: Have You Had Your 15 Minutes of Fame Yet?
If not, you’re probably too late. 15 minutes of fame is passé, it’s over, no more, it has ceased to exist. In these modern times that we live in, we mete out fame in digital storage units – everyone gets 15 Megs of internet fame. For the non-techies out there, Meg is shorthand for Megabytes. If you still don’t know what I’m talking about, you can pick up Computers for Dummies at your local bookstore. Or you can order it online. But I’m digressing yet again.
Anyway, last week I got my 15 Megs.
Re-winding a bit here, a very nice gentleman Jim Beckerman read my little story from last month about my introduction to boogie boogie. Jim is a fellow boogie boogie piano enthusiast himself, as well as being a staff writer for the Bergen/Passaic county based news site The Record. Jim contacted me and asked if he could interview me and do a write up about my playing. I said “Why not?”. So we met over beers at The Great Notch Inn and I found myself being interviewed. Besides being fun and rather flattering, it was also an interesting educational experience. I express myself much better in writing than talking. When writing, you can go back over your words (as I am right now) and say “Is that what I really mean? Is that the correct nuance of the thought I’m trying to convey?” And if not, well you just backspace or select the stuff the stuff you don’t like and hit that old delete key. But here, the words go out and then. . . . the next thing you know. . . . you see them in print. And then you say “Hmm, maybe I could have phrased that better. ‘Lower intestine’ sound sort of strange, I’m sure I could find a better analogy than that.” But dang it Jim, there’s no delete key anymore.
Here’s the full interview: http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/music/212589801_Clifton_musician_boogies_on.html
I think I now understand why President Obama uses a lot of “ummms” when he talks – he’s mentally hitting the delete key before he speaks.
Anyway, thanks again Jim for the neat write up.
=============================
June 30, Sunday, 3:00PM-6:00PM – Mostly Blues Jam Session at Hat City, 459 Valley Street, City of Orange, NJ 07050 (862) 252-9147
Al Gold runs this most excellent jam session every other Sunday afternoon. I’ll be in the house band, but typically other keyboard players show up and get a turn playing as well; so if you show up and I m not on stage, I will be back. It’s Sunday afternoon – so those of you who usually fall asleep at 9:00 have no excuse not to come on out.
http://www.hatcitykitchen.com
http://www.myspace.com/algoldthesuburbanrhythmkings
July 5, Friday, 7:00-9:00ish PM – Doc French, Ruthie’s BBQ, 64 1/2 Chestnut Ave, Montclair (973) 509-1134
Dave ‘Doc’ French is a fine blues singer, guitarist & song writer who usually plays in New York with his group French Cooking. Doc has this very laid back, subtle yet powerful style which sort of sneaks up on you and gets inside. This coming Friday, he’s coming out to the wilds of New Jersey and will be backed by Carl Lorentzen on bass and yours truly. I’ve checked out the long range weather forecasts and they’re calling for good weather next weekend, so with any luck we will play out on the patio; but if it rains we’ll move indoors. As always, Ruthie’s is BYO.
www.ruthiesbbq.com/
www.frenchcookin.com/
July 22, Saturday, 9:00PM-1:00AM – Better Off Dead at The Great Notch Inn, Route 46, Little Falls (973) 256-7742
There was a neat write up of the history of the Great Notch Inn recently in Weird New Jersey magazine; it’s worth checking out. This place goes wa-a-ay back in time. VD King and Better off Dead do not go quite as far back, but they are a Great Notch institution.
http://www.betteroffdead.com/home.htm/
http://www.agreatertown.com/little_falls_nj/great_notch_inn_new_jerseys_rockin_roadhouse_00089580
July 26, Friday, 7:00ish-9:30 PM – Arthur Neilson, at Nicholson Pavilion in Dykstra Park, Sparta NJ (201) 447-4343
After a very, very, very, very long hiatus (while he was bouncing around the world with Shemikia Copeland) the amazing Arthur Neilson is back in action with his Kick Ass Band – of which I am proud to be a part of. This is an outdoor concert, but it will go indoors if the weather looks bad. Admission is free. I’m not quite certain about all the details, but I believe there may be an opening act. I also don’t have an exact address, but if you go out to the Sparta Arts web site just below, you can click on the directions link. Many many moons ago, summer of 7th grade if I recollect, I went to a summer camp in Sparta. It was – and remains – a beautiful part of NJ.
http://www.arthurneilson.com/
http://www.spartaarts.org/events/?currentPage=2
July 27, Saturday, 8:30PM-10:30PM – Jump, Shuffle, and Moan at Hat City, 459 Valley Street, City of Orange, NJ 07050 (862) 252-9147
In a deja vu all over again moment, I’ll be back at Hat City later in July. My buddy Rob Signorile fronts this tight blues ensemble. Hat City is clean, it has a good sound system, and it has a great menu. You can leave your hat on.
http://www.hatcitykitchen.com