Shake a Hand, Make a Friend...

I've said often enough on these pages that my dream is to play music everywhere that I can. That statement is just a bit misleading, why? because I play music often enough, and with the Carpenter Ants we do travel quite a bit ( at least seemingly more than many of our friends/ fellow musicians here in West Virginia) so the statement of the desire of this dream is a little confusing.
I guess what I really want is for a complete career in this business, to be able to travel across this country and around the world and continue to meet people and hope that through our music we can be catalysts to help the world see ourselves as Allah (God) see us.
Sometimes I get disturbed with the events that make up the fabric of our lives, the murder, the distrust, the anguish, the despair and I want to just reach out and help everyone...but in fact that may be unrealistic. It would take next to forever to get a point where I could see everyone let alone try to do something positive for them; but there is a solution: music, all kinds of music.
Mostly everyone knows that music soothes the savage breast, but what we don't know is that music can walk where we cannot, it can reach into the tiniest of spaces, fill the greatest of voids...oh, we know it on some levels, but I mean like a real honest to goodness handshake, you know the kind that lets a person know that you respect them, and that you're open to meeting them...that kind of handshake.
During the time I've spent in my new found hobby of blogging, I've shaken hands with some incredible people who have touched my life and gave me even more insights into me and I AM GRATEFUL. They've gone to the Carpenter Ants website listened to some of our music, have traveled to see our shows, and have been open to meeting us and getting to know us. They have been encouraging in ways unseen.
Over the years, and as recently as the other day I've been asked by friends and family alike, how do you do this (play music til all hours, then get up and go to work daily) ? I'll answer with a line from the song "The Musician" written by Gayle Moran ( the keyboardist, and wife of keyboard legend Chick Corea) it's from the album entitled "Musicmagic" ca.1977.
"He plays his song for one reason, it's simply what he loves."
That's the condensed version of my answer, the LP version is that for my life to have meaning to me I have to follow my heart and my dream.That doesn't mean that I'm not happy, it just means that while I have the chance, I will go everywhere I can, shake a hand and make a friend.
Lastly, I will say... I'm game, are you ? Then...
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On The Same Page.

Before I delve into this post I'm going to make an apology publicly:
In my last post I wrote about problems that I felt weren't being dealt with by our band. I should have been better about speaking up,even if I were wrong.
I must acknowledge that a great many things are done and have been done on my behalf and that of the band.
I will say that playing music is on the part of any band often a thankless job, and that sometimes people in a band are more often than not, or more often than they realize on the same page.
Michael Lipton and I occasionally disagree about things, some important, some not so important but I feel and have always felt that he does to the best of his ability put forth a great effort to move the Carpenter Ants forward in one body.
A job that he rarely gets paid for and a job that he even more rarely gets thanked for.
First my apology: Mike I'm sorry if the things that I said have in any way caused you any embarrassment or anguish, you know me better, it's never my intention to hurt, though my methods don't always bear that out.
To my other band mates the same apology applies to you as well, but understand that the efforts by one person must done by us all.
We must duplicate the efforts in any way possible within our means.
My true intention is for us to get to the top together; the thought of me going on in life without you is more frightening to me and I want us to all be together, for as long as Allah permits.
It was pointed out that probably airing these things out in this type of forum isn't a good idea. I have mixed emotions about that: if it's done maliciously then it really isn't good, if it stirs up healthy debate, that may be better, but only if all means to communicate were expended and clearly mine were not.
Lastly for Michael, I want you to share this load with us, teach us what to do and how to do it, and I'll teach and show you all how to do what you think that I do best.

Support Live music today, tomorrow and always.

Musical Backgammon

If you know the game of backgammon you know that it's a game of mathematical movement in which two players roll dice and based upon the number on those dice one player moves accordingly toward a home board. It's actually a little more involved than the explanation here, but you get the idea.
Anyway, music is an awful lot like the game of backgammon, in that there are players of varying levels vying to get their pieces to the home board first and win. Well just as in backgammon it's impossible to create a tie, because there will always be a winner, music in effect is like that. You roll the dice and hope that your music will be accepted by the powers that be. Those powers can be fellow musicians, they can be business people directly involved in the music industry, or they can be fans who help skyrocket you and your dream to the top.
None the less in order to make any part of that dream a reality you must understand the math involved thoroughly before you can create the kind of ruckus that gets you noticed by anyone or by everyone.
Let me give you an example ( you'll need this, to get the point of my post), think of your favorite artist, and your favorite song; it could be the current song or past song, instrumental or vocal. Think about the feeling you had when you first heard it...
Whatever the emotion was that you felt was the ruckus. However it affected you was the ruckus. It's the thing about someone or something that makes you remember them ( I know that ruckus actually has a different meaning, it's a disturbance, but I'm arriving at my definition through the use of this word...the disturbance), the disturbance that makes you look.
In other words, when you create a positive disturbance in the music industry you get noticed.Comprende' ?
OK, why am I writing about backgammon and how does this relate to my music ? Well the absolute truth is that I'm sitting here right now and my heart has been heavy all evening long because I need to make a decision about something and it may very well be one of the hardest things that I've had to do in awhile.
I'm thinking about quitting the Carpenter Ants, the band that has been my home for 12 years. Why? How could I ?
To answer the first question, I feel that the direction that the band is going is no longer a good one for me. I feel that for as long as they've been a band they should have been much farther along than they are moneywise, we've priced ourselves out of a market by not charging enough for people to take us seriously. We'll travel for days to make change, we'll play for hours on end and come home with nothing to show for our time.
We are grown men and yes we do enjoy each other's company, and we do get along well for a band, but playing music is more than that. To get to the level that I aspire takes a real commitment from everyone, yet we can't agree to learn songs as we should. All of us have talent but we're only using part of that talent.
All of us have egos but only one ego is king. When one problem arises and is dealt with, there lurking in the shadows is a newer greater one...it's too tiring.
I told them over a year ago that they can no longer use my van for transportation and here we are insisting that I add more mileage to an already older van. These things cost a lot of money, but we aren't making any to cover the costs of when it breaks down.
We had a record company sign us, completely jerk us around, and yet here we are waiting anxiously for the same company to release (as they say) our 3rd CD. Why didn't we get the hell off of our asses and find a company that believed in us enough to take a chance on us.
How could I leave? That answer too is complex, I really believe in myself and my talents and I'm willing to take the chance to go out on my own and find a musical situation that suits my needs monetarily, musically, mentally and mutually. After all, I did leave New York and move here, and my musical backgammon led me to them, and I've won.
I have a wife that has been my rock, and through all that I've put her through, she has stuck by me through all of my tears and all of my faults. She's not in the best of health and it's time for ME to stand by her.
I have a job that I dearly love and a boss that I absolutely would go to the end of the Earth for if she asked, it may not have been the thing that I've wanted most out of life but I could have happiness there.
I have had my day in the Sun, and I have enjoyed it, basked in it, now it might be time for me to get out of the weather.
If I decide to leave, I'll write about it, then close up shop, and look for the next thing for me, but know that I'll never be too far away, I'll just be standing in the shadows...of music.

Support Live music today, tomorrow and always.

Fun and Games

It was Wednesday and as usual lately hardly anyone at the club, and tonight we didn't even have Michael ( he was away for the evening). We did though, have our favorite Michael substitute, Bill Holstein.
Bill Holstein is just alot of fun. If you've been watching Rockstar INXS, and seeing those folks get into the whole rock mode, then you'll have an idea about my buddy Bill (except, he's cuter, and can play a whole lot better). Bill gives body English a whole new meaning, you know how we musicians make those faces when we play (what's up with that anyway ?), the whole body movement thing...you've seen it.
Anyway, we decided to make the evening complete fun and turn it into our Mike Jones night. Now Mike, is our buddy who sits in with us on Wednesdays on percussion. Mike is about 6' 7" with feet the size of a small yacht ( ha ha ha, gigglesnort***).
Every week I try and try to get Jones to sing all in good fun of course but he never takes the bait, so last night I decided to become Mike and sing for him ( his voice would remind you of the ghetto version of Barry White). It was funny, at least in my warped mind.
The only truly negative on the evening was that prior to starting the night out someone stole Bill's guitar and his amp rig, sending him into (as you can imagine) a complete dither
Now all of this truly makes me angry because this kind of stuff is not supposed to happen at the Empty Glass, so I'm quite upset by the whole thing.
I said in a recent post when a similar thing like that happened in Parkersburg, that people need to realize that first of all we musicians don't have alot; many don't have transportation, their own home, nor loads of money to buy these things consistently; so it's a real pain when you rip us off. No one deserves it but least of all musicians
Be that as it may, we wound our way through the evening and managed to smile and laugh, and have a good time.
So as far as the lesson here, it's to have fun and games regardless.
If you feel like you need to exist with the forty thieves you need to go where they are and leave hard working decent people who can least afford it ALONE !!!

None the less...
Support Live music today, tomorrow and always.

This One Hurts ( Luther Vandross)

Death is a part of life, and though try as we may to be cavalier about it sometimes a person dies and their death leaves you with a great void.
On July 1st singer Luther Vandross died, and I must tell you that this one really hurt.
As a lifelong musician and singer, it was people like Luther who helped to fuel my dreams, because he was someone that in New York City you could see walking down the street, and he'd stop and take time to talk to you and check out your progress if you were striving in this business, give you strong encouragement, and a friendly pat on the back, and thumbs up, and would tell you to keep on pushin'.
In an age where everyone is basically leery of everyone else, Luther was a breath of fresh air.
Being overweight, and trying to make it music is one of the most difficult and terrifying experiences. The powers that be are so geared toward the folks with chisled everything, that they have forgotten and overlooked those with true talent. They have forgotten that in music size really doesn't matter, it's supposed to be the size of the talent.
Luther Vandross to me was a giant of a man, with giant sized talent, and an even bigger heart, and when he opened his mouth his music made you forget that life can be a bitch sometimes.
I felt compelled to write this post and say that my heart is heavy at this loss, Luther Vandross was another fine Bronx product, in a great line of people formerly of the Bronx. He will be forever missed...may God give mercy to his soul, as he brought joy to us all.
Good night my brother.

Luther Vandross 1951- 2005 .

In honor of Luther, I want to direct you to the American Diabetes Association. and point out the good work that they are doing to bring attention to, and fight this disease.

Suppot Live Music today, tomorrow and always.

Harlem and The Bronx (the making of Charlie Tee) (#3)

In this post I'll tell you about a very valuable lesson that I learned thanks to my Mother, and how that lesson was reinforced thanks to my Father.

Growing up in the Bronx meant a great deal to me, and since both of my parents were fairly prominent people in New York City Government, that life had even more meaning. I was always proud of the work that they did, and I took their work very seriously... in short my parents worked the butts off.
Because of them a band that I played with got invited to do a gig at a very prominent night spot in the Bronx, the Advocate. By day it was swanky very upscale restaurant serving mainly judges and attoneys and an occasional New York Yankee ( Yankee Stadium was just 3 blocks away). Lunch there started at $19 dollars, dinner would cost you somewhere in the neighborhood of $36 dollars and up. After dinner starting around 9:30 pm the place would transform into a serious nightclub. I'm talking Buddy Rich would hang out there, Lionel Hampton, and there was one Duke Ellington present on a couple of occasions, to name a few. The room had a wonderful stage, very big and roomy. In its nightclub formation the Advocate would hold about 200 people and still be comfortable.
So imagine my surprise when my Mom came home from work one evening and announced that her son was going to be playing a gig there, and for money. I had been to the Advocate a few times with my parents for dinner when we really were celebrating something special. It was suit and tie and starched shirt, not a hair out of place, and brother you'd better mind your manners in that joint.
Anyway, after picking myself up off the floor and calling my bandmates, who were equally excited, we spent lots of time getting ready for this.
The day to play came, we showed up to the club, but there was a big problem, my friend Eddie Rodriguez who was our guitarist didn't own a suit, and the clothes that he did have weren't very adequate to play at a place like this.
Now understand that unless you're some big named star, you just don't come as you are, you get together with family or friends and borrow things, especially since we were getting paid $2000.00 dollars ( yes, that's two thousand !!). Eddie instead chose to throw a temper tantrum, with the manager, and me like an idiot trying to defend my buddy almost lost us the gig.
Needless to say my Mother went ballistic, it wasn't just the fact that Eddie did what he did, but that I had the nerve to be just as foolish.
For a Black woman in those days [even in New York] it was pretty difficult to get big named stars a job there let alone some knucklehead teenagers ( and I wasn't even a teenager officially).
After that fiasco my Mother went out and bought Eddie a decent suit and some casual clothes for lighter gigs. I couldn't believe it but they still paid us the money, and my Mom never took a penny of it...that was loyalty and trust beyond belief.
The lesson that I learned from that was knowing how to be prepared to do this music as a life work, in all aspects. My Dad reinforced that by making certain that before we walked out the door we looked the part of where we were going to play. My Mother never did ask for any money back, even from Eddie's parents.
Eddie went on to be the original lead guitarist in Earth Wind and Fire, Eddie del Barrio. When my Mother died in 1997, Eddie sent me a wonderful letter, thanking God for my Mother's belief in him and her kindness because it set his life in motion on the right path and he parlayed that into a career.
I just cannot say enough about the most gratifying experience of being the son of Carmen and James. My Mom and Dad were absolutely the greatest people on the Earth to me.

Rock Star, 2MuchXS For Making The Band or an Idol

I'm embroiled in watching "Rock Star INXS," the new rock reality monster. A few months ago I was tuned to "Making the Band,"
P Diddy's reality music show.
I have a slight problem with "American Idol," ( no, make that, I have a huge problem with it !) For many years, I've watched in absolute horror some of these shows with people all trying to live up to a crazy dream. Now I freely admit that I have that same exact dream, to be on somebody's stage performing somewhere, anywhere in the world. My problem with some of these shows are that in the process of some idiot like Simon criticizing you about a performance that you have little control over, they don't teach you anything of value to help you carry on or for that matter, move on. I realize that in Simon's case he's basically just the hard edged comic relief, sort of like Rex Reed is to the movies, and in reality there are just people who clearly have no business in music. It's OK to have the dream if you're doing your homework about being in this business, because at least you may come to a realization that you need work, or if nothing else you may need to leave your town and comfort zone in pursuit of some positive reinforcement.
Let's be real here...for some of these people vying for shots at the big time, wouldn't it make some sense to know just a little bit about some of the artists whose music you're trying to tackle ?
When I was in college I entered a talent show that I knew in 2 seconds wasn't gonna go my way, but I surprised everyone when I covered a Stevie Wonder song completely accapella including humming portions of the music and painting a vivid enough picture that even those who weren't totally familiar with song had a feel for it. Even to my amazement, I still won a prize, and turned quite a few people's heads.
The point here is that for all of you trying so desperately to make the band, learn to control YOU, first, then learn the room that you're playing in. When you conquer your fear of the room itself, the audience is yours for the taking .
Despite what anyone tells you, the lead vocalist is the focal point and the key to the door, next command the band, remember you are the captain of this ship, and it's your ocean too !!
Some of the things that I do like about the shows Making the Band and Rockstar INXS is that for the most part the people involved get to learn the things that they need to help them wake up and realize that this is first, business, then it's a show.
If you've ever heard stories about the machine which was Motown, you know that Berry Gordy hired people to polish most of the acts such as the Temptations, and the Supremes and teach them things about the business of music, there is footage out there that you can see and review.
Like it or not shows like Idol just aren't that good, too many cookie cutter standpoints of singers...( in other words, they all sound the same.), little if any originality.
If you're watching Rockstar, check out the lady named Jordis ( she's the woman with the dread locks hairdo), she, in my opinion is a real gem. She is a powerhouse of a singer who has amazing control over every aspect of her music.
Clearly, she completely knows how to work an audience, and the room, and, the band. I can tell you first hand that when the musicians are into you, they taylor their playing toward you, then you have it licked, and she does.
In the meantime, to be a rockstar just remember that too much excess will not help you make the band or be an idol...RELAX.

Support Live music today, tomorrow and always.

"Damn the Torpedoes, Full Speed Ahead."

I recently had quite a few responses via e-mail on a post that I wrote awhile back entitled, Where Did Our Love Go ?
I decided to answer you with this...( don't worry it ain't bad!!!)

For quite sometime now my band the Carpenter Ants have had a regular gig on Wednesday nights at the Empty Glass In Charleston. Well, for a good period of time now there has hardly been anyone out on Wednesdays, and it gets increasingly harder to justify taking any money from the club to pay us, so what I do from week to week is play it by ear. If there are alot people in the club and they seem to be spending money, we will play and I will ask for a reasonable amount of money; if there aren't many people there then I try to be reasonable in the clubs favor. The Empty Glass has been home base for us since I've been in the band, which is now 12 years.
I have to be realistic about some things though...right now in this country the economy is not so great, people everywhere are suffering in more ways than one.
I'm just a musician, and not to sneeze on that fact, but the arts in general suffer when the economy is this bad. Who the heck wants to make the choice of buying entertainment when gas costs an arm and a leg, when food prices are through the roof. I don't want think about a band when I gotta put my child through college, and I'm robbing Peter to pay Paul...it's absolute HELL being in the position that I'm in, why? Because this is my dream that's why, the only thing that I've ever truly wanted to do was to be on a stage playing music for the masses, to paraphrase the words of Billy Joel's "Piano Man," "I hoped it would be me they'd be comin' to see, to forget about life for awhile."
But the fact is that with all the talent that I think that I have, I'm here and I'm struggling to get heard, so it's left up to me if I care as much as I say that I do to keep plugging away at this rock in my path to not give up hope, and to "keep on tryin' 'til I reach my highest ground,"(Stevie Wonder, "Higher Ground" from Innervisions 1974.)
Yes, I know that's not the answer you may have been hoping for but the most important thing is to believe in yourself and tell yourself always and often... "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead."

This post is dedicated to all musicians who are really busting their rear ends trying to get their music out to the public...please please don't give up hope, your time is coming, grit your teeth and hang in there.
This post is also dedicated to everybody who is trying to live through the dregs of this economy. We will see tomorrow.

Support Live music today, tomorrow and always.

The Fire This Time

In the spiritual realm there has always been talk of the fire next time. It refers to the fact that Allah (God) will destroy the world by fire. One of the chief reasons that this could come to pass is that we truly need to learn to have respect for each other. That means all of us.
The reason that I chose this as my opening statement is that I need you to understand that I'm trying to use my musical abilities, and my talents to help people come to grips with this fact. We are all in this together, and the sooner that we learn to have reverence for each other, the better it is for all of us... but it takes an open mind and an open heart to get that kind of enlightenment.

When the Carpenter Ants first played in the downtown Charleston, we were met with so much criticism that I felt that these people would never get the fact that our mere goal was to entertain them, so we pretty much shied away from the area. That has all changed for me with the advent of playing at the Vandalia Lounge.
I said in a posting about them recently, that these people get the point, and not only do they get it but they make playing in a bar worthwhile. Every single time we have played there the positive vibe has gotten greater.
I'm struck by the fact that most of the clientele are very successful people, who are working their fannies off at whatever they do, but at the end of the day they have learned to shed off that skin, let their hair down and have fun.
I'm certain that you're going why is that important ? It's important because Allah never intended for us to have hardship, nor do he intend for us to work ourselves into our graves.
Keep in mind that many people drink in excess because they are frustrated with their lives, and can't seem to find themselves in the mire, and truly, many clubs exploit this.
To me though, the clubs of real worth see to it that you you have fun as much as you can. They act responsibly in getting the best caliber of everything that they offer.
The Vandalia Lounge has taken that to an entirely new level. The staff makes you feel completely welcome when you walk through the door.
For musicians that kind of vibe is just what the doctor ordered, it makes playing there a special thing for everyone...not just for the ultra hip but literally for everyone.
For the Carpenter Ants ( me especially), this is almost a dream come true, I really want to share my music with people who get the point and go with the flow; so when the staff is glad to see you, and the manager is glad to see you, and the patrons are calling on their cell phones to "get your ass over here, this f**king band is amazing,"as I heard one woman tell her friend, what else can happen but a great time !!!
This time out we had the great Steve Ferguson with us and he mesmerized the crowd with his guitar playing, and even he had loads of fun playing for the Vandalia crowd. Michael Lipton noted as did I, that it seemed like people were not only having serious fun but also really paying attention to us.
I said before and I'll say it again the Vandalia Lounge is the fire this time, not because they are ending the world but because they are using their positive energies to change the world, light a fire in all of us that opens our eyes to real humanity, real friendship...and fun.

This post is dedicted to Pierre, the manager of the Vandalia Lounge and his great staff. You all will help to make live music come roaring back to the Valley, just as the Empty Glass on the east end, and the River's Edge Cafe in St. Albans are doing, you have raised the bar. Keep the vision strong, and keep up the good work.

Support Live Music today, tomorrow and always.