Buckminster Fuller Calling

mber, I got a copy of Bucky's Utopia or Oblivion: the prospects for humanity.  It was a d
I discovered Bucky Fuller while a film student in Los Angeles in 1970.  For a reason I can't remember, I got a copy of Bucky's Utopia or Oblivion: the prospects for humanity.  It was a difficult read with many long, spiraling sentences that frequently required rereading to uncover Bucky's comprehensive meaning, but worth every second to anyone wanting to delve into his provocative but practical theories.

Reading Bucky's book was life-changing for me. For years after reading it, I constructed many geodesic models from plastic straw struts with cut eraser hubs, and many large functional glass terrariums.

About a  month ago, I was alerted by my daughter in Asheville, Anna, that there was a play about Bucky currently playing at the NC Stage Theater called R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe.  Watching that great play from our front-row seats re-inspired me to revisit Bucky and his extraordinary solutions for the success of all humanity.

I recently composed and recorded this song using a small part of the beginning of a phone call that R. Buckminster Fuller was attempting to make. I think it is ironic that he has to repeat his name since everyone on Spaceship Earth should know of him and his work as a futurist, poet, engineer, educator, design scientist, and inventor.

But, maybe this song (?) will catch on.

The chimes are played by Anita Gayle.  

For years after reading it, I constructed many geodesic models from plastic straw struts with cut eraser hubs, and many large functional glass terrariums. 

Don't Miss Neileeo

My good friend and musical coconspirator, Neil Laurence, will be busking (playing for tips on the street) from July 29 - 31, 2011 at the Belle Chere Festival here in Asheville, NC.  Neil, who recently goes by the name Neileeo, is a singer-songwriter who's thoughtful lyrics and happy melodies entertain audiences of all ages with his personal message of peace and spirituality.  As a former beach comber on both coasts, Neil's compositions profess an idylic "life on the beach" which most people can smilingly identify with.  Sporting a signature straw hat and his toe-tapping menu of diverse musical styles (like blues, rock, surf, country, folk, and fantasy), his broad experience as a live entertainer gives him a empathetic connection with any audience that can only be described as a mutual love fest.

As a seasoned one-man band, the multitalented Neileeo really rocks the street with his ukulele, harmonica and clear, articulate voice.  The man can whistle up a storm, too.

If you happen to pass by Neileeo on an Asheville street during Belle Chere, or any other time for that matter, give him a listen.  Pay particular attention to his original lyrics.  He'll make you smile and fill your head with good, happy thoughts.  Being a personal friend, I know that spreading joy through music is his only goal and a conscious mission.

As part of his audience, you might also want to drop a bit of cash into his tip bucket to return the favor.

Keepin' the Sideburns

Tryin' to stay alive and keep my sideburns, too.

Those of us who were living in what we then called the "civilized world" during the early 1970s might remember a song performed by the Great Leon Russell (co-written with Marc Benno) about the trials of stepping lightly through life while maintaining a personal sense of purpose - Tryin' To Stay Alive, Copyright 1971 Skyhill Publishing Company, Inc.  You can hear this song by finding a copy of the old CD entitled Asylum Choir, or if you download it from Amazon, iTunes, or get thee to this YouTube link and scan into this "video" to about 2:27 where Leon begins his honkytonk intro to this happy little ditty.

I have thought of the opening lyric many times over the years and it continues to be a personal mantra as I grow as white-haired as Leon himself always was, as far as I know.

Tryin' to stay alive and keep my sideburns, too. 

Can I get an Amen?

So, here I find myself and my good wife Anita living in a beautiful place called Asheville, with its wonderful, diverse population, working on Anita's TV cooking show, sitting on our balcony overlooking a hardwood forest, birds singing in every direction, writing a bass riff as an assignment for my bass teacher, Kevin.  I'm staying alive AND keeping my sideburns, too, although it is getting a bit hard to see them as they are so light and white.

But, Mates, that ain't no Margarita sitting on the table before me and Mela Kani, me trusty Ubass. It's Gatorade, now simply known as G, if you hadn't heard.  Somewhere, I've picked up a good dose of a nasty stomach virus.  I can't eat, or sleep much, or go anywhere for fear of spreading this plague.

But, I'm staying alive and keeping my sideburns, too.

What could be better?  (Except maybe a nice steak, baked potato and green salad with blue cheese dressing).  

But, I've got enough of everything else, don't I? 

I sure look happy.  Cool hat, too, eh?

Photo Credit: Anita Gayle

Practicing Practice

Live From Neil's Man Cave Studio

So this is how it goes.  

Neil Laurence and I are rehearsing a few times a week for four or five hours at a stretch in his home recording studio getting ready to begin performing together in front of people here in Asheville - two seasoned men on their ukes.  The whole process makes me very aware once again of the value and absolute necessity of the discipline of practice.

Practice makes perfect.  How do you get to Carnegie Hall?  Practice.

Practice, practice, practice.

There is no substitute for practice.  Neil told me about country guitar virtuoso Chet Atkins.  Why do we know his name?  He practiced guitar 4 hours a day.

I've only been playing my new Kala U Bass for a month, but already there is a small shiny smudge forming on the spruce face of the uke above the strings from constantly resting my right hand there to pluck the strings, physical evidence of my dedication to practice. 

I can easily trace my acquiring the skill of practice because it came at at substantial investment in time - studying Martial Arts for 15 years.  It was worth every minute and it not only was great physical exercise, the practice of Tae Kwon Do either alone, with my daughters, or in class as a student and teacher benefited my brain in positive ways that I hadn't anticipated.  I highly recommend the practice of martial arts, any martial art, to anyone, at any age, at any time.  It will change your life and your brain in wonderful, unexpected ways.

But, so will the study of music.  I am proof of that.

Peg Is Back

My amplifier repair guy, Aaron, called me yesterday and told me that he was able to fix Peg, my B12N Ampeg combo Portaflex fliptop bass amplifier, with parts on hand. So, she's back home and sounds really great with my Kala U bass and my Fender P bass as well.

Aaron said he was really happy to work on my Ampeg and told me it was in the best condition of any vintage amp he had ever worked on. I told him that my parents had given the amp when I was in high school in 1963 and he was impressed that I was the original owner.

I recommend Aaron's work highly so if you are in the Asheville, NC area and need to get your guitar or bass amp worked on, get in touch with him. He knows it all, worked quickly and was very reasonably priced.

You can reach Aaron at theearthisourfeast@gmail.com or 828-254-3953.

It's nice to have Peg back home.

B12N Repair Update

Here's the thing.

My local tube amp repair man, Aaron, called me yesterday to report on his upgrade of the power cord on my vintage bass amplifier, an Ampeg B12N. He had found some additional problems.

"Have you used this amp in the last 20 years or was it just stored in a closet or something?" he asked.

"Oh, uh, I've been using it to practice with since last summer," I said innocently.

"Well, I'm surprised at that because there are a few problems with the electronics," he said. "Does it hum a lot?"

"Well, no, it doesn't hum a lot but I haven't turned it up very loud, though. Maybe there is a hum but I can't hear it at low levels," I responded. "Is there something wrong?" Duh.

"Yeah, there is a blown capacitor and a few other problems. Plus, someone replaced some of the original tubes with a kind that isn't really meant for your amp. I'm surprised it doesn't hum a lot, " Aaron reported. "These tubes won't perform as well as they should - kinda lower capacity power tubes. There are two KS 16's instead of the two GY96's that should have been used, " he said, or something like that.

"I did have a music store replace some tubes about 20 years ago, " I remembered vaguely.

This conversation was beginning to sound like my typical sobering trip to the local car repair shop. I don't know much about car parts either.

"Uh, OK, " I said authoritatively. "Well, can you fix it?" Ah, the perpetual question.

"Oh, sure," Aaron responded happily. "It will take me about 5 or 6 days to get the parts in."

Now, this was really starting to sound like a car repair routine.

"Ok, then go ahead and do what you need to do and let me know when I can pick it up, " I said.

"OK, man," said Aaron cheerily.

We both knew our last two lines very well from years of practice. But, the B12N will be back into service in about a week. I will be happy thumping away through the B12N's new vintage electronics and Aaron will feel the satisfaction a doctor feels when restoring the life of an older patient who was very near death but didn't even realize it.

For myself, I spent the remainder of yesterday trying to think of a good nickname for the old amp. This is my typical level of personal interaction with my instruments, besides playing them - thinking up a good name.

Then it hit me hard and quickly while looking at the above pic of the lit Ampeg logo that decorates the top of my B12N. Peg is her name. The logo, to me at least, says, "I am Peg", so that's her new name.

Anthropomorphism - it's a great hobby - not too expensive and VERY non-technical.

The Alohas Have It

The Sound of Mela

Many thanks to those who voted in my "Name the Kala U Bass" questionaire which ended today. The beautiful Hawaiian name Mela (which means Song) won with 50% of the votes. This is doubly great because that was my favored choice as well. BTW, Kani, meaning Sound, came in a close second so I may have to call it Song Sound, which is somewhat appropriate for such a classy little music maker.

In other music news, I discovered yesterday, while reading a bass forum on the net about Ampeg B12N fliptop amplifiers, that the vintage boomer of that very type my parents gave me for my 16th birthday in 1963, is a no-kidding electrocution waiting to happen. It seems that, since it was manufactured way back when grounded outlets were not the norm that they are today, the vintage two-pronged power chord my B12N sports has no way of grounding the power that might surge through the unsuspecting player if he, she, or me were to touch a microphone or any AC powered device plugged into a different amplifier.

That would be a rude awakening indeed, and maybe The Big Kahuna of All Rude Awakenings..

So, today I loaded my beloved B12N into Big Red, the Jeep, and hauled it off to Asheville's Guitar Mama Store for a sorely needed upgrade to a grounded power plug. Good thinking, don't you think?

When I play bass, I want the sparks to fly, but not from my ears.

My New Kala U Bass

The Little Wonder

I was surprised to hear the door bell ring about noon today and find our friendly FedEx delivery woman holding a box I didn't think would arrive until the middle of next week. This early arrival was my new U Bass electric baritone ukulele. And, what an amazing new invention this beautiful baby is!

It's called a Kala U Bass and is very small (30 inches stem to stern) and light (a mere 2 lbs) as opposed to my Fender P bass (45 inches long and 7 lbs). It sports soft polyurethane strings, has piezo electric pickups, (one for each string) and sounds just like an upright or double bass. I'm rehearsing with an Asheville singer songwriter, Neil Laurence, to join his act soon playing at coffee houses, parties, etc.