Hey Folks,

Well, I was going to try to set this up

So another off-the-wall post here; how would you expect anything other?

Another of my little projects this winter was to learn to play the Native American Indian Flute. I thought it might be nice having an instrument I could backpack and hike with during the summer, and I was also concerned about having a guitar in the cabin this winter, with the crazy low temperatures not being friendly to a delicate and expensive guitar (I ended up bringing my acoustic guitar, a Martin J-18, out to the cabin with me anyway – more on that later). I bought the flute in late January, a flute handmade out of walnut, in the key of E. It’s awesome. I’ve been playing it nearly every day, often for hours at a time.

Playing a wind instrument is SO different to playing guitar .. I never pay attention to my breathing when playing guitar, and yet it’s almost the ONLY thing to give attention to on a wind instrument – learning the difference between ‘blowing’ and ‘breathing’ makes the world of difference to tone and depth.

Lately I’ve found playing a few notes and riffs is a nice way to say ‘thanks’ to the mountains after I’ve done some photography .. so I usually get to my spot, pick out some compositions I want, play the flute while I wait for the light to really glow, then when I’m done, I play a few simple tunes to thank the landscape. It’s a treat for me to hear the flute amidst such scenery.

Cheers

Carl

Hey Folks,

Here’s another post that has little to do with photography. I recorded this little piece tonight, in tribute to one of my favorite guitar players, Jeff Healey, who died recently. Jeff was a bluesman and musician of the highest order. I hadn’t heard the news until a few days a ago, and am deeply saddened to learn of his passing. Jeff was an amazing musician, full of all the fire, passion and soul we all aspire to. I had the great fortune to see Jeff play on a tour to Australia years back, in the late 80′s, at a small venue in Sydney, and he was awesome. Jeff tore it up like few other musicians would, stepping into realms few other players dare venture – it takes an awful lot of courage to play with the kind of passion Jeff did – because there’s nothing left uncovered, nothing that isn’t completely exposed when you bare open your soul like that. It’s an inspiration to witness that level of honesty in a human being.

Jeff suffered from a rare form of cancer, Retinoblastoma, and as a result lost his eyesight early in his childhood. The cancer finally took his life, at age 41, March 2nd, 2008.

Jeff played guitar in an unorthodox manner, seated, with the guitar horizontal across his lap, fingering the left hand notes from above the guitar, like a piano player might play, and his right hand strumming horizontally across the strings. I couldn’t even imagine trying to play like that, and was left in awe after watching Jeff rip for 2 solid hours, playing the blues like a man possessed.

Jeff, the world’s a better place because of you and the gifts you shared; we’ll all miss you. Deepest and most sincere best wishes to your wife and two little children, Derek and Rachel. In recognition of your first album, “See The Light”, I’m sure you’re now in a place where you see the light forever, brother. In two words Jeff, Thank you.

Cheers

Carl

I wish I had a bass to play on the track, and some keyboards, but for now, a couple of guitar tracks and a simple drum pattern will do. Maybe one day I’ll flesh it out and play it properly, but for the moment, I like the spontaneity and raw feel of this take. Please don’t download it without permission.

R.I.P, Jeff.

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Hey Folks,

Here’s my first attempt to bring an mp3 (Dad, that’s an audio file) online.

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I have no idea if this will work. This is a tune I recorded with a few friends of mine years ago, for an album a group of John Hiatt fans recorded, called We Love The Jerk. The album is named, tongue-in-cheek, after one of his songs called “She Loves the Jerk”. Each person who wanted to recorded a song, and submitted it to the group, where the compilation was put together, including a cool album cover, and CDs shipped out to the John Hiatt fan club. Kind of a fun little project.

This tune is me playing guitars, my good friend Steve F playing bass, Steve Lusk singing his a** off, Chip Lunsford playing drums and Randy Hoexter playing piano. Randy recorded it at his studio. I really need to get in and do some more recording/writing and get some tunes online — maybe that’s another project I should finish. The song, Slow Turning, is the title track on John Hiatt’s “Slow Turning” album .. one of his best efforts, IMO. Definitely check out that album.

The photo is a friend of mine, Nate, way down in Futaleufu, Chile, right now, about to run the 3rd rapid of the Baker River, or Rio Baker – big, big water. Nate got smashed!

Cheers

Carl

Hey Folks,

I just got home a little while ago from an incredible concert here in Anchorage. I saw Bill Frisell, an AMAZING musician, with Greg Leisz on pedal steel guitar (among other instruments) and Jenny Scheinman on violin. Absolutely amazing. They performed a number of pieces composed and/or arranged to accompany a slide show of photos by Mike Disfarmer. The images themselves are compelling. The music, in Bill’s typical style, is quirky, yet flowing. Together, the performance is beautiful.

I’m still on a little ‘high’ from the show. It was THAT good. Bill Frisell’s been a favorite guitar player of mine for some time, and it’s a treat to hear him perform live. In an intimate setting at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium, UAA, in Anchorage, the 3 people came on stage, with none of the glamor that we so often associate with entertainment today, and did their art. The crowd, small, but almost a full house, were in for a special night. Everyone turned off their phones, nobody talked and chatted about oil prices or the JC Penney Sale, or the memo by Smithers, from the cubicle down the hall; it was just music and imagery. It was also that ‘thing’, that synergy, that an audience gives back, the reciprocity that distinguishes art from spectacle. A sublime experience for all of us.

And does any musician play and compose with more imagery than Bill Frisell? I can’t think of anyone. His music is like a soundtrack for much of the American Landscape, and it struck me when I learned of this project that he, of all people would do a performance of music accompanying images; a perfect match.

If you get the chance to hear or see this performance, definitely go ahead and take it. The universe is a better place because of art like this.

Cheers

Carl

This photo above is another from our trip to Tebay Lakes this past summer.
Wrangell St. Elias National Park Photos.