Happy 2015!

I feel like I need to do some penance for my lack of musical endeavors (at least with regards to writing  & playing). Maybe sing a few verses of Proud Mary?

Very nice holiday celebrations, a few familial, medical-type battles and a new kitten, Obie (seen in image atop blog in a blatant attempt to get more notice – he’s much cuter than me), all competed for my attention.

As I mentioned in my previous post, Recording magazine has started a feature for beginners – it’s called First Steps and is being written by Paul Stamler. I am going to attempt to follow along and incorporate what I learn as appropriate. In his 1st installment, he lays out his approach to the series offering a clip of a public-domain, klezmer song he recorded, “Arbeitsloz Marsch (The March Of The Unemployed)” – performed by Ottoman Underground, the analysis of which will serve as the series’ “spine.” It seems very clean and simple, but I’m sure it took a lot of knowledge and work to get to sound as such.

I need to make time for Get-Up practice as the yearly, spring cabin session is ahead – I have, at least, been listening to our songs to get them solidly in my head. I will also have to figure out how to accomplish some work on the record during a few weeks of work travel that I have coming up (working on lyrics, recording ideas on my phone, ???).

-Onward and Edward