One of the great things about the Eden family of endorsers is how long so many of them have been with us. Al Turner was our very first endorser, and is with us to this day. We can't count the number of players who have been with us for a decade or more. One such player is our Special Projects Coordinator, Lane Baldwin, AKA Lane on Bass. An endorser for twelve years (with two more on his rig before that), Lane's been working inside for about two years now. His duties are many and varied; as David says, "we work him like a dog, but feed him all the biscuits he wants," which means he gets to play with all the new toys.
For most of his time inside -- actually, working from his home a few hours south of Chicago -- Lane has written various Behind the Scenes reports (among many other things). Now, we're replacing those individual reports with a new blog -- to go into our new Artist Blog section. It's all the same stuff, really... just different.
Rescue, thy name is COFFEE. I just got back from the most amazing trip last night. Tomorrow, I make a one-day Mad Dash for Mundelein and back home in a single day. And my body is one big ache from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. Most especially my brain. You know that commercial about your brain on drugs, and it's an egg frying in a skillet? Add a side of bacon and some pancakes and a lot of syrup for the sugar buzz. And some really dangerous levels of caffeine and that's my brain. Fired, clogged, buzzed and re-buzzed. And I'm starting this blog entry shortly after midnight and I really, Really, REALLY need some sleep. But first more coffee. Yeah, that's the ticket. Zoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom!!!!!
Anyhoo... let's start at the beginning. This time, we're foregoing the captions to save time. Unless Bill is looking for extra work on top of everything else he's doing. I highly doubt this scenario, however, and will proceed as if we're not doing them. So what you read ABOVE the picture will tell you what it's all about.
OK, I came home last - what was it? - Wednesday night, I think, with a van filled with goodies. (See below.) For testing, I brought a pair of 112XLT8N (N, as in NEO!) cabs. And another Randall amp for Gary (our road spare, for touring). And some cool, white chicken-head knobs with which to spruce up the two main heads. And some other stuff, including a pair of N combos and a pair of Randall RM20 combos for a church here in the area. I also had a boatload of amps - everything from N10 combos to a DC112XLT combo, to 800s, 1205s, 410XLTs, 410XSTs and 115XLTs. As in pairs. As in filled to the brim. We'll get to those in a minute. [Actually, we're going to get to those next week, it seems.]
OK, so I unload the stuff for home, but am still packed tight, because I now have to stuff in my luggage for the weekend. And I have to empty the front seat so I can hold a passenger, a good friend and fellow endorser, Joe Sanchez. I met Joe three years ago through another endorser, brother Snow Owl. Joe's a guy you need to hear and see play to get how incredible he is. Stuff he takes as a given just sends me screaming into the night with fear! He's also a sweetheart of a human being, and yet another reason to love my job.
All right, so, van repacked, I get a few hours sleep (after a rehearsal, two meetings and answering some email, all after a ten hour day at the desk), and I'm up at 3 in the morning to head to Nashville. And you know what? Three AM comes pretty dang early, if you ask me. It would work a whole lot better if it showed up around lunch. I'm just sayin'...
I get to the airport early, having made good time dues to very light traffic most of the way. I did, however miss the 5+ earthquake that rattled the middle of the country, all the way from Michigan to Georgia. I was driving and didn't notice a thing. In fact, if my momager Jill hadn't called to check on me, I wouldn't have known at all. And, here's Joe...
So, now Joe is in the van, along with all of HIS luggage and HIS bass -- a gorgeous Fodera Matt Garrison 6-banger, by the way -- and we head out for another hour's drive to a little bitty town outside of Nashville. Off the interstate, and then off a little two-lane blacktop, then a couple of miles down a narrow dirt road back into the real Tennessee countryside.
You come around this last corner, and there you are: Victor Wooten's new Bass/Nature Camp.
See that phone? It was glued to his ear most of the time he was there. Or it was the walkie-talkie with which he coordianted all the bajillion activities going on. Even when he's trying to grab a bite or two of food. We'd only been there a short time bfore Joe and I headed to the closest town with a Lowe's to pick up a bunch on stuff needed for construction. We had to cover that store from one end to the other to pick up all the small items. And you know what? Maybe next time we'll leave the 8 sheets of heavy-as-all-get-out DurRock for last, instead of dragging it all over the store. That'll teach me to go down the list in order.
We got back just in time for dinner, but not in time to beat the rain. So we left unloading for Saturday. Now, about this construction. As I said, this is new land for the Bass Camp. There was a barn and cabin at the main site, and two VERY rustic, unused cabins further down the "road". The barn appeared to be in good shape, including a very nice loft replete with ceiling fans...
The cabin across the clearing and down a ways was likewise in good shape, but needed some work, including stripping, sanding and refinishing the floor in the main rooms.
Then there's a new cabin that went up over the weekend. When Joe and I arrived, it was barely a floor and some walls. By the end of Friday, the first floor was complete, and the second floor had been laid... er, raised. Whatever. It was there. Wait. It was just the floor that was up there. Not the walls. So it's laid, I think.
Whatever.
And over THIS way, there's the geodesic dome (did I spell that correctly?) that's going up.
The rain may have stopped work for the day, but it sure didn't stop the jamming. Below, Eden Sister Ariane Cap throws down with several other bassists whose names I didn't get, while bassist David Yates looks on. Seeing one of my favorite Bass Goddesses in the whole world was an extra-specially nice surprise. By the way, she's promised me some new Groovecast lessons, and possibly some video clips, soon.
And Victor, a true gentleman throughout the entire weekend, spent every available minute talking to everyone who attended... even while eating dinner on the fly. Then, there was more jamming... this time up in the loft. Actually, it was all going on at once, but you know what I mean. Right? (Please say "right!")
Y'all... tell you what. It's one in the AM right now. See, I've been going through and picking out the pictures and cropping and resizing and all as I go. And I still have to send all the files to Bill so he'll have them tomorrow for the upload. So I'm going to close for now. I know. You want to read about the rest of the weekend. And I want to write it. But not now. That cup of coffee is fading fast, and my eyelids are flapping in the breeze. I'll be back with more next week. Until then,
Keep Thumpin'!
Lane on Bass
April 30, 2008 - A Wild Week
Welcome back, my friends, to the trip that never ends...
Let's see, last week about this time, I was on the road up to Mundelein to
exchange one van-full of gear for another. It was a Mad Dash - up and back in
a single day. Folks, that's eight hours of driving and then some... PLUS time
at the shop. Talk about a need for coffee!!
While there, I was also fortunate that our CIO (head Compu-Geek) had another
Gig of RAM for my laptop and got that installed for me in about ten minutes.
Mark gets Double Cool Points for this evolution because I totally forgot to
send advance notice that I'd be up there, and yet he still fit me into his always-busy
schedule.
OK, so I now have a van full of gear for Tracy Wormworth. Lately, after stints
with the likes of Sting and Wayne Shorter, as well as holding the bass down
for the Rosie O'Donnell show, Tracy's out with the B-52s in support of their
latest CD, Funplex. The CD hit the charts at #10, and the first single was the
#2 download the week it was released. Suffice to say the B-52s are back in a
BIG way, and Tracy is having a blast!
Tomorrow, I'll do another Mad Dash to deliver the gear and see the Chicago
show. It's a Double Deal for me, in that I've been a fan of Tracy's work for
many years and I'm really looking forward to meeting face to face.
In other news, Deeper
Blues has almost completed taping for an upcoming video for Gravedigger
Jones. Saturday we did the main performance portions, as well as the graveside
scenes. Yesterday, we shot the walking portions. And I'll tell you what -- synching
to a video again and again is NOT FUN! Over and over and over and over... like
that stupid bunny we all want to run down. NOT. FUN.
On the other hand, producer/director Mike Harper is doing a great job, as always.
As this is the first-ever scripted video any of us has done, we're all very
excited to see Mike's final product. And, yes, you'll get to see it, too. That's
the whole point, right?
Now... last week, I left off in the middle of telling you about my weekend
at Victor Wooten's new Bass/Nature Camp. Below, I've dropped in several more
pictures, with explanations.
Day Two began with more work on the new cabin. Here you can see the crew working
on the second floor.
Again, Victor was tied to the phone and walkie-talkie most of the day, coordinating
all the activities. Here he is, hiding behind the lovey and uber-talented MC
Divinity, who now holds down the bottom end for Beyonce. I have NO idea who
the other two folks are, but if they were there that weekend, they MUST be cool!
Anothony Wellington was on-site all weekend as well. Here he takes a minute
to talk to the carpentry crew, making sure that all goes as planned.
Here's the dome, all put together and waiting to be hoisted onto the deck behind
it.
Meanwhile, a young crew (and band... more on that later) refinishes the floor
in the existing cabin.
And, over here, a crew member uses a backhoe to dig out an area for another
fire pit / jam area.
Here is THE metaphoric shot of the weekend -- a bunch of bass players following
in Victor's footsteps. Joe Sanchez is the one who made the quip, during this
hike of a nature trail being marked over the weekend, and I laughed so hard
I almost fell off the hill!
Back at the camp, it's time to raise the dome, and everyone lends a hand.
Here again, Victor is in the thick of things, helping the crew bosses get everyone
on the same page.
Lifting the dome into place.
And setting it down.
Food throughout the weekend was provided by Extreme Catering. And, yes, the
name is totally appropriate! Here's a shot of Saturday's dinner, including poached
salmon and rice pilaf... on an open fire!
The roof goes up on the new cabin. And, no, I will NOT try this at home!
Three happy bass players and one bad-to-the-bone sax player, Victor's brother
Rudy.
Unrolling the canvas on the dome... the last project of the day.
The roof is almost complete... and this cabin was built in TWO DAYS!
OK...last shot for this week, and more coming next week. Here Victor plays
Cocoa Louise, my Lakland babydoll. He was checking out some Eden gear Saturday
evening when this shot was taken. I'm laughing because I'd just realized that
the stuff Victor had been playing on my bass was going to send me back to the
woodshed for about a decade!! That bass never knew what hit it, and I haven't
played it since! LOL. At least I didn't pull a Wayne's World and start genuflecting
or some such. It wasn't easy to avoid that whole vibe...but I did my best and
persevered. Man! What a monster player! Just standing there, watching him riff
out was a Master's education.
So...next week, I'll have the final photos from the weekend, and hopefully
some other cool stuff. Until then, and as always,
Keep Thumpin'!
Lane on Bass...
May 7, 2008 - The Goddess and The Master Sensei of Bassdom!
Boy, it's been a busy week. For starters, I spend Thursday driving to Chicago
to deliver a brand new rig to Tracy Wormworth. After stints on Rosie O'Donnell's
TV show, Sting, a ton of others, Tracy has been touring with the
B-52s for some time. For years, Tracy has missed her Edens, and now she
doesn't have to! As of now, she's using a WT-1205 and a pair of 410XLT cabs.
Lane with the Goddess of Groove, Tracy Wormworth
Tracy is one wonderful person, I can tell you. After getting the rig into place
on the House of Blues stage, she took me downstairs for a scrumtious lunch (the
pulled pork ROCKED!). Before that, she took me over to the local coffee hangout,
where we got coffee for just about the entire crew. I'm sure USM was happy that
I didn't turn in any meal expenses for the trip... but really, she didn't need
to do that. I mean, she's the STAR, OK? I shoulda been buying Her stuff, but
she wouldn't hear of it.
Tracy is as bad as Lane about coffee, which she sometimes calls "Crack
Juice".
Unfortunately, due to a Deeper Blues family emergency, I was unable to stay
for the show itself. Art Director (and Staff Photographer) Jon O'Gara and Web
Guru Bill Henshell were there, however, and they said it slammed from first
note to last! I'll have some shots from the show next week, with Tracy in full
concert regalia.
Talk about classy -- Tracy has emailed and called several times since then
to check on things here, and offering tons of support and compassion. I can't
tell you how much it means to know she cares that much. And while I missed this
show, I'll be back up there in June when the B-52s are back in town.
On the home front... last night I got to see Deeper
Blues' first scripted video. Produced and directed by our "Fourth Member"
Mike Harper, and shot on location here in Danville, it's the first time any
of us has had to "synch" to a playback. And, boy, was that weird!
Anyhoo... here it is:
By the way, for our Chicago friends, we'll be up there this Saturday, May 10th,
performing on a 4-band bill at The Kinetic Playground. We're on at 10PM for
a one-hour throw-down. Details on our MySpace
page, and we hope to see you there!
Oh! And y'all know about the upcoming clinics, right? One in the Chicagoland
area at Sam Ash, Buffalo Grove; another one in Kokomo, IN, at Pulse Music. Details
on the Events page.
OK... so, for the past two weeks, I've been showing you some shots from my
weekend at Victor Wooten's Bass/Nature Camp. To (hopefully) finish up, here's
more.
Below, Victor plays Cocoa Louise, my Lakland 5 (string E-C). To his left is
endorser Joe Sanchez, XXXX and hiding behind him is endorser (or is that endorerette?)
Ariane Cap. You can see that, no matter what he does or where he goes,
a crowd follows.
After Victor had spent quite some time checking out the Eden rigs I brought
with me, it was Jam Time. Here I'm playing with MC Divinity (in the hoodie with
a gorgeous trans-green Carvin) and Cameron (to the right) while Joe and others
listen.
All weekend long, it was Camera Follies, as everyone wanted pictures with everyone
else. Here, two queens of bass - Ariane Cap and MC Divinity - laugh after snapping
pictures together.
And, yes, I was one of those who wanted pictures with everyone else. Here I
am with MC Divinity. And then there's Joe, with TWO bass goddesses in one shot!
Lucky fellah!
After breakfast Sunday morning, everyone was in for a treat. A young HippieJamThrash
band had come to help out over the weekend. They spent the entire time stripping,
sanding and refinishing the floor of the existing cabin. Thankfully, they weren't
too tired to perform the first-ever concert inside the dome. Called Ancient
Device, these guys rocked HARD! Not only that, they had a sound that was
totally unique. I mean, look at that drum kit. It's a HippieJam kit, right?
Well, sort of... but did you notice the double kick pedal? Uh-huh. Double bass
patterns in several tunes. Singing AND Grunt/Scream vocals. A two handed, slap/tap
bassist who also understood the importance of groove, and had a GREAT stage
persona. Electric Cello. What else do you need in a band? According to these
guys, not much. And I agree. Everyone just loved them... and they were just
wonderful people, to boot. In fact, I liked them so much, I had to have a T-shirt.
You really should check
these guys out... they're that much fun!
One of the coolest surprises of the weekend was meeting Kent and his brother.
I'm totally bummed that I can't find their card -- it's somewhere in my luggage,
which I have YET to have time to unpack. (Don't ask, OK?) Anyway... y'all remember
the burned WT800 that still worked? Well, Kent (on my left) was the owner
of that amp! And it was his brother's studio that caught fire. We were all totally
excited to meet each other... and I got to hear the story straight from the
owner! Kent was really thrilled to know we still use that amp, and said that
the replacement we sent him is still running strong and LOUD! They both said
they'd never use another amp after their experience with the Toasty Head.
A few final goodbyes and we all headed home. Below, Anthony Wellington shows
off the DB CD. Then Joe and Anthony get one more shot together. And then it
was time to pay respects to the man himself. I know I've said this before, and
even did a Practice Tip on this... but if you EVER get a chance to see, hear
or meet, Victor Wooten, you really owe it to yourself and your bass to make
it happen. You'll never hear a better player, never meet a better person.
So...that's about it for today. The phone has been ringing off the hook, and
I've got a mile-long list of things to get done for my fellow endorsers. Plus,
I have an Artist News blurb or two to write, and a Music Business Survival column
to edit... and OH MY DOG!!!
I darn near forgot to mention this -- Thursday, June 19th, the night before
the Summer NAMM show in Nashville, US Music is sponsoring a pre-show Kick-Off.
Obviously, backline will be provided by Eden and Randall... and the show will
feature numerous endorsers, including myself, Sean O'Bryan Smith, Roy Vogt,
Doug Johns, and Andy Neale. At least FIVE bands and a whole LOT of fun. See
the Events page for deatils, OK?
All right... NOW I'm done! LOL... until next time,
Keep Thumpin'!
Lane on Bass...
May 14, 2008 - Seriously Deeper Blues
Wow...this has been an interesting week, to say the least. Last Monday, we lost a member of the Deeper Blues family -- Dorothy (Dot) Richards, mother to our Momager, Jill, grandmother to James, and mother-in-law to Gary. It hit the entire Jones family hard, but especially our drummer James, as he was very close to Grandma.
Thursday night, at the viewing, Grandpa told me straight up: "I'm coming tomorrow night, and I'm going to need you to play me some seriously deep Blues. I really need it." I was floored, and extremely honored.
Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate, so we weren't able to perform at Charlotte's as we normally do on Friday evenings. Instead, we ended up taking the show to a back-room banquet facility in a club nearby. We played for three hours for the exteneded Richards family. I can't tell you how proud I am of James for not only making it through the show, but turning in the best performance I've ever heard! From the first note to the last, James was at the very top of his game, doing his best to honor Grandma and Grandpa. It brings tears to my eyes just to write about it. That's how impressed I *still* am.
At the end of the first show, we debuted a new song, written in honor of Grandma Dot. Gary and I sat at his dining room table Thursday night after the viewing. We were talking about everything, and how it had deeply affected young James. (Remember, he's only nineteen!) Out of nowhere, I started hearing lyrics in my head. What I was hearing was a slow Blues from James' perspective... talking about how important his grandmother is to him. Now, Gary knows that when I grab a pen and paper, it's time to leave me alone, so I can capture what I'm hearing. After I'd finished, we sat with a guitar and he worked up the chord structure. Together, we fleshed out a basic arrangement and just knew we had to play it the next night.
I firmly believe that Sweet Goodbye (Grandma's Blues) will be one of the most personally emotional songs we'll ever write. We all had tears in our eyes by the end of the song, as did most of the audience. It still blows me away...
The next day, we drove to Chicago to perform at the Kinetic Playground. The show was produced by none other than Eden's own Timothy "SMU" McCarthy, for SMU Presents. The show featured his new band, Fifth World, a killer "Hippie Hop" duo, Mud Kids, and Strange Arrangement. As we were the "new kids", we opened the show with a 75-minute set. And, again, James came through like a seasoned veteran. Everybody really enjoyed it, and Tim has confirmed he definitely wants to produce more shows with us.
I want to give special props and much respect to Mud Kids, especially rapper Rusty. Having heard about our ordeal, and having been VERY impressed with James and the entire band, Rusty incorporated Deeper Blues into several of their songs. In fact, he did an entire freestyle verse just for (and about) James!
You know, it's hard enough to lose a close family member. It's even harder to make the "show go on" under such conditions. Especially at the age of nineteen! But to reach all the way down, grab hold of that pain, and bring it out to an audience? On the day (and day after) your loved one is laid to rest? To say, "yeah, I hurt! Feel it with me, and help me find renewal."
Wow.
That, my friends, is true professionalism. And it demonstrates the healing power of the Blues in a very personal way. So, today, if you wouldn't mind, please send a litle positive energy to James. And maybe a prayer for the family.
You know, this whole Deeper Blues thing is about "re-learning" the purpose of the Blues. See, the Blues is the only music that allows you to deal with your pain in such a positive way. Not bury it, not self-medicate, not let it eat you alive from the inside out. Expressing your pain allows you to confront it... to deal with it... and, ultimately, let it go. And in letting it go, you can find renewal and a way to make it through another day. As Grandpa's comment to me shows (see above), it's not just the singer that can be renewed. The listener can use the Blues as well. Finally, while shared pain is indeed a strong bond, a shared solution creates an even greater bond.
Going through this experience has shown me that we're on the right track. Watching the family go through it, and talking with them afterwards, I now understand the truth of it more deeply then ever before. Especially in light of the fact that, even though the family was already close, having shared this Deeper Blues experience, they want to make it a weekly part of their lives because it strengthened the bond they already shared.
This experience also reminds what a true priveledge it is to play with this band, and to play this music. It may have taken decades for this all to happen, but it was certainly worth the wait!
In closing, I'd like to thank everyone who has sent condolences and sympathy. The support from our friends has been incredible, and a great help. On behalf of the entire band, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. It's never easy to face a serious loss. But having the support of so many wonderful people made it less difficult.
One of the great things about the Eden family of endorsers is how long so many of them have been with us. Al Turner was our very first endorser, and is with us to this day. We can't count the number of players who have been with us for a decade or more. One such player is our Special Projects Coordinator, Lane Baldwin, AKA Lane on Bass. An endorser for twelve years (with two more on his rig before that), Lane's been working inside for about two years now. His duties are many and varied; as David says, "we work him like a dog, but feed him all the biscuits he wants," which means he gets to play with all the new toys. 
