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Mitch Mitchell was the drummer for the Jimi Hendrix Experience. I first got into “The Experience” when I was in high school. And because I really started playing the drum set in earnest about the same time, he became one of my big influences. Notably, Mitch combined both rock and jazz drum styles into one. He, along with Ginger Baker, really set the benchmarks for drummers in the late ’60s/early ’70s. Keith Moon (The Who) had lots of bombast, but not much finesse. Ringo and Charlie Watts (The Stones) has taste, and the ability to play the “exactly right” part for the song, but weren’t great technicians. Mitch had it all. “The Experience” was a trio. When you play drums in a trio, you have the room to play more without getting in the way. And Mitch could fill up the space, but do so with finesse, taste, chops, and great sounding drums.

Check out the drum solo in this cut, about 3:30 in. Check out that snare roll with the tom accents. Right out of Jazz. Dig the cymbal crashes within the rolls; if you know what Max Roach’s drumming sounds like, and I played just that little bit for you, you couldn’t tell the two players apart. Heck, I even remember where I was when I first heard that solo! I was in the parking lot of Pen Bay Hospital for some reason, listening to the new CD I had just received. To that point, I had never heard any of the live BBC stuff. That solo came on and I was floored! No one, I mean no pop drummer of that day, had ever played a solo like that. At least, none that I had heard. Even today, I haven’t heard many solos from that era that rival it.

Rest in peace, Mitch. Know that your influence still resides in the hearts and hands of drummers all over the world.

Thank you for your service, but especially to Wm. Batty Sr. (Coastie), his brother Thornton Batty, Jr. (Coastie), their father Thornton Batty Sr. (Coastie), his father Fred C. Batty (US Lighthouse Service), and his father-in-law Samuel John Cavanor (US Lighthouse Service).

What am I in for for the rest of the week. I woke up at my regular time, 5:30am. I debated sleeping longer. I didn’t; I pulled myself out of bed. I took a shower. I put coffee on. I started reading my Bible (I’m reading Jeremiah right now). I also started falling asleep! I dozed through five chapters. I put on the news. I didn’t get coffee. I fell asleep. Yup. I fell asleep for a half hour on the couch after I’d just woke up and showered! Yowza! Let’s see if the rest of the week falls in line with this AM. If it does, I may be in for a heap of trouble!

1. My blueprint for success includes two bottles of Elmer’s glue, a live guppy, and two Whopper Jr.s from BK.
2. Junior Mints were the last candy I ate.
3. The best facial moisturizer I’ve ever used is apparently still on the store shelf somewhere. I don’t moisturize.
4. Coffee can be good therapy.
5. I’d like to tell you about my King. Do you know him?
6. Humor  is my strongest characteristic.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to a night home with the boys, tomorrow my plans include two gigs, and Sunday, I want to play a benefit for elderly people and oil relief!

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I finally found a couch for us. Last year, I thought I’d get Susan a Christmas gift: a new couch. We bought a red flowered couch about the time the boys were born. About two years in, we had to replace the cushions. At three years in, we were using a slipcover to hide the holes. Four years now, and it was really embarrassing and annoying. I really needed to find something.

The hard part is that Susan and I like more formal looking furniture. And that sort of furniture doesn’t take kindly to four year old twins. And, apparently, there’s not much call for it in midcoast Maine. I looked and looked. We found one we both loved, but I really didn’t want to spend $900.

So this week, while on vacation, we went to four different furniture in Portland. Nothing. On Saturday, I went to two more furniture stores. Still no luck. On a whim, Julia and I went to Prince’s over on Rt. 90.  Finally! Something in stock, and a decent price, with a more formal look.

Here’s the old sofa, without the slipcover. Remember, that’s just four years old! And, here’s the new one. I hope I can get three years out of this one. We’ll see.