I like this man's hat

and a good one of my most recent teacher, Johnny Vidacovich:

in the stream of commerce

magic

simple pleasures

box of baby birds

here's a neat guy I've been drumming with lately...he just moved to Austin from Chicago and is performing around town under the name Box of Baby Birds



give him a listen

Gary Calhoun James
as Box of Baby Birds (click for myspace)

more modern art by me

booyakasha!

crocodile vs. shark

i
am
the
crocodile

you, the shark

tonight, an epic battle commences

in the deepest
waters
of my
mind

cheesecake

thanksgiving raw cheese cake recipe (you gotta try this)

-------------------------------
This takes some time to prepare, but I promise this is the best cheesecake recipe you’ve ever tasted! And its RAW! No guilt. No nasty. Actually kinda good for you.
CRUST
2 Cups raw nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts or macadamia nuts)
½ Cup Dates (soaked and pitted)
Coconut
CHEESE
3 Cups Soaked Cashews (Soak a least an hour, but longer if possible)
¾ Cup Lemon Juice with pulp (or lime for more tartness)
¾ Cup Raw Agave Nectar (Honey can be used as a substitute)
¾ Cup Raw Coconut Oil (lightly melted- emerge container in hot water or place in dehydrator a few minutes)
¼" piece of vanilla bean (use only the scraped out seeds) (extract can work as a substitution if it is pure and doesn’t contain alcohol.)
TOPPING
Your favorite fruit - frozen and fresh. (My favorite is raspberries or mango.)

TO MAKE-
Sprinkle coconut on the bottom of a 8" spring form pan (to avoid the crust sticking). Use a food processor to process nuts and dates to form a crust. Gently press the crust into the pan and smooth with a plastic scraper. Next, blend (in a high powered blender) all the "cheese" ingredients until smooth & creamy. Pour "cheese" evenly over crust and place in freezer. If you have bubbles gently tap pan on the counter. Next, prepare topping by blending a bag of frozen fruit until spreadable- not necessarily smooth. Add a little agave or some dates if not sweet enough. Pour topping over "cheese" after it has set up. Cover & return to freezer until frozen. Defrost in refrigerator an hour before serving. Garnish with fresh fruit
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CT

home

lineage

my great grandfather, coal miner and railroad worker (pictured center)



my great grandmother's U.S. immigration certificate

dude wolf

I got home yesterday from Nashville to find this guy guarding the door to my house.



but he's not as tough as he looks




and now for some modern art



cheers!

kickin drums

On the road I have a lot of down time in hotels, airports, venues, etc, and one of the ways I spend that time is watching YouTube videos of my favorite drummers. I've found that I learn about the drums much more quickly if I can watch what they are doing with their hands and feet, as well as listen. The internet is an endless fountain of information if you choose to see it as such.

Drumming is a great tradition and I am proud to be a very small part of that. Here are clips of some drummers past and present who I think you may enjoy.

nashvegas....najeeb-vegas

I'm in Nashville today. But I'm not listening to country music. I'm listening to a cellist-singer-songwriter Najeeb Sabour. He currently lives in LA and he is quite the fella. Below is a link to his myspace and a music video of his song, "Travelers". Go! go!

Najeeb Sabour on myspace

And now here are some pictures of things

on my mind at the moment:

and...my favorite band of the moment! The Blue Hit

here is my favorite band of the moment

They're called The Blue Hit, they're from Austin, TX, and they are fantastic. They are a trio with cello, guitar, and a vocalist. I've seen two of their shows, both of which were completely unplugged, in the middle of the woods at night by candlelight, and quite engrossing. I have since had a hard time finding anyone who sounds the way they do.

Take a minute and give them a listen..

The Blue Hit on myspace

from florida with love

I wish I had a drum this big! And a room to keep it in.

One day...

back at it !

yo!

it's already november 2009 and there are some leaves falling, even in Texas.

After months of seemingly endless touring, I've had just about 2 weeks off in Austin and it has been oh-so-wonderful. It feels great to wake up in my own bed, cook in my own kitchen, and assume a normal sleep schedule, among other things. Not being on the road also leaves room for other musical and artistic ventures, which I like.

Below is a piece by an artist named Robyn O'Neil . I found out about her through one of my best friends, filmmaker Nick Chakwin. He has a blog chock-full of these kinds of things at www.nickchakwin.com . Go there! And his films are tasty too.

So Halloween came and went, and I had a blast with some of my favorite folks in the world right here in Austin. We went to see The White Ghost Shivers at their 6th annual "Halloween Ball of Fantasy!". We danced into the wee hours. Here are some photos...my costume title was "Robert Plant when he was a zombie-clown" Also pictured - Jon Doyle (sax/clarinet) as "Pan", Carley Wolf as "Scary Clown with Alien!"

So that was Halloween and now I'm looking forward to the winter months being relatively quiet, with a sparse performance schedule and visits home in CT to see the family. It's been a good year full of music and travel.

(on stage with The Waybacks/The Belleville Outfit in October 09)