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October 24, 2007

Groovers and Groove-ettes,

I hope we all are doing quite stellar.

I've actually been enjoying as close to I get to downtime. Since last week, I've only had one session and and one show which, for me, is extremely light and I LIKE IT !!! Of course, if I wasn't working I'd be a whiney little beyotch but for now the break is stellar and I love the fact that I got to branch out from some of the same old routine.

Saturday was a double for me as I started the day with a session and then a late afternoon show. The session was for R&B singer Barbara (check out her MySpace page); if you've been following my blog, you know I've been producing and playing on her sessions as well as her live performances. Well , that and dating her for the past few months, but that's a whole other column. Anyhoo, we've been busy trying to get her first EP wrapped up so we can start booking shows for the first of the year.

Photo by Anna Henderson.

Barbara and I share keyboardist/vocalist Gary Brown in both of our live bands and he's been an integral part in creating her sound. Saturday's session was for keyboard overdubs, and done at my own Short Bus Studios ( Because, we are a little special ). Gary has a great ear for some classic R&B vibes and he and I are beginning to find a real chemistry in the studio together. He's a joy to produce and comes up with some great ideas that help freshen up my guitar and bass tracks. Lord knows they can use all the help they can get. Be sure and check him out with me or Barbara live and you should hear the cat sing. DANG !!!

So in the "now for something completely different category", I left the R&B session I was producing on Saturday for a . . .

wait for it . . .

bluegrass gig. Yeah, I said it. So what?!?

I've been working for bluegrass singer/guitarist Steve Thomas for nearly a decade. Steve and I lost contact for a number of years, but he recently moved back to Nashville and we've reconnected. In typical Nashville fashion, Steve's regular bassist had another commitment and I was called in to sub the show. Now, for me, playing bluegrass is a treat since I was raised up in North Georgia and heard all of these songs growing up. This was also one of the things I used to enjoy about touring with Billy Ray; we'd break into a bluegrass vibe a couple of times during the night in our live shows. So, I was really looking forward to the gig. As I had hoped, Steve had assembled a very cool batch of players and I had a blast revisiting my childhood in the songs. Nothing like a little "Long Black Veil" to take an Irishman back to his roots.

To make it even MORE fun, I don't currently own an acoustic upright bass ( just 20+ other pieces of stringed ferocity ). In these situations, I typically roll with my prototype Dean Pace Bass electric upright that Mick Donner built me a number of years ago. Enter the conversation piece since most bluegrass enthusiasts have not seen an electric upright nor heard one. There is nothing like a metallic red, freestanding stick to confuse the baby boomer generation. Of course most of you know I tend to perform with less than conventional appearing instruments. Hey, at least I didn't use my 8-string Austin Douglas tapping guitar. That would have been too much for them yet highly entertaining for me. Actually, they were all very impressed about how close the bass sounds to a traditional piece and I was very pleased how the WTX-260 and one of my D-112XLTs carried the gig. That little setup is sheer perfection for the upright. I had been using that same rig with either one or two D-112XLTs with Anna Wilson for the past few weeks and I am sold on that setup for my upright as well as some of my vintage pieces. The 12" speakers just help those basses to blossom.

Photo by Anna Henderson.

Well that is the Poop of the Week thus far. I am back on the road this week with The Justin Conn Band and finally back in the studio next week finishing mixdown on my solo CD. Hope everyone is safe and until next time.

Keep Groovin,

S

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October 31, 2007

Once more unto the Groove, dear friends.

Things have been going very well lately and since last I rambled there have been a couple of outstanding shows. Well, that and a few good meals, some long needed down time, and another birthday for the bald guy.

If you've been following my blog you're fully aware of my ongoing groove affair with The Justin Conn Band. Let me just say that this past week there must have been something in the water because the band was ON FIRE!!! Thursday night we played Nashville's famous night spot 3rd & Lindsley. The show ended up being one of the best we've ever done. The band was ready to kick rump and take names from the beginning of the night and we did just that. It also didn't hurt that our management company had some industry heavyweights in the crowd, or that they were able to see what we could deliver and, lo, it was funky. Who says a WTX-260 and a pair of D-112XLT's can't bring the stank? Not I.

What's better than one butt kicking, rump shaking groove-fest? TWO of them!!! On Saturday, The Justin Conn Band was back at home base in Memphis at The Blue Monkey. Justin's hometown advantage always ensures us having a stellar show and great hang. Plus, the room likes to thump and with the hordes of lovely ladies that are always around, it is my challenge, nay, my duty, to supply the funk. With this in mind, I tend to take both D-410XSTs and the rack with my WT-405 and WT-800 in it. Oh Yes !!! I will be heard……..and felt. You are welcome ladies.

I've been on a big passive electronics kick these days with Justin and leaning more and more about Old School on his gigs. There's something ultra cool about taking a vintage Hagstrom or my Epiphone and Gibsons when going back to the home of STAX records. I started in this direction about a year ago with him when I started leaning back into playing primarily four string basses for the show. Taking that another notch, the passive pieces just have that old soul vibe. Memphis crowds are a blast and really get the funk, soul, R&B hybrid thing that the band does, and playing old school pieces just give you that spirit. Plus, I end up doing four or five solos a night there which is a blast for me. I'll take "Things I never did for Bill Ray for $100, Alex."

In addition to ongoing shows with Justin, Anna Wilson, Barbara, and my solo gig ( ie The Short Bus Mafia ), I am gearing up to help develop new country artist Steve Virginia. Steve is produced by heavyweight producer Allen Morgan of Dolly Parton and Limp Bizkit fame. Allen, Steve, and I have worked together both live and in the studio and we're ramping up for a number of sessions and performances for 2008. Steve is a great singer and performer and has all the formula for being a household name. Plus, he has a great name for stage naturally. Gotta love it!! Anyhoo, check Steve's web site when you get a chance.

That is about it for now, kiddies. I'm off to find some more coffee and draft a couple of articles for my column and another magazine.

Until next time.

Keep Groovin',

S

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November 7, 2007

Fellow Bottom Dwellers,

I hope everyone is doing quite well.

Things have been going very well in my little Fortress of Groovitude. The past week was full of rehearsals, article writing, and recording. I've been very lucky lately to have the opportunity to focus most of my work around my musical roots. It is so much more rewarding to plug up your bass and have something you want to play come out of you rig. Also, keeps me from purchasing bullets and avoid my inner postal awakening.

Saturday gave me an opportunity to blow some serious jazz for a private party with some of my dearest friends. I assembled a top notch combo featuring Ken Rarick on piano (Madonna, Cher), Sam Kallaos on drums (Shoji Tabuchi, Brazilbilly), and fellow Justin Conn band alum Lance Hoffman on Tenor saxophone. We had some great moments and it allowed me some quality time with my electric upright. It was also the first time I had tried the WT-405 and my D-210XST on the upright. I had initially planned on doubling on my US Masters 4 string which I prefer the 10s with. Well, the 405/210XST combination was kicking the upright so much I just stayed on it the whole time. Partially due to my dismay when Ken had me blowing solos on almost every track. Note to self, if you don't play upright all the time there are different muscles involved that can become sore. LOVE getting older………NOT!

Speaking of Lance, I want to wish him safe travels. He is off for a 5 week Asia USO tour with R&B artist Mindy McQ. We will be missing him on some upcoming Justin Conn Band shows. That just means I get to overplay EVEN MORE! Honestly, it won't be the same without our blood brother. Be safe, fine lad, and have some sushi and sake for me.

I am extremely stoked about pushing my solo act for 2008. I've started regular rehearsals with my new live band to support my clinic and tour dates for next year and there is an outstanding chemistry with the new line up. Guitarists Travis Henson and Karl Kersey (pictured) are both outstanding players and the addition of keyboardist Gary Brown, percussionist Chris Nelson, drummer Jim Klingler, the aforementioned Lance Hoffman, and bassist Rich Krainak (pictured) make for a stellar combination. We are really breaking down all the nuances for a top notch live show and will be premiering part of the full show on Nov 17th at The Pond in Franklin. For those, who have seen my solo shows you know I always change things up and there is a batch of new originals and surprises for this show so it shouldn't be missed. Keep an eye on my newly revised MySpace page for updates.

That is about it for this week. I'll have more next week on a video shoot I am doing this week for Justin and some other weekend shows.

Until next time.

Keep Groovin,

S

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November 12, 2007

What up, my li'l Groove Thangs ?

Well, I'm actually quite happy to be here this week. Not that I'm not happy every week but I'm particularly stoked this week, due to the fact that I'm still among the living.

I'm not saying I got a hold of some bad sushi. Mmmmmmmmmm, sushi. I'll just say my gig on Friday wasn't quite what I expected. Actually, I had an amazing time thanks to the fact that I was in Extreme People Watching Mode. More on that in a minute.

Thursday was another stellar romp by the champions of Southern Funk 'n Roll themselves i.e. The Justin Conn Band. We have been doing a host of local dates to catch up with some hometown fans and put a hurting on the Nashville hot spot, FUEL. This show was a slight departure for us since our regular fourth member Lance Hoffman is in the Orient on a USO Tour. We decided to channel our inner Cream meets a Funk band and stank it up. Enter the addition of my percussionist Chris Nelson just to give it some taste and it was on. To carry the funk even farther, I opted for my Dean Cabbie Stylist four string through the WT-405 and a D-410XST. FUNK FOR DAYS !!!

As for Friday's gig with April Caspari, let's just say it was VERY interesting. It wasn't the fact that I was worried about the music. April is hands down one of the hippest Neo-Soul/Jazz singers I've ever worked with. She always gives an outstanding performance, plus the band April assembled for this one consisted of top notch players. No, it was the fact that we were playing this venue in Nashville that will remain nameless that was - how can I say this? - less than reputable. Now, I had played the room years ago with Nissi and it reminded me of CBGBs back then, so I wasn't that concerned when April booked it. I was in a quandary as far as why we didn't start until midnight, but April is family so I was in.

The big surprise was when we very soon realized that this had become one of THE major hangs for the gang scene in Nashville. Just for the record, I have ZERO issues with race, orientation, etc., and don't scare easily. This was one of the first shows in my life that I was truly concerned for the people I was with. I was particularly worried about April and Barbara, who was singing backup. Well, that and Nate the saxophone player who is in the running for Caucasian of the Year.

I have to say that everyone genuinely was glad to see us there and was being nice, so it gave some form of blood pressure relief. And, thankfully, it got even better when we started making noise. (Wonders never cease.) In classic "Music Soothes the Savage Beast" mode, as soon as we started grooving, it was cool. April's set was heavy on the R&B side and she brought her "A" game, for sure.

The gig ended up being a TON of fun and everyone in house really dug the show. I am not going to lie, though. We may have set a new land speed record for gear tear down. Played the last note and the full band was GONE in 10 minutes. Thankfully, most of April's shows are far less nevere-racking; you can check out her calendar on her MySpace page.

Speaking of MySpace pages, you can now check out some of the tunes from my upcoming solo CD "Tapestry" (Black Rose Records), as well as never before heard originals of mine on my MySpace page. As a sneak peak to fans I've included pre-CD release downloads of a number of songs from "Tapestry" as well as some other songs that will only be available as downloads. If that weren't enough, if you act now you can get a FREE ringtone of the song "Walkabout" on my artist page. This is an introductory offer for ringtones of my solo material. Check back regularly for new ringtones and downloads as well as updated shows and news.

OK. End of Shameless Plug. And of the blog for this week.

Until next time.

Keep Groovin',

S

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November 21, 2007

Happy Gobble Gobble Fellow Groovers,

Baldy Locks here... and wishing all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving week. I'm taking a week off of performances this week to spend with loved ones and dip under the radar for a wee bit. I hope all of you can do the same. For that matter, I hope I can actually relax myself. I'll probably track a new record, write a book, paint the house, re-string all twenty-something basses, rebuild an engine, and, and, and….

I want to give a glorious shout out to The Pond in Franklin. They yet again let our little band of misfits known as the Short Bus Mafya take over their venue last Saturday and do what we do. For those not hip to our deranged little crew, the SBM consists of a number of artists and bands in Nashville that are slightly left of center. The line-up was dreamed up by my blood brother Justin Conn and it is growing every day with the addition of artists like April Caspari and our management Songwiters Anonymous. For this particular evening of mayhem the combined forces of my solo band and The Justin Conn Band were the foundation of the night. Now that in itself tends to make for a blast of a night but we had the distinct pleasure of multiple guests this go around.

My solo band consisted of my regular suspects of Travis Henson, Gary Brown, Jim Klingler, Chris Nelson, and Rich Krainak. Enter guest guitar player Karl Kersey to the mix and there were multiple opportunities for dual guitar shreddom between him and Travis. The only thing better was the addition of my dearest blood brother in the world, multi-instrumentalist Tommy Ogle. Primarily a saxophone player, Tommy is the bar I set for the instrument. I have never worked with anyone as talented and we have been making music together for over twenty years. When I look across stage and not see Tommy, something is always missing. That being said, I was ecstatic to have him in town and on stage with us. I continue to get reports about how amazing he was and the reports are correct. The boy ain't nothing but bad!

Photo: Anna Henderson

Now, it wouldn't be a Short Bus Mafya night without some special moments. In addition to my band of doom, we were blessed to have two amazing singers in the house sit in. Singer and kickin photographer Anna Henderson got up with my band and Justin's and tore it up. She has an extremely powerful blues/R&B voice that just kills. She can sing the heck out of some country as well. Needless to say, Anna ripped it a new one with both acts. Not to be out done, we were also honored to have jazz/alternative singer Kristen Cothren with us. Kristen has a wonderful vibe and has been taking the Southeast by storm with her beautiful voice and stunning appearance. You must keep an eye out for her in the future.

Rounding out the guest performances of the night was an appearance by Nashville session drummer Glenn Williams. Glenn is an astounding player with chops for days. He and I have worked together both with Billy Ray Cyrus and Rebecca St. James as well as other artists. Glenn joined The Justin Conn Band on stage for one of our many funk anthems dedicated to the female person called "Dirty". That pretty much says it all and Glenn tore it up from the floor up.

Photo: Anna Henderson

Well that is the dealio for this week. I may not have much to report next week if all goes according to plan. Unless of course you want to know the color of PJs that I'm going to wear the rest of the week. Happy Holidays, my Saviors of Stank.

Until next time.

Keep Groovin,

S

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November 28, 2007

Happy Holidays, Groovinators!!

It is yet another season of family, friends, food, and taking notice of who we are and what we are thankful for and not just the fact that my deadbeat Uncle isn't sleeping on the couch. Seriously, I have been taking a little break from performing to partake of this joyous time of year and spend some long overdue time with those people who make me who I am. Luckily, only a small amount of them owe me money. That sure makes the visit a LOT more tolerable. I'd hate to break someone's hands for Christmas. It's hard for them to fondle egg nog and get the same effect.

Musically speaking, things have been pretty tame since last I rambled. I've been spending some quality time hibernating in my studio, editing some tunes for my upcoming solo CD, though. I'm extremely stoked about finally wrapping up the CD and also premiering some "download only" bonus tracks that you can get off of my MySpace page. Right now you can hear the never before released songs "Walkabout", "Barbara Nell, Come Get Him", and "She Gives Me Hope" on the MyMusicStore portion of the site. I've also added the option of ringtones for these songs as well. Check them out and let me know what you think. Hopefully the answer is that they don't sucketh much.

Saturday was a treat for me in reuniting with some very dear friends. Most of you know that I was bassist for country music superstar Billy Ray Cyrus for some time (sans-mullet). The last show of Billy's latest tour brought him back home to Nashville for the world famous Wildhorse Saloon. In true "Membership has its priviledges" mode, I hollered at the boys and ended up spending the day catching up with friends via the handy dandy All Access pass. I do still love those things.

It was a real kick being back hanging out. It was fairly surreal when alot of the fans were screaming when they saw me on site and I was back to posing for photos and signing autographs. Did I mention country fans are a trip ? Anyhoo, it was a blast to see all the crew and band as well as Billy Ray. I swear that man doesn't age, which just burns my fanny, and how about that daughter of his, eh ? TWO phenomenons in the same family!!! Who would have known? What a talented family AND her older brother has a record deal too. I want whatever is in their drinking water.

Well that is it for this installment of the Baldy Locks Blog. I hope all of you are stuffing your bellies and reflecting on the season. There is a remarkable life out there for all of us. It is nice to stop and enjoy it at times.

Until next time.

Keep Groovin',

S

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December 5, 2007

What up Low end loving brothers and sisters?

Guess what? Since last we talked I have hardly done SQUAT! Woohoo!! I think I like it.

OK, so I have eaten way too much and spent a good batch of down time lately with the folks I love. After a stupid crazy year and tons of life changes I am really enjoying a break. Of course that all ends starting Thursday when I get back in rehearsals for some upcoming Justin Conn Band shows but for now I am loving it.

Welcome back Lance !!! For those who have been reading my blog you all know that Justin Conn Band alum Lance Hoffman has been touring the Orient on a USO Tour. Lance got back home yesterday with stories of temples, tours, and sake. Our young squire was able to experience this once in a lifetime experience backing up R&B singer Mindy McQ. The tour was a success and I am sure it was fun for Lance since he is a tall feller. He is the monster in The JC Band. I can only imagine what he felt like over there. Sounds like a pretty good trip to me and sets the mood for us to put him right back to work in both my solo act and The JC Band. Sorry about your jet lag, now get back in your cage.

This past weekend was a great escape for me. I spent the weekend doing the holiday thing with someone dear to me and it gave me a great reboot. When you run wide open in the music industry most of the year you miss the little things. It was nice to get away and just drive and visit. By the way, if you are ever passing through Paducah, KY, stop over at Patti's Settlement and get the pork chop. Oh Dear Lord !!!

That is honestly it this week kiddies. I am back in music overload starting this weekend so I will have more to relay post. Otherwise, keep warm and keep groovin'.

Later,

S

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