It seemed as if we were back to a semi-normal jam this week. Jason was scheduled and psyched to play and he got there by the 2nd or 3rd song. He came in with a nice Dunkin Donut Dozen (alliteration) and by happen-chance, I brought in a thermos of coffee and it was a nice mix. We now jam like my mother plays canasta, it’s embarrassing; not quite rock and roll, but when we were ready to play we left it up to the random iSpinomatic. And the iSpinomatic spun us up a Morning Dew to play as our first song with Jason. It all worked and we pulled out one of Deadstein’s best played Morning Dews to date. Really sweet stuff. It must have been the donuts. Maybe it was the Halloween cookies Ken brought. Whatever it was, we played it very solidly and relaxed.
Ken was there, the friend of Phil the Vet who seems to really dig us. His positive vibe engages us to play it up a notch when we can. Eventually Ken’s friend, Art came in to dig us also. Besides Scott Bayer, that was the extent of our guest list, but I get the sense we are really beginning to amass a following. We have Carol on the cell-phone that feels as if she is in the room with us on the speaker phone. It’s a crazy world. When we later played Stella Blue, Art got all excited and got the idea of playing the song live to his daughter, also over the cellular network. We are such a forward looking and far reaching band, allowing our fans, known as Deadsteinheads, to transmit our shows over the cellular network. Too bad the Stella Blue’s lead was masqueraded.
Looks Like Kevin's Playboy Interview Photo Shoot
Jason was only able to play for 6-8 songs until he got pulled away. Too bad because I think we were gelling nicely. Oh well, Deadstein moves on. We got into a lot more GarBand and ended the night a few minutes early with a very unsatisfying Satisfaction. Not to worry, the bad Satisfaction was the exception and not the rule. For the most part we played well with feeling and sensitivity. We played with a pink tone for Breast Cancer Awareness month. Whatever it was, it was pretty good. Good enough to get Ken to ask Scott for his number to keep tabs on the Deadstein experience. We must be doing something right.
In the world, global warming concerns peaked during the jam as I had a tremendous case of the winds. It was advisable that Ken and Art found seats that were not behind me.
As you can see from the song list provided through Rich’s recording, we only got to 15 songs, way short of last week’s 24 songs. Anyway, it’s about quality and not quantity. To hear them all you can go to the website or just click the song below.
With the new iPhone I am able to pre-post in the car while sitting in traffic at the Holland Tunnel. Pretty cool but there isn’t much to say except I’m looking forward to the jam on this hot, muggy day in July. It could down pour at any second, but then again, the sun is showing it’s shining countenance in my rear-view mirror. Maybe I’ll check in during the jam. And I thought I was going to be getting there early.
Well I did get there early to meet Scott and Rich who beet me to the studio. Kevin showed up shortly thereafter and we were playing by an early 8:15 with an overly ambitious Jack Straw. During this pre-Jason Core-4 period we also played a very long Memphis Blues as I went through all 3 Fender Twins trying to find one I like.
Jason showed up by around 9:00 and we played a To Lay Me Down. He had a different guitar which was a cool 1973 reissue of a 1958 black Gibson Les Paul. It was like the one Jerry played in the 60’s with the funky front pickup. We did a nice New Speedway, Other One Franklins Combo and revisited the Other One later on in the evening as we did the entire That’s it for the Other One into a Johnny B. Goode to end the night. I only sang the first verse of the Cryptical the first time we did it and sang the second verse only during the second playing of it. That’s It for the Other One had a nice tinkery ending to it. We also did a Mason’s, Brokedown and a few others. One strange thing about the night is we had no guests, not even Scott Bayer.
Till we meet again, this time in August. By the way, I did pull a coke out of my ass when Kevin needed it the most. The beverage vending machine was out of order and Rich had to run for a few waters early in the evening.
This was another crazy night and I am now relying on my new iPhone to post this night’s jam using a free WordPress app. Well I typed the first sentence on it but went to my new Acer Aspire One mini netbook to complete it. These are two new amazing pieces of gadgetry in my life and I found the iPhone distracting as I played since I was thinking about it all night. I just picked it up at 5:00 just prior to the jam.
It wasn’t just the electronics that was distracting, we had a virtual full house with 5 guests in addition to the five of us including Jason. As far as guests we had sock-hoppy and dangerous with an egg Rob and Miriam as well as Scott’s friend Phil the vet and his friend Ken. Of course we had Deadstein crier Scott Bayer who also showed up.
We got 4 and a half songs in before Jason joined us who came in like a storm and left within seconds for butts and coffee. The he found his way back into the jam and played all the way through 11:52 at night where we ended with around and around. I appreciate the fact he came directly from the airport to get to the jam.
Rob spilled G-d knows how many beers and it smelled like a college dorm by the end of the night. Nevertheless, it looked like he was having the time of his life and how much more could we want from a Deadstein jam.
I recall some good moments in an interesting Dancing in the Streets jam. We had mostly good moments and jams and enjoyed some explorations in jams including the Dacing, China Cat and I sure a few others.
We were playing Wednesday night this week and were scheduled to Jam with Bayside Al, but a last minute remembrance meant he was out. Jason was clutch enough to be available at the last moment, on a night that’s typically tough for him, and we were off to play. Nothing new or special and the only guest we had was Scott “Live from Hell’s Kitchen” Bayer and the dozen donuts brought in by Jason. Let’s us not forget the great big Smarties that Jason found somewhere. Those were pretty darn good.
We got in a couple of songs while Jason was gettng ready including a How Sweet It Is followed by a Ramble on Rose. Kevin’s been listening to Fox Theater 5-19-77 and was in the mood to play some ‘77 Dead so the Ramble on Rose it was. Jason strapped it on and we did the Cassidy that went places we’ve never gone before. Really solid stuff. We struggled and never made it through the Big River but the Looks Like Rain and Desolation Row were top notch for us. We also ended the night with what is probably the best Don’t Ease Me In. Overall we played pretty well this night and it was satisfying and not tiring.
If you want to give it a listen, the links to the MP3s are provided below.
It was a Monday night jam due to my first Tuesday of the month meeting but at least meant no traffic and easy parking. It also meant Jason was available and there to play with us. As far as guests that where there to join us, we had Robert Think Space, Miriam Welby, Scott Bayer and Leo Video Lawrence. The first two boogied a bit to our Johnny Be Goode giving us a little inspiration to give it a little effort. It was pretty exciting and in addition, thanks for the beer. It was an Amstel. I got there early and met Kevin and we discussed my pursuit of a pickup truck to replace my aging VW Jetta which embarasses Kevin for me every time he sees it.
We got one song in, Aiko-Aiko, as the Core-4 before Jason got there and that just got us warmed up enough to be ready to rock when he got there. I recall some really good stuff but I especially liked the sweetness of the sing me back home. Kevin hit the end of the Sugar Magnolia perfectly for the first time since we restructured it 6 months ago. That was nice to hear. I think the PA sounded pretty good, not great this week, so hopefully the recording is also a little better.
Thanks to Rich for recording the night and a link to the MP3s is provided below, or just listen to individual songs linked below.
This was the last week in June and we were playing Tuesday which meant we were able to get Jason to play and sing lead. We got one song in prior to his arrival, Let the Good Times Roll, with just the four of us. That was good and it lead to another 7-8 solid songs following there after. We opened the slot with the Mama Tried which was nice and slow which felt good.
I liked the sound of the PA from the singing perspective but it was possessed when it came to the piano. It had a mid-range umph that wasn’t good, picked up cricket noises from Scott Bayer’s phone and then occasionally would squeal a 10K whistle that was really terrible. It also seemed as if the PZM, went in and out at times or was hitting the wood or something. I still like the sound of the condenser to mic the piano rather than the PZM, but I digress.
So we only had one guest, Scott Bayer and his harmonica. He called Carol on the cell phone who really seemed to enjoy the Way You Do the Things You Do and the Beat It On Down the Line. We did a really tight Tennessee Jed, Cassidy was hot and spacey. We ended the solidity of the song selection as I decided to do the Weather Report Suite but it was good nevertheless. We spent some time in the middle of it practicing the “Winter’s Grey and Falling Rain” part for a while before continuing with the rest of the Let it Grow. This transitioned nicely into a Spoonful which was sultry.
Jason left at about 10:45 leaving us Core-4 for some personal music toward the end of the night. This included a Box of Rain that Scott sang and we had used no drums. We did the Sailor Saint to end the night which was pretty good for t his combo. We started this whole end of the night segment with a good Race is On. We also did a real comfortable and enjoyable Shady Grove, of all things.
Below is the setlist and MP3 listening links from the night which are available at the following. We hnak Rich and his recorder gfor this music.
It was a fun night filled with candy and nuts and we can’t wait to do it again, starting now in July. In the world Billy Mays (Oxi-Clean info-commercial guy) died suddenly and Al Fraken was declared winner in the challenged Minnesota Senatorial race. Enjoy Independence Day, because the way things are going in our county, we are soon going to have to declare November 4, 2008 “Dependence Day.”
It was a week of getting back to basics with Kevin and Jason rejoining us for a full night of Deadstein freakiness. The type of freakiness that just pop in the room like Ken Levine with his roving band of drunken, merry pranksters. Doooh! as Kevin says. There is lots of stuff to try to recall and write about so let’s se what I can remember one day after.
We were in our cozy studio #2 and Scott was forgetful on the way to the jam. He forgot his nephew’s guitar he was dropping off for Jason to work on and had to go home to pick it up, then he forgot some check he had to give Kevin and also had to go home. Molly was tired of meeting him at the curb. Finally, he either forgot or chose not to bring his standard 6 shots of espresso. By the 3rd song he was scheming on how to get coffee delivered to Studio #2. He worked with generic studio guy to get a delivery of 8 large coffees that were terrible, black and without condiments. What a disappointment. It was good for nothing but for Ken Levine to knock over as soon as he got into the studio. Additional, the total sloshed lady, I’ll call her Dolly because I never asked her what her name was, accidently kicked out Jason’s power strip when she staggered across the room late in the evening. We we not setup for this type of experience.
The evening started like most Deadstein nights with the core-4 of us standing around the piano discussing the past week of life and what-nots. We got going with 3 or 4 Garband songs until Jason arrived. There were some good moments in there. We also did a Black Throated Wind during this introductory segment. The coffee arrived, then did Scott Bayer and his harmonica. Jason next arrived and away we went. Scott Bayer left us and then Ken Levine came in with a blackchick named Regina, the Real Estate Dude, Dolly the sloshed blonde and Ken himself looking dapper. She came in dancing and having the time of her life 3 sheets to the wind while Ken spilled the coffee but the band kept playing on.
We fulfilled a few requests like Dolly’s Deal that sent her back to an old fashion flashback. We really rocked her world, but in her state it wasn’t a tremendous accomplishment. Actually we played well at times but also had major brain farts at other times, but the band keeps playing on.
Eventually two more of Ken Levine’s buddies come skipping in, Fred and Jo. They were celebrating Ken and Fred’s 40-year anniversary when they enjoyed some great Grateful Dead trip 40 years ago when they first met. Something like that. It was also Fred’s one-year annivesary of seeing Deadstein and he was sharing that with us also. I guess Fred is into the whole anniversary thing and we should expect to see him some time again in mid-June 2010. Fred and JoAnn also both became mesmerized by the Deadstein vortex. I think everyone left in a stooper thrusted upon them by the Deadstein musical vortex. The Real Estate dude and Regina were the first to leave. Then went Ken and Dolly. Finally Fred and Jo left and we couldn’t say good bye to them enough and vice-versa. What a freak show. And the band keeps playing on. And we did do the Music Never Stopped. I eventually drove everyone out with my rendition of One More Saturday Night. ”I turn on Channel 6 the pretender comes on the news . . .”
It was eventually the five of use remaining. I broke out the big bag our Sour Patch Kids and they were devoured in about 60 seconds. We did the entire Weater Report Suite. I had finally learned most of it during the the week but was disappointed in my execution of it when it came to brass tacks. Oh well, the bands keeps playing on. We transitioned the Let it Grow into a Me and My Uncle that was for the most part a train wreck and that was the end of the night. Jason bolted on the first elevator down and the rest of us followed shortly thereafter.
A night to remember more for the experience than the music. Who knows, maybe the recording will show us something different, but I’m not expecting it. Till we do it again.
Playing Monday night and without Kevin on bass presented Deadstein with a new challenge in sustainability. The buzz-word of the day. Al D. proved to be out little blue pill bringing his nice sounding Fender bass to the jam to fill in for Kevin. Al is quite the relaxed musician because he just and jam with and go with the flow. He may not know how to play a song but he knows how to play a song. When we got to Carroll’s we surprised them because they didn’t have us in the book. They had to scramble to get us set up but they did so with a smile and grace. Actually we found out the David Byrne was rehearsing at Carroll’s earlier this week in preparation for his concert he was playing this night in Brooklyn. They told us he rides to the rehearsals on his bicycles. Pretty cool.
I enjoyed the Al D. bass thing. Wes tuck with lots of Garband and Al does play more like John Kahn than he does Phil so being the only guitarist meant the Garband trick was the thing to do. Most of it was good, but the music was at a much more accessible range than is typically so it was fun to play in the added space.
Scott was playing the tiny jazz drum-set that was left there by Ron Carter and with the help of an espresso with 5 extra shots, Scott was able to play through the entire night with out really tiring. Drumming was good. Rich used the non-PZM microphone to amplify the piano and it sounded nice again, witht he lower volume, we were able to turn down the gain on the mic and the whole room sounded more natural due to it.
We new Al had to leave at 10:00pm so we were going to be bassless for the last two hours. Not a good prospect, but Deadstein still moves on. As 10:00 approached, Al had 1 or two more songs in him. Somehow we hood-winked him into playing 6 or 7 more songs, so we really go the most out of Al as we cold. He probably left at around 10:45 and we really appreciate his effort.
Jason was to play lead for us but wasn’t scheduled to show up until about 10:00 himself. As Al left well after 10:30 Jason was still a no show. No big deal. After Al left, we hung for a few minutes and then we manned our instruments. We played a few songs, mostly Beatle songs, not done to well, but we were making music and that is what it is all about. As we a just going through some motions to complete a jam, to make sure we got the most out of our expensive evening, at about 11:40 Jason comes walking into the room. He had candy and apologies in his hand but no guitar. We were wrapping up anyway. We hung for a little bit and then I gave him my guitar to play and then he Rich and Scott spaced for 15 minutes or so.
It looks like we are aiming for Tuesday next week. Can’t wait to see you all next Tuesday.
It seemed as if we were back to a semi-normal jam this week. Jason was scheduled and psyched to play and he got there by the 2nd or 3rd song. He came in with a nice Dunkin Donut Dozen (alliteration) and by happen-chance, I brought in a thermos of coffee and it was a nice mix. We now jam like my mother plays canasta, it’s embarrassing; not quite rock and roll, but when we were ready to play we left it up to the random iSpinomatic. And the iSpinomatic spun us up a Morning Dew to play as our first song with Jason. It all worked and we pulled out one of Deadstein’s best played Morning Dews to date. Really sweet stuff. It must have been the donuts. Maybe it was the Halloween cookies Ken brought. Whatever it was, we played it very solidly and relaxed.
Jason was only able to play for 6-8 songs until he got pulled away. Too bad because I think we were gelling nicely. Oh well, Deadstein moves on. We got into a lot more GarBand and ended the night a few minutes early with a very unsatisfying Satisfaction. Not to worry, the bad Satisfaction was the exception and not the rule. For the most part we played well with feeling and sensitivity. We played with a pink tone for Breast Cancer Awareness month. Whatever it was, it was pretty good. Good enough to get Ken to ask Scott for his number to keep tabs on the Deadstein experience. We must be doing something right.
