Operation 365 2... Blog 232

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Covers – 232 “Them Belly Full” by Bob Marley

I always have these ideas of these amazing versions of all these tunes I will do when their day comes. I love “Them Belly Full,” like so many other Marley tunes. Is anyone more influential or important as an artist in the 20^th century? Miles? Ellington? The Beatles? Maybe not, though? As great as “All You Need is Love Is,” Marley was hammering positive messages home song after song after song. I still feel the inspiration of his passion 36 years after his passing.

I would love to include every signature riff and hit all the proper notes, but when you’re doing something every day, that becomes the most crucial thing. There is a balance between doing something every day and getting it all exactly the way you want. You can’t have both. There are lifetimes worth of incredible things to do each day. We have to choose which parts are key to getting the job done.

I think I had this written a little more clearly moments ago before my dog laid down on the power strip and restarted this all, but in a way, that’s exactly my point. You can dream all you want about how things are going to go, but they go how they go anyway.  If you show up and bring something even close to you best effort every day, you have probably done far more than you realize. It is not about the little things that make everything seem so picturesque. That is garnish. It is about the meaning, the message, and the heart behind it. It is about uncovering and discovering a world of loving happiness. It is about showing up and representing for those who need you, every single day

How many days did Bob Marley not want to sing about injustice, starvation, strife, racism? You don’t think that got old, fighting everybody all the time? I’m sure it did and Bob died young.  Showing up and fighting the fight every day, with whatever weapons you have at your disposal, it means everything.

Hungry for justice, Hungry to contribute, Hungry to be part of the something special, a solution to the greed and hatred that has fooled so many for so long now. So while I wish I played that cool lick that kicks off this great Bob Marley song, hopefully we balance that out, with a consideration of the man and showing up to honor him and ourselves each day.

I still feel like I didn't explain my point as clearly as I wanted to, as clearly as I had before the restart. I guess that's the point. It can't always be how we thought it would be. It can't always be what we want what we expected. Embracing what is. Adjusting and being flexible. That, we can do. Thanks Bob. 

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Originals – 232 “The Baby Balance Blues” by Jefferson Jay

Free, peaceful time is one of the life’s most precious gifts. As we get older and responsibilities expand, childhood notions of boredom are replaced with long lists of things to do. When I get a little window of free time, I try to use it to do something creative. It often means my wife has fallen asleep and I am still up. So, yesterday, I grabbed that brass ring and started writing tunes. I wrote a bunch of ‘em, grabbing some old lyrics and putting chords and tempos with the melodies in my mind. I filmed it a little. I have to, otherwise, I struggle to remember some of the machinations of my late night mind.

My wife, sleeping through the final moments of her birthday, awoke. She emerged from the parlor and asked what I was doing. I answered, “Playing guitar?” I sensed she wanted me to go to bed. That’s common. I did. Then I realized she was still very asleep. I got back up and wrote some more. The 365 will not write itself. Ha! Anyway, I hardly remember this tune. It’s a blues I wrote somewhere in the middle of the session. The recording came out. For awhile, before I went to bed for five minutes, the fan was blowing all in the camera, so those songs were written, but those recordings… well, there’s lot of blowing. Bad blowing. Maybe I should name this song that. It IS in B.

Shout out to local legend Hugh Gaskins for inspiring some of the vocal stylings showcased in this late night funfest. Open invitation to anyone to reproduce this note for note on any instrument. I double triple super dare you in fact. Blues, baby.

Ha! I just went back to the lyrics in the book and read them. It appears to be a about the ups and downs and balance in having a baby. I’ve had baby balance on the brain, it certainly seems. So here it is. I typed “Blues, baby” and walked away and came back named the tune the “The Baby Balance Blues.” Not planned by me. By someone much higher up the chain. I didn’t decide. I read.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Words - 232 “The Most Important Thing”

I thought for a moment about using some of the fan-aided words uttered during my late night songwriting sesh last night, but then I decided against it for the meantime. Maybe, a different tomorrow, I will go there. Instead I thought, what if this were the last chance I had to speak to you guys, what would I say? (Alex Rodriguez will play his final game as a New York Yankee later today.) What is the most crucial message that I am compelled to share with you, my friends on the Operation 365? And then, like so often happens in life, things got slightly askew. What is the most important thing? Listen and learn… or watch... or something… August 12. August 12!