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| SATURDAY
December 05, 1998
Today's Random Entry: June 25, 1998 Starting today, I'm officially including a random journal entry from my archives, as a means to reflect on previous days past. I will simply click on a month and choose a particular date in that month, and that will be my criteria for selecting past entries.  I woke up around 10:30AM today. My wife and I took our two boys to their swimming lessons with their private teacher. During that hour, I went to the credit union to deposit my earnings from the band. I got back a little early and listened to my own album project, "If By Chance We Meet", just sitting back and enjoying my work. I'm rather of proud of this first solo effort. It was produced at "Western Sage Recorders", my recording studio at home. Most of it was done on the computer using Steinberg's Cubase 3.0. I then took the master DAT tape and had Steve Wetherbee of Golden Track Studios master it onto CD. Being a keyboardist as well as a percussionist was crucial in making this solo effort a success, or at least a musical success in my own mind. One day, I hope to make enough money from my band earnings to start making CDs of my solo project, and push the album a bit on the local and regional scenes. My solo album project has pretty much been kept a secret and I don't tell anybody about it, and I'm still thinking of how I want to approach it, while doing this current stint in swing music with Big Time Operator. Anyway, I was listening to my album and wondering how I could make it all happen. Then I went into the gym to pick up my wife and the kids. When I got inside the Gym, my wife was talking to the swimming teacher. Apparently, the swimming teacher said that a mouse went into the pool and was swimming around. One of the workers there took a net and scooped the mouse up. I thought it was weird and I didn't know what to say about that one. I guess the pool was okay even though a little mouse swam in the pool, and I don't think anyone would be getting 'bubonic plague' from swimming in the pool after a little mouse swam in it. It was a bit funny, however, perhaps a bit freaky. Afterwards, after swimming lessons, we took the kids to where else? McDonald's for some happy meals. It's funny how word gets around that there are "A Bug's Life" action figures included with the Happy Meals. My kids haven't seen the movie yet... they told me they're not interested, but they wanted the happy meals anyway! I figure sooner or later they'll see the movie, either now or when it comes out on video. When we got back from McDonald's, the boys and I played Crash Bandicoot 2 on the Sony Playstation. We did this for a good hour and a half. At least the kids did. I tried to watch a movie with my wife but couldn't get into the movie, which was called Sliding Doors with Gwenyth Paltrow. I drifted between checking email and working on my web sites, to watching the movie, to playing Crash on the Sony Playstation when my kids got stuck. It was a relaxing afternoon for me, yet I was pleasantly busy. Later in the afternoon, I got a call from the mechanic. Our 280ZX was ready, and we dropped the boys off at their cousin's house, and my wife and I went to pick up the car. When we got back I prepared dinner, checked email, and got ready for my gig at The Catamaran with the band. On the way to The Catamaran Hotel gig, I noticed how cold it was tonight. My hands were freezing and I misplaced my nice, warm gloves I had gotten for the November tour up north. On the radio I heard that tonight was the coldest night so far this year in San Diego. I'm such a wimp when it comes to the cold. I've never lived anywhere else colder like, say... Minnesota. Well, I lived for two years in Washington state when I was six and seven years old, but I don't even remember the feeling of the cold when it snowed. I can't even fathom what 'cold weather' would be like up there. The gig went well tonight, and the band played very tightly, and pretty much in the pocket. I was happy and impressed with how well we sounded, and it really got me going... I was very excited about playing... It seemed the whole San Diego swing gang were here. Jessica, Shareen, Debbie, Meeshi, Susan, Thai, Willie, and all the familiar faces to which I've haven't placed a name to yet. Our executive producer Donna Coté was in attendance, again a shining star of support for the band. She's our connection to the swing era that she grew up in. It's nice to have people who really 'lived' the swing era, and have them support you. Jessica, Shareen and I were talking during one of our breaks about the old film footage, of both the swing orchestras and the lindy hop dancers. We both have seen some of that old footage and it's amazing, the things they did in those days. The dancers were so hot with their fast, acrobatic aerials and dance moves. The musicians would have jam sessions and a particular song was different from night to night, club to club. I was thinking that our band should try to execute that spontaneous form of expression, rather than read the charts and play the music the same every time. Shareen mentioned the fact that I'm really the only musician in the band that has the freedom to change things around every time we play by varying the grooves and drum breaks, while the others are always reading the same chart arrangements. The other musicians get time to solo, but during the ensemble sections they have to pretty much play together and play the same every time. Jessica and Shareen both agreed that it was great that I could vary my solos considerably on a tune like Sing, Sing, Sing. I just wished we could be able to play more in a jam session-like fashion. It would make things all the more exciting and 'fresh'. It would also get the crowd 'going'... Thoughts After The Gig As always, I was the last to leave the gig, being the drummer and having to pack up and transport all the drums and equipment. Some people ask me, "Why couldn't you have taken up the flute or piccolo?" Sometimes I just respond, "Do you see a flute or piccolo here tonight?... Thank you!" I know the drums are the hardest instruments to lug around... I know that a lot of musicians don't even consider drummers being musicians... but the drums ARE the most important instrument in the band. Without it you don't have much of a groove for the dancers... The drums reach out to everyone at all levels. It's a very instinctive instrument and reaches to the very primal feelings of all peoples. Jazz drummer Max Roach was once quoted as saying, "The DRUM is the most important instrument."
Dave Weckl - Back To Basics (video)
Chicago Sym. Orch. - Mahler Sym. No. 4 Mozart - The Complete Philips Edition The Carpenters - Singles Carlos Rull 
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