Irons in the Fire
I haven't written since February. In that Road Sign, I meant to say we'd gone to Jazz Alley here in Seattle, so I wanted to correct that, and let you know about that great jazz venue which, by the way, features a lot of great women players and singers among the jazz greats appearing there. If you have a jazz venue in your town, check it out. Jazz is for everyone, as is Opera, grand and Country! Music is either good, bad, or something in between. It all deserves a listen.
April, often dubbed "the cruelest month", is more than half over, and the great weather is upon many of us. Here in Seattle, it's fairly benign, but I know how tough things have been in Colorado, Texas and Oklahoma, great swaths of the Southern tier, and more snow in the northeast than folks can recall. Snow does translate to some water, but the warnings are tough-edged regarding the months and years to come. One thing I know about great storms...it causes people to look up more often than not! So let us look up, ask for Help and Wisdom, and give thanks that we live in such a vital atmosphere. Mother Earth is alive...not so well as we would wish, but I do believe she can right herself, heal herself, and mostly doesn't need us. But we need her, and in that regard, we need to pitch in any way we can to help achieve Balance, yes? Yes! Every way, no matter how small, we can pitch in and step up and show our good intention. Global warming is not mythology...it's cause and effect. Every thing we do has an effect, even the sounds we make.
Regarding such: Mr. Imus made some really bad sounds, and see how they reverberate, reminding us all once again that freedom is a responsibility, and not something to throw about in such a cavalier manner. I'm sorry Molly Ivins isn't around to write a blistering treatise on this crass and stupid event. I'm sure a bunch of us wish for non-mysoginistic, non-racist rhetoric from all performers, everyday and not...the neighbors, the strangers on the bus, our radio and TV folks, the rappers out there stepping so readily upon the nature of women as if it were just the coolest thing instead of the lowest of chakras. Oh how we long for the better angels of our nature! I get how chic and style drive things in this culture, but imagine if these things were determined by economics which, in turn, were driven by higher consciousness. In the same sense, why can't Peace be popular? I think Peace is sexy! All these Reality shows seem to reveal our country's obsession with the Popularity Contest, including how we vote about politics, let alone how we vote for American Idol. I can't watch that particular show because I hate to see such meanness glorified, such power in the hands of these three people who, it seems to me, should step across the boundaries, and show us why they are the chosen ones, the judges. I wonder how they would do in performance? I happen to think everything is about Performance...from the time we wake up to the time we hit the hay, and even then, into Dreamtime...all is Performance. The old meaning of the word comes from Old French meaning "to thoroughly provide". So, therefore, let's thoroughly provide, every day, in every way! The world is our stage, and we are mostly fools upon it, all of us.
My 60th Birthday came and went in a huge surprise party thrown by my most amazing girlfriend! I think I'm easy to surprise because I trust everyone -- especially my partner! -- so much, that I never suspect anything is afoot! Good surprises are rare and beautiful and if you don't die from a heart attack as you see 40 friends lined up to shout surprise!, then life is good! I did nearly faint seeing faces I hadn't seen in quite awhile, friends from New York, Montana, Los Angeles, Canada, Seattle, San Francisco, all over the Bay area...whew! The food was great, my pals Vicki, Teresa, Barb, Lisa, Julie, Linda chose songs to sing (some of them mine), and how great is it to have these magnificent women sing to ME?!!! Fabulous. I was so happy all the live long night, and my friend Bill did a mime piece called Cow In A Box that was, to say the least, unique, funny and so dear, just like the man himself. I went to sleep tired and soft inside and out. Love that.
Our Changer Shows in Hawaii were wonderful and, as we hoped, a great success. I haven't played there in oh-so-long, so it was grand to be back there seeing old pals, and making new friends. Each island we visited is unique unto itself, with its own personality, weather, and style. I only wish we'd had more time to kick back and enjoy everything in the Island Way, but I'll be back sooner than not as I have some solo shows in the works as well as interest there in a songwriting workshop.
Working on my new cd is so interesting...the material is unrolling from my mind to my pen in a fluid and beautiful way. I love that part of the Process so much! The music that goes with each piece shows a relationship, piece to piece, like differing parts of the same landscape, different squares of the quilt. I'll be showcasing some of these new songs when I hit the East Coast next month. Keep checking the website for further updates as the schedule fills in. Hold on...I'll get to you soon!