Operation 365... Blog 169

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Archives - 175 The Greens of Mind "Escaping From Alcatraz" - 6-8-2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nswgkfdGO4Y

Folks, Operation 365 is going green, and by that I mean, I plan to share a bunch of stuff I recorded with a little group play with once in a while called, The Greens of Mind. The Greens of Mind are myself on guitar, Barbara Tolbert on vocals, Charlotte James on violin and guitar and Justin Mills on cello. Occasionally we switch it up and play different instruments, but usually that is how the lineup looks.

The first several clips I'll be sharing are from a very special show we did on June 8, 2009 at the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library in La Jolla, CA. I developed a very positive relationship with the folks ta The Athenaeum while writing my Master's Thesis at San Diego State University about the long and distinguished history of La Jolla's first library. This led to the Acoustic Evenings at The Athenaeum Series with Jefferson Jay, where some of San Diego's finest acoustic musicians were showcased in one's the area's finest rooms for music. All of the shows were fabulous and I hope to do more work with the Athenaeum before too long.

The amazing cinematography in these clips comes courtesy of Steve Laub and Dave Foster of Laubster Video. A huge thanks to those guys. All Greens members are songwriters in their own right. "Escaping From Alcatraz" was written by me. It was once described by a friend as an "anti-love song." I don't know if that is true, but I found it interesting enough to share here.

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Covers - 175 "Piper" - Phish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MacZrFNt-E0

Still sick. It's getting to me. I've been laying around all the time and I'm still not getting better. Booo... No idea what cover I'm going to do. Hopefully something simple comes to me soon.

OK. I've chosen one of my many favorite Phish tunes, "Piper." It was actually written by Phish frontman Trey Anastasio and his long-time lyricist Tom Marshall. You can tell the lyrics are Marshall's because they essentially make no sense. Maybe that's a little harsh. perhaps some of his lyrics makke some sense, sometimes, if you really read a lot into them. Anyway, that certainly doesn't make this song any less awesome. Please do not mistake my enthusiasm for this song for me saying my acoustic version does this song any justice. It doesn't. Well, maybe, a tad, at most. Go essay on yourself, JJ, and Tom Marshall. Come on.. YOu are right voice inside my head. I recant that whole first paragraph. The version my brother and I say on Halloween in Vegas in 1998... Now that version did "Piper" justice. I'm just saying.

Shout-outs to the great pro wrestler "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, who managed to star in movies despite being illiterate and coined the phrase,"Just when you think you know the answers, I change the questions." I loved that one. A second shout-out goes to Piper, adorable pooch of Destructo and Amanda Bunny. And just in case that's not enough, here is something I watched on TV when I was a small child. Maybe that explains something. I don;t know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZbZseTuQ1I

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 175 "When It Rains, It Pours"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki3FqwXyMYw

It's been a rough week or two. I'm not gonna lie. I've still sick, lost my job... I could go on, but I won't. What we songwriters have to get us through these tough times, are songs. It is a therapy of sorts and it works.

Now I haven't lost perspective entirely or anything. I am thrilled to be the uncle of a healthy, baby boy and I love my girlfriend lots and lots, but these feelings got to get out somehow. Thanks for listening. Soon, I hope to resume with our regularly scheduled program.