My response to the messages left recently by Larry, Barry and Mary. If need be, I apologize for its length, but I have held back on these issues to see where I could best jump in. I’ve broken it into 2 parts. I Hope you read them both.

 

Part One

 

Larry, thanks for revealing how The Flock, one of Cincinnati’s Musical Foundations, made you feel. I may be partial since I am part of this Incarnation, but I wouldn’t be wearing the Mantle I do, if it wasn’t for the Inspiration I receive from the Gifted Circle of Musicians and Associates I get to hang with and call Friends.

 

Your descriptions on all counts were accurate. I admit you caught an exceptional performance at the Courtyard Café. And you have to be given credit for your participation in that evening. You were into it and ready to send some good stuff towards the Band and they reciprocated in kind. It’s one of the Mysteries of Live Music.

 

The best Performances can be linked back to the Folk who were Listening and Experiencing what was being offered, as well as, the preparation and Heart the Musicians have to put into their Craft.

 

The Flock are dedicated individuals who endeavor to reinvent themselves and the Music at every Performance. For those willing to take the Time, the Flock does offer Sonic cuisine from around the Globe and from so many points in History, I am surprised we are not on some History Departments list of potential field trips. For the purists this is a quandary, as they want to embrace what they hear for the warmth it makes them feel, but like calves at a new gate, they balk and are not quite sure if it is the proper route to take.

 

Barry, you are right about Dave Gilligan. He gets up every morning by dawn to drive a School bus for CPS. And practically every evening is dedicated to one or more Musical Adventure, as he calls them. He is a part of so many projects, it makes my head spin. I thought I was a busy hired gun. Most of the Musicians I know give a sigh of relief when a practice has been cancelled. They see it as a few free hours to relax in their busy schedule. Dave starts thinking about who he can get to practice in some other Musical Enterprise. Recently, at the Celtic Festival, he had already played 2 sets before he got up with the Flock. The early part of the night Larry wrote about, was spent assisting Ma Crow with her Performance at Kaldi’s. Talk about the real deal…

 

And I could brag about any number of the Musicians I hobnob with in similar fashion. I think many of us, and not just in the Blues Community, are going through the frustrations that have been voiced in several of the recent messages. But if we aren’t careful, we get into the my fault, your fault Syndrome.

 

Barry, I have seen you perform and I can say, your Heart comes through. And I can say, you are far from amateur. We all wish there was more we could do to knock the socks off the listeners, so they have no choice but to be impressed. But in these Times of quick this and that, the Times of,  “I want the World and I want it now”, we have to be careful as to how much responsibility we allow to be placed on our shoulders and how much we expect others to carry, if our portion of the Music Scene seems to waver.

 

Part Two

 

There is not a branch of commerce that is not going through some form of upheaval. Even companies that should be blooming are struggling or see that their day in the Sun is waning. You can charge more than people can afford, for only so long, then something has to give. Echoing a sentiment recently Voiced on our  message board, I am very glad to be part of a group of Folk who so readily and almost eagerly give of themselves and their Time.

 

To any who have ears to hear and a Desire to Listen, Music is an amazing vehicle for relaying feelings of every genre in all of the most provocative of fashions. You can hear it. When you are close enough, you can feel it. And when you are close, it doesn’t have to jump up and down for you to see it. (Next time you are on my Site, check out the Link to Django. You will see what I mean.) And when it makes you sweat, you can taste it. And when it kicks in the pheromones, it can be smelt. Forgive my blunt, primal approach here, but I am trying to make a point.

 

Music is a moving Experience, only if we allow ourselves to be moved. Only if we come in the tent, sit down and be prepared to do what it takes to taste the sweat. To see it move beneath the surface of a facial expression. To feel its vibration in the air, on your skin. To hear the subtle nuances that occur when you mix the Live sound in with the projected sound. (Think about the time spent trying to find the right spot for your home speaker system. I know people that do so because they want their audio/video Experience to be fully enjoyed, like a Chef who takes the Time to pick and choose his ingredients with great care, to be sure his fare is the best the Diner will have ever had.) To be reminded of feelings long forgotten.  The pulse of Nations moving our feet and Imaginations. To want to Experience Life in the fullest of measures.

 

This is why I try to absorb what I can from our local Legends. What they pour out through their Music affects me. I am who I am as a Musician and a Human Being, because of the Company I keep. And I am not just referring to the Folk up front with Instruments in hand. Whether you are contributing by Performing or sharing of yourself in some other way, i.e., Volunteering or just being a good listener, you are part of the Process.

 

Like so many of Life’s enjoyable Experiences, you have to get close enough to Hear it, See it, Feel it, Smell it  or Taste it. Get involved. Allow yourself to be Moved...

 

Mary, next Time you are looking to be impressed, at least give the Band a fighting chance.

Come into the tent, get a seat up close and put some effort into the shared Experience, which is one of the cool things about Live Music. Even God has a hard Time reaching those who choose to just stand outside and peek in…

 

Peace, now more than ever, John

 

“Below you will find my response to a series of E-mails

that arrived from the Cincy Blues Society’s Message Board.

I changed some of the names to protect the misunderstood.

It explains in a notable fashion, why I feel so strongly about the current name

of one of my Bands, “John Redell and the Company He Keeps”.