Tag Archives: influences

Back to the Bass-ics

Posted on April 27, 2007 by John

After years of playing rhythm and lead guitar, tonight I’m returning to the bass for a jam session at Roque’s Blues Hall here in Natchitoches. To reindoctrinate myself, so to speak, I’m listening back to my earliest influences and remembering … Continue reading →

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James Brown

Posted on December 25, 2006 by John

I cannot say I learned to dance, although at times I was inspired; and with each wrong note, took a chance that in his band, I might get fired. Precision: like a jeweler’s saw he cut through space and time … Continue reading →

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Thoughts on Willie Nelson

Posted on November 8, 2005 by John

Thoughts on Willie Nelson: I read a quote recently where someone said (and I paraphrase) that “considering all Willie Nelson has done for America, he should be exempt from paying taxes for the rest of his life.” Well, I agree. … Continue reading →

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Obviously Lefty Frizzell

Posted on October 28, 2005 by John

I’ve always been obsessed, thematically, with silence, journeys, and the contexts in which real “life-changing” epiphanies occur. It seems to me that one of these places is on the road touring (and it seems to be backed up by what … Continue reading →

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I Blame Lawrence Welk

Posted on October 25, 2005 by John

I love old songs, and I love mixing it up and keeping ’em guessing. For that, I blame Lawrence Welk. Some jazz cats look down on Welk’s ensemble (compared to Goodman, Ellington or Kenton it was a SWEET band), and … Continue reading →

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Howard Jones

Posted on June 16, 2005 by John

So many inspirations have escaped, slipped through the cracks, their golden finish tarnished when confronted with the facts Some let their fame get to them, others watched it slip away, often so caught up in business that they never learned … Continue reading →

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Cummings on Poetry

Posted on May 24, 2005 by John

A tag line on a message from a discussion group included part of a quote from e.e. cummings that I have tacked on my wall to remind me of what I’m supposed to be doing as a poet. I first … Continue reading →

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