He thought I was stupid. I am not stupid.

As most people know, I love exposing my boys to a wide variety of music.  I take a lot of pride in the fact that we listen to everything from "Sit Down John" from the musical “1776” and in the same session, A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario”.  Or on some days our playlist includes tracks that take us all over the musical map: City and Colour’s “The Grand Optimist” or the band Typhoon’s song “Common Sentiments”.

The boys' musical interests have recently evolved from the pop-singer songwriters of Gavin DeGraw, Shawn Mendes and Ed Sheeran to pop-themed musicals.  I believe there is still room on their playlists for the new Jason Mraz song “Have it All”, but right now their heads are filled with the lyrics of “Dear Evan Hansen”, “Rent”, “Wicked” and a musical you may have heard of about the life of an American Founding Father.  A majority of the songs from these shows are far more progressive than I would have ever given credit.  I grew up listening to what I would call traditional musicals, “The Music Man” and “Bye Bye Birdie” and then for a brief period there was “Grease”  but like many families fully immersed in “Hamilton”, I am learning that if writing a ground-breaking musical was easy, almost everyone would do it.

As I listened to some of the songs from these soundtracks for the 4,000th time, I am finally realizing that these musicals are a new form of pop music.  The songs are catchy, short, simple and melodic. They are generally between 2 ½ and 5 ½ minutes long and aim to satisfy a broad audience.

When asked by John Istel in the publication 'American Theatre', "Do you see your music as part of the American musical theatre tradition?"  Jonathan Larson the songwriter behind the musical “Rent” responded, "My whole thing is that American popular music used to come from theatre and Tin Pan Alley, and there’s no reason why contemporary theatre can’t reflect real contemporary music, and why music that’s recorded or that’s made into a video cannot be from a show." ‘Rent’ opened on Broadway in 1996 and is known as the “original rock musical” – a modern retelling of Puccini’s “La Boheme”.  Lin-Manuel Miranda channels that same energy with 2015’s “Hamilton”.   And just like Larson’s character Roger’s “One Song Glory” can be a conduit to Jon Bon Jovi’s 1990 song “Blaze Of Glory” (which went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Mainstream rock chart in 1990), when I listen to Hercules Mulligan’s rap in “My Shot”, I can hear Busta Rhymes in Leaders of the New School and their song “What’s Next” (which peaked at No. 1 on the Hot Rap Singles chart in 1993).

I am not sure where my boys’ musical tastes will segue-way from this point in their lives, but they have been enjoying some 1990s alternative rock recently.  In heavy rotation in my car is Buffalo Tom’s “Big Red Letter Day”.  The record clocks in at just over 41 minutes and with 11 songs that comes out to approximately 4 minute songs.

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Days are long, but the years are short.

If I could have a super power, I would have the ability to be in two places at once. Most recently, this would have come in handy so I could enjoy my adventures in New Orleans for Jazz Fest while simultaneously being in Pittsburgh to cheer on my boys at their games that weekend. It was very bittersweet to read the texts from my wife about one son’s pick 6 and the other’s game-winning RBI double. But, if being in two states at the same time is too far-fetched, then I would still have longed for this same superpower while staying in New Orleans . You see, I learned very quickly that at Jazz Fest, there are too many great musicians and too little time. 

The closest I have ever come to being in two places at one time  was the unique instance when my friend Dan W. and I attended two (2) MLB games in the same day, but in different cities.  Game 1 was a matinee in Cleveland and Game 2 was a night game in Pittsburgh.  I recognize that one cannot get so lucky all the time and everything seemed to align that day.  This thought made me think of the phrase “Fear of missing out” or FoMO which according to Wikipedia is "a pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent".  Although I do not believe that I have a clear-cut case of FoMO, there are a lot of things that I would like to do over the course of a month, week and even 24 hours.

Almost every day of the week my boys either have activities or there is a concert that I am interested in attending.  The low-tech part of me actually jots everything down by hand in a personal calendar.  If I am able to attend the event, it receives a check-mark and if not it receives an X.  With the boys’ schedules, work and life in general, I do not nearly place as many check marks as I did in previous chapters of my life.  My wife even pokes fun at me that I take so much pride in placing those check marks.  Bouncing around the city and making different plans is still feasible, but no longer ideal.

I know that when I was touring with bands, two shows in one day was not out of the norm.  A typical day on the road might include a record store promotional gig in the afternoon and then playing a club in that same city later that night.  The band never performed the same set, and I always hoped that fans would want to see both shows.  As the summer concert tours continue to get announced, I wonder if fans ever think about trying to attend multiple shows in one day.  For example, today - Friday, June 1 there are five heavyweight concerts in the greater Pittsburgh market:  Dave Matthews Band returns to KeyBank Pavilion, Justin Timberlake is performing at PPG Paints Arena; Frank Turner (along with The Menzingers) headlines at Stage AE; Mavis Staples opens the annual Three Rivers Arts Festival and local heroes Code Orange return for their show at Mr. Smalls Theatre.

It is still TBD as to which show that I will be in attendance for . . .

Thanks for reading.

Ice Cold Water $1

I can officially cross the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival off of my bucket list.  I knew I was in for a good weekend when, walking around Friday night when my trip had just started, I overheard a guy say to his friends, “we weren’t planning on being this tired and hungover.”  I have learned that Jazz Fest is a marathon of music and you need to pace yourself.  So, as I look back on what was a fantastic weekend at the Fair Grounds Race Course, I wanted to share what were some truly great live music memories.

Before I even made it over the festival, I stopped by what would become my home base on Desoto St. for the next 48 hours.  A place where other like-minded people would congregate, as well as prepare for and break-down all of the music that was about to be seen (or had already been heard).  Over food and drinks recommendations, suggestions are made and you can luckily be introduced to bands that you want to see again.  For me that was

• Tin Men, self-proclaimed America's premier sousaphone, washboard and guitar trio, although they mentioned an unnamed Wisconsin band on their heels.
• The Treme Brass Band, who had the Economy Hall Tent in a second line before the first song was even over.
• And Mississippi blues musician Eddie Cotton, who brought energy and style and had me enjoying the blues in a whole new light.

With so much music, of course you are also going to miss acts – I was told by Eric Z. that I was going to regret not seeing Samantha Fish, by Bruce that I left too early during Trumpet Mafia’s set, and by Barry R. that David Byrne’s performance was a top 5 show of his all-time, but I can also say that I stumbled across some artists that I am so happy that I got a chance to see, and had not even planned on:

• Andrew Duhon at Lagniappe Stage where I learned that he has a new album “False River” out on Friday, May 25 and the new single “Comin’ Around”.
• Bonerama at the Gentilly Stage and hearing their song “Mr. Okra”, honoring the beloved and recently deceased singing vegetable vendor.
• And Cha Wa, the New Orleans brass band-meets-Mardi Gras Indian group doing their rendition of “Lil Liza Jane”.

Speaking of “Lil Liza Jane”, it is also not uncommon for artists to perform songs other than their own at Jazz Fest, and the most notable that I heard over the weekend were:

• Bonnie Raitt “Need You Tonight” (INXS)
• Cynthia Girtley “When The Saints Go Marching In” (Paramount Jubilee Singers)
• And Henry Butler (a name that you will hear again) & The Jambalaya Band “Iko Iko” (Sugar Boy and his Cane Cutters)

I also thought of how my wife and boys would handle being at the Fest from 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM, and on Sunday I got a taste when Josh L. brought his two children and the day was a success!  I can honestly say that Jazz Fest is truly a family event and I had awesome musician sightings on & off-stage that exemplified why this is truly a family event:

• Ben Ellman, saxophonist for Galactic/New Orleans Klezmer All Stars, with his family at the Kids Tent watching the Ashe Cultural Arts Center Kuumba Institute drummers & dancers.
• Ben Schenck, clarinetist for the Panorama Jazz Band, walking with his family between the Jazz & Heritage Stage and Lagniappe Stage.
• And members of the Original Pinettes Brass Band (New Orleans only all-female brass band) right alongside me (& Mr. Footwork) at the Acura Stage watching the Hot 8 Brass Band.

The day after the music, Josh L. and I found ourselves in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans where we unbelievably saw a man that we had seen the past two days in a bow tie and blazer.  We stopped him long enough to question where his uniform was on yet another 80 degree day, but more importantly this reminded me ow how small a town New Orleans can be.  There is a comradery amongst the musicians and you will often see some of the same musicians sit in with each other.  Favorite moments for me were:

• Aurora Nealand playing with her own band The Royal Roses, but also adding clarinet for the New Orleans Klezmer All Stars
• Steven Bernstein raising the bar with his slide trumpet with both the New Orleans Klezmer All Stars as well as Henry Butler & The Jambalaya Band
• And Henry Butler with his Jambalaya Band as well as sitting in on an a stellar Tribute to Jelly Roll Morton.

To try and wrap up what was an incredible few days in the Crescent City, Leron F. pulled a beer out of the fridge on Desoto St and handed it to me with a smile on his face and said, “How about a Dixie Lager?  It’s perfect for right now.”

Thanks for reading.

Who’s My +1

Music therapy researchers Daisy Fancourt and Aaron Williamon from Imperial College London published a study in April 2016 suggesting that watching live music could help reduce people's levels of stress hormones.  Then, another study done in March 2017 by Australian researchers Melissa K. Weinberg and  Dawn Joseph found that “people who actively engaged with music through dancing and attending events like concerts and musicals reported a higher level of subjective well-being.” 

When I first started promoting concerts in Washington DC during the mid-1990s, my mentor was a woman named Mary.   If I learned anything from Mary during that time, I learned that it is OK to go to concerts by yourself.  To this day, I continue to go see shows on my own.   And while I still believe in Mary's mantra, I have determined that attending a concert can be a more intimate experience that should be shared.  Hearing and seeing the songs that have become the soundtrack of my life in person is not something I take for granted.  As I scroll through my list of contacts in my phone, I cherish the memories and moments of the shows that I have seen with each of those people.

For example, there were the 3 shows in 3 nights in December 1996 with Jamie S.  We drove around the Mid-Atlantic without a care in the world and making sure we savored every moment of our time seeing Maceo Parker perform at The Bayou (RIP); Rusted Root at Constitution Hall and Phish at the Spectrum.  Or the times that now make me laugh – Mills and I thinking that we were going to be arrested before having a chance to see House of Pain at Bender Arena and the time that my son Cobi and I went to see The Commonheart at the Feastival and we remember the sight of the Mandobass just as much the show.  Another moment in time is when my brother-in-law and I saw Allen Stone at Stage AE and I decided to start writing this blog.  There are also the sentimental shows that include Donald Byrd at the Kennedy Center with my father, or the Avett Brothers with my wife at Club Café.  Thankfully, I could go on and on.

I am off to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival for the first time later this month and I cannot wait to report back on the research that I am able to conduct while on site in Louisiana.   

Thanks for reading!

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Did any members of the Grateful Dead look into their crystal balls and predict that in 50 years after they formed, John Mayer would be receiving positive reviews from Deadheads for holding down Jerry Garcia’s role in the band?  Can members of Phish’s fandom hear Conan O'Brien and Andy Richter sing "in the year two thousand-thirty-three" and then proceed to explain that Ed Sheeran is stepping in for the retired Trey Anastasio?  Most of the time when people think about music in the future it is not band line-ups that cross their minds, but technology.

Recently there have been a  series of NPR reports that explore what it is like to raise children immersed in digital media and technology.  Gone are the road-trip games of ‘Geography’ and the ‘20 Questions’.  Welcome the days in which a vast majority of kids are playing on their devices as they travel across the interstate.   Should I feel lucky that  my younger son is belting out his favorite Gavin DeGraw song while listening to his “playlist” and my older son watches movie after movie on his personal movie player as we journey in our family roadster?   I am not complaining that these are their preferred activities instead of mindless video games, but I am wondering if I will always be trying to guess when will they get to a point with modern technology where there is no turning back.

In 1996, the band Jamiroquai were already singing of the perils of modern technology and Jay Kay nailed it when he wrote and sang, “And now that things are changing for the worse / See, it’s a crazy world we're living in / And I just can't see that half of us immersed in sin / Is all we have to give these / Futures made of virtual insanity now / Always seem to, be governed by this love we have / For useless, twisting, our new technology / Oh, now there is no sound for we all live underground / And I'm thinking what a mess we're in / Hard to know where to begin”.

By no means are my sons the biggest culprits, but sometimes I wish they would stop and look around more often.  St. Vincent sings in her 2014 song, ‘Digital Witness’: “Digital witnesses, what's the point of even sleeping? / If I can't show it, if you can't see me / What's the point of doing anything? / This is no time for confessing”.    No need for any of the folks addicted to technology to apologize, but at an extended family dinner when I look around at the table, I would never have expected to see so many people glued to their screens.

I know that it has been a particularly cold winter in the Mid-Atlantic, but maybe it is time to put the devices down and go outside.

Thanks for reading.

We Must Protect This House

An arpeggio is a type of broken chord. In sports, when something goes awry, the term broken play is used.  If taken literally, it seems like there is a whole lot to mend in the world of sports and music.  But in both of those meanings, nothing actually needs to be fixed.  Unlike in real life when there are times in which you have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back in the game or on stage. 

In my house, my boys do not discuss being famous musicians all too often.  Instead, their dreams tend to involve playing on fields and courts.  And with the tenacity that they compete in physical activities, injuries are almost guaranteed to happen.  No matter how much I try to protect them, at the end of the day there is only so much I can control.  After a roller coaster period of my younger son experiencing pain in his wrist, the pain subsiding and then re-appearing I found myself getting antsy as we waited for the diagnosis from the doctor. 

And since I always have a soundtrack playing as my life unfolds, it was particularly appropriate as I was driving around Pittsburgh waiting to hear if my son’s arm was broken that the radio gods were smirking at me.  First there was Sublime’s song “Santeria” with “I feel the break, feel the break, feel the break and I got to live it out, oh yeah”.  Then there was “Broken Bones and Pocket Change” by the St. Paul & The Broken Bones being played.  I did not need a slow jam at that moment in time!  It seemed that wherever I turned there was a reference to things breaking. 

It became extremely hard to concentrate as images popped in and out of my head.  There was Pete Townsend breaking his Rickenbacker guitar on stage in the mid-1960s.  The over-worked and under-paid 2006 tour manager for the Avett Brothers fixing all of the band member’s broken strings.  Or while on tour with a band, witnessing smoke coming from the Mixing Console.

But with the official word of a “buckle fracture”, I thought of how it could certainly have been worse.   Delaying guitar lessons for another month and sitting out a few basketball games does not compare to hardships being experienced on a daily basis by other less fortunate people.  Easy for me to say, but I would not trade in the few weeks of discomfort in an itchy cast for most other things in the world that are broken.  As David Byrne sings in his 2014 song “Broken Things”,  “See how easy things can break / If it’s crooked / make it straight” or as my IT friends often ask, did you turn it off, and then back on?

Thanks for reading!

Who’s On First?

Chuck D raps in  the Public Enemy song “Give It Up”, “I'm aight if you aight (I'm aight) / I be better – if I get some of that bass”! 

In the 1930s, Paul Tutmarc from Seattle, WA, who was manufacturing lap steel guitars, developed the first electric string bass – a fretted instrument designed to be played horizontally.  Although the bass guitar is similar in appearance to an electric guitar, it typically has a longer neck, and most commonly four strings. Since the 1960s, the bass guitar has largely replaced the upright bass in popular music and can also be heard often as a solo instrument in jazz, funk, progressive rock and heavy metal.

Despite its musical and rhythmic appeal, the bass just does not have the same flair as other instruments.  It does not have an international event like the 22nd Air Guitar World Championships that was most recently in Finland.  And whereas pots, pans, garbage cans and other everyday items can be immediately turned into drums, the bass stands more on its own.  It is the instrument that I believe is most similar to a baseball runner being stranded on a base at the end of an inning.

I recently went back and listened to some Led Zeppelin songs (“The Lemon Song” and “Ramble On”) and was blown away by the work of John Paul Jones.  I know that Mr. Jones is not always at the top of lists when barstool conversations start to dive into rhythm sections, but in the spirit of the top 5 list that Rob Gordon discusses in the film “High Fidelity”, I wanted to get the dialogue started.  So just as my boys are constantly putting together all-star teams in which 2017 Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners like Mookie Betts, Paul Goldschmidt and Jason Heyward are marveled at for their defensive work, I am filling a figurative baseball infield with all-star bass players. 

I know that if I asked my older brother the line-up would include Geddy Lee, or Flea, but if I talked to a couple of my college friends, they might lean towards Charles Mingus and Victor Wooten.  My list is tied to my musical influences and when I first started actually hearing the instrument in recordings.  For a long time, I only heard the vocals, guitar and drums, but then Berry Oakley’s playing on the Allman Brothers’ “Mountain Jam”, Muzz Skillings’ bass lines on the album “Vivid” and The Roots’ Leonard "Hub" Hubbard’s funk made me realize that hip-hop could be played with a live band.

When a bass player “locks in” with the band’s drummer to provide a groove of a song, that sound can be as rhythmic as a 5-4-3 double play.  And according to music legend Quincy Jones, “Without the bass, there'd be no rock n' roll or no Motown. The electric guitar had been waiting 'round since 1939 for a nice partner to come along. It became an electric rhythm section, and that changed everything.”

Thanks for reading.