Sad News

Unfortunately, the StillWaters Jazz Band will not be able to perform at this weekend's Farmers' Day celebration (July 19, 2008) in China Grove.

One of the band members had a medical situation come up in their family.

We are all really disappointed to not be able to play for everyone this weekend. Hopefully, we will be able to play for you all again very soon.

Come on out and enjoy the festivities anyway. It should be a great time. And while you are there, don't forget to get some refreshment at Dixie's - the coolest shop on Main Street!

Shhhh! Don't Tell Anyone...

There are unconfirmed reports that the StillWaters Jazz Band will be playing an unscheduled appearance at the StillWaters' Homecoming Sunday night.

The "homecoming" will be held at the Kirkers' home in Windmill Ridge at 5:30 on Sunday, June 29th.

The SJB is a little lighter than they were for their first gig at the Kirkers' home way back on December 2, 2007. Lately they have been performing sans bass.

There are also rumors that the SJB's days are numbered. Key members of the band will possibly be moving out of the area by the end of July. Their July 19th, 2008 Farmers' Day gig at Dixie's on Main Street in China Grove may be the band's last concert.

Just An Update

Hello there. Unfortunately tonight I won't be able to dive into any topics too deeply. This will just be an update.

Over the past couple of days my web design has been brought back to the front burner. I have been working with a new program, Microsoft's Expression Web. I like it. It is pretty comprehensive and automates a lot of the process. I haven't found it to be terribly clunky either. Of course, very little software is as intuitive as I would like to see, but overall I am happy with what I am seeing so far. It allows you to handle styles in a variety of ways, but the coolest feature that I have found so far is that it makes it easy to preview your work in any web browser that you have installed on your computer.

All this has come about because I am the acting webmaster for a friend's company. He has an interesting product - home automation. Right now I am in the process of tweaking a couple things on the website. Next my job will to be to find some ways to make the site even cooler. If you are interested in finding out what home automation is you can check out his site at http://shautomation.com. So far none of my changes are public, but I hope that I will have several changes available by the weekend.

I am also hopeful that as I learn more about Microsoft Expression Web that it will help me to expedite the go-live of a couple other sites I am working on... including a redesign of RealSalisbury.com.

Things have been kind of quiet with the StillWaters Jazz Band. We had a gig two weeks ago that went fine. The only problem was that we only got to play to a handful of people. We played for the fundraiser for the JC Carson Bible Teaching Association. They are trying to raise the money to hire a Bible teacher at Carson High School here in China Grove. I thought that we played pretty well, it was just that the audience was sparse. We have a much bigger gig coming up on July 19, 2008 at Dixie's in China Grove. July 19 is Farmers' Day here and I expect that we will have a pretty good crowd. I don't know what time we are officially playing, but I'll get back to you as soon as I know.

The garden is doing well, but feeling a little neglected. I haven't been able to work in it since last Saturday. Now there is a ton that needs to be done. Everything needs to be sprayed again, and the tomatoes need to be tied, and the rocks need to be removed, and fertilizer needs to be put out. Dad told me tonight that the green peas have begun to bloom.

There are lots of other things going on right now that I'd like to comment on, but I am trying to think them through before I write and besides that it is late and my bed is calling me. Hopefully I will have some time between here and the weekend to do a little more posting. I'll talk to you then!

Back In Action!

UPDATED...


The StillWaters Jazz Band will be performing tomorrow, June 7, 2008 at a fund raiser for the JC Carson High School Bible Teaching Association. The fund raiser begins at 11:30 AM and goes until 6:00 PM at St. Mark's Lutheran Church on Main Street in China Grove. There is going to be food and entertainment. Guess which part we are.

The fund raiser is to raise the necessary money to employ a Bible teacher at JC Carson High School. All of the funds for the teacher, including salary, curriculum, and benefits, have to be raised by the community. This money is then funneled through the state back to the Bible teacher.

Anywho... the SJB will be playing from around 2:30 to 3:30. It's a short gig for us, so we'll probably pull out all the stops!

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Come on out and support this worthy cause!

A Quickie...

Man, I wish I had time to post a long update tonight, but this is going to have to be a fly-by.

I checked my garden today and everything is coming up nicely. Most things are just starting to poke their heads through the dirt, but I hope to have stuff up high enough to be able to take pictures early next week.

Had a good practice with the Jazz Band tonight. We just kind of jammed for a while. It was fun. We have a small gig tomorrow night at South Rowan High School for the Drama Club fundraiser. We also have a gig coming up on June 6. That will be here before you know it. Still, if you are looking for a good one to come down for, our Dixie's Farmers' Day gig should be a good one to plan for.

This weekend I'm heading out with a couple fraternity brothers and their families to Lake Chatuge for some fishing and catching up. I'm not exactly sure how things will go. I'm the only single going with three families with kids. Yay. I am sure that it will be fun, but I am a true hermit at heart, and four days of tip-toeing around 12-13 other people will have me most ready to return to my little hermitage. There are pluses and minuses to single life! Hopefully I will find a nice fishing hole with some trout. I haven't caught any of those since I was a kid.

Tomorrow I'll be slammed. I have some mowing to do, and would really like to finish putting out my garden before Friday's rain arrives. (Thank God that we are getting rain regularly this year!) There is also a family dinner and I have already mentioned the gig. On top of that I need to go to the bank, the grocery store, do some food prep and pack. Perhaps I won't sleep... That should make me nice and sociable!

Well, if I don't get to update again before I leave. Have a great Memorial Day, and in the midst of your celebrations take some time to remember the men and women who have laid down their lives to give us the freedoms that we so often take for granted.

SJB Gig At Trinity Oaks

Last night ¾ of StillWaters Jazz Band played at Trinity Oaks Retirement Community. We had a really good turn out and it seemed like the folks really enjoyed the show. I'm glad they did. It wasn't one of my best outings. For some reason my mind just wasn't in it enough, and I zoned out a few times, getting lost in the process.

I think Justin may have figured out what the problem was. He asked me, "Have you been working on the computer again?"

I had to reply that yes I had.

"Well, don't ever do that before a gig again!" (Don't read this the wrong way. It was said and received in a good-natured fashion.) Next gig... no web design beforehand.

We had only been scheduled for a one hour show, but I guess we probably played for an hour and a half. Because we were trying to conserve time we didn't take our usual 10-15 minute break halfway through.

I am actually surprised that my hand and Justin's lips didn't fall off. I guess we are getting used to playing for longer periods.

Really and truly, my favorite part of these gigs is getting to interact with the residents. We had some great folks who came up to speak to us afterwards. One woman was really emotional and seemed touched that we would come to play for them. We assured her that it was as much of a blessing for us to be able to come. And it really is.

Another woman told me that my hands reminded her of her son's hands. Poor fellow!

A couple of other fellows hung around to talk about the music of the good old days and challenged us to take on some challenging tunes like Harry James' Ciribiribin.

So, let it suffice to say that even though we had a couple of train wrecks during the show we were still very well received.

Perhaps you are wondering where our bass player is. Well, I think that his schedule finally caught up with him. Fortunately, we can still manage even though he adds a lot when he is able to play.

One of the treats of the evening was that we got to play for my Grandfather's sister and her husband. They are residents there. My Mom and Dad were also there. I put Dad to work taking pictures. I have found that it is hard to take pictures while playing.

The band will have a few weeks off from performing. We have a gig scheduled to play for the JC Carson High School Bible Education Society fund raiser at St. Mark's Lutheran Church on Main Street in China Grove on Saturday June 7. We're not sure on the time yet.

We have also been asked to perform at Dixie's on July 19, 2008 for China Grove's Farmers' Day street festival. It is typically held on the hottest day of the summer. (At least it feels that way.) Hopefully our playing will make it a little hotter! Once again, I'll have to get the time for you. If you haven't seen us before Farmers' Day may be the time to do it.

Well that is all for this update. Stay tuned!

Gut Check

This weekend's outing for the StillWaters Jazz Band was probably our toughest so far. (Sorry, no pictures this week.) We played at the Brian Center of Salisbury this week.

To be honest, I think that we all expected a crowd similar to the one we had encountered at the NC Veterans' Home last week, however, it didn't take long for us to realize that we were playing for a much different group. In fact, by the end of the first song the differences became evident. Most of the folks didn't respond at all to the music. They just sat there. There was one fellow who clapped for us on most songs and another that tried to clap.

When we got to our break time we went out into the crowd and talked to several of the residents. I was able to have a pretty good conversation with the gentleman that I was talking with and Justin and Sara seemed to do all right with the folks that they were talking to as well. (Justin is excellent at the ministry aspect of our playing anyway. Not bad for a self-described introvert!) Most of the residents there needed skilled care. It was pretty heart-breaking to see the condition that some were in.

I wish I could say that we played our best this weekend, but frankly it was quite a challenge. I found myself getting lost a bit and just wasn't on top of my game. We ended up wrapping things up a little early to accommodate the dinner hour.

In the parking lot after the gig we all talked it over. It had been rough for all of us, but Justin did a great job of bringing us back around to the reason we are doing what we do. He said, "If we're just doing this to stroke our egos we're doing it for the wrong reason." Amen.

If the environment there was clinical and uninviting to us, how much more so must it be to the people who have to live there day in and day out? There is no one who needs what we are doing any more than the folks at the Brian Center. Therefore, you can bet that we'll be back. Hopefully we'll be better prepared for what we'll encounter when we get there, and hopefully we'll have a better strategy to make it fun, but we will be back. How could we do otherwise?

The StillWaters Jazz Band Version Of A USO Tour

This past Saturday the StillWaters Jazz Band had one of its most fun gigs so far. We got to play at the NC Veterans' Home on the campus of the VA Hospital in Salisbury, NC. None of us really knew what to expect as we began unloading our equipment. We set up in the front lobby of the facility and the crowd began to gather.

Right off the bat we could tell that these guys were different than the groups we had played for so far. They were asking questions and talking to us - genuinely interested in what we were doing and who we were. It didn't take long before our nerves had settled down. In the picture above you can see Justin talking with one of the residents. This particular fellow was really up on his jazz. He related one story about how he had the pleasure of seeing Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Al Hirt in concert with some other giants of the jazz world back in the late 60s. We were all envious!

Unfortunately, we didn't have any of our friends or family with us so pictures didn't get taken until after the fact, but in many ways these pictures really communicate the sweetness of the time that we had with these aging heroes. These folks were awesome! They interacted with us throughout the entire show, and as you can see, many hung around afterwards to talk.

Sara was a particular favorite of the crowd. I guess it is tough to be the only pretty girl in the band! One fellow in particular was quite vocal in his appreciation! (It isn't the fellow that appears in this picture though!)

We opened the show with Stormy Weather. We thought it fitting considering the weather that day. When we announced the title of the song one of the fellows asked which one of us was going to be singing. We told him that was HIS job! Well, he didn't sing it, but another fellow did, and he did a fine job I might add.

This week we were running a little short. Our bass player, Gillon wasn't able to join us. I think his insane schedule finally caught up with him! We really missed having him with us, because he adds a lot. Hopefully he'll be back in the loop soon!

I was really blessed by most of the conversations that I had with the guys. The gentleman that I was talking to in the picture was wounded twice during World War II. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge. I learned a lot talking with him. I hope that he'll be able to join us the next time that we play there. And we will be playing there again. We all THOROUGHLY enjoyed ourselves. And the residents seemed to have a good time too.

In fact, one of the nurses on duty there came out to make sure that she got our card so that they could invite us back. She told me that if the guys hadn't liked us they wouldn't have wasted any time leaving. That made me feel pretty good. Most of the guys hung around for the duration. But as much as they seemed to enjoy our music they seemed to enjoy our company even more.

Another fellow used to play piano when he was in service. He worked with one of the chaplains and played hymns for the chapel services. He is blind now, but can still play. All of the residents were encouraging him to play some with us. I hope we can talk him into it when we go back.

We even had a lady who got up and danced about halfway through the show. It was a great experience.

We had numerous requests too. Someone requested Amazing Grace and another wanted to hear Taps. OK, that one weirded us out a little bit, but hey, he was the one who asked! We also got requests for Stardust, Misty, and In The Mood. Unfortunately we couldn't just whip those out, but we plan to add them before we go back.

This week in practice we worked on Bye Bye Blackbird, The Preacher, I've Heard That Song Before, Little Brown Jug, and St. Louis Blues. I think that all of these will do well with our friends at the NC Veterans' Home next time. They will probably come in handy this weekend too. We'll be playing at the Salisbury Brian Center on Saturday from 3:00 to 5:00. I expect we'll be playing for a similar crowd. We are also hoping to schedule a couple shows for Trinity Oaks in the coming weeks. I hope that they will be as fun as the guys at the Veterans' Home.

As much fun as we have playing this music by ourselves, it is even more fun to be playing it for someone else. It was a blast giving just a little back to these men and women who gave so much for us. We can never adequately repay them for all of their sacrifice on our behalf, but it sure was fun beginning the payback. Justin said it well when he said, "One day a year isn't enough to tell you guys thanks."

I Will Tease You Only...

Here it is nearing midnight and I still haven't told you about the StillWaters Jazz Band's concert at the NC Veteran's home. You'll have to wait just a little bit longer. But here is a picture to tide you over...

Taxes Done...

Well, I got my taxes done today, so that's good, but I'm afraid that I won't be able to deliver the pictures and all the content that I had hoped to bring you today. I ended up spending most of the afternoon working with my dad to prepare for a big estate sale that we are having on Saturday. I'll likely be working on that the better part of the day tomorrow too. Hopefully, I will at least be able to post the update on the SJB concert this past Saturday.

Remember that the StillWaters Jazz Band will be playing this Saturday from 3 until about 5 at the Salisbury Brian Center. That reminds me... there is someone I should call to let them know about the gig.

Also remember the release of Ben Stein's movie "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed." It is coming out this Friday night. The first weekend's receipts are the ones used to determine how many screens the picture will be playing on, so if you want to support this movie and are able to do so this weekend is the time to go. If there is any way possible I will be going to see it.

Well that will have to be all for tonight. Tomorrow we have to start sorting through all of the stuff in my Grandfather's shop and the outbuildings. I anticipate that it will be a pretty big job. Hope to blog more tomorrow! Thanks for reading!

A Quick Update... And Some Lovely Swiss Chard

Anyone for some colorful Swiss Chard? I have a feeling that it probably wouldn't taste as sweet as it looks like it should. It kind of reminds me of rhubarb. I have never eaten Swiss Chard before. My best guess would be that it is like any other salad green or cooked green. Still, the colors are nice.

I have been able to spend a decent amount of time outdoors the past couple of days. I spent a little too long today and ended up with my first farmer's tan burn of the season. It doesn't hurt that bad and it is in about the only place on my body that will tan - my arms.

Today I mowed my dad's place. I have been in a mowing mode. Tuesday I mowed my grandfather's old place. Yesterday I mowed my yard - well, most of it anyway. And today I mowed my dad's place. I expect to finish my yard tomorrow. It should be a good day for it. Unfortunately, it sounds like it is going to get cold again this weekend. I could do without that. I've been without fuel oil for the furnace since January, and I'm tired of being cold. Still, it could be worse. At least I have ways of getting warm. There are plenty of people in the world who can't.

I nearly bought some oil towards the end of February, but at $3.52/gallon (with a 100 gallon minimum) it was a little too rich for my wallet. These folks don't even act embarrassed when they tell you the price. I asked the fella if it came with dinner and a show, and he laughed and said no. That's what I figured....

I don't know about y'all, but I have to throw the BS flag when they come on the news and say that we're not experiencing inflation. Everything is up except the housing market - and even that still is in many markets. There is just no way to avoid inflation when the greedy oil tycoons are pushing the prices up higher and higher with no end in sight. It is bound to effect everything else. All of our goods are shipped using some petroleum derivative. (THIS is the reason that we need alternative fuels!) Add to that the inflation in food due to the push towards ethanol and there is no way to deny that prices are going up, and it is getting harder and harder for folks to make ends meet.

In other news...

Yesterday I also began work on a website for my sister. It is amazing how quickly you can put one together once you have learned how! Hers is nothing too complicated, just a nice basic informational website for her interior design business. I am awaiting a logo device from a friend who is an expert with Photoshop and with about one more day's work I think that I can have her site finished. I'll give you a link when it is done. I think my layout is improving.

By the way, I have heard yet another confirmation of the story that I published a few days ago. This one was from a nationally recognized individual who hears from God quite clearly. Batten down the hatches, y'all, it looks like some stormy weather is approaching.

Saturday the StillWaters Jazz Band will be playing for the veterans at the NC Veterans' home in Salisbury, NC. I'm really looking forward to getting to serve these folks. I hope that they enjoy the show. I am humbled by the sacrifices that they have made on my behalf.

Well, that is about all the stuff that is floating around the front of my mind at the present. Thanks for reading!

A Great Outing

The StillWaters Jazz Band played at Dixie's this past Saturday. In spite of the cold, rainy weather we still had a good-sized crowd in attendance.

The band was the best we have been so far. It was a lot of fun playing and everyone really seemed to enjoy it. I think that my favorite part of playing out is getting to see people who are really having a good time and really enjoying the music. It is very gratifying. I heard one woman say that our music made her want to get up and dance. That was cool.

I still botched about half of my solos, but I guess it is OK. It just gives me something to shoot for. The area where I seemed to improve most this time out was with rhythm. I really mixed the rhythms up even within the individual songs. It was a new level for me to step outside of things that were working and experiment with shaking things up. It made for some diversity in the music. I've never felt the freedom to try that before.

We had a good rehearsal last night and will be adding St. Louis Blues in response to a request that we received at Dixie's. We also worked on Bye Bye Blackbird, and for the first time we actually didn't stink it up. Hopefully, we will be able to add both to our play list soon. These songs have very tough rhythms and if they aren't just right the song is awful. We may also be adding The Preacher to our repertoire in the coming weeks.

The band has concerts coming up on April 12 and 19. We will be at the NC Veteran's Home in Salisbury on the 12th and we'll be at the Salisbury Brian Center on the 19th. Both shows are from 3:00 to 5:00. We will also be looking to schedule another date at Dixie's sometime in April. (It will probably be on a Saturday, which kind of narrows things down. Also look for us to play there in May.)

If you are interested in having us play for you or your group let me know by emailing me. The address is sjb at realsalisbury dot com. (The address is written that way to keep spammers from mining the address from this post.) Make sure to give me a contact number where you can be reached. Hope to see you soon!

Jazz At Dixie's

The StillWaters Jazz Band is back in action at Dixie's this Saturday. The time is different than the one shown in the picture, though. This Saturday we'll be playing from 12:00 Noon to 2:00.

I hope that you'll be able to come out. We will be breaking out some new tunes this time around, including the inauguration of my first jazz tune, Dog Days Of Dixie. It was written as a tribute to the namesake of Dixie's coffee shop.

The owners named the coffee house after their pet bloodhound, Dixie. I had the opportunity to see her at our last gig there, and didn't realize that it would be the only time that I would ever see her. Sadly, a couple of weeks after we played there, Dixie died from cancer. It was really sad.

The next time I was in Dixie's I saw a big display of cards and flowers given to the owners by their customers in memory of their pet and found out what had happened. That's when I started thinking, "I should write a song for them." I let the song roll around in my head for a couple weeks, and finally sat down and hammered it out.

Anyway, Dixie's is located at the corner of Centerview Drive and Main Street in China Grove - right at the stoplight. This intersection is kind of like the city square. We'll be there from 12 Noon to 2:00. Come on out! The coffee is great. The prices are good. The decor is inviting. The aroma is fabulous. The music will be pretty good too. And you might even get to meet some of your neighbors! See you there!

He Places The Lonely In Families...

I think the greatest benefit of being a Christian here on earth is the beauty of belonging to the world's biggest family. I can go anywhere in the world and find a group of Christians, and the chances are pretty good that we will begin to connect very quickly.

This phenomenon is axiomatic for Christians. It bridges culture, language, race, and even denomination. In fact, I would probably go as far as to say that if this doesn't occur, one of the parties is likely not a Christian.

Now I know that there are people who aren't the easiest people to love - even within the church. ESPECIALLY within the church! But even with EGR people (Extra Grace Required) there are moments of commonality that make being a Christian one of the sweetest things I know.

I was able to experience the sweetness of belonging to the family of God tonight. Ever since StillWaters was euthanised, the music team has continued to meet on our usual practice night. The meetings have changed a little bit, though. Since we don't have the pressure of getting a 5-8 song worship set together we have been exploring some of the other aspects of what having church is really all about.

As a result, we have begun enjoying a meal together, working on some music, spending a little time in the Word (the Bible), and some time in prayer. At times this transition has been a little clumsy, but we have found some wonderful life in it.

Tonight turned out a little different. Three of the families that usually join us weren't able to come for various reasons. So tonight's group boiled down to only the musicians. I prepared my Shepherd's Pie, Sara made a salad and some brownies, and we were set.

What was funny about tonight was that we hardly did any of the religious stuff. We did pray over the meal, but that was the extent of our "churchiness." The rest of the evening, we talked about the future, played some jazz (we didn't even PLAY any "churchy" music!) and listened to some jazz. It was a precious, precious evening.

Can you imagine what Heaven will be like? Can you imagine what life will be like in the New Jerusalem in the presence of Christ Himself? If our fellowship is this sweet in a fallen world with our flawed flesh, what will it be like when our sinful nature is totally removed? It makes me tear up with joy to just think about how wonderful that will be.

I swiped the picture above from a USA Today article that I found using a Google Image search. I really miss having church with a group like that. When I attended Immanuel Baptist Church in Greensboro, NC as a child and later attended King's Park International Church in Durham, NC and Piedmont International Church in Greensboro, NC after college that was my reality. Every race that you could imagine was present, worshiping God. We got along just fine. I so miss that.

Unfortunately, things aren't quite as integrated here in my area. It's sad really. I hope that God will move here soon to break down the racial barriers that exist.

This correction seems to be something that is on the Lord's heart for Salisbury. A couple of years ago a very significant event occurred that I believe was prophetic in nature. The city council decided to make a breach in the stone wall between the Old English Cemetery and the Freedman's Cemetery (a cemetery for free black people.)

Of course there was some outcry that a section of the old stone wall was torn down between the cemeteries, but the council did it intentionally to signify a breaking down of the wall between the races. Praise God! I guess every once in a while the government does end up doing the right thing! (If you look closely you can see the spire of the First Presbyterian Church through the breach. I thought that it was cool that it was there in the picture.)

But I digress...

The article in USA Today talked about how the generation begun right after Generation X is much more open to the different races than those from Generation X and before. I think that is fantastic. That is so much more encouraging than the racism being displayed in the contest for the Democratic nomination.

I truly hope that we can get beyond the hatred and the nonsense between the races. I would truly love to see that in my lifetime. It won't happen while The Church is used to promote racism, though.

I hate that I was removed from the environment that I knew my first couple years in elementary school. I was in a VERY integrated school and church. I feel certain that such an influence, had it remained, would have been positive.

I guess all of this just goes to say that there is nothing like being a member of the family of God. I wouldn't trade it for ANYTHING. It is so wonderful to be able to go anywhere in the world and find BROTHERS and SISTERS, MOTHERS and FATHERS.

Alone and need a family? Come to Jesus, and get plugged in! There's always room for one more!

For Dixie

Sunday night I sat down and began working on a song for the jazz band. It is a tribute song after a fashion.

Last week I was at Dixie's and noticed a bunch of flowers and cards. When I looked closer it turned out that the owner's dog had died.

I asked him about it, and he confirmed that their dog had in fact died from cancer. It had been kind of hard for him and his wife because the dog was really one of the family. She was more than that too. She was the namesake of the coffee shop.

Dixie was a bloodhound. I had actually seen her once before when we did our first gig at Dixie's. She was a pretty dog. I had no idea that she was so sick.

Anyway, I started thinking about it and decided, "Man, it would be nice if we could do a song for Dixie when we play our next gig."

I had an idea of the pace that I wanted the song to go and an idea of the general feel and how I wanted it to end, but just let the ideas roll around for a couple of days until I could sit down and start putting pen to paper so to speak. I had some time Sunday night and began working on the song. It took me a little while, but by 11:30 I had something that I thought would work.

Last night I took it over to Justin and Sara's and Justin helped me to get it put on paper correctly. The title is Dog Days of Dixie. Unfortunately, we didn't get to run through it last night, but hopefully we will be able to get it ready for our gig at Dixie's on the 29th.

This is a first. It is my first non-church song. Well, I guess it would be possible to put religious lyrics to it, but this is really a gift to the owners of Dixie's. I hope it will brighten their day.

Gig Update

The StillWaters Jazz Band gig for Dixie's coffee house on March 15th has been postponed until the Saturday after Easter, March 29, 2008 1:00-3:00 PM.

The band is working on some cool new music. We have a new one written by Justin, we are working up Stormy Weather, Deep River Blues, and Bye Bye Blackbird. So hopefully we'll have some new tunes to share with you then!

Hope to see you on the 29th!

Coming Soon To...

StillWaters Jazz Band will likely be playing at Dixie's on March 15, 2008. Details will be provided as they are finalized. I hope that you can come out!

An Excerpt From "Live At Dixie's"

Last Saturday the StillWaters Jazz Band played at Dixie's coffee house in China Grove. It was our fourth gig, but was really our first public outing.

When I drove to the grocery store the week before the show I was greeted by this excellent sign in front of the shop. I began to get excited about playing.

I really hadn't played for a secular crowd before, so this was my first time to perform in front of my peers. (When you play in church everyone HAS to be nice to you. It's the rules.)

Of course, I was also somewhat nervous about doing this performance. It was my peers that we were playing for, remember? This whole thing is still pretty new to me. I didn't get that nervous, though. I figured that not too many people would show up.

Boy, was I wrong.

Read the rest of this post at Conspiracy of Kindness...

Christmas Tree Down

I finally took my Christmas tree down last night. I know it's the middle of February. I really don't feel bad about it at all. It might still be up if it weren't starting to turn brown.

I had decided to leave it up till the end of January anyway, (I didn't put it up until 2 weeks before Christmas) and since then I have been pretty busy between working on developing my website and getting started on my new career(?) as a heavy duty lift salesman.

There's a career that I doubt you will ever hear a kindergartener name when asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" As I am getting started with it I am really surprised at how big the market is for these things. It is amazing really.

I finished another part of the RealSalisbury.com page last night. It is the feature article about the house whose picture is on the front page. Please feel free to check it out and give me your feedback on it.

Well, I have to run and get ready for my jazz band gig this afternoon. If you are in the area, stop by Dixie's on Main Street in China Grove between 1:00 and 3:00. Dixie's is located on the corner at the main stoplight next to China Grove Hardware. Come on in, check out the StillWaters Jazz Band, drink some coffee, and get to know your neighbors in China Grove's coolest venue!

SJB Update

Well, the StillWaters Jazz Band had a pretty good outing tonight. We played for about 100 folks and were received very well. We had one song that never really came together tonight, but still had a good time. In fact, I'd say that we are getting better. I guess all of that practice is paying off. (Imagine how it would be if I practiced every day!)

We are starting to mesh better as a group and learning how to communicate better with each other while we are playing. I think that we are also getting to know each other's patterns better so we know what to expect. Finally, I think that we are just getting a much better feel for the music. I can tell a huge difference in my soloing from when we had our first practice together. I actually had one tonight that sounded pretty cool.

So, it is confirmed. We will be playing at Dixie's coffee house on Main Street in China Grove next Saturday at 1:00. I hope that you can come out and hear us. (No cover!)