August 15, 2022

It was Christmas today in the studio. Jeff Sawyer and I have been working on some holiday songs. Today we added drums, keys, and a guide vocal. Most of the best Christmas songs are recorded in August. Did you know that?

CV Abdallah was rock solid on drums.

Also today - You’ll Bee Scared Too, my fourth title in the Old Doc Turtle children’s book series was published. I wonder what my mom is thinking up in heaven. She taught me everything I know about illustration. I still harken back to her lessons, virtually every day that I’m drawing or painting.

It’s funny how that works. Clearly, I ended up with my mom’s artistic bent AND my dad’s musical expertise. I wonder how I would have turned out if they were, like, farmers. Or lawyers. Kids gravitate toward the things they see growing up. So, be careful parents! You are raising little clones.

Brett and I are still basking in the glow of Saturday night’s gig in Marcy, NY. The crowd could not have been kinder. It was a long day and night of GREAT bands from the Utica area. We were honored just to be there. The fans sang along with all of my songs. Which is pretty important these days. Our collective memory is a whole lot better than mine alone.

When we got back to the studio after the gig, Brett and I both felt Doug’s presence. It still is so hard to stand on a stage and not miss him terribly. But, getting back home from a road gig was always such a ritual for us. The reassuring hugs. The brotherhood. The camaraderie that was 50 years in the making. Those goodbyes at the end of a tour or a long day… It’s the goodbyes that kill me.

Well, I had better get back to work. This week I need to focus on the music of the Grateful Dead. It should be an “interesting” show on Saturday night. I will be conducting the orchestra. Did I ever mention that my dad was a conductor? It runs in our veins. My daughter, Shana, is a first-rate conductor. In a weird twist… she’s my go-to for style and precision in the conducting department. I guess sooner or later, the teacher becomes the student.

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Labor Day 2022

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The Artist and the Astronaut