Jamn

Panama Bay Cafe

Finally the weekend after a stressful week dealing with my job, Of which I am becoming less and less pleased with, (but remain thankful for), I was told of this in my I-Ching reading back before I took the job. So it is not like I did not know…it is not that it is all that bad, I have had worse, however I dislike being micro-managed it puts me on edge. Anyway I digress, I was looking forward to the weekend. Besides not going to work, no traffic, I had a couple of gigs, only one was paid but even one is cool!

yeah baby yeah! 🙂

The Concord Xpress asked me to come by Sat. night and play harmonica. Playing harmonia is cool for a while but it is not my main axe (instrument) so I do not get off doing it for too long. It is a filler instrument for me something to be done while playing bass or guitar. However it is playing. I told the leader I would do so, but also to bring a keyboard and I would fill in on that as well.

I’ve played keyboard a little but mostly on my own recordings or song writing, not with a band. I figured it being just the blues I could swing it. I also brought along my flute, which I enjoy much more than the harmonica. I do not often get a chance to play it as I am usually playing Bass. Not two things that can be done at the same time. The last time I got to really play Flute was in Hawaii when I was sitting in with a couple of local groups. So I was looking forward to that part.

So Sat night I show up and we are set to go. I got a spot in the corner and layed out my stuff. Funny thing, the leader and I both brought flutes and Harmonicas and sat at the keyboard. She asked later if we were twins…. She did not play her flute as I brought mine. All went well. I could not hear my keyboard much so only played on a few songs when I could crank it up to hear being sure enough of what key I was playing in and could stay there.

Mostly it was flute and harmonica. Sometimes keyboard and harmonica, on the last song it was flute and keyboard. Yup same time, sweet, I had my mojo working, also name of the song 🙂 The evening was fun. Lady Z showed up after we started and took a few photo shots. I was not expecting her as she was not feeling well. She could not understand how I could come in an play without rehersing with them. Not really that hard, if you know some basics about Blues I said.
Anyway the evening was good, the people there enjoyed the music, we got one offer to play at some party for the Oakland raiders. (who knows if that was for real). I got to do some flute work, which was fun. It made the blues sound kind of jazzy, and added a different feel to things, I dug it. The event was recorded. Most likely will not sound as good as the live version because recorded you can hear all the mistakes and being as I could barely hear myself they would jump out on the recording heheh 🙂 However I’m pretty sure there were a few good tunes in there. It would be nice if I was given a copy. Anywhoo it was fun and I was not getting paid not even part of the tips. so no biggie on the bad notes, it was Jamn practice for me.

I wonder if I will be able to find this type of niche in Japan… I do know a couple of musicians already, and as Gaijin in Japan we should be able to get some attraction if we formed a band…or even as the Lady Z and another friend says just myself as a Bass player of color (use what you got if it works) should be able to find some gigs.

Unity Center Church

Sunday was the paid gig at the Unity Church. This gig came about because of doing the circus show. There was a couple hours rehearsal on Thursday, which I went through the songs briefly and was given a tape and a bunch of charts to look over. Which I checked out Sat nite after the Panama show. This is suppose to be once a month through Aug. who knows what will happen after that. I would not have minded or will mind doing it for free. However even better getting paid to play for a Spiritual gathering.

This was an interesting gig. I had been the the Unity Center before a few years ago with my ex. She was not pleased with the holding hands and swaying at the end, I was not either for that matter, so we did not go back. I still do not care for that part, it is uncomfortable at least to me. I was glad I was on the stage and did not have to do it, today. Those are the kind of things I find not pleasing about those type of congregations. But that is just me and my hangups, shyness, ego whatever… I would like just a simple hold hands, group & prayer. However… I do like their philosophy about God and religion.

Today they had a guest speaker. He was a preacher from the Church of Religious Science. He was originally from North or South Carolina. He moved, looked and sounded like a Southern Baptist preacher. At one point he quoted from Dr. Martin Luther King and sounded almost just like him. However his sermon was not like a Baptist sermon. He spoke on the Oneness of all things with God not a duality of being. How in the beginning there was only God, so all things, including us, were made from parts of God, and therefore we all have God’s essence, which makes us gods. Not God with the Big “G” but god with the little “g”. But still part of the Great Spiritual energy called God. He spoke of his travels to India and followed the trail that Buddha took. All this was kind of strange coming from a person who looked and sounded like he should be in a Baptist Church preaching fire and damnation. He lead the group in meditation, also something like that seemed weird to be doing in a Church with this person sounding like he did, saying Namaste, anyway, It was all good! I enjoyed the sermon and the lesson. It was good for my spirit, it was the kind of thought I could relate with, not the limited fundamentalist view that I was raised knowing. There was a lot of energy there today. After that kind of sermon I wonder what it will be like with the regular minister speaking , who sounds like a radio commerical announcer. Even he said it will not be the same there after that type of speaker.

As far as the music. It was cool playing behind a choir. Such an energy that comes across with so many voices and music combining. It was very COOL, like theater. I always thought it would be fun to play which a church band, but did not want to deal with the dogma that goes with main stream Churches in order to get in with one. I was definitely lead by the Force to this one. The songs we nice, even had a couple of funky tunes in which I was able to get my groove on. These were not your typical church kind of music. I got called out during the two sessions (?) as the new Bass player and welcomed. Nicer than just called out as a new visitor to the church and an outsider. I never cared for that. Anyway, the music went well, There was a guest performer who played a song he wrote, and played with us and the choir on a couple of songs. Turns out this guy is a Grammy nominee. He does major commerical songs and other tunes. So playing with him was nice also the drummer was very good, so the whole experience was cool. Many thanked me for coming to play and said they enjoyed it, that was nice feeling being appreciated. One woman said, you were wonderful on that funky song. I really enjoyed that. I’m really chocolate on the inside, dark chocolate… I went ohh, ah so just smiled and said ah, …she meant well. So I took it in good spirit like it was given. The sound person there asked me if I would be interested in playing for a new group she is with, they are doing some variety stuff things. Of course I said yes. When the Tao opens a path, I should at least check it out. Who knows what the tide will bring…