A Rockin' Weekend

This past weekend I was at Asilomar in Pacific Grove. I was blessed to be part of the band providing the worship music for the MPPC Men's Summit. Jeff Finger, the worship leader at our Cafe services, fronted the band, which included Derek Shaeffer on keys, Marc Swanson on electric guitar, Scott Clarke on drums, Steve Kreidler running sound, and me on bass.

We've been playing together for several years now, and for me, playing with these guys just gets better and better. Before each of the four sessions, we got to do some totally fun warm-up tunes, including "Feelin' Alright" and "I Won't Back Down." One of the surprise moments was having pastor Mark Swarner sit in on electric guitar for the warm-up song "The Thrill Is Gone." Mark is an awesome speaker and an equally good guitar player.

In addition to the MPPC guys, a bunch of guys from the School of Urban Mission attended the Summit, and they brought such a fresh and free spirit, particularly to the worship music. Every time we started a song they recognized... bam! They're on their feet, hands lifted up, singing with all their heart. It really helped take the singing to another level. Playing "Mighty to Save" and "Hosanna" with these guys was an experience I'll never forget.

Hanging out with the band has definitely made me a better bass player. And more than that, it's made me a better person. These guys are great musicians, but first and foremost, they're quality guys.

If anybody asks me to play at Asilomar again, consider this a standing "yes!"

Where The Light Is

I just finished watching a terrific DVD: "Where the Light is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles." Amazing performances, by John and all of the other musicians.

Until a few years ago, Mayer's guitar chops took a back seat to his catchy, potetic, finely crafted pop songs. That changed with "Try!" by the John Mayer Trio, a blues/rock power trio consisting of Mayer on vocals and lead electric guitar, and two of the best session musicians in the business: Pilo Palladino on bass and Steve Jordan on drums and backing vocals. With a trio, there's no place to hide... and Mayer doesn't need to. His playing is simply stellar, and he holds his own with his two legendary side men.

In this concert, Mayer opens for himself, starting off with a solo acoustic set, followed by a Trio set, followed by a set with his full band. All of the sets are great, but my favorite... this should not be a surprise to you... was the Trio. First off, the guys look cool, dressed in matching tuxedos with thin black ties... sort of Men in Black play the blues. But more importantly, they are cool, pumping out some of the best blues rock I've heard in years (and I grew up on the 60s power trios of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream). Through the special features, I was able to view the concert through the Pino Palladino camera alone. He's not the greatest showman, I'll admit. He stands like a scarecrow (he's well over six feet tall and as thin as a rail) bobbing his head in time. But his super-long fingers are positively flying.

I got a chance to relisten to this concert driving down the the MPPC Men's Summit this last weekend with Marc Swanson. Marc had the CD in his car. This is fine stuff. Flick the DVD or buy the CD. And if you've not yet heard "Try!" get that one, too.

The Day My World Changed Forever

Yesterday's post was a silly one; this one's sentimental...

March 12, 1977, was the day my world changed forever. I'm not overstating it. It's the day I met Trudi. It was Saturday, and my roommate, Skip Rung, and I were attending a seminar at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church. Unbeknowst to me, Trudi was there, too. At noon we adjourned to the Fellowship Hall for lunch. Skip looked up and saw someone he recognized from MPPC's college group. "Oh, here's someone you should meet," he said.

I agreed. Now, I don't have the best memory for detail. But I will never forget the moment I saw her. I don't believe in love at first sight, not real love anyway. But the attraction was instantaneous. Long blonde hair, beautiful eyes, great figure, and that signature Trudi sparkle. I even remember what she was wearing: a long-sleeved white sweater, a blue scarf, and bell bottom blue jeans.

Our paths didn't cross again until a month or so later, but once they crossed, they never separated. We were married on December 17th of that year. This photo of Trudi on our wedding day is still one of my favorites.

It boggles my mind when I think about how much I owe to that day. Everything in my life... my daughters, my sons-in-law, my grandchildren, where we live, where we work, my hobbies, my friends... all of it flows from that "chance" meeting 32 years ago today.

God is good!

Do You Ear What I Hair?

I really like the stage of life I'm in. The girls are all grown up. Two fine sons in law. Two awesome grandkids. Good job with a good company. And I'm married to Trudi.

Is there any downside? Well, not so much a downside, just an annoyance. Aches and pains? Nah, I can deal with those. Wanna know? I'm going to tell you anyway.

It's ear hair. We have really good lighting in the bathrooms at work, and you can see every little thing. Today I found a really long one growing out of the top of my ear. Honest. Like half an inch! Why didn't somebody take me aside? I must have been walking around with this one for weeks. Sheesh.

Why is this happening? I'm told it's because of an immutable law of aging: the conservation of body hair. Lose it in one place, gain it in another. When a guy turns 40 or so, he starts sprouting hair in places where hair just plain doesn't belong.

You can't wish it away; you've got to be vigilant. Pull it. Tweeze it. Trim it. Nair it. Wax it. Whatever it takes.

Of course there are those who not only don't remove it, they cultivate it. Here's a pic of the Guinness record holder for the longest ear hair. Radhakant Baijpai is an Indian grocer who "boasts" ear hair measuring 10 inches long.

Not only is he the world record holder, he's... get this... married.

I stand in awe.

From a Newborn to a Baby Boy

It's been a while since I told you what's up with my grandson, Wyatt Smith. He's almost six weeks old, and he came over on Sunday for a quick visit (along with Ryan and Megan, of course).

You know that cliché that every newborn looks like Winston Churchill. Hardly a compliment, but often true. Well, the little guy is definitely changing from Winston to Wyatt. He no longer has that newborn look; he looks like a baby boy... like, well, himself!

What's even more cool is to see him connecting with people, smiling, making baby noises (other than crying!). That's especially gratifying for parents, who give and give for weeks... feeding, changing, always at baby's beck and call. Now, Wyatt's starting to give back, starting to recognize Mom and Dad. Those first few weeks can be especially draining. A knowing look from baby, or the curl of a smile, are sweet moments that really go a long way to recharging a new parent's batteries.

Check out the latest photos of Wyatt on Megan and Ryan's blog, the Smitty Gritty.

I'm so happy for Megan and Ryan. And if you can't tell, I'm really enjoying being a grandpa!

Wanna Hear Some Great Live Music?

Sorry I've been silent for a couple of weeks. Work has been pretty all-consuming of late. I'll try to do a better job of posting more consistently. Those who know me know I love to spread the word about good music. Today's post was triggered by an email from Jared Milos.

If you want to hear some truly outstanding live reggae and soul, you have to check out the Vintage Music Collective at the BBC in Menlo Park this Thursday, March 12, from 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. In Jared's words, the Vintage Music Collective is "a 12-piece multi-ethnic multi-gendered party-focused band." They pump out some of the "funnest" music you'll ever hear. Trudi and I heard them the last time they were at the BBC, and the place was jumpin'!

While I recognize a number of the band members, I know two: Justin Phipps and Jared Milos. Justin plays pretty much everything, and plays everything well, though he's mostly on guitar here. Jared is the bass player I want to be when I grow up. I'm serious. I've admired Jared's playing ever since I took up the bass. The man can groove, and for me, that's what the bass is all about.

Here are a couple of YouTube links that'll give you a feel for their music:

• Could You Be Loved as performed at the Bistro in Hayward: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usEHZNHU2Ao
• Feel Like Makin' Love as performed at the Little Fox in Redwood City: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHR9DfvQYos

Hope to see you at the BBC!