After weeks of seemingly inexplicable (or even comprehensible) distractions, I found myself in need of some shelter of my own. Perhaps I am not alone. It could be nothing more than a girl named Rita blowing into town, looking for a little action; or the lengthening shadows of eight-hour-days in an inescapable, anti-profit company, but the need is there none the less. Two things have always provided shelter — music and old friends. It certainly had been blocking any fresh blog attempts. Until Saturday night that is. Sitting in the intimate venue of Genghis Cohen in Hollywood, I listened to my old friend Bill Mumy, perform a solo acoustic set of new songs for an upcoming CD. I could feel the shelter start to form. It is one of the curses of this town that when a project is over, you no longer get to see those who you had grown close to — and it had been far too long since I had seen Bill. Wow! What an amazing night, not only has he grown as a songwriter, but it easy to forget what an amazing guitar player he is. If the CD (produced by Russ Kunkel) is half as good as Saturday's preview, it promises to be amazing.
Music, like friends always finds it's way to you when you need it the most. Being an only child, certain friendships over the years, have become family. Six, I think of as brothers — all lost until recently, one by one, they are finding their way back. I called one last week, who now lives in Houston, to be sure all was tied down in the path of Rita. I had a long overdue lunch on Friday with another. Spoke to one tonight, as we realized it had been almost nine years — damn. time is a bitch. Others are lost but will in time surface and once again provide needed shelter.
So, if you too are feeling a little tangled up, treat yourself to a couple new bands you might not have heard of yet — The Legendary Shack Shakers new CD entitled Cockadoddledon't (Bloodshot Records) is one part Jerry Lee Lewis and one part Southern Culture on the Skids, with an amazing harmonica; LA's own Big Blue Hearts new, Here Come Those Dreams Again (Adrenaline Records) and Bring 'Em In (Jive), the new Buddy Guy, in stores today, is his best since Damn Right I've Got the Blues. But as a friend of mine pointed out today, the problem with finding too many new bands can make you forget about old stuff, like Dylan's Blood on the Tracks, which I think I'll put on now — you know, a little shelter from the storm. Peace.