Operation 365... Blog 71

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Archives - 77 Acoustic Booze - 9-14-2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMZgm8xZZX4

Yo may wonder, why wait until the 77th day of the Operation 365 to showcase Acoustic Booze, a band for wish you're the drummer. To that I answer, good question, anonymous reader and here is the answer. When Acoustic Booze began sometime in 2009, there was a lot of room for growth. So, I wanted to make sure when I did post footage, it was stuff that would show us after much of this growth had occurred.

Acoustic Booze is led by Blowski, perhaps my best friend on the planet. I decided I would offer him my services as a drummer because drummers are notoriously flaky and even if I couldn't promise him the word's greatest drumming, I could assure him I'd show up and have a good attitude, far more than can be said for many, if not most, drummers. Well, it has worked out very nicely. The Booze has played many gigs and grown up in a manner that makes me proud and happy.

Acoustic Booze is Blowski on vox, guitar and harmonica, Adrianna Martin-Morningstar on vocals and tambourine, Patricia Mueller on keys, Dylan Avery on bass, Paul Ruiz on trumpet and The Soul Man on guiro. Soul Man was not at this set, which was a reunion after a summer-long hiatus that happened unexpectedly at my Open Mic on September 14, 2010. We may be a smidge rusty here but the god vibe that Acoustic Booze takes to the stage every time out is in full effect.

This is one of our best tunes, "Been Thinkin'." I've enjoyed playing drums and being in the band far more than I could have imagined and think I've progressed all the way to being a "not bad drummer." There will be more Booze ahead in Operation 365. This is just the beginning.

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Covers - 77 "Little Darling" by Justin Mills
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt41-9v-JeE

I wasn't super planning on posting this version of this tune ever, but I'm sick so I don't really want to be singing anything at all. This version of Justin Mills' classic tune "Little Darling" is all right, but I would have held up and done a better one somewhere down the line. That being said, this is what I got and I'm going with it.

Some background: Justin and I have been friends for a few years now. He is a San Diego-based songwriter who has written some of the greatest tunes I've ever heard. No joke. And I'm not the only one who feels that way around here. Justin is not as big a fan of his tunes though so he virtually never plays them. Maybe in his house... This may be his best of the bunch, "Little Darling." I love this song. It may be my favorite tune ever. It is Petey Mueller's. Not only is it great, but it has tremendous emotional significance to me. It lifted me up at a really dark time awhile back when a bunch of my stuff got stolen. The good news is the stuff came back. Yeah!

Justin and I play in a group called The Greens of Mind together once a year or so and I used to back him up on a cute little blue Ashbory bass a couple years ago, when he still played out. A little picture of The Greens can be seen at the video's conclusion. I love Justin. I am really glad we are friends. And "Little Darling" rules, even if this version is ehhish. And that's all I have to say about that right now.

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Outtakes - 77 "P.S. It's You" - 8-26-2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzZeq-iwvM4

[Re-classified from "original" to "Outtake" at 7:36PM, 2/9/2011, upon realizing I'd already recorded "P.S. It's You" as the 72nd original tune of Operation 365]

Yesterday, I posted a video from a set at the Open Mic where this tune came to be. I figured I'd post it today to follow up that story line. This was recorded by The Jefferson Jay Band at Winston's in Ocean Beach on August 26, 2010, roughly a week after that on-stage breakthrough.

The Jefferson Jay Band on this Thursday evening included Richard Romero on bass, Jack Davidson on guitar, Paul Lopez on drums, Blowski on keys, The Soul Man on guiro, Paul Ruiz on trumpet on myself (Jefferson) on frontman responsibilities. This was the core version of my band for a good, long spell and is the version featured on my upcoming CD, "The Great New Way," that I'm extremely proud of. It is the best CD I've done by a healthy margin and I thank all those guys for helping make these statements true.

NOTE: I just realized while writing the "tags" that Justin Mills "Little Darling" says "It's Me" a million times and my original from today is called "P.S. It's You"... Whoa.

NOTE 2 : 7:27 PM I almost made a major boo-boo. I knew this day would come. I accidentally posted the same original tune for the second time today, "P.S. It's You." This is made even sadder by the fact that did this song the first time only 5 days ago. Well, I'm gonna find another original now and re-classify this for my purposes as an outtake on the 77th day of Operation 365. Whew.

I'm gonna have to write and record this one in one take if I can.

I did it.

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 77 "So Damn Sick and Tired"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO0JMjRpwIw

I think I'm gonna let this one speak for itself.