Sorry I haven't put anything up here in quite a while. Family first, and right now, my family requires all my time when I am not at work. Yet I am staying up a little later tonight to share a small snippet of joy and humor, and learning that forced itself on me last night, and for which I am grateful.
I have many blessings which I take too often for granted. Especially now, when I feel overloaded. This one took 24 hours to settle into my head before I could grasp the significance.
So there I was last night, at a sawmill concert. No, it wasn't a club called "The Sawmill', it was, well, a sawmill. You know the type of place where they take trees and make it into lumber? Big saw table, tools, lumber and trees in various states of milling. The hosts had done a neat job of making some room and accommodations in a place normally dedicated to hard work and nothing but. Some might find it surreal, but I found it.. comfortable. Having spent most of my life in and around shops where things are created, refined, fabricated, repaired, or built, it seemed like a comfortable and safe place. Still, there we were in the woods in a sawmill and it was raining, dark, and a bit chilly.
Winter died slowly this year and the ice only left the Reservoir 24 hours earlier, the latest date in memory. It was warmer than it has been at night anytime this year so far, but not what you might call 'warm', on a rainy night. Pretty much everyone there was used to the miserable temperatures we've had for the past 4 months and were sporting light attire of just 2 or 3 layers. Everybody wanted spring to move in NOW and we were all looking forward to those nights of sitting around fires while talking, or singing, or making music, or just thinking. You could pick out the outdoor working folks who were just wearing a sweatshirt in spite of the rain. Most of us could get under the cover of the shed roof on the mill which was clearly built to protect the equipment and not the folks running it or working around it. The machinery stayed dry, while we got a bit damp. I sat on a stool that put my right arm in the drip-line of the roof and so my right arm and leg got a bit wet. There was an appropriate amount of light mud on the bedrock that was predominant of this piece of earth, just about a mile through the woods from my house.
We were a small group due to the size of the venue and it was a private invitation only type of thing. I felt honored to be there and was just as anxious as everyone else to begin the season of enjoying weekends with outdoor activity in the evenings.
So this was all set up by Mike Merenda for his buddy Robert Sarazin Blake. Robert stopped at Mike & Ruthy's home as he often does before starting a northeastern tour and he had an evening free, so Mike put together a sawmill concert. In reality, it was a bunch of friends that came together to encourage the approach of spring, listen to some very well crafted music, and enjoy each others company. It was a good way for Robert to get a relaxed kick-off to the 25 gig tour he was beginning the next evening.
So the evening kicked off. Mike played a set of some very enjoyable stuff. We took a little break, then Robert played a set with Mike backing him, there was some group singing and we had a fantastic time. Frankly I am surprised the these two played as long as they did because the temp, although not really cold, was a bit rough on the fingers.
It was my first experience with Robert and I found him to be wonderful. He has his own take on music, he is a true singer/songwriter, and his style is unique to me. Very interesting, very thoughtful and thought provoking. I like his material, his presentation, and his presence very much.
I took the opportunity to speak with Robert after the gig and enjoyed the conversation immensely. He is a very nice guy and easy to talk to. I suggested that sometime down the road when he comes for a visit he might want to check out some of the local 'activities' that we have available. He confessed that he had been in our town perhaps 20 or more times over the years, but never gone out and about. I mentioned the Thursday night gig at the Harmony cafe' and how you never know who might walk into the club on any given Thursday. Mark Black was there a few weeks ago, Tom Pacheco had dropped by just the night before, John Sebastion, Maria Muldaur, and other folks like that. You never know who might walk in. I said something about how I have been in the habit of going every Thursday I can because I love to hear the guys play and Bill Keith is a favorite of mine, as well as a friend. I started to explain that Bill has not been playing there lately because of a left hand issue and Eric Wiessberg has been filling in for him when Robert reached out and grabbed my elbow and said " Wait, What?, BILL KEITH plays in the HOUSE BAND?" I explained that they do a regular Thursday night gig and it wasn't a 'house band' per se'. He threw his head back and just said "Oh man, next time I come around we are going to have to get out a little." The rest of the conversation followed a natural course and we parted as new friends. I very much enjoyed Roberts music and will look for opportunities to see him again.
So this evening I finally got a chance to sit back and listen to some of Roberts music on his CD's and as I was listening, that little snippet of our conversation came into my head and I realized that Robert had immediately recognized the value of what I may have taken for granted. People all over the world have payed decent ticket prices to go and see Bill Keith play. Many have forked out lots of money and time to be able to spend a few days studying with him. So many professionals have learned key things from Bill that have furthered their music, as well as their careers. I get to see him every Thursday for the price of a beer and whatever I put in the tip jar. Sometimes, perhaps too many times, I take what I have for granted. Last night, it took a traveling musician who came all the way from Washington state to point out how lucky I am.
I hope to have time to write in detail about Roberts latest CD a least, but will nee some time to study and digest it. My last review of the Kripplkrunk album was premature. I have been listening to it for about 2 months now and have discovered some many levels that I did not hear prior to writing the review. I don't want to make that mistake again.
Keep The Beat,
Tom
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