Songs And Stories From The Edge

Panda Blues

2012-02-01T21:05:00.000-08:00

Filmed at the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center in Chengdu, China. The research center, located in Sichuan province, covers 92 acres, 96% of which is verdure - imitating the pandas' natural habitat in order that they might have the best possible environment for rearing and breeding. Giant pandas, lesser pandas, black-necked cranes, white storks as well as over 20 species of rare animals are fed and bred there throughout the year.

Tide Pool Mishap

2012-01-31T20:32:00.000-08:00

Filmed in Hawaii along the Banzai Pipeline, an unexpected wave almost carries me and the camera out to sea... The ocean waves in Hawaii can be very deceiving and this one was no exception.

Streets Of Benares

2009-01-12T11:34:00.000-08:00

Varanasi has always been an incredibly personal place for me - it's unlike any other city. The culture of Varanasi is deeply connected to the holy Ganges (Ganga) that flows through it.

Varanasi is also referred as "Benares", "Banaras", "the city of temples", "the holy city of India", "the religious capital of India", "the city of lights", "the city of learning" and the "culture capital of India".

Mark Twain wrote, "Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together." I think he was onto something...

An afternoon at Bonham's

2008-08-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

"Elizabeth Taylor doesn't make as much as Marilyn Monroe because she's still alive. Auctions do much better if the person dies young..." Was at Bonham's & Butterfields to help appraise some belongings of a dearly departed friend of mine.

If there was ever a place to experience the deep end of collector's with OCD, it would be here. I enter the room with my friend's belongings and there, sitting on the shelves, are some of Steve McQueen's personal artifacts.

Dr. Ho

2008-01-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

This is an excerpt from a short documentary that I did on the amazing Dr. Ho. When I went to visit & spend time with him in a remote village outside of Lijiang, I had no idea what was in store. At 85 years old, Dr. Ho is a remarkable institution and a brilliant doctor. Filmed in the scenic backdrop of Yunnan Province, China in the fall of 2007.

This is only a test...

2007-12-20T11:28:00.000-08:00

Made an excursion into HD web video and created a Vimeo page. Uploaded a copy of my short film, "Delhi", to dip my toe into those waters...

"Delhi" is a mini travelogue shot entirely in New Delhi, India in 2007. Using a collage of HD video & still images -- the result is a 5 minute encapsulated journey... a video travel journal/meditation on Delhi so to speak.

India Impressions #3

2007-12-07T07:50:00.000-08:00

The third in a series of short films depicting everyday life in India. In this clip, a couple of friendly folks pose for video portraits in the chaotic streets of New Delhi.

India Impressions #2

2007-12-04T07:55:00.000-08:00

The second in a series of short films depicting everyday life in India. In this clip, Laxmanraj Mukhia Adiwasi, a local ayurvedic healer, makes up some medicine that's good for the mind & body.

Final notes on Leh - Part 1

2007-11-27T17:33:00.000-08:00

Journal excerpt:
Delhi, India - August 15, 2007 (morning)

Flew in from Leh today. Airport scenario was as follows...

Took a taxi at 5:30am (driver arrived at 5:20) from the Oriental Guest House in Changspa to the Leh airport. Driving into the Leh airport is like driving into the heart of an extremely secure military base - with more security than I've seen at any airport (including Heathrow).

As we drive into the airport proper, there is a strong military & police presence everywhere. I pay my smiling taxi driver 150 rupees and gather the luggage. While shuffling through the sliding doors, I am greeted by 4 police officers and a walk-through metal detector.

I set my luggage to the side, walk through, assume the usual “T” position and am then frisked (frisk #1). From there, preceded to wait in a queue where we were instructed to put our handbag & check-in luggage items onto a conveyor belt which fed into a large x-ray machine. Several army officers proceed to walk through the front door and they too are privy to the frisk - much to my surprise. A policeman signals us into a second entry where I show my ticket & passport and get frisked again (frisk #2).

I then gather my luggage and check in at the Jet Airways kiosk. Immediately recognize one of Dechen’s co-workers - the guy who was at the Jet Airways office in Leh when I purchased my ticket (5875 rupees). He smiles. I smile. We shake each other’s hands and he offers me some potato chips that he’s eating. I decline, loading my check-in items onto the scale. He hands me a boarding pass.

I join yet another queue along with several army officers. Something catches my eye while in the line. On the wall there is a list of those who are free from this thorough frisk-a-thon – one of the people on that list, besides the garden variety of Indian government officials, is the Dalai Lama. All hand baggage is put through a second x-ray contraption.

A police officer asks for my boarding pass and we all get frisked again (frisk #3)... This time the police officer runs a metal detector over all passengers. The metal detector looks like it’s vintage surplus early 50’s Soviet gear. As I attempt to gather my carry-on bag (which contains all of my electronic gear including a laptop, hard drives and various AV gear), I find an agent inspecting its contents. I let them know that it's my bag and smile, which they clearly seem to appreciate.

The airport lounge is packed with Indian army officers and dozens of French tourists. A police officer signals me to join another queue to board the airplane shuttle, but not before another search. This time we are frisked (frisk #4) by an airline employee who then runs (another) metal detector over each passenger before boarding the shuttle.

The shuttle doors continuously fly open all the way across the tarmac due in part to the zig-zag driving. I use my booted foot to keep the shuttle doors closed as much as possible with mixed results (to the delighted amusement of my fellow passengers). We finally get to the plane after a rather indirect & confusing route. I'm the first off the bus and am greeted by the same guy at the check-in counter. He smiles sincerely while shaking my hand enthusiastically as I climb the flight of stairs to the Boeing.

Walking into the cabin, I see the pretty stewardess who constantly referred to me by my name on the original flight to Leh. She bids me a "very good morning" and asks how I am - still remembering my name and pronouncing it correctly. Impressive. About the time I reach my seat & pop on the noise-canceling headphones, the Xanax kicks in. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, happy flight to Delhi...

Visual Supplementation

2007-11-14T14:19:00.000-08:00

I've joined the masses and created a "You Tube" channel...

...enjoy!

Joolay

2007-11-13T10:30:00.000-08:00

Journal excerpts:
Jammu & Kashmir - August 13, 2007
"Joolay!" Ponsok's father Pasang proudly proclaims every morning when I see him. This is a typical greeting in Ladakhi (a variation on the Tibetan language - same written text, different speaking). He's an amiable guy and we have been having these amazing conversations over tea after dinner. He built the place that I am staying at by hand with the help of his brother Yeshe in 1982. Yeshe now appears to spend his days with his prayer wheel spinning from dawn to dusk with an occasional nap in between.

Usual breakfast early today – fresh fruit, muesli and yoghurt with honey, a glass of Kashmiri apple juice and tea. I saw His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, and his caravan of security drive from his retreat near the Shey gompa, to the lecture he’s giving in the Norbu Valley early this am. Leh was drenched in prayer flags - the locals were ecstatic and His Holiness smiled & waved as his car slowly proceeded towards the highway. He looked great. The road to Norbu Valley is completely blocked off (several miles along a squiggly wiggly military highway which goes over the world’s highest pass - 18,600 feet). Once his lectures begin, there will be no entry to the entire valley and the highway will be closed. All of the monks from Thiksey Monastery were deeply excited for the chance to be in his presence and attend these teachings.

Been hiking the Himalaya plateau with some mates - Karl (Australia), Erik (Sweden) and David (Britain). David got extremely ill due to altitude sickness, so we had to take him to the hospital. His breathing was irregular, so they put him on oxygen. I gave him a plethora of aspirin to consume to thin his blood which seemed to help (as well as convince him that he wasn't having a coronary, which caused him to start panicking). Apart from the oxygen supplement, the medics couldn't find any reason why he shouldn't be adapting to the altitude since he has been here for nearly 2 weeks.

Erik seems to think that David's symptoms are psychosomatic. I think it's a combination of that & lethargy. Lethargy in this climate is a death nail - you stay still & the altitude will get you. Remaining active increases oxygen flow to the blood and dramatically increases the speed of one's adaptation to the environment. I speak with Ponsok and arrange for David to catch a Jet Airways flight back to Delhi the following morning.

Jammu & Kashmir - August 14, 2007
We all helped David pack last night & I saw him off to the airport at 5am this morning. Erik left at 6am and went on to Manali by road. Karl & I continue to hike the mountains around the Indus River - he's as game as I am, so we hike well past sunset. As we stop to admire the shifting colors in the Indus Valley as the sun sets, the sound of the mosque echoes everywhere. Surreal it is and makes me wish that I was recording this soundscape. No Pro Tools digital plug-in can replicate this complex echo and reverb that stirs the valley.

We hear packs of wild dogs everywhere but cannot see them since it's completely dark now. I howl back at them, which draws them closer. They follow us rather timidly, but that doesn't curtail my attempts at trying to communicate. I continue my dog speak. Learned years ago that wild dogs are part of the Himalayan experience - nearly all nomads have them & if you are going to trek, you are likely to encounter this, so best be friendly & intrepid.

My time in Jammu & Kashmir is rapidly coming to a close. I need to catch a flight to Delhi tomorrow & another flight to Mumbai a few days after that & yet another flight Chengdu, China a few days after that. Yes, it's as exhausting as it sounds...

Censored N' Blocked

2007-11-12T14:08:00.000-08:00

2 months in mainland China will find you unblogged & unFlickr'd (the latter has a work-around). Although I managed to find a plug-in to make Flickr work, blogs were still completely unaccessible, which regretfully forced me to pull up the stakes on the blogging activity. Pity, because I had a thing or two to share... Being back in the land of the free (and the incredible ever-shrinking dollar bill), the thrill of blogging is once again a reality.

Rikhi Ram

2007-08-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

For almost 18 years now, I have been frequenting an amazing musical instrument store in Delhi called "Rikhi Ram". What was astounding to me is that Sanjay, Rikhi's great-grandson, still remembers me. First thing he says when I walk into the shop is, "Ravi-ji (Pandit Ravi Shankar) hasn't been here in one and a half years... he's not traveling to India now."

Sanjay is a master instrument builder, which many consider to be the "Martin" guitar version of the sitar, tambura and sarod. I learn of Rikhi Ram's passing this past spring at age 78 and recall how gracious he always was. We talk of hanging out with Ravi, Sukanya, Anoushka, George, Olivia and Dhani backstage at the Barbican in London in July of '98. Sanjay and I were both there along with the late (and wonderful) book publisher Brian Roylance.

I ended up playing many of the stringed instruments in the shop while we traded gossip on various Indian musicians. While I pluck away, he builds the bridge on a sitar. He asks about Zakir & Ali Akbhar Khan and we discuss Alla Rakha. There is a big picture of Nikhil Banerjhee on the wall which spurns me into gushing about what unique emotional sensibilities he had as a musician. Sanjay smiles and nods in agreement, "He was one of a kind."

We spent the rest of the time trying to plan out a half-scale guitar/sarod hybrid. And as I switch to the funky half scale guitar, I begin bastardizing Felix Mendelssohn (I've been on a classical kick lately)... I switch to trying to play Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #3.

Rikhi Ram's shop is a legacy amongst all the great Indian classical musicians. I'm prompted to recall the great story that Rikhi Ram-ji told me many years ago when The Beatles came into the very shop which I am sitting. They had just returned from their disastrous appearance in the Philippines in 1966 and were routed through India on the way back for 2 days. Two black Cadillac limos pull up and out step the Fabs themselves.

The window was lined with curious seekers who are not quite sure who these guys were. There's the famous set of photos on the wall documenting this momentous occasion and Sanjay insists that I photograph the pictures to share with friends back home. It felt damn great to be surrounded by such a warm and familiar place in Delhi's sea of chaos, let alone having a chance to spend a few hours entertaining the master craftsman with my infernal tootling while he builds master works of art. Extreme silliness indeed...

Happy 60th Anniversary India!

2007-08-16T09:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the 60th anniversary of India's independence from Britain. I spent much of the day (as well as the evening before) hanging out with some friends in Delhi. Pankaj and his family were preparing for a huge pool side party complete with drinks (mainly Kingfisher beer & Indian whiskey) as well as an enormous spread of Indian food delicacies that were superior. Thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with the extended family and being continuously asked whether I was a diplomat (because of my use/pronunciation of the Hindi language). Most of the day, the skyline was filled with thousands of kites, which provided a keen backdrop to this ancient metropolis. Nonetheless, it was quite a hoot to participate in the festivities.

You come here often?

2007-08-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

I've often said that traveling to exotic places like India and meeting fellow travelers out of their normal daily environments can be extremely revealing. The other morning I woke at 5am to attend a Buddhist pujah (prayer ceremony) at one of Ladakh's most amazing gompas (temples) called Thiksey Monastery.

I hire a driver to take me there as it's far out in the Indus Valley. The juxtaposition of the Indus River, the Great Himalaya snow-capped range and the wandering pilgrims on the pencil thin military highway is an amazing thing to watch the sun rise to. We drive up a steep and very long drive to Thiksey, which stands like the Potala in Lhasa - a presence to be reckoned with.

I walk through the gorgeous front gates only to see a Western-looking person arguing with the elder monk (he's got to be in his 80's). Person "x" clearly has their knickers in a twist and begins to scream at the monk. Hunkering closer, my curiosity gets the best of me - why would this person scream at a man like this? The monk & I soon lock eyes.

The monk says to person "x", "You cannot enter the monastery dressed like that". He's right, every idiot knows out of respect that you don't dress like you are about to lay on a tanning bed when entering a place of holy splendor. Any Hindi or Muslim place of worship would turn you away quicker than a shooting star if you showed up dressed like this. No doubt.

The vibe becomes a little too much to bear. Person "x" continues to scream (strange overtone for a place about to have a peaceful pujah) - borderline pulling their hair out when the monk beams a huge soulful smile. The monk firmly says, "Surely you wouldn't enter your church at home dressed like that". I instinctively laugh, the monk laughs, and person "x"'s screaming rant immediately stops and then stomps off.

The elder monk and I proceed to talk about the history of Thiksey. He's awesome, courteous, helpful and smart... we easily understand each other with generous smiles and happy vibes. He's a good egg. Sheesh, there's always one cook trying to spoil the broth, isn't there?

The desert in the sky

2007-08-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

Jammu & Kashmir is an amalgam of 3 contrasting regions: Buddhist Ladakh, Muslim Kashmir & Hindu Jammu. Since it lies in India's most troubled region, the military presence is very strong here. Permits are required to go virtually everywhere due to the pressures with neighboring Pakistan, Tibet and China.

Nature is not very generous here. My lungs have been working overtime for days. Ladakh, besides being one of India's most culturally diverse areas, is also a very precious ecosystem with altitudes of nearly 20,000 feet. In short, it is literally a desert in the sky.

As the red blood cells increase and the signs of altitude decrease, I am feeling quite cosy in this remote Himalayan region. My secret recipe for altitude is - at least 3 liters of water per day, multi-vitamins, Omega-3, light high carbohydrate meals, 320mg's of aspirin every 8 hours for the first 48 hours. Fortunately, I've always had great luck with altitude and feel like I could run sprint up Mount Tamalpais at this point.

As I have been hitting the lesser known roads here, I am finding a stark combination of absolute wonder and incredibly harsh climates (I've seen more than a few bite the dust from the altitude). It's one of those places that you can get sun stroke & frost bite in the same sentence. Still, the people are amazing and worth every hassle that this desert in the sky throws my way.

Taste the heat

2007-07-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

Made it to Delhi after a very comfortable 14 hour non-stop flight direct from O'Hare. I was greeted by my driver, Satyam, who proved to me that one can, in fact, go 50MPH in rush hour traffic (can't wait to try these newly aquired skills upon my return). I imagined that this was as close as I was going to get to driving with Kerouac's protagonist Dean Moriarty in "On The Road". If he was anything like this - I am very impressed & can appreciate the lore surrounding "Cowboy Neal". What's more, he understands my Hindi, as do the locals in Delhi who clearly appreciate my neophyte understanding of the language.

One of the prices one pays for hitting the Indian & Tibetan Himalaya when the passes are clear is that the heat swelters in the cities below 100 meters. I am officially walking around in a sauna and take respite in my cosy room with AC cranked & satellite TV. Did I mention that it's very hot? OK, this is nothing new - when I officially begin my long journey to the great Indian Himalaya on Monday, I'm sure that the heat will seem like a distant memory. Quite frankly, it's no worse than LA in August!

Himalaya on the brain

2007-05-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

As I prepare for yet another trip to Asia, it's a great reminder of the deep connection that I have with that part of the world. Looking particularly forward to heading back to the Himalaya and spending quality time in Ladakh & Kashmir. The Himalaya has always provided inspiration & it's no wonder why it continues to draw me back.

While sorting through old pictures, I stumbled upon some snaps taken on my first trip to the subcontinent almost (gulp) 20 years ago...

Sketchbook (Exhibit A)

2007-05-03T23:27:00.001-07:00

Backwards looking forward

2007-04-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

Been meditating a lot on music lately - it could be because I've been making a point of playing regularly, working with a band and writing songs again. Back in the mid-90’s, I was working with a bass player named John. His house in Mill Valley had piles of artwork he'd done everywhere - hundreds of stunning pieces equipt with vibrant colors. I would frequently sort through his vast array of work that included anything from NYC skylines to extraterrestrial/people hybrids and other visual impressions from the road.

John's work was expressive, inspiring and awesome - to me he represented the complete artist. The other day I stumbled upon this sketch I did of him when we were working on a record together back in 1995-96 (he died in May of 1996). I slammed this out while we were on a break from recording my first album. It captures the basic vibe of who he was - cigarette dangling & always cool demeanor. His rock & roll star friends all nicknamed him "Mule"...

There's something in the water

2007-01-21T11:49:00.000-08:00

In the late 1990's, I was living in London and doing a fair amount of writing, gigging and recording. A friend of mine, Richard Schiessl, had a recording studio in Greenwich - it was an amazing space that sat right on the edge of the Thames River (about 500 feet from the Cutty Sark). When the studio wasn't booked, I would grab the Tube from Camden, hop on the Docklands Light Railway and then take underground foot tunnel to Greenwich.

Backstory...
I wrote the basic structure of the song a few hours before my girlfriend at the time, Sharon, was going to take me for real Mexican food in London. She loved the whole Mersey Beat sound (she was from Northern England), was a great Thin Lizzy fan and dug live music of all kinds (she once took me to see a brilliant King Sunny Adé show in a London shopping mall). I was also living down the block from Noel Gallagher, who had a townhouse called "Supernova Heights".

I frequently saw him walking around Hamstead Heath and would occasionally chat with him. He would say "They don't make 'em like that anymore, man" a lot when referring to old guitars or records from the 60's & 70's. The song sat for 4 years before I picked it up again - changed some lyrics around and then decided that it was worthy of recording. The vibe of that period is very much alive in the final track and it's a joy that it came together so well.

Nerdspeak...
In 2002, when I finished the song and recorded it, my goal was to use the vintage George Martin production style. This meant that I would incorporate his style of arranging, balance of instruments and of course the overall sound. For this recording, we used the same microphones (U47/U48), microphone pre-amp (Telekunken V76), ADT (artificial double tracking) on the vocals, guitar (Rickenbacker 360V12), piano (Steinway), amps (Vox), compressors (Fairchild) and a Neve mixing desk. John Cutler recorded this one - Mike is on bass, Vince is on drums and I am on guitars & piano. It's cheeky I will admit, but the song does grow on you after a while...

Listen to "The Rocker".

(eyeneer music publishing ©2007)

The perserverance of a hack

2007-01-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

It's captivating to see the creative expressions of my friends - be it visual arts, writing, music, random mixed-media cornucopia or a combination of all of the above. Whatever the expression of choice may be, it's something that invariably brings me closer to the essential core of who that person is.

While I consider my skills as a visual artist to be that of a complete hack, it seems to beckon continually at the moment. Perhaps I have gotten more disciplined and am able to focus my energies accordingly. Often times it comes down to surrendering to the moment and getting down to business without any expectations.

For the last several months, I have been cranking out pieces with India ink & pastel and experimenting with various paper mediums (Cartiera Magnani 140lb. neutral pH paper takes the cake). Bottom line, I have no idea what the hell I am doing after years of subjecting myself to this sort of creative quagmire - it's more about the unknown journey. The one thing that remains, I'm very perserverant and consistently deliver when the muse says, "Get busy, kid!".

Five things you don't know about me

2007-01-04T12:49:00.000-08:00

Zoe tagged me on this one, so here goes…

1. I’m an avid ukulele player. The uke is one of the best instruments there is and it makes all kinds of music sound great...

2. Learned Spanish simultaneously along with English as a tot. I love languages and because of my background as a musician, I pick up tones very easily. Been studying Chinese and Hindi over the last few years…

3. At 13, traveled throughout Europe with friends John and Dan. We were chaperoned by a history teacher who spent the entire adventure getting severely tanked and trying to pick up birds. While skiing in the Swiss Alps during that trip, we ended up helping with an avalanche rescue (while the teacher got sloshed in the chalet the entire time - "Ein Pint Bier bitte!")…

4. I dislike pork and ham with a passion and prefer French wines to California wines...

5. One of my idols growing up was former baseball player Pete Rose. After an All Star Game, my older brothers took me to the hotel to get his autograph. As I held up my game program for him to sign with wide eyes, he frowned and chortled, “Get out of my way frumpy little kid!” From that day forward, Hank Aaron took his place…

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

2006-12-31T22:25:00.000-08:00

6:30am...

wake up

yoga for an hour

hike in the mist to the highest peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains

cold on the summit

coyotes eat the scraps from lunch and are thankful

proud buck with fawn smile at us

lonely bobcat follows from behind

amazing

...cheers!

Betty Lou

2006-12-06T10:30:00.000-08:00

My parents, fortunately, have always been more than a little on the "arty" side. When it came to music... strains of Miles, Stravinsky, Monk, Duke, Ella, Muddy Waters, Ray Charles, Sarah Vaughn, Lead Belly, Mary Lou Williams, Rolling Stones and Beatles were abundantly heard and forever burned into my consciousness before adolescence.

My father, in particular, gave me a true appreciation for country & bluegrass. On my tenth birthday, we went to see Bill Monroe and Doc Watson at the Grand Ole Opry. At 11 years, on a family ski trip to Utah, I first heard the laid back sound of Don Williams and was immediately hooked. Even Eric Clapton paid homage to him on "Lay Down Sally", which is a direct descendent of Don's style.

A few years back, I decided to pay my own tribute to Don Williams and wrote a song inspired by him. When the tune was finished, I gathered my bandmates together, including Chris Haugen, dusted off my pedal steel guitar and went into the studio record it.

If you listen to the musical break, Chris plays the first solo on dobro and I play the second bit on electric guitar. I love writing this type of stuff and wonder if maybe there was a missed career opportunity in Nashville? Who knows...

Listen to Betty Lou.

(eyeneer music publishing/BMI ©2004/2006)

Flashback: That's The Way (Part 2)

2006-11-15T21:19:00.000-08:00

Epilogue

Sometime in the late 90's, my song writing had taken a different turn. I started approaching the process of writing music and lyrics in an entirely new way - also began writing music almost exclusively on piano. Rather than run from my influences, I started to embrace them and found a whole new path open. "That's The Way" is one of those transition songs and it accurately reflects everything from my world at that time.

Writing while on the road has always worked well for me, so when I returned to the States in August of 2001, I had over 20 new songs. Unfortunately, the events of September 2001 prompted me to find the missing words to "That's The Way" (which if you listen closely, the middle instrumental part is nicked from a Bach fugue).

While it's mostly optimistic in nature, there is a lugubrious side to it which is amplified by the Mellotron violins that I play . The song was recorded in late 2001 and mixed in early 2002. It's always a crowning achievement to get your creations on tape and this is one that came out better than expected and says everything it needs to say.

Listen to That's The Way.

(eyeneer music publishing ©2002/2006)

Flashback: That's The Way (Part 1)

2006-11-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

Prelude

Journal excerpt:
Sikkim, India - April 18, 2001

Spent another morning at the chaat house down the road eating masala dosa and chatting with the proprietor, Sonam. I have a bit of altitude cough and he hands me a big bag of cloves, telling me to suck on a small pinch 3 to 4 times per day. Sonam's an ayurvedic healer in his spare time and seems to have encyclopedic knowledge on the subject. It's only been half a day and my cough is under control and getting better!

I have a great view of the Eastern Himalaya range. Mount Kanchenjunga, which stands at 8534 metres, doubles as a Sikkimese protective deity. She stares at me every morning in stern mastery with all of her majestic beauty, demanding my attention and rightly so.

Enjoying Sikkim thoroughly - it's yet another jewel in India's rich and diverse tapesty. Security is tight due to this being a very sensitive boder area (Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan), so I have to renew my visa every 7 days and carry papers with me at all times. The people are kind and very soulful.

Playing a lot of music here and working on a new song in my room. A young girl, Dawa, approaches me in front of my guest house with a big smile to tell me that her family has enjoyed listening to me play music. She tells me that her parents actually dance and that it makes everyone in her family happy when I play. Perhaps one of the most incredible complements I could ever hope to receive...

It must be the altitude, but I am playing this tune over and over. I can't get it out of my head:

That's the way
Baby that's the way of the world now
Yes it is
That's the way it is

It ain't no game
We're living it every day now
Win or lose
Either way
It's the way it is today

Still trying to sort out the words and have to craft a middle part to tie it all together. This place has given me faith in how cool humanity can ultimately be. From the moment I stepped foot into town, I have been bowled over.

Decided to head over to Dharamsala next week to see Dan, Zoe & Tashi. Dan & I have been in contact via email since I arrived in India a month ago and now I get to see those guys for the first time since we met up in London about 10 months ago... mi Madre de dios!!

About a girl

2006-10-29T20:03:00.000-08:00

Once the visual muse calls, it becomes challenging to turn it off. That's what happened the entire weekend...

Did some large-scale pieces - 36" x 48" [ink & color wash] and a few 11" x 16" [ink & pencil]. Most of the work is whimsical in nature and I can walk away from the weekend a happy camper.

Curiousity triggers my subconscious

2006-10-26T19:38:00.000-07:00

I continually think of things in terms of "visual interpretation". Sketching has always been a centerfuge for a lot of my creative expression - thousands of drawings later I am more amused than ever. Although ideally I would love to paint every image that I draw, it's not entirely realistic given my schedule. Still, the art of drawing is an amazing voyage into the subconscious and an intrepid process of discovery.

Experience

2006-10-22T22:19:00.000-07:00

Experiencewhere do we go from here?
maybe take it to who knows where
the future is now i swear
then again in this love we share...
experience

love comes to those
who give it up most
and those who don't wager lose
believe it or not
you get what you got
so bring it on home to you

darling, where do we go from here?
maybe take it to who knows where
the future is now i swear
then again in this love we share...
experience

friends come and go
life is a show
someday we'll walk on air
believe it or not
you get what you got
so bring it on home from there

darling, where do we go from here?
maybe take it to who knows where
the future is now i swear
then again in this love we share ...
experience

it's pure experience
it's pure experience
it's pure experience

Listen to Experience.

(eyeneer music publishing ©2005)

She’s got great skin…

2006-10-18T23:37:00.001-07:00

Saw the movie “The Queen” this week. I am a sucker for bio movies – having just finished writing my second biographical screenplay (or what I like to call "revisionist history").

Anyway, Helen Mirren’s performance was superbly done and she was 100% convincing of the real article. Suddenly I began thinking about Queen Elizabeth II's skin.

I got to meet HM Queen Elizabeth II & HRH Prince Philip, The Duke Of Edinburgh - back in 2002 during their Golden Jubilee visit to Victoria, BC. Under rather absurd circumstances, I was invited to the Royal event at Victoria's beautiful Town Hall. The Queen’s rather friendly “secret service” gave us the 411 on Royal protocol (i.e. do not turn your back, do not speak unless spoken to, etc.).

The Royals arrived and toured the building, then spent some time surveying the art. The Queen signed the Town Charter and then somewhat casually mingled with the guests. As Queen Elizabeth II approached me, she asked where I was from. When I told her that I was from California, HM replied, “Oh, it’s so lovely." She asked about my work and I told her that I was into entertainment and technology. The Queen nodded and appeared to smile ever so slightly.

I shook her glove as she extended it to me and looked into her eyes. Her demeanor was very pleasant, although she did seem a little bit in auto-pilot mode. Prince Philip followed closely behind, locked his stern eyes into mine - surveying me as though I were of Ragamuffin stock, and then shook my hand with a grip that would have made Bubbles proud. The Queen has lovely skin.

When inspiration strikes...

2006-10-13T15:18:00.000-07:00

Back in the early part of the new millennium, my friends Dan & Erma hosted a massive house party in Mill Valley called "First Friday". Random musicians would show up with their respective instruments and play until the wee hours of the dawn. There was never a shortage of dancers to sway & swoon to the infectious melodies and improvisational grooves.

"First Friday" eventually became far too massive of an event to host the hordes of ecclectic folks that showed up every month. So, Dan & Erma decided to take the party "pro" and went on to create their own musical space; the wonderful Larkspur Cafe Theatre.

In a fit of inspiration, following a legendary "First Friday" jam session that lasted until the break of dawn, I went home to write and record a song based upon the evening's adventures. The ensuing song, like most that I write, came pouring out of me like gin from a still. I called it, humbly enough, “Friday Night Shuffle”.

I rang my friend (and fellow Shanghai Noodle Factory drummer) Vince Littleton to tell him that he was needed. He came over the next day, set his drums up in the living room, and proceeded to add a human rhythmic touch. While perfecting his drum part, he kept poor George Lucas' son (to whom he was giving drum lessons to at the time) waiting.

Inspired by this growing infernal racket of a creation, I called up Bobby Strickland - horn player extraordinaire - to gather a proper horn section together. I wrote the horn parts in about 10 minutes and we then laid it down on the tape. I sang & played guitars and Hammond B3 (conveniently located in my living room). Fellow Shanghai Noodle Factory bass player, Mike Sugar, sang the background vocals along with me.

Richard Fischer mixed the track at "In The Pocket" up in Forestville the following week. The result is what we call "cheesy inspiration". Wish you were there...

Enough gab, now it's time to listen to the song: Friday Night Shuffle.

(eyeneer music publishing ©2005)