Home is the sailor from the sea, The hunter from the hill.

here's a collage of the motorcycle vacation. we've taken this trip & others like it so many times, we no longer take pix of stuff like the grand canyon, grand tetons, utah's national parks, indian country, etc. the picture never captures the experience, anyhow. these are what remain.
tomorrow i get to mix our little LP with sharon marie. whoopee! i'm so excited! then monday i get to go practice christmas songs with manuel. again, whoopee! so excited! then friday night's our little alano club show for friends. whoopee! so excited! (hey, marcus aurelius, may i get the flyer from you? thank you so mucho.) :)
this wk, too, it's back to work, & tho i cry, in my heart, i know back to teaching i must go. i love thrills; get to do way more fun things than many; & tend to float away like a delirious helium balloon -- therefore even more crucially do i need to have my feet firmly replanted on the ground each fall when school begins & i resume the important role of educator. it's quite a responsibility & privilege. for although i fervently lament & dislike the legislation that's turned our schools into impoverished, embattled-yet-neglected test-prep factories, i still love the kiddies. :) (a.e. housman poems: http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~martinh/poems/housman.html)

thee good ghosts of cedar edge & estrogen-huffing mosquitos must die

i'm sitting here on a rock & boy, the dang bugs really like me (i read, to my chagrin & cynical satisfaction, that they love estrogen) & boy, is my can getting sore, outside the library here near the grand mesa in colorado & it's dusk (like dussssssk devils, yes). friends from the clean & sober run are walking/riding by, eyeing me quizzically, but all smiling because clean/sober people who work a program are generally happy & grateful types, rescued from a common despair by a common solution, & i had to post this because it is simply amazing to not just be here (there go two more motorcycles, two more guys from the run smiling a little funny, oh, there's that girl who wears all that makeup & look she's sitting there on that rock & is she on the internet??)... ok, to be online like this is pretty amazing, but to be HERE for the 11th time is more amazing. there are good ghosts here: san jose jack, mike day's dad, redneck, stacy's dad, & stacy herself. it's "sacred ground," woody said, right before he whipped out a "instant redneck" doll that you add water to & watch blow up to "life size" (before we left to eat, he whispered into the water cup, "ok, redneck, we're going to eat, you gonna go? no? you wanna stay here?" because sacred & silly go together like peas & mashed potatoes, to woody)... two summers ago we put some of dear dear stacy's ashes on the cactus where the others' ashes are. at that time, the cactus was doing terrible, but this yr when we came back, it was blooming heartily, flowering pinkly even, & i thought, of course it is, cause that's how stacy was. she lost her way & had to leave this earthly place in such a tragic manner, but back at the serenity run, where she & we all have had such amazing times, she has blossomed again & we all can remember her smile & spirit, warm & wide & wild as texas, beautiful stacy forever stamped in our memories & hearts...
well, my butt's sore, so i'd better go walk back & meet the others.
on the music front, i still have no cell phone (left it in a coffee house in twin falls, id) so have no idea about big manny band practice upcoming, but getting online here, i got a good tip on the LA derby girls from my stepson (thank you, cody!!) & see that skip heller, "very pro-bakersfield these days" (he doesn't know bakersfield yet, i half-jokingly say), is back at narducci's on aug 7, & if the heavens line up & the great pumpkin wills it, i'll be home to see him play, home to my family, piano, & doggie dears.
well, i typed long enough that b has just pulled up to ride us back to the no-tell motel, where friends are, & now he's joking mordantly to friends riding by about being an "email widower," so better vaminos for now.
...being here at the international serenity run has remedied my homesickness for the most part. so many familiar faces, all converging in this beautiful spot to celebrate living w/o drugs & booze, just still LIVING: so many people i'm happy to see & who say the same to me.
as i heard today, better to be seen than to be viewed. amen, brothers & sisters. ah-men.

feliz cumpleanos from the home of the world's largest mineral springs

tomorrow, happy bd to dear little laurel & to me... our dear sweet mama had her bd just last wk. my family is specifically leo- & generally summer-heavy birthday-wise: more than 10 between july & sept 1st.
on this trip, we have all loved lava hot springs the other day & thermopolis today; we're glowing- fresh, soft as noodles. friends are true here, the scenery's stunning, & boy, once again, i get to travel & see this big big country. my family says they'll sing me happy bd tomorrow from bakersfield & i'm to listen for their wishes of good cheer. (wish they hadn't said that.) yes, times are good & i am grateful, & i'm so happy to see b so happy out on his motorcycle, which he loves like i love music. and i miss home.
enough sobbing from me. wish i knew a good joke to put in here. i can only think of one of my favorite exchanges from "horse feathers":
thelma todd: oh, professor, you're full of whimsy!
groucho: can you notice it from there? i'm always that way after i eat radishes...

googly googly goo goo

...just delivered the drums to B2 studios for tomorrow's recording, so now of course can't sleep. on the simpsons one time, homer was obsessively googling his name, drawing an embarrassed laugh from many (me, anyways). when i just googled my spouse, this pic is what came up: when i 1st went to tow-headed b's home, i espied an LP bearing his name & a pic of a sneering flat-topped blond kid on a late-50s hot wheel. "oh, NO," i thought, heart sinking, yet weirdly satisfied. "ANOTHER musician!" but turns out b's cousin did A&R for a record co in NYC & in the rockabilly-new wave 80s, had sent him the LP, the US release of the above, as a joke. b, despite having a sonorous speaking voice & open-minded love of most music i love, can't carry a tune in a box, as he'd tell you (you can find the musical (aussie) bb's playing-chicken-w/-train tune "see you on the other side" online) ... when i googled dad, no pix came up - ironic since our dad's always been handsome as a movie star (he most resembled gene kelly, or the husband/dad in the sears catalog). as a kid, i'd get mad & jealous when gals would swoon after him, tho neither he nor mama cared. blazers manuel asked me more than once if clean-cut dad had ever been an astronaut: he's that upright & square-jawed-looking. but no pic online - just his history website (see link at R) as well as a ref on AWAD - & THAT is VERY cool!!!... a friend recently asked, when i told him dad's family was nor-italian, why i wasn't blonde. well, here's a pic of our mama from when she was in college choir - she's the lovely, naturally tan one w/the shy smile. :)
when i look up my sis, angelina jolie in "gia" comes up. our angie is a martial-arts pro who illustrated a book about buck owens shortly before owens' death; she worked dang hard on that thing, & we're all proud of her talent & dedication. but no pix exist online of her from that gig anymore, not a one!! (she's cute, fellows, & she can cook, too, & she's brilliant. and she will kill me if she reads this!!)
when you look up my birth name, seamy sites, asian teens, & some leftist articles come up, only one category being me. (hint: tho i've had many a rough ride in my life, i've always pretty much been a goody two-shoes, really.)
as chico's asked, when we gonna cut the wattamelon???
well, i've slowed down enough to hit the bed, so i shall. don't let the bed bugs bite ya or the good lord smite ya. :) i mean that in the most respectful way, too...

music all weekend in smellay: 10 riffs, zero sleep

1. too tired to sleep. so here are some pix.
2. i didn't get my song to phil alvin because our dang computer cd burner BROKE!!!! ARRGHHHH!!! oh well... i tossed a band packet in his car. phil h says he now will think i'm a stalker. :) he'll get it, maybe he'll throw it out the window, either way, i can't much care: i did my piece. :) and candye kane & others liked my song, so really, i can die happy now, if i think about it much. :)
3. i get spooked when people comment on my makeup. and then i put on 2x as much. sometimes 10x as much. i'm sure it's deeply psychological. but will SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHEN IT'S ALL OVER MY FACE?!?! i would do that for you!!!! i guess i need a wardrobe AND makeup consultant. would someone please volunteer?????
4. i just love ruben & manuel. i've known them for 17 YEARS!!! manuel asked me to play on his christmas record. what a wonder that will be: xmas songs AND manuel. :) i could nearly cry, just thinking about it. i loved watching manuel watch others this wkend, his love of music & people, his child-like face: he's full of love & music, which are one when the world's right, i think.
5. skip heller & art fein look like they're related. luann & i commented on this & skip deadpanned, "we ARE related. we are both sons of zion."
6. it was great fun to hang out all wkend w/different people, but i find that when i speak & people laugh at just the sound of my pipsqueaky voice, i get all wound up & start acting like a clown. i know there's balance in all this... & i'll find it!!!! meanwhile, it IS fun to make people laugh. :) i like that far more than being told i look like cleopatra or am i "hooked up" or scary stuff like that...
7. donna once again put me up at her nice place in laverne (site of The Last Drink 13 yrs ago) & we thrift-shopped & watched "shaun of the dead" & ate at casa jimenez & then i saw them off when they all went to see "the dark knight"... & realized again how fortunate i am to not just still be alive, but to have adventures & friends & so many people whom i love & who even love me. :) it's all icing, when a soul really should be pushing up daisies, so i gotta remember that.
8. manuel doesn't merely sing, but soars, his voice as much an instrument as his earthy & skilled guitar-playing (& bass: fri night, his plus-sized fingers brought in the walk on "tequila" like laughing thunder from the heavens!!!). so it was shocking to go from the beauty of his pipes to the blasters show, at which phil alvin performed for 90 mins w/laryngitis!! people plied him w/whisky, & the poor guy lost any self-protective inhibition & started singing anything, no matter how larynx-ravaging, which was painful to watch & hear. the good part was, he pattered a lot more between songs, infamously weird & smart, such a character, w/a generous spirit toward the audience i've never really noticed much, but really appreciated this time, & he played more, in his intense & authentic vernacular folk-blues style. his force of personality & uniqueness make the blasters inimitable, i think, & i'm far from alone on that. :)
9. THANK YOU, jeff, for putting me on the blasters show list. jeff puts on super live music shows & is a really nice fellow... a texan, you know. :) i think that's what does it. unlike my bro-in-law, i've rarely met a texan i didn't just like, but love...
10. the midnight drive home wasn't bad. my night vision cooperated for the most pt & when i dropped into the valley, it spread out wide-black & velvety-clear, & w/the chuck berry b-side cassette music sailing, i was filled w/that wondrous feeling of aliveness...
then i rolled down the window & the magic was choked by the stench of dairies. welcome home. :)

music music music music music music music

here's a cell ph pic of skip heller from when he played at narducci's recently. at the end of the night, he said, "jenny, why don't you come up here & sing 'fujiyama mama'?" my brain tried to leap out of my head, but i did it, getting the funny looks & smiles that tell me things are going ok. :) i'm a very fortunate person to get to do stuff like that & flattered skip asked me to sing. movie-star-looking skip plays another free narducci's show on july 31, but i'll be gone, so please go in my place. he speaks guitar more fluently than just about anybody! very impressive. :) (philly, you need to go in my place!!)
this wkend i hope will bring travel to smellay to hang out w/friends & MUSIC!! fri night my dear old pals ruben & manuel of blazers, as well as many others, will play a jam session at the elks lodge montebello. sat is the upland blues fest w/phil alvin's doppelganger white boy james & many more. sunday's the safari sam's brunch americana, w/the blasters coming on at 9 pm!!!! i'll get to spend time (what a weird expression) w/one of my dearest friends in this world, & i hope her genius children, too. :)
hope i have the nerve to give phil alvin the song i wrote... maybe i should not... but writing this, i sense that i will... know that i will... (does that process ever happen to you??) why not? "better to regret something you have done than to regret something you haven't done." ciao ciao ciao for now, for now, see you down the road, & how... :)

21 days in jail, 24 hours in bakersfield

1. a few weeks ago, the local paper ran a piece about my favorite day in bakersfield. i thank jennifer self for featuring it so nicely. you can read it by clicking on the pic. not the most flattering pic, but a fun one, my friend bridgette's gotten some biz from the article, so it's been successful. :)
2. many people saw the article. i've been surprised by how many, & every person's been nice. :) we were going to circle-K the other night when a black-&-white slowed to a near-stop right in front of us. being real spiritual at the moment, i immediately began to gripe about how "they" can drive however they want, we didn't do nothin' wrong, etc. we got out of the van & the officers did, too, & one waited for me. uh-oh, i thought, but he smiled, so i did, too, & he said, real friendly, "aren't you that woman in the paper? i told my partner while he was driving just now, hey, there's that girl from the paper!"
3. being in bakersfield is kind of like being in a bad relationship: it'll often let you down, but you stay w/it because it's cheap, familiar, & at times surprises you by being a real good time.
4. bakersfield's variously called bako, buckersfield, bakerssippi, bakersfailed, & two i lay claim to from my underground rag days, bakingfield & backwardsfield.
5. buck owens' crystal palace has the best sound in the area, but is a little like disneyland, so if you like disneyland, you'll like the palace. i wish to heck they'd feature more americana & country-western music. lately they've been featuring singers from "american idol." then today a KUZZ DJ (station owned by the owens family) said "american idol" singers don't understand country music because (i paraphrase) they don't understand the "real, everyday life" that country music is about. she then played, w/no irony apparent, willie singing cole porter.
6. if you drive out 58 toward the canyon, before you get there you'll see merle haggard's old house to the north, & then the killer kern, about which haggard wrote a song.
7. google "gerald haslam"'s favorite day. haslam is an oildale native & writer who in his article described where be the trout's family's house, the haggard house, & many other historical places, many related to music. interesting stuff!
8. if you have kids, you should take them to CALM, which is a nice place past hart pk where they'll see native animals & plants.
9. i wanted to help promote friends in the article (as well as good eats, free & healthy things to do, &, well, yeah, the band), so took pix w/bridgette @ victorian chiropractic. as i reclined on the table & the young photographer started snapping, i realized, this must be the dumbest photo op choice for a nerdy female musician to put herself in. how unflattering.
10. when the article came out, i called auntie rita & lamented, "they ran a picture of me on my back!" not missing a beat, my aunt replied, "that's good - i bet a bunch of guys'll recognize you that away."
it was just the wrong, yet right thing for her to say.

"when you're happy, play piano. when you're sad, play more piano." - gene taylor

my fingertips hurt, i've been playing so much. a spot of sunshine: the more i play, the easier it becomes, the more fluidly my fingers move, the more they cooperate, the more the ideas bubble, - no, - seep, sometimes weep, sometimes shimmer - on up. i have hope someday i'll be a little brown-skinned white-haired old lady looking a lot like my mama & grandma, wearing too much makeup & some strange outfit, cheery & useful & a pretty darn good pianny player. it seems lately like i don't have to be average or garden-variety forever when it comes to playing piano if i just keep at it. i'll never be the best, & that's never my expectation. but someday, if i keep playing & playing, i'll be able to play what i hear & be fulfilled by it.
for now, i bang & grin & go for the muscle & thrill because i just can't help it, but someday i'll have more to offer musically...
for you piano players, here are some tips i've gotten from some great piano players:
1. gene taylor: look at your hands; look for the "islands;" play left hand patterns while reading, talking to someone, writing, so it becomes natural as breathing; think about what each chord "means" depending on what change you're at.
2. carl sonny leyland: watch the right, not the left hand; don't be afraid to hit some wrong notes - just play them through so you can find the "right" ones; the "blues scale" is bulls**t - the guys in the old days were listening for the sounds of the music.
3. earl pool ball - a lot of times w/his band heybale, he completely lays off the left hand, but still sort of paws or claws at it to keep time, but then brings the left hand in when the music calls for that moment of extra boom! & excitement; in western swing, he plays straight time while the rest of the band swings; playing melody w/octaves really allows the piano to sing out from amidst all the other instruments.
i hope to get some tips from pat "banny" bannister, soon, but i need to call the man... he can run 3rds up & down the keyboard lightning-fast! ... i found out pat played on al hendrix's record, which was so cool. there are some real nice solos on that record! (www.cdbaby.com/alhendrix)
->well, since i started writing this, my folks came over w/cannoli & we had a really nice visit & i went & picked some grapes from the vines & they were just perfect, sweet, tangy, w/a slight crunch... so maybe things aren't as bad as i think. and maybe i better go play some more piano.

skip heller honky-tonk trio thurs 7/10; dusk devils in studio; this'n'that

1. go see skip's free show, 7:30-10:30 at narducci's (flyer below)
2. we're gonna finally record a live session w/sharon marie end o'this month. whoopee!! then we'll have professional-quality recordings for people who've been asking. :) and thank you for asking, people. :)
3. had such great sound & met wonderful folks at safari sam's sunday, from friendly DJ "texas" jeff to smokey miles, art fein, russell scott, randee & george, & of course birthday boy cody & friends; got to eat brunch (french toast - yumyum); got some dough; i got swung around the dance floor by a big feller named walter who's light on his toes as gene kelly; met & got critiqued by skip heller, who said i need a clavinet, & "you stick to that shuffle & gene taylor thing," & i thought, "well, that's all i got!" - his thoughts on music were prickly but interesting & i appreciated his perspective. & he's gonna get me some recordings of 5 royales (mine were stolen) & the diablos!!!
4. art fein's comment when i told him of skip's critique: "pope catholic?" :)
5. by now, all blasters fans know that bill bateman's back in that band's drummer saddle & jerry angel's joined touring band shurman. best wishes to gentleman jerry!!!!
5. "i'll never swim kern river again"... on a recent 100-degree-plus afternoon, orangy smog & smoke-choked sky like the apocalypse, b wanted to take his motorbike out into the kern river canyon & as we whizzed along that scorching ribbon of tar, brown walls above & angry water below, i started thinking about the men who've recently gone missing in the river. then the signs popped up: "help find beto." "help find gonzalo." :( too often, the people who go under in the "killer kern" are mexican & from southern california. i think when the weather's this miserable, the lure of a cool river dip overrides the fear of drowning. this is the kind of heat that raymond chandler wrote about: "meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks." it's desperation-heat, crazy-making, brutal, brutal, brutal. to want respite from it, no matter what, isn't much different (tho more innocent) than the depressed soul turning to a hit of dope.
6. so many people drown in the kern while trying to save someone else's life. doubly sad. i saw a car pull to the roadside & a brown-skinned man & boy got out. when we circled back to return to bakersfield, i noticed they had edged near the river, carrying long sticks & sad faces. they were searching the reeds for a dead man.
7. can you believe that people here criticize the river's missing & dead? people who blame the river victims remind me of those who blame new orleanians for wanting to stay in their hometown after katrina, or return to it. when you have the money to have a leisurely life, to travel, to conspicuously consume, to move w/out much life-disruption, or to just swim in a swimming pool when you feel like it,... well, it's easy to criticize the people who have to seek out a river or watering hole, who barely scrape by, who live desperately, who don't have the resources to move & start over, & beyond that, to whom many times home is where the heart is, even if that heart resides in a storm-prone delta bowl.
8. am reading harry crews' "car" right now, & if you want something good, go get it.

dusk devils at safari sam's

happy independence day!!!!!!!!!

it's a special day... a movie i recommend is "god grew tired of us." and "1776"!! songs? "man in black," "this land is your land," "american music." food? watermelon, of course!!!!
w/our smog & wildfire smoke, we really shouldn't have fireworks here in bakingfield, but we do, so enjoy safely. i LOVE LOVE fireworks, but increasingly worry about them...
hope everyone who reads has lots for which to be grateful. :) today i'm 13, & i have much. independence: what a concept, & how lucky we are to have it, relative to many on this planet. (some have more, i could complain, but why? not now.) focusing just on music: 7 new songs since home from texas; safari sam's sunday; fun friends to play music w/(read below); dusk devils just reached 3500 myspace friends!! to see, go to www.myspace.com/theduskdevils ... . not too smoothly worded, but i got buttloads of gratitude, in spades, & wish the same for you. :) :) :)

dusk devils at safari sam's this sunday & more live music, too!

also: fattkatt starts up again at the crystal palace on july 9; more info at www.fattkatt.com ... & there's live music 7 nights a wk at trout's/the blackboard stage: www.myspace.com/troutsblackboard

tossin' & turnin' & burnin' all up inside (outside, too)!

here's a slideshow of lst night's sauna gig at trout's! to see the pix in more detail, click where it says "view all images."
we were all so extremely happy w/how the evening went, from friendly greetings from the paxtons to friends who came out in support to the crowd's enthusiastic response to all the dancers! who surely must've really wanted to do so, since the ac was broken!! to the blackboard playboys', rockwell's, lynda's & the trout's staff's kindnesses to swell dinner & laughs afterwards at la tapatia. i haven't had so much all-around music fun since crashing a taping of the blasters on AFPP!
well, at this pt, i'm uncertain where my sun. eve's going, so will write more later... happy bd to philbert, the band's baby!! hope you enjoy the pix, & if you were there, that we gave you a good show. :)

TROUT'S sat june 28; SAFARI SAM'S sun july 6

we'll be on at 7 pm!!!
we'll be on from 12:30 pm-2 pm!!!
on other notes: r.i.p., george carlin, whose cynicism never fully hid a hopeful & idealistic heart; ... in austin, i had the most wonderfully quenching & delicious drink, tho i don't know the proportions: combine crushed ice, coca-cola, cream, & vanilla syrup. the result: a cocablanca. heaven!!!!... finally, phil & mark are contributing song ideas!! (artistic mark also made the top flyer... cool!) what a happy thing this band is lately!! :) now we just need time to actually learn our new songs we're writing, & to play more shows, too! :) these are what i would call "golden problems," most definitely...

my sleep-deprived texas train trip: snippets

not pictured: burnin' mike vernon, luann williams, kinky friedman :)

bass ackwards in the lone star state: the queen of know-nuthin speaks

if you are ever in my presence & i suggest we take a short cut or say anything that suggests a "clever" or easier, softer (& especially cheaper) way, please slap me!!!! i have had many adventures on this trip & now am (literally) cooling my heels in the hi-austin after a day out in 100 degree texas heat wearing the wrongest & stupidest shoes any female could've conceived to wear for such a trek!!! of course the shoe broke, so i being so goddang resourceful found a pin in the road & a hair tie & "fixed" the shoe & proceeded to walk another 10 miles w/my blistering dogs taped w/stickers i peeled off the wall out front of the record store & basically all it accomplished is i was slowed like a turtle & nearly crippled myself!! i love this place a lot (tho not as much as i love my loved ones), but that combined w/my FIVE HOUR wait yesterday at the amtrak station in rural cleburne (the station was closed, of course, & it was 100 degrees, & i was all alone, but then i found a penny, & found one today, so i stick w/foolishness, thinking it's all part of the great plan, most certainly) mean i am more than ready go home... i have had a swell time, but more than anything, more than music, more than mama, i await my sleeping car on tomorrow's train (which of course cost a zillion dollars to grab because i only realized i had to get one or croak after the "going to war together"-like grubby camaraderie of riding over w/NO SHOWER). i'll get on this time, shower up, & get rocked to sleep by the train's gentle gait.
...dang, i hope that didn't constitute an expectation on my part. my serenity is directly related to my expectation level... so that wasn't an expectation at all, i say: just a hope. :) i know it's ok & in fact is good to hope. :)
will report more later on the great music i've heard & will hear, my beautiful family, their beautiful little italian donkey, the beautiful rural texas dusks alive w/night-singing bugs & peaceful, endlessly flat & lovely canopies of lime-green fields & dark, stately post oaks... below i'll list some music, so "all yall" can know what's been up here... & more details later. :) peace happiness & good times to all who read this...

safari sam's 7/6 plus dusk devils demo cd available

i have a feeling i'll be writing while i'm gone on my train trip to the lone star state, but meantime, i'll post the following exciting (por moi) things!!!
the cd has six tracks: the texas song; mercy; rock boppin' baby; not goin' after him; green door; the mess around. please get hold of me if you're interested in one!!!

"you can't judge an apple by lookin' at the tree, you can't judge honey by lookin' at the bee, you can't judge a sister by lookin' at the brother...

you can't judge a book by lookin' at the cover." -ellas mcdaniel, aka bo diddley. he passed away today, age 79. what a loss for everyone! i only got to see him once, long ago down in smellay, w/little richard & jerry lee lewis. tho i was bombed out of my gourd, i remember his set smoked!!! we tried to see him at rockin' 50s last yr in green bay, but he got sick & didn't make it to the event. everyone thought he was a goner then, & the mood was heavy as the 100s of primitive/american music vinyl freaks in attendance held their breath somberly, hoping against hope for the improved health of the "original architect of rock&roll". we heard he was playing music at the hospital w/in days...
you gotta love anyone who takes his stage name from a phrase that basically is a classier version of "jack s**t." i like the humility. people who are great don't need to hoot about it. his rockin' clave-rumba songs were so fun, so cool, so smoking & sexy & rhythm-bound, & then when you listened to the lyrics, wow: poetry, too. he introduced the world to the duchess, jerome green, the hambone beat, "love is strange". he was one of the BIG FIVE, art fein says, along w/chuck, fats, elvis, little richard, jerry lee. (wait - that makes six. i must be wrong...)
some of my favorite bo diddley songs: roadrunner; you can't judge a book; mona; cadillac; bring it to jerome; pills; ride on josephine; say man; hey! bo diddley; dearest darling; we're gonna get married; who do you love?; pretty thing; crackin' up; hush your mouth; don't let it go; what's buggin' you?; gunslinger... i've been sick today, & it seems fitting now. goodbye to a great man.

at club bim bam, come on in, chief big jam session about to begin

(to paraphrase the late great ronnie dawson...) here's a pic of our sound check from last night. the stone bar was beautiful, & reminded me of the original king-king! it was a good night, tho i feel like a sack of jello right now; we got home at 3 am, & i ain't used to it!!!
it was a fun evening, tho my try-out of a different piano stand (borrowed from bassist mark-thx!) didn't really work! i wonder if i'll ever figure out ALL the logistics that go w/this? i also couldn't hear myself sing, which means i screamed my voice out early in the set. oh well! people seemed to enjoy us. "something different" is what we always hear. "YOU are just incredible," one woman told me, beaming. :)
lil mo is one super-energetic performer; he reminded me of one of the bowery boys. his band did straight-up rockabilly, along w/an R&B tune & some "born bad" tunes like "save it" & "tongue-tied jill"; i really liked those!! i loved the songs deejay lucky la rocka spun between bands, an eclectic combo of primitive R&B, rocknroll, rockabilly, & more. he really mixed it up, & i always appreciate that!!
we had a good set & the folks at the stone bar were ultra-nice to a one: lucky, who invited us; carl, the owner; the door man; the bartender. we even got some dough! who says there aren't good people in hollywood? :)
it was fun to hear art fein cheering because he literally yells "yaaaaaay!!" & claps loudly, & to see his friend randi's (heaters & blasters fan #1) huge enthusiam. art's friend luann speculated about places in austin we might play. yay! who knows? i guess it could happen! that would be so swell... :)
john bazz & i crossed paths last night; ironically, he played bakersfield (not with the blasters) at fishlips. "meet you at the starbucks on laval road," he joked. hope he had as good a show as we did! i thank blb for driving us to hollywood in the super van; that sure made the traveling easier. :)
a show i won't be going to today is local son john owens' public debut w/his stroke-of-genius-named band buckshot - they're on at 2 pm at trout's for lloyd reading's 89th bd party & BBQ, open to the public. it looks like they'll do contemporary country, but if i hear otherwise, i'll get to another of his shows. john had & probably still has an unbelievable singing voice, a cross between his dad & roy orbison. if his songs are as amazing as his pipes, i'll become a fan, no matter what. :)

HULA SWING & PUMPIN' PIANO ROCKNROLL!!!

That's how Lucky La Rocka is billing our show next Saturday in Hollywood... details below, or here: www.myspace.com/klubbimbam... The flyer's so pretty, I'm gonna post it again right here: Hoohah! Fershlugginer! Potrezebie!
today i got to run a 5k & came in 2nd!!! (this was a very very small event, please note...) it is just gorgeous right now in backwardsfield (not a contradiction of terms as of this moment!)... w/3 days left of school, i have no complaints & look forward to going back to the drunk convention today at the doubletree. friends! a common solution! nice people! and tomorrow's band practice - yahoo! we want to play music, help spread the word about good old rocknroll boogie-woogie & guitar-twanging american music... & meet others who love it, too! please let us know if you got a show, or know someone who does... & thank you mucho!!
so at this second, this is a nice life. hope yours is, too. :)

don't scratch the wax!!

that is quite a cool name for a rockabilly show promoter... :) sonny vincent sent me a nice email w/link to a bunch of pix people took at friday's show... i just knew that dress wasn't fancy enough!! oh well. :) in the 2nd pic, you can see phil dancing w/my sis in the background. what a swell time!!! :) :) :)

fleeblebleebleblubblebloobleblee

man, am i worn out!!! last night's show was amazing. only one other time have i played to a total "target" audience, & that time, the sound guy fubar'd things up. it's so different when folks know, understand, love the genre. they cheered so loud, i could hear them while we played, & we were LOUD!!! even on my piano solos, people cheered!!! thanks, sonny & don't scratch the wax, for having us. what a treat!
deke dickerson watched the whole set! then afterward he came up w/compliments. that was very cool! then deejays sonny & jose put on "that certain female" right after we were done & deke kicked it off w/a big big rocker: that made me think we'd raised the noiviss energy bar. yah!
deke played his set w/chris sprague & wally herstam. they're an all-star rockabilly line-up. they must have 10,000 gigs between them. top musicians!! i'd love to get that tight. maybe some day! dd did an instrumental where the guitar sounded like singing - wild!! they did "buck owens' 1st hit," "hot dog" & also "buzz buzz buzz," which we did in our set, so that was a little weird. after, we talked about al hendrix, who REALLY wrote "hot dog" (not buck owens).
rick, i have to confess: when you were horsing around w/chris ("drummers rule!! yaaah!!"), i WASN'T hitting record on your camera. i was too embarrassed to tell the truth. sorry!!
as he was leaving, i asked bass player mark, "what did you think of the crowd reaction?" & he just smiled, then peered at me & giggled a little, "yeah, that was really cool..." who knows? maybe he'll stick around... for now, he's gonna help us out on the hollywood show. whoopee! :)
i have to get a new piano stand, tho. at one point, i did a glissando & raked the keys too deep & the dang thing started to slide off the stand!! that would've been a disaster. i also learned not to eat ice cream before a show. i had to pound two energy drinks to get my eyes opened back up!!
my sister & her friend had such a great time. it was so wonderful to look out & see people having a great time. :)
what fun what fun what fun!! philbert is the best. what a bunch of guys. i love my dusk devils. :) next show: may 31 in hollywood (read below)... tonight: elvis interpreter don rose at trout's!

deke dickerson, exotiki, DUSK DEVILS

we have two great shows upcoming! here are flyers:
-> have seen deke many times, most impressively w/the collins kids (his stuff w/dave & deke combo & untamed youth also was very cool)!!! he knows every joe maphis lick, so they always pick him to play w/them... he writes a column for guitar player mag, too, & is a stone-cold guitar/amp expert/ scholar. a link to the venue is here, www.myspace.com/tularedust, & you can find deke's website easily via google. there's a lot to read, & guitar players will plotz!!
-> exotiki, playing hawaiian-swing, has an all-star lineup you won't want to miss... here's a link to the venue: www.myspace.com/klubbimbam ; i'm certain you can find exotiki on myspace, & if you know this music, you'll appreciate the band members' expertise & history!
->tho i love playing for any crowd, i'm thrilled that at both these shows, everyone there will know EVERY song in our sets (except the ones i wrote, that is)... yippee!! i do hope to meet other '47-'63 vinyl nerds, & see people singing along; that would be so cool!
-> visalia's only 1 hr north of bakersfield, hollywood 70 mins south. hope you who read & are nearby will consider going!!! thank you ahead of time for helping to spread the word, too! :) :)

happy bd to ruben, grandma mary, billy mize, & a goodbye

we just got back from ruben's bd in the desert. i've known ruben & family for 17 yrs!! ruben is 55 going on 30. he's a life-long working musician who teaches guitar & puts out LPs. he is light-hearted, a super guy, lightning on the guitar, always gracious & fun to be around. :) i used to follow his band, the blazers, & was entangled w/their old bassist. i had to get sober because of that, so it was all for a reason! plus i made some life-long friends in him & his ex (they're still friends), mi "comadre," donna, who's the most resourceful woman i've ever met... :) the blazers were on rounder, now little dog. the new LP comes out in august; ruben said there was info on www.littledogrecords.com , but i can't seem to find it!! the site's worth checking out, if you like roots-americana alt-country, etc.
anyways, here's 2 pix from the party. we rolled in yesterday & their lovely daughter, my bd buddy, asked me to help her play the beatles' birthday song at her dad's party... we went thru it twice, then had to hit the road. of course, i couldn't hear the keyboard when i played (monitor pointed away). no se importa: the surprise bd song had R teared up w/happiness. :) we also played volver volver, tiburon, another cumbia, a few blues tunes, & johnny b. goode. then the music got real mellow, so we headed back to the barn. this a.m., R & B had a long discussion about the physics behind guitars (B is a biker, but also a "mad scientist"). then we all stuffed ourselves on mexican food & B, the boys, & i drove home in the love wagon.
R heads today to the chris gaffney benefit at the doll hut, where his high school buddy & blazers mate manuel (whom everyone now calls "big manny") will play along w/many others. chris gaffney recently passed away after a brief illness; you can donate at www.helpgaff.com. meanwhile, candye kane is swathed in love, recuperating after her major cancer surgery; bakersfield this afternoon celebrates billy mize's bd at trout's(www.myspace.com/troutsblackboard), & my family lovingly remembers dear departed grandma mary, mary elizabeth ollivares forquera, who would have been 97. she is gone, but never will be forgotten by us all.
a nice weekend. so good to have friends & family. so good to have music. both mean love & life, in my book.

trout's/how cool's grease ball pix

mercy... what my baby does to me

me am impressed! nearly the greatest video ever...

here it is!! :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_5w1KPgzuU&feature=related

in the wonderful alternative universe called youtube lives my chubby wunderkind of a child, who also appears to be a southpaw... in bizarro world, this boy would be king & presidents & politicians would wear little pointy hats & dance on hind legs in circuses. every now & then a pipsqueak like this comes along at school & makes teaching extra wonderful... & maddening.
ps - read post below about saturday's show... remember to tell them the dusk devils sent you, if'n you go... :)

grease ball at trout's, sat apr. 19

this from mommy pie, trout's promoter:


**Flyer correction! Music starts @ 4:00pm with IRON OUTLAWS!! 5:00pm MOTEL DRIVE!! 6:00pm THE DUSK DEVILS!! 7:00pm FATT KATT and the VON ZIPPERS!! 8:00pm PIN-UP GIRL contest!! 8:30pm TALLEST POMPADOUR contest!! 9:00pm FATT KATT and the VON ZIPPERS!!
FASHIONS from HOWCOOL. COM!!
VINTAGE CAR SHOW (Pre-1967!! Domestic & Import!!) BBQ available from GRILLS GONE WILD!! DRINK SPECIALS & SPECIALTY "Rockabilly/Greaser" SHOTS ALL DAY!
Come out and soak up the culture, baby! Art, Fashion, Hot Cars, Gorgeous Girls (and Guys!), Great Food, and more... taking place at the LAST of the Original Bakersfield "Honky Tonks" - The Blackboard Stage @ the Legendary Trout's Nightclub! This ain't your Grandpa's "Honky Tonk," kiddies: extensive expansion, remodeling, and renovations make TROUT'S the biggest AND best Nightclub in Kern County!!
Check it out - you will be glad you did!

slide show from tribute to merle, buck, & the bakersfield sound at trout's last month!

nada decir... pero hablo y hablo y hablo :)

- i've got nothing to say, but it's ok, to quote the beastles!!! don't know about you, but i've been so busy i can't even breathe!! haven't uploaded pix or videos, managed to take care of 2 non-music commitments tho one more looms, something every day after extra-busy work & every evening, too, however, tonight's busy-ness was nice cause we practiced! these guys i play w/are so silly & energetic - so gratifying. :) we are gelling, we are hopping, we are swinging, we have fun. :)
- as a friend said, "not everyday's gotta be fireworks"... no break in sight: the next 3 wkends will be running, traveling, speaking w/jani at desert convention; music show; candye's benefit apr. 20 (go to www.candyekane.com for locations); ruben's 55th bd. how can blazers ruben be 55?!?!
- for many yrs, NO ONE wanted me around: so tho busy, i am thankful. :) life is short & strange. who knows what tomorrow'll bring? who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?!?! the shadow knows... (i don't believe that "evil" stuff; just wanted to quote lamont cranston.) :)
- ok, well, i've bored myself enough for now... blablablablablabla :)

saturday, ethel's, 11 am!!!!!!

here's a pic of us w/rockwell from last wkend's show... i'll post more when i get more energy. still a little worn out, i guess!!!
next, this sat, 4/5, at 11 am the dusk devils will be at ethel's old corral, a friendly saloon en route to hart park on alfred harrell hwy. people ride their horses & motorbikes right up to the door at this place; there's food there, too. a fundraiser for the alzheimer's association, the day's official event is a motorcycle poker run; we're the 4th card stop. however, anyone (21 & over, that is) can drop in around 11 am & we'll be there playing about a 1-hr set. yes, the show is open to all, no charge! still, you can sign up for the event at www.adakc.org, if you ride & want to support the cause... ethel's is at 4310 Alfred Harrell Hwy (near fairfax), 661-873-7613

help candye kane & chris gaffney

candye kane, the wonderful & vibrant blues singer & activist, recently found out she has pancreatic cancer. like too many in the u.s. & in particular most working musicians (not the 0.000001% that "make it big"), she lacks health insurance.
there was a syndicated article in the paper about this phenomenon yrs ago. candye is young & strong, but too many older musicians (saw a bunch last night at trout's, & now wonder how many locally are in this boat), after decades of long nights singing & breathing in smoky bars filled w/drink, dope, lechers, & lonelyhearts, find themselves in poor health w/little way of getting medical care. poor families have car washes; ill working musicians, even those making it w/their music, like candye, must rely upon friends, family, &, if they have them, fans, asking for donations & having fundraiser shows.
candye is pro-active: since diagnosis, she has made huge lifestyle changes, & last wk cancelled her european tour to "get my health back," she wrote, adding, "If you want to donate $$ to the cancer fund, check out my myspace www.myspace.com/candyekaneband for a benefit near you or you can send money thru www.paypal.com. My user name is candyekanetour@aol.com. Or you can send a check to: candye kane cancer fund, 315 s. hwy 101 #47, encinitas, ca 92024."
chris gaffney of the hacienda bros & dave alvin band also recently was diagnosed w/liver cancer. a long-time close friend of the blasters & many more, he's a well-respected vocalist-musician in his own right. you can help out chris & his family by visiting www.helpgaff.com .
the inscription inside the "mighty woman with a torch" reads in part, "give me your tired, your poor..." our social & sacred duty is to care for all, & governmental change in november may allow that to again begin to happen.

buzz buzz buzz goes the bumblebee...

whoo! time for sleepytime tea, after tonight's fun show!! yes, the tribute to the legends of the bakersfield sound festival will be going on all weekend - tonight's music started around 7 pm, tomorrow's will begin around 6:30, & sunday's at 3 pm. thank you to annie & don kidwell for doing a great job w/sound! (when i lost power in the middle of "mercy" -- of course, of all the dang songs! --, they were right up there fixing things), rockwell & lynda for being the consummate cheerful host/hostess, & rick for doing the gig, period! he's getting an award in san diego tomorrow morning!! i showed rockwell my al hendrix cd & he grinned & exclaimed, "i love that guy! he is the nicest man! 72 yrs old & he sings like he's 21!" wow!! he was really hip to things, & his enthusiasm is infectious! he put the cd on while we set up & introduced all the acts like a pro. i think this guy is on to something, w/his generous & friendly promoter personality... lloyd reading was there, all dressed to the western 9s, & larry petree the same, & inez savage, & i'm sure there were many more bksfld sound historians there, but those were ones i saw...sonny langley opened the show w/some beautiful acoustic western ballads. it turns out i know promoter lynda's mom real well! i saw glenn pogatchnik coming in as we left, & hope to visit w/him more later in the wkend... yes, the rest of the festival lineup can be seen at www.myspace.com/troutsblackboard. bob manning & nashville west as well as surefire country drove 1000s of miles to get here for it, & tomorrow's "legends" night w/red simpson, tommy hayes, a big "special guest," & more, so if you can, head on out to trout's this weekend for some good western swing, vintage bakersfield sound, & rockabilly music!

tribute to legends of bakersfield sound fri. march 28-sun. march 30

we're on at 8 pm; cover is $5 each day/night.

SACRE BLEU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! christmas in march!!!!! shakin like a monkey in a coconut tree!!!!

i should clean house more often!! dios mio, heavens to mergatroid, i just found a dvd/cd that someone made me, i believe fredo in the netherlands (he mailed it, then i lost contact w/him for yrs til myspace came around), that has SIXTEEN HUNDRED FOURTEEN SONGS on it!!!! the emphasis is on female r'billy, hillbilly, & blues singers & rocknroll piano... there's a gal named ginny angel who (i'm not kidding) i sound a little like. every song's super rocking!! i called art fein, nearly out of my skin, & he was someplace (i couldn't hear where bc i couldn't bear to turn down the music) but did hear him say "i'm happy for your embarrassment of riches" & "wow - that sounds like too much" - i'm so happy i'm about to go visit my sponsor bc it really IS too much... i don't even know where to start song-wise, but will w/bob correll's "piano man," which i've been playing over & over & over, so thunderingly over the top rockin sloppy w/just that right mix of driving honky-tonk psychedelic jerry lee that makes a soul go wild!!! thank you, heavens, for bob correll, who has forever erased from my nightmares that other song of the same title by a certain pop-pianist whom i shall not name -- THANK YOU, bob correll!!
here's some to look up, if you wish: buffalo bop "doll" series; varetta dillard, teresa brewer, davis sisters, charline arthur, big mama thornton, big maybelle, bonnie guitar, keely smith, bonnie lou, damita jo; all them chicks at the hop, gals of the big d jamboree; rocknroll w/piano vols 1-6; 6 gene vincent LPs!; wynonna carr; various rockin' gals; ruby wright; real gone girls; ella mae morse; memphis belles... and MORE!!!!! i may owe fredo my 1st born now...

like fish out of water, like fire without oxygen; felice/feliz pasqua

spring break this yr: my cheerful cousin & her kiddies visited from tx; rt 66 thru ca & nv popped w/romantic ruins & cactus & wildflowers in purple, gold, yellow, white, red; flagstaff was again cool, great bbq, lovely old hotel signs; sedona was gorgeous but boring, w/a puzzling hole where history should be, kinda like vegas that way, didn't get to meet heaters mercy, either (art tried to set it up), but maybe another time; the dogs got their sea legs riding along & got to do much frolicking; and again here i am w/asthma, even went to emergency rm last night... on the bright side, i'm still breathing (shallowly)... goddang, i guess this is just my lot now, & so be it. i know it'll get better, & i'm not alone in being sick, for instance, my friend the beautiful plus-sized full-of-life blues singer is sick, too, & about to go on the road to europe, anyhow! tomorrow's easter & friday's the 1st of our run of 5 shows (see info above, below), so if a gal's gotta be chronically sick, i guess if she's got music, life's still worth living. :) here's a link to my easter vid from last yr: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhm6tRZ3Gd4

sunday morning coming down, sunday kind of love, ain't at sxsw & oh well palm sunday not-the-blues

many shows upcoming (read "dusk devils shows" post below). we're practicing today. family visiting from the lone star state. happy dogs at my feet. happy hubby at yoga. roof over my head, sweater to stay warm. no complaints. :)

when i die, buried 6 ft deep w/a rock&roll record at my feet, phonograph needle in my hand, gonna rock my way right out of this land

need to go to work today. the illness has moved into my throat & ears, so teaching 7th graders should be... loads of fun!!! get my rx diagnosis today, too, so maybe will have some answers for continual sickness. (or not, & will just continue to limp along.) sometimes i think i was supposed to croak 12.75 yrs ago, but was granted a reprieve for whatever reason, so now i get to be a happy person of fairly strong body but fragile respiratory health. weird!
this line of thinking is nothing but one tiny soul believing itself to be more important than it is. "we are all red blood & white bone underneath," said carl perkins, & after that ash to ash, dust to dust, then part of that billion-band of souls flying around & i hope having some fun while watching over the ones still trapped in their flesh & bone jalopies.

you don' t know me, but you don't like me / say you care less how i feel/ how many of you that sit & judge me...

have walked a mile in my shoes? (well, that's not what it says, but that's how i read it...) boy, homer joy wrote some good lyrics, there, well-expressing a local mentality, a sort of moral code that's not unique, but better than some i've heard in song...
but have you heard of al hendrix??? good gravy - this man was playing in bakersfield for yrs & yrs! is he still alive? is he still playing? i'm trying to find out... just listen to "train of love" (not the strong jc tune), then "monkey bite," then pick some others: http://cdbaby.com/cd/alhendrix ... his voice reminds me of charlies feathers & rich in its resonant expressiveness: brave, humble (both), humorous (some of rich's early cuts), homely (feathers). and many of these tunes blast because the old bakersfield sound was a hash of C&W, rockabilly, mexican, R&B, like eggs w/bacon, grits, biscuits & gravy, & hot sauce! (i like to add jelly, too.)
"sounds like a hillbilly," grinned hubby, not derisively a bit. when you're talking vernacular music, that's always a term of endearment - either that or the person speaking doesn't know what's what.
geez, i'm sick of being sick. if it's not cold & flu season here, it's allergy season. then there's summer asthma season. oh well; better than being mentally ill, i guess. olen sed his "mr oscat" honky-tonkin' kids' show at border's the other night had 100 people singing along! (see his link at right), & tonight the blasters are playing the 1st ever "grand ol' echo" in hollywood.
geez, i'm sick of being sick... but grateful for another day not pushing up daisies! :) hope you love al hendrix & order his cd, like i just did. :)

the teachers you never forget

there was mr williams who ran track w/us & looked a bit like groucho marx; mr jackson (r.i.p.) the handsome nam vet & amazing musician who loved us kids so much; mr stidham the kindly & encouraging flat-topped high school art teacher... mom rescued me from the piano teacher who hit my hands w/a ruler. then for many childhood yrs i studied w/a lovely, soft-spoken, kind, beautiful woman from wales. she had me do a lot of chopin & some debussy (those are the composers i best recall), some gershwin from his multi-taloned manuscripts, but best of all, boogie-woogie, lots of it, which she pronounced "BOO-ghee WHOO-ghee."
"you really have a feel for it, jenny," she'd gently say.
i loved my teacher, tho i was a lazy child who wanted to use her ear, not take the time to learn to play properly.
when i staggered my way into college, my teacher was an instructor there. in a feeble stab at trying to be good, i took piano from her. i wasn't a music student & was lucky she took me. i rewarded her by going to lessons reeking of sauce, high as the ceiling. i remember the worried look in her eyes, my guilt, coming home from a wild wkend at the coast to a recital that i bombed. my hands wouldn't stop shaking at the keyboard; i flat couldn't play. yecch. what memories.
many yrs later, i got hitched. i didn't invite her. i didn't think people'd want to come to my wedding. many felt left out; i had, as usual, been wrong. this was just one more example of my being a perpetual heel, i think.
she came to my folks' house w/crystal goblets as gifts. i visited w/her a bit, so happy to see her, knowing in my heart i was a turd for not remembering her. she was a person of love & music, she loved me, i should've invited her. all this stirred in my head; for all appearances, our visit was lovely & i tho i knew i was a turd, i was still so grateful to have seen her.
right now mama's trying to help assemble a reunion of her bc choir, the 1st american choir to ever win the eisteddfod international choir competition. today mama lamented, "oh, i wish i knew whatever happened to yvonne," who'd been in a later madrigal incarnation.
i got online & w/in 10 mins found my teacher, now the music director for a beautiful episcopal church... in the same beautiful nw town where my long-lost uncle has long lived. i immediately called the # & heard my teacher's lilting voice, left her a msg about my now lovely life, & thanked her for always sharing w/me music.
i am so happy to know she is living in a beautiful & musical place. my mother will be so happy, too. heavens bless the internet. :)

dusk devils' upcoming shows

-> fri. MARCH 28, 8 pm: tribute to merle, buck, & the bakersfield sound at trout's saloon & the blackboard stage... this is a 3-day event paying homage to our great local country AND western music. more info: www.myspace.com/troutsblackboard
-> sat. APR. 5, 11 am: alzheimer's assn. memory poker run at ethel's old corral, 11 am... this'll be lots of fun, w/riders stopping in while on the charity ride... more info: www.adakc.org/
-> APR. 19, trout's, bakobilly show, details tba
-> sat. MAY 3: CSUB, relay for life
-> sat. MAY 31, 9:30 pm: stone bar, 5221 hollywood blvd, klub bimbam w/thomas yearsley's exotiki, www.myspace.com/klubbimbam
-> woulda, but couldna... the dusk devils trio was gonna do art fein's poker party, but we'll be on various vacations, & my cousin'll be here from tx, & it's spring break, so we had to say no. boo-hoo! art recently divulged he's unofficially our manager, so i hope that means he'll find a spot for us in upcoming months... :) hey, art, how bout the barn dance? :) also, kevin/styx from fattkatt is organizing the local r'billy hayride for summer, so that'll be fun!
-> so if you wanna hire a little 3 piece w/a lot of energy, please get hold of us at one of the contacts at top. we put a lot of heart & sweat into our sets, & guarantee you'll enjoy a dusk devils show. :)

the miracle worker, dr bridgette bonnet of bakersfield; billy at trout's this wkend

thx to good genes, i rarely get a cavity. my old silver one finally blew out, so the nice dentist replaced it w/the tooth colored stuff... hadn't had a filling in 7 yrs, & despite his & his friendly assistants' kindnesses, the experience was pretty wretched & i even got sick!! the epinephrine made my heart race & stomach flip; i had to get many shots to numb the stupid tooth; then i probably sucked in a flea-mine of mercury while he drilled it out, since i couldn't breathe thru my nose.
yesterday i was convinced something was seriously wrong: had my head off pillow for about 2 hrs, slurred words, couldn't eat. i talked to mama that eve & she reminded me that it's the same for her, & was for her mama, my beloved departed little juaneno grandma. lightweights!! oversensitivity: it can be such a boon, allowing a person to appreciate Life & Its Beauty, & such a hazard, like when you gotta take medicine or feel excited or blue...
today i worked (weakly) & the nice doc called this pm to see how i was. then i went to see the miracle worker, my naturopath chiropractor, the little good witch, dr bonnet w/her mysterious but effective cures, & i not only felt better afterward, but smiling & singing, even. you can find her link at right; she is quite the cheerful curandera & i am so grateful (also "weller") to know her. :) ... despite this, i think i'd better lie low & rest & make sure "good health" is really mine for now.
thank god my dentist is so nice: in the dentist chair, experiencing fear i hadn't in a long while, i had memories of my orthodontist, whom i called w/a kid's exaggeration (better to be sarcastic than scared) "dr mengele," a real sadist. i remember him putting his knee on my chest, his face an angry mask! i got braces at age 8, for pete's sake. pure meanness!!
enough ranting about someone who's passed on... i hope to go to the "bakobilly" fest at trout's this wkend, at least drop by. fattkatt'll play along w/young blues rockers the councilmen. tho a musical half-&-half, the show promotes rockabilly culture. i'll go for music, so here-here to some good tunes! :)

swing it

this is incredibly wonderful :)... wait for the duo between louis prima & pee wee russell... & who is that on piano? the guy's really getting a workout. imagine playing like this! even watching it: what joy! imcomparabile! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxBYC3gEnZs

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. :)

i don't know what to write i don't know what to write i don't know what to write i don't know what to

(no music news at all in this post.)
-> the title's what i've told my students to write when they are stuck. the idea is, it leads to something to write about.
-> ...on the horizon, ideas are galloping up like my texas pup, gonna knock me down in a big blustery !whomp!... here goes! it worked!
-> i have "fear of flying"... there's little i hate more than the acceleration & thrust of jet engines. (insert chicken clucking sound here.) worse than that is how airlines puff you for explosives, prod, poke, separate, strip, search you, filch your goods w/no apology. i know: terrorists. but it's hard to fly nowadays & keep much dignity. arms outstretched, mild-faced grandpas, white-haired grannies, schoolmarms, milquetoasts, depressed-looking teens, middle-aged twerps, golf guy, trophy wife, all are frisked, zapped, grilled by TSA muscle. everyone's made timid --we just wanna fly, for god's sake! --, looking like they just got pantsed & trashcanned by the school bully. there's only kick, no kiss - & once you're on the tin can, no food, no pillow, no movie, seats like cracker boxes, it's all rub. americans are so desperate to fly, time starved, stressed out, pulverized by the need to Own More Stuff, the gotta get to pt B AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, we endure it all.
-> as soon as we get bullet trains, i'm never flying again. NEVER. and once we get time machines, well, bar the doors, katie.
-> denver's criticized as "the LA of the rockies," but i love smellay, & i love denver, too, w/its sprawling brick buildings & ungentrified 50s-60s neon sign boroughs & old motels & bars & great restaurants like lucille's cajun/creole & big record stores w/real vinyl & even the uptown spots look good to me, tho i never spend time there, just drive thru & peep.
-> boulder's "the sta barbara of the rockies," & i'm less comfortable there, tho do love the university's creekside bikepath & wonderful shows (peking acrobats!), stately homes, yuppie mega grocery marts stocked w/plenty, & i love window-shopping the pearl st mall, like i love doing that in sta barbara, never buying one nickel's worth of nothing, happy i breathe the same air, see the same sites as the rich & it doesn't cost squat & no one can stop me because this is america.
-> it's hard to run in these places w/their extreme elevation, but it's worth it. lungs scream but heart glows at snow & sky & brick & sandstone & flagstone & aspen & foliage & deer, squirrels, raccoons, magpies, that awesome mountain view, rockies as far as you can see & every peak & valley has a name. i plod along for miles, freezing, happy, picturing south american ancestors, squat, strong, charging endlessly up alpine paths, powered by sturdy lung & leg.
-> every time i've been, the public johns on the pearl st mall are piping ray charles in some kinda weird coincidence or maybe even miracle... for me, the ghost of texas stacy is in boulder, & memory of blasters, moto trips, brother in law paul, so in the end, i guess i love boulder, too, even tho i feel part-mutant when surrounded by its long-limbed golden youth swathed in north face & casual ski apparel.
:) esquerita wouldn't fit in in boulder, either, tho. :)
-> dr derek sent me a funny "dusk devils" pic he created the other day & put on his metaphysics website (go tw the bottom): http://www.qm21.com/quote.html... met him decades ago when he was selling R&R memorabilia to help fund his (i think) ontology school. he looked like a sort of fey gerard depardieu (i love GD!) & sold the coolest stuff for cheap, like a wooden fab four stamp, rockabilly bootlegs, never-glued on holo-cover frm "her satanic majesty's..." worked under him at buck owens' yrs later & he & jack-mormon loren (r.i.p, dear guy, artist, anarchist, friendly oversized shlub in buddy holly glasses) scanned (a recent techn at the time) my drivers license & did obscene things to my tender visage. in the early oughts, dr derek wrote for my underground paper (r.i.p.) & now has a book coming out called "man is dead."
"man is dead." brilliant! read about it at www.qm21.com.
i read like crazy yesterday, about raymond carver's editor who pared RC's stories into their famously spare style, & about how bad soy really is for a person, as bad as corn syrup because it's in everything we eat, & today i got to take flowers to dear silvia who has endured so much, & to angie, & spend time w/my dear niece. we had a family pizza & told stories & my sore back feels less stoved up... & i guess i figured out what to write. :) buonanotte. :)

crystal palace slide show

sorry we don't have pix of everyone, like dear jani, olen, shirley and kelcey, rick's friends, people who came in after we started. i wish i had a pic of my hubby & i, my folks & i... oil well... what a fun night! :)
dusk devils are up and running. :) two shows coming up, but i'll write about them later. :) felix fin de semana!!!!

j'wheez!

too beat to put up the slideshow of last thurs, so will tomorrow. here's one pic til then.
whatta long, long, long day... 13 hrs! how'd that happen?? came home to this email: "Love that honky-tonkin' sound you've got. She's the next coming of Wanda Jackson, I do believe! All the best, Barbara Martin, Publisher, Western Swing Monthly, Austin"... AUSTIN! them's some nice words she wrote... from AUSTIN!!
also, 3 chord whore mailed me to do the 1-man band this wkend w/them... and i can't. boohoo!!! but i'm grateful they'd think of me (esp now that my high hat's fixed & i actually know which way to turn the kick drum) & happy the shows & kind words are coming in. :) "there's life in the old gal yet," quoth mehitabel, & life in the old guys, too.
no, phil & rick, i'm not calling you old. :) only in the best sense. like wine, tho the dusk devils (best bela lugosi imitation now), vee never drink... vine. our spirits don't come out of no bottle, not today, anyways... :) zzzzzzzzzzzzz