I have six days left in the valley that I have came to love. Yes, I made the decision to leave due to age old longings of teaching in the far east. I know that I am choosing the correct path yet my emotions are making this more difficult every passing day. June in Cache Valley is a spectacular time and I have enjoyed my forth June here most thoroughly. So now on to store my stuff and make a temp-move to Dallas for a month, then off to China, and all points in-between! Vegas will be hit in mid July as my daughter and grandson accompany me for a three day weekend at the Circus. A three year old on his first plane experience will make his ticket price more than worth it. My daughter hasn't been able to fly much either, and I know they will enjoy the lights of Vegas, a city that I have never been as well.
Ar this very moment I am trying to sit through some Robert Altman film, which is one of the films that Paul Newmans website does not promote or mention a whole lot. After witnessing many lame futuristic movies from the 70's, this one is really no surprise.
The place is looking a bit lonely now since I have moved and sold much of the arrangements. Tomorrow more of the heavy stuff will be going, but I plan to save the TV and the couch for last. It almost feels like I am in the last days of the losing side of a war and plans and goals are happening all at once. The place needs to be clean and vacant by this very Sunday, and there is still a million things to do. I have a snake that needs a home, and a small aquarium that needs to be vacated. My bikes will be safe, (motor and pedal) and many things still need to be purchased on ebay in the next two days and then I will send them on. Like the fall of Saigon it seems, cept the survivors won't be jumping from my roor onto helicopters. And I must leave the place clean for my kind land lady.
Mail has got to be handled, people and entities need to be paid, and some need to pay me. The doctor has to fill out my Chinese "Foreign Workers Exam", give me shots, then prescriptions for a year in advance, then I have to gather the reciepts and send them to the place that will reemburse me for the expenses, which is really a cheesy annuity corp which I opted to pay into rather than having first class insurance. Its more complicated, but its cheaper unless I happen to get really sick, then I know those weasel-fucks will squirm their way out of paying anything of major expense.
I will write and post pics very soon...
Jun 12, 2011
Jun 7, 2011
June 7th, 2011
Jun 4, 2011
June 3rd, 2011
One week into summer time and its been fun! Partying a bit more, watching half the episodes of "Cheers" in one week, playing boring classical arpeggios in the morning while drinking tea and blowin' out some cool Jazz in the evenings while drinking Dark and Stormies (1.) and Gin and Tonics.
Tonight I just obtained a superior Jazz mouthpiece, a Rosseau 6*, which has a wide as hell opening and a much bigger inner chamber than I am used to. I usually play a very old but well sounding Selmer C* mouthpiece with my ancient 1938 King Zephyr, which is a true, famous, professional Sax.
I love the Selmer mouthpiece for it's sexy quietness, and the dark sounding tones that it makes. But this Rosseau is a true Jazz mouthpiece. Ya got to bite down and bend the reed hard. Since my chops (embrouche) is strong now; I can bend and play all sorts of nuances to my sound. I also bought a cheap old " Buescher 400" for next to nothing. This old "400" was once a highly respected Jazz horn, but when the Jazz age stopped with the rock n roll and the British Invasion. The once proud Sax makiing companies like Buescher, King, and Martin, all started making band instruments for companies like Selmer, Leblanc, and others. Turns out that I found a 75' "Selmer Signet", that is totally a "Buescher 400", in everything but the name. This old sax really rocks! Has better action than my old King Zephyr, which is worth 5 times the price of this old Signet. I plan to take the Signet to China, since I have little money into it. But I will keep the great antique King Zephyr at my parents house for safe keeping.
Tonight I experienced the Rosseau mouthpiece with the "Signet" (which is an intermediate and not a professional horn), but I rocked the Logan canyon with it's incredible tone. I blowed the G scale and created various Jazz songs which were completely improvised. We reached the hight of Sax playing ecstasy!, while the sax kept speaking louder and more confident. She was quite the singing angel, whose many incredible voices permeated the air with her unique prowess and ability. I never want the sweet Signet to leave me, but if she does, I'll just pay the bucks for an original Buescher 400.
The two hour long jam was indescribable. I was a life changing experience to say the least.
Last night my friend Mike and I went to an open Mic night at the local bar "The Beehive" (yeah the name needs help), and took turns with the host playing guitar and singing. I haven't performed in front of people in over 15 years, but since the environment was low key, with most patrons at their tables lost in conversations, I managed to play and sing for about 20 minutes without stressing too much. I haven't play guitar in a few months, so I let my voice do most of the work. I'm not ready to perform on the sax yet, but should be ready once I hit the Chinese coast. I'm in touch with a few musicians there and I plan to practice with them and take it from there. My goal is to play in Shanghai's famous "Cotton club", but that might take a while. I am fully content just playing alone as I have done for the past 15 years.
Today I finally got my ass on a bike for the first time in a week, the weather was nice and I managed to do a few errands then do some fish tank maintenance in my classroom. Ran into 4 of my best students and the old Persian man who bought my Volvo a few years back. The guy "Hamin" still loves the car and has gotten a couple speeding tickets due to the cars' need for speed. He got busted doing 110 mph on his way to Salt Lake one day, it's a wonder they didn't put him in jail. But Hamin is a nice old man with a gift of gab so he got off cheaply with a $450. ticket!
Again: This was the best night of my Sax playing career, I will soon go to sleep and dream about all the beautiful sounds that my new horn and mouthpiece have allowed me to play.
Tonight I just obtained a superior Jazz mouthpiece, a Rosseau 6*, which has a wide as hell opening and a much bigger inner chamber than I am used to. I usually play a very old but well sounding Selmer C* mouthpiece with my ancient 1938 King Zephyr, which is a true, famous, professional Sax.
I love the Selmer mouthpiece for it's sexy quietness, and the dark sounding tones that it makes. But this Rosseau is a true Jazz mouthpiece. Ya got to bite down and bend the reed hard. Since my chops (embrouche) is strong now; I can bend and play all sorts of nuances to my sound. I also bought a cheap old " Buescher 400" for next to nothing. This old "400" was once a highly respected Jazz horn, but when the Jazz age stopped with the rock n roll and the British Invasion. The once proud Sax makiing companies like Buescher, King, and Martin, all started making band instruments for companies like Selmer, Leblanc, and others. Turns out that I found a 75' "Selmer Signet", that is totally a "Buescher 400", in everything but the name. This old sax really rocks! Has better action than my old King Zephyr, which is worth 5 times the price of this old Signet. I plan to take the Signet to China, since I have little money into it. But I will keep the great antique King Zephyr at my parents house for safe keeping.
Tonight I experienced the Rosseau mouthpiece with the "Signet" (which is an intermediate and not a professional horn), but I rocked the Logan canyon with it's incredible tone. I blowed the G scale and created various Jazz songs which were completely improvised. We reached the hight of Sax playing ecstasy!, while the sax kept speaking louder and more confident. She was quite the singing angel, whose many incredible voices permeated the air with her unique prowess and ability. I never want the sweet Signet to leave me, but if she does, I'll just pay the bucks for an original Buescher 400.
The two hour long jam was indescribable. I was a life changing experience to say the least.
Last night my friend Mike and I went to an open Mic night at the local bar "The Beehive" (yeah the name needs help), and took turns with the host playing guitar and singing. I haven't performed in front of people in over 15 years, but since the environment was low key, with most patrons at their tables lost in conversations, I managed to play and sing for about 20 minutes without stressing too much. I haven't play guitar in a few months, so I let my voice do most of the work. I'm not ready to perform on the sax yet, but should be ready once I hit the Chinese coast. I'm in touch with a few musicians there and I plan to practice with them and take it from there. My goal is to play in Shanghai's famous "Cotton club", but that might take a while. I am fully content just playing alone as I have done for the past 15 years.
Today I finally got my ass on a bike for the first time in a week, the weather was nice and I managed to do a few errands then do some fish tank maintenance in my classroom. Ran into 4 of my best students and the old Persian man who bought my Volvo a few years back. The guy "Hamin" still loves the car and has gotten a couple speeding tickets due to the cars' need for speed. He got busted doing 110 mph on his way to Salt Lake one day, it's a wonder they didn't put him in jail. But Hamin is a nice old man with a gift of gab so he got off cheaply with a $450. ticket!
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