Post Maine breakdown

Kinetic Harpoon ya'lllllllllllllllllll

Here's one for you!

Cy Twombly is dead

I first heard about Cy Twombly a number of years ago when reading a writeup in the local paper about a solo drum performance I was doing at this place called the Tugboat in Portland Oregon.

The writer mentioned "...he even resembles a pensive young Cy Twombly".

Well at that point in my life I said huh? Cy who?

I investigated the man (who I saw little physical resemblance to) and his art (which I loved).

In recent history I moved to Philadelphia a mere few blocks from the Art Museum where every 1st Sunday I take my son, who, after requesting to go see the "Armor" rooms (knights in shining armor, swords, etc) a time or two, also asks to see Cy Twombly.

There's a series of Twombly's on the 1st floor, huge, messy, wonderful.

Last night I heard he passed and found myself thinking of him all day long.

Here you go old man!

Waiting for beans and rice to cook

Just walked to Kimey's to get some icicles for Sonny

Free?!

What do you play? Whatever I want. Its hard to get away from time, rhythm, playing drums, the trap kit is a trap if you don't want to mess with time, no time, "rag time to no time", there's much to be said for just a drum.........people do all sorts of beautiful things with vibrating membranes drums skins, specialists in texture sound using dowel rods bows rosin on things you can get lost in that world.....you get some cymbals up and add some toms and kick and have a certain feel there's no escaping pulse so what can you do? I like to do everything as it happens, I don't mind repeating repeating repetition or playing time swinging pulse or make friction happen with any number of implements on surfaces static noise void and cluttered rhythm cymbals bouncing all over the place.

Its really a lifelong journey to figure out this thing. The kit as instrument. Going where others have gone and taking stealing changing rearranging evolving the thing that you do. There are walls that get in the way that will always be scaled knocked down however you see it. For me so many things have done this from Milford Graves to Billy Mintz to damn near every drummer I've heard to honest with you. I'm not looking for a name or fame or you or anyone knowing who I've played with or where I've been. I intend to lose myself in the process each and every time and if this happens to be in the public context then that's sharing what others have shared with me, that thing, whatever it is, sorta like you're leaving you're body and watching the music happen you're watching yourself channel this sound action from somewhere.............maybe it can be seen as mystical too far out hippie dippy freakatoni this is how it is I just go on and keep playing at some point I may be old if I am there I'll be playing whether anyone listens or not.........

As I sit here sweating damn boy its hot here in Philly and the humidity makes it sticky my drums are behind me and are fairly in tune I might just go play them with a pair of mallets make some music for the room and the moisture!

For Ed Blackwell!!

Oh yeah, its raining!

riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by comodius vicous of circulation back to Howthe Castle and environs...........................................................

Kung Fu or something

A thunderstorm rolled in last night late and rumbled shook the windows the house woke us up.

Drove to Mt Penn today in search of a cymbal my son asleep in the back now I have a headache even though we ate a whole pizza at Mad Greeks and another thunderstorm threatened.

So I rolled on up to the 3rd floor where things are in transition things being fixed cleaned and lots of light air sounds bounce around just so perfectly.

A moment captured, its not much, really its not, but maybe you get the point.

Shoe

Sonny & Papa

Pac man

The piano lives!!

This piano has been dormant for some time. Sonny and I finally decided to put it back together. Honky tonk!!

Here's one for parking tickets!

The night I got married..

Yup, Heather and I married each other under a tree after this show. One of the many, many great Cex Fucx shows. Every one in that barn was moving the entire time we played. You can't not move when this happens!!

Tim DuRoche

Tim, I'm sorry but I think I lost your copy of Different Drummers. When I find another copy I will mail you one.

And you're right, Billy Mintz will mess you up for weeks (in my case months, years).

Early thoughts....

Billy Mintz says in his book "Different Drummers" that Ed Blackwell's playing "...embraces the entire universe and God".

I asked Billy about that quote once and he got sorta embarrassed.

If you don't know who these men are then I suggest you stop what you are doing RIGHT NOW and find out!!

Some day in April, or other, or the day the battery died in the van!

Old Skool baby, Portland days!

Ah, here's Thee Oregon Artificial Limb Co.!

Kinetic Harpoon !!!

Been playing with Kelvin Pittman for many years now. Been a pleasure!

Uh, yeah!

Blah, blah, blog!

Drums and drumming. Been playing music with drums and other things for more than half my life. I'm 32 and I started into the world of percussion when I was 12. Elementary school, time to pick an instrument kids, what do you want to play? Uh, drums I guess. Had a knack. Learn things quickly. Remember lessons, playing rudiments. Later in Jr High and beyond the old concert instruments that had been kicking around since who knows when, the tympani, the chimes, huge bass drum. Then marching band too, playing snare drum as a freshman, unheard of. Private lessons with Dale Ginder, a total drum corps guy living with his parents in his 40's, playing rudiments, rudiments, sticking patterns. Sticking patterns!