simplicity
my father was an ardent fan of simplicity. “it’s hardest to be simple” he used to say. i somehow absorbed his passion and my quest for simplicity has found its way into most parts of my life. when donna suggested i get a christmas tree for the cottage, i hesitated until she shared her vision of a tree outside the windows next to the marsh. then it made perfect, simple sense. the end result of the lighted tree overlooking the acres of marshland is that i’ve created a beacon of hope. its presence has given me a sense of peace that i’ve never experienced. it actually feels like christmas this year. my father would have loved it.
as a songwriter, i strive for uniqueness in a structure of simplicity, this means that i try to use simple phrases and melodic structures with something different somewhere in the song— a chord, a melodic twist— something— to make it just a little different so you feel comfortable listening, but also like you’ve heard something new. “new songs that you think you’ve heard before but haven’t” is basically the heart of my craft. my father’s passion informed me.
my father also told me to “make a mark” on the world. i used to think this was a tall order and my ambition consistently disappointed me until i learned to “think small”. thinking small has made me hone the world around me. like consistently nurturing our monthly residency at Vincent’s or bringing good people together to grow a fledgling business. what i’ve discovered is that our “mark” is essentially a measure of how we feed and care for the life that’s around us. simple.
we finished 2022 with a Vincent’s show on the 10th. the night had a deep vibe which included a remarkable paranormal incident where the front door of the club opened by itself during paul’s solo in “I Can Feel the Dead”. i was standing offstage in front of the door, next to two friends sitting at the bar who witnessed the event. paul was digging deep and the band was locked in. the audience was transfixed and in that moment, the front door swung wide open. i exchanged “WTF” glances with my friends and the door swung shut. cool, right?! a great way to cap off 2022. we return on january 14.
we got a little time with sir david minehan at woolly mammoth in december and a couple more dates in january for further progress on album #17. the dates have been scarce, but the writing has been slow so the progress is actually just right, especially coming off “Ghost” and “Backroads” this year and last.
i’m making my way to new orleans later this month and hopefully that trip will break my personal unintended travel moratorium which feels more like being stuck right now than anything else. i need to get my sorry self back to la before i forget what it looks like!
i hope you all have a wonderful holiday season. stay safe and stay simple.
love,
jc