Operation 365... Take 17

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Archives - 22 Jeff Dewine and Justin Werner play Don Truesdail's "Dragon Swan Song" - 10-22-09
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AEXnGEDrrg

Operation 365's "12 Days of Truesdail" marches into its second day with more tributes to our dear departed friend, Don Truesdail. This week's Big-hitter Thursday was recorded at Don's posthumous birthday celebration October 22, 2009,on the stage named in his honor. This clip features Jeff Dewine and Justin Werner covering perhaps Don's most epic number, "Dragon Swan Song." After Don died, Dewine learned the "Swan Song" and stunned the audience at 2009's "Jefferson Jay's 24 Hours of Free Music" with a rousing rendition of it, near the program's finale at about 2AM. Here, with his musical partner, Justin Werner, they reprise the seminal classic, this time before friends of Don's a party commemorating what would have been his 35th birthday. Aside, from all this emotional background, this song rules. Hail Truesdail!

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 22 "Do You Feel Free"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pDWUM7F89Y

This is a number off of my "Red" album which is currently available at my website www.jeffersonjay.com. I still like to call 'em albums even though they've been CD for 25 years and now they're mp3s but whatever. I like this tune. It's fun to play and there's a few versions of it that we've busted out over the years. Here, I am doing the original slow version but, The Jefferson Jay Band has had some good times playing this tune all fast and aggressive as well. I think the message in this tune that people need to question the world around them and their actions in it is a message found in some of the music of my main man Don Truesdail whose life we are celebrating this week in Operation 365's "12 Days of Truesdail."

As an homage to San-Diego born Tom Waits who was inducted into the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame, I have Waits'd up this particular rendition a tad. Also, I can't post this tune without an acknowledgment of my friend Robin Lee who always got a huge kick out of the tag at end of this tune. I got rid of it once and she insisted I put it back. She called it the Johnny Carson part of song cause of the way he there it to commercial back in the day on the Tonight Show

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Covers - 22 "Bad Moon Rising" by Credence Clearwater Revival
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkCwKt0wRTI

I'm not super inclined to make the connection between this tune and the "12 Days," but you can if you like. For me, I like tempting randomness to give it a chance to show me it exists. A couple of days ago, I asked one of my friends to name a random tune and that someone, I believe it was my friend Josh, said "Bad Moon Rising." I was trying to do "I Won't Back Down" by Tom Petty today but it wasn't happening, so I recalled Josh said "Bad Moon Rising," and I went and looked it up. I had never played before but it was pretty easy, I went for it and here it goes.

Of course, when I got to the tune and realized what the lyrics were it was a bit harrowing, but as someone whose grown super familiar with death as a part of his life, I was not surprised. Randomness... Ha!

NOTE: At the recommendation of my long-time friend and collaborator Spencer Katzman, I have started finger-picking my jams instead of using a pick. He said it makes it more interesting and I think he may well right. Thank you Splendra.

NOTE 2: youtube suggested I add dental and haircut, among other things, in the tags for my videos today. Haircut?!?!?!?!? How rude!