I just haven't had much time for writing...what can I say. Bought a netbook recently, which I can now tote around with me and make notes as I go.....the link included will show anyone reading me still what I have been up to. I'm afraid my band repetoire is limited, by my choice now, to pretty much Del Castillo and Buttercup, but every now and then.....something comes upthat inspires me. Hopefully I will get back into the writing, all kinds, as 2010 gets started.
http://www.youtube.com/user/JazzpjD
namaste
~J
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The Day The Surf Music Died
Ventures guitarist Bob Bogle dies at 75
(CNN) -- Ventures lead guitarist Bob Bogle, whose fretwork on such instrumental hits such as "Walk -- Don't Run" and "Hawaii Five-O" influenced countless bands, died Sunday in Vancouver, Washington.
He was 75.
The cause was non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to Don Wilson, who co-founded the Ventures with Bogle in the 1950s.
"He had a special sound that nobody could ever re-create. He was totally unique as a guitar player," Wilson told CNNRadio.
Wilson and Bogle learned how to play guitar while working as construction workers in the 1950s in their native Tacoma, Washington. The pair formed the Ventures in 1958.
"We had a lot of time on our hands after work, so we'd get together and play," Wilson recalled. "A year and a half later, we had a number two hit called 'Walk -- Don't Run.' " The group first heard the song on a Chet Atkins record.
Several other hits followed, including "Perfidia," "Walk Don't Run '64" and "Diamond Head." The group took the theme of the TV show "Hawaii Five-O" into the Top Ten in 1969 and later supplied background music for the series.
But the band, which played almost solely instrumentals, was perhaps more influential for its albums. Thirty-eight of the band's long-players hit Billboard's Top 200 chart, including albums that covered country songs, dance tunes and Christmas melodies. One of the band's albums was titled "Play Guitar with the Ventures," and countless did.
"I can't think of a better contribution for instrumental music on his style than 'Walk -- Don't Run,' " Wilson said. "A lot of good would-be guitar players and garage bands would go out and buy guitars just to learn that song."
The Ventures were voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. At the induction ceremony, Creedence Clearwater Revival's John Fogerty praised the group: "It's enough to say, the Ventures are the most popular instrumental band of all time," he said.
Bogle fought his illness with dignity, Wilson said.
"His doctors gave him 10 years to live, and he lived 12. The last two years were really tough. At least he lived to know the Ventures had been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."
Bogle is survived by his wife, Yumi.
*****************************************************************************
Ok, so not all of you remember surf music, or even the Sixties with any great clarity, but I do. I even have my brother's old 45's (small vinyl records? Single song on either side?) of some of the Ventures' stuff. The Ventures influenced a lot of the pop music of the Sixties, especially because they wrote and performed their own stuff. It's expected these days, but back when record companies made all the decisions for their stable of singers, it was just not heard of that an artist would want to do all of it: write, play, sing, perform, record, and in a few rare instances when they won the fight, produce their own music. Buddy Holly started some of the real changes, especially in the newly born Rock-n-Roll, and others, like the Ventures, took the bit in their teeth and ran with it. It wasn't until the day of DIY (Do It Yourself) came that anything more adventurous was brought to the light in music. Nowadays, recording at home, from concept to finished product is quite common, partly because it is just plain cheaper. Doesn't hurt that the technology involved has shrunk to a portable size. I've been in some of those really old recording studios, and can see why some artists were intimidated into accepting what they were told. Now, they don't have to; they can experiment an make stuff as good as almost all majour studios, and at 1/4 the cost.
I've decided that the main reason getting old sux bigtime is that one has to watch those older than one self slowly drop away. I missed noting the passing of Koko Taylor, and a couple of others the average under-30 has never had the privilege to hear, but with each passing, my world seems to shrink a little.
Luckily, due in no small part to myspace, I am finding out that there is real talent out there, and a few of them even know where their roots are from, who paved the way for the artists of today. Bob Bogle may not be a household name to all, but his music sure as heck is.
RIP, dude. See you on the surfside!
(CNN) -- Ventures lead guitarist Bob Bogle, whose fretwork on such instrumental hits such as "Walk -- Don't Run" and "Hawaii Five-O" influenced countless bands, died Sunday in Vancouver, Washington.
He was 75.
The cause was non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to Don Wilson, who co-founded the Ventures with Bogle in the 1950s.
"He had a special sound that nobody could ever re-create. He was totally unique as a guitar player," Wilson told CNNRadio.
Wilson and Bogle learned how to play guitar while working as construction workers in the 1950s in their native Tacoma, Washington. The pair formed the Ventures in 1958.
"We had a lot of time on our hands after work, so we'd get together and play," Wilson recalled. "A year and a half later, we had a number two hit called 'Walk -- Don't Run.' " The group first heard the song on a Chet Atkins record.
Several other hits followed, including "Perfidia," "Walk Don't Run '64" and "Diamond Head." The group took the theme of the TV show "Hawaii Five-O" into the Top Ten in 1969 and later supplied background music for the series.
But the band, which played almost solely instrumentals, was perhaps more influential for its albums. Thirty-eight of the band's long-players hit Billboard's Top 200 chart, including albums that covered country songs, dance tunes and Christmas melodies. One of the band's albums was titled "Play Guitar with the Ventures," and countless did.
"I can't think of a better contribution for instrumental music on his style than 'Walk -- Don't Run,' " Wilson said. "A lot of good would-be guitar players and garage bands would go out and buy guitars just to learn that song."
The Ventures were voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. At the induction ceremony, Creedence Clearwater Revival's John Fogerty praised the group: "It's enough to say, the Ventures are the most popular instrumental band of all time," he said.
Bogle fought his illness with dignity, Wilson said.
"His doctors gave him 10 years to live, and he lived 12. The last two years were really tough. At least he lived to know the Ventures had been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."
Bogle is survived by his wife, Yumi.
*****************************************************************************
Ok, so not all of you remember surf music, or even the Sixties with any great clarity, but I do. I even have my brother's old 45's (small vinyl records? Single song on either side?) of some of the Ventures' stuff. The Ventures influenced a lot of the pop music of the Sixties, especially because they wrote and performed their own stuff. It's expected these days, but back when record companies made all the decisions for their stable of singers, it was just not heard of that an artist would want to do all of it: write, play, sing, perform, record, and in a few rare instances when they won the fight, produce their own music. Buddy Holly started some of the real changes, especially in the newly born Rock-n-Roll, and others, like the Ventures, took the bit in their teeth and ran with it. It wasn't until the day of DIY (Do It Yourself) came that anything more adventurous was brought to the light in music. Nowadays, recording at home, from concept to finished product is quite common, partly because it is just plain cheaper. Doesn't hurt that the technology involved has shrunk to a portable size. I've been in some of those really old recording studios, and can see why some artists were intimidated into accepting what they were told. Now, they don't have to; they can experiment an make stuff as good as almost all majour studios, and at 1/4 the cost.
I've decided that the main reason getting old sux bigtime is that one has to watch those older than one self slowly drop away. I missed noting the passing of Koko Taylor, and a couple of others the average under-30 has never had the privilege to hear, but with each passing, my world seems to shrink a little.
Luckily, due in no small part to myspace, I am finding out that there is real talent out there, and a few of them even know where their roots are from, who paved the way for the artists of today. Bob Bogle may not be a household name to all, but his music sure as heck is.
RIP, dude. See you on the surfside!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
DC's Fourth CD, and its consequences.....
I may not get around to writing this up immediately, but the Antone's CD release party was a blast. And my own skill as a photographer, bowled me over.(Incidentally- not one of these photos has been altered, save reduction in size. They are as they were shot.)
Note to self- do not forget to put in the story about the cascarones!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
It's a matter of tolerance...
I believe as a concert photographer I may have strained my watchers' patience to the very edge. It dawned on me as I was slaving to upload literally hundreds of pictures for two different gigs that I had shot something around 1000 pictures and about a dozen videos of varying lengths in only two gigs.....good lord.
I am going to have to start getting MUCH pickier about what I put up.
Well, in all fairness to myself, I find both bands absolutely riveting, so I am not surprised at myself. Film limited my range, something that the digital camera has removed. It ain't the ridiculous sized camera crap I see "pros" lugging around, but I have a wonderful time and I think I capture the essence of the gig while those "pros" are searching for the impossible: the "perfect" picture.
Apparently computer manipulation of photos is considered okay in this day, whereas the real artist- the one who can capture the moment right then and there and not have to change anything- is poo-poo-ed . Well, in the art world, ugly is also the new beautiful, so who knows what the hell to think anymore. I don't follow fads- I capture a moment. I have one great advantage- I am not shooting for any other reason or person than myself. There is no thought of sales or trying to impress a world that passes over fashion and fad as fast as they change their underwear. I am able to look back at the over 8000 pictures on that site, and remember. I saw them when- I remember that- man, wasn't that so much fun?!
I figure it this way- I am doing what I love, because I love it. I know others like it, as I average over 2000 hits a week on that site. My ranking on the site for music photography is 12th out of more than 50,000. I have got to be doing SOMEthing right. With all the crap in my world, knowing I bring happiness to folks thru what makes me happy puts a smile on my face at the weirdest times of day. Like now.
Another video from DC's last Sam's gig is loading as I write, with yet another to go. Found them the other night, hiding innocently in the 450s of the photos from that gig. Right now, Buttercup is playing on the PC, vid uploading, and I am feeling itchy again with that camera! Can't wait to see BC and Salim on the 2nd, but I may go catch Ms Vonne Saturday, just to flex the muscles.;p
http://community.webshots.com/user/jazzpjd
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Artifacts of Buttercup- the long journey Home
Oh my oh my oh my....I have been quite lax about the music stuff, haven't I? Well, frankly, I haven't done much searching or traveling and what I have found hasn't moved me to write so much that I couldn't wait to tell the world about it. Shame. I know it will come around again, and maybe I have just been a bit too cynical of late.
Both my beloved bands are due to put new albums out soon. Del Castillo's is due out April 7th, to a literal world onslaught- US to Brazil to Russia and who knows how much further! We who are insane have been hearing these songs off and on for the last year or so, but what the guys have done in the studio will say volumes about how we in the audience responded. The very beautiful Castles, and Everlasting, and Anybody Wanna Dance with Me? are spread all over the internet already. I could never find a CD release of theirs anticlimatic, but then with the Boyz, it was never about the CDs. Their true power to me has always been the live gigs. The worst night has still managed to find energy, and a good night can leave a silly grin on my face for days. And this after over five years of dedicated fandom.(speaking of LIVE.....someday, ....SOMEday...the live gigs recorded in Montana just might make it to DVD. Hey, if they had done it in Texas like they should have, it would be out already.....{put little somewhat tee-ed off emoticon here} )
The BC Boyz- the San Antonio side of the coin which is me- are waiting on the mastering of the music they have been recording with Dallas balladeer Salim Nourallah. I met Salim years ago, due to a mutual friend (hi Lisa!) and can hear what it is about his music style that caught Buttercup up. After years of self-production and local only production, the guys have felt the need to stretch out. They graciously gave me an advance copy of four of the unmastered songs, and I must say it sounds good as it is. I know that they will still try to find that discerning ear to pull the last bits of nuance from the recordings, but for their dedicated local fanbase, they could get away with selling the advance copy as is. I've heard it on computer, iPod, car stereo, and iDog, and it holds up thru it all. Again- I think a lot of Buttercup's strength ultimately is in their live performances. These songs have all been tried in front of audiences. I liked "Kite" the first time I heard it live, but the song is probably too quiet for any but the most intimate of rooms. It would've fit well at the Red Room, or Flipnotics. When one gets a club type crowd going though, the quieter songs become victim to the chatty sorts. Such was the destiny of Kite that first night, and more's the pity. It's a beautiful tune.
Catchy and Buttercup seem to be connected. I cannot get "I Am A Tiger" out of my head! Doesn't help that I have several felines wandering around my house who think they are indeed tigers. There are some pop tunes that one knows instantly when the first notes are struck. This will become one of those to the BC crowd. Right now, it is a subtle semi-acoustic piece, but I wait for the day, when it gets turned on its own ear one night and becomes a rocker.
Some part of Erik Sanden resists the rock in him....giving in only when pushed to the edge, usually by the audience in front him. He actually could give Iggy Pop a run for his money on the apparently self-destructive stage personna. There is a serious rock band festering under the guise of a pop band. I saw that in a number of the bands that are inspiration to Buttercup too, so I am not surprised really. The fun part is to watch it bust out.
Ah well, I have lingered over this piece for too many days, so I publish now and wait for the albums to surface for further review. In the meantime there are other gigs to make, and maybe a few peeps to help come to SA rather than continue to depend on Austin for the "big break."
namaste
Both my beloved bands are due to put new albums out soon. Del Castillo's is due out April 7th, to a literal world onslaught- US to Brazil to Russia and who knows how much further! We who are insane have been hearing these songs off and on for the last year or so, but what the guys have done in the studio will say volumes about how we in the audience responded. The very beautiful Castles, and Everlasting, and Anybody Wanna Dance with Me? are spread all over the internet already. I could never find a CD release of theirs anticlimatic, but then with the Boyz, it was never about the CDs. Their true power to me has always been the live gigs. The worst night has still managed to find energy, and a good night can leave a silly grin on my face for days. And this after over five years of dedicated fandom.(speaking of LIVE.....someday, ....SOMEday...the live gigs recorded in Montana just might make it to DVD. Hey, if they had done it in Texas like they should have, it would be out already.....{put little somewhat tee-ed off emoticon here} )
The BC Boyz- the San Antonio side of the coin which is me- are waiting on the mastering of the music they have been recording with Dallas balladeer Salim Nourallah. I met Salim years ago, due to a mutual friend (hi Lisa!) and can hear what it is about his music style that caught Buttercup up. After years of self-production and local only production, the guys have felt the need to stretch out. They graciously gave me an advance copy of four of the unmastered songs, and I must say it sounds good as it is. I know that they will still try to find that discerning ear to pull the last bits of nuance from the recordings, but for their dedicated local fanbase, they could get away with selling the advance copy as is. I've heard it on computer, iPod, car stereo, and iDog, and it holds up thru it all. Again- I think a lot of Buttercup's strength ultimately is in their live performances. These songs have all been tried in front of audiences. I liked "Kite" the first time I heard it live, but the song is probably too quiet for any but the most intimate of rooms. It would've fit well at the Red Room, or Flipnotics. When one gets a club type crowd going though, the quieter songs become victim to the chatty sorts. Such was the destiny of Kite that first night, and more's the pity. It's a beautiful tune.
Catchy and Buttercup seem to be connected. I cannot get "I Am A Tiger" out of my head! Doesn't help that I have several felines wandering around my house who think they are indeed tigers. There are some pop tunes that one knows instantly when the first notes are struck. This will become one of those to the BC crowd. Right now, it is a subtle semi-acoustic piece, but I wait for the day, when it gets turned on its own ear one night and becomes a rocker.
Some part of Erik Sanden resists the rock in him....giving in only when pushed to the edge, usually by the audience in front him. He actually could give Iggy Pop a run for his money on the apparently self-destructive stage personna. There is a serious rock band festering under the guise of a pop band. I saw that in a number of the bands that are inspiration to Buttercup too, so I am not surprised really. The fun part is to watch it bust out.
Ah well, I have lingered over this piece for too many days, so I publish now and wait for the albums to surface for further review. In the meantime there are other gigs to make, and maybe a few peeps to help come to SA rather than continue to depend on Austin for the "big break."
namaste
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