Music muscles don’t show until you play that guitar. The only thing that shows until then are the fingertip callouses on your fret hand and maybe a callous on your thumb if you don’t use a pick. Your head doesn’t get lumpy with muscle, but the muscle memory is in there if you practice. But […]
WHY GUITAR? WHY NOT
January 7, 2025 by
It’s never ‘why guitar’ when you talk about guitars. More like, “Why guitar? Why bother?” Why, why, why. It’s one question with endless answers.
NEXT YEAR, MAYBE THE YEAR AFTER
October 12, 2024 by
Next year shows up fast, so fast that you haven’t gotten over anything from the last year. Suddenly you’re stacking the new ‘get over it’ on top of the old ‘get over it.’ You used to care about getting over things. What happened? This happened:
KRIS KRISTOFFERSON MAKES IT THROUGH THE NIGHT
September 30, 2024 by
Kris Kristofferson died yesterday. I found out in a text from one of my guitar guys. “RIP Bobby McGee.” We mourned Tom Petty’s passing, now Kris. In baby boomer world, it’s reminder of our tenuous grip on life.
ADVERSITY STAGE FOR THE WIN
August 25, 2024 by
The adversity stage was set for a beautiful Oregon afternoon in the woods. Why adversity? Cannonball Adderley: You know, sometimes we’re not prepared for adversity.
NO FEAR, OR LOTS OF PRACTICE
August 21, 2024 by
No fear is a brand and lifestyle. As for the lifestyle, it’s a lie. Who’s not afraid? Everybody’s afraid, but some are more up to the challenge than others.
NEW IDEA GETS OLD TOO SOON?
August 19, 2024 by
Remember that new idea that was going to change everything? It was so obvious, so perfect. What happened? You forgot about it, didn’t write it down. Or one of your trusted sources said, “Your new idea will never work.”
MAKING TIME TO SHARE TIME
July 7, 2024 by
Making time for this, for that, but we still run out of time. On the run? From a Beaverton Farmers Market morning to a Waterfront Blues Festival evening, all the different faces turned into a blur. Some faces, not all.
BLUE PORTLAND IN STAGES
July 6, 2024 by
Blue Portland is like a blues band. You don’t start at the main stage in the Waterfront Blues Festival. You don’t always have a limousine ready to jump into after playing your set. That’s Portland carrying its guitar in a gunnysack, headed on down to the railroad tracks.
HOW TO BLUES FEST ON JULY 4TH
July 5, 2024 by
The Blues Fest, or Waterfront Blues Festival, can be tricky. From once showing up with two cans of food for admission to now, it’s been a long strange trip. Back then you’d go in, drink beer, walk around, get something to eat, drink beer, and leave. Today it’s reservations and lobster rolls before going in. […]
