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Archives for 2008

Leonard Cohen

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I just found out the other day that Leonard Cohen made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! So a belated congrats to another great Canadian song writer, Leonard Cohen!

My wife is a big fan of his work and I have to admit to you all that I know of some of his work, but that’s it.

Being a musician, I am more in tune with the composition of a song then the words itself. I understand that the words hold, to most listeners, it’s true essence and meaning. To me though, it’s the sound that is the driving force behind it.

While playing live I focus mostly on the guitar parts than what comes out of my mouth. I’ve never written any words to any of the songs I made in the past and probably never will in the future. They just do not move me or grab my attention like the beat does.

So hats off to Mr. Cohen and to his powerful lyrics and let’s hope he might rub off on my writing abilities, or lack there of!

Keep on Jammin’





Elizabeth Cotton

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Now this is very some picking technique to look at more then once! I was looking up one of Mississippi John Hurt’s tune on youtube and I just stumbled upon this beautiful guitar player named Elizabeth Cotton.

Her approach to the drone picking, looks like something that I would find easier, if in fact, I played guitar like her.

She makes it look so easy and effortless.

Her index finger bounces around the E and A string like my puppy when we tell her it’s time for supper! God it’s just beautiful to look at and hear.

Here she is a 92 years of age playing this song that she made up when she was 12 years old!

Come on everyone sign along!!!!!

Keep on playin’ Elizabeth Cotton wherever you are.
(Jan. 5, 1893 – Jun. 29, 1987)

Vegan Rock

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So I woke up this morning, feed and walked the dog as usual but I changed my routine up a little. I finally picked up my Larrivee and started to play If I had a Rocket Launcher by Bruce Cockburn. I was trying to come up with different solo ideas and discovered a couple of new versions to incorporate with the standard solo. Now with that over my stomach started to grumble!

While eating breakfast I was reading the old Macleans Magazine and I came across this article called “Go Veg! Get Girls!”. It started off with how the vegan industry is attempting to change the old idea that being a vegan is not manly for most of us. Then I remembered something that happened to us a couple of years ago.

My wife and I didn’t eat meat for a couple of months because she was going through medical problems and meat was off the menu. We were vegans but not the militant kind, you all know what I’m talking about. With starting this new eating arrangement and actually liking it, I thought it wasn’t so bad at all and I didn’t know what all the fuss was about changing eating habits.

Then one day at work we had IBM give us a “Lunch and Learn” about server hardware and they had a caterer come over with a BBQ and served anything we wanted. After having some chicken or something, the next day I felt so horrible! It was like waking up the morning after New Years when you were still in your college/university days! I guess my system was changing and I sorta began to see why maybe some people thought that eating meat was bad for them.

Then came the part about this band called the “Vegan Vixens“. In my mind I thought, wow maybe this could be one of those indie bands with a really neat and unique sound! Then I saw this video.

Keep on Jammin’

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