Operation 365 2... Blog 360

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Originals - 360 “360 Degrees of Love”

It's been an exciting week and weekend. Very busy. Directed my Christmas musical "The Hunt for The Great Christmas Tree 4: One for the Ladies" on Friday.  My cast is composed entirely of special needs adults and as I've said on many occasions here, I love my job. Now it is a relief that it is done and I can focus on finishing up this project, my next CD, #7, "The Best of Operation 365," and so on and so forth.

But, not before Pearl Family Christmas, an annual ritual involving extensive celebrating and hearty wads of good cheer. That took all weekend. Great fun. Love to all my in-laws. They are a wonderful group. 

What is next , folks? I am looking forward to life's next great challenge?Reaching way more people with my message. My message is we live in a world immersed in love. Those of us who realize everybody is equally valuable and worthy of love and kindness can recast the world in a wildly more considerate and decent light. All this take everything and destroy everything stuff is not sustainable. It is long past time we like-minded folks band together and begin a discussion with the goal of finding long-term agreeable solutions for the problems on our planet. 

Many of these problems are social and and can be rectified in large part by people getting a lot more cognizant of the ideals we teach young children, love and respect. Now, that is not going to fix global warming and a million other more complicated problems but it is a huge step toward starting the discussion. That is what we most need now, some unity and a start, awareness that arguing for love doesn't make you an idiot. It makes you aware. Love is real. It is everywhere and it is our lifeblood, our greatest hope. To many crucial questions, love is the answer

If we wait for politicians or celebrities to run to our rescue and do all this for us, it will some day be too late. Love is everywhere, all around us. We simply need to recognize our surroundings. “360 Degrees of Love”

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Covers – 360 “I Wish/Daylight” by Chris Scelzo

“I Wish/Daylight” was on the list of covers I felt compelled to get in before this 365 ended. I learned it yesterday. I relearned it just now, correcting my errors. Who would actually ever know is a fair question? “I Wish/Daylight” was on a double-concept album by my then-prolific friend Chris Scelzo. The year was 1994. He was 21. I was hugely inspired, but this story goes back far before that I must tell you.

Years earlier, I attended a rock concert in my high school auditorium. 800 screaming students filled the sold out room an teachers and students joined together for a classic rock concert that blew my mind. The Boptones had formed years earlier and did this annually, but I was only a sophomore and my world would never be the same. One student stood out though. Far above and beyond the rest, a true rock star, ran across the stage. Shredding the epic guitar solo from Led Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker." Wearing his trademark button-down shirt and tie, Chris was 17. We'd never met. I wanted to be his friend. 

Gotta love high school, 'cause within a week, we were friends. We still are. A couple years later, I got to enjoy some memorable Boptones moments of my own and that is hardly a fraction of the tale. Many great times, far too many to recount. Hail Scelzo, an all-time great unsung musician, a Hall of Fame interesting human and a great great great great friend. 

  

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Words – 360 “An Homage to Zsa Zsa Gabor”

My lovely wife, Leanne, informed me Zsa Zsa Gabor died today. I believe she was 95. I mentioned her by name in my song "Boil Me in Oil" from my "Yellow" CD. Here I discuss my love for her and what I meant by what I said about her in that song. I think I may have mentioned here earlier in this 365. Let me check right quick. Yep. Day 297, my video was titled "Zsa Zsa Gabor." What I said. Nobody knows. well, maybe four people know. I haven't visited that video in some time. 

So, even though I can't name any of her movies, I've been aware of Zsa Zsa for almost four decades. Wishing love to all humans. We are all connected. We are all one. That's what this video is really about. Love. "Love Central." That's what I almost named this. Hail Zsa.

Operation 365 2... Blog 359

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Originals - 359 “Fun Job”

Tom Pearl is one of the coolest dudes I know.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Covers – 359 “America” by Simon and Garfunkel

I love "America." I cried the first time I heard it today. It made me think of my mom.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Words – 359 “Hollywood Man”

“Hollywood Man” is my man. The Christmas play went great. I am Hollywood Man.

We are all one. 

Operation 365 2... Blog 358

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Originals - 358 “Nigel, My”

Hey how's it going I'm driving right now. Well, at a stoplight. Very busy today. Christmas play. Not much time for writing. So, enjoy some Nigel stuff I recorded yesterday. Hail.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Words – 358 “Snuggling Nigey”

Woo hoo. Sure love my dog. Thank you.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Covers – 358 “Christmas in Hollis” by Run D.M.C.

So. I did my Christmas play today.  Don’t even have time to type the title now though. It was great. Not many shows get launched in a downpour. Ours did. It was righteous. We rose above the storm. Literally. Gotta go to family Christmas now so I’ll talk more tomorrow about it.

I did find time to record a little rap in front of a real life... well, I guess real dead, Christmas Tree first. Hail Yes! Love You!

Operation 365 2... Blog 357

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Covers – 357 "That’s Why I Carry a Gun’” by Tim Riley

Well, I am nothing if not consistent. A 365 is a lot about numbers. You can’t help but think of them and their significance daily. What is the significance of the number 357. You don’t have to be in the NRA for that number to lead you to thinking about guns. For the first time in my life. I think I’d like to own one. It’s not priority, but most things aren’t… until they are.

Well, apparently I thought the same thing five years ago, the first time I rolled up on a Day 357. That day I covered “With a Gun” by Steely Dan, which I’d possibly pay today, if I hadn’t already done it. I have another gun cover though and I think I’ll go unearth the analog chord sheet, (a.k.a. piece of paper) upon which it lives in relative obscurity. I’m off to find a needle. Haystack, be damned.

I like to do different special thing in the lead up to the end of these things. I am still trying to come up with something special for Day 365. I had a plan, but it’s been trumped by Christmas parties and pregnancy. Long story. My wife is not pregnant. My friend who was going to play the flute solo on “California Dreamin’” is.

Well, until then, I find myself covering friends of mine these past few days. It is a special gift to share, the gift of covering a friend’s song. Most songwriters have never heard anyone else play their tunes. It is a special sensation unlike any other. Even though I’ve covered yesterday’s friend, Dan Truesdail and today’s amigo, Tim Riley, previously in the first 365, these are different tunes, ones I’ve wanted to play and share for some time now. It never gets old, sharing your music and other people’s music with, not only the original artist, but the world around us. Hail life.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Words – 357 “On Love Fest Participation”

Made up two little jams here today. Not sure which is better, but I do know which is cuter. The one with Nigel. So you got to figure, swell music aside, that’s the one I’m sure to be editing here real soon. Tomorrow is my Christmas musical. I am directing my original work, “The Hunt for The Great Christmas Tree 4: One for the Ladies”. It is a coming of age story for our young female protagonist. I am excited for my actors. They all have special needs and have been the best cast one could ever dream of or ask for. One of my guys even told me I was a “great director” today. Wow. …And he has acted in a lot of things, played Danny Zuco once actually, something I’d always dreamed of doing until I became way too old to play a high school student.

It is supposed to rain tomorrow. Perhaps today’s vids are foreshadowing that. But I say no. No rain. Denial works… until it doesn’t. Rain at 2PM. That would be great. 1:30 even.

Well, the unexpected has prevailed. I have informally determined that I have two days worth of footage here, so I think I will save the cutest Nigel stuff for tomorrow and let this attempt at an interview and the song I tried to make first stand her on Day 357.

I see big positive changes coming real soon to us and our world. I am fired up and it’s about time. Participate, my friends. Your world needs you.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Originals - 357 “Turn Around the World”

As I said, I can see big changes on the horizon and I am stoked to participate in it.  I see people living in love and not in fear or greed or shortsightedness. All this bestowing gifts on ourselves can only take us so far, and by so far, I mean exactly this far, not far at all.

So here, I sing/freestyle another number about how, where, when, and why this will all happen. The only W left is what, as in what will happen. Well, and winning, as I believe the lovers will. We are on the right side of history. The haters can hate and come along when they realize we are right. They can discover their lover within. It is the only way.

I like the double meaning of the title I just made up, “Turn Around the World,” as in changing things and as in our matriculation through this spinning globe we call home.

Operation 365 2... Blog 356

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Covers – 356 “This Life’s Gonna Be the Death of Me” by Dan Truesdail



So, we're getting to the end of this 365 and I am feeling compelled to do meaningful things. Time may not be psyched about this choice, but I'm more with posterity than time on this one. There'll be time later. Right...?

Hmm. Well,  I don't feel like telling this long story now, I just realized. You never know what life is going to decide until it's time. “This Life’s Gonna Be the Death of Me” is a song I love by my friend, Dan Truesdail. It's an honor to know him and play his amazing song. I'm going to smile, as I take this opportunity to leave it at that. Thanks. Hail Almighty.

Oh, one last thing. Dan, please allow this version of “This Life’s Gonna Be the Death of Me” to stand in as my "Christmas Letter" to you. I was gonna learn that tune, like I said I would, and decided to use that time learning this one instead.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Originals - 356 “Sometimes”

“Sometimes” is a song I improvised this afternoon, while in need of an "Original" for this project. It seems nice enough and I will give it a more thorough evaluation as I tidy up loose ends in the immediate aftermath of said Operation. Things are all different kinds of ways. “Sometimes” we get to decide. “Sometimes” life decides. “Sometimes”

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Words – 356 “Unfathomable”

Other names considered included "High Quality Footage," "Incoherent Mumbles," and "Grown Man Flings Hair." No, honestly, this video is beyond amazing. It is you. 

Operation 365 2... Blog 355

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Covers – 355 “30 Days” by Derek Speredelozzi

Dang. It’s 5:21 and essentially, I’m just getting started on this parade of activities. Rolled in the door from “The Hunt for The Great Christmas Tree” rehearsal around 3PM. I dove right in and started working on “30 Days” at that time. Here, hours later. I tracked some vocals and now it is bouncing out of my Pro Tools. Still to come: making an entire video for “30 Days.” At least I have a 365 recollection idea of how that is going to go down. Still gonna need an original and some words at that point. I’d love to be done in 30 minutes, but twice that time is much more likely. It is OK. I am blessed and thrilled to be able to do any of this. It’s a gift. A gift for whom? Now that’s another story.

At UMASS in the early 90’s one of the first deep musical connections I made was with a fellow from Braintreee, MASS named Derek Speredelozzi, known to his friends as Deek. Now if you’ve ever met Deek, despite the fact that he has “FIVE!” (– King Kong Bundy) siblings, there is no one like him on the planet. His own lyrics in this, his tune “30 Days” reflect his self-awareness of this fact, “So call in my reservation to a far off place / Cause you know how I can sometimes be.”

I do. Derek and I spent tons of time together back then. I even shared my dorm with him the semester I had a single. We were close…. Maybe too close. When we tried a band in Humboldt and subsequently, San Francisco some years later, we had a lot of great original acoustic songs, but that was about it. Then, the band split and for a long time we were estranged. It was for the best. Fate reunited us, as every time I visited SF, I would run into him despite my best efforts not to. After years, this became normal and our friendship resumed.

I always loved his tune “30 Days,” and was delighted to sing it, after Deek was kind enough to record the guitar for me. It felt great to “jam” with him again as I recorded this in the tranquility of my music room. You never know what’s going to happen in this life. Life reminds me of that every chance it gets. I am grateful it cares enough to tell me anything.

NOTE: For some unknown reason, YouTube only uploaded the first 8 minutes of this 8 minute and twenty-two second video, so I am up at 1:05AM fixing it, or at least trying to.  Thanks to Derek Speredelozzi for the TIP! Processing 95%... 8:22 please... May have a new...      for ya...


Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Covers – 355 “30 Days” by Derek Speredelozzi

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Originals - 355 “City of Champions”

It’s 5:34 and I have no idea what is going to go in this spot today. Perhaps it will be a song that in no way shape or form exits yet. That would be exciting, and more importantly, fast potentially. I know there are only ten 365 days left after today, but I am getting more excited for it’s aftermath, than it’s final countdown. I had hoped to do a big video shoot with some friends to cap this filming frenzy, but that seems likely to be eclipsed by other things that need to be done by folks as Christmas and quiet quickly approach. You can only do something this first time once and my 365-finishing virginity is long since left behind. Sometimes you do stuff for other people, and with other people. Sometimes you do stuff alone… for you.

5:53, still no clues. Three hours of work on that “30 Days.” Labor of love…

6:57 PM. 

OK, So I diddled a little blues thing out of the keyboard over there, but there is a lot of fan noise squeezing out of my computer right now, so that was a no go. Eventually, I grew resigned the fact that I was gong to have to bust out my guitar and actually do some work of a creative nature. Sometimes busy work hit the spot. What can I tell ya? Usually, when your brain sports fatigue.

I looked through the list I made at this project’s inception of tunes I had written and wished to include. There are only one or two left I feel compelled to include. So I thought of this tune I wrote last week. It is a bit intricate. It was another song I wrote about the perennial failure of our San Diego sports teams, but it has a different twist. It is about a new future, a theoretical future, where local fans needn’t always be disappointed by their hometown sports stars. There were a bunch of snarky comments snuck in between the lines, but including them makes the song a bit annoying and much harder to play.

Now, the only thing left, besides bouncing it down, loading it up and sharing it on social media, is to decide if I wish to call it “City of Champions,” a title reminiscent of its original name or “Around We go,” the obvious title, if you listen to it. I like the positive twist. If I’m going to take this perfectly nice song about anything and make it about San Diego sports, I may as well name it like that.

I see a horizon. On it, lies San Diego, sports and myself. And I see a happy ending for the first time in the history of the city that calls itself “America’s Finest.” I dream for all of us… “America’s Winningest City.” And SD is in first, but in a tie with all the great cities everywhere. In terms of seeking solutions to society’s ills, Americans do very little, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The beautiful truth can prevail yet. It is not too late. It is never too late.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Words – 355 “Breaking Down Walls”

Other names considered for this, the final video of the day, included, “Preconceived Notions,” “Getting Intimate,” and “My Beauty.” All are sublime, but only one could prevail.

Hail prevail. The Last Horizon. Glory right on time. The next chapter: We rise.

Operation 365 2... Blog 354

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Originals - 354 “Darkness and Light”

Life is complicated. Congrats to my wife, who knew nothing at all about football prior to this season, on defeating me in our play-in game for the fantasy football play-offs. Brutal game, that fantasy football. The question becomes to return to retirement. We’ll take some time and consider things, before making any drastic maneuvers.

Today, I’m subbing. I was happy to see the children. I had subbed for these kids once before and wrote a song with them. They were happy to see me and I was foolish enough to be nice. It doesn’t work. They reminded me they are kids and all this being nice stuff backfires. They are wired to take advantage of nice substitutes. So the second time, I got to start a class, I laid down a much sterner line of chatter. It worked.

I wrote this song, with some help from the 4^th graders. They would have done more but I was basking in the silence I had finally got them to produce. It was serenity personified. So they mostly listened, but pitched the chords and some words and that led us to this discussion of life’s intricate nature, “Darkness and Light.”

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Covers – 354 “Feliz Navidad” by Jose Feliciano



Love me some Christmas jams. Did a whole bunch of 'em today, working with the local yutes. Few funner than this one here, the ol' "Feliz Navidad." Of yeah. Hooray Christmas play. Hooray Christmas play week. I did " The Hunt for the Great Christmas Tree 4: One for the Ladies" in its entirety for a group of energetic 5th graders. I was eager to hear their feedback and reviews included "very inspiring" and "amazing." Not caring what people think is all well and good, but when people like what you've creatively conjured, that feels great too, especially when you're visualizing selling millions of tree dolls...  like I am. 

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Words – 354 “Rhymes with Elf”

Getting into some real deep stuff here today. It’s been a long year. What can I tell ya? It’s Monday. I was hungry…