Operation 365... Blog 345

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Archives - 351 Justin Mills "There's Beauty" - 1-29-2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfWHmpJfl84


So this will be the last Archives post in a way. After today, I'll be focusing on the tunes form my new CD, "Gift To Be Alive." I have saved them all for this point in the 365 and I will presenting two versions of each one for the next two weeks. At least that's the plan. So for the last day of the Archives as they've been for the last 11 1/2 months anyway.
I chose Justin Mills. I love Justin and I love his music and I loved playing with him. I've played with The Soul Man so much over the last ten years that playing with him is like playing with myself. Don't even think that. You're disgusting.

"These's Beauty" is one of Justin's many awesome tunes. it's been a challenging couple days here of late. I like this song for today, 'cause it offers rich perspective. Justin is very good for that sort of thing. So is Soul Man.

This was filmed on January 29, 2009.

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Covers - 351 "Donna" by Ritchie Valens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8o_eFFvmA8


I have recently crossed paths with a really mean woman named Donna. This woman filed a groundless complaint against me and cost me my job. It's tough enough getting by in this world without people going out of their way to stomp on you. When these people have more power that you, it's basically a slam dunk, and you, or in this case, I, am the basketball. So I haven't had as much work, thanks to Donna.

You'd think I may take some solace in the fact that I'm not her. She has to be with her own miserable, self-righteous, vindicative self, 24-7. I've never sat in a room with her for more than 5 minutes. She didn't watch me work for even a second. Just enough time to make me jobless, more or less.

So I wish you luck, Donna. Maybe your spiteful and costly actions will give me the push I need in the right direction. I only needed that money to live anyway. Obviously, you don't care even though you told me to my face that you do. I will take this opportunity to wish you only the best. You're gonna need it. It's hard getting through the days when you're mean. Thanks Donna.

Oh, in unrelated news, my band learned this tune years ago 'cause we were playing a benefit for local politician Donna Frye. She was leading in the mayoral race at the time. She was lovely, liked the tune and gave us hugs. Unfortunately, her lead immediately vanished after that concert for whatever reason as she plummeted in the polls. Jerry Sanders defeated her in the race. He is still mayor. Sorry, Donna.

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 351 "Winter Sky"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEnruCMU-jI


So I am going to switch focus to the tunes off our new CD, "Gift To be Alive," starting tomorrow. I wanted to use this tune I wrote, "November" for today, but I couldn't find the world. I half-remembered them. I looked a lot of places, but they did not turn up. So I decided to go with "Winter Sky" instead. All things considered, in my history, which the 365 share, to some degree, Winter Sky" is a much more important tune.

"Winter Sky" was written in 1993, I believe. We were in our dorm, Greenough and I was a freshman at The University of Massachusetts-Amherst. I was sick that day. It was snowy out. Mike Warrington and Dan Cohen were to be my bandmates by a year later and this was a part of the start. I sat in quietly while they were working out the tune with a pencil and apiece of paper, jotting. I wrote lyrics. They fit pretty well and I took some of the first meaningful steps down the road of trying to make a life in music. Baby steps. I am way further road down the road and it's still not clear where all of this is heading.

Eventually, Mike and Dan and I formed a band called Chameleon Stress. Colorful name. We were a metal jam band. Mike and Dan learned to play together and were telepathically linked. I worked real hard to keep up. "Winter Sky" was our power-ballad. One friend of mine, we call him the Mack Daddy, claims this is still the best work I've ever done. Hopefully, his mind will change after he hears "Gift To Be Alive." Can't blame him for liking "Winter Sky," though.

So, in what felt was a fitting tribute to everything that happened in the past, I threw together a lot of pictures from back then, which I scanned. Some earlier. Some later. I filled in in with some newer stuff, some pictures of the San Diego sky. Old friends and family and good times. Peace to the whole gang from UMASS, back in the day. I cherish those memories.