Todd Clouser: Arts Day Out Program

We've been in the studio the last 5 days or so, mixing, tracking a bit, etc. Im really excited how things are sounding and very grateful towards everyone for investing themselves in this. By week's end, we should end up with the mixes of nearly two years worth of on and off sessions. I tend to get eager and divulge too much too soon, but there's some really great moments in these tunes, a few everyone should recognize, and everything has been treated well and honestly. Its raw and straight from the players.
Its nice being back in Minneapolis and getting out to see some friends play, a couple groups Ive seen I would reccomend, "Jelloslave" has a really unique and honest vibe, two cellos, tabla, and Schutte on drumset/percussion. Caught them Friday night at the Dakota. Groups like these inspire me to committ fully to vision and feel. Adam Linz trio at Cafe Maude kills it. Just follow that dude around and you're gonna end up in some goodness.
Everyone wants change apparently. Get your hands dirty. Its waiting to be done, and its not gonna come from elected oficials, the best they can do is inspire us to be better, to question, to be decent to each other.

Be back in MN tomorrow for a long recording weekend. A bunch of good stuff we do live we're gonna put to tape and get the new record mixed as well. Ive got 6 hours in the LA airport to kill before the red eye flight, something I wouldnt mind generally, but all this time on the internet(s) keeps sending my fingers typing in political pundit sites. Something I really need to stop. It gets depressing. Its like VI Lenin said, or was that BJ Armstrong, well, in any case, "wake me up when september ends", and October, actually just wake me up the day of the election, let me do my part, and then go back to living a life Im quite enjoying aside from all this schoolyard insult political stupidry. Theyve turned it into a madhouse yet again, which I do believe is a conscious effort that benefits one side.
Does anyone wanna talk about the stuff that really makes a difference in people's lives? For the sake of good Gods everywhere, come on, come with it, and come with it real, if you have to rely on fooling people, you aint worth a relyin on (something Id imagine my uncle from north texas would tell me, if I had an uncle and he was from North Texas).
Telling myself to calm the nerves, back to real things.... like this recording session this weekend, a great string of release shows coming together, and our coming Los Cabos music season, begun in style October 10th with our a new band sure to tear San Jose a new arroyo and a host of students coming down to strut.
By this time next month, our album will be ready to drop, for the first time featuring a couple unique arrangements of other folks tunes, those folks being much more recognizable names than I. Its coming together well, our song EP will release on the heels of the jazz record, and we will forge on screaming goodness, no matter how often the cynics get the best and make a lifeless melee of all we can. Defy the cycle.

Ill be back in MN to do some recording Sept 10th for a few days, maybe sneak in a small last minute show.We're just beginning to schedule release shows, looking to be around election weekend.
Things are slow performance wise for the months of heat. Ive been on a intimate instrument relationship building binge since returning from NY, spending a beyond healthy amount of hours a day practicing, thee threat of practice's rigors and muse destructive nature being counteracted ably by the inspiration gained from being back teaching. Dumb luck in finding the balance. Kids with makeshift instruments, spontaneous dance, outlandish hollers of melody, and songs of humor and simplicity have a way of making the ones and zeros of technique and density of theory study become tools to again express like a kid, as opposed to an exercise in grooming the commonplace muscles of pomposity (big words aside), cynicism, and complacency. Kids do it right. Im lucky to be reminded of that often.

Id feel dishonest to myself, and in neglect of my better nature, without mentioning how good it feels to again be inspired, beyond music or writing, about the direction and possibility that we are capable of, and responsible to. Politics is something I try to avoid on this site, but this feels bigger. Thanks Obama for reminding me how this feels, both the optimism and the responsibility to act according to it.

Im looking forward to another incredible season of music in Los Cabos and beyond this year.

Im working on getting some appropriate words to describe the past couple weeks in upstate NY and the city. I was lucky to make some heros my peers and play daily. I spent 5 days studying and playing with Medeski, Martin, and Wood and a group of excellent players and Im not the same. Aside from thee tangible results in my playing and general confidence that this is indeed what I do, and what I should, the band's generosity and empowering approach to music leaves me renewed, inspired and committed to music, education, and positive things beyond.
There is so much cynicism in many of our modern musicians, not to mention contention, tension, and competititension (TM that). The experience with MMW made my blood feel younger, like when I used to play in my basement, reminding me that feeling is a place you have to work to get to through practice, a commitment to health, and a mentality that cynicism is an enemy to be battled ardently.


I took the train down to the city afterwards and saw my friends Richie and Eren Cannata. Thanks to them for having me sit in at the Cutting Room and rip with the great Spyro Gyra guitarist Julio Fernandez, things got boiling. I spent a couple extra days in the city to see Bill Frisell and Ron Miles.

Marc Ribot and and John Scofield came to hang with MMW as well, both of their playing all good kinds of sick and beautiful.

Thats thee abridged report, cause Im back here in San Jose and there's a beach requesting my attendance, but a quick idea of whats coming up..... Im teaching music at Mission again and a few private classes and workshops as well, so contact if interested.

October and November will see a bunch of shows in MN and Mexico for our album release and a couple events happening in Los Cabos.

We're planning the inaugural "music day out" down here, a day of workshops, student recitals, student bands, students sitting in with our fine local players, and a night-time show and throwdown. Lots of good art a chance for Los Cabos musicians to promote their upcoming schedules. Ill let you know more soon.

Thanks for coming by. A bunch of new tunes will be up soon.

I got the masters from a session we did over a year ago when I was back in MN last week. Id all but forgotten or written off what came of it, but Im listening now and feeling a lot better about it. Its kind of a collection of the songs Ive always needed to put out, but with stronger performances and done in sort of the live vibe fashion of Baja. About half the tunes are kind of a chronological sequence of the month leading up to the time I left the states, a relationship I was in, on through the dwindling of that and hopefully a positive capitulation to it all.
Listening to it now for me is like finding an old photobook. Its difficult to discern singular emotions that come from the listening, they come all mixed up ,just get a general sense that, man a lot has happened in 2 years, and I need to get these out and write the story's next piece.

I always have trouble getting over my vocal performance, like noticing the lines on the forehead without seeing the face. But its alright on these, and there is some really beautiful playing by Adam, Benny, and
Greg. Im out of character with emotion in listening. I think thats a positive sign. I hope you'll like them. If not, we'll give it another try with the next batch.

Its hot back in Baja and feels nice. Taking some time to practice and get things in order for a NY trip and gettin the new record edited, mixed, and mastered. We've got a bunch of good ears on it. Thanks again for a succesful trip up to MN and look for a couple release shows up that way in the fall.

we ran all over the place playing the dakota, a great room, but thought Id post the tunes.... some off the record to come..... a bunch of new stuff. I owe a troughloaed of gratitude to Adam Linz for producing the album and tweaking our set, songs in the studio, and improving my playing in general.
Here's the set ... Dakota, July 15th, 2008


Short Story --- Ken Dorham
Aqui Como Alla - Marc Ribot
Silent Army - Clouser
Drive at the Sun - Clouser
Silent Army - Clouser
Phase Dance - Metheny
Caravan
Night Is On - Clouser

II
Put it Where You Want It - Crusaders
All In a Name - Clouser
Born By the Night - Clouser
Man With No Country - Clouser
Unbreak the Morning - Clouser
Thunder on the Mountian - Bob Dylan
Manic Depression - Hendrix
Cold Duck Time - Eddie Harris

III
Hey Joe - Hendrix
Below, Unsleeping - Clouser
Cantelope Island - Herbie Hancock

Im getting closer to finshing the charts for next week's recording and can't wait to hear how it all comes together. The other guys always have some input I would have been blind to. Im really excited about the songs on this record. Most of the tunes have developed over quite a bit of time and are more involved than a lot of what Ive written before..... and the live feel we get recording with Adam, Benny, and Greg is something Im always anxious to hear.
Dont miss 4th of July at Havana's featuring Howie Clifton on sax and all sorts of guests. We know how to make it happen there.
And then the Dakota Jazz Club July 15th in Minneapolis. Itll be a homecoming and the wrap up of 10 days recording so things should sound nice. If you haven't seen the band play, come out, all these guys are killers.

See you soon, thanks for your support

Im in the San Diego airport sitting next to an eagerly conversational fellow who looks hungry. The two Nathan's hot dogs accompanied by healthy portions of relish and nacho cheese and bloody mary are a dead giveaway. Its 845 a.m. Really nice fellow though, just a bad diet I suppose. Im on my first of what will probably be 5 to 6 diet cokes today. Better than the alternatives I tell myself.
Heading back to Los Cabos after a great week up here studying and playing. I was lucky to take some classes with Peter Sprague, a phenomenal guitarist and inspiring person. I cant say enough about his playing and sort of general outlook, for lack of better term. A lot of what was talked about was direction and approach as opposed to scalses and such. I left each class with him with a renewed energy to commit the time necessary to continue to grow as a player and writer.
Had the chance to play all week in a group directed by trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos, a monster player. The tunes he had as running were challenging and involved, and our performance went off well. Our group ranged ages from 14 to 50some witha 3 piece horn section, ,not somehting I play with often.... a great experience. The 14 year old was pianist Chase Morrin, who absolutely kills it. A quick search will lead you to info on his young and prodigous playing. Im hoping Gilbert and others will come down this season and do some shows in Los Cabos..... if you're in to checking out these players, look up Willie Jones III as well. He's a NY guy, drummer, who I had the chance to see play with Peter Sprague the other night. Monster..... all inall a week up here renewed a lot of my commitment to practice and hopefully the discipline that can wane from time to time, and its always a great experience meeting all these great players. A humbling and inspiring time.
What else?..... excited about recording beginning July 7th, got some charts to finish up but I feel good about the tunes. July 15th at the Dakota in Minneapolis should be a great night, somewhere Ive always wanted to play and itll be fun to see friends its been too long away from. Other than that, keeping busy in Los Cabos.... come down July 4th to Havana if you're around. Itll be fun as always.

Take Care.... hope to see you either the 4th in Los Cabos or July 15th at the Dakota

Hope everyone is well. Still feels spring down here, but Im hoping everyone up north is feeling summer.
Ive had a chance to do a good deal of writing and refining these past couple weeks in anticipation of recording in July. Thanks to everyone who has stuck around long enough to watch progress be made, and I do believe this next instrumental disc will be the most marked and confident group of songs thus far.... Im gonna finish up our album of vocal songs as well, but its just more forced, so if you know a good singer that wants to be a singer, tell 'em I got some songs for sale, and by sale I dont mean it in the clearance rack sense, I mean it in the first day X Box 3 comes on the market way (with no excuses for ego or my naivete as to the current run of video game systems).

Anyhow, Im looking forward to heading up to San Diego for a week of music this Sunday. It was all much more simple when planned. Now a year's worth of jobs have decided to condense themselves into a day, that day being this Saturday, the day I once planned on leaving. Ill be out at Cerritos this Saturday morning meeting with magazine writing partners and playing some quick guitar, then back to San Jose to play a wedding, on to the middle school students graduation, then to the summer solstice party for some more playing, all to end up on what will surely be a groggy plane ride the next morning.
Thanks for your continued support. It means a lot to be able to play and write and I'm doing all I can to make the mouse clicking worth your while.
Take Care

We're putting our Havana Wednesdays to rest for the summer after what has been the most memorable year of music and progress thus far. I'm looking forward to a quieter schedule, and some earlier night and the opportunity to do some writing and get things sized up and spankin' for next season down here. I do go through performance withdrawal despite still playing regularly at events and such, its not as rewarding or encouraging as having the chance to play original material or have nights on your own terms, but I think its the best move for a few months to tend to other aforementioned ambitions.
Ive got some tune Im excited about recording with Adam, Benny, and Greg in July with the addition of Henry Weinbeck on trumpet. We've all had more of a chance to get to know each others stylings, and moods, and comfort within the group seems to breed better outcomes, so that all should be fun.
Im also looking forward to meeting up with friends Eren and Richie Cannata in New York City and wading in the excellence they've created their in their studio. Got a week studying with guitarist Peter Sprague coming up in San Diego and a weekd with Medeski, Martin, and Wood and fellow musicians in upstate New York. Ill post things as they come up..... for now its baking in the sun, teaching kids, and getting pummeled by the occasional wave with a board attached to my ankle.
Take Care

We're putting our Havana Wednesdays to rest for the summer after what has been the most memorable year of music and progress thus far. I'm looking forward to a quieter schedule, and some earlier night and the opportunity to do some writing and get things sized up and spankin' for next season down here. I do go through performance withdrawal despite still playing regularly at events and such, its not as rewarding or encouraging as having the chance to play original material or have nights on your own terms, but I think its the best move for a few months to tend to other aforementioned ambitions.
Ive got some tune Im excited about recording with Adam, Benny, and Greg in July with the addition of Henry Weinbeck on trumpet. We've all had more of a chance to get to know each others stylings, and moods, and comfort within the group seems to breed better outcomes, so that all should be fun.
Im also looking forward to meeting up with friends Eren and Richie Cannata in New York City and wading in the excellence they've created their in their studio. Got a week studying with guitarist Peter Sprague coming up in San Diego and a weekd with Medeski, Martin, and Wood and fellow musicians in upstate New York. Ill post things as they come up..... for now its baking in the sun, teaching kids, and getting pummeled by the occasional wave with a board attached to my ankle.
Take Care

Dont have much to post other than all continues to go well and keeping busy even as the season winds down here. Lots of events with a bunch of our great players here in Los Cabos. The more I enjoy things here I am reminded we are a combination of circumstance and choice. We make things happen or let things make us.
Thanks for your continued interest in the music and such here. We're gonna finish up the couple albums by the fall and I look forward to getting over the embarassment of the staleness of the tunes left here for so long..... Im waiting to update the website with some goods and looking forward to quite a summer.... actually gonna play with guys like Peter Sprague and John Medeski. Good God. more on that to come.

Take Care

Im just returning, physically though not yet mentally, to Los Cabos after a weekend in New Orleans for Jazzfest, which I celebrated in usual festive fashion. The festival was its predictable shades of incredible, offering me the opportunity to catch up on the heavy dose of live music Ive been cut from cold turkey here in Mexico. The first band I saw was the Lee Boys, at the reccomendation of my brother. Bumps shot from my skin and the blood went flush as I heard the pedal steel lead. Church of blues. Its inspiring to see music played in an inspired way, and that band was so visibly grateful for their opportunity to share their music with jazzfest, the energy was contagious and all positive.
I got to see and briefly meet The Bad Plus as well. Their composition and playing skills are nothing short of mastery. They were great guys as well. The tune "Physical Cities" was especially ridiculous in their set. The whole show kind of left the chin hanging.
Walking around the fairgrounds offers the opportunity to make use of some dumb luck and stumble across all sorts of greatness. Walking through the Saturday mud, I sloughed past a little stage with a collective called "The Pinstripe Brass Band". They killed it and I moved my limbs. Coming into the festival Saturday, there was some outrageous guitar mastery screaming over a standard blues at one of the larger stages on the ground, which turned out to be Henry Butler's band and his guitarist. I was only able to catch a couple tunes, but got to meet Henry briefly a little later and talk players with him, as he eagerly admitted wearing his purple suit and sunglasses, referring to his guitarist's skills "we only hire 'em if they're killers". Killers indeed.
Theres too much other good stuff to mention here and Im still processing it all as Im recovering from an evening of seeing Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, who took to the stage at Tipitina's Uptown around 1 a.m.
New Orleans is such an incredibly culturally rich and inspiring place. Its all its own and we're lucky to have it to enjoy. Looking forward to getting back, hopefully one day with instrument in tow.
For now, we've got some shows coming up and all sorts of things for the summer, so stick around if you would.
Take Care

Just finally catching up on all the normal duties, one of those being this website, I neglected during our little run of shows with Benny Wenbeck, Adam Linz, and Greg Schutte. We played all throughout the Los Cabos area to healthy, though often not totally sober, audiences. The whole deal was highlighted by an afternoon show at Cerritos Surf Beach on the Pacific side and a Saturday night standing room only show at Havana's. A lot of our great Los Cabos musicians came down to check out the guys.... a cool deal for our community of players here. Thanks to everyone who helped, know who you are. Another humbling week and step in a positive direction.
We played a sampling of standards, some Crusaders style funk stuff, and a few of our new tunes both instrumental and otherwise. Those three guys are all such great players and cover a wide array of genres...something I like to do often to a fault, and can often frustrate other players. We've developed really well as a band despite being seperated by a decent majority of states in the union. Got to get back to playing some of the "BAJA" stuff with its rightful players, and sold some discs. We're about halfway through our first pressing of the album, which is far more than Ive sold of any other album Ive done....it sucks to think that way, but it offers a good nudge and pat on the back when the inevitable questions come up of continuing the process of creating and recording.
We're gonna be back in the studio this summer with Greg, Adam and Benny and Henry Weinbeck on a couple tunes as well. Just finishing up the charts. Next year's trip, perhaps in the fall, should be an album release run and there's talk of lanning some local events or festivals. Things have progressed a lot since we first met in the studio to record Baja, so we're all looking forward to getting some new stuff on the modern version of tape.
Gonna finish up some of rock/vocal tunes we did last year as well.
Hope everyone is well... enjoy the warming weather.

Another fun Wednesday last night. Thanks to everyone who has been returning each week. Feels like we've started to build a really unique night on Wednesdays. Nothing but good people.
Im busy writing some charts for next week when Benny Weinbeck, Adam Linz, and Greg Schutte come down for a week of shows. Im really looking forward to playing with those guys again. Im trying to make sure we do a really large helping of new original stuff yet to have been performed. Always makes things more exciting for me, even if there's a couple rough spots. We'll do some of Benny's new stuff as well, which I hear from Adam is better than ever. Cant wait to hear it.
Its going to be a marathon week of shows for me. Starting Tuesday with the guys at Club 96, then 2 shows Weds as we'll do Cerritos Beach Club Wednesday afternoon (empty beach, 'cept the little restaurant on the Pacific side), then I'll haul over that night to play with Jack at Havana. Thursday the rest of the crew will have a day off and Im doing a solo guitar deal at Pez Gordo Art Gallery in San Jose. 2 more shows Friday.... first at the Liga Mac Jazzfest dinner with Julio on bass and Luciano on drums, doing latin and BAJA stuff, then run over to Havana with Benny and the guys. We're back there Saturday to wrap up the week with what will most certainly be a deserved throwdown.
Anyway, gonna be long and fun, lots of music. Good life.

Take Care and come out and see the shows. We'll do our best to make it worth it.

Thought Id force out a post since its been some time. Crazy its spring already. After years in Mineesota and Boston, with their pronounced and manic seasons, a fall and winter passes here with only an early sunset to let you know its could as hell somewhere else.
Its been quite a tourist-season (no relation to aforementioned state of the Earth's tilt seasons) here for me. Ive been playing with some really wonderful musicians encompassing a variety of styles and for the first time in my life have actually been getting paid well for doing it.... maybe its unecessary or what not, but a little money in your pocket for doing what you do does indeed give things a little validation.
We had another great Wednesday last night. Did our first set with Julio on bass and keys, Geovanni on drums, and Gevonanni's brother Leo on percussion. A blood-related rhythm section is the way to go. Did tunes like "Aqui Como Alla" by Marc Ribot and "Phase Dance" by Pat Metheny.... some of my Baja and new stuff and ended with Billy Preston's "Will it Go Round in Circles". I love singing that one. Its got that intricate simplicity things go on.
Then Jack Sonni came up for the rest of the night and we ran through the tunes people have come to expect of Jack. His guitar came plugged in last night...lots of energy. And we were loud. I managed to sneak a few tunes Ivve been wanting to do with Jack into the set. "Tombstone Blues" by Dylan was exceptionally fun....its like reciting a brilliant man's stream of conscious poetry over swanky blues...actually thats exactly what it is. Theres a lot of words and I love every one of em... fun to sing. We also did "Level" by the Raconteurs. Ive wanted to play that song since the first time I heard it. Its one of those that just fits with my personality and what I ask for in rock music...its the song I would have played at all the parties in high school on repeat and no one else would get why I loved it so much.... just start rolling their eyes after Id had my first couple beers and was headed to the stereo with the disc. Anyhow, it was really fun. I love singing like that... actually I am just loving singing again these days.
Well my brother is in town and I took the week off school. Ive been surfing the days, teaching a couple lessons, and playing nights. Rough life down here. We're off to stand up on carved pieces of fiberglass while being nudged by crashing fluctuations in the tide of the sea.
Turns I didnt have to force this one at all.
Hopa.

Quite a week has passed. I turned 27 Sunday and I can say with honesty this past year was the best thus far. Minus the inconvenience of losing a not-so-vital organ, things were/are good.
Last Wednesday we were joined by Richie and Eren Cannata, Jack Sonni, and surprise guest NYC trumpet player Ingrid Jensen. Ingrid came up and did "Cold Duck Time" with us and sent mouths to their seats. A really incredible and classy player. Check her out. We ended up playing a few tunes with Ingrid on Thursday at Havana as well, after a quick private Valentines gig I did.
Richie joined us and Ingrid for "Cantelope Island" and another tune I cant seem to recall, forming the most formidable of horn line ups our little San Jose del Cabo has ever seen. For those of you who arent farmiliar with Richie, he played the solo on Billy Joel's original recording of "NY State of Mind", has toured with the biggest of stars to the grandest of venues, and is a monster player.
Eren Cannata jumped up afterwards and tore the place a new dance floor. An excellent singer and professional writer and producer, Eren ran through "Hard to Handle" and "I Feel Good" with us. It was all energy. IT felt great playing with these guys and taking in some of the energy. We ended up out late a couple nights jumping on stage with whatver band in whatever bar we could find, hijacking a guitar and microphone and smoking through a couple numbers. Fun time.
We did Jacks set last and it was off the chains as has come to be expected. Everyone got a long great and was very gracious. Things like that can esilay tur into a wank-fest if its not the right people. It was all right.
Tonight Roberto Blanco, a fine pianist, will sit in with us as we pump out some new tunes and some new stuff Ive been working on that requires a pianist of Roberto's abilities. Two gigs tomorrow night, the last being a fusion deal we're putting together with Randy Leach. Lots o guitar. Looking forward to it.
Take Care. Spring is coming.

Wednesdays at Havana are becoming really great nights. Its been busy regularly and all the locals seem to be returning each week for the music, which is exciting and humbling. There's a lot of great players in town, but not a lot of great and fun gigs, mostly dinner and hotel stuff that we all do, so our Wednesdays are kind of filling that void I think. We've been doing a few standards, a bunch of instrumental arrangements of pop tunes, "In my Life", "Satisfaction", "Misty Mountain Hop", "Come Together", etc, some of my original stuff, some New Orleans things, etc....... this week Pablo Cervera sat in on guitar. He's an excellent player from Argentina. Check him out if you're in town. His brother Pedro is a drummer and he played a couple tunes as well last night. Dude kills it.
Next week we'll do our fusion trio set, then have Richie Cannata, of Billy Joel fame, and his son Eren, s NYC singer/songwriter sit in, then a set with Jack Sonni of Dire Straits (yep thats his full name... like George of the Jungle or Ashton from The Woods). This town one day shall shed its label as a fishing and drinking town and christen itself a music town. Little Mexican New Orleans. We're getting there.


Take Care

I left Havana`s sweating last night. We did a set with the fusion quartet and then played the rest of the night with Jack Sonni. It was great playing rock again, taking long solos, guitar hero stuff. Looking forward to doing it again.
Back to quiet, responsible solo guitar tonight. I feel a chameleon.
In a couple weeks, Richie and Eren Cannata are gonna be in town and Im looking forward to doing a night with them. You can check out their sites at www.richiecannata.com and www.erencannata.com.... then of course we look forward to Benny Weinbeck, Adam Linz, and Greg Schutte in March. Winter never comes down here. Shades of summer. Fun.

Take Care

I got lucky Friday night. I walked into Havana's to indulge in a Pacifico and put a really quiet gig Thursday night behind me, and Jack Sonni, former Dire Straits guitarist, was playing with the same cats, Los Perrritos del Amor, that I play with Wednesdays and Saturday at Havana. He had stopped in Wednesday to watch my group play and I had a chance to meet him briefly. Anyhow, he asked me if I had my guitar and such with me. Luckily, in my haste when returning home from the previous night's gig, I negelected to unpack my little amp and axe. I brought my stuff up during their first setbreak and figured I'd just sit in for a tune or two. Jack started "Red Corvette" and I noodled around on it a bit. A couple tunes into it I was ready to step back to my barstool but Jack insisted I not, and the next hour and a half of music were as fun as any I've ever played. I lost my head and fell into an energetic guitar-hero blissathon free of any inkling of the inhibitions I often carry with me. We did a Who tune and Jack spoke about meeting Pete Townshend and Live Aid. Dude's done done it. Word is we're going to do it again next Friday. Only in America. Wait.......... I never would have ended up playing with cats like Jack had I squirmed my way through the vice of the American music industry.
Thanks to Jack for having me and Julio C de la Cruz for running ship as always. He is the epitomy of the musician's musician.
Our regular Havana nights, with the freshly christened Los Perritos del Amor, Julio and Geovanni, and our new percussionist Fernando, are getting hot. We've got a nice repertoire of original tunes and fusion stuff. Ive been singing some as well, which feels fun. But really Im loving playing guitar again these days. My inspiration waxes and wanes generally without an identifiable cause, but its working right now. Being around the right people. I played a small wedding at a home on the beach this afternoon. Im actually making a living doing this stuff which is quite ridiculous. We become cynical so quick, especially us musicians, when things don't work as we envisioned. It begins to fell strange and unexpected when things actually do work.
Hope all is well and thanks for coming by

Im sitting here enjoying a magically chilled Pacifico after a productive and positive day....may have something to do with the events of last evening, which have me wondering if I should strip the ex from my ex-pat-ness. Not to get ahead of myself....which I do well.... a good evening sweat and surf took care of that urge anyhow.
I got the masters from Benny Weinbeck today of the sessions we did last June. They sound really nice. Problem is, Ive done what I always seem to do, recorded 14 songs that could be by 3 different bands. There's no album here. Parts of 2 albums. So we'll fix that this spring when I get a chance to record with those guys again, track another good helping I have backed up inside and then look at things. Its that getting ahead of myself deal... I always want to get things down and out way to quickly... budget has partly to do with it as well... more takes, more mixes, more songs recorded means more money... and it adds up fast. Baja being the exception, where I decided I wouldnt listen to a lick of it once I walked out the door of the studio. I didnt until I got the masters a few months later, and I thought "shit, this aint bad, but had I been listening and fretting over it the past few months before it was done, Id hate it right now". For now though, it feels good. Im proud of these tunes. Im happy Im still doing this. Im not great, I dont really think many of us are, but I like my songs, and Im told theyve touched some people. Really though none of that is important, I just have to do it. I get sick with shame and guilt if Im not writing.
Im back writing for the small magazine down here that comes out annually. This year they asked me to do a poem as well as the bulk of their articles, which Im excited about. For those of you in Los Cabos that read this, please do come check out our jazz fusion trio on Wednesdays at Havana's. We'll be playing Saturdays as well in a couple weeks. Im playing with a couple excellent players and its quite fun and growing.
On top of that, Benny and posse are coming down for shows in March and we're gonna do some recording after that to finish up our song stuff and get cracking on an instrumental album... Ive got most of the writing done.
Thanks for coming by. Best wishes for a great year. Mozeltov.

Its the last day of school before the Christmas break and Im parked at my teacher's desk on a little blue chair surrounded by 5th graders. Its 85 degrees, there's cacti outside the classroom window, and the desert is sporting enough holiday cheer to keep everyone dancing to the "Motown's Greatest Hits" CD we're pumping through our tiny little boombox-for-a-stereo.
A student just asked me if I believed in Santa Claus. "Of Course", I replied. "Yea Todd, because how else do all those presents get under the tree when your parents are sleeping?" "Exactly man", I told him. "And," he continued, "If you write Santa Claus a letter, he responds within two days." ..... seems Santa is the only one who can efficiently negotiate the Mexican postal service. The rest of us have to wait months for our letters to arrive, but Santa, lucky fool, is tended to with all the resources one would expect from a first class shipping operation.

This year is ending and it was better than the last, a trend I expect to continue until the years stop coming.

I've been neglecting this website recently. Everything has grown to be quite busy here as the holidays roll around. Ive been playing out 4 times a week and trying to get everything setup at school for the international Christmas kid blowout magical soul party, 2008 edition. Its all going good.
A few weeks back I met a guy who just moved down here by chance through a mutual friend of a landlord. I was told this cat was a great singer and writer. People say that a lot, but this time twas very true. We ended up getting together and playing a bit and now we're doing Wednesday nights together at Havana. An excellent singer indeed. Ill be doing some of my greatest hits and misses as well. Its fun doing pop stuff with John and songs I never would have taken the time to learn. We're playing with a bass player from Havana, Cuba and a drummer from La Paz, Mexico. Julio, aforementioned cuban bass stylist, and Guillermo, aforementioned Mexican drummer, and I, namesake of this website, are also playing as a trio doing jazz and fusion stuff. Les Mccann, Scofield, Metheny, Ribot, Latin standards, my Baja and new stuff. That I enjoy more than anything. Latin blood means bangin rhythm and they make a great rhythm section. We're looking forward to doing more regular nights. The feedback has been great thus far. Everything is so catered to tourists and the vacation mindset down here that it will be fun try to get something going down here for locals and of original quality and integrity...... that being said, I played a wedding today..... and I played Brown Eyed Girl once last week at a gig. A little part of me died when I played the intro.... and Im not sure Ill be able to buy that piece back for what I was paid to do it.... and I shouldnt be telling you this.....But we're in the business of transparency here, kind of. Im also playing at Club 96, one of the premier dining spots and private clubs here in Los Cabos, doing jazz guitar and some arrangements of pop songs Ive done... some of my Baja stuff as well.
Anyway, here's a list of popular songs that Ive done some jazz guitar arrangements of that people seem to like.
Heard it through the Grapevine, Hey Jude, Get Back, Your Song, Amoreena, Dont Know Why, Salt Peanuts

I swear this album of songs is actually gonna get finished up one day. Its back in MN being mastered and Im down here so its tough to get people to get it done from such a distance... but Im remember being very happy with hos it went. Its a lot different than anything Ive been doing recently.

Hope everything is well. Thanks for reading.

Hey ya....
Im gonna put up a link that does me right on a daily basis. Creations of quality..... of course deemed so by my masterful knowledge, experience, and unwavering dedication to "quality". Just kidding, its awful subjective, but I'll put up a link or little something that rocks me daily in the guestbook and archive them here in the musings.... hope you enjoy and feel free to do the same on the guestbook. There`s loads of access to loads of good stuff here on the inta-net... of course loads of crap too, but... anyhow, on from the rambling, here you have it :

Oct 28, 2007
Here's today's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9ofyYkK0uI Its the abridged version to cater to our modern attention spans, but if you can't feel it, something might be wrong. Check out the audience voices of exasperation as he goes on.

Oct 29, 2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08FmobXwSvU Its worth making it all the way through.

Oct 30, 2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vgnec1r9YuU Dirty fingernails mean lots of thinking.

Nov 1, 2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rb1rse0fKs
This song was written for this man to sing. Its all kinds of honest.