Paul McCartney and any Beatles song, Roger Glover on 'Machine Head" and "Made In Japan", John Entwisthle "Live At Leeds", Geddy Lee "All The World's A Stage" and the other 1st 6 Rush albums, the album "Animals" by Pink Floyd, Berry Oakley and the 1st 5 Allman Brothers albums, the blur of the 80s the slur of the 90s, my faithful dog HOMBRE DEL MUNDO and living in "The Land Of Dreams" NEW ORLEANS The Sacred heart Of The South!
I was born in Oklahoma January 15,1963.Me Ronny Van Zant, and Martin Luther King Jr. all share the same birthday,as well as my good friend Jeff (Fro)Nathan who pulled a rabid Fairfax Co. Va. cop off me(I won in court) when I was 18.Fro used to bow hunt with Ted Nugent.
The first musician I ever met was Mark Everett(Eels) at age 6.He played drums to "The Star Spangled Banner".We were in several bands together.Most notably The ASAP(alcohol safety action program)Blues Band.The first song ASAP played in public was"Revival"by the Allman Bros.We often finished our gigs with a tune called"Waterhole"by The Outlaws.Try playing that one too!
Speaking of bluegrass and blessings,I was blessed to grow up with bandmates who learned music through their families, and it was bluegrass.The only difference between bluegrass and speed metal is amplification.
Let there be rock!And since my dad was a tone deaf fighter pilot, I paid for my lessons and equipment.Believe you me, I've been paying my dues since I was thirteen.Oh, but wait a minute.He did pay for a years tuition (82-83)at the Musician's Institute of Technology in Hollywierd,California.I learned a whole lotta more than just playing music that year.
But the most leaping educational experience came in 1979 when I met Tom Sakalaris and his cousin Pete Levine(Flowerhead).Pete was really into this new band called The Police.Tom was into Traffic and The Allman Bros.Tom helped me to understand how to correctly play any note you like knowing it to be the right note.(BONG HITS)
The 1st inspiration to write my own stuff is due to my 12th grade english teacher's reference to the Wife of Bath in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" as being "a real Screaming Hog Mama".I knew there was a song in there, and there was.It's a tender love song all about well fed women who like hanging out in truck stops having tender brawling sex.Over the years it has provien itself to be a champion crowd pleaser and a real roadhouse rocker.Maybe I'll record it someday.
During the 80's I dabbled in several genres of music, one of which is represented in the 1st two songs on the site "Success" and "Don't Misunderstand Me".The band was called Mother Whip(84-86),but we were something different infront of it, and something else afterwards.The drummer (Matt Obrien)is inccredibly fluent and can easily play two parts at once.The guitarist(Bruce Krombholz,whose dad played with The Seldom Seen) is by far the most talented gitpicker I've ever played with.I hope he gets better.
In 87' I was in a band with this guy named Jimi Darne(dad played mandolin and upright bass).The 1st band I was ever in was with Jim. Jimmy is a creative soul who can play one note a million ways all at once.A straight up flat picker,when Jimmy wanted to play fast,you had to get it in gear and hang on for life.We were called Cicada 'cause they were out in force that year(see 17 year locust).Barrett Jones(recording engineer on the Mother Whip gig)joined and the band became BARK.We were well received in the Washington D.C. rock scene.Lots of gogs with lots of great bands including SCREAM(Franz and Pete Stahl)and even opened up for this band called RAMONES.Earlier in the decade when Mother Whip was something different playing psycodelic blues, we opened up for and backed up Paul Barrere(Little Feat) and Catfish Hodge during their "50 Cities 50 Nights' tour.
In the early 90's I was hanging at The New Vegas Lounge(14th @ P sts N.W.D.C.)It was a soul club extrordinaire 7 nights a week.A man named Jet owned it.Liked to call himself "The Future Dr. Blues".On tues. and wends., Jackie Lee(Wilson Pickett) ran the baddest, tightest open mike I ever heard.Skip Wilson(Isaac Hayes) was there and so many more.D.C. has a thriving blues scene(Danny Gatton/Roy Buchanan/The Nighthawks) and we'd often jam on tues. and pull together gigs for sat..One night, Jackie Lee turned to me and said,"For a white boy, You've got soul".Man, did that feel good.Still does.
I'd likr to thank Colin Kenny(Hollywood Fla.) for introducing me to Jackie Lee.Colin Kenny is THE BADDEST SLIDE PLAYER I've ever heard or played with.He's got more Johnny Winter in him than Johnny Winter!Albert Collins, Albert King, Albert Einstein, Colin Kenny.The 1st time I got thrown in jail(I won that case too),his brother(Denny Kenny!?!)was a trustee and I got TWO baloney sandwiches!Yeah, me and Colin had a band called ROAD PIZZA with Jeff Campbell(U.S. army) reaching back to when Fro was pulling cops off me.
In 93' I came to New Orleans on vacation(Jazz Fest) and never left but to get my shit and move down.It seemed like sich a nice town(til they stole my clothes out the car).One night this dude I met said,"You gotta come down see this band at Checpoint's.The chicks REAL HOT".So I walked down with him to see and meet Irene Sage(Irene and the Mikes).What a sweet, pleasent woman. Someone please tell her I said hello.Turns out the drummer in her band(Tony Foots) is a dude I know from The New Vegas Lounge.Imagine that.His girlfriend's, friend's, girlfriend's aunt had a room to rent and I was in like Flynn.
It's been downhill ever scince.
I went, after an 11 year absence, to church.The organist asked me was I a musician, did I know any bass players?But of course! Albinas Prizgintas(Yellow Dog) is the hardest working musician in New Orleans.I bet anyone $5 bucks.I played my 1st gig in town as part of the Trinity Artist Series with him.Charmaine Nevelle came and put us on TV(Real New Orleans).Through Albinas, I met and played with June Gardner Sr., Ricky Castrillo, Uganda Roberts,Dave Easley, and many more.
Churches aint the only thing going on around here, and at the Avenue Pub(1732 St. Charles Ave.)I met Manny Hirsch(The Core).Don't ask that guy if he plays the drums, he'll tell you "not as good as I should".Meticulas, to the point, and stealthfully polite. Manny, in so many ways, is a musician within my own heart.Practice, practice, practice. Get it down right so when you go into the studio, the bottom tracks get done in ONE take, the top tracks in a few more, and then you have the rest of the time to mix the drinks, I mean music."Trick Bag"(Earl King) is, I think, his favorite song, but the tune I remember us connecting on is"Please Call Home" by the Allman Bros.(Idlewild South).
Manny stuck his nose in the paper and I hooked up with a band called Raising Kane.I thought I'd played some HARD ROCK til I met these guys.Must be something coming out of NORCO.The guitarist(Stewart Holman) had never been in a band in his life.Yet he played with dynamic presicion and always was a great dude to have on stage with you when you wanted to "up the anty" for the next band.The soundman at Jimmy's called us a couple of loose cannons, but at a time when they were charging bands to use the house P.A., they didn't charge us.(BOOM BOOM)
There's nothing like a good(?) neighbor(Danny Swanson of The Core) to introduce ya to the joyful insanity of a lyrical "enlightened" redneck.Micheal Doyle(The Psycotic Lover's Handbook) is a walking encyclopedia of things to say. In "99 Miles to Mobile" and "Flying So High" I think you can see Mike's abilities in dealing with both the earthly and the etherial.Greg Surry(O.L.D./Surry's Juice Bar on Magazine St.)is an eclectic, eccentric with enough drums to suit his mood as he sees it. I found this to be very cool.It made for some entertainingly interesting performances. The guitarist(Mac) decided to let his girlfreind(J9)join and start running the band and so closed the final chapter in "The Psycotic Lover's Handbook".
On Dec. 7th, 2006 I lopped the top off my left thumb down to the 1st nuckle with a circular saw.(It did not look right!)I've gotten past it and so far the only problem I've had is that when I go hitchhiking, I only get part way there.
In April 2007, I saw James Andrews playing at a crawfish boil with Ernie Vincent.They let me sit in and man I had a good time.Turns out Ernie needed a bassist for his spot at that years New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and HOT DIGGITY DOG, I was performing at the very event that brought me here!(really it was my friend Lillian but that's another series of stories) Ernie Vincentis a great musician whose guitar playing rings a true rock and roll sound. After 14 years of living here I had picked up some bad playing habits.Ernie looked at me one practice and told me "This aint no @$!ing New Orleans funk band. Get up on the 1!".So I did just that.(whew)Ernie showed me a good bit of playing in keys I hadn't used too often and that's been a great inspiration to me.
On June 29th, 2007 I caught the ring, middle, and index fingers on my left hand in a table saw.If this ever happens to you, GO TO OCSHNER!Thanks to an impecable E.R. staff and Drs. Nawas and Trueting I have a functioning left hand.Praise The Lord and practice, practice, practice.
I"m currently interested in either joining or creating an original band here in New Orleans. That's not to say I can't be hired out.I'd like to invent an avant garde sound that can take a possibly complex idea and make it more enjoyably listenable to those of us without phd's in music theory whilst maintaining a soulful(up one the one!) groove. Or we can just get drunk and sing "Up Against The Wall Redneck Mother"(Ray Willy Hubbard)! Always tasteful. Always fun. Yeah you right!
And still going to church! May of 2007 I was turned on to the St Augustine's Soulfull Voices Choir. That's where I met Olivia Greene.They blew my mind and brought my heart to tears. I had to join.I did in March of 08(remember the hand). These women can SING, SING, SING, and the men do a good job of holding their own too! Every week is a new set of songs, and we play through the entire Mass in a jazz style unheard in any other Catholic church. It's a work out and I love it. August 3rd 08' we played yet another Mass avec Le Treme Brass Band in celebration of Louis Armstrong's B-day. What a blast! I was playing my Bass Guitar with as much and even more enthusiasm and freedom of expression as I ever have!
Just remember all things must pass including the point of no return when it comes to being treated like a 2nd class musician...
But no matter how much of a complete joy you get out of her reaction
Don't never tell no woman
Especially your choir director
Unless you KNOW it's over
That her ass is ever enlarging!
Oh well, guess it's back to rock and roll!
Let's see what 2009's got!
And I guess it has the Blues. At a FEST GATOR appreciation party in May I met Tony Vegas and after 1 jam session have ben taken on by Tony to be his Bassman in New Orleans. Which isn't very often so I am still looking for a band to start/join!
Why ain't I on your friends list? My hubbie says that is not an atlantic falcon but an Arizona Cardinal......... but reminds me of something that those Dallas Cowboys eat for breakfast!
and here is a pic of another country trying to speak-a da Engrish! see more Engrish
Hello, my friend! I'm so glad to see you are coming to the Steven LaChance session! You can buy tickets at my shop's site babayagashouse.com. I am looking forward to seeing you there!
I miss my parents.... my dad is mean but I miss my mom trying to help me out.... I want to go see them this Christmas, but I don't know..... I miss my dog 2--they have her. She is getting a little older...... *sigh*
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Mark!
