dusk devils off the cuff & unplugged

boogiewoogiepianorama & pure bombast

1st player: "boogiewoogiepianorama" - 1st in series of BW piano pieces & drum practice.

Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA

Get this widget | Track details | eSnips Social DNA

lower volume on the 2nd player above before listening (i spose its loudness is appropriate for such ham). song: "one night of sin" - recorded in 09 at old house in rm w/great acoustics, real piano(s); vocals redone in late 2010.

wow.

saw this & can you believe his vocals are live, w/o effects, & what kind of mike is that, anyways? elvis WAS the king. never will there be another.
this has been a weird, wild, lonely, lovely, fun, fulfilling, & frustrating wkend. i was so touched (in the heart, tho am also in the head, yknow) when my friend in pittsburgh sent me a song said to have been written w/me in mind... recorded on one track, haunting, melancholy... don't have permission to post it, but when i do, i will. then my pal phil previewed for me a sort of wild gene vincent-style tune that will be a real blast, i think!

wheee! duh.. oooh... oh... aaah

- in a mind-blowing show of generosity, mama took my sister, niece & i on a trip to london & paris. overwhelmed w/how to deal w/the whole thing beforehand, i kept it low, didn't tell anyone. i felt so fortunate, but also that it somehow meant i must be stuck-up or spoiled.
- no, said others, you're merely fortunate & should feel grateful... which of course is correct. :)
- it was, as you'd maybe expect, a really nice trip, tho upon our return u.s. homeland security treated my little pink-cheeked niece, clutching her pooh bear even, like the unibomber (she had a wire in her garment), then seized the pate i'd bought for dad. (they considered it a gel. so i blurted, at the risk of being pummeled, "why don't you stick your finger in there & check for yourself?!?)
- "well, who knows: it could've been a pate explosive," sister angie later said, & added they probably took it to give to their girlfriends, which would serve them right bc pate is "nasty.") but before all this...
- i forgot my camera. duh. really, who goes to another continent & forgets the camera?!? what was most important was when friends reminded me, "this must've been the trip of a lifetime for your mother," & she did, indeed, say so. we bonded, us all, & doesn't life continue to have its wonders? :) ... mama was so, so happy, & so were my sister & i. in this case, i learned, giving back meant being able to receive such a gift graciously, w/o wallowing in some weird self-pity & guilt bc the whole world cannot take such trips.
- & now THIS wk is another trip, this time to wyoming w/the dusk devils. wyoming! - was encouraged when the promoter said, "i'm hoping it'll be a working vacation for you guys, so you can see some of the most beautiful country in the united states." wow! imagine!
- the guys came up (down?) yesterday to my place for the 1st time & we had absolutely a rip-roaring practice!! playing music together in my house w/the breeze blowing & the mountains all around & us 4 so tight-knit, crazy full of fun & grit, i got thrilled about this upcoming rd trip! can't wait now to travel there & & bust up the stage & meet some folks & see some land.
and wear a new dress, of course!! :)
- yes, this was quite a post-jetlag wkend... nine visitors! i love my friends & family, & the dusk devils. :) this a.m. i dropped off out front of the post office a very large package & went inside & FINALLY got the cookies & big beat of the '50s magazine memphis mike sent me a month ago. the cookies were still pretty good, tho crumbly, & i still can't believe we're on the cover of an australian mag that bears a pic of the johnny burnette trio!
- mike, kind, crazy fellow, is having a health snag, so please light a candle for him & send some special thoughts to this pittsburgh peach. :)
- today's of course the anniversary of elvis's death, & in memoriam, here's his beautiful effigy... a roman bust from the 2nd century AD! i think for this wyoming trip i will dye my hair blue-black in his honor.
cheers & happy happy to vous.

tweedeedeedeedeedle-eedee / "the greatest wealth is health" (virgil)

- was surprised to find this video on youtube! it's the only one i've seen where i'm clearly reading words as i sing (taped to the piano) - now i know i need to smile more when i'm doing that! was happy, tho, to hear my voice problems at that time weren't too apparent.
-please watch & rate the video (if you like it, that is) :)
-another on youtube from that same night also is under sofein's videos... if you will, please watch & rate it, too (again, if you like it, that is...) :)

-speaking of sofein, was sposed to lunch w/him yesterday in frazier pk, where i went bc 1) had no doctor's appts yesterday; & 2) have concluded i must move from bakersfield before summer hits if i'm to continue to live... looking back on this blog, i realize i've been sick now for SIX YEARS (tho probably longer, since this blog only goes 5 or so)!! i've had to conclude my poor health is due to the filthy air here, unfortunately, since i do love so much about backwardsfield, tho it's like a bad relationship, as i've said, one you can't get rid of but sometimes surprises you by being a real good time... art is going thru bereavement following the recent passing a very dear friend, grief that expressed itself in his back, so staying home in his hollywood bed, he was able to rest & i was able to be super-busy w/realtors. i was delighted by the variety of properties in frazier park! - left w/a feeling of real excitement. ideally, w/a place there, i'll be close enough to bako to see family, loved ones, doggies, dusk devils (& maybe find a band in socal, too!) & still live in a place where i can jog, hike, maybe rest & find peace, but most importantly, GOOD HEALTH!!!!
- found out the other day too that i have a bona fide "other" health condition besides thyroid & sinus/allergy problems... it was sort of a shameful moment of realization, but now, like realizing & facing alcoholism, i can accept a solution. some say "there are no accidents"... i dunno bout that, but perhaps all this bad health news will lead to a better & happier life for me & those who care about me.
- i agree 100% w/the following: "in order to change, we must be sick & tired of being sick & tired" (unknown) or, put another way, "to goodness and wisdom we only make promises; pain we obey" (proust).
-a few more truths & jewels: "joy and temperance and repose / slam the door on the doctor's nose" (longfellow).
- "diseases of the soul are more dangerous and more numerous than those of the body" (cicero).
- "a good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book" (irish proverb).
- and lastly, for myself & for you, if this be your problem, too, i second that "mens sana in corpore sano" (your prayer must be for a sound mind in a sound body) (juvenal). rock, rock, rocknroll, the feeling is there, body & soul...

day 10 of plague, fun w/dusk devils, the stupid poison of self-doubt, the juanenos & dear grandma mary live on

this is day 10 of my plague. but i know i will get better. so andale.
1st angel said we were "too good for bakersfield" (she is so sweet), then randy flattered the crap out of me the other night after treating the band to dinner @ the crystal palace (where token okies played). we had laughs, a ton of food, mark & i fought over the gigantic desserts (the mud pie was spectacular), then said our goodbyes & it was then that randy proceeded to say i was about the coolest thing since sliced bread. he is excited about the band! his enthusiasm is so neat to see! i felt very grateful! :however, also a bit like a weasel, for i fear i'd prompted his compliments by being too typically self-deprecating (tho, in my view, realistic) in stating that if we DO have professional photographers shoot us (the guys've been talking about this), i would prefer the cameras be ABOVE my head, not below, the latter not being exactly the most favorable angle for a middle-aged gal... randy, what a mensch, disagreed & basically said i had no bad angle.
well, if you go to youtube, you will see the latest video from the elvis show. and i will leave it to you to decide if being filmed beneath the chin really is my best angle. personally i think the shots on the big screen behind me look much better! anyways, thank you, franklin o & art, for posting our video. am thinking of barnum now... no publicity's bad pub...
........
...
suddenly pictured mama smacking me for writing all of this at all. she says my sister & i spend too much time worrying about our looks, & rereading this, well, i guess she's right! body dysmorphia plagues all american women to some degree, tho, says my friend. & lately i've been really thinking about a beautiful & talented woman i know named candye & how proud she is of her plus-sized frame, & how full of self-confidence & sexiness & awesomeness & courage she is & i feel a little foolish for worrying about this dumb sack of bones & skin "i" presently inhabit. so maybe if i live to be 100, i'll be over all this & will see it's what's on the inside that matters, & even if the world might judge me by my outsides at times, why the heck should i do that? how does that insanity help one bit? thanatos or eros: what do i choose? or rather, what SHOULD i choose?? life's just too short to boo-hoo about one's shortcomings. too dang short!!!
today we went to uc irvine, my family & i, to make sure we stay on the juaneno rolls. we went in honor of grandma mary, who always wanted to see the tribe, her tribe, be recognized. this is supposed to be the year it happens! am trying not too be too cynical about the whole thing, wondering why in the world the u.s. gov would give prime so-cal real estate to a group of indians. maybe in grandma's memory; maybe in the name of miracle; maybe in the name of mercy & fairness; maybe it will happen. why not hold the hope? there were 1500 people there today, a huge crush, a far larger swarm than the 100 or so they'd anticipated, of medium-hued & tan people w/long straight black or graying hair who'd traveled from as far as arizona, lots of people who looked kind of like my sister & i, several who touchingly (for us all) resembled grandma mary enough that mama looked so happy, & dad teared up, & i felt comfortable, & maybe these were our people, after all, maybe i DO belong someplace on this earth. the star people, the acjachemen, the juaneno band of mission indians live on, exist, thrive, recognize one another, & maybe in 2010, will be "recognized" by the united states of america. i do hold the hope, mostly in honor of prudencia maria antonia elizabeth ollivares forquera, who ate abalone & mussels & played w/her brothers & sisters & was adored by her father & grew up along the shores of san juan capistrano, then los angeles, then pond, then finally delano, where she became our beloved grandma mary, whose memory we so cherish & hold dear in our hearts. maybe for her & all those like her, the beloved & departed ones, the juanenos will be "recognized."

let's get out of here, now, with a little bit of this stuff here

(mark made this flyer)... re title: name that EP; it's the best EP ever pressed, ever... show starts 530, we're on at 830. been so sick, can't waste one iota of mojo... let's rock; everybody, let's rock...

one night of sin, the philbert wails on bride, happy bd to mark, the allergy emergency, the monkey speaks his mind...

-> new music here: http://www.esnips.com/web/jenny-angel-dusk-devils-ex-girlfriends-music/ - give it an eschucha & let me know what you think - thank you! :)
-> art fein sent our tv show lickety-split (thanks!) & we had just sat down to watch it the other pm when a powerful, horrible, wonderful itch seared my torso. i started scratching wildly, skin burning, remembered the feeling from kid-dom, when i could scratch my name in my torso w/my fingernail like something outta the exorcist! i pulled up my shirt to see what the heck was going on & b yelled, "we have to take you to the emergency room right now!!" i had had some freakish allergic reaction, & by the time an rx saw me & gave me a shot, i was covered w/huge welts everywhere except my face, fingers, & feet. for a few days, i felt like i had the flu from the antihistamines (can't take anything; am such a lightweight), & was all welted up. then it calmed to a sort of measles... & now is about gone. it was shocking, weird & ugly, but still better than anaphylaxis, asthma, blinding headaches, balance trouble, & all the other stupid symptoms an allergy to this world can cause!!
-> i think i was allergic to my image on the tv screen. :) ah; aging. what a lovely phenomenon. :) but we had a very good show! art wrote on the package, "yippee!" & he ain't one to blow smoke up your skirt & has good taste, so i was happy. :)
-> thurs we celebrated marko's bd w/pistachio ice cream & a super-sized stocking full of goodies. we watched the show & laughed over how nervous we'd been & how good it came out in spite of us. "i just love how your guitar fits w/everyone," i told phil. "you figure out parts that just GO, & it feels like you're not trying to dominate, but like we're all working together. thank you!" he just smiled humbly & replied, "well, that IS why they call it a GROUP!" which i thought was really funny. :) they left & i collapsed into bed...
-> feeling a bit better tho crabby today, i put up two new songs on esnips, a version of dave bartholomew's "one night of sin" (elvis did it that way & more famously & sanitarily as "one night (w/you)") & "bride of frankenstein" w/the phil on guitar!! (link's at top)
-> bartholomew, you likely know, was the legendary new orleans composer, band leader, musician, & more who wrote so so many great songs w/for fats domino, elvis, shirley & lee, lloyd price, & the list goes on & on! here are lyrics for his great, deep, rockin, cool cool cool cool song, "the monkey":
"three monkeys sat in a coconut tree discussing things as they are said to be / said one to the other, now listen, you two, there's a certain rumor that can't be true / that man descended from our noble race, the very idea is a big disgrace! no monkey every deserted his wife, starved her baby & ruined her life / yeah, the monkey speaks his mind / & you never known a mother monk to leave the babies with others to bunk or pass them on from one to another til they scarcely knew who was their mother / yeah, the monkey speaks his mind / & another thing you will never see, a monkey build a fence around a coconut tree, & let other coconuts go to waste, forbidding all other monkeys to come & taste / why, if put a fence around this tree, starvation would force you to steal from me / yeah, the monkey speaks his mind / here's another thing a monkey won't do: go out at night & get on a stew, or use a gun or club or knife to take some other monkey's life / yes, man descended, the worthless bum, but brothers, from us, he did not come..." nietzche couldn't've said it better -- but music aces philosophy in that the former lets you sing out the suffering- of- the- human-condition, sing it thru to the other side & a brighter place.

frankenelvis

http://flashface.ctapt.de/
this is the coolest site i've seen lately. if you go to it & type in "frankenelvis," you'll see something i made. flashface allows you to make faces police sketch-artist style (but not save them; drat): great for blowing off steam. anyways, it worked wonders this pm, when i got news of something at work as i was leaving (late, i'll add) that knocked the wind out of me, it sounded so horrible.
fortunately, things have cleared up, my good kind boss sed via email... thank good goodness... hope you make some cool faces, & when you do, send me the link, please.
tomorrow: to 1/2 marathon or not to 1/2 marathon?... my health & the rain will determine the answer to that question. be well & cheery, all who read this...

"pore little critter own the road," where's my dunce cap?, & the baby whale on the stage

yow, i am that critter, & am i SORE!!! yesterday i ran (jogged) about 7 miles around ventura beachtown in prep for next wk's 1/2 marathon here in bako (www.bakersfieldtrackclub.com/btchalfmarathon.html) ...man, after last wk's traveling & all the sick i've been getting (people say frm my "germ factory" students, but "they say" this yr's flu is esp bad, so i don't wanna blame the kids too much)... i did NOT wanna go to ventura, which shows my 1st instinct is always wrong. i had a nice time! we went RV "camping" w/fellowship friends, many of whom have these RVs the size of & w/more amenities than my old studio apt. we camped in B's "love wagon," his souped-up van w/4WD, "penthouse" (pop-top slab-bed), reading lights, TV, potty, heaters, swivel chair, cooking gear. last night the group had a potluck, so about 20 of us hung out & ate & had smores at the bonfire & as usual, being around all those witty folks made me wonder where i put my dunce cap... the dogs had nice lawn to lounge on & even an off-leash area along the ventura river near some farmer's land. :)
came home & art had sent a video of the elvis show!!! i was reminded that carlos guitarlos's songs that night rocked!, esp his version of "promised land," swellingly, thunderingly sloppy-tight wild & grooving!! art put on the vid all kindsa neat stuff, headed off w/US! i watched gene taylor 2x, then went down to the piano & played what i heard & to my amazement, saw my hands doing things they never have... i think w/gene's vid piano-side, i'll be able to learn some frm the master, who's now in belgium. what fortuity to have caught him while he was here!! the blasters are on the video, & rip, & a bunch of others, too... lastly, i got a little reality check watching the vid. looks like i got a bit too much into the holiday sweets this year (cue whale calls)! however, life's too short to worry much about such stuff, & i'd rather be a baby whale than a user of people or mean or greedy, so i think i'll go set up for band practice now. :) and then go for another run. :)

elvis show whoopee!!! wow!!

we didn't really get good pix (except, of course, of the ever-photogenic blasters), but what a night, oh what fun! the most exciting moment for me was when gene taylor unexpectedly walked in... he was supposed to be in austin before heading home to belgium next wk!!! he did a duo w/bill bateman & played w/the blasters, just one wonderful moment in a/n (for me) unprecedented night of music! i got to rub elbows, give & receive many compliments, play to the largest crowd yet, enjoy excitement & thrill that kept me up all night long, have my folks there as well as my hubby. overall, what a wonderful opportunity it was to celebrate & share in an amazing night!! this yr, i was overwhelmed by the sense of being part of a greater good, w/everyone communing to provide the audience w/the greatest show on earth (well, in LA, for that night, anyway). :)
severely sleep-deprived, i will have to write more later. thank you, art, for having us for the 5th yr, & les, for filling in on bass!! & of course, thank you to phil & rick, whose enthusiasm, talents, & dedication make this thing so darn fun.
today, i am exhausted & very grateful. :)

"wail, baby, wail!!!" FPKK sat., honey piazza fri., the shack's shakin'!

absolutely no socially redeeming value dept: come see the only flick my spouse has watched more than 5 times (hmmmm... could the 3 main actrixes' large, large lungs be the draw??)! enrique acosta (action folk singer) is reviving my old film society, BAMS, converting it to monthly midnight movies, still free!, tho now in the confines of a REAL theatre (instead of the backyard, where we used to have shows). here's a link to the event:
http://events.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuse
action=events.detail&eventID=394121.2968
... greg goodsell & i are on the BAMS board, but really it's enrique's baby, now. :)
& tonight! not just FLICS at the FOX (7 pm, www.flics.org), not just terry hansen & the westerners at trout's oildale, but honey piazza, beautiful, accomplished boogie-woogie pianist, & her hubby rod's jump-blues band, the mighty flyers, at the doubletree, 7 pm, $20, hosted, as always, by pat from world records' no stinkin' service charge blues series... if this dang horrid dust storm will blow off, i'm going!!
tues is elvis's birthday! & the elvis birthday bash! (see posts above, below)...
& on 1/18, bloodshot records' legendary shack shakers will appear at fishlips w/local metal-punks 800 lb gorilla...

Felican Novan Jaron! Elvis's BD! & Write This Down: 661-325-5041!

The ELVIS BIRTHDAY BASH 2008 is Coming!!
(from www.sofein.com) Good Rockin' - Elvis Bday show, 7:30 pm, Jan 8th, 2008 at The Music Box (nee Henry Fonda), 6126 Hollywod Blvd (at Gower), LA, CA.
The lineup so far: Alan Clark, Barry Holdship, Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters, The Blasters, Brian Ray, Count Smokula, Danny Dean, Doug Fieger, The Dusk Devils, Fur & Steve, Gaucho Gil, Glen Glenn, Groovy Rednecks, Harry Orlove, I See Hawks In L.A., Johnny Legend, Jimmy Angel, Justin Curtis, Lisa Finnie, Lisa Haley and the Zydecats, Mojo Monkeys, Neil Morrow, Paul Marshall, Ray Campi, Rip Masters, The Rocketz, The Stardust Ramblers, The Surfaris... with More to Come!
Bonne annee, Gelukkig nieuwjaar, Hauoli makahiki hou, Feliz ano nuevo, Gott nytt år, Felice anno nuovo... and tonight, if you are a bakersfieldian & might drink & drive, instead call 661-325-5041 to get a free taxi home! just take a sec & write it down... who knows? might come in handy. :)

prof longhair, i now definitely ain't... long live the king

since my thesis involved rites of passage, in addition to the sf marathon, i marked the end of the masters program & my return to teaching (plus bd) by losing a ft of hair for locks of love (it was a ritual! i grew my hair out for the whole non-working lovely now-gone yr! - all my hair looked pitiful, cut off in a measy ponytail. they said it takes 10 of them to make one cancer patient's wig.)... i don't know if i like it, but i know it'll grow back, plus i know it's more "appropriate," esp starting at a new school, where i know kids always extra-scrutinize the new teacher... in the pix, i'm wearing my 2nd elvis shirt of the day (went to gym today). i went into my 2nd teacher inservice this a.m. & a colleague questioned me on the 1st elvis shirt of the day. "well, you know, he died today," i said, then caught a meaningful & sympathetic glower from the saturnine rsp teacher, who used to teach in the prisons, & who nodded & uttered, "one-sixteen."
i believe i have a friend. :)
actually, these teachers & administrators in general are upright & inspired folks, hard-working, generally humble, organized & purposeful. i'm cautiously optimistic my work will become again more like prayer, like music, like work should be. we seem to all want to help, & i don't smell any drama. i am cautious, but i am happy. :)

elvis show slide show, whisk away them texas blues

these are some unedited photos by ron jones, www.ronjones.org, from the recent elvis show in hollywood (including my protruding undershirt in shots with blasters, & all of our ddevils double chins) ... email ron at his site to see all 300+ photos (& read his fitness tips). thanks to ron for being there & to art fein for having us. go to www.youtube.com & search Dusk Devils for a partial-sound representation of our set, as well as of others who played... wise words for the day: what does not kill us makes us stronger... and thank the good lord for that g*d*m rock&roll, which along with doggies & a few other things makes this life tolerable.

"just the thought of her lips sets me afire, i reminisce & i'm filled with desire..." such a night at elvis show

"such a night, oh what a night it was, it really was such a night"...(me and phil alvin - photo by jerry adonis angel)... i think my expression here might be called a "s**t-eating grin," and the makeup's definitely melted... but look who i'm standing with!! who cares??? ... we visited cody in hollywood and dined on kombucha and curry at a vegetarian spot, then it was on to art fein's 21st elvis birthday show at the henry fonda/musicbox on hollywood blvd... here's the line-up (if no comment, i was in the john or wandering): Harry Orlove (bearish, awesome house guitarist); Neil Morrow; Fleagles (friendly 60s garage rock); Truly Lover Trio (uptempo rockabilly); Billy Sheets (powerful, natural, southern-gentleman mien); Dawn Shipley (slender, lovely, girlishly winning singer); Crash Justice ("circus-big" basso-voiced rockacat in good suit); Justin Curtis (awesome honky-tonk set-let with wonderful houseband, including fantastic skip edwards, marty rifkin, dave raven); Del Casher (told charming elvis story); Dusk Devils (not many flubs, great audience reaction, huge fun playing with bassist phil!); Count Smokula (and the smokulettes: me, roobie breastnut, and charmaine - an impromptu lark!); Rod and The Tonemasters; Crown City Bombers; Fur and Steve (pretty country vocalizing); Fred Willard - (the king! he did the cape thing and all); Russell Scott (he dresses like heehaw, & what soul! sang in his light voice, didn't play); Carlos Guitarlos (awesome! i just loved his heartfelt shout singing and woolly chuck berry guitar); Lisa Finnie; Patty Booker (in the ghetto!); Lori Dewitt (this was the showstopper! i was in the can, dang it); Rip Masters (rip -appropriately named - just kills on those 88s! good god!); Candye Kane (SHE WASN'T THERE!!!!!!!!); Sheiks of Shake; Barry Holdship (art says he's a surgeon by day! this guy has the nicest stage presence, very appealing); Glen Glenn; Alan Clark; Tommy Sands (these were the historical high points of the show); Danny Blitz (fast, loud); Blasters (they get their own paragraph)... the blasters closed out the show with three tunes. "i know we are here because this is the birthday of elvis presley," proclaimed phil. "however, there are other things that are important. and sometimes you have to do what you have to do..." (or something like that) and then he lunged into "please please please"! i was standing with paul body (stoutly elegant in mariachi formal-wear) and we started jumping up and down and laughing, "that is one confident S.O.B.!!" : the whitest fellow in the room screaming and sobbing out, with entire conviction and success, a james brown classic at an elvis birthday show... it was wonderful, needless to say (but i said it :) ). next was "tiger man" (rufus thomas), which they have done the last three years, and finally, "such a night," originally done by the drifters. so like what we 1/2 did, the blasters did elvis songs not originally done by elvis... "down in the alley" was hank ballard and the midnighters - a nice fellow who declared "i'm your fan" told me originally the clovers.
such a night! exciting, fun, and, as you can see, educational. :) late-late night at denny's on the grapevine, dishing pancakes, the waitress suddenly was talking jazz pianists and live music, then we were back on the road and in a groggy blur were home, heads on pillows by 4 am. thanks again, art! i know you don't do it for me, but i get to be part, and it was wonderful, once again. :)