Operation 365... Blog 333

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Archives - 339 Charbra "Hot Veins" 10-27-2009
http://youtu.be/IB11bYcNl-M


Well, consider this the beginning of the end of the 365. I am now going back through and finding one more moment in the sun for some of the 365's top Archival artists. I woke up this morning with Charbra's tune "Oh Mama" in my head. I have posted that now on (at least) two occasions, including the day it was written. I have been combing the hard drives, trying to make sure I don't miss too many classic moments from my recorded shows. This was recorded two years and two days ago at my Open Mic on October 27, 2009.

Charbra are Charlotte James (guitar) and Barbara Tolbert. They are playing with my band at our CD release party on 11-11-11 at The Griffin. Tomorrow, I will be going on 94.9FM with Tim Pyles tomorrow sometime after 8:00PM to discuss it. I am really excited about the CD, "Gift To Be Alive." A lot of these songs were written and inspired in late 2008, the same period of time when Charbra first came to town. They got their band name on the stage at my Open Mic. I gave it to 'em. Charlotte. Barbara. Charbra. Get it. Yeah, it's pretty obvious.

They tried to change it once. I forget to what. Nothing great. I called for an audience vote on the matter and people pretty unanimously chose Charbra. It's been Charbra ever since. Charbra, if the 365 doesn't see you in this configuration again in its final 26 days, thank you for playing the Operation 365.

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Covers - 339 "Day Man" - Charlie Day
http://youtu.be/ftuyZzC0LAE


I like "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." With the possible (but doubtful) exception of "Dexter," it is my favorite show on television right now. Granted, I don't have a TV set, but... The show's funny. The people are mean. Danny DeVito is at his best. "Day Man" is from a musical Charlie wrote one of my favorite episodes, "The Nightman Cometh," from a few years back. I found the chords and a few covers of it on the web. Most of them were pretty bad though. Props to this guy, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT8aYr-ai2E

Believe it or not, this was one of the best ones I saw, by far. So, enjoy this tune and this season of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." It's been a great one so far. It cracks me up.

Oh yeah! I almost forgot about the creepy mask. My pal Andy molded that to my face back in Humboldt in 1995. It is perfectly fitted to my ample proboscis. So today, October 28th, is Halloween observed in San Diego. Yes, the kids will still get dressed up and trick-or-treat on Monday, October 31st, but today the adults go out and get crazy, and by crazy, I mean crazy wasted. No holiday better provides and excuse for women to walk the streets so nakedly. Yes, Halloween Observed is a free-for all here in the SD. Probably a lot of other places too. So this mask is my nod to Halloween, a trick and a treat, if you are so moved. It is also probably the new best cover of "Day Man" on the web. Thank you. Yours, JeffersonJay.com

Shoutout the The Funky DayMan, Damon Stoll, awesome bassist for The Jefferson Jay Band for five years. Peace to The Funky D.

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 339 "Countdown"
http://youtu.be/qVVVtnF0InA


"Countdown" is a song I wrote in 1997 or 1998. It is about the feeling of a band coming together. Unfortunately every time I play, whatever band I'm in crumbles. That's why before today, I hadn't played it in several years. That's part of being in a band, I guess. I like the song though. it has pretty music. The finger picking thing at the end I enjoy, even though I kind of forgot how to sing right over that section. It's OK. This song has meaning to me.

Back in those days when I wrote this tune I lived in Arcata, CA. I did my undergraduate work at Humboldt State University there. I had some cool friends and right before I left in 2000 I forgot my dog Angel, but besides that and school, my main thing I did there was go see jazz. Every Monday, and I mean EVERY, I would go to the Jambalaya and see Sam Maez jazz. That's what it was called for the first year or so that this happened. It cost like a dollar. Very few people went. The music was incredible. I was schooled by this amazing group of musicians, led masterfully through their paces wach week by trumpeter/bandleader Sam Maez. The core would change from time to time. Duane Isaacson (guitar), Ken Susan (drums), and Ken Lawrence of Ken Lawrence Instruments - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Lawrence_Instruments - played his own custom made, world class basses.

When Sam had subs the tenor of the group could change dramatically, but I always marveled and his ability to get the best out of the group each time. I also noted as all the players would always bring their very best effort to the stage. After a year and a half or so, more people started coming out. The show caught on and got popular. I waited a year to talk much at all to these guys. I didn't want to bug them. Even though I was the only guy in the room almost sometimes, it took some time for us to all become friends. I would sit there and write and write and write, books full about Sam, the music, and whatever else their artistry made me think of. I learned the standards. I loved it. It was school, therapy, a vacation, inspiration.

One strange Monday night,I was working at HeyJuan burritos there in Arcata and cranking some Miles Davis "Kind of Blue," one of the best CDs ever. As fate would have it, The Ray Charles Band walked in. No Ray but... The music led to me and bassist Curtis Ohlsen becoming friends for a couple days. I connected the band with the jazz jam that night at Jambalaya. It was fortuitous timing. The Ray Charles guys were thrilled to have a place to go and hang. Some sat in, including their trombone player who had one arm. They were stoked. Sam & The Monday Night Band, as they came to be called were also excited at the opportunity to play with some road-tested musicians. It was a great night. Guys in Ray's band were buying Long Island Iced Teas. I'm really glad we all survived.

The next my friends Ryan and Cheryl Horvath and I sat on the stage in the wings and watched Ray Charles play from not very far away. Some day I'd like to some something with all the stuff I wrote while watching Sam and the guys play. I use the stuff I learned from Sam every single day.