When visiting my Aunt Velma, cousin Ricky would let me listen to his records while my parents and various aunts and uncles played Set Back in the dining room. "You bored buddy? After I leave you can go to my room and listen to my stereo. Be careful with my records, don't scratch em' up". So, after cousin Ricky split for places unknown, I'd wander back to his room and peruse his collection. Iron Butterfly, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (Deja Vu), The Who (Live at Leeds), Smokey Robinson, and James Taylor to name a few. I always like the long haired, freaky, married to Carly Simon, James Taylor. Sweet Baby James had just been released and the AM radio stations played the hauntingly beautiful Fire and Rain frequently. I heard the song this morning as I took my daughter to school. It took me back to 1970 and the uncertain days of becoming a teenager. Sadly, Fire and Rain also reminds me that about a year later, in the summer of 1971, cousin Ricky died in a shoot out at an apartment complex. RIP Ricky. This one is for you.
May 11, 2009
Apr 22, 2009
Bustin Loose in South Carolina
About five weeks ago I ventured down to the bottom land, that hallowed ground coveted by Alvin York and dirt farmers everywhere, to snap a few photos of impending Spring. That day I went in search of the deciduous Magnolia, a rare find in this neck of the woods. Most of the Magnolias here are evergreen with big thick, shiny leaves that in Spring produces a big, fragrant flower. A right of being a Carolinian is the aroma of the Magnolia flower drifting through a raised window in late April, catching you unawares and taking you back to mama's biscuits and gravy. Honeysuckle will do that too. When I catch a scent of Honeysuckle it's like time travel. Instantly, I'm shagging fly balls near the outfield fence, shielding my eyes from the western sun and trying to avoid the "sticker bushes". Honeysuckle has enormous transitive capabilities. No matter where I am, if I catch a whiff of Honeysuckle, I can roam the streets of the villages...and never leave my chair.
As you wander the paths of the garden, occasionally the fragrances blend together in one powerful bouquet blast.
Here is a view of the garden from the eastern end. Those trees in the foreground are 150 foot poplars.
Here is a shot coming out of the Western edge into the future home of the croquet court. Notice the logs. That's what is left of 4 big trees that I had dropped to make way for the greensward. When completed, I think it will be a nice compliment to the Botanical garden; and a great place to punish my adversaries (may Allah keep them three ball dead).
More to come...
Now back to the deciduous Magnolia. They bloomed in early Spring and they were pretty. But now, the Bauer Garden is alive and I promised I'd be there to witness the event. We're a month in and the Rhododendrons are opening up big time.
As you wander the paths of the garden, occasionally the fragrances blend together in one powerful bouquet blast.
Here is a view of the garden from the eastern end. Those trees in the foreground are 150 foot poplars.
Here is a shot coming out of the Western edge into the future home of the croquet court. Notice the logs. That's what is left of 4 big trees that I had dropped to make way for the greensward. When completed, I think it will be a nice compliment to the Botanical garden; and a great place to punish my adversaries (may Allah keep them three ball dead).
More to come...
Apr 20, 2009
It's Rock and Roll Monday!
Chuck at CTR put up a bunch of old geezers (a couple of them dead now) scrubbing one off circa the 90's and it got me to thinking about old Roy. Here is one of my favorites. Enjoy!
Apr 9, 2009
Box Painted Blue
My friend Bonnee' is a singer-songwriter, and a good one at that! In the intervening years between her personal hardships, Bonnie was led to write and record a slew of songs which are inspired, to say the least. Living near Nashville, good musicians were pretty easy to find, and Bonnee' and her producer found the right combination of soul, gospel and blues players to carry out her vision of the music. The result is "The Eyes I Cannot See" (c1996 Bonnee'music). The songs are a mix of blues, 'jukin', feel-good blues, gospel and ballads, and she performs them with an energy which has to be sent from above. The CD opener "Jesus, He's a friend of mine" hits you in the gut right from the start and let's you know that this is no typical gospel album.
"Catch Me when I fall" features a wall of sound usually not heard in this genre', and the title track shows a softer side of Bonnee' which draws you in and makes you sigh.
If these songs seem highly personal in nature, it's because they are. Bonnee' has lived these songs and the experience comes through in the beautiful "Box Painted Blue", my favorite from the album.
"Box Painted Blue" is a timeless number and will be the first from the album to go to video. Bonnee' and I have decided to create a music video based on our shared vision of this beautiful number and pre-production begins in a couple of weeks. We'll be filming around the Nashville area, the spectacular Tennessee mountains, and maybe a couple of South Carolina locations.
Stay tuned as we embark on this first project...we'll keep you posted!
"Catch Me when I fall" features a wall of sound usually not heard in this genre', and the title track shows a softer side of Bonnee' which draws you in and makes you sigh.
If these songs seem highly personal in nature, it's because they are. Bonnee' has lived these songs and the experience comes through in the beautiful "Box Painted Blue", my favorite from the album.
"Box Painted Blue" is a timeless number and will be the first from the album to go to video. Bonnee' and I have decided to create a music video based on our shared vision of this beautiful number and pre-production begins in a couple of weeks. We'll be filming around the Nashville area, the spectacular Tennessee mountains, and maybe a couple of South Carolina locations.
Stay tuned as we embark on this first project...we'll keep you posted!
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