Rumors Jam-C Notes And The C Word

Songs:

One Way Out
Roadhouse Blues
Two More Bottles Of Wine
Oh Lonesome Me
Willie And The Hand Jive
Before You Accuse Me
Dreams
Born On The Bayou
Have You Ever Seen The Rain
Me And Bobby McGee
Gold Dust Woman/The Chain

With:
Dan Hartman-Guitar and vocals 1-6
Billy Bourbon-Guitar and vocals on all songs
Dee Vieman-Lead vocals 7-11
Tommy Bruner-Guitar 7-11
Terry McDowell-Host drummer
Nick Lnencika-Harmonica
Jeff Bardo-Harmonica
Randy Burdendorf-bass on all songs
R.Smith-Drums on all songs

And
Belinda James
George Melner
Al Hendricks
Sonya the bartender
Joe Hutchcroft
Brenda Snow

Plus the Rumors Regulars


Plus:  I sat in with Notes From The Underground in Solon Saturday Night on Polk Salad Annie

Notes:

It wasn't a pretty weekend.  First off, I got bumped from playing for Dreams Of Arcadia Saturday Night in Wheatland, and I could have made some money helping Brian and Kris Briles at The Clinic instead.  Well, I got there to see how they're doing but they were packing up and yes I could have played with them after all.  So I felt bad for not at least saying I was available.

What really galled me was the loss of a friend that unfriended me  for reasons unknown.  Thought it was a mistake, sent a request, that was rejected by her.  Over the four years of jamming she was instrumental and very helping, taking pictures of me in action and a couple of us together.  Then all of sudden, she was gone.   Just like that, no explanation, no goodbye.  I suppose Facebook is not a life or death thing, I had fellow musicians and friends that did the same thing.  But this one bothered me.  What the hell happened?

Of course I could have asked her that for she was at Rumors tonight, but kept my distance.  I rather not cause a scene over something dumb like being unfriended, but it did frosty in there.  Not a lot of jammers or drummers for that matter, Terry let me finish the forty five minute set the the gang.  Joe Hutchcroft came up and chatted with me for a bit, Belinda James was there, tho she sang earlier in the evening.  The question remains would there be any sort of acknowledgement between me and the woman.  She had to pass me to head out the door and we shook hands and say hi and left it at that as she left.  It was tempting but I didn't flip her the bird, that would have solve nothing.  Best to leave her at her own devices and have fun jamming.

Bird continued to teach me not to rush my beats and it seems to work and he is doing his best to get me to play on the ONE beat and not the TWO.  I didn't do the TWO cymbal crash after the one on Dreams and what he's trying to teach is not overplay but play with intensity, something he has been very adamant about.   And I do have fun with him and continue to watch him like a hawk on the songs.  He'll let me know if I'm rushing things by motioning to breathe and slow down.   I never had a bass player that ever did that.  He's a great guy and a good teacher.  I did apologize to Terry about going a bit too hard on the drums but he's just brushed it off.  Tain't no big thing dude he'd say.   In terms of theory, Bird does prove a point that most drummers play too fast but the best ones are those that keep a beat and not get too flashy.  My job to compliment the bass player and keep things swinging and not too much.

Jeff Bardo was up there and he sat in on Harmonica most of the songs.  I always do my best to attend his gigs when I was off on vacation.  I had fun with reconnecting with the Notes From The Underground band and Mike on drums the other night.  Kraig Spratt was there today and we shook hands and said hello.  He might have mellowed but he's still a beast on drums.  Belinda probably did her songs Blue Bayou and Fever and Tommy probably played the riffs.  My guess, Joe Hutchcroft was her drummer.  She was there to see Bird.  And probably myself.

So we did finish the night with Gold Dust Woman and the all out assault of The Chain, the only time that Bird let me go wild.  By then the unfriending FB woman was long gone.  Bird said that that was one of the best, if not the best jam he had with me.  Which is saying a lot despite the uncertainly and the cold reception from her.

I wish her well but in the future I hope our encounters will be few and far between.