My Interview with Jazz Legend Dave Brubeck

In 1983, I began my career in television news. My musical background kept me interested in concerts. Fortunately, I was able to see the legendary, Dave Brubeck at North Dakota State University, Fargo. Earlier in the afternoon, I interviewed Mr. Brubeck at a small press conference. This is a short edited version I kept on tape. He doesn't say much, but it is worth remembering. I don't think there is a more important (or great) musician I have had the chance to personally chat with.

I remember distinctly meeting Dave after the interview. I reached out to shake his hand. He reached out to shake mine. However, he left his hand limp. He did not shake my hand, but rather allowed me to give him a soft hand shake. I realized later why this was. Dave Brubeck's hands were his livelyhood. They were his money. They were his talent. Without his hands, Dave's talent would not be appreciated. He was not about to have anyone give his hands a hard squeeze. Fortunately, I didn't. But I do remember the concert. Wow. What a phenomenal innovater Dave Brubeck was! His "Take Five" album, to this day, is one of the best recordings in history.



Here is an old video of Take Five - Trust me - Buy this album - It is out of this world!

Come Home to the Blues

My personal music video project from 1993.


The internet is an amazing tool to communicate to anybody, anywhere, who is also logged on.

A couple weeks ago, I stumbled on an old videotape in a box. In 1991, I recorded a song with some friends called, "Come Home to the Blues." I am playing the drums. Mark Arneson plays guitar. Jim Anton plays the bass. Screaming Marv Moorhead is singing.

My friends Doug Hegle and Denny Craswell wrote the song. I then listened to it, arranged it into the blues progression, and produced the recording session.

Please take a listen. Let me know what you think. You can spread this video around by embedding it on your website if you wish. You can find the video on YouTube as well. Here is the address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvm-MFhRYC4

Two years after we recorded the music, I decided to shoot a music video. I shot this at at Char's Has the Blues in Phoenix. You will see a blues band, however none of the musicians you see playing...are actually playing on the song. Everyone in the video gave me their permission to appear in this video! Enjoy - and spread this around. This is the best blues song - nobody's ever heard. Until now

Spring Break

Spring Break for me isn't a trip to Mexico.
It's simply not doing anything on this website and blog for a month.
Not much to do, of course. I don't have an ax to grind, or a political motive to further.
But I feel obliged to write something.

So whoever does read this doesn't think I am not doing anything...which I am. Until now.

Vintage Colorado Photographs

I found a number of great vintage Colorado photographs this week at a sale. I put them up in a slide show on my gallery. Take a look here.

There are pictures taken on the Continental Divide - Independence Pass between Aspen and Buena Vista. There are pictures taken at Red Rocks. There are horseback riders, bicycle riders, and more. One of these photographs had 1945 written on the back, so I assume most of them were circa 1945.

I also have a number of vintage Hi 8 home movies from Colorado that I am working on digitizing. There are already a few up on www.colorful-colorado.com You just need to look for the video link on the main page.

But I am having a bit of trouble transferring the films. If I can only get a decent working projector. The first one ruined an old film. The second one I got seems to run slow, so it is quite jittery. So I will work on those vintage movies.

In the meantime, take a look at the vintage photographs, images, and items. Let me know if you have any to contribute.

Enjoy.

Philosophically Blogging

Instead of philosophically speaking, I am philosophically blogging.
I was thinking today that it is probably going to be much easier for the younger generation to blog, and create visual and media diaries of their lives. Simply because they are working from point A to point B. Going forward, it will be much easier to upload their favorite moments in life...because they are happening now. By the time they are old, their entire lives may be almost completely digitized for them and anyone to view.

Of course, there will be millions of people having done this. So the novelty will have worn off. Then the question "what does this all mean" may become more relevent. Their digital life will be only one in millions of digital lives. Meaningless? Or meaningful?

At least, it will be a much easier process for the younger generation, because they will live a day, then digitize it. Live another day, then digitize it. But for those of us who have lived half their life already, it is more work to digitize years that have gone by. It is possible. I have a lot of memorabilia that might get passed down. Or it might get lost, stolen, damaged, or forgotten. Now there is another option. I could start digitizing it. While the process of digitizing "new" events, pictures, and experiences is happening, the process of digitizing "old" events, pictures and experiences is also taking place. But only by those doing it. For those not doing it, will their "media" be lost and become irrelevent? Or does it matter anyway? (Philosophically blogging.)

So I might digitize past years of experiences. I do have a few interesting things that could be uploaded and shared. But once again, philosophically blogging, what does it mean? If everyone has their own story, what weight does one have over another? Philosophically blogging....none. Check out Ecclesiastes - and you will better understand what is meaningless....and what is meaningful.

Billy Cobham 1978

Billy Cobham is a great drummer. Yet from the further end of the jazz rock spectrum known as fusion. He became famous for his extremely powerful bursts of energy, his very large drum set, and his ambidextrous abilities to play equally with both left and right limbs. He played fusion with Miles Davis, Chick Corea and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and rock fusion as well



In 1978, I had the chance to see a weekend drum event (see below) that featured a number of greats. Billy Cobham was matched together with legendary drummer, Louis Bellson! Students got the chance to see the rehearsal of the concert, the concert itself, then also a clinic. We met the drummers, and even got to pick up a broken drumstick for a souvenir.

Cobham's playing is special. Unique. Very powerful. The drumstick I have (Promark 808 Billy Cobham signature) has cuts in it from the impact he made on the cymbals. The cymbals slice into the wood.

Cobham plays equally with all limbs, so he may emphasize accents with the right hand first, then switch to the left and lead with the left. All the while, keeping the groove.

To see Cobham switch solos with Louis Bellson, was a once in a lifetime opportunity, I think. Bellson (my favorite jazz drummer) was "melodic" on his drum solos, meaning he was more musical, in a sense. Cobham was more rhythmic in his solos - yet he was able to blow your socks off with his quick bursts of energy and power. Read more about Cobham here.

This video shows Billy's outstanding power, energy and speed.


Here's a 1968 drum solo of Billy Cobham. Check it out.

William F. Ludwig Jr.

Perhaps the most important drum maker in the past century is Ludwig. Any drummer knows the name and certainly knows the name, William F. Ludwig Jr. This autograph may not seem interesting to the casual viewer, but for drummers, I think it is considered quite an interesting autograph. William F. Ludwig Jr. himself!

I was fortunate to attend a very big event in Winnepeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1978. Put on by the Percussive Arts Society (of Manitoba?) it featured many great drummers. I will post more about them, and their autographs soon. I thought I would start will William F. Ludwig Jr.

When I first started taking "formal" drum lessons in fifth grade, I learned from the book many dummers leared from. It was a Ludwig "Collection Drum Solos" book containing the thirteen essential rudiments, plus nine contest solos from the W.F.L. Solo Collection.

I learned the "Downfall of Paris" solo, and performed it for the regional and state music contests. So to meet the one and only William F. Ludwig Jr. himself was a once in a lifetime thrill!

Click here to see the Ludwig website!