Bring on the douns

Josy and I experimented on Tuesday, September 13, and then again on Thursday, September 22, to see how my songs sound when she plays douns and I sing.   We feel encouraged ~~ I feel ecstatic, actually ~~ about how good they sounded.   It's the foundation for the way I hear my songs in my head.

On Tuesday we found some grooves with Coconut Oil and Burnt Sugar Blues.   I figured if we couldn't find good riffs for those two songs, we better just give up and go home.   But they sound cool!   Yay!

On Thursday we refreshed Tuesday's songs, then added Wayfaring Stranger and Fever and enjoyed another round of good luck.   The two links here go to youtubes of the nearest inspirations for our take on these cover songs.   I rewrote about half the words in each so I'll update this post with links to my versions.

Bob Miller of Foliba offered super suggestions and recorded the basic rhythms with his phone so we would remember them for next practice.   In this picture, Bob wears a white shirt as he plays the douns.

Foliba plays Open Mic at Cafe Paradiso in 2012

Josy started drum lessons with Fonziba Koster about seven years ago, and has developed into the go-to doun player in her intermediate drumming group, keeping a steady beat for their traditional West African polyrhythms, from simple to complex.

I feel overjoyed and deeply honored to hear Josy holding the basic rhythm structures for Burnt Sugar Blues' songs.

Hickory Highlands Hen

Josy and I, two seeds of the gestating Burnt Sugar Blues, visited the open house at the Farmhouse at Hickory Highlands on Sunday, May 22, 2016.  The gorgeous afternoon highlighted treasures of the house that John Freeberg and Susan Walch grew atop a prairie hill over the course of five years.

While there, we communed with the cows and calf, and checked in with the chickens.  This little red hen contented herself in my arms ~~ she even snoozed a bit ~~ until she politely excused herself to freshen up without squirting my shirt.

I appreciated that!

Christy holds a snoozing Hickory Highlands hen ~~ Photo by Josy Welty

Unmanifest

More change.   Steve Jeffries, our sax/harp/percussionist decided to part ways with the band.   He plans to put more attention on jazz ~ he plays with the Dave Leffler group ~ and do a few gigs with his other band, Blue Cat Alley.   I enjoyed the two years that Steve grooved with the band, and I wish him all the best.

After hearing this Monday afternoon that my band now has no established members besides me, a wise friend said, "Your band is in its unmanifest state.   What lies ahead is the field of all possibilities."

It's very encouraging in a strange way.   Totally true, not faky, it calls my spirit to speak clear and strong for the unfolding future, to be ready for the next adventure.

Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis is the band's latest phase.  

We had a great time playing at the mid-July birthday party.  

Russ hosted the party in his recently renovated party room and played bass all night long.   Ark-Hal Karns played his drum kit, which was perfect since we didn't yet have a kit drummer.   Mike played guitar all night, too.   I sang a few songs and other singers filled out a great party.

Two days later, bassist Russ England resigned from the band.   Three weeks after that, guitarist Mike Scanlon resigned.   Russ was my first band member and we made music together for 6 years.   Mike was with us for 4 years, and we three were the core of Burnt Sugar Blues.

What a shock.   I sincerely wish for everyone to do exactly what fills them with joy, and that's where Russ and Mike say they are going.   Burnt Sugar Blues was close-but-not-quite, and life is too precious to put one's time into close-but-not-quite.

I hope they both find joy and fulfillment in their new endeavors.

So . . . we have a crisis.   No drummer, no bassist, no lead guitar, no practice space for ourselves nor to check out new players.

What we got is HEART.   Plus multi-instrumentalist Steve Jeffries, djembe player Josy Welty, sound tech Jesse James, and singer/tambourinist me.   My philosophy of life says that crisis is an opportunity ~~ the deeper the crisis, the bigger the opportunity.   In that case, this has the makings of a phenomenal breakthrough. 

Some very talented musicians are interested to see what the band is about ~~ potentials include 3 kit drummers, 2 bassists, 2 lead guitarists, and a rhythm guitarist.   What we need at this moment is a practice space to pull all this together.

I checked out a room in a barn yesterday.   If we get a crew together to clear out the accumulations, we'll have a place to practice temporarily.   With enough hands, it will take less than two hours.   This is progress, and I feel eager to assemble our new players and the sounds they bring with them.   I sense a whole new evolution for Burnt Sugar Blues.

Our mascot Bodhi

Bodhi offers cards to listeners
photo by J.Y.Welty

Bodhi in profile
photo by J.Y.Welty

This is our mascot Bodhi, which means "Buddha-nature".   Bodhi is the final goal of a Bodhisattva's career.   Plus the name has a natural ring for a card-carrying blues master.   "Blues is the healer," says John Lee Hooker, who ought to know, and healing is the bodhisattva's work.

~ other resonances ~~~

Bo D . . . echoes of bluesman Bo Diddley
Bodey . . . ominous
Bodey . . . the waiting kind who bides the time

Notice that Bodhi has big hands for serving cards and for reaching out to people and has big feet for good under-standing, and also for stomping the beat to music, especially while we have no drummer.

Bodhi has no head ~ no ego ~ it was lopped off by Kali during a moment of the goddess's wrath.   Let that be a warning to any who would burn sugar: confronting Kali at the charnel grounds ends one way ~ her way ~ as she threads a new skull on her already long garland of past conquests.

Whew!   I guess you could say I have some strong feelings about burnt sugar.

I got the little squirt last year as a birthday gift.   After roughing out the background of our logo with orange and yellow fire, I looked around and saw these bright orange acrylic gloves and boots sitting on my table and figured they would coordinate perfectly with the orange/yellow firey logo on the next version of our wallet cards.   Now it can nestle among chocolate chips and sit right next to our tip jar to offer a warm welcome and farewell to listeners.

Which reminds me: I'm seeking a tip jar.   I'd like to use a cookie jar or a honey pot (reminiscent of the HUNNY pots that Winnie-the-Pooh used).  

Shakin' All Over

lollipop (or sucker)
first & fourth verses
photo ~ Gregory Bastien

Shakin' All Over was the name of the first song we played for Open Mic last night  ~ Russ, Mike, and me at 8:10 pm.


"Shakin' all over" also describes my initial state of nervousness on the stage.   I put a positive spin on it, thinking, Well, maybe actual physical shakes might add to the emotional authenticity of the song.   I heard my voice shaking as I sang the opening lines, but it wasn't as obvious to other listeners as it was in my ears at the time.

chocolate
second verse

Burnt Sugar Blues was the second song we played.

The second verse was inspired by a headline: women say chocolate trumps sex.   Holy cocoa, Batman, not for me!

honey
third verse

Winnie-the-Pooh was my muse for the third verse.   Really.   The honey-lovin' bear inspired wonderfully wicked ways to indulge in honey.

Writing about honey and chocolate makes my sweet tooth ache.   Lucky for me I have a jar of honey in the cupboard, so I'm dipping in and trying not to get the keyboard sticky.   Mmmm, yum...