Year 2, Day 275 (Off The Grid, Part 2)

As I had mentioned yesterday, Tikvah and I are out of town for our anniversary escape, so I am re-posting a couple previous blog posts from this past year. This is the second of two of the most popular posts in 2012. this, like yesterday's post, was authored by a guest blogger. Today's re-post comes to you from RebbeSoul: singer, songwriter, musician, and blogger.

When I got to Israel, I played a lot of weddings as a guitarist/sideman, particularly in Jerusalem. Often the material consisted of Reb Shlomo Carlebach's songs and that's how I learned many of them. He wrote something like 2000 songs, many of which are so popular and common in Jewish culture, people think they are traditional, folk songs. One of the most popular that I played was "Adir Hu." It's from the Jewish holiday of "Pesach" or Passover, the holiday that occurs at this time of year.

I love the scale and I love the groove. Naturally, when it came time to record the new RebbeSoul album, which was to consist entirely of the material of Reb Shlomo Carlebach, his "Adir Hu" was high on my list. Even though, I had played it often, recording it was anything but routine and expected. Here's what happened.

I was recording at the studio of Dan Gil, the Gearer Rebbe in Sharon, MA. Dan is called the Gearer Rebbe because he knows a lot about musical gear and is obsessed with it. He had just acquired some new equipment and instruments and one of them was a Turkish saz, sometimes called a baglama. I was at the studio for a few days and Dan kept telling me about the saz and how I should play it on the new album. "I don't know how to play saz. I don't even know the tuning," I replied. That didn't matter, he didn't stop trying to convince me to play it. At one point, he was setting up 4 mics in an elaborate configuration for something I was about to play and of course while doing so, he carried on about the saz. I finally conceded. "Okay, since you're busy doing this and I'm waiting, why don't you get me the saz and I'll see if I can do something with it?" As soon as he handed it to me, I strummed it once and knew it would be perfect for something. The Gearer Rebbe had quite an insight.

A Turkish saz

"Adir Hu" was exotic sounding to begin with, incorporating the fragish (Yiddish) or hijaz (Arabic) scale so that seemed like the right tune to choose for the saz. I used some of the strings as drones and whether or not that's part of the method of playing or not, it sounded good. So I stayed in the performance room for 3 hours figuring out how to play it and we got it all. I even laid down a 2nd track and the 2 sounded really good together. I was astonished at how well it came out and grateful that the wise Gearer Rebbe, Dan was so persistent.

I went back to Israel and was listening to the tracks. Although they stood well on their own, I wanted to add a few more things. I was just having too much fun with the song and didn't want it to end. I had made a stop in San Francisco on the tour before returning to Israel and went to one of my favorite music stores, Clarion Music, named after little Clara Hsu who is now a fully grown woman, by her loving father who founded the store. It's a wonderful place in San Francisco's Chinatown to explore non-Western instruments. I first discovered it in the mid-90s, with our percussionist in RebbeSoul, Cassio Duarte and both of us were like kids in a candy store. We were in San Francisco to play Great American Music Hall and Cassio heard about this store so we went there and didn't leave for a few hours. I got a dolak from Pakistan and used shortly afterward on "A Narrow Bridge" or "Kol Ha Olam Kulo" in Hebrew, on my Fringe of Blue album.

This time, in 2009, I was in Clarion music with my brother, Scott and his son Steven. We were having fun being tourists in Chinatown and this was one of our stops. I left with a jaw harp and some hand percussion from Viet Nam and China. When it came time to record the additional material for the song. I was tracking on my mobile recording studio in Israel and pulled out these new toys of mine and rolled a few tracks. I added some finger cymbals which I often use. You can hear them all over my recordings. Between the finger cymbals and the newly acquired Asian percussion, the top end was pretty well covered. The only thing missing was a deep sounding drum for the bottom end. All the drums I had to fit the bill were in the United States and I wasn't there at the moment. It was so hot in Israel, I was drinking bottles of water constantly and just polished one off. I gave it a bang and it sounded pretty good so I played "four on the floor" on the water bottle and that's what you'll hear on the track. It comes in toward the end and sounds like a big drum.

I had so much fun with this tune, I decided to do another take on it and record it again, only more techno or electronic as opposed to this version which was entirely organic, with all real instruments.

I jumped on the computer and came up with a short programmed drum part or a loop, as they are fashionably called. I added some synth sounds and created a nice bed for the new lead instruments. But what would they be? I took out my nylon string and it sounded divine, so soothing. I recorded it and didn't want to stop because I was having so much fun with the tune. I spotted my balalaika, sitting in the corner, being ignored so I picked it up and played a track of balalaika which sounded really nice too, totally different, but really nice. I liked them both and decided to use them, the balalaika at the beginning and the nylon string afterwards.

Me and my balalaika in NY; photo by Melissa Stonehill



I wanted an intense, groove-oriented bass part so I called up one of my very favorite bassists, Moran Baron who happens to live on a kibbutz just minutes away from me and he came over slammed a killer bass part. Moran has lots of ideas and usually lays them all down. Then it becomes an editing exercise to decide what to keep and what to discard. One must be brutally disciplined to discard anything he plays because it's always so musical. I loved what he played so much that I lengthened the song by a few minutes with a long ride-out at the end just to accommodate his many ideas. If you listen to the bass on the song, you can hear a variety of different ideas, all working well but all a little different from each other, especially at the end where he play 1/16 note harmonics. The long ride-out also allowed me to indulge myself, playing another one of my new toys, the jaw harp I got in San Francisco.

I called this track, "Adir Hu Revisited" and it's at the end of the album, just before the radio mixes. I liked the way it finished off the album, providing a long, late-night, college dorm kind of mood.

You can listen to "Adir Hu Revisited" on SoundCloud

RebbeSoul - singer, song writer, musician, recording artist, guest blogger:

At first glance, you would not label him as a Rabbi or a Rebbe. In fact, not even at a second glance, but RebbeSoul is a musical brand name who combines Jewish music with soul and jazz. Now he is coming out with a project renewing Carlebach nigunim (melodies) as instrumental pieces, unique from the more prevalent, Carlebach style and just as unique for the soul.

He made aliyah (moved to Israel) about 3 1/2 years ago and lives in Zichron Yaacov and, like many other Jewish, western, music creators, his heart lies in the east but his work originates far in the west. He was born in upstate New York and embarked on his musical career at the age of 22, when he moved to California. At age 12, he had a plastic guitar his parents rented for him "because they didn't believe that I would take the instrument seriously. I played at bars that I wasn't even allowed to enter because I was too young." he tells, "They just looked the other way, and let me play."

Like the classic Jewish mother, his own mother didn't see music as a worthy profession one can make a living at. With a degree in engineering and his guitar in hand, which he was much more attuned to, he traveled across the US to look for a his place. "I went out of my house in a snow storm and drove for 2 weeks until I finally got to sunny California, where I only had on a pair shorts and my guitar in the back of my car. I spent 3 months practicing about 10 hours a day, working on every style of music. I didn't care what it was."

(Excerpt taken from RebbeSoul's press page of his website, rebbesoul.com, where you can see his current touring schedule, or even order his amazing music - yes, that was a plug... and yes, I have several of his CD's).

He can also be found on YouTube, Facebook, and on ReverbNation, both as RebbeSoul, and with Shlomit Levi as Shlomit & The Rebbe.

Year 2, Day 268 (Anxiously Awaiting)

As the parenthetic title implies, I am anxiously awaiting until I will be home. It's been a long 2 months. I don't stay out that long long on a regular basis, but I made this an exception because I wanted to make sure I would be home for the 20th anniversary of marriage to my lovely, and awesome, wife, Tikvah.

At Tikvah's urging, I have been listening to some of today's music (which I posted about, I guess a week or so ago), and have discovered some really good gems, some are works of art, and some are quite infectious. One such song, that fits the latter bill, is one of those tunes that - to quote a line from the video for LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" - "gets down in your bones". I've heard it a couple times on satellite radio before I searched for the video. The names of the artist AND the song, to say the least, stand out among a sea of commonality with their peers. It's "Bom Bom" by Sam and The Womp.

As you can see, it definitely stands out, but yet, it's fun. Besides, I could have fun with this song as a DJ, which, by the way, I have been contemplating re-entering into that field. First I will need to find some backers so I can get the required equipment.

Any takers?

Year 2, Day 252 (Music Is Not What It Used To Be)

Recently, while talking about music, my wife mentioned that I need to get "up to date." When on the road, I tend to listen to a lot of 70's rock, and 80's New Wave, with a few tunes mixed in from the 90's and 00's, mainly because they were songs that stood out for me. I've always maintained a couple key positions that I have come to learn about music and people. The first being that the style of music you listened to the most while you were in high school is the style that will stick with you for the rest of your life. For me, that was New Wave/Alternative (which is now referred to as "Classic Alternative"). The other position I've held is the the music industry has gone down hill over the past couple decades, with no sign of recovery. I have tried to get "up to date", but, honestly, what's out there doesn't cut the mustard. However reluctant I may be, I decided to take Tikvah's advice... perhaps music has changed.

In the past few days, I've been listening to the satellite radio stream playing the current hits, and there are a few out there that have caused me to sit up and take notice... not many, but a few. One such song actually became popular by way of a YouTube video (isn't that the way it's going nowadays?), and at first listen, I noticed (as with most "music" out there now) that it's nothing more than synth programming looped in repetition. After hearing this song a couple more times, I realized that it's underlying rhythms are infectious... about as infectious as "Party Rock Anthem" (and, actually, the two would blend great together). That song is "Gangnam Style" by an artist from Korea who goes by the name PSY:

Another song to note is one that Tikvah shared with me on Facebook of "Too Close" by British up-and-comer, Alex Clare (who's music for this song was recently used in a commercial for Microsoft Internet Explorer). Musically, it does use some current technology, but it's not overwhelming, and even adds to the lyrics, which, themselves, actually have substance and content (the video is pretty cool, too).

After listening to "the hits" (a term which, I feel, is being used loosely), I've come to realize a few things. One is that the music industry is putting music out there not entirely geared for radio airplay, but for the club scene. I say that, because those that are considered the latest hit, all seem to have the same steady kick rhythm (for the non-drummer, that refers to the bass drum) and all seem to be just a few BPM (beats per minute, a term common among D.J.'s) off from a perfect sync. After all, they have to make easy for the D.J., right? I was what you would call an "old school" D.J. The difference nowadays is that D.J.'s perform their gigs on computers. Not to take away from the technology, but the trouble there is it takes the fun out. All they have to do is pick out the songs they want to play, in the order they want them played in, and the program will do the beat-mixing for them. Back when I was spinning, we used turntables and vinyl records. We actually had to know the music (i.e. what songs have a similar tempo, what could blend well, etc.). With the turntables, there was a lever for adjusting pitch. If your incoming song was too fast or too slow, you could make the adjustment before you fade it in. We also did something known as "beat mixing" which was the art of mixing from one song to another without losing the dance beat... and was always fun, yet challenging.

For the most part, my theory is still intact... music today is not the same quality; there's no content, no structure, and more importantly, nobody is being groomed for longevity... the industry just wants what they can make into the "next big hit." I don't care for "Pound The Alarm" by Nicki Minaj, I can't stand "Whistle" by Flo Rida, and if we can get rid of Autotune, we might even get rid of a few no talent hacks in the process. Autotune is ok - if used sparingly, but when it's used throughout an entire song (Owl City does this), it gets old... QUICKLY.


Before I forget, one other good song (one of the few) is the recent offering by Train, called "50 Ways To Say Goodbye". I've never really been a big fan of theirs, but this song is catchy. It has the same steady kick beat to it (as most do, which I just mentioned), but it also underlies it with a Mariachi flavor, which gives it a unique feel. One more thing about that song (and Tikvah pointed this out... I must be rubbing off on her), try singing along to it, but instead of Train's lyrics, use the lyrics from "The Phantom Of The Opera" (yes the musical).

Go ahead... I dare you.


Shabbat Shalom!

Year 2, Day 230 (This Is Going To Be A Long Day)

Once I started off yesterday morning (about 1100 CT), I finished off the trip to Rochelle, IL. By then I had received a pre-plan, picking up in Franklin Park, IL (just north west of Chicago). I arrived there at 1700, just in time for my appointment. Sadly, the load wasn't ready, and wouldn't be until as late as 2300. I've always taken issue with situations like that. My opinion has always been that if the customer cannot keep to their own appointment schedule, then why make them in the first place? I didn't leave from there until after 0200 this morning. Since this load is due to deliver at 0800 tomorrow morning in McKinney, TX, then that means I have a full day ahead of me. Having had adequate time (an 8 hour break, a.k.a. doing a split sleeper break) to drive for several hours, I made my way to Pacific, MO, just west of St. Louis. From here I'll take a full 10 hour break then leave again (after getting fuel) at a little after 1900.

The good thing is I have plenty of music to occupy the miles, with Morcheeba's Who Can You Trust? being next in queue. With less than 600 miles to go, I still have some ground to cover.

Year 2, Day 220 (A True Audiophile)

This past weekend, when I was at home, one of the tasks I take on from time to time is converting some of my vinyl records onto my iTunes library. There have been many people that have asked me how that is done. Anybody who is a tech geek (like myself) will either find the technology or find a way. Fortunately I have the former, a turntable that plugs directly into the computer via a USB cord.

I have sporadically gone through this conversion procedure for the past few years, sometimes a song or two from an album, sometimes an entire album. This weekend was a little of both. One of the complete albums undergoing said process was one which I had not heard in its entirety in years (since high school, to be exact), yet still remains intact as one of his best albums, period. the album: The Nylon Curtain by Billy Joel. Though radio stations still play "Allentown", and occasionally throw on "Pressure", there are still many solid gold gems among those grooves, including the Beatles-esque Magical Mystery Tour era flavored "Scandinavian Skies" as well as Joel's tribute to Viet Nam veterans, "Goodnight Saigon".

Even though there is a program - which I have - to clean up the "pops" and "hisses" that are trademarks of vinyl record, I choose not to simply because that's the beauty of music via vinyl. That, and the fact that, even decades later, vinyl is STILL superior for the quality and depth in music.

Year 2, Day 173 (A Long Night, But Almost There)

John and I had finally left from Martinsburg, WV yesterday around 1530 (ET) and began the trip from there to Kansas City, MO. We made a stop in one of the service plazas on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and took a 45 minute break; for food, and more importantly, Starbucks. We shut down this morning at almost 0215 (CT) at the rest area just west of Indianapolis. There was a 4 mile traffic backup in Ohio, going into a construction zone, that delayed us, otherwise we would have made it into Illinois before shutting down. It is very frustrating when going into construction zones nowadays, because there are ample warnings beforehand telling people what's ahead and which lane is closed; yet people are so self-centered nowadays that - even though there are a long line of vehicles that have merged into what will be the open lane - they will continue past the line, all the way to the merge point and force their way in. This is the society we have become? Really?!

Now that I've gotten that out of the way. As John makes his way down the road, we will be making a stop at the terminal in Madison, IL; get some laundry done, perhaps even make a grocery run. The weather is a little warm outside, but very clear and sunny. As we make our way westward, we are listening to the soundtrack for Schindler's List (not exactly what one would expect two former Marines to listen to by choice). Looking out the window at the passing fields, I see the various stages of the different corn fields: some halfway to full maturity, while others yet are little more than mere seedling fields. The sights such as this make me realize how much more blessed we are as a nation, and that I am able to view such a sight on this glorious Sabbath day.

Be blessed!!

Year 2, Day 140 (Great Scenery, Great Weather)

I had Dillard take over the driving duties from Tulsa yesterday, and he brought us all the way to Colby, KS, just a little over 50 miles from the Colorado state line. We arrived there at 0315 this morning and shut down for our 10 hour break. We were up again at around 1130 (due to the call of nature), and milled around until it was time to head out. I went inside to partake of the offerings inside the Starbucks at the truck stop where we parked. The weather was wonderful, especially for lunch time. My WeatherBug app was showing it to be 63°, whereas in the Arkansas town with which I and my family currently reside was gauging at 88°. Though (on a different note) while I was perusing through Facebook and GetGlue last night/this morning, I was shocked to learn - albeit a month late- of the passing of another great musician. On this day just last month was the passing of saxophonist Greg Ham (for those of you unfamiliar with this name, he was the saxophonist - as well as other instruments within his repertoire - for the 80's band Men At Work). This was a surprise for me, as I was a fan of his work.

One of the things I really enjoy about being a truck driver trainer, is the opportunity to capture some good photographs on the road... especially when my student is doing the driving. I have several different photography apps on my iPhone, two of my favorites being Hipstamatic and Instagram. On the former, I'm able to interchange the films, lenses, and flashes. On the latter, I can apply different effects in order to bring out more depth to the shot. Both of these shots were taken today in Colorado, just north of Ft. Collins, using the above apps, in order of their mention:








Photography has always been nothing more than a hobby for me. I would like to get more involved, but for that I would have to get a more suitable device for it. Two cameras I wouldn't mind getting are the Canon Rebel T2i (which is presently a little out of my price range), and the Leica M9 (which is definitely out of my price range). One day I may be able to get one of them, but until then I'll just have to settle with what I can do on my iPhone 3GS.

- Posted by me

Year 2, Day 138 (Much Going On)

The Tyson load that Dillard and I picked up yesterday, we were told, would be loaded and billed out around 2100-2200. It was around midnight before we left. With time running out on the logbook, I took the helm. I made it as far as Seligman, MO before I shut down... at 0545 this morning. I sent in my updated ETA to be arriving at the Tyson facility in Springdale, AR at 1700... I pulled up to the gate at 1658. We did, however, get a pre-plan for our next run, which will keep us busy for the next few days; we pick up tomorrow in Tulsa, OK and head to Woodinville, WA & Burnaby, BC for next Wednesday... just the load I wanted!

In other news, just today we mourn the loss of another true musical diva: Donna Summer. Though many refer to her as "The Queen Of Disco", she was so much more. Sure, she received her big break during the disco era, with her sultry voice (especially in the song, "Love To Love You Baby") and sex appeal, but to limit her to just disco is disingenuous. She proved that she could hold her own, long after the discotheques "dimmed all the lights."

Another late news of note is one even I find shocking... especially since I am "fashion challenged". The news I refer to is that of the fashion icon, Betsey Johnson, closing all of her stores. Yes, Tikvah, you read that correctly! If you are a fan of her designs, sales prices are 20-50% off right now. Farewell, Betsey!


- Posted by me

Year 2, Day 129 (Missing Home, And My Angel)

I just left out yesterday, but I'm missing home already. This usually happens. It's not easy being a truck driver when you have a family. I enjoy spending time with my family; listening to music, studying/discussing Torah, watching movies, etc. Though I can't complain, we converse several times a day, plus I have a great relationship with a wonderful woman... one who has put up with me for 20 years (in fact, our 20th anniversary is this October).





How she's put up with me all this time is still unknown to me, yet it's also a testimony to the fact that I have a virtuous woman!

We have a lot of the same tastes in music, in fact, I've introduced her to different artists, such as Miles Davis, Peter Murphy, and The Creatures (whom I happen to be listening to now). Each day I thank The L-rd that He brought her into my life, and that those feelings are equally reciprocated. In this day and society when most marriages rarely last 5 years, we've lasted 20... and still going strong. What's the secret? There's two rules to follow (men, take note):

A) The woman is always right!

B) If the woman is ever wrong, refer to rule A.

I love and miss you, Tikvah!

- Posted by me

Year 2, Day 122 (This Load Is Done)

This morning Dillard and I got up earlier that what was really needed, only because I had to get a service done on the truck. Once that was done, we made our way to Franklin, IN to unload. This morning we received the pre-plan that will get me home... just a day later than I requested. This load picks up in Indianapolis tomorrow afternoon and heads to Ft. Worth, TX for Friday, but we will be dropping it in the North Little Rock terminal, then going home with an empty trailer.

Dillard has already been set up with a motel room for the time I'm home, mainly because he lives about 250 miles away. As it looks, I'll finally get home on Thursday instead of Wednesday, plus I will still be able to catch Nathan's (my youngest son) gig at the coffee shop on Friday night.


- Posted by me

Year 2, Day 99 (Guest Blogger: RebbeSoul)

When I got to Israel, I played a lot of weddings as a guitarist/sideman, particularly in Jerusalem. Often the material consisted of Reb Shlomo Carlebach's songs and that's how I learned many of them. He wrote something like 2000 songs, many of which are so popular and common in Jewish culture, people think they are traditional, folk songs. One of the most popular that I played was "Adir Hu." It's from the Jewish holiday of "Pesach" or Passover, the holiday that occurs at this time of year.

I love the scale and I love the groove. Naturally, when it came time to record the new RebbeSoul album, which was to consist entirely of the material of Reb Shlomo Carlebach, his "Adir Hu" was high on my list. Even though, I had played it often, recording it was anything but routine and expected. Here's what happened.

I was recording at the studio of Dan Gil, the Gearer Rebbe in Sharon, MA. Dan is called the Gearer Rebbe because he knows a lot about musical gear and is obsessed with it. He had just acquired some new equipment and instruments and one of them was a Turkish saz, sometimes called a baglama. I was at the studio for a few days and Dan kept telling me about the saz and how I should play it on the new album. "I don't know how to play saz. I don't even know the tuning," I replied. That didn't matter, he didn't stop trying to convince me to play it. At one point, he was setting up 4 mics in an elaborate configuration for something I was about to play and of course while doing so, he carried on about the saz. I finally conceded. "Okay, since you're busy doing this and I'm waiting, why don't you get me the saz and I'll see if I can do something with it?" As soon as he handed it to me, I strummed it once and knew it would be perfect for something. The Gearer Rebbe had quite an insight.

A Turkish saz

"Adir Hu" was exotic sounding to begin with, incorporating the fragish (Yiddish) or hijaz (Arabic) scale so that seemed like the right tune to choose for the saz. I used some of the strings as drones and whether or not that's part of the method of playing or not, it sounded good. So I stayed in the performance room for 3 hours figuring out how to play it and we got it all. I even laid down a 2nd track and the 2 sounded really good together. I was astonished at how well it came out and grateful that the wise Gearer Rebbe, Dan was so persistent.

I went back to Israel and was listening to the tracks. Although they stood well on their own, I wanted to add a few more things. I was just having too much fun with the song and didn't want it to end. I had made a stop in San Francisco on the tour before returning to Israel and went to one of my favorite music stores, Clarion Music, named after little Clara Hsu who is now a fully grown woman, by her loving father who founded the store. It's a wonderful place in San Francisco's Chinatown to explore non-Western instruments. I first discovered it in the mid-90s, with our percussionist in RebbeSoul, Cassio Duarte and both of us were like kids in a candy store. We were in San Francisco to play Great American Music Hall and Cassio heard about this store so we went there and didn't leave for a few hours. I got a dolak from Pakistan and used shortly afterward on "A Narrow Bridge" or "Kol Ha Olam Kulo" in Hebrew, on my Fringe of Blue album.

This time, in 2009, I was in Clarion music with my brother, Scott and his son Steven. We were having fun being tourists in Chinatown and this was one of our stops. I left with a jaw harp and some hand percussion from Viet Nam and China. When it came time to record the additional material for the song. I was tracking on my mobile recording studio in Israel and pulled out these new toys of mine and rolled a few tracks. I added some finger cymbals which I often use. You can hear them all over my recordings. Between the finger cymbals and the newly acquired Asian percussion, the top end was pretty well covered. The only thing missing was a deep sounding drum for the bottom end. All the drums I had to fit the bill were in the United States and I wasn't there at the moment. It was so hot in Israel, I was drinking bottles of water constantly and just polished one off. I gave it a bang and it sounded pretty good so I played "four on the floor" on the water bottle and that's what you'll hear on the track. It comes in toward the end and sounds like a big drum.

I had so much fun with this tune, I decided to do another take on it and record it again, only more techno or electronic as opposed to this version which was entirely organic, with all real instruments.

I jumped on the computer and came up with a short programmed drum part or a loop, as they are fashionably called. I added some synth sounds and created a nice bed for the new lead instruments. But what would they be? I took out my nylon string and it sounded divine, so soothing. I recorded it and didn't want to stop because I was having so much fun with the tune. I spotted my balalaika, sitting in the corner, being ignored so I picked it up and played a track of balalaika which sounded really nice too, totally different, but really nice. I liked them both and decided to use them, the balalaika at the beginning and the nylon string afterwards.

Me and my balalaika in NY; photo by Melissa Stonehill



I wanted an intense, groove-oriented bass part so I called up one of my very favorite bassists, Moran Baron who happens to live on a kibbutz just minutes away from me and he came over slammed a killer bass part. Moran has lots of ideas and usually lays them all down. Then it becomes an editing exercise to decide what to keep and what to discard. One must be brutally disciplined to discard anything he plays because it's always so musical. I loved what he played so much that I lengthened the song by a few minutes with a long ride-out at the end just to accommodate his many ideas. If you listen to the bass on the song, you can hear a variety of different ideas, all working well but all a little different from each other, especially at the end where he play 1/16 note harmonics. The long ride-out also allowed me to indulge myself, playing another one of my new toys, the jaw harp I got in San Francisco.

I called this track, "Adir Hu Revisited" and it's at the end of the album, just before the radio mixes. I liked the way it finished off the album, providing a long, late-night, college dorm kind of mood.

You can listen to "Adir Hu Revisited" on SoundCloud

RebbeSoul - singer, song writer, musician, recording artist, guest blogger:

At first glance, you would not label him as a Rabbi or a Rebbe. In fact, not even at a second glance, but RebbeSoul is a musical brand name who combines Jewish music with soul and jazz. Now he is coming out with a project renewing Carlebach nigunim (melodies) as instrumental pieces, unique from the more prevalent, Carlebach style and just as unique for the soul.

He made aliyah (moved to Israel) about 3 1/2 years ago and lives in Zichron Yaacov and, like many other Jewish, western, music creators, his heart lies in the east but his work originates far in the west. He was born in upstate New York and embarked on his musical career at the age of 22, when he moved to California. At age 12, he had a plastic guitar his parents rented for him "because they didn't believe that I would take the instrument seriously. I played at bars that I wasn't even allowed to enter because I was too young." he tells, "They just looked the other way, and let me play."

Like the classic Jewish mother, his own mother didn't see music as a worthy profession one can make a living at. With a degree in engineering and his guitar in hand, which he was much more attuned to, he traveled across the US to look for a his place. "I went out of my house in a snow storm and drove for 2 weeks until I finally got to sunny California, where I only had on a pair shorts and my guitar in the back of my car. I spent 3 months practicing about 10 hours a day, working on every style of music. I didn't care what it was."

(Excerpt taken from RebbeSoul's press page of his website, rebbesoul.com, where you can see his current touring schedule, or even order his amazing music - yes, that was a plug... and yes, I have several of his CD's).

He can also be found on YouTube, Facebook, and on ReverbNation, both as RebbeSoul, and with Shlomit Levi as Shlomit & The Rebbe.

Year 2, Day 59 (The Passing Of A Musical Legend)

In today's post, I will break away from my usual banter and redirect your attention to someone much more worthy of it than I. No doubt we have all heard of the sudden and unexpected demise of Whitney Houston, a music legend and one quite worthy of "Diva" status. But she is not the legend to which the parenthetical title refers. There is one who was not only a legend and diva, but who went largely unnoticed by the mainstream masses. This past February 23 marks the 12 year memorial of when we lost the gifted voice of Ofra Haza.

Ofra Haza was an artist who not only had achieved a great success of her own accord, but whose voice was sought out by many other artists, cuch as Thomas Dolby, Paula Abdul, even the alternative group, The Sisters Of Mercy, for their song, Temple Of Love (the 12" single of which I have had on vinyl since high school).

She had not only a beautiful voice, but was also proud of her Jewish background, as well as her Yemeni origin, even to the point where her love and musical prowess was bridging the divide between Israel and the Arab countries. Not only did she cover a wide variety of musical styles, she also covered a few songs by very well known artists. One of note, which (in my opinion) is a very passionate - and yet haunting - cover of Kashmir, the rock classic by Led Zeppelin:

However, believe it not, just about ALL of you have heard of Ofra Haza and never even realized it. In 1998 (about 2 years before she died), she was working with composer Hans Zimmer on some music for a motion picture soundtrack. It was said that when he introduced Ofra Haza to the other artists, they commented how beautiful she was, and one of the characters in the animated feature that they were working on, was drawn with her likeness. That character was Yochaved, the mother of Moses. The movie: Prince Of Egypt. The most notable song from that movie (which was sung by Ofra Haza) was "Deliver Us".

Ofra Haza left us on February 23, 2000, from AIDS-related pneumonia. She contracted the HIV virus just a few years before from a blood transfusion, following a miscarriage. She was only 42. In honor of her (and apropos of this memorial) , this final video is of her singing the traditional Jewish prayer, "Kaddish", which is commonly referred to as "The Mourner's Kaddish". Those of us who appreciate what you have given us, you are truly missed, Ofra Haza!

Should you seek more info on Ofra Haza, the is a comprehensive posting of her life and career on Wikipedia, as well as a website devoted to keep her memory and legacy alive, and can be seen in both English and Hebrew.

Day 211 (I Really Don't Like Humidity!)

We started this morning from Matthews, MO, a small town in the southeastern part of the state. I made a stop in West Memphis, AR to top off the fuel, now we are continuing our way west. It's quite muggy out here. It's not the heat I detest, it's the humidity! Dry heat is a LOT more bearable. It's days like this I really long to be in Arizona, or even the California desert region (which, if I make it out there sometime, there's a guy I know, via Twitter and Facebook, whom I may take up on his offer to partake in a Prime Rib dinner, of his own culinary skills).

As we make our way to our employer's terminal in North Little Rock, we are enjoying the plethora of music I have on my iPod, first starting off with the tune "Voodoo People" by The Prodigy, a tune I first heard during last year's VloMo, and featured in a video offering during the afore mentioned event. Which reminds me, VloMo 11 is just 3 months away, and hopefully I can be disciplined enough to post a video each day.

I uploaded a few last year, but I'm hoping to cover each day of VloMo this year. Last year I was encouraged & inspired to become involved by a really cool cat I've only known via Twitter, @ernmander. I've not only subscribed to his YouTube page, but viewed many of his videos (of which, more often then not, are hilarious). I hope one day @ernmander and I will be able to meet in real life, it's rather difficult at present since he lives in England and I don't.

One day... and when we do, the tea will be my treat, mate!


- Another rant via BlogPress

Day 207 (Not A Bad Day)

We made it as far as Eaton, OH last night, which is 10 miles from the Ohio/Indiana state line on I-70. Yesterday's delay (traveling 40 miles then having to go back to the shipper) really set us back. Today, though, hasn't been too bad; got a shower, mild traffic, good (but hot) weather, and - at the moment, at least - driving down the road while listening to Heavy Shift on my iPod (their cd The Last Picture Show makes good driving music).

As of yet I have no idea what awaits us tomorrow, as there is not a pre-plan on us. Even though the delivery appointment isn't until 1300 tomorrow, I would prefer to get pre-planned today so I know what I'm doing next, thus I can plan accordingly. As I may have mentioned before, I like to plan ahead. The less I have to do "at the last minute" the better - and less stressful - I am. I guess that's the Marine that's still in me.

When I spoke to Michelle earlier, she was telling me that our oldest son, Paul, was going to a doctor's appointment in Oceanside, CA. I told her I wish I'd have known before, then I would have sent him some money to get me some things from one of the military stores there. When she asked what, I told her, "I don't know maybe a REAL carabiner... I might start rappelling again. Wanna do it with me?" She replied, "No thanks, I'll just watch you from the ground."

Rappelling doesn't sound bad... perhaps I will start doing it again. First I may have to move to another state, as Arkansas probably doesn't have any viable locations for it.

At least they have Starbuck.

Rappelling gives a better, and faster, rush.


- Another rant via BlogPress