zero comments

What a surprise when during a recent visit to the Wat Carolina I found my old buddy Phra Platoon in from California for a visit.

Platoon was best friends with former Wat Carolina resident monk Phra Manass who lived at the temple a little over two years ago.

Platoon and Manass studied together in the international school in Thailand; a prerequisite to monks going on foreign missions including the US.

It was a joy at the temple when these two monks were together and I care for both deeply. With Platoon still serving as a monk, Manass has since disrobed and is living in Bangkok.

I wonder if Manass has retained the English I tried so hard to help him learn. I must admit my use of Thai has vanished in the wind like a feather in Forest Gump’s hat.

_____________________________________

As a second part of this post, My buddy James Rimes came back over to the house for another Mancave session in Surfside.

Last week we used my little Edirol R-09 to make recordings.

This week James brought over his rig and manned the controls while I made a few recordings.

His equipment used several high quality mics and a large equalizer and mixer. It was much more sophisticated than my lowly unit.

James would be a perfect person to hire if a band or singer needed a high quality demo recording.

Here are a few of the examples.

Unknown Immigrant ©2010 Hippiedog Produce

Like a Rolling Stone Dylan Cover

Mill Train ©2010 Hippiedog Produce

Thanks to James for making these and thank you for listening.

rlh

Thursday evening after the open mic sessions at Fresh Brewed, my new friend James Rimes and I jammed on the front porch of my man cave in Surfside. We created a portable recording studio on the front balcony and played and recorded until the wee hours of the morning. I slept through my Honda Civic car service the next morning but it was worth it.

James has a terrific voice, deep and resonate and plays a beautiful Takamine guitar made with some nice Indian rosewood.

Here are some of the recordings we did.

Hickory Wind Byrds Cover

James and I are both playing guitar and I’m on my G Seydel Blues Favorite.

The Mountain Steve Earle Cover

James is helping me sing the refrain and I’m playing a C Hohner Blues Harp

Like a Rolling Stone Dylan Cover

This was recorded the next day and solo and I’m missing the mic stand I use to get the recorder higher. But I like what I did with my Seydel 1847 harmonica in the key of D in this recording. The energy level is so hard to keep going with this song.

I bought this hat while in Charleston last month for the wedding I photographed. I enjoy wearing it and hopefully it adds to the wacky musical persona I’m trying to establish at the open-mic sessions.

I might be wrong but I think Chris likes it because she helped me pick it out.

This is a first, as she doesn’t care too much for my hat collection. She thinks my Nepalese Mountain Man stocking hat is a bit too much.

The beer supply of our host John Baldwin was well tapped on this day. You must wear a hat if you chose to drink Busch Lite on the docks in Isle of Palms, S.C. It’s a little known town ordinance.

Could this be the inspiration for a song.

Maybe not.

rlh

Earlier than I expected, here are my favs from Lauren and Greg’s wedding in Charleston Chris and I shot last month.

In total we took over 1600 images during the three days we were there so it was a task to narrow it down to the images in this gallery.

What’s best is subjective so I’m sending my kids the entire take so they can go at it as they wish. But Lauren you must promise to let me see the scrapbook when it is finished.

It was an honor and pleasure to spend this time with you guys and I know you will have a cherished life together.

You must know by now lucky you are to have found one another.

The full res images are on a DVD and I will send them to you soon.

The images in this gallery are web ready and you can download them for web use if you like. (that is if you can figure out how to.)

However, I wouldn’t use these files for prints.

A special note for this blog, this is my 200th post since I started this crazy thing in October of 2007

rlh

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

This past weekend I celebrated my 50th birthday along with my fiancé’s Chris and family in Surfside Beach.

Chris was celebrating her 39th (politically correct number) on the 16th so we combined our party to include her son Luke who turns 14th later this month and my blood brother Bubba who celebrates his 52nd on May 20th.

I should include our dog Chloe who was 1-year-old on May 1st.

We had a big party with a pig-pickin and all the beer one could hope to drink. The celebration included about 50 friends and family who showed to help me make it through this milestone birthday. Even my brother Mike flew in from Tenn. to help.

We played a lot of music throughout the weekend and on Monday evening I convinced my cousin Iva to help me record several of my songs on video. I do this for everyone else on my Common Chords blog so it is rare I get to record videos for myself.

Corporation Blues is the first one I’ve had the opportunity to piece together since the party.

For those interested, Iva is using my Canon 5D with a 16-35mm L lens to record the HD video.

In fairness, this was the first time she used the camera and found out it is like a wild hog to keep focused.

I’m recording the song on my trusty Edirol R-09 digital recorder and playing my Gibson Advanced Jumbo I call “Smoky”.

“Smoky” is a bought new 1999 model with a beautiful tobacco sunburst and a tone meant to play the blues.

The harmonica is a Seydel Black Blues Favorite in the key of G and I’m playing cross harp to the guitar in the DADGAD tuning.

Seydel harps rule and I don’t even get paid to say that.

I’ve Also included an .mp3 version of the same recording so those interested can see how much of the sound quality is lost on the compression of the video to use on the web.

It’s pretty amazing the loss.

Corporation Blues © 2009 Hippiedog Produce

rlh

Aged 65 and over competitors (above) take part in the 1 mile run/walk Friday at Coastal Carolina in Conway during the 2010 Waccamaw Sports Classic.  81-year-old competitor Jack Nirenstein (below) strains Friday during the 100 meter dash at the event.

Around the same time I was covering the above event for the paper, I was hearing of my father’s return to the hospital because of a fall and his declining health. Dad is 77-years-old and his health is declining to the point where he needs constant care. Too much for my stepbrother to handle and so we are looking for a long-term care facility.

You don’t know how much I wish my father would be able to keep up with guys like Jack in the above photo. I wish he were able to go on a long walk on the beach with me or hike up to the top of a mountain in the Smokeys.

But it is not in the cards for him to do these things and so I accept the world as it is.

But I can dream. If you have a chance go to the gallery of photos I took that day and be inspired to live a long and active life.

rlh

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

On January 11th, my friend and South By Southeast founder Jeff Roberts died suddenly from heart complications.

So with the loss of Myrtle Beach’s “Minister of Music”, a big void opened in the promotion of Americana music in the area.

Thanks to many of Jeff’s friends like Sam Hannaford and Nell Ciaccio, they have decided to continue the series in his honor.

Last week we made this video in Jeff’s honor and recorded some music. There are many songs on my Common Chords site, mostly spiritual in nature due to the feelings of the musicians.

Below are a few of the songs I sang and I noticed even I sound good with the right backup.

Please go to my Common Chords blog to see more performance videos and audio clips of the afternoon.

I’ll Fly Away with Nell Ciacco, Bob O’Connor, Mike Millsaps and George Marshall

One Too Many Mornings Dylan Cover with Nell Ciacco, Bob O’Connor, Mike Millsaps and George Marshall

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Last year I wrote a short post with audio clips about South Carolina luthier Jennings Chestnut.

There were a lot of things I liked about the man but one thing I admired was his beautiful mandolins and the passion he had for finding the right owner for each instrument.

He treated them like children and I had the blessed opportunity to be the first to play #71 at his workshop outside of Conway.

Sunday I did this short video taken from a memorial concert held in his honor at Conway High School.

In addition to luthiery, he also promoted bluegrass concerts in the area and gave needed spotlights to up and coming musicians in the field.

Click here for a gallery I did from Jennings’ 2008 Bluegrass on the Waccamaw show that featured many of the artist who performed Sunday at the memorial.

They like me were appreciative of his skills as an organizer and came Sunday to play and support the concert in his honor after he lost his battle with cancer.

Jennings was also a nurturer of bluegrass talent.

An excellent example of this can be found in 14-year-old guitarist Zeb Snyder. Jennings gave the young guitarist and his family a spotlight at his annual “Bluegrass on the Waccamaw” show and fostered the chance for folks to see the young talented family.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Also a note for my guitarist buddies out there, Zeb is playing a beautiful Wayne Henderson OM style mahogany guitar. Like Chestnut, Henderson makes very few instruments a year and it is an honor to have one.

Zeb wanted me to point out that the guitar had just came out of the case when we recorded this and was a little off in tuning. I suggested to him, no matter the temptation, that he never sell or trade this guitar. I think most who see this would agree.

rlh

My best friend’s son, Eric Mabe was married this last weekend in Atlanta and I attended and took a few photos. Eric and his sisters are like my own kids and I love them and feel like I helped raise them from the time they were babies.

Eric’s new wife Amy was beautiful and I’m happy he found such a wonderful girl.

 Eric and Amy share a kiss at the alter

No one, and I mean no one, can shake a leg like my blood brother Bubba Mabe. However, It seems Eric is taking a share of the title “Best Dancer Still Stuck in the 1970’s”.

rlh

It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since I moved into my little house in Ocean Isle Beach. Ten years is a long time to gather memories of the people who have visited me in this modest place next to the Intracoastal Waterway. I remember too many times and faces to list here.

So to all who graced me with a visit, thank you and come see me after my move to the South.

rlh