Operation 365... Blog 85

Operation 365 – Jefferson Jay – Archives – 91 Justin Mills - "There's Beauty" – 12-18-2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkjChFPe3ps

Ola. On the 91st day of operation 365, I share with you, for the first time, one of my favorite singer-songwriters on the planet, Justin Mills. You may have caught glimpses of him in my Archives playing cello with The Greens of Mind or in the Covers as I covered some of his tunery. Here he is on stage, playing his songs himself. Justin doesn't play out much these days. Almost never. It is the second performing break of over a year he's taken since I've known him and I've known him less than 5 years.

Fortunately, the last time he was playing regularly, I got to grab a piece of the action on my little blue Ashbory bass. I was backing him up every Thursday for awhile, playing his tunes and I loved it. I love his tunes. They are awesome. Even if he disagrees, I am unswayed. The only reason I haven't gone Mills sooner here in the 365 is my own trepidation about my performances, backing him on the bass. I am super critical of myself there because I like his tunes that much that I get afraid that I'm ruining them. Anyway, here is "There's Beauty" from December 18, 2008. Justin Mills, also known as "The General," and I are joined by The Soul Man, on guiro, as we were regularly on Thursday nights, back then. I miss Justin's jams and if he doesn't play 'em for me, in public or private, some times soon, I'm going to have to learn 'em all and play 'em myself, just 'cause I miss 'em that much.

Operation 365 – Jefferson Jay – Covers – 91 "Shout" by Tears for Fears
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LawCuS-VCL8

I was reading about this tune and apparently it was Tears for Fears, encouraging people to take a stand and speak out for what they believe. I thought that fit nicely in the context of my dramatic rant yesterday. I was teaching again, trying to take car of things when I can. Been busy. I have some outtakes of a couple tunes I've done lately but haven't posted them. Maybe some slow day.

I loved this tune back in the 80s and it is fun to be able to get to play it for you all here. Shout!

Operation 365 – Jefferson Jay – Originals - 91 "Hey Christina"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBLXNJwupYk

So a number of years ago, I used to have a crush on my chiropractor. Her name was Christina. She was an attractive Latina and there was some spicy banter that occasionally occurred around her adjustment table. Not only that, but she had an approach unlike any other to the business. She would climb on top of the table, basically straddle me and use her "body strength" for lack of a better word, to complete the adjustment. It was hard not to like visiting her. It seemed like her unhappy relationship was the main topic of conversation every time I went in and eventually she got herself single. Somewhere in there, I wrote this tune and gave it to her. I think she liked the tune, but that and fifty cents woulda got me two quarters when it was all said and done. Eventually, I think she moved to Seattle. If you want the most intoxicating adjustments in the Pacific Northwest I suggest you track her down and look her up. I have since broke up with chiropractics all together. I find I feel better when people aren't cracking my body in a million different ways. Who knew?

I'm not gonna lie, it's kinda weird playing songs your wrote about other women, when you happily have a girlfriend. It helps that this tune is funky and Christina and I never hooked up, but it's still a little weird. When you don't really feel a song anymore, it's difficult to summon the emotions that got you to write the song in the first place. It's easier with break-up songs, but the lovey-dovey ones, those are tough. I kinda have no choice, being that I'm committed to doing my best to conjure 365 of my original tunes and I don't even have that many. Plus, many of the ones I do have were written about women, once upon a time, when I liked them.

It's crazy I've done this 91 days in a row and I'm just a quarter done. I'd say it was unfair but no one's making me do this. It is a sentence imposed by myself. It's kinda like going to to the chiropractor in that way, except when I was going to visit Christina.

NOTES: Congrats to my New Jersey Nets on acquiring All-Star point guard, Deron Williams. Who knows how they'll mess up this one? God bless Russian billionaire, Mikhail Prokhorov.

According to Christina, she once dated one of the best point guards in the NBA not named Deron Williams.