Operation 365... Blog 272

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Archives - 278 Don Truesdail "Pillow Talk" 8-13-08
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqsDhdbEhqk


Three years, two weeks and two days ago, the whole crew of is from back in the day got together at Portugalia to celebrate Joe and Jen Stevens's wedding. Joe and Jen canceled their honeymoon so they could buy dinner and a show for everybody who frequented the Open Mic back in those days. It was a close-knit scene as you can imagine. They also asked me to be the minister for their wedding and organize a show featuring the Open Mic superstars. I obliged.

Any good show needs to start on a really high note, so I went to Don Truesdail, and he didn't disappoint. He opened with an excerpt from John Denver's, "Take Me Home, Country Road," before launching in to his touching song, "Pillow Talk." "Pillow Talk" appears on Don's CD, "Dasvidanya Bingolans, Hello Nancy," which can be purchased at truesdailstudio.com.

It was an unforgettable and beautiful evening. Everyone looked nice, played well, had fun, and made merry. I love Don and it is my honor to be able to share some of his music with you on the 365. I have had a lot of footage stored up for awhile. I wanted to come up with a framework to share in a manner more contextual than just posting a few random videos whenever I got a wild hair. A lot of the significance is lost when you can't see the web of what was happening. It wasn't one or two people playing a few songs. It was a tight-knot group of friends, supporting each other through all kinds of highs and lows, with lots of love, laughter, and life mixed in.

To me, that's what life is all about, and that is part of what I've been trying to show here on the 365 for the last nine months. I hope you can feel the love. If you can't, pay closer attention. To me, it's undeniable. Please enjoy my friend, The Parlor City Bard, Don Truesdail. There's more Don to share tomorrow. To me, that is a blessing.

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Covers - 278 "I Can't Help Myself" by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Edward Holland, Jr.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jpdVBNHtCA


I was jamming out yesterday, and the next thing you know I was playing the opening lick to "Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch," technically known as "I Can't Help Myself." The Four Tops performed this #1 hit, but it was written by the powerhouse, Motown writing/producing team of Holland/Dozier/Holland. I learned all this from wikipedia. I hate not knowing my poop, or at least the internet-enabled equivalent of knowing my poop. The web is wrong from time to time, in case you didn't know this. 21-year olds today don't even remember what life was like without the web, and all these newfangled amenities. I do. It seems a long way away. Love is the same. That is something to hold on to. That's why people will always love a tune like "I Can't Help Myself." That, and the harmonies.

NOTE: youtube "suggested" I add "chocolate" to the tags on The Four Tops tune here. I think that may be crossing the line.

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 278 "Ride the Table"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEFY2NXwims


So I did this little exercise with my girlfriend Leanne and her roommate Josh the other day. I showed up and gave them each a piece of paper. It listed the letter A-G. I said "create 5-8 combinations of these letters." They became my chord progressions. I also told them to list 5-8 words or ideas. These became my lyrics. I never told them why I was doing this. I just told them it was an "exercise." After they finished, I let them know that "our" goal was to write 5 songs in 20 minutes. Once before, a year ago, Leanne, Adrianna Martin-Morningstar and I, wrote a song (including recording( in 15 minutes.) Here is that song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS_0WcVNYlI

So this time, my goal was to write 5 songs in 20 minutes. We succeeded. n fact, it only took 16 minutes to reach our goal. We finished at 11:11. It took 30 minutes if you include the time it took to record them all on my phone. Leanne didn't want any credit for the tunes. She felt it was all me. Josh told if I was Andrew Lloyd Webber, she would be Tim Rice. I agree with Josh. Maybe, I stacked the deck a little, but I wrote these songs with Leanne and Josh. Technically this one was more Leanne and I though, because it was the first one. It was done, before Josh had even finished his list of stuff. Leanne finished faster, because she was trying to read her John Irving book, "The Cider House Rules," and if anything, my exercise was a distraction. Leanne chose images from this book to get her "ideas" for this endeavor.

I only wrote lyrics, when they were needed to fill in gaps. For instance, "Edna Garrett," TV"s matriarch from "Diff'rent Strokes"," and "The Facts of Life," that lyric was mine. Hail Edna Garrett, collaborative songwriter, and success against all odds, reaching people, spreading love, in the 21st century, Paul Ruiz gave me a talking to, just now, and I feel empowered. The world wants some positive ideas, some entertainment, some hope, and I'm just the bloke to give it to 'em. Dess do diss. (translated: Let's do this.)

Love,
Jefferson

NOTE: Shoutouts to Tim Clark, Dylan Avery, my brother John and all these folks, for the fun time at Phish Fest 8 in '09. Here's Tim's take on the funfest. Riding the table goes down at about 2.30. What fun! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-aMhyZ7N4w

Paul Ruiz appears here on trumpet.