The Week That Was

Let me start this off by saying that I have had an incredibly fun week.
I've played music almost everyday this week. That's not necessarily a rare thing, but to have as much fun as I've had is, mainly because in many of the personas that I am, I have to really concentrate and get the point across. Meaning that it's hard for me to break my concentration, and just enjoy the music like everyone else because I'm the one that's proporting the music. I have to pay close attention to what the guys behind me are doing.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy it despite what you may be thinking, but there's a slight difficulty.
This week though I got to be a participant and just play my saxophone, and sing just a few songs.
I made it up to the Empty Glass to play with my buddies Spurgie Hankins, and Kevin Kidd. Spurgie has once again retooled his band, added some new fellas, and I think this time around he's hitting his mark successfully. Playing with these guys is always a blast, but what made it especially fun is that I didn't have to get up the next morning and go to work, so I could hang out at home with my Vickie rest and relax, then play again at the Glass with the Carpenter Ants, and there were quite a few people in the club last night which made for lots of fun for me.Again,I didn't have to rush home because I didn't have to be at work until 1pm,and it was an easy day there as well.
Next, I got off and went to the River's Edge Cafe for the Jim Snyder's Thursday Night Music Club,and Ted Harrison (my bassist from the Ants) was playing, so you had Jupie Little (Ants drummer),Ted and me. It just does not get any better.
When the great Wille Nelson used to decry how he 'couldn't wait to get on the road again and make some music with his friends,' I could not agree more...I feel so lucky, and blessed, this is my dream, to do this as much as I can.
I thought back tonight about my reasons for moving to West Virginia, and remembered running into Jupie the first week that I was here and him telling me "you ought ot stop by the Glass and sit in with us,"it's now 13 years later and I'm making music with some of the best musicians anywhere...and they're my friends. I can't tell you how much that means to me.
I know that many people whine about wanting to be in the music business (I'm one of them...), but I do know that like it or not we all have to pay our dues. If you think about folks in this business who were overnight successes, you will see that most of those folks are really no longer in this business, because they didn't prepare, nor were they willing to do what it takes to lead them to succeed.
I'm a good one about belly aching about things that I have control in, but I'm also willing to listen to reason, and I'm certainly willing to work at my craft.
I'm saying that to say, that I really am grateful to play music PERIOD with all the people that I play with, The Carpenter Ants, Spurgie Hankins, Jim Snyder and all of the other folks whom I've had the pleasure to share a stage with.God bless you all for your friendship and belief in me.
At the end of all my posts I encourage everyone to support live music today tomorrow and always. It's sort of become my mantra because when you think about the week that was (...and that could be any week), you'll realize that if you are not happy with what you're doing, it's an especially cruel world; but with music or, any of the arts, life can be seen as a palatte to work your colors into beautiful canvas painting...frames optional.

Support Live music today tomorrow and always.