"Music
reveals our deepest feelings, experiences, and thoughts.
I express best through my guitar, so together my guitar and I
will tell it from the heart."
1.
My Heart
Cries - Failed relationships are devastating. To
release the pain
through artistic expression is a powerful way to return to life. This
recording
won the pre-concert contest that led to my performance with “The
Best”, a
band consisting of Joe Walsh of the Eagles and James Gang, Jeff "Skunk"
Baxter of The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan, John Entwistle & Simon
Phillips of The Who, Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and
vocalist Rick Livingston. My “15 Minutes of Fame”.
2.
Butterfly Ballet - A butterfly that Shivani
named Sophie lived in our
backyard
for a while. It would constantly land on us and even go for rides on
Shivani’s finger as she walked back and forth (we have pictures).
One day
it appeared with a companion and they put on a show for us, dancing
and
pirouetting
gracefully through the air all around the yard. I thought, OK, this
performance deserves a song. Here I am using my “singing guitar”
sound
to portray the swirling butterflies.
3.
Spirit Dance - The exotic, emotional, and
dynamic quality of music from
India and the Middle East has long been deeply inspirational to me.
That
influence led to this song, and the recording of it is from a rehearsal
of our
band, Mandala. The exhilaration created by the galloping tabla and
bongos is like racing along with the wind in your face.
4.
Bear Bottom Boogie - One advantage of being
a Gemini is that I can
play
dueling guitars by myself. Here they (me & me) are duking it out
with
licks they’ve never played before and having a ball doing it.
“Go Men Go”.
5.
Sleep Walk - On a beautiful Hawaiian weekend
afternoon, Shivani was
asked to fill in at a country restaurant gig that she had done a time
or two
before. The singing drummer who was the leader of the trio called and
said the guitar player also could not make it and did she know someone
who could do it. She suggested me and so we did the gig, taking turns
singing while looking out at the ocean, as balmy breezes floated through
the open air cafe. This song from that day seems to capture the laid
back
vibe
and overall feeling of the time and place. The drummer had not heard
me before so you may hear his spontaneous reactions to my playing.
6.
Cats In Heat - Humor in music is a good thing.
While creating sounds in
a guitar effects unit, I found one that sounds like the cats I hear
out on the
street at night. Who says cats can’t sing. Here’s Rusty
and Fluffy by way
of my guitars. “Love makes the world go ‘round, but humor
keeps us sane”.
7.
Kychun Sync - For a while I was really into
guitar synthesizer, where you
can produce the sound of any instrument from guitar. Of course to do
it
effectively you have to think like you are playing that instrument.
Everything
on this song (except the drums which I played on keyboard), including
all
solos, bass, keyboard sounds, and backing instruments are guitar or
guitar
synth. Sometimes multiple personalities can be an advantage.
8.
Children Of War - I was sitting inside playing
my guitar and through the
open window I heard a neighbor telling another the news of Iraq’s
invasion
of Kuwait and the immediate military retaliation by the U.S. and it’s
allies.
My first thought was for the children that always suffer so badly when
war
is waged, not just in the Middle East, but anywhere, both past &
present.
This song came to me right then, all at once, and continues to remind
me
that we, humanity, must do better by our children.
9.
Osmosis - While performing nightly in Waikiki
I developed a friendship
with the security guard, who was also a guitarist. He gave me recordings
of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, which I liked to listen to on the way
to the
gig. I never actually sat down and analyzed or played along with them,
but when I wrote this song some of their stuff oozed out, like Vai’s
use
of a harmonizer. The tremendous influence of Jeff Beck pokes out as
well.
My ideas of composition and guitar may seem a bit unusual here, but
why
sound like what you have already heard?
10. I Love You Much Too Much - Some of my
favorite gigs have been
with the Santana Tribute Band Hawaii, where the approach is not just
to
copy, but to use these great songs to project the energy, spirit, and
creativity that they deserve. I’ve played Santana’s more
well known
songs countless times, but here we play one of the lesser known ones
at a live Cinco de Mayo performance.
11.
Transformation - Now for something a bit
different. In life, not all is
rainbows and roses. While music and other arts can convey the less
bright side of the human experience, beauty may even be found in the
ominous. Sometimes the dark must be traversed before the light is
discovered. Hold on tight and don’t look back.
12.
Reflections -
Peace and serenity - music can do that.
I’m ending this collection of songs with one that I hope will
bring you a sense of quiet, comfort, and contentment.
