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Archive for the ‘Tangents’ Category

Heart 2 Heart

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

Happy Valentines Day everyone. Hope you’re having a wonderfully romantic escape. I know many folks look down upon this time of the year as a merchant’s excuse to sell cards and chocolate, but I like to think of it as an excuse to get away.

Pause from the normal routines and call your parents. Skype with your friends from 1,000 miles away. Get in-touch with your inner Romantic. No I do not endorse going around kissing strangers; I’m thinking more of the 19th-century Romantic [literary] period … Try unplugging from your desk / phones … Stop reading this blog and write a poem

Tags: chocolate, Cooking, Greeting card, holiday, home, Romance, Shopping, valentines day
Posted in Tangents | No Comments »

End Game: Tough Choices

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

Those of you who are my fans on Facebook know I enjoy playing chess. When I was a kid my dad schooled me in two games: chess and poker. I believe his goal was teaching me to choose wisely – to plan ahead and weigh the consequences of my actions regardless how small or insignificant they may seem in the present moment.
Chess – like Life – gets tougher as you progress and in a sneaky fashion; that rogue pawn seems harmless until you realize it blocks your only escape route.
In the beginning there are many choices that appear fairly simple; yes/no scenarios such as whether or not to eat, brush teeth, tie shoes, etc. As we grow older we begin to see consequences: weight, cavities, tripping We also make room for bigger decisions: “College? Grad school? Marriage?” We size-up our options and plan our future. We have slightly fewer choices – less pieces on the board – and begin to feel the weight of our opponent’s offense. The impending doom of each mistep can be stifling and so we begin to customize a support system of family and friends, but what happens in the End when we have less to lean on?
Ever since I was a boy, I always struggled with my End Game. I used to find this odd because there are [usually] significantly less chess pieces on the board at the End. Closing the deal is supposed to be the easy part, right? Wrong.
The key to a strong End Game is perspective. It isn’t about the fewer number of pieces onboard, but the greater number of possibilities. Being able to see the space … working dozens of moves ahead to find the safest outcome, avoiding the most hazards …
The more space we have in our lives, the more freedom we have to control our own destiny, the more responsibility each choice carries. When we enter the grown-up world of mortages and marriage, do we invest all our dollars in stocks and bonds, or spend some on entertainment and wardrobe? Don’t have coupons? Suddenly the brands of foods and drinks you cherished as a kid no longer appeal, especially if they’re not on sale. But financial planning is only the tip of the iceberg. The End Game layout is set up during earlier stages of play, which are somewhat unpredictable due to the humanity of our opponent. In fact, we may not even know we’re playing the End Game until they cry “checkmate!”
Such is Life! Nobody can predict the future or plan for the curve balls. So do we play defensively and go for a safe bet? Or do we raise the stakes and follow our dreams? Maybe a little of both? What if Life decides to re-raise, trade queens, and employ a secret weapon? When, if ever, do we recourse and initiate the proverbial “backup plan?” The more “tied down” we become in our responsible adult lives, the less uncertainty we feel but it’s only an illusion. Every choice we make plays a role in our End Game. Winning in Life may involve giving up some seemingly important pieces, but if you’re willing to take that risk, the payoff can be really sweet.

Related article:

• Why chess is a perfect game for fiction (guardian.co.uk)

Tags: Board Games, chess, Chess piece, choices, end, facebook, game, Games, life, metaphor, Pawn, Recreation, tough, Video game
Posted in Tangents, Tour Diary | 5 Comments »

Les Paul, R.I.P.

Monday, August 24th, 2009

Whether or not you play the famous Gibson model, guitarists worldwide owe a debt to the late Les Paul.  Even if you’re an acoustic artist, the fact is that most of the melodies, chord voicings, and techniques we use evolved from the advent of electric guitar.
The ability to play thinner-guage strings gave way to techniques like “bending,” “hammer-ons” and “pull-offs” and all sorts of artificial harmonics (not to mention … the “whammy bar”)!   Can you imagine what Eddie Van Halen’s music would’ve sounded like if he couldn’t do “dive-bombs?”   And don’t even get me started on FX pedals (which never would have been invented if there were no electric guitars to use them).  Not unlike Michael Jackson, the legacy of Les Paul will forever live in the History books.

What follows is Roger “Hurricane” Wilson’s article, courtesy of Atlanta Blues Society:
“Les Paul
Born Lester William Polsfuss on Jun 9, 1915 in Waukesha, WI
Died Aug 13, 2009 in White Plains, NY

We are all saddened by the loss of the legendary Les Paul. We know that he changed the world of music with his inventions of sound on sound recording, as well as the invention of the solid body electric guitar. Many know that he crossed many boundaries by winning multiple awards for his achievements, as well as inductions to various halls of fame. Many obituaries, tributes, and eulogies are being written about Les Paul. When I was in the broadcast news business, one of my bosses told me, “If you are going to write something, tell me something I don’t know!” Well here goes! It is true that for me, being friends with a guy like Les Paul would never be an unwanted attribute, but in my case, it was truly unexpected.

In September of 2003, I was on tour in the Northeast, and I decided I wanted to catch one of Les Paul’s weekly shows in New York City. A couple of friends and I decided to make the trip to the Iridium Jazz Club near Times Square to catch Les’ show. After paying the thirty or so dollars each to get in, we were there! I was really excited to be able to catch the guy in action that I had read about for many years, plus for the years of my playing the model of guitar named after him… The Gibson Les Paul! I had determined that I was going to make this night pleasurable and go easy on myself. I wasn’t going to try to get an autograph, or get on stage, or schmooze, hustle, or do any kind of PR or music business. It was just going to be a guitar lesson for me.

The lights went down, and Tom, the sound man announced, “And now the man that has changed the course of popular music for all of us, Mr. Les Paul and his trio.” It was amazing, and I was enthralled! There he was, in the flesh… the guy that invented multi-track recording, and the solid body electric guitar. I was savoring the moment and was oblivious to everything else around me. This was what I was waiting for. After about 3 or 4 songs, Les starting cutting up with the crowd and the band. It seemed that someone on the front row was talking to him, and had said something on the order of “I play guitar too”. Les replied, “so you play too, well come on up here and show us what you can do.” At that moment, a well dressed Middle Eastern Indian gentleman approached the stage. He strapped on the guitar that Les keeps on the piano for just such occasions. I wasn’t sure what was happening here, and I was trying to figure it out. The guy started playing the introduction to T-Bone Walker’s Stormy Monday… BADLY! Now    I was getting worried! The hair on the back of my neck was starting to stand up. My friends, Bobby and John, knew I was starting to get restless.

I was trying to keep from turning green and to not have my clothes split off me like The Incredible Hulk. The guy played the one song, and he was off the stage. It really wasn’t a pretty site. By this time, I was fit to be tied, mainly because I couldn’t leave this night with that vision in my head. Les resumed his show and I did eventually calm down to enjoy the rest of the set.

At the close of this, the first show, the announcement was made that CD’s could be purchased from Les’ son, Russ. I immediately went to him, bought a CD, and asked him if that last appearance had been planned. He said that they had never seen the guy before. I explained to him who I was, and that I was on tour, and that I had my first Les Paul guitar when I was 18. Russ said if he had known I was there, he would have gotten me up to jam. I immediately said, “I’m still here!” He said OK, come on back and I’ll introduce you to Dad. I was caught off guard by his response and ecstatic at the same time! When I met Les, it was like talking to an old friend. I explained to him my situation, and he seemed pleased. He said to stand by the stage and he would get me up with him. I did that and was beside myself. In the next set, he called me up with no idea of who I was or what I could do. I introduced myself to the audience over the mike telling them my name and how honored I was to be there. I immediately launched into a simple version of “Everyday I Have the Blues”, with the band following. As I played and sang, Les was smiling. After that song, he said, “Well what else ya got?” I went into a slow B.B. King Blues classic, “Sweet Little Angel”. That was exciting since, I made it to the second song!” Les and I swapped some licks back and forth. He and I were having a ball! The first guy got the hook after the first tune. When I came off stage, I was walking on air. This was a day I would never forget!

Over the next few years, I would return to jam with Les and the band another 6 times. I became friends with the band and crew, Lou, Nicki, John, Tom, and Chris. Les’ son, Russ, and I would stay in touch, and during my trips to the northeast, I would attend his Sunday night jams at various locations around northern New Jersey, and then go into the city to see Les. The stories I was hearing from him were priceless. He told me how he got Mary Ford to speak into a mike down the hall, and when he heard her voice repeated on the extra tape head he installed, he knew he had found the thing that would change music recording forever. He told Mary to grab the laundry, throw it in the car, and that they were heading to Chicago. She kept saying, “What if it doesn’t work?” During that trip from California, by the time they were in New Mexico, he was wondering if it would work. He then said, “By the time we got to Chicago, I had convinced myself that it wasn’t going to work”. He was thankful that when they drilled the first hole in a new Ampex tape recorder in Chicago to add the extra record head, that “we didn’t screw anything up!”

During another of my visits, Les simply said, “Man, if I was to ever retire, I would just die!” He was 89 then! Another time, I was helping the guys carry some gear up to the street to put in the car. After 2 shows, he had signed autographs for a line of people that circled the inside of the club. He had signed everything from guitars to pictures, to records, to pick guards, to you name it! After signing every last item, Les was still downstairs in the rest room. As I headed back in, the manager at the door with keys to lock up said, “What did you forget?” I said Les is still in the club! I ran back down and got him. I’ll never forget Les Paul holding on to my arm as we climbed the stairs at 1 AM.

When he turned 90, it seemed that the world showed up to witness him. The crowds were lined up out the door at the Iridium on Monday nights. Interviewers from all walks of media were at the dressing room door for weeks before and after his birthday. I had the pleasure of sitting in with him 3 days before his actual 90th. The big event was a couple of weeks later at a star-studded event in Carnegie Hall.

My last visit with him was in November of 2007, at age 92. When my friend, Bobby Lyons, and I arrived at the Iridium early, Les was having his usual dinner in the dressing room. He was always eating his dinner on a turned on the side audio monitor cabinet. I always wondered why they didn’t get him a small table in there. This time, when I arrived, Les responded and waved slowly. It was a little disconcerting to me, be we left to grab a bite before the show. When I returned, I happened to be in position to help him on to the stage. He ambled to his chair, picked up his guitar, and as soon as the introduction announcement was made and the lights came up, “It Was Showtime!” He was back! I got to sit in both sets that night! After the second show, he came back into the dressing room, collapsed on the couch and said, “Man I’m Tired!” I said, “Les! Are you OK? I was really quite concerned about you earlier”. He said, “Oh yea, I’m fine. I’ve just been putting in these 14 hour days”. I replied, “14 hour days! What are you doing?”  He said, “I’m still working on these guitars”. “What are you doing to them?” I asked. “I’m still trying to get that sound right!” I was amazed! This is why he would jump out of bed every morning to keep “chasing sound”.

The amazing thing about Les, is that, with as many important and well-known people that he associated and rubbed shoulders with, he would always remember the guys, like me, who loved to play guitar. He would sign guitars when I would take them in, and he would always write something nice. “Keep picking” was a favorite, but the night he wrote, “Those Were Some Great Blues!” I was pretty well knocked out. He actually confessed to me that since he was more commercially oriented, he didn’t know much about the history of the Blues. He asked me to explain it to him. I sat in the dressing room of the Iridium one night and gave him my basic simple interpretation of the origin of the Blues. He sat there listening carefully, really soaking it in. I couldn’t believe that Les Paul was actually learning something from me!

Just during the month of June this year, I attended one of Russ Paul’s jams in New Jersey. My plan was to go into New York City on the Monday afterward to see Les. Russ told me that Les hadn’t been able to make some shows in the last few weeks, and he had been in and out of the hospital. He had even missed his 94th birthday gig on June 9. I was concerned about it, but Russ said his Dad was doing better, and that he was itching to get back to work. If I knew anything at all about Les, I knew that was true. He said that his Monday gigs at the Iridium were just like celebrating New Year’s Eve every week.  He proved to me many times that having a passion for something in life will keep one alive. For a guy like Les Paul, and with a life like he had, we can’t afford to mourn his loss as much as we need to celebrate his life. We need to “KEEP ON PICKING”!

Roger “Hurricane” Wilson
August, 2009″

Tags: acoustic, artist, atlanta, atlanta blues society, bending, chords, dive, eddie van halen, electric, GA, georgia, gibson, guitar, hammer-on, les paul, melody, michael jackson, musician, NY, obituary, pull-off, roger wilson, strings, technique, waukesha, whammy bar, white plains, WI
Posted in Press, Tangents | No Comments »

Flying V reborn!

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

All y’all who’ve been with me over the years know that I own a Harmony “flying V” guitar.  Perhaps you seen it at a show back in ‘07 or ‘08, and recall its dark brown appearance?  WELL we had to go and change that 

 

I began my custom paint job last Spring (’08) and happily sidelined it when Holland Guitars started creating by beloved Nessie!   I took a very involved role in the design and manufacture of Nessie, and did not want to be distracted by other axes.  Nessie was officially done on May 2nd – much to my delight – and since then I’ve been completing this V resurrection. 

 

Today I officially ended the paint job (i.e., convinced myself it was “done;” as you artists know a project is never really “done”)!  I’ve been spraying laquer on/off for the past 6 hours and will soon begin the drying period, a.k.a. “hurry up and wait!!!”  Here are some photos:

Posted in Studio NEws, Tangents | 2 Comments »

Amelia Island!

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

The creative process needs room to breathe, and minds need space to think … That was my logic behind this past weekend on Amelia Island

Located just below the GA border, this lovely Atlantic escape proved perfect for relaxing and regrouping. I returned home with a refreshed outlook and a plethora of ideas. Muchos gracias to the Land family for the use of their beautiful condo.

Activities included swimming and floating in the ocean, playing Rummy under a monsterous umbrella, and my first-ever game of tennis! (incidentally, I still prefer raquetball). I visited the Fernandina Publix, but otherwise kept to the beach and condo. “Homecooked” meals and quality time with the family are often my favorite activities on vacation.

Tags: amelia island, atlantic, beach, fl, florida, ocean, tennis, weekend
Posted in Studio NEws, Tangents | No Comments »

Meeting Booker

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

I got to meet Booker T. Jones, and it was awesome! Let me tell y’all about it. Started with Twitter, on a Monday afternoon. I follow Criminal Records and they announced Booker was appearing on Wednesday, 4/01. My first thought was “April fools.” Then I discovered that Booker was playing a gig in ATL later that evening. Then two more media outlets announced his arrival so I decided it was necessary to be there.
What to take!?!? I grabbed my Hammond organ manual and ran out the door. It couldn’t have gone more smoothly. Parking was a cinch despite limited spaces and rush hour traffic. I walked casually into the store only to find no line! I was first on line. About fifteen minutes later, the legendary organist walked into the store towards me and about 20 folks. Stopping midway to browse the store’s record selection, it was clear he’s a cool dude. When he got closer I began to feel my nerves! He sat on the provided stool behind a glass display case, and I approached.
I removed a black sharpie from my back pocket and handed it to him, even though there were 5 sharpies laying on the display case. Then I placed my organ manual down and muttered “I was hoping you’d sign this for me.”
“OK” he smiled back. Then slowly he looked up at me, from below his hat brim, and said, “do you have one of these?!?”
“Yes sir!” I quickly replied.
“Can you split it?” he asked. I couldn’t believe that I was having a conversation with legendary Jones. We proceeded to spend about five minutes discussing my modern Hammond – an eternity in the world of autograph lines – much to the chagrin of the folks behind me. While Booker finished his personalized autograph, I felt incredibly giddy. “I really appreciate this, you’re a big influence,” I said.
Walking away towards the exit, I felt compelled to pre-order his new CD, “Potatoe Hole” which will release 4/21.

Tags: booker, booker t. jones, criminal, hammond, manual, nick, organ, records, sign, signature
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Holidays

Sunday, December 21st, 2008

Having a great time with relatives! 

Tags: family, fun
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Vista b-day!

Friday, November 28th, 2008

I awoke today with a realization: it’s my “Vista Birthday!” Yes, today 4 years ago, I ordered my first business cards from VistaPrint.com. As I reflect on my *modest* triumphs in the Music Industry, I know they were all thanks to networking – made possible by VistaPrint’s affordable cards, which I used to begin building my image.
THE most recognizable name in online printing, VistaPrint.com is also a great status tool; when I exchange cards with someone and theirs has VistaPrint on back, I know immediately where they are in their business growth. Especially in Music, where “image” sells. Why? Because, soon as I had enough money, I ordered nicer cards with custom artwork and backside printing. I can only assume that my collegues do the same, unless they are cheap in which case I’ve still learned a valuable detail – all thanks to VP’s “free” business cards (you pay $3-5 shipping and handling for up to 500 cards, which have VistaPrint.com on their reverse).
So THANKS! for all the fond memories of desinging my first biz card, passing it around for the first time, and receiving others’ over the years. I’ll probably never use VP again, but for my first 12 months as an entreprenuer, it was a GREAT way to loose my biz-card-virginity!

Tags: anniversary, business, online, print, vista, web
Posted in Tangents | 2 Comments »

New iPhone 3G!

Thursday, August 14th, 2008

Guess what! I got the new iPhone and installed the WordPress app., and am posting from my phone!!!!!!!

Tags: 3G, cell, iPhone, new
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Bo Diddley has passed …

Monday, June 16th, 2008

Hello again friends!  Last week was filled with more sadness as we learned of the passing of another Blues legend on June 2, and the great news journalist Tim Russert on June 13.  I wanted to write a good obituary for Bo Diddley, but time was limited in my schedule.  Fortunately the Associated Press did an excellent job in their attempt so I’ve pasted it below.  Please keep the greats alive in your thoughts!   ~Nick
(more…)

Tags: Blues, diddley, florida, funeral, guitar, rock, video, YouTube
Posted in Tangents | 1 Comment »

Celeb Birthday: T-Bone Walker

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

“T-Bone” Walker was born today (May 28th) in 1910! Wow that means if he was alive today, he’d be 98!!! It’s a true testament to his work that, so many decades after his passing, his music continues to touch new ears on stages across the world. I’m betting there isn’t a single Blues band alive that has not played at least one T-Bone song, whether they knew it or not. Often when I’m on YouTube or Myspace, I find songs credited to more recently popular artists that were actually written by T-Bone. My favorite is “Stormy Monday.” The lyrics touch me differently every time, and no matter how hard we try it never sounds quite the same. There is simply a magic to it which takes on a life of its own. The words have a great power to them even after all these years, I think because there is still great economic struggle in our society. Though we try to ignore it, we are still a nation teeming with poor, suffering souls. T-bone’s music, like most original Blues artists’, was genuine in every sense. I can only hope to be as prolific as Walker, and I think all artists aspire to the longevity his work will undoubtedly enjoy.

Tags: Blues, guitar, legend, longevity, singer, suffering, t-bone, walker
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