Blowhard.

#%(*#%!@(^%@#)(%& !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, all along my path of learning, I read about this problem many a time, but never thought it would happen to me.

I must have overblown on one of the notes in my harmonica and damaged a reed.

The funny thing is that I know exactly when it happened.  It is my D harmonica and the last time I used it was in a song circle to booth "Me and My Old Man".  I hadn't used that key since then and last I picked it up, it has a dead note on hole 4 draw. 

The frustrating thing is that I have been researching harmonicas and this was one of my expensive ones, the Hohner Marine Band.  Originally, I had bought the bargain set of 3-for-$10 from Jambone and was happy for a while, until I tried a higher end harmonica and realized that they can play so much smoother.  So I started investing into Marine Band and loved them, at ~ $37.  And there is no guarantee that it's the last of this mishap, everyone around the harmonica forums and tutorials says that you will ruin a few in your learning process until you get a complete control of your breath. 

I am very paranoid now, I used my C Marine Band the other night and noticed myself compensating for breathing by overblowing/overdrawing.  Sucks.  Pun intended.


Not sure whether I want to blow my way through Marine Band, at $37 per, while learning.  I will probably find something in the middle, like Blues Bender.  Another trip to Guitar Center, ugh.

Artist Highlight: Gregory Alan Isakov

Artist Highlight: Gregory Alan Isakov

Well I had started off by calling this the "Artist of the Week" column.  Quickly realizing that I am nowhere near as consistent as it would be required for that sort of title, I am switching it to "Artist Highlight".  Let's be realistic here.


Today, I am discussing a singer-songwriter that I found very inspiring: Gregory Alan Isakov.

As has been true for me recently, (see: On The State Of Music) Isakov's songs slipped into my ear canal via the trusty Pandora.com.  His melancholic melodies along with the soft voice and beautiful lyrics was a combo to which I could relate. 

If you visit his site, you can sample his tracks, and read all his lyrics. 

The first song of his that I stumbled upon was The Sea, The Gambler, from the eponymous album from 2007.  It is simply great.  The vibe, the melody, everything about it.  It sings almost like a shanty and it speaks of the sea, death, and love.  Once I heard this, I bought the album.  I did not regret it.  All the songs are marvelous, but some that are really worth a listener's time are:  Stable Song, which opens with the anthemic line "Remember when songs were just like prayers?"; and 3 a.m.,  which showcases the songwriter's fingerpickin' prowess that is sure to lure you down into the rabbit hole.


Isakov issued the second album, titled This Empty Northern Hemisphere in 2009.  I have not acquired a copy yet.

One thing that stuck out to me, from a fellow songwriter - most of his songs do not have any percussion in them.  They are composed mainly of string instruments: his guitar, a bass, and the occasional banjo, piano, mandolin.  It is an interesting combination that he makes work extremely well.  This is also the way in which he performs them live - he has a bass and a secondary string accompaniment.

The Universe Shall Conspire ...

Well it happened.  I am still in utter disbelief.

My wife bought me a gift for our wedding anniversary that cut me right at the knees.  It is what I consider the embodiment of guitar perfection.  I have been coveting this guitar for a very long time.  I recently got to play it at the Martin factory.

What makes this gift so much more sentimental is that we are (for many reasons) in absolutely no position to make these kinds of expenses at this moment.  She pulled a few extra shifts just to be able to get this for me. Sigh.

She has been the only, real pillar of support that I have been leaning on, in the path to my newly-discovered "Personal Legend".


Here is the guitar porn...

The specifications:

• MODEL HD-28VS
• CONSTRUCTION: Mahogany Blocks/Dovetail Neck Joint
• BODY SIZE: D-12 Fret
• TOP: Solid Sitka Spruce
• ROSETTE: Style 28
• TOP BRACING PATTERN: Standard "X" Scalloped
• TOP BRACES: Solid Sitka Spruce 5/16''
• BACK MATERIAL: Solid East Indian Rosewood
• BACK PURFLING: HD Zig Zag
• SIDE MATERIAL: Solid East Indian Rosewood
• ENDPIECE: Grained Ivoroid
• ENDPIECE INLAY: Black/White Boltaron
• BINDING: Grained Ivoroid
• TOP INLAY STYLE: Bold Herringbone
• SIDE INLAY: none
• BACK INLAY: Black/White Boltaron
• NECK MATERIAL: Select Hardwood
• NECK SHAPE: Modified V
• NUT MATERIAL: Bone
• HEADSTOCK: Slotted/Square Slots/ Diamond/Square Taper
• HEADPLATE: Solid East Indian Rosewood /Small Old Style Logo
• HEELCAP: Grained Ivoroid
• FINGERBOARD MATERIAL: Solid Black Ebony
• SCALE LENGTH: 25.4"
• # OF FRETS CLEAR: 12
• # OF FRETS TOTAL: 19
• FINGERBOARD WIDTH AT NUT: 1-3/4''
• FINGERBOARD WIDTH AT 12TH FRET: 2-1/4''
• FINGERBOARD POSITION INLAYS: Diamonds & Squares - Long Pattern
• FINGERBOARD BINDING: none
• FINISH BACK & SIDES: Polished Gloss
• FINISH TOP: Polished Gloss w/ Aging Toner
• FINISH NECK: Satin
• BRIDGE MATERIAL: Solid Black Ebony
• BRIDGE STYLE: Vintage Belly w/ Drop-in Long Saddle
• BRIDGE STRING SPACING: 2-1/4''
• SADDLE: 16'' Radius/Bone- Drop In Long Saddle
• TUNING MACHINES: Waverly Nickel Side Mounts w/ Butterbean Knobs
• RECOMMENDED STRINGS: Martin SP 4200 Medium Phosphor Bronze
• BRIDGE & END PINS: White w/ Tortoise Colored Dots
• PICKGUARD: Tortoise Color
• CASE: 540 Geib style
• INTERIOR LABEL: none
• ELECTRONICS: Optional
• OTHER OPTIONS: Available left-handed at no additional charge

When I first played an HD-28 I was taken aback.  It stood so far above the other Martins.  The specific bracing that it is used in it produces an unbelievable sound.  Many people believe that the only difference between an HD-28 and a D-28 is the ("H") herringbone inlay.  This is not true.  Tony from Music Villa explains this much better than I ever could:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQZ3npQ5wTo

I am not much for pizzazz.  But this guitar has just enough.  The combination of the HD-28 sound, with some of the aesthetic features that appeal to me, is really what attracts me:  the sloped-shoulder dreadnought, the slotted headstock, the soft-shaped V-neck.

Bliss.

Thanks J, I love you.

The First Mile

The inspiration continues kicking in.  It's at an all time high, it's got me soaring the clouds of my subconscious.

I have finally managed to achieve the life arrangement that I wanted to have for my writing.  I had never before been in such a situation and all I could do is speculate that this is what I needed.  And once I reached it, my suspicions turned to be true.  And below I will write what "this" is.

What I am about to say might be specific to personality types.  I have not delved into the psychology of it all yet, so it is just my experience.
I firmly believe that there is a certain mental state which the artist must achieve, and subsequently constantly remain situated.  This mental state I call the "writing trance".  When I am constantly thinking about the songs I wish to write, it is like having an open door for ideas.  I briefly mentioned it in the previous post.  When I am in this trance, verses hit me during the day, and they develop into entire stanzas.  Interesting and poetic ways of saying things come to me with astonishing ease.  It also comes at a price - to the world outside of this shell, I must occur like a zombie.  I get no productivity at work, I am constantly pensive, etc.

Now, what is absolutely key for accomplishing what I need to accomplish is this dire combo: when caught in such a trance, that I get overwhelmed with emotions.  Nothing creates a better out pour of ideas as emotions running high.

Recently I had a particularly bad morning in which I was overwrought with a mosaic of emotions;  I was furious, I was sad, I was disappointed, etc.  Being that I had all these great lines in my head, and some on paper, from being in the "trance", I sat down and started writing.  I wrote an entire song in all of 10 minutes.  Then I spent about an hour sitting back and staring at those lyrics.  They were perfect.  No matter how I twisted it, no matter from which angle I looked at the story, I would not touch them.  They were perfect.  The entire day I worked, I played, I did different things, but I kept going back and glancing at them lyrics every now and then. I felt infinitely powerful.  That is the most I ever accomplished with my songwriting: to be able to complete a song in so little time, start-to-finish.

And so, "Cross That First Mile" is born.  It will be simple, just guitar, vocals, and perhaps harmonica.  I have the chordal structure, but I haven't figured out the best key for my voice, hence the harmonica key is to come as well.
I can't wait to record this one. 


On the other front, I boothed "Slow Burn" with my song circle friends that I met in the Gotham Songwriting Workshop.  I got some great feedback from them, as well from other random friends I asked to give a listen.  I am still, however, struggling on the decision whether to make it electric.  To quote a recent listener: "It sounds like it should be played in a small, smoky blues club, where the singer just grabs the microphone and opens by smoothly saying into it: 'Slow Burn'."
To the woodshed on that one.

Inspiral.

Recently I have been hit by a flurry of inspiration.  I have been writing incessantly. I started several new songs and have them half baked.  I completed a brand new song in a matter of a week.  I called it "Slow Burn".  I must get an account at Reverb Nation, Sound Cloud, or similar, and start making recordings for it.

My new gear is really exceeding my expectations.  I will write, separately, about the gear, but I must just say that my Oktava MK-319, the Presonus Audiobox, and Studio One v2, they are a mighty combo.  I am getting the cleanest, clearest signal I ever have.  Studio One is not as robust as I found Fruity Loops, but that may just be the familiarization with the new DAW.  Time will tell.  It does the job right now.

Back to the inspiration.  I have been stuck in a sort of trance.  A writing trance, I should clarify.  All day, every day, my mind gets hit with thoughts, ideas, sayings, entire verses, entire stanzas!  It's like getting spam email of the useful kind, as a straight gunshot to the head.  It has made me certainly happier.  I feel like I have a neverending, zen smile on my face.  It has also made me infinitely less productive at my day job. 

One thought comes through very clearly: now, more than any other time in my life, I am certain about what I wish to do professionally, what I must do.

It is spiritual, of sorts.  Akin to the countless tales of experiences I have heard of someone "finding their purpose".  It is also a bittersweet thought, for to trudge the path to get where I want to get seems almost unattainable.  But I keep believing that I have something to offer that is unique.  Surely this sounds infantile in the mind of anyone who has tried an artistic outlet as a profession, but this is the only thing I have to cling onto. Sustainability, curse you.



Slow Burn is a slow, bluesy song.  I have recorded the track that is missing just the vocal take and a guitar solo. In total, it will have a small percussion backing, an upright bass (courtesy of Studio One packaged virtual instruments), my acoustic guitar rhythm strum, vocals, and a very small acoustic guitar solo.  I am trying to keep it simple, honest.  It almost sound complex when I write it out like that, but it is not at all.

My next song circle with some friends is this coming Thursday, I have to add these two parts before then.  I am overwhelmingly eager to continue working on it.

Mumford in Hoboken

We went to see Mumford and Sons in Hoboken, NJ, on August 1, 2012.


http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/02/mumford-sons-begin-u-s-tour-in-hoboken/

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2012/08/hobokens_pier_a_welcomes_mumfo.html


15,000 souls gathered to chant the band's classics, such as "Little Lion Man", "The Cave", and others.


The young men hailing from Great Britain certainly left nothing to be desired, in the first concert of their North American Tour.  Now, what was particularly interesting, is that they chose a venue that never held a concert before.  Pier A, in Hoboken, is a pedestrian-style, paved, walkway Pier on the Hudson river, that may be used for fairs, and similar activities.  I have heard from other sources that some of the other stops that they are making on this tour may lean on the same ideas - to use a venue that has not been used before.  I have not formally confirmed this before, but I do wonder whether they are pursuing some sort of pioneering in this venture.


The concert was just an all-around fantastic concert.  With sunset-New York skyline in the backdrop, bathed in tawny glints amidst the indigo buildings, the stage held two opening acts - Dawes, another great, folky band, and Aaron Embry, also a wonderful artist




The Pier was set up appropriately.  Plenty of beer stands with equally plentiful beer waiting lines.  The port-a-potties were also abundant.  All in all, I would call the management of the concert as "done right".


When M&S took the stage, the crowd pressed up a bit closer.  It also got denser.  It appeared that plenty of people disregarded the opening acts.





Now, I said in the beginning that the band left nothing to be desired and I meant it.  They are as impressive and accurate live as they are on the albums.  I did not really know that they are all multi-instrumentalists.   Marcus' strumming technique and singing passion comes through much more powerfully live.  He played his usual Martin dreadnought (not the slope-shoulder D-18VS which I really wanted to see in action) vigorously, to say the least, while tapping the kick pedal for the bass drum or for the tambourine.  In several songs he traded it for a mandolin, and a full drum set!  He was the only one to step behind the drum set, all while singing.  Honestly, his Irish- or Bluegrass-style strumming is quite impressive on the album and the YouTube videos, but I had no idea he would execute it so perfectly live.  It was spot-on.

Ben Lovett, the keyboardist, picked up Marcus' guitar when the latter drummed.

Winston Marshall, the all-too-famous-banjolin player did not bring the banjolin this time, much to my disappointment.  He, instead, used a regular banjo, and played lap-slide guitar and acoustic guitar.

Ted Dwane rocked the upright bass like a madman.  He also played eletric bass on one or two songs.  At some moment, I cannot recall the song, he picked his entire upright bass up on his shoulder, and rocked maniacally.  They delivered a live show worth 15,000 people.


The band played a mixture of songs from the "Sigh No More" album, their EP, and even a song from the new album.  I have the entire "Sigh No More" memorized, and at least four or five songs I did not recognize.  "Little Lion Man" was played early on, so was "I Gave you All".  "The Cave", of course, was saved for the encore, which drove the crowd mad.  Just as Marcus announced that they really have to leave the stage, because it is 10PM, and the city ordinance does not allow them to proceed further, fireworks lit up the sky over the Hudson.  It was magical.

Not having heard "Feel the Tide" was a bit of a disheartening for me.  I love that song and it was from the EP.  However, t'was nothing to diminish the value of this show.


The tickets had gone sold out within days at $55.  We waited too long and missed out on that.  In the very last minute we decided that this show was too much to miss out on it and picked up a few from Stubhub for 2.5 times that cost.  Worth every penny.


Pictures are HORRIBLE.  Sorry.  It's what I could grab with the iPhone from afar.

Heinz 57

Yes, in spirit of my neverending corniness, I am writing in my comeback post only to say that I intend to play CATCHUP and what better way to announce that then the classic, American staple of >>>>>>>>>>>

Ah, where would one start, so much has happened! So hard to believe that the last post was in November!

Things that have happened and I have yet to put here... well, let's see, there's Louisville, more Blitzen Trapper, Z and Cesca, Gypsy music, Napa, new gear, songwriting, new gear, UofL basketball, new classes, and more, in no particular order.

So, yea, I am living, breathing, and in the next few days, I will dump a bottle of Heinz upon these pages.

It's so dumb, really. The whole purpose for this blog was for myself to be able to document my own thoughts / sentiments. Yet, I keep finding it complicated to document them once I am caught in the moment, and wait until later when they are almost evaporated from my head.

I will do my best to recollect all the accounts. Let's see how much I succeed.