Paul Johnson showed up at my doorstep, banjo in hand … He lives in Austin anymore so I don’t see a lot of him, but we used to play together a bunch when we both lived in Seattle. I introduced him to Amanda Jo while I was at her house trying to remember how to play the guitar so we could do a show (been out of town, minor lapse in personality integrity) … It was a solid connection and the sounds were great, so Amanda invited Paul to sit in for the duration of the next night’s show. He did, and it was a mad blast. Here’s a representative highlight:

Here’s links to a couple of new books from the authors of The Prettiest Feathers and Tunnel Of Night, John Philpin and Patricia Sierra.

If you aren’t familiar with those two books, they are the bloody and suspenseful tale of a serial killer, a retired profiler, and what those two people turn out to have in common.

These two new titles are of a different bent. I haven’t read them yet myself because I don’t have a Kindle, which is the only way you can read them until some sensible publisher decides to invest in new fiction by established talent instead of throwing millions of dollars at crap politicians and CEOs who don’t need the money and can’t write their way out of a paper bag anyhow.

But I do know that they are both fiction.

JD has something to do with a plot to steal JD Salinger’s manuscripts, and is billed as “a funny, sexy romp for the literary set” …

JD - The Plot To Steal JD Salinger’s Manuscripts

God Wars seems to be a bit heavier in tone, revolves around its four unusual main characters, and has perhaps something to do with a “clear path towards hope” and “setting aside dogma,” while remaining “pro-peace, pro-sanity, and pro-love”.

The God Wars

…having said all that:

http://www.headheritage.co.uk/headtohead/the_village_pump/topic/53975/#4

This concludes the video survey of Marc’s adventures in Los Angeles… Herein are two final segments of the BRUCE performance at the place called Where.

Lest there be confusion: the music in these two videos is entirely different - there is no overlap - they just happen to look similar. Both of them feature 5-Track on guitar and singing, Marc on bass, and Scott “Mallets” Keil on the drums. Enjoy!!

BRUCE: Live At Where (part last) from Zlicious Productions on Vimeo.

Marc Cantlin (bass), 5-Track (guitar, singing), Scott Keil (drums) … the last bunch of jams from our June 5th performance at Where in Silverlake, Los Angeles, California, Earth. Jym “The Snake” Fahey, guest harmonicat. Video mainly by John Boyd, with some digression by various Where personnel (Danielle!!).

http://www.archive.org/details/Bruce2009-06-06.SanPedro

An evening in San Pedro (home of the Minutemen) with the band called BRUCE. We played very well almost in spite of ourselves (I think Scott had fun) in a prime example of what we used to call “The Wild Rover Effect” … This is a situation in which, for whatever reason, the band is not feeling it. Pushing that boulder up the hill, again and again, letting it roll back on top of you breaking every bone in your body twice, then get up and do it again … Extended energy jams to a room that wants to hear “Brown-Eyed Girl” …

But the tape doesn’t lie, even if it’s a minidisc, and we played a fine show. I’ve been enjoying listening to it, and I hope it does you some good.

Highlights might be said to include: Tinfoil Helmet, Tar, Lunar Sunrise, Too Many Looks, Clock Coda–>Moment–>Meal.

The setlist looks like this:

Cosmic Rays
Can’t Find The Ocean
Your Blue Monkey
(He’s Not Dead, He’s Just In) Texas
Happy Birthday!!
Blues For Horselover Fat
Too Many Looks
Tar
Hiding A Secret
Whiskey Priest
Pofis Shuffle
Lunar Sunrise
Galapagos
The Clock Song
Clock Coda –> I Don’t Want To Lose This Moment –> The Meal You Catch Yourself
(That’s) The Bag I’m In

designed by Jane Forever

A whole mess of ‘em, and in widely varying condition… Here’s the list. Drop me a line if you want to make an offer on any of ‘em.

Al Di Meola  - “Land of the midnight sun” … some scuffing, some wear

Steely Dan - “Pretzel Logic” … light scuffing, some wear

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - “Brubeck In Amsterdam” … some scuffing, some wear

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - “Newport 1958″ … light scuffing, some wear

Carole King - “Tapestry” - scuffing, some wear

Carole King - “Thoroughbred” - scuffing, some wear

Laura Nyro - “New York Tendaberry” - scuffing, some wear

Jefferson Airplane - “Volunteers” - beat

Jefferson Airplane - “Tales Off” - scuffed & worn

Godspell - original motion picture soundtrack - lightly scuffed, lightly worn

Godspell - original Australian cast album - lightly scuffed, lightly worn

Beatles - “St Pepper” - scratched, worn

Beatles - “Rubber Soul” - beat

Beatles - “Revolver” - 2 copies in one sleeve, one is lightly scuffed, one is beat

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - “Time Out featuring Take Five” - good condition

Jack Bruce - “Things We Like” - good condition, cover slightly worn

Ian Hunter - “All American Alien Boy” featuring Jaco - very good condition, sleeve slightly worn

Beatles - “Hard Day’s Night” - beat

Beatles - “Beatles ‘65″ - beat

Ray Charles - “Recipe For Soul” - very scuffed

Ray Charles - “Greatest Hits” - scuffed and worn

Miles Davis - “You’re Under Arrest” - very good condition

Fat Mattress - very good condition

Martha And The Muffins - “Trance And Dance” - very good condition

Zion Initation - very good condition

Buddy Holly - 20 golden greats - scuffed

Led Zeppelin - “Houses Of The Holy” - some scuffing and wear

Beatles - “Abey Road” scuffed

Santana - some scuffing and wear

Traffic - “John Barleycorn Must Die” - some scuffing and wear

Cream - best of - lightly scuffed

Ravi Shankar - “In New York” and self-titled - lightly scuffed

Paul Butterfield Blues Band - “Golden Butter: best of” 2lp - lightly scuffed

Lennon/Ono - “Milk & Honey” - very good condition

Rolling Stones - “Now!” - scuffed and worn

Rolling Stones - “December’s Children” - scuffed and worn

Rolling Stones - “Let It Bleed” - lightly scuffed

Rolling Stones - “Between The Buttons” - very scuffed and worn

Beatles - “White Album” plus “Beatles VI” - lyrics / poster in good-used condition, records scuffed

Joni MItchell - “The hissing of summer lawns” - good condition

Joni Mitchell - “Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter” - good condition

Hank Williams - “24 greatest hits” - some scuffing

Adrian Belew - “Lone Rhino” - good condition

Pat Metheny Group - “American Garage” - very good condition

Tyrannosaurus Rex - “A Beard Of Stars” plus White Swan single - good condition

Jethro Tull - “Thick As A Brick” - scuffed, sleeve in good shape

JSBach - Brandenburg Concertos, Chamber Orchestra of the Saar, Karl Ristenpart conductor - good condition

Jacques Loussier - “Play Bach 1″ - very good condition

Sly And The Family Stone - “Stand!” - very worn

Weather Report - “Heavy Weather” _ very good condition

JSBach - St Matthew’s Passion, philharmonia choir and orchestra, conducted by Otto Kemperer - much wear

Mountain - “Flowers Of Evil” - RARE - excellent condition

Cornell Dupree & Who It Is - “Coast To Coast” - excellent condition

Santana - “Zebop” - excellent condition

Blast LP 6805 - worn

The Cars - CAndy-O - excellent condition

The Cars - Panorama - excellent con dition

The Cars - Shake It Up - excellent condition, cover slightly worn

The Cars - Heartbeat City - excellent condition

Los Lobos - How Will The Wolf Survive? - excellent condition

Bonnie Raitt - Give It Up - lightly scuffed

Bob Dylan - freewheelin - scuffed and worn

Tom Waits - Nighthawks At The Diner - very worn and scuffed

Beatles - Rock And Roll Music - lightly scuffed

Jethro Tull - Benefit - lightly scuffed

Jethro Tull - Aqualung - lightly scuffed

Van Morrison - Moondance - lightly scuffed

John Mayall - A Hard Road - lightly scuffed

Soundtrack - Last Tango In Paris - lightly scuffed

Joni Mitchell - Court And Spark - lightly scuffed

Jamie Brockett 2 - light scuffed

BRUCE live at WHERE - the traditional opening improvisation, ie “Tapping The Channel,” in this case with Marc on guitar, 5-Track on bass, and Scott Keil on the drums.

BRUCE: “Whiskey Priest” –> “Tar” from Zlicious Productions on Vimeo.

Live at WHERE in Silverlake, Los Angeles, California, Earth, on June 5 2009. Marc Cantlin, guitar. 5-Track, bass. Scott Keil, drums. John Boyd, camera. This one has the “Sugar Plum Fairies” bit in it, for all you BRUCE-Heads. More video at http://www.5-Track.com/Bruce

Also well worth your time, and also available at archive.org, possibly the best performance ever by the Seattle-based improv-collective known as Snoose Junction:

http://www.archive.org/details/Snoose2007-06-26.Jewelbox

This set was recorded at the Rendezvous / Jewelbox Theater in Belltown, Seattle - a bit outside of our usual stomping grounds. Personnel include myself on bass, John Leighton Beezer (electric guitar), Gerry Amandes (electric guitar), Vince Amandes (drums) and John Foss (singing) among many others. Songs include “We Gotta Get Man Back Into Space,” “D Boon Died Too Young,” and a whole lot of other. Almost two hours long. Very, very solid.

I’ve posted two new live recordings of acoustic shows to “archive.org”

The first was recorded at Viento Y Agua in Long Beach, California, which is a favorite venue of mine. Angie Evans runs the sound, books the bands, and makes excellent soundboard recordings. I have sullied mine by blending it with my own minidisc recording of the same show. I think the results are sort of cool… This show also marks the performance debut of a song called “Your House Of Cards Was Built On Sand”

http://www.archive.org/details/5-Track2009-06-11.VientoYAgua

The second was recorded live, outdoors, at the Southwestern Museum of the American Indian, located in Highland Park, Los Angeles, California, Earth. I have only posted set 2. A video of set 1 may be forthcoming at some time in the future. This show includes “Hot Potato Pie,” “The Last Asian Cowgirl,” “House Of Cards,” and 26 minutes of “The Meal You Catch Yourself.” Really.

http://www.archive.org/details/5-Track2009-06-17.SWMuseum.set2