cats

on my way
on bloor street
and there's braxton hicks
one of the world's greatest sax players
and CAL alumni

i pull up - he hops in the caddy
and we're off to his place
he has a present for me!
the meeting can wait

some background on braxton's present
years ago i'm hosting a party
and my attorney dino is there
i look around the room
and realize that he's a lawyer to everyone in the room
i ask him what it's like to know everyone's secrets
he said it renewed his faith in humanity
that it's our flaws that make us attractive
and without that - we'd be robotic
like star trek next generation

years later i relate that story to braxton

back at braxton's
it's 2:10pm
we're drinking scotch
he hands me my present
it's a painting of the starship enterprise that he painted in grade nine
he took my little story to heart
and i'm deeply touched
the painting is already up on the wall

running late
off to the meeting
with 2 fingers of scotch in me
nice restaurant
and the corporate cats are cool
they care about their jobs
they want to do something different
they have the know how and the infrastructure
i like them
we touch on my selling CAL
it's a valid question

the meeting had lots of other elements
i love that people dream
it ignites things inside me
we conclude feeling up and optimistic

rushing
trampoline class with my youngest
then dinner at a chinese food buffet
a tims to follow
and it's off to the doors rehearsal
the CAL doors band is smart
and exact
and clifton sounds and looks great
happy and strong
a strange headspace to be in when your singing doors
but clifton makes it all work
and flow

before you know it
the doors rehearsal is over and the zep rehearsal is starting
and in a flash there's 12 musicians in the room
and everyone is sparking and hugging and laughing

then it's down to business again
and the new CAL zep band begins unraveling zep 4
with all the mysticism of it in tact
phil naro understands this music
i comment on him needing a bit more 'british' in places
he digs it and wraps himself around the delivery
man this is good

then it's off to the old CAL zep band rehearsal
nicky's back in town
he's in through the out door
and fresh from zep 2 in orlando
and this is a big thing
because this month we have 2 CAL zep bands on the road
and they're both beautiful

back at my house
it's late now
rob phillips drops by to switch a bunch of guitars around
i make chilli and salad
some wine
we put on a doobie brothers album
talk shop
it's relaxing
he leaves with some heavy clothes that don't fit me anymore
watch for bobby and the black velvet blazer

now it's late
and i'm alone
listening to sticky fingers
in two weeks i'll be out of this house
my family house
i sold it to a young family with a nice vibe
time i was on my way

the year ahead is full of change
i think about selling CAL
because i'd be foolish not to consider every possibility
but there's this picture of the starship enterprise hanging on my wall
and there's a feeling i get
when musicians are busy
and working together
that brings life to life
and i realize
that there's no way i'd ever sell CAL

craig
jan 18 2012
red wine and salad scrapings

Wednesday 11 January 2012

We Love Lindsay!

we love lindsay clark
she works very very hard
normally someone that worked that hard on things
would be cause for alarm
but lindz is fast and fun
and holds up well when a challenge comes her way

here's a fun quiz i sent her a year or so ago
you can see her wit come through
she plays the same way
there's an assurance about her performances
there's never a worry when lindz is on boards

What has CAL taught you?
  Love many, trust few, and always paddle your own canoe.

Is there anything you can't do with your instrument?
  Uh, no.  Please don't ask me to elaborate on that; this is a family book. 

Three Albums? 
Zep IV, The Wall, Thriller.

Beatles or Stones? 
The Who.

What has been your biggest musical challenge? 
Boston.  I nearly soiled myself every night with stage fright, but I always won.

Monty Python or Spinal Tap?
  Tap.

What is the philosophy of your playing?
  Look innocent and keep going.

Favourite album to perform?
  The Wall.  It takes me on a real emotional journey each time.

Favourite road story?
  Once upon a time, on the Zep IV East Coast tour, Nicky had this binder he kept his lyrics in...

Favourite venue?
  Imperial Theatre, Saint John, NB.  I picked up a boyfriend through that place.  I ended up dating the GM's cousin, who lives in Toronto.  It lasted almost a year, and I still consider him to be the one that got away.

Where do you keep your passport?
  On me at all times.  You never know when you'll need to make a quick getaway.  (AND I KNOW THIS QUESTION WAS DIRECTED AT ME!)

What's it like working with Craig?
  In terms of Craig's energy and enthusiasm, like working with a really really really smart 10-year-old.  Everything new is an exciting adventure to him.  (AND YOU KNOW I SAY THIS WITH LOVE IN MY HEART!)

When did you first hear about CAL?
  They advertised the 1st anniversary show, which was The Wall, in NOW magazine, which I normally consider to be a waste of pulp.  I went to the show, loved it, and spent the next 3 years emailing Craig asking him to give me a job.  He obliged me on June 28, 2007.

When are you the happiest?
  With lots of work to do, and ample time to get it all done.

Springsteen or Springsteen? 
  Zeppelin.

What do you hear in your playing that mirrors your life?
  In playing as in life, it's all a big puzzle. 
 On me at all times.  You never know when you'll need to make a quick getaway.  (AND I KNOW THIS QUESTION WAS DIRECTED AT ME!)

What's it like working with Craig? 
In terms of Craig's energy and enthusiasm, like working with a really really really smart 10-year-old.  Everything new is an exciting adventure to him.  (AND YOU KNOW I SAY THIS WITH LOVE IN MY HEART!)

When did you first hear about CAL?
  They advertised the 1st anniversary show, which was The Wall, in NOW magazine, which I normally consider to be a waste of pulp.  I went to the show, loved it, and spent the next 3 years emailing Craig asking him to give me a job.  He obliged me on June 28, 2007.

When are you the happiest?  With lots of work to do, and ample time to get it all done.

Springsteen or Springsteen?
   Zeppelin.

What do you hear in your playing that mirrors your life?
  In playing as in life, it's all a big puzzle.

Monday 2 January 2012

Johnnie B

here's a cool story from johnnie b
we've been together for so long

a couple weeks ago
we were in the van in new york
i was in a pissy mood
so was he
and we just started bitching at each other
for no reason
it passed
we ended up laughing about it seconds later
bobby remarked from behind us 'the marriage is back on'
and that's the way it is with us
we're brothers in arms
i would and will always do anything for him
all he ever has to do is ask
he never asks
he's a strong righteous man
a wicked bass player
a husband
a son
a farmer
a father
a friend

the road does things to you
we've been on the road for all of our adult lives
it's what we do
it takes a special person
and john batuszkin is a very special person

here's a story he sent about our beginnings together:

So I'm 22 and living with Mom & Dad - because that's just how it was. I left a band because I'd had it! Now I'm looking for something to do - maybe get involved with another band or go back to the dreaded daytime gig. 

I end up putting out a make shift poster with my number on it -you know the ones you find in laundromats with the little tags of numbers you just tear off - mine had a picture of Mickey Mouse on it.  Low and behold I get a call from this guy - Craig Martin. He asks me if I like the Stones? I politely say "Not really." Yet instead of hanging up he carries on with the questioning. At the end of it we agree that we're going to get together. "Alright," I say to myself, "He sounds like a cool guy."

He arrives at my house, knocks on the door & for some reason I'm giddy like a school girl! (friggin weird). He knocks on the door, looks at me and his first words are "Hey, you're tall! That's great!"  My Mom offers to feed him as soon as he walks in. (Mom's are great)

He walks into my room, looks at my gear, sits down, listens to demo tapes of bands I've been in, looks at me again and says, "Hold on a minute."

He walks out to his car (Burgundy Malibu Estate wagon) fumbles around and returns with an armful of albums and asks  "Can you learn these for Wednesday?" (it's Monday) "We have a gig outside of Montreal on Friday, rehearsal is Wednesday." So I look at him, perplexed and overcome with a fear of losing a gig, and I say "Sure, no problem".

Then I ask "What's the name of the band?"

"The Midnite Ramblers," he replies.

That was the beginning of a great friendship. Now as we push forward into the 9th year with CAL - my 7th - I really don't think things have changed that much. He's out there on the front lines making sure everything that he has sunk into this show is going to be as great as possible, no different than doing the Harbour Inn (Owen Sound) with The Midnite Ramblers on a Friday night!
 START ME UP !!! LEMME GO !!

JB..   

ps: i'll always think of b as a giddy school girl