I was perusing Facebook today when I saw a note that said a friend of mine had joined the “To Write Love on Her Arms” fan page. I remember another FB friend mentioning the “project” (for lack of a better term) several months ago. I was trying to figure out what it was all about. I was a little familiar with the group; I knew they were an anti self mutilation group, but I wanted to know a little more. What was the background story.
The TWLOHA web site, contains the story, but it’s hard to find. I finally found it published on someone else’s site. It wasn’t until later I found it on the TWLOHA site. But in looking for the story, I found this photo:
The actual shirt says “Love is the Movement.” I misread it, though. I thought it said “Love Moves Men.” In a way, I wish there was a “Love Moves Men” shirt. Because it does. Or it least, it should.
1. The right word can build up; the wrong word can tear down. (Lord, help me say the right words.)
2. When I get a migraine, I might ask you to close the shades in the bedroom and shut the door quietly, please.
3. Up is a movie my kids watched a few weeks ago; I didn’t get to see it.
4. Behind a drum kit is where you’ll find me.
5. Ooh! What is that a bag of dark chocolate peanut butter cups you picked up for me ?
6. I’m not sure this health care thing is a good idea.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to Susan’s yummy roast chicken, tomorrow my plans include playing a jam at the Waterworks, and Sunday, I want to finish up our Sunday School material on the Apostles Creed!
I was surfing around youtube yesterday at lunch, looking for something to listen to on my lunchbreak. (I frequently use youtube to listen to music–caring not a fiddle for the video portion.) I found this clip of Steve Gadd, Vinnie Coliuta, and Dave Weckl.
Dave Weckl takes the first solo, and opens with those tasty cymbal flourishes. Dave is mostly known as a smooth Jazz/fusion player for the likes of people like Chick Corea. I don’t particularly care for that style of player, but I can tell you Mr. Weckl is a monster player with monster chops. No doubt you can see that here.
Vinny Coliuta. The man does it all. Zappa. Sting. Jeff Beck. ’nuff said? The guy is a freak. He’s got more chops than a meat market. Heck, watch that one handed snare roll with his left hand while is right hand goes all bombastic on the toms.
Gadd is, technically–in my opinion–out of his league here. Steve Gadd is a killer player, no doubt. He outplays me with one hand. He’s got a gazillion records in which his tasty studio studies come to the fore. That great groove from Paul Simon’s “Late in the Evening“? Gadd playing the mozambique with four sticks. How about “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” with that interesting diddling between hihat and snare? Gadd. What about that laid back off beat fill from “Chuck E’s in Love“? (See 1:56 in that last video.) How about Steely Dan’s “Aja,” and all those drum fills? Gadd on the first take! C’mon! But the thing is, technically, they’re not all that hard. It’s the groove that makes them so good!
Back to our clip. 2:45, Gadd comes in. And what does he do? He reaches back to his drum corps days, and pulls our a frickin’ marching cadence so yummy you wanna get up and dance. Man, I LOVE that. I’ll take groove over chops any day of the week. And for me, this clip nails that. Yes, Weckl and Vinny are all over it. They outplay Steve–from a technical standpoint–seven ways to Sunday. And yet it’s Gadd’s portion of the solo I’ve been listening to over and over for the past two days.
Drummer, brush master, and member of the famous Oscar Peterson trio (with Oscar and bassist Ray Brown) is dead. Ed was a true brush master, and the one all the current brush masters (Will Clayton, Jeff Hamilton, Steve Smith, etc.) try to emulate. The Oscar Peterson album “Night Train” is an album I like to call “two sides of taste.” Not a bad cut on the album. It’s one I listen to over and over–not because it’s filled with flash and fireworks, but because it’s filled with great music. You can hear a copy of the title cut here.
