Memories of Greensburg, Kansas

I've been very affected by the recent devastation in Greensburg, Kansas. Although it's been many years since I've lived in Kansas, I felt a kinship with the folks I saw on TV, who had lost so much.

I have a memory of Greensburg that was triggered by this event. In the 60s, when we traveled around the midwest with bands, we'd look for the odd roadside attractions to liven up the trip. Prairie Dog Town, the Big Ball of Twine, and of course The Big Well in Greensburg was a must-stop.

I remember stopping at the Big Well one time on the way back from a gig. We bought some junk in the gift shoppe: The singer bought one of those giant novelty "Texas" cigars that's a foot long and three inches across. One of the other guys bought a rubber snake. Then we just HAD to go down in the well. Yes, you could go down to the bottom on rickety wooden steps.

We got down to the bottom and decided it would be funny to throw the rubber snake into the water. It wasn't as funny as we thought it would be, since it sank instead of floating. Then the singer decided to fire up that huge stogie. Oh, my god, what a stench! It was like burning chicken feathers in a rubber boot. The well filled with thick, acrid smoke and we could hardly see or breathe. We beat it up the stairs as fast as we could, stepping on each other's heels and laughing and choking all the way, but the smoke seemed to follow us up. Then I saw that the singer still had the stogie going! I yelled at him to get rid of it and he reluctantly tossed it into the water.

That rubber snake is probably still down there in the bottom of the well.

Aerial Photos of Greensburg

Greensburg's Website

LV's Jazz Brunch is no more

All good things must come to an end, it seems, and the management at LV's Uptown has informed Ted Clifford that they are canceling the Sunday Jazz Brunch -- at least the live music part of it. Ted and I have enjoyed this gig very much over the past few months, and LV's management has assured us that this is a business decision and not a reflection on our music.

I am disappointed, of course, but this is how it goes in the music business. We are now free to accept other gigs, and I'll keep you all informed of upcoming appearances.

Thank you for your support, and for supporting live jazz in Portland!

A Musician Story...

St Peter is welcoming new arrivals at the Gate.

A guy walks up and Peter says, "Welcome to Heaven. What did you do for a living on Earth?"

The guy says "I was a carpenter".

"Very good", says St Peter, "Go right on in".

Next guy walks up and Peter says, "Welcome to Heaven. What did you do for a living on Earth?"

The guy says "I was a doctor".

"Excellent", says St Peter, "Go right on in".

Next guy walks up and Peter says, "Welcome to Heaven. What did you do for a living on Earth?"

The guy says "I was a musician".

"Great!", says St Peter, "Just go around the back and you'll see a door next to the dumpster that'll get you through to the kitchen....".

New CD from Dawayne Bailey

My old friend Dawayne Bailey has a new CD out called Joyland. Dawayne's a fantastic guitarist, and has, over the years, enhanced the bands of Bob Seger, Chicago, Veronique Sanson, and many others. He has also just been named a 2007 inductee into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame.

I would highly recommend you check Dawayne out, and give his new CD a listen.

Gigs in September

Just a couple of quick notes: I'll be backing up pianist Ted Clifford most Sundays in September at what has become a pretty regular gig for us -- the Jazz Brunch at LV's Uptown. Details HERE. Check my Yahoo Calendar for exact dates.

And, Since I'm on vacation this week, I'll be able to play the role of "house bassist" at the regular Tuesday night jazz jam at Mississippi Pizza on September 5th. These jams draw some of the best players in Portland and are always great fun. You never know who's going to stop by and sit in. Details are HERE.

Is summer over already?

Well, my bursitis ("Bass Player's Elbow?") is finally better, after taking steroids and other anti-flam type meds. It did not affect my playing much, other than not being able to do octave down-slides. It did affect almost everything else I did with my left arm, however, so I'm very glad to be feeling better.

The semi-regular gig I've been playing at LV's Uptown has been going well. It's a very nice room, I get to play in the daytime instead of late at night, and the food is excellent. And the best part is that I get to play with Ted Clifford, who is an excellent jazz pianist. It seems like every week we find new connections through the music, and take new paths through the tunes. For me this is what it's all about.

I'm always learning something new, too. Last week, I discovered a sweet spot on my E string for plucking with my right hand. By plucking with the side of my fingertip, an inch or so closer to the bridge from my usual position near the bass pickup, I get a very upright-like growly tone that works very well on long sustaining notes in ballads. I had been playing near this spot, but I luckily found the exact place last weekend. It will probably change when I change strings, but now I know what I'm looking for and how to find it.

Oh yeah -- the subject line. Summer is almost over, and I'll be glad for the return of the rain. We've had more 90-degree-plus days this year than I can remember since we've been here. I know some people consider hot & sunny to be the perfect weather conditions, but you just can't take that kind of attitude in Oregon. This weekend is going to be 90+ again, and I hope that will be the last of it.

Hey guitarists -- Funtwo is awesome.

And finally, R.I.P Maynard Ferguson.

Bursitis

OK, I'll admit that I did not really know what bursitis was. That was before I got it in my left elbow. I had noticed a kind of dull pain right behind my elbow joint for a week or so, but hadn't paid much attention to it, but then last Wednesday night it started swelling and hurting like hell. It was even red and hot to the touch. My doctor prescribed some steroid pills, which I did not really want to take, but I went ahead and toke them like a good patient. They do seem to be helping my elbow, but the side effects are horrible. I'm hungry all the time, alternately jittery and mopey, trouble sleeping. I don't think I could endure a long period on steroids.

Ted Clifford and Steve Pinkston at LV's Uptown

UPDATE: We've been extended! Ted and I will be back at LV's this Sunday, July 23rd. All the other details are the same (see below). We had a great turnout on the 16th, so the manager invited us back. We will probably be invited back (or DIS-invited) on a week-by-week basis for a while. Many thanks to everyone who came out!

I'll be appearing with the fine jazz pianist Ted Clifford this Sunday, July 16th 10:00 AM to Noon at LV's Uptown. We'll be playing mostly jazz standards, with the unique flavors and spontaneous twists that Ted and I always create together.

If you're looking for a pleasant activity for a Sunday morning, please come out and join us. LV's Uptown is a very nice venue to listen to jazz, and they serve a delicious and decadent brunch buffet-style for 16 bucks, with smoked salmon, blintzes, fresh fruit and pastries, and much more. Details are at: http://www.lvuptown.com/menu.htm#Brunch

ADDRESS:
310 SW Lincoln
Portland, OR 97201
503.221.0140
http://www.lvuptown.com/

LV’s Uptown is located adjacent to the University Grill at University Place, Portland State University’s conference center on the site of the former Doubletree Hotel. The address is 310 SW Lincoln St, which is on the south side of Lincoln street between First Ave and Fourth Avenue, about 5 blocks south of the PSU Campus.LV's features free parking for patrons – that rarest of rarities in downtown Portland.

We hope to see you there!

A Place Called The Bla-Bla Cafe

A remarkable book has just been published, titled A Place Called The Bla-Bla Cafe.

I performed many times at this venue on Ventura Blvd. in L.A. with singer/songwriter Lisa Nemzo, both as a trio (with Marylee Tyson on cello) and as a full rock band. It was a very magical place, sometimes frustrating as hell and other times simply sublime. I have very good memories of the place, which provided a place to be heard for many rising stars in the 1970s.

And yes, there is even a mention of yours truly in the book, in a funny anecdote written by Lisa Nemzo.

For more information, or to order your own copy, go to http://www.bla-bla-cafe.com/

Bye-bye Fireside Jam

Well, the Fireside Jazz Jam is no more. Apparently, a combination of factors has led to the owner of the establishment cancelling the regular Saturday jazz jam that I've played at regularly for quite some time now at the Fireside Coffee Lodge at 12th & Powell. This is still a very nice, mellow place to hang out, have a cup of jitter juice, and access the internet; they just won't have a bunch of jazzbos and their friends hanging out on Saturday night anymore.

The good news is that Portland Jazz Jams is sponsoring a new weekly jam session at Proper Eats in the St. Johns area of Portland. This will be on Thurdays, and will have acoustic bass players only, so I'm out of luck on both counts. But it should be a good session and I'd encourage all jazz fans and players to come out and support this new venue. More information HERE.