Operation 365... Blog 100

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Archives - 108 Brett Walling and Jeff Shaefer - 10-1-2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vARDSH2Aq5g

This was recorded at a particularly drunken night in our little Ocean Beach subculture on October 1, 2009. This night Brett Wallling and Jeff Shaefer, then of the band, Chimney Fish, were doing an acoustic duo set, backed by The Soul Man on guiro and Paul Lopez on percussion. There were four people dancing up front for most of the show, but it fluctuated, depending on who was buying Brett a drink at the time. The two men dancing go so into it, they started taking their shirts off. It was first class hilarity. The larger dude actually ripped his shirt off. My tape had ended and that makes the moment I most wish I hadn't missed from this entire era. Maybe the funniest thing I ever saw.

This song is called "The Songs I Can Not Sing," though many referred to it as "The Marijuana Song," back then, because he says that several times in the jam. This song is also classic, because Brett sings about "the sad iguana" in it. I believe this is the night I asked him on stage who the sad iguana was and he told us it was him. Classic.

I had a lovely visit at Jeff's new place last night. It was lovely. Kudos to Senor Shaefer and Charlotte James on their co-habitation. The place looks terrific.

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Covers - 108 "So Far Away" by Dire Straits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWg0PtG67dk

This is a great tune off Dire Straits awesome album form the 80s, "Brothers In Arms." While the record is best known for its hits, "Walk of Life" and "Money For Nothing," I always enjoyed the album most as a whole for all the sense of calmness it breathes through all its mellow tracks including "So Far Away."

It5 is funny, I was patting myself on the back for not singing like Tom Waits on my version of his "Singapore" earlier this week, and then I found myself days later, trying not to sing like/ straight up mimic, David Bowie and Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler. What can you do? God bless.

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 108 Black Pet Pig
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXJzmHQzSa4

This is another instant classic, that I wrote with some local elementary school students that I was teaching this week. I like this song a lot and the group I wrote it with is quickly emerging as one of my favorites of the week. I am currently subbing for a teacher an indefinite long-term assignment. So I work at 10 schools and travel around between sharing my love for music with the kiddies. SOme refuse to sing. Some start crying. It's goof fun, largely.

This is a catchy song and if a black, pet pig craze ever happens or I ever get more proficient at marketing myself and my music, maybe I'll have the pleasant problem of figuring out how to get these kids some of the royalties they'd have earned. Anything can happen. Yep.