Checker's Acoustic Jam 12/28/18 Having Some Sax On Stage

Songs:

Feel A Whole Lot Better
Dead Flowers
Games People Play

With

Mike Frederick
Steve Black Wolf
Ryan Matthew Paul
Mark Randolph
Belinda Christensen-James
Lorie Parker
Julie Gordon
Skip Richards
Carl Reiners
Buddy Z
David Arnold on Sax
Donna Jo Farley-Percussion
Tom, the percussion player
and a few others

(Photo: Lorie Parker)

The past two weeks have been some of the more fun of the jams that I have done and I am happy that I could do it playing guitar.  While I only bothered Brook Hoover for one guitar session, I felt that he gave me the confidence to play guitar in a live setting, although I don't venture much out of my comfort zone.  I have been dealing with sore hands and wrists from recording with The Townedgers and the Wapsipinicon Dreamers projects and banging on the congas. And for tonight's showcase, I pretty much did that for the first couple hours till Tom wanted to play them.  I would have gladly surrendered them sooner.  I don't have drumsticks at hand so i have to use my hands and fingers.  Tom and Ryan Paul are more adventurous, I am more at home keeping the beat.

(Photo: Lorie Parker L to R, Buddy Archbremmer, Steve Black Wolf, Ryan Matthew Paul, David Arnold, Me, Mark Randolph, Belinda Christensen-James, Skip Richards, covering Fever)

The major story was Julie Gordon coming back to play, three weeks after knee replacement surgery.  And she paced herself throughout the jam.  Kathy Hartman Spina had to bow out but things went fairly well.  Abigail did a few songs and even for a 10 year old she knows them songs, she didn't need a cheat sheet for Jesus Take The Wheel or Spiders Or Snakes.   Steve Black Wolf did Turn The Page, Stand By Me and Knockin On Heaven's Door.  Belinda and Mark did a Blue Bayou and a extended version of Fever, complete with Saxophone solo.  I don't know who the guy's name was, he was gone by the time I popped up to finish the set with the three songs mentioned.   Anyway, I know how Mark Randolph plays on Fever and I know how Belinda sings it, it was becoming commonplace to do this song when they're in town.  Mike Frederick, is one of my brother's best friends (or used to be) but I have seen him at the jams playing banjo from time to time.  But as I continue to get more involved with the acoustical side of things it still is fun jamming with him.

Last week, I did four songs, this time out things were running late, so I decided on Feel A Whole Lot Better as a repeat.  Had I gotten on earlier I would have done a couple originals off Jubilee but I was playing percussion so therefore I didn't figure on playing much on guitar, even with sore joints.  Dead Flowers was a request from Donna to which I dedicated it to her from afar, and Skip Richards added some backing vocals like Keith Richards on a live version.  I do the song in a  D A G D segment.  Some folks do it in A, which I think I tried to do on The Townedgers Country album, but that version was pretty damn fast.  The new version on the Wapsipinicon Dreamers album is much slower and probably truer to the Stones version.

And there's Games People Play, the old 60s hit for Joe South.  I discovered the chords last week and decided to take a crack at that.  Since The W.D. project was just about done, I didn't think a version was needed, but it could work for the jams.  Start out in G, then mosey up to D, down to C then D and then G, the country version.  I can't work it in South's E progression, it sounds weird. The original thought was to have either Lorie or Belinda sing it but since I had the cheat sheet with me, I carried on.  And got everybody to sing along as well.

While I have been more at home doing things on my own, I have come to find having musical support is vital more than solo.  To have Ryan Paul play keyboards on the instrumental passages and backing vocals from Skip or Lorie or Julie really brings out more into the song than just going it alone. Perhaps I should have done this more sooner but I really didn't have the confidence like I do now.  Now I feel I can jump on stage and do a song and play good with it.

It's a learning event for each time I play.  Be it, trying to play a quiet and reserve drum beat at Parlor City or interpret how to play I Feel A Whole Lot Better or Dead Flowers and have the interplay among fellow musicians.   I have learn a lot in these two weeks of playing at Acoustic and blues jams that I have incorporated into the music of The Townedgers as well.  I don't need to smash cymbals or pound on the drums to prove a point but rather keep a swinging beat to get people to dance or to have them sing along to Games People Play....it just blows my mind I'm even doing Games People Play on stage.  Too bad I didn't have this sort of voice or drive when Paraphernalia was around.   This will not figure in me getting into the music industry, I'm too old and too out of step for the flavor of the hour, but as long I'm having fun with music now, it's all that matters.   And to have a great support group of musicians, it makes things that much better.

Even more than half way to 60, I'm having the most fun now.  I don't forsee myself stopping anytime soon.  As long as I have a paying job, this remains a hobby but with the support of the Acousta Kitties and Terry McDowell and many other, this should go on a while.

Thoughts From The Townedger December Edition

Finishing up on the Wapsipinicon Dreamers CD, I managed to get back spams on the tail end of recording that project.  I guess hunching down to try to sing and look at the words are hazardous to your health.

As I finish up my Parlor City Jam tonight. I guess I can play quiet and keep a beat.  Jon Wilson complimented on how tight and quiet that I did on my half hour set.  At that point, I have come to expect to play quiet around Tommy Giblin, who stands no loudness.  In fact he shouted down this guitar player who got a bit rowdy during his song but I admire anybody that plays Peter Gunn.

Pain is part of the gig, from what Dan Johnson told me upon break, though he seemed surprised that I did play guitar.  He gave a few suggestions next time I decide on playing guitar and he talked about some good Cannabis oils that can stop back pain but it's only available in Colorado.  I pretty much rely on pain killers from the doctors and don't like taking them. They kinda mess me up with dizziness today and while I felt no pain playing drums, the pain only kicked in when I got off the drum throne. And walked like Quasimodo back to the car after I finished up.  I usually stay all night but I wasn't feeling all that great, threw a few dollars in the tip jar and headed to Wally World to get breakfast rolls and complete a few blogs tonight.   First time I got to jam with Ryan Phelan on guitar.  Probably one of the more jazzier guitar players I have met.  Outside of Peter Gunn, most of what we did were improvised jams along the way.  I put out a beat and Ryan followed right behind.  Dan took that part of the set off, we had some younger hippie dude play bass and he was quite good.  Even though the place was packed, Dan didn't seem to be in a very good mood.  The crowd wasn't music listeners.  Mike Williams, came later on, and he did bring his female friend with him and I suspect she would play drums for a bit.  I didn't know anybody outside of Dan and Tom and there wasn't many empty seats.  So I called it a night.

While 2016 didn't promise anything on the local circuit for me, I still had a good year jamming on songs with fellow musicians and got to jam with just about everybody.  Dan Johnson, Tommy Bruner, The Acousta Kitties, Julie And The Mad Dogs, the guys from Hostage, even Bob Dorr and Jeff Petersen from The Blue Band last week, even DeWayne Schminkey jammed with me twice.  Who is missing from it all, Russ Swearingen.  We didn't share the stage at all this year.  I'm disappointed with that but 2017 I think will have us back together again.  He sez he's not ready for the stage, so I don't pressure him with that.  When the time is right it will happen.

 (Photo: Photollbrarian via Flickir)

With Jubilee finally out and released to the world The Townedgers have fulfilled their music obligations for this year.  But I do want to complete the Wapsipinicon Dreamers album, simply of the fact that all these cover versions would be the ones that I would be playing at some jam.  I wanted to project to be simple, to be fun and that the songs don't go over 3 minutes.  Keep it simple so to speak. And the first sessions were fun but 10 days later, it was beginning to be a chore and I really didn't think the world needed to hear Games People Play, but we did do Let Your Love Flow.  Most of these songs came from records that I grew up with or attempting to do something different.  It still sounds like a Townedgers album, after all I'm doing the vocals.  Here in the wintertime, it's really hard to sing in a dry room with a voice that cracks after time.    My voice held up during Jubilee, but doing the Wapsi Dreamers sessions it gave out on the first day, after we did do 6 songs.   Instead of hitting the higher notes on such stuff like Let Your Love Flow or Solitary Man I did the vocals midrange and was okay with the results.

(photo: Joslyn Art Museum-Omaha  Grant Wood's Painting of Stone City)

When Wapsipinicon Dreamers get done, that should also set me free of any album commitments for 2017, with my label it counts as a legitimate album.  I do have an outtakes album coming out, which means there will be 3 albums from myself, and we're getting too close to Neil Young Territory.  People get tired of new stuff I guess.  I'm needing to get back to Rod Albaugh to do the sessions we did earlier this year. I may do some newer songs and then ask Rod to fill in on the drums and stuff.  He's very good at doing such things.  I want to focus more on guitars rather than drums next year.  It may be a futile effort but Rod is a damn good drummer too.  I might run that by him, take my drums off the recordings and have him add his own sound to it.

(my favorite photo on playing the drums, Thank you Kevin Sinmacher)

As for Tim Wiley and the Wiley Kats, that's history.  While Tim gets a bad rap, most people are leery around him.  He's been cool with me and I can dig that.  But he shouldn't have trouble remembering how Voodoo Chile goes or Little Wing, he's done these songs time and time again.  He should have an idea on how to do them.  As I told him before, I'm not quitting my job for the tip jar.  If the established legends around here can't seem to get bookings, then it's going to be doubly hard for us.  And these isn't much out there for 50 somethings.  And if you're going to jam with the best, you have to follow their rules.  Which is why Tom Giblin is adamant about playing it quiet, and Parlor City has rules of keeping it quiet. Follow or else.  Besides, I enjoy jamming with Tom, it's not too often that I jam with keyboard players.  I want to establish and keep  that vibe when we do play together.

It's now been four months since Bruce Stanley passed away and he continues to be in my thoughts. I dedicated Jubilee to his memory.  There is a void in this life from his passing that can never be fulfilled.  We talked music and we talked of life.  He was a great guitar player and even better drummer from what I heard.  There are reservations of course, he never told me where he lived at.  I'm sure that place is a shrine with all the guitars and music he had inside.

(Photo: Dennis Lancaster)

There's not a lot of old pictures of me and the band.  Most of what I have I have posted from time to time but Dennis uncovered a picture of myself and DeWayne.  I thought it was during the Open Highway years, but my clodhoppers say it was 1988 and Dennis was in town on vacation.  He got tired of the winters and moved to Arizona in 1985.  His son Joseph has been accepted at Berklee in 2017.  His kids are growing up, DeWayne is now a Grandfather.  And me, I never started.  And doubt that will ever happen.

I think from here on out, I'll stick to Zildjian Cymbals. For some reason they have helped the albums sound great from Forthcoming Trains onward.  Paiste are great cymbals too, but when I hear the Townedger/Rodney Smith sound it's usually Zildjians.  The Paiste Cymbals are gathering dust.  Perhaps it's time for a cymbal sale.

Any album can be my last.  As long as I'm still alive there's always a chance for a new album.  With each passing year I find myself writing less and less and revisiting songs that I think would sound better nowadays. That's how Forthcoming Trains turned out to be the best album I've done. I straddled the line of new songs and covers of my own stuff and not rely on others.  To be honest, I don't think there's much left to write about.  I'm good about writing songs about heartbreak, love lost and trains. It was so much simpler back in 1983 or 1986 to write about what I was feeling inside.  Let's face it, I can't write about a high school sweetheart anymore, I can still revisit certain women that inspired me to write songs but if you go to the well too many times, it ends sounding less inspired.   The revenge songs I can do without, Barfly, that song's time is gone.  And I do have a civil relationship with the woman at hand.  And the Uptown Chevy Girl too.  I will always love the Uptown Chevy Girl, and Olivia to which Pawnshops For Olivia is the stuff that make legends.  The door is closed between us now.  And as the song says if you love somebody set them free.  And I did that.

So we made it through another year.  We're still alive.  Let's see if we can make it through another trip around the sun.

 

Promoting Jubliee-Checker's Tavern 12/21/16

Parlor City Jam Lineup 12/20/16

Bob Dorr-Harmonica and lead vocals
Jeff Petersen-Guitar and vocals
Tom Giblin-Keyboards
Dan Johnson-Bass
R.Smith-Loud drums

Songs:

Move It On Over
I'm A Man
House Of The Rising Sun
Four In The Morning
Green Onions
Rocking My Life Away

(Photo: Cathy Hartman Spina- With Joe Hutchcroft on congas)

Rodney Smith Solo with some help-12/21/16

Rodney Smith-Lead vocals and guitar!
Skip Richards-Bass
Joe Hutchcroft-Backing vocals and percussion
Lorie Parker-Lead vocals on Let Your Love Flow

Songs:

Rock Me Baby
I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better
Ever So Much
Let Your Love Flow


It's been over a year since I got the old guitar out to play songs, last time was Wrigleyville last year.  With the completion of Jubilee I really wanted to emphasis and focus more on guitar work rather than pounding on the drums during jam sessions.  Taking time off from work to have fun jamming this week was nice, although work still remains to be done in playing more softly in front of a captive audience and a owner not too keen on loud music.  Which Tuesday Night, I got to sit in with Bob Dorr and Jeff Petersen from The Blue Band.  Both are long time veterans and established as Hall Of Fame rockers from Iowa.  In the presence of Dorr, I do come to find he was a very vast and knowledge of the blues, really tearing into I'm A Man, and shouting through the harmonica microphone, I think I heard not only Little Walter but even Captain Beefheart in Dorr's vocals.  I also found myself being carried away by my playing on Move It On Over, to which Tom Giblin politely mentioned that I was playing too loud and instructed me on how to tone it down.  Even with 35 plus years of drumming, I still remain somewhat undisciplined and not on the same page.  Any future Parlor City jams I must find a way to come down to not stand out. Giblin knows what works and once we got on the same page, I discovered an inner groove to compliment Tom's playing and Bob's harmonica, Jeff's guitar and Dan's bass (note: Dan wasn't playing bass during my time on stage, the same guy who backed up Skeeter Lewis was on stage but nobody ever mentioned his name and I tried to look it up on past jams.  If and when I find the name I'll add him to the mix.  The best part was getting folks out on the dance floor on Rockin My Life Away, a song that Jerry Lee Lewis did as well as George Thorogood.  Guess which version I knew best.

The big announcement was that on Wednesday I was going to play guitar at the Checker's Acoustic Jam and last night, I went through The Townedgers songs and picked out about 6 to do and ended up doing four.  I did stop to see how Karl Hudson was doing with the Rumors Acoustic Jam and it wasn't looking very well, even worse when somebody stole one of Karl's prized microphones.  Everybody likes Karl and wishes the best for him but when it comes to acoustic Wednesday Nights it has been Checkers and the Acousta Kitties.   Cathy Hartman Spina and Lorie Parker and Julie Gordon have been one of the most beloved trio out there and every show they have is fun.  Which was why I chose to play guitar, I knew they would support me and there would be plenty of musicians to help out putting my music together.  I thought on occasion that Russ or Dewayne would be on stage helping me out, but Russ says he's still not ready to hit the stage and while I invite him to show on jams, I resigned to the fact that he won't be there.   He's afraid that somebody will spring out Sweet Home Alabama on him, which did happen the two times he did show up.  He swears there will not be a third time. But in the situation with Karl, he's a full time musician and will find ways to get gigs, although I'm sure he probably wishes he was back in Florida and the sunshine and warm weather.   Playing to a sparse crowd, to which somebody rips off your band equipment makes a lousy evening.  And that may have put an end to the Rumors Acoustic Jam.  He's better off hosting something in Stone City, they usually have good turnouts even on winter nights there.

It was Cathy and Lorie doing the show, Steve Black Wolf and Skip Richards helping out and Joe Hutchcroft making a rare appearance.  Certainly, when it was my time to hit the stage on guitar I didn't figure he would be up there.  By that time, Skip Richards popped up to play bass.  I was still trying to figure out what to start out, and ended up doing Rock Me Baby instead of Let's Work Together.  Most of the songs were three chords easy to play, I told Joe to do some blues conga work and it actually worked very well to my surprise.  I used the version off Jubilee and even to the tag ending.   On the next song Feel A Whole Lot Better, Joe offered to do the counter vocals and that worked out well, even the harmonies of a first time, not bad since we never worked together with me playing guitar.  But it's still a work in progress but being my debut as guitarist lead singer, the process of practicing the songs before coming to Checkers helped a lot.    Next up, I did Ever So Much from Pawnshops for Olivia, basically D, C, G, and repeat till you get tired of the song, which is about 3 minutes tops.  The crowd seemed to like it judging by some woman giving her boyfriend a lap dance. And then I pawned off the lead vocals to Let Your Love Flow to Lorie Parker and her and Joe kinda did a duet since that song was bit out of her vocal range (and of course mine but I'll get that song right eventually) but I did sang backing vocal. 

Overall for a debut, it was better than expected.  After announcing that I was going to show up and play guitar I had thoughts to cancel out. But I needed to get this done, to see if I could do it and I did it.   After which I went back to play percussion and later straight cowbell after a couple folks jumped up to play congas.   I wanted to do Knocking On Heaven's Door with Steve Black Wolf but when he did that song I was on the congas instead of guitar but no biggie.  But for a winter night, there was a good crowd and plenty of people up there to support it.  Julie Gordon, two weeks after knee replacement wanted to show up, but I think we talked her out of it for at least another week.   I plan to return next week and take up guitar again for a few more songs, I just have to get used to having people around to help me and get more comfortable.  With the Acousta Kitties around, they do make the jams fun and the patrons very supportive.  Some are pretty dedicated, Belinda Christensen James works in Waterloo and comes down to do these jams with her boyfriend Mark Randolph.  Steve moved from Vermont and has hanged around the jam circuit for the past six months.  A lot of good people were there, and up to the crazy ending of Cathy and Lorie's husband rapping to Save a Horse Ride A Cowboy you had to be there.  In the end with Lorie doing her Boobalicius song to end the whole, I was there, playing the congas. 

Even with guitar in hand, I'm still a drummer by trade. ;-)

(The Acousta Kitties: Cathy Hartman Spina, Lorie Parker, Julie Jules Gordon) 

12-20-16 Parlor City Jam With Bob Dorr/Jeff Petersen (Archives)

 Songs played

Move It On Over

I'm A Man

House Of The Rising Sun

Four In The Morning

Green Onions

Rocking My Life Away

Jeff Petersen-Vocals and guitar

Bob Dorr-Harmonica and vocals

Dan Johnson-Bass

R.Smith-Drums

Tom Giblin-Keys

This came up on my memories file on FB.  This might have been my debut at Parlor City five years ago but then again I might have been there earlier on occasion.

This was a trial by fire.  Gibby doing his best to keep me in time with the rest of the guys.  There was another bass player there but time hasn't enabled me to remember his name.  I doubt if it was Mark Awad. Parlor City at that time, had the Tuesday Blues Jam (which ceased after March 2020) and most of the who who's in the blues market were there.  Alas, in this day and age COVID has made a lot of people not go to the jams anymore.

What I remembered most was the way Bob can sing through the harp mic and gave I'm A Man a more menacing sound.   While Bob was kind enough, I found him somewhat unapproachable, he made it clear that the way he had his drums it was best to leave them there at the way they were set up.  The crash ride cymbal really was down around my knee, a way too low for my liking but I worked around it.   Jeff, the guitar player was more friendlier and we could talk tunes.   Bob does have an extensive knowledge of music, after all, he's been a part of KUNI for over 40 years at least.  His Backtracks and Blue Avenue shows on the weekend are must listens.  And yeah, I need to send him a check in the mail for the KUNI public fundraiser.

While Bob n me have sometimes barely tolerate each other on FB, I do respect him.  Sometimes, when I did do the jam, I could look over and he would be staring intently through his shades and he was like that when the Marion Blues Jam took part a year ago.  I don't think I'm that hard to get to know, in fact Bob is invited to join me on a bargain hunt around Waterloo and hang a while.  

There might have been pictures taken of this jam but at this point, it's all a memory to me. 

The next day, I made my Acoustic Adventures debut at Checkers, feeling finally confident that I can play guitar and sing.  The rest, shall we say, is history 

Popcorn Jam 12/19/16-Hot Jam On A Cold Day

Lineup:

Brook Hoover-Guitar
Tommy Bruner-Guitar
Dan Johnson-Bass
Bob Gleason-Harmonica
Rodney Smith-Drums
Terry McDowell-Host

Songs:

I Knew The Bride
I Hear You Knocking
Boom Boom
You Can't Always Get What You Want
10 Minute Trippy Beats Jam
(also, some Christmas Surf Music improvised by Brook Hoover)

Typical December weather here, blowing snow all day yesterday and today we suffered through 4 below weather with a wind chill around 35 below zero.  And the Corsica's starter decided to take a dump, another something to be replaced on the car.

I've spent Saturday working on the new side country project still not under a working title or band.  Will it be the forthcoming of the legendary Wapsipincon Dreamers or do I tack it on under the Townedgers banner?  We did six songs before my vocals gave out.  I just didn't have the pitch to sing Let Your Love Flow.  I got  If I Were A Carpenter, Fly Away Home, O Death, Splendid Isolation, A Stranger To Himself and Spanish Harlem Incident.  I know Spanish Harlem Incident and Carpenter we practiced a lot on, Splendid Isolation was thought up upon the spot, although when Warren Zevon did his version he threw another chord into the chorus which we didn't and couldn't figure out till later on.   With the passing of Bruce Stanley, and now Ellis Kell, I got word that my cousin Billy Pinney died Thursday at age 57 from heart failure.  So we took up a version of O Death, the old traditional folk song done by Camper Von Beethoven and did a ominous version of it.  Looks like 57 is the new 27 of leaving this planet and both Bruce and Billy died at age 57.  I have a year and a month left to reach that age.

I don't like recording at this time of the year. With dry air and everybody sick at work, I end up having a gravely throat and it was ideal to sing O Death at a lower octave, not so much on the Mama part later on.   The hope is to find another 6 songs to live with and record them too, but I am not sure if I have the vocals to do them till perhaps springtime.   I might tire of the cover version quickly, but we hope to put our own little spin on Gold Dust Woman and Lodi before all things are said and done.

For Sunday, it was pointless to record, and while the temps were bone chilling cold I managed to pop into the Rumors Jam.  Needless to say, the turnout of jammers were very small.  This one woman, Sheila which I talked to on occasion, popped up to say hi, and peppered my friend Kathy with plenty of hugs and danced on the floor, but she got on a tirade on Blue Scratch, she tried out for them and I guess things didn't go well.  She didn't have much good things to say about them.  She disappeared after Boom Boom.

With only me and Kim Bean there, I had plenty of time on the stage, almost a full half hour or 35 minutes, almost a like a whole set list.   Basically it was the Brook Hoover show, throwing a lot of Surf Christmas songs into the mix and first time run through of I Knew The Bride (He chose the Nick Lowe version from Rose Of England) and DJ gave us Boom Boom, done with a bit more swing I think and Tommy did the Stones number, before we ended things on a improvisation piece of off beats and following Brook and then over to Dan and then to Tommy till about 8 minutes later. 

After that it was time for a nap.  Kim Bean took over and the insane Craig Dewitte popped up to slur his way through Tush and managed to hug almost all the jammers out there, except for me.  I think he forgot jamming alongside me earlier in the year.  Kim plays unbelievably light on the drums, a very light drummer's touch.  Dan threw him a curve on Love Me Two Times by The Doors, it's not one of the Saloonatics songs (probably been better to do Riders On The Storm as originally intended). Afterwards I chatted with Brook about recording drums and who The Townedgers are all about.  No word about any projects together but there's always next year.

If there's any pictures of me at the recent popcorn jams, I have yet to come across them.  It would have been nice had somebody taken some pictures of the last jam song. I actually worked up a sweat.

And finally, on Monday my coworker and one time producer Steve Rasmussen underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery.  On Friday he went home.  That was record time recovery but I don't think Steve cares much for the hospital or doctors, which almost cost him his life it seems.   Take it slow Frank, I don't want to sing O Death at your funeral anytime soon.

On behalf of DJ, and Tommy (Brenda Snow photo credit), plus The Townedgers, Merry Christmas.

 

The Blues

I'm still at odds with myself about jamming with folks.  I have great moments, some not so great and sometimes why the hell I show up at these things, when there will be 8 other drummers or the like.  Tonight, while braving 1 above temps and a lurking full moon outdoors, I continue to be wowed by the drummers who do show up and the extended jams continue.  Brenda, Tommy Bruner's girlfriend mentioned that her dentist was playing drums during a spirited set with Skeeter Lewis, an old blues soul singer with a big ponytail down to his butt.   Dan Johnson jams with Skeeter from time to time, why I didn't know Skeeter?  I just don't go out often enough to see who's playing out there.

Eric Douglas was the drummer host and he used a couple 18 inch crashes for a high hat, ala Doug Clifford.  Since there was a assortment of great drummers, I didn't get to play but on one song, Dead Flowers with DJ, Tom Giblin, Tommy Bruner and Skeeter Lewis doing backing vocals., Dan did Jingle "f'n" Bells and I just clapped along while Eric played Hi hat.

Basically it was a nice to get away from work and from the Negative Nelly  who continues to bitch and moan about if I do any work or not, let alone me helping Sonya burst and trim labels. I have to deal with this shit for 31 years working at my place of employment, do not nothing at all but I'm supposed to do test jobs and do a shift report, to which I said hell with it, we have a full staff and I really don't want to deal with the Negative Nelly.  I cannot help if her personal life is hell, just don't blame me for the bullshit in her life.  Either kill yourself or get another job or fuck off.   It pays the same and basically I'm sick and tired of it all.  They laid off the wrong people again.   Or just let me go, so I continue to get back into the music scene full time instead of jams and one offs.   Where's Rod at? He went fucking someplace to have fun and get away from you how about that???

At the jam I talked with Brenda about The Wiley Kat, who usually shows up for the blues jam and hangs at Cooters.  The band thing didn't work out and while Tim and I are on the level and opening to jams, unless he has anything lined up, there's nothing there to continue onward.  Ben Benton, the bass player has been keeping busy with the Kirkwood Jazz band and really he was the one that kept us together, even though Tim wanted to can him on occasion. Ben has good rhythm and sense of melody, which is why he's in the jazz band.  He fucking rocked it on One Way Out.

However, I don't see myself hosting any jam sessions and the phone hasn't ring with any offers about doing something to that effect.  Having a evening job quells any attempt although I do have vacation days to use if the need arrives.  In a attempt to bullshit myself, I am considering getting some low volume cymbals just in case a Stone City or Parlor City gig comes up. But for now it's business as usual.

The Townedgers new album is now done and completed, I have found myself adding more new songs for inclusion for the next album.  Since I have two TE albums done for this year, I'm tempted to revive the Wapsipinicon Dreamers side project, which has been off and on since 1992 when Chris Dutcher and I started work on a couple songs, only to have him bail out after completing one of them.  The intent is to cover certain songs with a folk/country mood and put under The Wapsi Dreamers name, and I tried to do that a couple times.  One became A Long Time Forgotten, the other was Forthcoming Trains.  Both came out under The Townedgers.

So I continue to while away the hours on guitar picking old favorites from the record player and seeing what I can do with them and so far we have 5 songs ready to record.  And tonight's blues jam I was taking notes on the guitar players and their songs.  The dentist drummer may not have gotten the beat right on Cissy Strut but he did a outstanding job in his own way and on All Along The Watchtower.  Perhaps being freed from the Negative Nelly at work, I could hang with Dan Johnson more and get a feel of what he does for music and the guys such as Daddy O or Skeeter.  But for now, I'll continue with what I'm doing with The Townedgers and bide my time.  It's all I can do.

The new album. It's Called Jubilee

I'm finishing up listening to the final mix of the new album called Jubilee

I haven't done a live album since 2008 and each album, the drums become less manic and more keeping the beat.  I think I've come a long way from 30 years ago and the bash and crash of Every Hour On The Hour.  Like our previous live albums, it done live in the studio, or in this case in the shadow of the haunted Viola School to which we serenaded the 23 spirits to about an hour and 10 minutes of Townedger favorites and a few covers.  In terms of theory, it is a contractual obligation to get something in the can and be credited for doing something in 2016, but in no means it was phoned in.  In fact, I think we do much better versions of Get It Over With and Light Years Away on this album then on the previous albums. Plus finding some covers to do as well.  Waiting For The Man and I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better was done partly by my getting together with Brook Hoover on a guitar lesson and he taught me basic guitar chords or where everything stacks up on the fretboard.

Upon talking to Geoff Redding, he wanted to have more input and more involvement this time out. He's been on a part time role on the past couple albums, so this time he's on the full album.  There are 17 songs on the CD,  Fool For Your Glasses was the only one that didn't make the cut. Time considerations and besides a recording glitch didn't help things much.  I'll add it to a rarities CD when the time comes around.   For the first time as well, I'm giving the whole band production credit.  Not that you will see Geoff or Martin come down to a jam or two, they have their own lives to contend with.   For the first time since 1989, Terry Bainbridge came out of semi retirement to run sound and help record the whole she bang.  Most of the stuff was done during Thanksgiving Week, and drum mixing done during various afternoons from December 1 to 8th.  Me and Martin tackled the mixing of the recording to disc on 12/10/16

The Songs:

The One That Knows Me Best  (Smith/Redding)  3:14
Love Like Backfire (Smith/Lancaster/R.Swearingen) 3:48
Remember Me (Smith/Redding) 3:44
Better Days  (Smith/Orbit) 4:49
Listen To Love (Smith/Redding) 2:45
Waiting For The Man (Lou Reed) 6:25
The Life We Lead (Smith)  3:10
Get It Over With (Smith)  3:12
Realitesville (Smith/Orbit) 3:18
Light Years Away (Smith) 3:29
Rock Me Baby (B.B.King) 3:45
A Perfect Life (Smith) 3:15
Summer Of Your Discontent (Smith) 4:30
I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better (G.Clark) 2:47
Somewhere Down The Line (Smith/Orbit) 3:53
It's So Hard (Smith/Orbit) 3:15
The End (Morrison/Manzarek/Krieger/Densmore) 6:36

All Townedgers songs copyright control. except  (Lou Reed-Three Prong Music BMI), (B B King, Modern Music BMI) (G.Clark Tickson Music BMI), (The Doors, Doors Music BMI)
Love Like Backfire: Dennis Lancaster and Russ Swearingen had a hand in the lyrics, music by R.Smith  (C) 1984 Dennyco Inc/Paraphernalia Tyrus Toonz (CC) 

The Participants:
Geoff Redding: Lead guitar and backing vocals
Martin Daniels: Low end guitar
Rodney Smith: Acoustic guitar, drums, lead vocals

Produced by The Townedgers & Terry Bainbridge
A&R: Diggy Kat

Recorded near the Viola Elementary School during Thanksgiving weekend.
Other basic recordings done at The Hoarder House Of Hits, Springville  IA
Live recording done by Terry Bainbridge using the Radio Maierburg Remote Unit
Album mixed at Radio Maierburg Studio by R.Smith and Martin Daniels

Special thanks:
To all the musicians in the Cedar Rapids area for helping me find my way back to the stage and making me feel welcome once again.  Lucky Star Radio for continuing to promote this starving artist
Much love to Diggy Kat, a friend and fan of the music.  And Rick Smith for tolerating all those
loud noises coming out of the bedroom at ungodly hours of the day/night.

Shouts out to Rod Albaugh, Julie Gordon, Mike Serbousek, Terry McDowell, Dan Johnson,
Tim Giblin, Brook Hoover, The Acousta Kitties, Wooden Nickel Lottery, Tommy Bruner, Kathy
Runnells, Bart And Cathy, Ernest The Soul Man, Tim Wiley, Ben Benton, Bob Gleason for band
unity.

The inner circle: Russ Swearingen, Mike Swearingen, DeWayne Schminkey, Dennis Lancaster,
Doug Bonesteel, Randy Hartwig  (once a band always a band), Donna Will, Sonya Madden, Nicole Passmore.  And of course Mom and Dad.

This album is dedicated to the memory of Bruce Stanley

(C) 2016 The Townedgers Music Emporium


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