Operation 365... Blog 292

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Archives - 298 Don Truesdail "The Traveller's Lament" - 10-27-08
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls4leGviLjY


So, we a rewinding into the home stretch on the 365 here now. These clips here are some of the most important ones we have left so I hope you enjoy them as much as I will. I wrote my Master's Thesis on the history of the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library in La Jolla, CA. The Athenaeum, as it is familiarly known, goes back to the late 1800's when white folks first settle s La Jolla. Native Americans had been there earlier but they were relocated by an executive order of President Ulysses Grant in 1875. The Athenaeum's history is a fascinating story that I enjoyed writing. The Athenaeum has been almost entirely run and operated by women in its distinguished past. There is much more to it. You can go take my thesis out of the San Diego State library if you really want to know more.

After I finished my thesis, I reached out to Erika Torri, Executive Director, and approached her about doing an concert series, spotlighting the incredible acoustic musicians of San Diego. To this point, they had primarily featured jazz and chamber music in their beautiful music space. Erika was open to this idea and The Acoustic Evenings with Jefferson Jay series was offered twice. People really enjoyed the shows. I did a short question and answer with the performers and the first time we did it, the show ended with jams featuring all if the evenings performers.

I loved the fact that I could include my friends, some of San Diego's unsung musical heroes, alongside some more known local treasures. This was very gratifying to me, as I felt the whole lot of us acoustic musicians belonged at this level for some time.

Don Truesdail was excited for the opportunity. I had him booked with Mary Dolan and Carlos Olmeda, who happen to share the same birthday. Don had turned 34 one week earlier, We had a nice celebration in my backyard. Do arranged a little medley, for us all to perform at the show's end. He an I spent a good deal of time rehearsing it. Carlos and Mary head it for the first time when they arrived at the show.

Don arrived early with his wife, Nancy, and a friend of hers. The Truesdails were giddy about the evening ahead. It went well. Nancy filmed Don's set and has been kind enough to allow me to share those recordings here. So I will be sharing this whole set over the next week or so. Enjoy Don as he offers some insight into his muse, in a manner unlike most of his other recorded performances. As we watch Don from Nancy's perspective in the audience, the love creeps through the camera and can be felt on your screen there at home. Please enjoy, our friend, The Parlor City Bard, Don Truesdail, as he shares his songs at a truly special room to enjoy music, La Jolla's Athenaeum Music & Arts Library.

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Covers - 298 "White Wedding" by Billy Idol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJEJq60yvbg


Classic 80s jam. Got up this morning, early on a Sunday to drive 80's cover band "Tainted Love" to the airport. They were nice folks as far as I could tell. It was an eventful adventure. We ran out of gas, one exit from the airport. We put a bunch of gas in there. That van must get some seriously horrid gas mileage. I ran to the gas station, bought a little tank and a gallon of gas and I problem-solved. That is one of the tools in my skill set, problem solving. A fire hydrant had blown up somehow, so there we all kinds of cops and firedudes and a huge geyser coming out of Old Town Avenue. Eventful, I told ya. I was tired after. I went home and slept more. I might still be asleep right now. I'm not positive. Oh, I ate a McDonald's Egg McMuffin, cause I was so tired I thought I'd pass out. Don't do it. Never eat McDonald's ever. Egg McMuffins are tasty, I acknowledge, but I felt like I ate poison by the time I got home. Maybe I did.

I am still slow and sluggish. It's 2:13PM. What's my Dallas Cowboys excuse, down 14-0 to the Niners early? I am going to with suckiness, there.

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 298 "So Far Down This Road"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWZdsldGlv0


One of the things I think I'm going to miss about the 365, when it's gone, is the sensation of hitting record knowing I need to write a song from scratch on the spot, right then. That was a redundant sentence. Now, I will still be able to do that if I like after it ends. It's just a matter of doing it. Kind of like the impetus for this whole project in the first place. Deciding to do it and doing it.

"So Far Down This Road" is a fun song, just came out when I hit play. At first I was going to call it, So Far Away," but I deferred to the cool Dire Straits song of the same name. Then I considered "I Don't Know," but again I deferred, this time to my friends Joe and Jen Stevens, whose band Beer Money, has an "I Don't Know" that I do know AND love. So that's it. "So Far Down This Road." Any questions?