The
Occasional Newsletter from Benjammin
Acoustic Singer/Songwriter
“Imagine James Taylor crossed with Steve Martin and Deepak Chopra…â€Â
January
15, 2004
In
This Issue:
1.
E-MAIL LINKS
2. MORE REVIEWERS PRAISE “SHINING FROM INSIDEâ€Â
3.
A FLURRY OF HAIKU
4.
RELATIONSHIP STUFF
5.
ITP GROUP GROWING
6.
CURRENT ENTHUSIASMS: 3 CDs and 3 Books
1----------1----------1----------1----------1
E-MAIL
LINKS
For
starters, here are links to the information in my 1/15/04 email:
MORE
REVIEWERS PRAISE “SHINING FROM INSIDEâ€Â
My
latest CD, SHINING FROM INSIDE, continues to earn critical praise! James
Cassara’s review in the January issue of , Western North Carolina’s Art & Culture Monthly, praised its
“skillful snapshots of life’s minutiae†and said that “there’s no
denying the authority of [Benjammin’s] voice and guitarâ€Â.
The online songwriting and review site said that the CD featured “songs of love, peace and joyful
contemplation of lifeâ€Â, and characterized it as “very gentle and
soothingâ€Â. Here's the . Kind
of makes you want to buy your own copy of Shining From Inside, doesn’t it? (Nudge nudge, wink wink,
link link: http://www.bjbmusic.com/store.htm.)
3----------3----------3----------3----------3
A
FLURRY OF HAIKU
I
recently attended an eight-day silent New Year's meditation retreat. Many
wonderful things came out of the experience, one of which you can also enjoy: a
flurry of haiku! I wrote nearly 100 of these petite poems during the retreat,
and have posted the best ones here.
They break down into six categories: nature, philosophical, meditation,
humorous, “hike haiku†and miscellaneous. I hope you enjoy reading them as
much as I enjoyed writing them!
4----------4----------4----------4----------4
RELATIONSHIP
STUFF
I
received a lot of concerned emails after I reported the end of my wonderful
4-1/2-year relationship in my last newsletter. Thank you all for your concern
– it was heartening to know that so many people care! I am
happy to report two things: my ex-significant other and I are on excellent
“just friends†terms, and I am enjoying my exploration of the Asheville dating scene.
This town is a wonderful place to be single, and I have already met several
interesting women through speed dating, the Match.com personals, contra dancing,
and many of Asheville's other social opportunities. Life is good!
5----------5----------5----------5----------5
ITP
GROUP GROWING.
The free ITP (Integral Transformative Practice) practice and support group I
host most Wednesday and Saturday mornings at my home is really coming together!
Four or five people usually show up, and all are reporting benefits from the
workout – a 40-minute “kata†that develops body, heart, mind and spirit.
You can learn about the practice at the . Newbies are always welcome - if you’re interested, call me at
828-658-9073 or email me at BJB@BJBmusic.com.
6
CURRENT
ENTHUSIASMS: 3 CDs & 3 books
CDs
DEUTER:
NADA HIMALAYA. This has
become my favorite CD for deep relaxation and meditation! A departure from
Deuter's usual synthesized work, the only sounds on this masterful outing are Tibetan
bells and bowls, chimes, and a peaceful mountain stream. There are no melodies
or rhythms to engage the intellect - just beautiful, resonant tones, recorded
and mixed with pristine fidelity. Deuter plays these ancient instruments from a
reverent and deeply spiritual space, resulting in a profoundly relaxing and
uplifting sonic experience. Very highly recommended!
JAN
HAMMER: THE FIRST SEVEN DAYS.
Although best known for his “Miami Vice†theme, this instrumental CD shows a very
different side of Jan Hammer. Recorded in 1975, after his stint with John
McLaughlin’s legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra, this is Hammer’s ambitious
musical vision of the creation of the world. High-energy synthesized jazz fusion
tracks, seasoned with progressive rock and world music influences, alternate
with more sedate, classically influenced solo piano tracks. Now available on CD,
this one-of-a-kind masterpiece will richly reward the adventurous listener!
CARLY
SIMON: LETTERS NEVER SENT.
If you’ve only heard Carly Simon’s radio hits, then this 1994 CD will be a
revelation. Perhaps inspired by the elegant sophistication of the standards she
covered on 1990’s wonderful “My Romanceâ€Â, this extraordinary set of original tunes
strikes a perfect balance between complexity and accessibility. The songs’
surprising chord progressions and wide-ranging melodies are consistently fresh
and inventive, yet always serve the songs. Simon’s rich, resonant voice is as
beautiful as ever, but it is her songwriting that really makes this album a
standout. (For a similar songwriting style from a male vocalist, I also
recommend Gino Vannelli’s two extraordinary CDs of jazzy love songs: SLOW LOVE
and YONDER TREE.)
BOOKS
JOHN
BURDETT: BANGKOK 8.
This novel made the New York Times’ “Notable Books of 2003†list, and with
good reason. This is a mystery with a difference: for starters, it’s set in
Thailand, and detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep is a devout Buddhist - and the only
non-corrupt cop on the police force. (His Buddhist perspective on the story’s
events is a delightful and integral part of his first-person narration.) However, he does not
allow his oath of nonviolence to interfere with his culturally sanctioned duty
to personally kill the person responsible for his partner’s death – one of
many contradictions that make this tale so compelling. Bangkok’s
internationally renowned red light district is so vividly evoked that it's
practically a character unto itself, the supernatural mixes matter-of-factly
with the mundane, and fans of ingenious murder methods and suave, loathsome James Bond-style villains will not be disappointed. Burdett’s
tour
de force is a deep and fascinating immersion into an Eastern mindset alien to most
Westerners. Not for the prudish or squeamish, but highly
recommended for everyone else!
STING:
BROKEN MUSIC. This
newly published memoir by the famous musician covers his childhood up through
his early days with The Police. He writes clearly, straightforwardly and openly,
highlighting his perceived failures and shortcomings as much as his successes.
There is also plenty of humor, often at his own expense. Sting’s obsessive
devotion to his music career, in the face of numerous obstacles and good reasons
to quit, is an inspiring example for struggling artists everywhere. And the
opening, in which Sting and his wife participate in a mind-altering ayahuasca
ceremony in Brazil, pulled me in right away! Sting’s fans will especially
enjoy BROKEN MUSIC, but this book has many rewards for anyone who enjoys a good
true story about a fascinating life.
DAN
BROWN: THE DaVINCI CODE.
A bestselling novel that actually lives up to all its hype! The DaVinci Code
is a fast-paced international thriller, set in the present day. The protagonists
– a Harvard symbologist and a beautiful French cryptologist – must race to
keep one step ahead of the deadly foes pursuing them, while solving a series of
brilliant, difficult and multi-layered puzzles. Their priceless goal is nothing
less than the Holy Grail itself – and it ain’t no cup! The
novel is loaded with controversial information about the evolution of
Christianity – very little of it flattering to the church - as well as
fascinating revelations about pre-Christian spirituality which honors the sacred
feminine. Brown expertly paces the novel, saturating it with fascinating
revelations and developing his characters through action, without ever slowing
its breakneck pace. Set some time aside for this one – you won’t want to put
it down until you’re done!
IN
CLOSING
Thanks
so much for your ongoing support! I am…
It’s
been way too long since my last Examminer – sorry for the long delay!
Life
has handed me some major surprises since my last newsletter. Some were happy,
such as booking some great new venues for the first time and receiving some
expert career guidance. Some were not so happy, such as being savaged in print
and ending a 4-1/2-year relationship. (Don’t
worry – as always, I manage to find the bright side of every situation!) You can read
about
all this and more is in this issue of…
The
Benjammin Examminer
The
Occasional Newsletter from Benjammin
Acoustic Singer/Songwriter
“Imagine James Taylor crossed with Steve Martin and Deepak Chopra…â€Â
December
2, 2003
In
This Issue:
1. E-MAIL LINKS
2. GIGGING ON A NEW LEVEL
3. I AM SAVAGED IN PRINT!
4. NERFA AND MY NICHE GIGGING SATORI
5. SAMPLER CDs: ONE NO, ONE YES
6. BELATED RECOGNITION
7. COOL RECENT GIGS
8. THE ITP IS GREAT; CARE TO JOIN ME?
9. UNATTACHED ONCE MORE
10. NEW SONGS
11. CURRENT ENTHUSIASMS: 3 CDs, 1 anti-spam software program & 6 books
1----------1----------1----------1----------1
E-MAIL
LINKS
For
starters, here are links to the information in my 12/2/03 email:
With
the help of my new “Five Live†demo, I am now booking my best gigs yet! I
used to play a lot of shows for tips and CD sales, but now almost every show on
my current schedule guarantees payment. Getting booked for the first time into
venues such as the , where the likes of Billy Jonas and Chuck
Brodsky play, is also very encouraging. I am now focusing my booking in a 100-mile circle around Asheville, with
heartening success – I am getting hired by a high percentage of the venues
I’m sending kits to! It’s also encouraging to discover that the more remote
venues tend to pay better than those in the glutted Asheville market. Onward and
upward, slow and steady!
3----------3----------3----------3----------3
I
AM SAVAGED IN PRINT!
Earlier
this month, our local news and entertainment weekly printed a scathing review of
my new CD, “Shining From Insideâ€Â. I thought the review was accurately
characterized by a letter to the editor the following week, which called it
“…unnecessarily mean-spirited. If Shanafelt didn’t like the CD and its
philosophy, that’s fine – but why devote a whole column to a hatchet job
that seemed more like a personal attack than a review?†Actually, my friends who contacted me about the review were more upset
than I was. I actually laughed out loud as I read it, recognized it as an
inevitable rite of passage, then proceeded to extract the good bits for my press
kit. The review quote reads:
“Optimistic … Benjammin obviously knows his way around a guitar …
great backing musicians … the album's production quality is excellent … a
semi-spiritual, world-music-inspired kind of acoustic-folk … [“Billions of
Angels†is] perhaps the most-happy version of the apocalypse ever.â€Â--Mountain Xpress
Steve Shanafelt’s review called me “unsparingly optimisticâ€Â, and
that much is true: I am convinced that far more good than bad will come of the
review. My CD sales actually increased as a backlash against the review, and the above quote will continue serving me long after
Shanafelt’s more unpleasant words are forgotten.
4----------4----------4----------4----------4
NERFA
AND MY NICHE GIGGING SATORI
I
attended my third NERFA – the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance Conference –
a couple of weeks ago in the Catskills, along with about 500 other acoustic
musicians, venue operators, DJs and media folks. However, my main insight came
from a completely unexpected direction!
On the spur of the moment, I signed up
for a half-hour career consultation with Jeri Goldstein. She is the highly
respected author of “How To Be Your Own Booking Agentâ€Â, the indie
musician’s business bible. Her message to me was simple and forceful: go
outside the box with my natural strengths, booking gigs where the money is and
other musicians aren’t.
In my case, this means that the more energy I put into
performing at meetings and conferences of metaphysically-minded people and
“new thought†churches, the more financially and emotionally rewarding my
career will be. I’ll keep you posted as this new side of my career develops!
5----------5----------5----------5----------5
SAMPLER CDs: ONE NO, ONE YES
First,
let me thank all of you who bought “Shining From Inside†from CD Baby, the
world's coolest online CD store, in
August. Your purchases helped me vie for a coveted spot on their latest
music sampler. However, when the dust cleared, I did not make the cut (no pun
intended) - I fell about 30 sales short of qualifying.
However, my upbeat blues-rock song "We're All One" was
included in a new radio sampler that was just put out by Coffee Stain Music. The
professionally manufactured CDs were sent to several hundred stations, and
should result in some nice airplay for me!
6----------6----------6----------6----------6
BELATED
RECOGNITION
My
“guess the number of images on my new CD cover†contest actually ended up with two
winners, not just the one I announced last time. I apologize for mistakenly
overlooking Christine Robinson’s correct five-image guess, but am happy to
report that she has now also received her prize: a free copy of“Shining From Insideâ€Â. Belated congrats, Christine!
7----------7----------7----------7----------7
COOL
RECENT GIGS
*Opening for and accompanying the very talented duo of Marienne Kreitlow
and Jerry Ford at the Fletcher, NC Unity Church on September 14. This was a nice
preview of the kind of gigs I’m going to be doing more of. (Plus, I got to
work on my harmony singing and percussion playing!)
*Returning to my home
state for a Sept. 28 Oklahoma City house concert. The show, at the home of my
amazing voice teacher Karen Smith-Pearson, was a pure delight. So was getting to visit
with family and old friends. (Discovering a $100 bill in the tip jar was pretty
cool, too!)
*Performing at the
Rolling Thunder Review, featuring Jim Hightower, on Oct 30 in Asheville.
8----------8----------8----------8----------8
THE
ITP IS GREAT; CARE TO JOIN ME?
In
the last Examminer, I raved about ITP – Integral Transformative Practice –
and all the new vitality and subtle energy awareness it had given me.
I have
stayed with it for another three months, and am now even more impressed! The
increased vitality is great, but what I’m really enjoying is the profound
bliss I experience at the end of the deep relaxation sequence. I often extend
the relaxation for an extra 15 or 20 minutes, breathing in more and
more chi. It often feels as if my whole body has been transformed into subtle energy! I’m so enthused that I have even formed a free ITP practice
group,
which meets at my house most Saturday and Wednesday mornings at 10 AM. If
you’re in the Asheville area and would like to try out this amazing practice,
shoot me an email or call me at
828-658-9073 and
I’ll give you the details! For more info on ITP, check out the .
9----------9----------9----------9----------9
UNATTACHED
ONCE MORE
It
turns out that calling off our marriage was the right thing to do after all – Deanna
and I have decided to go our separate ways. However, we still have a deep and
abiding affection for one another, and are grateful for the deep personal
growth and unconditional love we experienced. It was a wonderful 4-1/2 years! We both expect to remain lifelong friends, and wish each other the
best as we move into this new phase of our lives.
10---------10---------10---------10---------10
NEW
SONGS
Breaking
up is tough, but it certainly can be a wellspring of inspiration! My latest crop
of songs tends toward the heartfelt side, and I’m being told that they are
some of my most accessible and enjoyable yet. I’d love to play them for you at
one of my upcoming shows!
11---------11---------11---------11---------11
CURRENT
ENTHUSIASMS: 3 CDs, 1 anti-spam software program & 6 books
CDs (this time they’re all by current or former Asheville area residents!)
THE
MUSES: ANGEL.
The
Muses are a female a capella sextet based here in Asheville, but their sound is
world-class. Their debut CD “Angel†reflects their belief that great music
has no borders, and brings together songs from Ireland, Spain, Nigeria, the
Middle East, Georgia (the country), and more. There are plenty of American tunes
as well, including a stunning cover of“Angel From Montgomeryâ€Â. (Check out Natalie Grinnell’s bluesy solo
on the last verse!) Other highlights include member Judy Rhodes’ 9/11-inspired
“Mother’s Lament†– the gorgeous layered harmonies will bring tears to
your eyes if the lyrics don’t – and the uniquely African harmonies of the
traditional Nigerian song “Ishay Oluahâ€Â. The ballads are my favorites, but
there are also plenty of upbeat tunes. A great CD for a capella and world
music fans, or just plain old music lovers!
JEFFERY
HYDE THOMPSON: LISTENING ROOM.
To just call Jeffery Hyde Thompson a singer/songwriter is to unfairly limit him:
his shows are breathtaking displays of multi-faceted virtuosity. Most amazing is
his voice: spanning over three octaves, itnails everything from powerful, resonant lows to ethereal falsettos and
blazing scats. His acoustic guitar work is varied and polished, incorporating
everything from jazz and blues to funk, rock and folk. His songs are full of
unusual structure and eclecticism, covering everything from lust, romance and
sadness to comedy, tenderness and reverence. And his stage patter is quirky and
often hilarious.
“Listening Room†captures it all, recorded live. He’s a
one-man music machine, an act I would never want to follow, and will be
appreciated by those who love brilliant, outside-the-box music.
BETH
WOOD: LATE NIGHT RADIO.
An extraordinary CD, brilliantly performed and innovatively produced. There’s
so much to like here: Wood’s well-crafted pop songs; her powerful, versatile
voice; Don McCollister’s masterful production. (He also produced the Indigo
Girls.) Great lyrics, compelling musical hooks, strong choruses, a variety of
catchy grooves, gorgeous heartfelt ballads – I simply can’t heap enough
praise on this CD. In fact, I would put “Late Night Radio†right up there with the
very best albums of the 70’s. If you like that era, this disc is guaranteed to
please!
ANTI-SPAM SOFTWARE PROGRAM
SpamBayes.
A highly effective free download that yanks spam right out of your inbox!
The program
starts out eager but clueless, with no idea what spam is. However, it quickly
learns by example: as you keep using the handy “delete as spam†button it
adds to your email program, it
rapidly learns to filter spam out into separate folders as soon as it arrives. There,
you can either delete the spam en masse, or scan through it first. (SpamBayes
has yet to misidentify any of my legitimate email as spam.) The program’s
Bayesian filtering operates based on what you tell it spam is, and automatically
updates its filtering criteria as your spam patterns shift. (Is that cool or
what?)
The program became fully effective for me after about 10 days. I used to get
over 100 spams a day flooding my inbox – now SpamBayes redirects almost all of
it. God bless SpamBayes!
BOOKS
NEAL
STEPHENSON: THE DIAMOND AGE, OR A YOUNG LADY’S ILLUSTRATED PRIMER.
There are great reads, and then there are novels of stunning brilliance,
extraordinary vision and breathtaking creativity.
This belongs to the latter
category: an epic sci-fi adventure set in a nanotech-saturated future,
interwoven with an interactive fantasy story that takes place
in a young girl’s ultra-high-tech “storybookâ€Â. It’s also a political thriller;
its Shanghai setting is an unstable, seething cauldron of diverse world cultures
on the verge of revolution.
There are so many unique and well-drawn characters,
so many fantastic settings, so many compelling, outside-the-box ideas, that a
meaningful synopsis is futile here. Suffice it to say that this tour-de-force of
the imagination is a wonderfully plotted, masterfully written novel full of
heart and excitement, and earns my highest recommendation!
MICHAEL
CRICHTON: TIMELINE.
A
ripping good yarn involving time travel (sort of) through a quantum foam
wormhole back to the 1400’s. This novel’s chief delight is Crichton’s
exhaustively researched and often surprising details on the Medieval period,
whose “Dark Ages†were far more complex than most folks realize.
A small
group of graduate students in history – most woefully unprepared - is
transported back to this strange and deadly time on a long-odds rescue mission,
and are quickly caught up in the intricate political and military intrigues of
the period. There is a large and diverse cast of colorful characters from all
levels of medieval society, and the plotting is brisk and suspenseful.
Pulse-pounding escapism doth await thee!
ANN
PATCHETT: BEL CANTO.
South
American terrorists take a room full of international dignitaries hostage –
along with the world-class opera diva who was singing for them. When the one
person they really wanted turns out to be absent, a protracted standoff occurs.
As the situation drags on for weeks, then months, the mansion that has become
their entire universe gradually transforms into…a paradise! The hidden talents
and finer qualities of both terrorists and hostages emerge, their former lives
become hazy memories, and surprising relationships develop between captor and
captive.
This temporary Eden cannot last, but Patchett’s hypnotic, fable-like
storytelling makes you wish that it would. A unique, imaginative and hopeful
novel.
SUSAN
HOWATCH: THE WONDER WORKER.
This
compelling ecclesiastical novel, set in modern London, is centered around Nick
Darrow: a handsome, charismatic Anglican priest. His healing ministry and life
are thrown into crisis when he misuses his psychic powers to try to hold
together his
crumbling marriage. Howatch expertly crafts a fascinating cast of
characters, including Nick’s spoiled, materialistic wife, his crotchety
mentor, and a quiet, overweight woman – the church cook - who is central to
solving everyone’s problems.
Howatch excels at grappling with thorny moral
issues in a thoroughly modern context, and her technique of spending plenty of
time in each character’s first-person viewpoint helped me deeply sympathize
with each one. The writing is polished, heartfelt, frequently funny and always
enjoyable. I really enjoyed this one!
J.K.
ROWLING: HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX.
Another excellent entry (#5) in the Harry Potter series, and, at over 850 pages,
the most intricately plotted as well. 15-year-old Harry is now in full-blown
adolescence, complete with fits of rage, rebellion and puppy love. Slandered by
the Daily Prophet and the Ministry of Magic - and facing his worst treatment ever
from adults at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - Harry faces his
most difficult and serious challenges yet. Rowling’s imagination hits new
highs, filling the tightly crafted story with numerous fresh delights on top of
her dependably solid storytelling. A fantasy delight for both kids and adults!
TAMI
HOAG: DARK HORSE.
An expertly crafted thriller/mystery/suspense novel set in the high-dollar world
of equestrian wheeler-dealers in Palm Beach, Florida. The protagonist -
washed-up, hard-boiled ex-cop Elena Estes - is drawn out of her near-suicidal
depression by a 12-year-old girl in search of her kidnapped older sister. The
clues lead Estes to a well-drawn cast of rich, ruthless suspects in the elite
show horse community, each despicable in their own unique ways.
Hoag’s prose
and plotting are tight and compelling, and I also enjoyed her use of advanced
authorial techniques. (The best one: the fact that she sets several critical
scenes in film script format is itself a clue to the mystery’s surprising
conclusion.) Great escapist reading!
IN
CLOSING
I
hope this holiday season is your best ever, and thank you for helping me keep
the music alive! I am…
Wishing
you a wonderful EVERYTHING,
Benjammin
*********************************************
My
new CD is finally available! But that’s only the tip of the iceberg in this
issue of…
The
Benjammin Examminer
The
Occasional Newsletter from Benjammin
Acoustic Singer/Songwriter
Imagine James Taylor crossed with Steve Martin and Deepak Chopra…
1. THE NEW CD HAS ARRIVED! 2. FREE CD CONTEST WINNER ANNOUNCED 3. UPCOMING PERFORMANCES 4.
CURRENT ENTHUSIASMS: 3 CDs, 2 books, 1 retreat center, 1 meditation technique
and 1 cereal brand reviewed
1----------1----------1----------1----------1
THE
NEW CD HAS ARRIVED!
The
long wait is over - my
new CD, “Shining From Insideâ€Â, is now available for preview and purchase! I
am joined by 10 other musicians, and most of the songs feature full band
arrangements. To quote the tray card, it’s “a genre-jumping
singer/songwriter CD – full of heart, humor, life-affirming energy and
mystical beauty.†It also blends numerous styles, including pop, contemporary
folk, rock, blues and world music!
*
You can hear two-minute clips from all 12 tracks, or take a guided
audio tour of the CD’s musical highlights. Link to http://www.bjbmusic.com/Sound%20Clips.htm.
By
the way, I offer a FULL MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE on all CD sales – no matter where
you buy them! If you don’t like one of my CDs, just mail it to me within 60 days for a
no-questions-asked refund! (The address is at http://www.bjbmusic.com/contacts.htm.)
One
more thing – my online distributor, CD Baby, is having a special promotion. If
“Shining From Inside†is one of their 100 best-selling CDs during August, my
music will be included on a sampler that will go out to 5000 of their customers!
Being
in CD Baby’s Top 100 may sound like a challenge, but the last time they did
this promotion an album qualified with only four sales! So if you are
considering buying “Shining From Insideâ€Â, please consider buying it through CD
Baby this month! To link directly to the
“Shining From Inside†page on their site, click here: .
Thanks!
2----------2----------2----------2----------2
2.
FREE
CD CONTEST WINNER ANNOUNCED
Last
issue, I announced that I would send a free copy of “Shining From Inside†to
the first three people who correctly identified how many separate images were
used to create the cover photo. One person - a very talented singer/songwriter
himself - correctly identified five separate images. Don Conoscenti, your free
disc is on its way!
In
case you’re curious, the images are: (1) the floating guitar, (2) the smiley
face in the soundhole, (3) the background landscape, (4) my body, and (5) my
head. (That’s right – the head and body are from separate photographs!) You
can look again at www.BJBmusic.com.
3----------3----------3----------3----------3
3.
UPCOMING
PERFORMANCES
All
of these shows are in Western North Carolina
SUN,
AUG 17
8 pm – Area 45, 45 Wall St., downtown Asheville – I’m
part of the Indie’s “Traveling Bonfires†show
- (828) 252-8806
THURS,
AUG 218:30
pm – Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave., Asheville – I’m
part of a multi-performer show of improvisational music. Don't expect to hear
any my usual songs - instead, I'll be co-creating on the spot on vocals and
percussion. This will finally put the "jammin" into Benjammin! (828) 252-8806
FRI,
AUG 22
CD
RELEASE!
8
pm – Essence of Thyme Coffeehouse, 35 E. Main St., Brevard, NC – donation -
(828) 884-7171
SAT,
AUG 23
7:30-9 pm – Live radio show on WSQL, AM 1240 in Brevard. In gazebo across
street from Essence of Thyme Coffeehouse, 35 E. Main St, Brevard. I’m one of
three acts. Free!
SUN,
AUG 318
pm – Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave., Asheville – I’m
part of the Indie’s “Traveling Bonfires†show
- (828) 252-8806
THURS,
SEPT 48
PM – Malaprop’s, 55 Haywood Street, downtown Asheville – I’m
part of the Indie’s “Traveling Bonfires†show
- (828) 254-6734
SAT,
SEPT 64
pm – Southern Dharma Retreat Center - 1661 West Rd, Hot Springs, NC – at
SDRC’s 25th anniversary celebration - (828) 622-7112
SUN,
SEPT 142
pm – Unity Church, 2041 Old Fanning Bridge Rd, Fletcher, NC – opening for
& accompanying Marienne Kreitlow & Jerry Ford - (828) 891-8700
Find
the date you’re interested in, click on the white “v†in the red box, then
click on the “Map†link by the venue name.
4----------4----------4----------4----------4
4.
CURRENT
ENTHUSIASMS: 3 CDs, 2 books, 1 retreat center, 1 meditation technique and 1
cereal brand reviewed
MUSIC
JOE
SATRIANI: ENGINES OF CREATION. A stylistically diverse, consistently inspired
album of instrumentals featuring Satriani’s wide-ranging electric guitar
virtuosity. The 11 tracks range in feel from driving rock, hip hoppy beats and
techno to funk, progrock and gentle ballads. He wears his influences well – at
times, his playing is reminiscent of a tender “Blow By Blowâ€Â-era Jeff Beck
or a machine-gunning John McLaughlin. Ultimately, though, he is his own unique
creative force – a mature, highly musical and ever-experimenting electric
guitarist of the first rank.
AL
PETTEWAY: MIDSUMMER MOON. Petteway adeptly performs these Celtic-inspired
compositions and traditional tunes on acoustic guitar. His fingerstyle
virtuosity is so musically engaging and non-flashy that you almost don’t
notice what an amazing player he is! The album’s feel ranges from relaxed to
gently energizing, and his compositions are consistently fresh and vital. (I
especially like his use of altered tunings and gorgeous extended guitar chords.)
There’s a nice mix of solo guitar pieces and cuts featuring additional
instruments – including mandolin, uilleann pipes, didgeridoo, bassoon, soprano
sax, Ashiko drum and bodhran. Petteway clearly deserves the numerous music
awards he has received – this is a wonderful CD!
DAVE
DESMELIK: AFTERTHOUGHTS. The songs on this CD, the third from this unorthodox
Americana singer/songwriter, succeed in large part by breaking the rules.
Desmelik, a recent transplant to Asheville, told me that he never wanted to
learn “the rules†in the first place, but his native talent is so strong
that the resulting songs are often strikingly original and fresh. (I’m not the
only one who thinks so, either - he won the 2002 “Flagstaff Awards for Music
Excellence†(FAME) award for best singer/songwriter.) His
rough-around-the-edges voice and laconic phrasing suit his rootsy material well,
and his vocals are so reminiscent of the late Dave Carter that it’s a little
bit scary. Recommended listening for those who like their country- and
bluegrass-flavored originals with a strong twist of originality.
BOOKS
DENNIS
DANVERS: THE WATCH. On his deathbed in 1921, infamous Russian anarchist Peter
Kropotkin is visited by a mysterious man from the far future. The man offers him
a chance to continue his life – as a man 40 years younger, in modern-day
Richmond, Virginia. Kropotkin – a character based on the actual activist,
philosopher and writer – agrees, thus setting into motion a delightful novel
of social commentary. The book, written from Kropotkin’s first-person
viewpoint, is filled with his insightful and damning observations on
contemporary American society, allowing us to see the ironies and injustices of
our own culture through fresh and idealistic eyes. Danvers never gets didactic,
however – his highly readable style is mostly light and playful. In addition,
there’s a substantial love interest for romantics and nice bits of time-travel
trickery and alternate-universe wonderment for sci-fi buffs. A most enjoyable
read!
GEORGE
LEONARD & MICHAEL MURPHY: THE LIFE WE ARE GIVEN: A LONG-TERM PROGRAM FOR
REALIZING THE POTENTIAL OF BODY, MIND, HEART AND SOUL. This extraordinary volume
goes on the very short list of Books That Have Profoundly Changed My Life. My
significant other Deanna and I have been following this book’s program –
called Integral Transformative Practice, or ITP - for about a month now. To our
surprise and delight, we are both experiencing results that have dramatically
exceeded our expectations!
Leonard and Murphy have both been prominent in the human potential
movement from its beginnings. In this book they lay out a daily “kata†–
honed down to 40 minutes so that it can fit into our modern, busy lives - that
develops the practitioner’s body, mind, heart and spirit. The workout uses
elements of hatha yoga, the martial arts, modern exercise physiology,
Progressive Relaxation, visualization research, and meditation to achieve these
ends.
They spent two years testing the program before writing the book, and
some of the students’ results were truly amazing. (One adult student, who
visualized an increase in height, reportedly grew nearly two inches in one
year!) My height hasn’t changed, but I am experiencing an extraordinary
increase in, and enhanced awareness of, my body’s chi flow. (Chi, the body’s
subtle energy, is the core concept behind traditional Chinese medicine.) I am
also experiencing unprecedented vitality, enthusiasm and peace of mind.
Deanna had never consciously felt her chi before, and was somewhat
skeptical of the whole concept when we began. Now, however, she tells me that
she is definitely experiencing her body’s subtle energies, an increase in her
overall energy, and more positive states of mind.
For those who
would rather watch it on TV, there's also a video: Leonard’s “The
Tao of Practice†guides ITP practitioners through the 40-minute kata described
in the book.
Needless to say, I am very excited about ITP. If the results are this
dramatic after only a month, one can only imagine what extraordinary things will
be happening down the road! You can learn more at .
MEDITATION
STUFF
SOUTHERN
DHARMA RETREAT CENTER. This nonprofit retreat center, which celebrates its 25th
anniversary this year, is a wonderful place to get away and revitalize your
spirit. Located in a remote mountainous area, an hour northwest of Asheville,
North Carolina, SDRC welcomes a variety of spiritual paths which use silent
sitting meditation as a central practice. Most of this year’s retreats are
Buddhist – Zen and Vipassana predominate – but Christianity, Judaism, Taoism
and Sufi retreats are also scheduled. I sat a wonderful seven-day Rinzai Zen
retreat there earlier this summer, and was very impressed by SDRC’s
facilities. Enlightenment, anyone?
THE
CHANNEL-SURFING MEDITATION. At the Rinzai Zen retreat mentioned in the preceding
paragraph, retreat leader Sandy Stewart taught us a very cool meditation
technique to help focus restless minds. Whereas many meditation techniques
involve focusing on a single object of concentration for an extended period –
often accompanied by a great deal of mental restlessness - this one shifts so
fast that the mind hardly has time to wander!
This meditation uses the six objects of awareness described by the
Buddha: (1) sight, (2) sound, (3) smell, (4) taste (or awareness of resting
one’s tongue gently against the roof of the mouth), (5) body awareness, and
(6) awareness of one’s mental/emotional state. One simply cycles through them,
using one object of concentration per breath.
The body is sitting upright with good posture, the head is upright, and
the eyes are looking downward at about a 45-degree angle at the floor. We used
the Buddhist “gesture of meditation†- hands resting on the lap, palms up,
left hand cupped in right, with the tips of the thumbs touching.
Certainly, this is not the only meditation technique one should ever use,
but it struck me as particularly useful for us frenetic Westerners!
CEREAL
(YES, CEREAL!)
PEACE
CEREALS. So now I’m a food critic? Not normally, but I have never before
enjoyed a company’s dry cereals so much! Peace Cereals makes 12 varieties,
each with its own distinctive, delicious flavor. (My current favorite is
Raspberry Ginger Crisp!) My enthusiasm only increased when I discovered that the
company donates 10% of its profits to individuals and organizations working for
peace, and only uses ingredients grown and processed without GMOs. Look for them
wherever health food cereals are sold.
IN CLOSING
Thanks
for helping me keep the music alive! I am…
Wishing
you a wonderful EVERYTHING,
Benjammin
-
Visit www.BJBmusic.com to preview and
purchase CDs, get performance dates and more!
-
"A clever songwriter, skilled guitarist, and highly entertaining solo
acoustic performer.†--Mountain Xpress
“Be
the change you want to see in the world.†- Mahatma Gandhi
TO
UNSUBSCRIBE: If you would ever prefer not to receive the Benjammin Examminer,
simply reply to any of my e-mails with the word REMOVE in the subject line.
I’m
sorry it’s been so long since my last newsletter, but I’ve been saving up
lots of exciting news! It’s all here in…
The Benjammin Examminer
The
Mostly Monthly Newsletter from Benjammin
Acoustic Singer/Songwriter
Heartfelt and humorous, life re-examined
Acoustic and mystic: the songs of Benjammin
IT'S
MIXED – IT’S MASTERED – IT’S OUT NEXT MONTH!
WIN A FREE COPY OF “SHINING FROM INSIDEâ€Â!
“PEACEFUL†INCLUDED ON KARMASONICS CD
TWO NEW ARTICLES ONLINE!
WEDDING BELLS RINGING SOON!
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES CURRENT
ENTHUSIASMS: 4 CDs & 5 books reviewed
IT’S
MIXED – IT’S MASTERED – IT’S OUT NEXT MONTH!
My
new CD, SHINING FROM INSIDE, has now entered the manufacturing process, and
should be available by the end of July. (My obsessive focus on getting it done
is the main reason why it’s been so long since my last newsletter. I even
missed this year’s Kerrville Folk Festival, which I had been planning to
attend for all 18 days, so I could finish faster!) I am accompanied by 10 other
musicians on the CD, and most of the songs feature full arrangements. As the
tray card says, it’s “a genre-jumping singer/songwriter CD – full of
heart, humor, life-affirming energy and mystical beauty.†I’ll give you more
details when I officially announce its release in my next newsletter!
WIN
A FREE COPY OF “SHINING FROM INSIDEâ€Â!
I’ve
posted the cover of SHINING FROM INSIDE on my home page – www.BJBmusic.com
- and will send a free copy of the CD to the first three people who correctly
identify how many separate images were used to create the cover photo. Be sure
to look VERY carefully! (Hint: images do not include lighting effects or text.)
I’ll announce the contest winners next time!
“PEACEFULâ€Â
INCLUDED ON KARMASONICS CD
I
am honored that my utopian song “Peaceful†is included on the new CD,
“LIVE†AT KARMASONICS, VOL. 1. The song was recorded at one of my
performances there, and its voice-and-guitar simplicity makes a nice complement
to the fully arranged version on SHINING FROM INSIDE. There’s also a lot of
good music from the 19 other acts on the disc, which is available at
(a wonderful music and video store at 14 Haywood St. in Asheville). You can call
Karmasonics at 828-259-9949 or 800-492-3079 to order.
Also
currently on newsstands is an article I wrote for the May/June issue of . The piece is geared to independent musicians, and tells how to
gain maximum benefit from attending Folk Alliance conferences. I am especially
proud of it, since it’s my first article in a national publication! It’s
online at http://www.bjbmusic.com/folk_alliance_strategies.htm.
WEDDING
BELLS RINGING IN AUGUST!
Deanna
and I will tie the knot the morning of Sat., Aug. 16, in a lovely high-vibration
setting near Asheville. (Her enthusiasm for my musical career is only one of the
reasons I love her so much!) After 4-1/2 years together, we figured it was
finally time to make the obvious official. It will be a typical Asheville
wedding, with barefoot bride, nontraditional vows, me singing Deanna a love song
written for the occasion, and a vegetarian-friendly pot-luck reception. We’re
both excited!
UPDATE: After this newsletter was sent, we decided to continue our "day to
day renewable lease" instead of tying the knot.
UPCOMING
PERFORMANCES
Sat,
July 5, 8 pm –
Grey Eagle Music Hall - 185 Clingman Ave, Asheville, NC - I will be part of the
Traveling Bonfires multi-performer show, sponsored by The Indie - (828) 232-5800
Fri,
Aug 22 – 8-10
pm - Essence of Thyme Coffeehouse - 35 E. Main St., Brevard, NC (just 45 minutes
from Asheville!) - free - (828) 884-7171
Sat, Aug 23
- 7:30pm-9:00pm – the gazebo across the street from the Essence of Thyme
Coffeehouse - 35 E. Main St., Brevard, NC. Simulcast on WSQL Radio, AM 1240 in
Brevard. I will be one of three acts on the bill, and will play a 30-minute set
– free - (828) 884-7171
Sat, Sep 06
– time TBA – Organicfest – City/County Plaza, Asheville, NC – I will be
one of several performers - free
Sun, Sep 14
– 2 pm - Unity Church, 2041 Old Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher, NC – I’ll
be opening for, and playing with, the duo of Marienne Kreitlow with Jerry Ford -
(828) 891-8700
Find the date you’re interested in, click on the white “v†in the red box,
then click on the “Map†link by the venue name.
CURRENT
ENTHUSIASMS: 4 CDs & 5 books reviewed
MUSIC
RADIOHEAD:
HAIL TO THE THIEF. Radiohead
is my new musical obsession. As a longtime progrock fan, I find myself
enthralled by the band’s slow, poignant melodies, shifting time signatures,
innovative sound palettes and effects-saturated production style. They have a
bold, unique sound, and delight in pushing the sonic envelope. I discovered them
when I was sent their 1997 disc OK COMPUTER by accident (lucky me!), then
quickly picked up the discs that followed it: their way-outside-the-box KID A
and their slightly-less-out-there AMNESIAC. To my ears, the newly released HAIL
TO THE THIEF is a little more mainstream, harkening back to OK COMPUTER, but
with their experimental tendencies now coherently integrated. The lyrics are
quite dark, but you can’t understand most of them anyway – even if vocalist
Thom Yorke was singing nonsense syllables, the extraordinary music would be more
than enough. An adventurous masterpiece!
JACK
KID: ESPRESSO ECSTASY.
A delightful, mature, and assured singer/songwriter CD. Jack’s strong, relaxed
voice (very reminiscent of Dana Robinson’s) and confident acoustic guitar
stand front and center throughout, with other acoustic instruments added here
and there for seasoning. Jack’s well-crafted songs cover a wide range of
emotions – joy, tenderness, sadness, irony and humor – with equal adeptness,
and he’s not afraid to get political or silly now and then. This is a solid
and consistently enjoyable CD, with clean mixes and fine production - a great
addition to your singer/songwriter collection!
STUART
DAVIS: NOMEN EST NUMEN.
I first discovered Stuart Davis as a character in Ken Wilber’s novel
BOOMERITIS. I figured if someone as brilliant as my favorite spiritual
philosopher liked this guy’s music, I should check him out too. I started with
this 1996 CD, and was totally blown away by Davis’ “post-apocalyptic
folk-punkâ€Â. The music is consistently fresh and innovative, and the outrageous
lyrics are highly literate and brilliantly crafted. The music alternates between
acoustic openness (the “folk†part) and wall-of-noise distortion (the
“punk†part). The album’s songs mostly have to do with sex and violence,
but are leavened with plenty of ironic humor. There are also oases of genuine
love for his parents (“Guardiansâ€Â) and higher consciousness (“Fall
Awakeâ€Â). Most of the tracks are unmitigated masterpieces of songcraft –
highly recommended for adventurous ears!
PETER
MAYER: EARTH TOWN SQUARE.
A lovely, gentle and uplifting singer/songwriter CD that brings the lofty themes
of global unity, human interconnectedness and personal awakening down to earth.
The lyrics are literate and superbly crafted, the music is diverse and
consistently engaging, and there is a wide variety of well-used instruments.
Peter’s rich baritone voice and guitar playing (including his occasional use
of advanced techniques like two-handed tapping) sound great, as does the
spacious production style. Peter is saying things we can all benefit from
hearing, and is saying them in a way that will make us want to hear them again
and again.
BOOKS
LOUISE
ERDRICH: THE MASTER BUTCHERS SINGING CLUB.
A masterful novel set in one of the most boring places imaginable – Argus,
North Dakota –yet peopled with fascinating and expertly realized characters.
Spanning the decades from WW I through 1954, this book focuses on the family,
friends and customers of Fidelis Waldvogel, a WW I German sniper who immigrates
to America with his wife and becomes Argus’ foremost master butcher. Erdrich,
a National Book Award finalist, uses her small-town stage to play out life’s
most profound themes, including love, death and identity. Her compelling cast
includes Delphine Watzka, a woman whose alcoholic father hides a dark secret
about her past, and Cyprian Lazarre, the French-Indian circus performer whose
homosexuality frustrates his desire to fully love Delphine. Prepare to be
engrossed!
T.C.
BOYLE: DROP CITY.
In 1970, a drug-saturated hippie commune devoted to peace and free love is
evicted from its land in California. What happens when “Drop City†relocates
to the untamed wilderness of Alaska, and must co-exist with the hard-core
survivalists already there, is the stuff of grand drama and comedy. Boyle’s
hilarious prose kept me laughing out loud, yet the book is at heart a serious
exploration of its characters and how their ideals are inevitably reshaped by
life’s realities. A great read!
LAURIE
R. KING: KEEPING WATCH.
Not just an incredible novel of psychological suspense, but one of the best
books I have read in any genre. This masterful novel focuses on two fascinating
characters – Allen, a Vietnam vet who rescues abused children for a living,
and Jamie, the 12-year-old boy whom Allen saves from a monstrous father that the
boy both loves and hates. King excels in bringing her complex characters vividly
to life: Allen’s heroism is fueled by his guilt over the horrors he witnessed
(and, under duress, perpetrated) in Nam, and Jamie may already be so warped by
his father that he could be a danger to the family sheltering him. This one gets
my highest recommendation!
DOUGLAS
PRESTON & LINCOLN CHILD: THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES. A
first-class thriller, set in New York City (present-day and 19th century), that
masterfully blends horror, excitement, suspense, science, archaeology and lots
of the New York Museum of Natural History. When construction workers uncover an
urban charnel pit – 36 mutilated bodies dismembered by an 1870’s serial
killer – it appears to set off a present-day copycat killer. Does the modern
serial killer believe, as the original one did, that a special elixir distilled
from his victims’ spinal cords can make him immortal? Or is this the work of
the 1870’s killer, still alive due to the elixir’s success? Vivid and unique
characters, fascinating evocations of 19th century New York, and consistently
excellent writing and plotting make this a compelling page-turner. Preston &
Child score again!
CHRISTOPHER
MOORE: COYOTE BLUE.
The comfortable yuppie lifestyle of a successful insurance salesman is wrecked
when he is suddenly and relentlessly plagued by his past – in the form of his
unwelcome spirit helper, the Native American trickster god Coyote. It’s not
funny to the salesman -- Sam Hunter, who abandoned his Crow Indian identity at
15 -- but I was laughing out loud all through this outstanding comic novel. No
word is wasted in Moore’s taut, polished prose – such as when he gives the
name Black Cloud Follows to an Indian’s junker car - and he expertly blends
humor, love, Native spirituality and genuine wisdom. Imagine Douglas Adams
crossed with Carlos Castaneda – if you can stop laughing that long!
IN
CLOSING
Thanks
for helping me keep the music alive! I am…
Wishing
you a wonderful EVERYTHING,
Benjammin
-
Visit www.BJBmusic.com for full-length songs, performance dates and more!
-
Host A Benjammin House Concert! E me or call me at 800-461-3569 for details.
Learn more about house concerts at .
-
"A clever songwriter, skilled guitarist, and highly entertaining solo
acoustic performer.†--Mountain Xpress
- First Place Winner, OSCA Songwriting Contest
- "Heartfelt…an authentic and thought-provoking musical experience."
--Soul Infusion (venue)
TO
UNSUBSCRIBE: If you would ever prefer not to receive the Benjammin Examminer,
simply reply to any of my e-mails with the word REMOVE in the subject line.
Whatever
your feelings about the war in Iraq, I wish you peace in your life and the lives
of those you love. For my part, I am trying to spread some positive vibes with
some concerts and my soon-to-be-finished CD! Learn more in this issue of…
The Benjammin Examminer
The
Mostly Monthly Newsletter from Benjammin
Acoustic Singer/Songwriter
“An
eclectic mix of love, humor, ballads & high energy
– with a touch of the mysticalâ€Â
Apr.
9, 2003
In
This Issue:
THE
NEW CD IS MOSTLY DONE! NAME
AND NEWSLETTER CHANGES PLAYBACK
THEATRE OTHER
GOINGS-ON UPCOMING
PERFORMANCES: Asheville, New York, Boston CURRENT
ENTHUSIASMS: 5 books, 3 CDs and 1 website reviewed
THE NEW CD IS
MOSTLY DONE!
Since
I last wrote, I have been devoting most of my waking hours to my new
self-produced CD, now officially titled “Shining From Insideâ€Â. I can hardly
contain my excitement! All my primary guitar parts and master vocals are
recorded, and River Guerguerian’s amazing percussion and drum parts have taken
the songs to a whole new level. (I especially love the world music vibe his
tabla and talking drum add to several tracks.) The graphics are also coming
together – I am working with the talented Asheville graphic designer Paula
Bishop on a very unique cover! I am hoping to wrap the project next month –
wish me luck!
NAME
CHANGE
BenJammin’
is no more – I have simplified the spelling of my stage name to Benjammin. I
finally resigned myself to the change after seeing my name repeatedly misspelled
in print as two words. But I’m looking on the bright side – dropping the
apostrophe lets me blow my name up a little bit bigger on my posters!
PLAYBACK
THEATRE
Since
I last wrote, I have begun taking a very cool improvisational acting class.
It’s put on by the Asheville branch of Playback Theatre (),
a thriving international movement. Audience members tell true stories from their
lives, then the actors immediately “play back†the stories onstage. While
there can be some very funny moments, it’s fundamentally different than improv
comedy – Playback’s improvisational mission is serious, with the intention
of honoring the story and the storyteller. I am thoroughly enjoying the classes,
and look forward to seeing how my new theatrical skills will influence my
musical performances!
OTHER
GOINGS-ON
I
performed at a peace rally in downtown Asheville on March 29, completed a funny
song that I may never play in my home state - “Go to Oklahoma (On Your Way to
Somewhere Else)†- and finally got my taxes done. (Want to see your adjusted
gross income drop by 90%? Quit your corporate day job and become a musician!)
UPCOMING
PERFORMANCES
For
online maps to these venues, link to:
.
Find
the date you’re interested in, click on the white “v†in the red box, then
click on the “Map†link by the venue name.
Asheville
Sat
Apr 12 – 8 pm – Namaste Yoga and Healing Center - 57 Broadway St., downtown
Asheville – nonsmoking listening room! - $6 in advance, $8 at the door -(828) 253-6985
Fri
May 2 – 8:30 pm – Peacesmiths Coffeehouse – at First United Methodist
Church, 25 Broadway/Rte. 110, Amityville NY – donation - (631) 798-0778
Boston
Sun
May 4 – 8 pm – The Burren - 247 Elm Street, Davis Square, Somerville, MA –
in the back room, followed by Los Diablos at 9 and Danielle Miraglia at 10 -
- (617) 776-6896
CURRENT
ENTHUSIASMS: 5 books, 3 CDs and 1 website reviewed
Books
CHART
WRITING MADE EASY by RITT HENN. A low-budget, 44-page photocopied booklet with
high-quality information for musicians - very helpful in communicating your
compositional intentions to other musicians. Henn knows his stuff – he has
extensive stage, studio and orchestra pit experience as an upright bass player
in New York City and L.A. (This booklet was very helpful to me in preparing the
charts for my CD project!) $12, incl. shipping, from .
SHE
WALKS THESE HILLS by SHARYN McCRUMB. This mystery has received all kinds of
well-deserved recognition, including the Agatha Award and Malice Domestic’s
“Best Novel of the Year†Award. McCrumb weaves together several diverse
characters, including an elderly escaped murderer with no short-term memory, a
young female sheriff’s dispatcher determined to prove she can make it as a
deputy, a citified male grad student unprepared for the Appalachian wilderness
he has plunged into, and the ghost of a female settler killed 200 years ago.
Played out in a convincingly realized Eastern Tennessee and Western North
Carolina setting, McCrumb’s tale features great plotting, characterization and
readability. Even those who don’t usually read mysteries (see me raising my
hand?) should enjoy it!
WRITING
DOWN THE BONES by NATALIE GOLDBERG. Subtitled “Freeing the Writer Withinâ€Â,
this is one of the most universally recommended books on writing. I finally got
to it, and am happy to report that it has also worked its magic on me: I now
have about 15 poems clamoring to be written! Inspired by her Zen practice,
Goldberg puts her focus on how to tap deeply into your own creative well to
bring forth what you really need to say. Great for getting you started if your
writing is blocked, or opening to deeper levels once you’re in gear.
DEEP
COMMUNITY by SCOTT ALARIK. Subtitled “Adventures in the Modern Folk
Undergroundâ€Â, this just-published book is a treasure trove of information and
insight into today’s acoustic music scene. Over 400 pages long, it contains
over 120 of Alarik’s articles written for the Boston Globe and Sing Out!
Magazine over the last 10 years, and is profusely illustrated with Robert
Corwin’s black-and-white photography. Like the folk scene itself, DEEP
COMMUNITY covers a wide range of genres: Celtic, singer/songwriter, bluegrass,
folk-rock, old-time, cutting-edge and more. The fact that Alarik is a
professional folk singer himself gives him additional insight into his subject,
which he writes about clearly and engagingly. Fans and musicians alike will gain
increased appreciation and understanding of this vital but low-profile genre,
and will see why it is thriving more today than ever before. $19.95, trade
paperback, .
ONE
TASTE: THE JOURNALS OF KEN WILBER.
What – you thought there was going to be a
Benjammin Examminer without a review of a Ken Wilber book? Perish the
thought! ONE TASTE is a journal that this insightful integral philosopher kept for
one year, mixing events from his personal life with his customary penetrating
insights. Being so enamored of his philosophy, it was fascinating to get a
better sense of him as a man. Given the deeply spiritual nature of his writing,
it was no surprise to learn that he has achieved significant feats of
metaphysical attainment himself - not everyone can stay fully conscious while
his body goes through an entire night’s sleep cycle! His insights about how
one can optimally move toward such attainment oneself are also engaging: a
consistent theme of ONE TASTE is that reading about divine union is not enough
– one must cultivate a serious, focused, long-term practice in order to
experience it personally. If you’re already a Ken Wilber fan, this book will significantly enrich
your understanding of his work. If not, I suggest starting with A THEORY OF
EVERYTHING (reviewed last month). .
Music
KIM
BUCHANAN: ILLUSIONS. Kim calls her label N.Y.M.F. – Not Your Mama’s Folk –
and this adventurous CD definitely fits the description. The highly creative
production style (by Kim and Jubal) dramatically and wonderfully complements
Kim’s diverse songwriting approaches and arrangements. Her voice deftly
handles everything from delicate nuances to primal cries, and she mixes her
well-crafted originals with three well-chosen covers (including “White
Rabbit†and “While My Guitar Gently Weepsâ€Â). Folk Nazis beware – lovers
of brilliant, adventurous music, rejoice! .
JOEL
RAFAEL BAND: WOODEYE: SONGS OF WOODY GUTHRIE. I don’t normally listen to much
traditional folk – my Aquarian tastes run more to innovative, cutting-edge,
genre-blending music – but this CD gave me a very pleasant surprise. The most
attractive element is Joel Rafael’s voice – whether singing or talking, it
is extraordinarily pleasant, conversational and expressive. He has a deep
affinity for Woody’s material, as does his band. This CD, which bypasses
Guthrie’s better-known songs in order to dig deeper into his songbook, should
give you a great deal of pleasure if you’re a Woody Guthrie fan – or maybe
even if you’re not! .
PHIL
KEAGGY: THE WIND AND THE WHEAT. A sumptuous, diverse selection of instrumentals
by one of the world’s greatest living guitarists. Freely mixing acoustic and
electric guitars, piano, synth, drums, percussion and more, Keaggy creates a
creatively charged, genre-defying, melodically driven blend of mature,
consistently wonderful music. I love this CD! .
Web
ROTTEN
TOMATOES / IN THEATERS. Trying to decide on a movie? Check out the single best
cinematic resource I’m aware of: .
Here, on one page, is every film in current release, sortable by title or
Tomatometer rating. (This rating is based on numerous reviews, and accurately
reflects national critical response.) Check here first, and you’ll never have
to sit through a “Battlefield Earth†again!
IN CLOSING
Thanks
for keeping your ears open – and for your support! I am…
Wishing
you a wonderful EVERYTHING,
Benjammin
-
Visit www.BJBmusic.com for full-length songs, performance dates and more!
- Host
A Benjammin House Concert! E me or call me at 800-461-3569 for details. Learn
more about house concerts at .
-
"A clever songwriter, skilled guitarist, and highly entertaining solo
acoustic performer.†--Mountain Xpress
- First Place Winner, OSCA Songwriting Contest
- "Heartfelt…an authentic and thought-provoking musical experience."
--Soul Infusion (venue)
TO
UNSUBSCRIBE: If you would ever prefer not to receive the Benjammin Examminer,
simply reply to any of my e-mails with the word REMOVE in the subject line.
It’s
been a very eventful month – I’ve had an article published, made a
“quantum leap to heartspaceâ€Â, come out of the metaphysical closet, and
developed a new career vision – for starters! Read all about it in…
The
Benjammin' Examminer
The
Mostly Monthly Newsletter from Benjammin'
Acoustic Singer/Songwriter
“An eclectic mix of love, humor, ballads
& high energy
– with a touch of the mysticalâ€Â
http://www.BJBmusic.com
Feb.
20, 2003
In
This Issue:
- “SPIRIT IN THE SMOKIES†ARTICLE
PUBLISHED!
- QUANTUM LEAP TO HEARTSPACE
- OUT OF THE METAPHYSICAL CLOSET
- A NEW CAREER VISION
- MY FOURTH INTERNATIONAL FOLK ALLIANCE CONFERENCE IS MY BEST ONE YET!
- UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
- CURRENT ENTHUSIASMS: 4 books & 3 CDs reviewed
MY “SPIRIT IN THE SMOKIES†ARTICLE HAS
BEEN PUBLISHED!
My
autobiographical article, "Interweaving Music & Spirit", is in the
current (Feb.) issue of . (Circulation: 30,000+ in 15
states.) The article traces the parallel development of my musical and spiritual
paths. If you can’t find a copy on the street, you can read the article online
at http://www.bjbmusic.com/articles.htm.
QUANTUM LEAP TO HEARTSPACE
For years,
I’ve been striving to tone down the dominance of my intellect and perform from
a genuinely open heartspace. In the last few weeks, something finally let go
inside me and significantly transformed the energy of my performances.
My concerts since the beginning of the year feel
much more authentic and open-hearted than before, and my audiences are
responding much more positively. I finally “get†that my style of music is
less about impressing or entertaining, and more about CONNECTING with the
audience members’ hearts and souls. (No more “Broadway Folk†here!) It’s
exciting to be one step closer to the huge heartspace that performers like David
Wilcox, Tom Prasada-Rao and David LaMotte are so good at manifesting.
This sea change is also carrying over into my
personal life, where the seeds of deeper love and a more universal compassion
are sprouting. It’s one of the things I love best about being a performing
songwriter – the core issues I need to work on in my music and in my spiritual
development are the same. And how cool is that?
OUT OF THE METAPHYSICAL CLOSET
One factor in
my heart opening is that I have, at long last, consciously committed to
expressing my metaphysical side in my music. Even though I once recorded an
electronic instrumental New Age CD (The Beauty Within, available at http://www.bjbmusic.com/store.htm),
I had been hesitant about highlighting this side of myself as a
singer/songwriter.
I realize now, though, that my songs have already
given me away! My set list is loaded with spiritually-tinged songs, and nearly
half the songs on my upcoming CD are transcendentally inclined.
Being authentically oneself – and communicating
that to an audience - is very important in the intimate, up-close-and-personal
world of folk. I am excited to feel new energies and opportunities opening up as
I *consciously* and fully welcome my spirituality into my music.
A NEW CAREER
VISION
As I hinted
last month, I am now seeing that my career will be more diverse than I had
anticipated. I still plan to do plenty of the usual folk circuit dates, but I am
now seeing that many of my shows will be in non-traditional venues – including
New Thought churches, metaphysical venues and house concerts. (Let me know if
you’d like to host a house concert – they’re fun!) Writing articles,
giving workshops, and working with kids will also fit into the big picture.
I’m looking forward to embracing all this diversity!
MY FOURTH INTERNATIONAL FOLK ALLIANCE
CONFERENCE IS MY BEST ONE YET!
Earlier this
month, I (and about 2000 other “folkiesâ€Â) attended this year’s
International Folk Alliance Conference in Nashville. This year, for the first
time, I felt fully accepted as part of the “folk familyâ€Â. During my 14
showcase performances, I also felt more relaxed, open-hearted and confident. The
showcase I co-hosted with Arlon Bennett, “Benjammin’ Presents…†featured
our best line-up yet: Groovelily, Chuck Brodsky, Eric Schwartz, David LaMotte,
Jack Williams, Chris Rosser, Grammy nominee Dave Hawkins, and many more
outstanding performers.
I got more booking commitments than ever before,
and also attended two superlative workshops: one on performance by Janis Ian,
and one on niche marketing featuring David Roth. And I was given an article
assignment from Singer Magazine – it will be a first-person account of how an
emerging singer/songwriter (me) “works†the Folk Alliance conferences to
move his career forward.
I thoroughly enjoyed the nonstop networking,
talking with old friends, and making new ones. I’m already looking forward to
the next conference!
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
For online maps to these venues, link to:
Find the date you’re interested in, click
on the white “v†in the red box, then click on the “Map†link by the
venue name.
I’m still keeping my performance schedule
light while I finish my CD!
Fri, Apr 4 – 8:30-10 pm – Karmasonics -
14 Haywood Street – downtown Asheville – “Karmasonics Live†CD release
party - I will be one of many performers included on this CD – we will each
play a song or two – a wonderful opportunity to hear a lot of great musicians
in one show! Free; nonsmoking - (828) 259-9949
MAY: Northeastern U.S., including NY and MA;
details TBA
CURRENT
ENTHUSIASMS: 4 books & 3 CDs reviewed
BOOKS
RIPTIDE
by DOUGLAS PRESTON & LINCOLN CHILD. I reviewed THE ICE LIMIT by Preston
& Childs last month, and am happy to report that their earlier novel RIPTIDE
is every bit as compelling. Some plot elements are similar – a well-equipped
team of engineers struggles to extract a prize of immense value under
challenging circumstances – but there are more than enough differences to keep
the two books distinct. In this one, the prize is a 300-year-old buried
pirates’ treasure worth $2 billion. However, it is safeguarded by ingenious
and deadly subterranean booby traps which may make the treasure impossible to
retrieve. The characters are well-developed, their motivations believable, and
the Maine coastal and island settings convincingly detailed. Both the writing
style and plotting are first-rate – this is truly one of those novels you can
hardly put down!
THE
EYE OF SPIRIT by KEN WILBER. Maybe it’s just my midlife crisis – the one
that catapulted me from Oklahoma City to Asheville, and from a comfortable
corporate sales job into a financially challenging music career – but I hunger
to understand what life is all about. And, since reading Ken Wilber’s newest
book BOOMERITIS (reviewed last month), I have become fascinated by this
spiritual philosopher’s work. His “integral vision†sets itself a daunting
task: to distill the universal truths in science, psychology, religion and just
about every other field of knowledge into a “unified field theory of human
consciousnessâ€Â. THE EYE OF SPIRIT – one of 19 books he has written on the
subject – applies the integral vision to psychology, anthropology, philosophy,
art and literary theory, feminism and spirituality.
Many of today’s most
progressive minds consider Wilber to be the most comprehensive philosophical
thinker of our times. After reading BOOMERITIS and THE EYE OF SPIRIT, I think
they might just be right.
MIDDLESEX
by JEFFREY EUGENIDES. In a lesser writer’s hands, this novel’s unusual
subject matter could easily have degenerated into gross sensationalism. The
narrator - a hermaphrodite - is raised as a girl, then later chooses a male
identity. And his condition is brought about by incest among his ancestors.
How wonderful, then, that
this novel turns out to be so warm, witty, and emotionally engaging, like a
fireside tale told by a lifelong friend. It traces a defective gene - the cause
of the narrator’s sexually ambiguous condition - through several generations
of a Greek family, moving from a tiny Mediterranean village to industrial
America. On the way, we meet very well-developed and sympathetic characters, and
also gain fascinating insights into silkworms, Greek traditions and customs, the
Orthodox Church, the city of Detroit, and the many shades of gray between male
and female. MIDDLESEX is a masterful, fascinating and compassionate book
– I recommend it highly!
A
THEORY OF EVERYTHING by KEN WILBER. Subtitled “An Integral Vision for
Business, Politics, Science and Spiritualityâ€Â, this book is the best general
introduction to Wilber’s extraordinary “all quadrant, all level†theory of
human consciousness. Written in plain, clear language, this book gives a solid
overview of the revolutionary ideas Wilber has developed in his 17 prior
books.
Reading Wilber has
literally transformed how I see the world, helping me make sense of why we
humans behave as we do. Of all the philosophical and spiritual authors I have
read, he gives the biggest picture and integrates the most truth from the
greatest number of fields. He is also hopeful, showing humanity’s wondrous
possibilities as our consciousness collectively evolves. And he is
all-embracing: since every new human must develop from the lowest levels of
consciousness up, he says, it is critical that the wholeness and health of ALL
levels of human development – from the most primitive to the most
transcendental – be honored and maintained.
I cannot recommend A THEORY OF EVERYTHING highly
enough. But be prepared: the world may look different after you read it!
MUSIC
MONTY
HARPER: TAKE ME TO YOUR LIBRARY. A delightful family CD that both kids and
parents can enjoy. Most of the songs celebrate the joy of reading in one way or
another, while always shining with Monty’s trademark wit, positive energy and
upbeat creativity. Monty – an award-winning songwriter - keeps it fresh with a
wide variety of musical styles and inventive arrangements.
He also gives extraordinary
value: in addition to the 11 standard audio tracks, this enhanced CD offers a
wealth of extras when it acts as a CD-ROM in your PC or Mac. There are nine
bonus songs and six alternate versions in MP3 format, two videos, printable
lyrics and guitar chords, and more. (Disclaimer: Monty is my critique partner,
and I gave him feedback on many of these songs and arrangements. Promise: I
wouldn’t be recommending this CD if it wasn’t great!) Available at .
SMALL
POTATOES: WALTZ OF THE WALLFLOWERS. This CD, by a multi-talented, multi-style
duo, is a small masterpiece. Both Jacquie Manning and Rich Prezioso sing and
play a multitude of instruments very well. From the humorous (the brilliant
“dysfunctional duet†title song) to the poignant (the AIDS ballad “Paco is
Dying Tonightâ€Â) to the upbeat (the toe-tapping “Life is an Accidentâ€Â), the
songwriting, performances and production are all top-notch. An instant desert
island disc!
DON
ROSS: HURON STREET. Not since Michael Hedges have I enjoyed an outside-the-box
acoustic guitarist as much as Don Ross. While many others now use the right-hand
tapping and guitar percussion techniques that Hedges popularized, it is rare to
hear much musical substance behind all the flash. Ross, however, has some
musical ideas worth hearing, and his lovely and exciting instrumentals use his
unorthodox techniques in their service. Well worth a listen! http://www.gobyfish.com/
IN
CLOSING
Your
support now means more to me than ever – thanks so much! I am…
Wishing
you a wonderful EVERYTHING,
Benjammin'
-
Visit www.BJBmusic.com for full-length songs, performance dates and more!
-
Host A Benjammin' House Concert! E me or call me at 800-461-3569 for details.
Learn more about house concerts at http://houseconcerts.org/.
- "A clever songwriter, skilled
guitarist, and highly entertaining solo acoustic performer.†--Mountain Xpress
- First Place Winner, 2001 OSCA Songwriting Contest
- "Heartfelt…an authentic and thought-provoking musical experience."
--Soul Infusion (venue)
TO
UNSUBSCRIBE: If you would ever prefer not to receive the Benjammin' Examminer,
simply reply to any of my e-mails with the word REMOVE in the subject line.
My last newsletter is a hard act to follow -- I didn't have
nearly so many exciting adventures in December! However, Deanna and I did enjoy
a mostly-wonderful holiday season, and hope you did too. May 2003 be your best
new year yet!
(In fact, why not kick it off with some live music tomorrow
[Friday] night - I'm playing in the round at Karmasonics with two other great
singer/songwriters. Details are below under "Upcoming Performances"!)
BTW, this issue contains an extra-generous helping of book and
CD reviews. (Compensation for the lack of real-life drama!) I hope you enjoy
them, as well as the rest of...
The BenJammin' Examminer
The Mostly Monthly Newsletter from BenJammin'
Acoustic Singer/Songwriter
http://www.BJBmusic.com
Jan. 2, 2003
In This Issue:
THE CD PROCEEDS!
TEASERS
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
CURRENT ENTHUSIASMS
THE CD PROCEEDS!
I have now recorded all but one guitar part and most of the
master vocals for the new CD - love that digital cut-and-paste! I will soon be
bringing in other singers and instrumentalists to flesh it out, as well as
talking to graphic designers and replication houses. I'm still aiming for a late
spring release.
TEASERS
I have some cool stuff in the works - including a forthcoming
magazine article and a shift in how I market my music. I'll keep you posted!
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
For online maps to these venues, link to:
Find the date you're interested in, click on the white "v" in the red
box, then click on the "Map" link by the venue name.
Fri, Jan 3 - 8:30-10 pm - Karmasonics - 14 Haywood Street,
downtown Asheville - w/ Jen Hamil (featured performer) & Ada in the round
- originals only - nonsmoking - free! (828) 259-9949
Sat, Jan 11 - 9 pm-midnite - Soul Infusion Tea House &
Bistro, 628 East Main Street (Hwy. 107), Sylva, NC - mostly originals -
nonsmoking - great food - free! 828-586-1717
MAY: Northeastern U.S., including NY and MA; details TBA
CURRENT ENTHUSIASMS
BOOKS
THE HUMAN STAIN by PHILIP ROTH. Understated, masterfully
executed literary fiction about an older college professor drummed out of his
job on a trumped-up charge of racial insensitivity. He then begins a discreet
affair with an illiterate college housekeeping employee less than half his age -
but, unknown to the university gossips, his most shocking secret lies
buried deeper still. Some of the most compelling scenes are told from the
viewpoint of his lover's former husband, a Vietnam vet afflicted with PTSD, who
teeters a hair trigger away from murdering them both. This novel demonstrates
why Roth has now won all four of the United States' major literary awards!
MOO by JANE SMILEY. This novel also takes place in an academic
setting, but its satirical hilarity is worlds removed from Roth's seriousness.
Smiley lampoons people at all levels of her fictitious agricultural college -
from incoming freshmen to tenured professors - with wicked wit and sharp
psychological insight. A delightful read, with an extremely accomplished writing
style - as one would expect from a winner of the Pulitzer Prize!
BOOMERITIS by KEN WILBER. Wilber, one of the world's
foremost spiritual philosophers, here turns his hand to fiction. Sort of,
anyway: the book is really a series of lectures thinly disguised as a novel. But
what lectures! Wilber's description of how human consciousness evolves - and
where it needs to move now if we are to avoid global self-destruction - has
literally changed the way I see the world! (Perhaps that's why it's subtitled
"a novel that will set you free.") Wilber's deeply spiritual worldview
- he calls it "integral" -- embraces what is universally true in
existing religious, psychological and other fields and weaves it all together
into a unified whole.
Wilber's breakthrough thinking is exciting, liberating
and timely. And BOOMERITIS' fictional approach - including plenty of humor, as
well as the frequent sexual fantasies of its 23-year-old male narrator -- makes
Wilber's revolutionary synthesis easier to digest than it would have been in a
nonfiction format. Is this the novel that will set YOU free?
THE ICE LIMIT by DOUGLAS PRESTON AND LINCOLN CHILD. An
exceptional adventure novel dealing with the quest for the first interstellar
meteorite ever found on Earth - and the heaviest object ever moved by humans.
The main characters - including a fanatical billionaire who wants the space rock
at all costs, a brilliant but unstable meteorite hunter, a female supertanker
captain who once wrecked a ship, and the commander of a Chilean naval destroyer
determined to stop them - are all well-rounded, interesting and credible. The
plot builds relentlessly, the frozen far-south setting is exotic and vividly
described, and even the technical information - especially on meteorites and
moving super-heavy objects -- is fascinating. Warning: I found this book VERY
hard to put down!
MUSIC
WYRD SISTERS: SIN & OTHER SALVATIONS. Gorgeous three-part
female harmonies, immaculate production and simmering grooves are only a few of
the treats that distinguish this Canadian trio's fourth outing. But it's their
slow, shivery-beautiful ballads that really keep my finger hitting the repeat
button. It's not hard to see why their last three CDs have all
been nominated for Juno Awards (the Canadian Grammy)!
PETER GABRIEL: UP. Peter Gabriel is one of the most brilliant
and innovative musicians of our time. Every CD he records moves in a new
direction, and always with extraordinary results! UP is a unique blending of
rock, pop, techno and world music influences, with lyrics that deal
unflinchingly with the deepest human emotions. He rocks with fiery energy, then
quietly lays his soul bare. Touches of an all-embracing spirituality thread
through many of the songs, and the amazing production work is like nothing I've
ever heard before. Very highly recommended!
LAGQ: LATIN. The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet - four virtuoso
classical guitarists - have put together an exhilarating 69 minutes of
Latin-flavored music. Their widely ranging selections cover pieces old and new,
and vary in mood from tender to celebratory. The composers are also diverse,
ranging from Aaron Copland and Sting ("Fragile") to Rodrigo and Bizet
(a six-part "Carmen Suite"). All the selections all played with
phenomenal musicianship and arranged to take full advantage of what four master
guitarists can do (with occasional help from a few other instruments). Great
stuff!
ARTIE TRAUM: MEETINGS WITH REMARKABLE FRIENDS, LETTERS FROM
JOUBEE, THE VIEW FROM HERE. I play these three Artie Traum CDs a lot - he excels
at laying down a smooth, gently invigorating vibe that helps energize those
parts of my day when I'm not making music myself. These discs are entirely or
mostly instrumental, and partake mostly of a smooth jazz vibe without being
bland: Traum is a consistently fresh composer, and his acoustic and nylon-string
guitar work is consistently musical and tasteful. Very pleasant listening!
ELLA FITZGERALD SINGS THE GEORGE AND IRA GERSHWIN SONG BOOK.
What a treat! A three-CD, 53-song collection featuring one of the century's
greatest singers, singing some of the century's greatest songs, with music
arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle -- one of the century's greatest
bandleaders. The Gershwin brothers wrote more standards than anyone, and Ella
makes it sound as if these timeless classics -- such as "But Not For
Me", "Nice Work if You Can Get It", "Someone To Watch Over
Me" and "I Got Rhythm" -- were written just for her. Who could
ask for anything more?
IN CLOSING
Thanks once again for your support! I am...
Wishing you a wonderful EVERYTHING,
BenJammin'
TO UNSUBSCRIBE: If you would ever prefer not to receive the
BenJammin' Examminer, simply reply to any of my e-mails with the word REMOVE in
the subject line.
Not
much to report this time – just a batch of new songs online, news of my
engagement, and a true story of death narrowly avoided. (And that’s for
starters!) It’s all right here in…
The
BenJammin' Examminer
The
Mostly Monthly Newsletter from BenJammin'
Acoustic Singer/Songwriter
http://www.BJBmusic.com
Dec.
7, 2002
In
This Issue:
NEW
SONGS ONLINE!
I’M ENGAGED!
NERFA
A PERILOUS DRIVE
LOSING MY VOICE
POETRY AS SELF-DEFINITION
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
CURRENT ENTHUSIASMS
NEW
SONGS ONLINE!
All
four songs from my brand-new demo are now online at www.BJBmusic.com!
Two of them – the utopian ballad “Peaceful†and the upbeat,
multi-dimensional love song “Every Single Universe†– are brand new. The
other two are re-recorded versions of audience favorites “The Devil’s Dogâ€Â
and “Billions of Angelsâ€Â. (Feel free to stream the audio and download the
MP3s!) All four songs will be on my upcoming CD, but in full arrangements rather
than these stripped-down voice-and-guitar versions.
I
deleted all but two of the older recordings from the site – I actually winced
when listening to some of those older vocal performances! But several musician
friends, having gone through the same thing, told me to take heart – they said
that if the vocals that once sounded great to me now make me cringe, it just
means that I’ve become a better singer!
I’M
ENGAGED!
After
dating exclusively for almost four years (and living together for most of that
time), Deanna and I are now engaged to be married! I don’t know a date yet –
she jokes that we might imitate Oprah and Stedman and let the engagement run for
years! What I DO know, however, is that Deanna and I share an extraordinary
level of unconditional love and mutual support, are each other’s best friend
and number one cheerleader, and hardly ever “push each other’s buttonsâ€Â. I
cannot imagine finding a more perfect partner in this lifetime!
NERFA
Three
weeks ago, I attended the three-day NERFA (Northeast Regional Folk Alliance)
Conference, held this year at a “faded glory†Jewish resort hotel in New
York’s Catskills region. I had nine private showcase appearances – my most
ever! (I had to play my final sets by candlelight or flashlight beam when an ice
storm knocked out our power.) I gave out copies of my new demo at my exhibit
hall table, attended some great workshops, and thoroughly enjoyed networking
with the 700+ people in attendance. Who know self-promotion could be so much
fun?
A
PERILOUS DRIVE
Three
days after the long drive back from NERFA, I was on the road again – this time
with Deanna as my traveling companion – for a mini-tour of Maryland. (Big
thanks to David Morreale for setting it up and putting us up!) Our first
destination, however, was Rhinebeck, NY, where I attended my Uncle Gordon’s
funeral. (The sadness of the occasion was leavened by getting to enjoy a few
hours with some of my best-loved relatives.)
The
14-hour drive to Rhinebeck was marked by one incident I will never forget! We
were listening to a book-on-tape by Robin Cook, the doctor-turned-novelist whose
fiction includes explicitly described medical procedures. I was behind the wheel
when the narrator began describing an epidural anesthetic procedure being
performed on a woman giving birth. I felt myself becoming a bit queasy and
uncomfortable, told Deanna how I was feeling, and suggested we switch back to
music for a bit. She was amused by my reaction, but agreed. Two songs later, I
felt better, and we resumed the book-on-tape.
The
graphic description continued, and my symptoms immediately returned -- and
intensified. I am a wimp when it comes to medical procedures, and have been
known to faint when having blood drawn. I now recognized that I was in fact in
the process of fainting, and in some very dangerous circumstances! I was driving
downhill at 65 MPH on a twisting mountain highway in rain and fog. Semis were
close around us, and only a narrow shoulder on the right separated the road from
a jagged wall of rock. To make matters worse, I was in the left lane, and
estimated that I had perhaps ten seconds of consciousness remaining.
I
told Deanna that I thought I was about to pass out, and she had another chuckle
at what she thought was my little joke. With the world growing dimmer around me,
I managed to change lanes, get the car over to the shoulder, stop and put it in
park. One second later, I was unconscious.
Guardian
angels are handy to have around when you do a lot of driving. Books-on-tape,
however, can be a mixed blessing!
LOSING
MY VOICE
I
faced a different kind of challenge during my first Maryland gig: near the
beginning of my second set, I started losing my voice! My high notes began
coming out as squeaks – sounds I hadn’t made since my voice changed at
puberty. I apologized to my audience, told them what was happening, and played
some instrumentals. I then took a short break, ran through some vocal exercises
in the car, and was, happily, able to sing through the rest of the set.
However,
I had to sing again two nights later, and my vocal problems weren’t going
away. After figuring out where the squeaky notes were, I was able to sing by
tuning my guitar down a whole step and avoiding songs that went too high. I told
my audience up front that my voice was “on crutchesâ€Â, and they forgave me
the few squeaks that slipped out. Deanna told me afterward that it was actually
one of my best performances – whoda thunk it? (And yes, my voice has now
recovered!)
POETRY
AS SELF-DEFINITION
I
have revised the poem I use to describe what kind of music I play:
His
songs? Well, they’re heartfelt, amusing, eclectic
His axe is acoustic; his singing electric
His name is BenJammin’ (watch out for the spelling)
The name of his style? Well, there’s really no telling!
UPCOMING
PERFORMANCES
For online maps to
these venues, link to:
Find the date
you’re interested in, click on the white “v†in the red box, then click on
the “Map†link by the venue name.
I am keeping gigs
to a minimum right now so that I can focus on completing my CD!
Thur, Dec 19 - 9
pm-midnite – Hannah Flanagan’s, 300 N. Main St, Hendersonville, NC –
mostly upbeat cover tunes - (828) 674-6113
Sat, Jan 11 – 9
pm-midnite - Soul Infusion Tea House & Bistro, 628 East Main Street (Hwy.
107), Sylva, NC – mostly originals - 828-586-1717
MAY: Northeastern
U.S., including NY and MA; details TBA
CURRENT
ENTHUSIASMS
BOOKS
THE
MANSION ON THE HILL by FRED GOODMAN, and TO THE LIMIT: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE
EAGLES by MARC ELIOT. Two great books on the music industry. MANSION is the
fascinating story of how the radical, anti-establishment spirit of 60’s folk
music was co-opted into a marketable corporate commodity. The careers of Bob
Dylan, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and David Geffen are used as primary
examples. TO THE LIMIT covers some similar ground while focusing on the Eagles.
It also provides in-depth coverage on their beginnings, the fertile 70’s L.A.
music scene they sprang from, how their “Hell Freezes Over†reunion came
about, and much more. Both of these thoroughly researched books are compelling
and well-written journeys behind the scenes.
MUSIC
DANA
COOPER: MIRACLE MILE. It’s practically a truism: a great performer’s CD is
never as enjoyable as their live show. MIRACLE MILE is a delightful exception:
as much as I enjoyed Dana live at Asheville’s Grey Eagle Music Hall, this CD
gives me at least as much pleasure. (In fact, it is now one of my favorite
singer/songwriter discs!) The singing and songwriting are exceptional, and the
full-band production perfectly communicates his folk/pop/rock energy. Hear for
yourself why this disc was nominated for a Nashville Music Award as "Best
Pop Album"!
REMEMBER
SHAKTI: SATURDAY NIGHT IN BOMBAY. It was 1975 when jazz guitar virtuoso John
McLaughlin first created his groundbreaking ensemble Shakti, blending jazz with
the classical music of India. That group disbanded after three extraordinary
albums, but McLaughlin has reincarnated its spirit with Remember Shakti. The new
group features jazz guitar, tabla, mandolin and percussion, and this live album
also features Indian guest artists on wordless vocals and santur (a Persian
zither). The long performance featuring the latter instrument is one of the most
lovely and exotic pieces of music I’ve ever heard, and the entire CD exudes a
range of emotions from transcendent bliss to radiant joy. Very highly
recommended!
DANA
ROBINSON: THE TRADE. A rootsy, diverse mixture of both original and traditional
songs, seasoned with folk, bluegrass and old-style country. Featuring some of
Nashville’s finest studio musicians on fiddle, banjo, mandolin and drums, this
CD has a warm, blended sound that’s easy on the ears. Dana’s vocals are
clear, strong and sincere, and his well-crafted songs feature some memorable
imagery and metaphor. (“There’s rusted bridges over concrete crumbling /
Semis make that distant rumbling / Oh the rivers of wind / Running both ways on
an asphalt veinâ€Â). Woody Guthrie would be proud!
IN
CLOSING
Thanks
once again for your support! I am...
Wishing
you a wonderful EVERYTHING,
BenJammin'
TO
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The
Monthly Newsletter from BenJammin'
Singer/Songwriter
http://www.BJBmusic.com
Oct.
14, 2002
In
This Issue:
SO,
WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING?
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
CURRENT ENTHUSIASMS
SO,
WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING?
Since
my last newsletter, I’ve been co-writing a new song with my talented friend
Allen Hayes. We started out to write something serious and thought-provoking,
but the song has proved to have a will of its own – it’s turned into a
four-minute romantic comedy called “Her Romeo’s a Nerdâ€Â. Allen is great to
write with, and I hope we can write some more songs together after we finish
this one!
I’ve
been enhancing and practicing guitar arrangements for the album, and also just
bought a piece of hardware from my friend Steve McLinn that will let me record
super-high-fidelity 24-bit digital audio. I’ve also been performing the album
songs at my gigs and at open mics, and paying close attention to audience
response. (As Steve Seskin says, the most honest feedback a performer can get is
from a live audience!) Last week, for instance, my audiences “told†me that
the new expanded six-minute version of my “Slaying the Dragon†instrumental
wasn’t totally slaying them. As a result, it’s now a minute shorter.
I’ve
also put in a lot of time getting ready for next month’s NERFA (Northeast
Regional Folk Alliance) Conference in upstate New York. I’ve got a lot of
great musicians lined up to play in the showcase I’m hosting, and I’ll be
playing at least eight times in four different showcases myself. It’s gonna be
fun – not to mention exhausting!
UPCOMING
PERFORMANCES
For online maps to
most of these venues, link to:
Find the date you’re interested in, click on the white “v†in the red box,
then click on the “Map†link by the venue name.
Wed Oct 16, 10
pm-midnite. Mellow Mushroom, 50 Broadway, Asheville, NC. A mostly mellow mix of
originals and covers.
Sun Oct 20, 3 pm
– Congregation Beth Israel, Asheville, NC, private function
Fri Oct 25, 8:30pm-10:00pm
- ,
14 Haywood Street, Asheville, NC - all ages - nonsmoking - showcasing my
original songs
Fri Nov 22, 8-10
pm – The Pourhouse, 233 East Main St., Westminster, MD - showcasing my
original songs - (410) 751-9171
Thur, Dec 19, 9
pm-midnite – Hannah Flanagan’s, 300 N. Main St, Hendersonville, NC –
mostly upbeat cover tunes - (828) 674-6113
CURRENT
ENTHUSIASMS
MUSIC
DAN
PELLETIER: MR. SUNSHINE. What an exceptional CD! Pelletier is a highly
accomplished folk/pop songwriter with a delightful sense of humor, with a
full-bodied voice reminiscent of Mark Cohn’s. Virtually every song on this CD
is a gem, and they cover a broad range: upbeat, funny, warm-hearted, clever,
melancholy and more. There are many similarities between his style and mine, so
if you like my stuff there’s a good chance you’ll like Pelletier’s as
well. More info and song samples at
MARK
ANTHONY CRUZ: FUZZ. An extraordinary instrumental CD split 60/40 between heavily
syncopated, high-energy, tightly crafted fusion tunes (jazz/funk/rock) and
lovely ballads built around classical guitar. Cruz plays the guitars (electric
on the up tunes), and also leaves space for some great sax and keyboard solos. A
hidden gem for fusion fans! More at .
BOOKS
AS
THOUSAND CHEER: THE LIFE OF IRVING BERLIN, by LAURENCE BERGREEN. Berlin, who
wrote “White Christmasâ€Â, “God Bless America†and many other standards,
was one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century. Bergreen’s
biography is extraordinarily well-written -- it reads like a novel -- and traces
Berlin from impoverished immigrant to wealthy show-biz tycoon to (sadly) bitter,
elderly recluse. The book also gives a fascinating look at the milieus Berlin
moved in (especially Tin Pan Alley, Broadway and Hollywood). It was downright
inspiring to read how a man with no real musical education – and who
couldn’t even read or write music! – became America’s best-loved
songwriter.
‘SCUSE
ME WHILE I KISS THIS GUY (AND OTHER MISHEARD LYRICS), by GAVIN EDWARDS. A
consistently funny collection of over 275 “mondegreens†– misheard lyrics
- with Chris Kalb’s brilliant pen-and-ink illustrations significantly
increasing the humor quotient. I never knew that the Eurhythmics had such a high
regard for dairy products (“Sweet dreams are made of cheeseâ€Â), or that Bob
Dylan was into insects (“The ants are my friends / They’re blowin’ in the
windâ€Â). A delightful little book that all music-lovers can enjoy, and which
also serves as a sobering object lesson for songwriters and
enunciation-challenged singers!
WILLIE:
AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, by WILLIE NELSON with BUD SHRAKE. The very entertaining 1988
autobiography of an amazing man who’s always done things his own way, told as
if he’s chatting with an old friend on the back porch. Willie frankly lays out
where he thinks he’s done well and where he’s come up short, covering the
gamut from honky-tonk brawls to metaphysical philosophizing. I also like his
“chorus†chapters, in which significant people in his life get to talk about
Willie in their own words. There’s also a lot of hard-earned wisdom about the
music business which musicians should appreciate. You don’t have to be a fan
of country music – or even Willie Nelson – to enjoy this engaging book.
FIRE AND ICE, by
PAUL GARRISON. I raved about Garrison’s second novel, RED SKY AT MORNING, last
month. I am delighted to praise him again, this time for his first novel. The
plot: Michael and Sarah Stone, along with their daughter Ronnie, sail their
small yacht to remote equatorial Pacific islands, giving medical care to those
in need. But when Sarah and Ronnie are suddenly kidnapped on a huge Liquid
Natural Gas carrier, Michael must face the daunting task of finding them, then
rescuing them from their wealthy and powerful kidnappers. And he must do so
before the kidnappers use the LNG ship to carry out a horrifying act of mass
destruction. The nautical detail is impressive (drawn from Garrison’s
extensive shipboard experience), the plotting tight and believable, the suspense
unrelenting, and the characterizations well-drawn. In short, this is one great
read!
IN
CLOSING
Thanks
once again for your support! I am...
Wishing
you a wonderful EVERYTHING,
BenJammin'
TO
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