HELLO SPRING, HELLO APRIL, HELLO 2009, GOODBYE BENADRYL RUMORMONGERING, TRANSITIONALLY TRANSITIONING INTO BRAVE COMBO’S NEW BASSIST, AND SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH THE DENTON ARTS AND JAZZ FESTIVAL

April 20, 2009, Dateline Denton, TX

Who knows where the time goes?, as Sandy Denny was wont to ask, and I have no answers for you. Only that it’s gone, under the bridge, out of the toothpaste tube, and not the slightest chance in the world of having it re-tubed, recaptured, repurposed or second-chanced. This comes to my attention as it comes to my attention that it’s been over a year since I updated this website, and the eggs and the toothpaste are squarely on my face, and no finger-pointing can erase the sloth or any of the other deadly sins associated therewith. Mea culpa dominus rex, etc.

Where were we? I believe it was springtime. This time a year or so ago my name and music had somehow become linked with a Benadryl commercial on television, and a seemingly endless stream of emails and myspace requests ensued. Many many many inquiring minds wrote to me, wanting to know the name of my song used in the commercial, where could they buy it/ how could they download it/ why wouldn’t I post it? ad infinitum, my mailboxes runnething over. I answered all that I could, although many of the myspace inquiries couldn’t be answered because the profiles weren’t allowing responses if I wasn’t a friend, and when I tried to befriend so as to answer, the profile wouldn’t allow friend requests from bands. End of story, and what to do? Impossibilum cosa nostra in eternum.

But it wasn’t me, it wasn’t my song, and I still don’t know who started the rumor. Or who actually wrote the ditty, sang it, and profited mightily from it. Rumors are especially difficult to squelch in the modern age, misinformation being promulgated at the speed of digital light squared. But good luck to everyone/anyone who’s still pondering the Benadryl mystery, and I hope you’re all able to find the Holy Download one day—it’s a catchy tune. Grailus maximus in confundum.

It’s been so long since I’ve posted here that the annual Denton Arts and Jazz Festival has rolled away the stone of winter and returned like the swallows to Capistrano to the warm, windy springtime of the Denton Quakertown (Civic Center) Park. And here’s that appropriate link: http://www.dentonjazzfest.com
And another one, the location this time: http://www.dentonjazzfest.com/map_festival_location.html
And another one, the commercial for the event: http://www.dentonjazzfest.com/2009JazzFest_3minVOD.wmv
And another one, the full schedule, by stage:
http://www.dentonjazzfest.com/stages.html

LJM and the Young Turks, (Brad Williams, piano; Don Cento, guitar; James Driscoll, bass; Rob Avsharian, drums) will be appearing on the Courtyard Stage on Sunday, April 26, at 4:30 pm. The weather has been ordered (well in advance) to be what’s known
meteorologically speaking as “perfect,” an arcane technical term associated with moderate temperatures, lovely sunshine, and effortless breezes—none severe nor debilitating nor bothersome. Don’t miss it. Don’t miss us. Come on out. And it’s free! Il conspiratore bargainus essentualum.

What else. Yes, it’s true, in a sudden shift of focus, I’ll be becoming the new bass player for one of Denton’s longest-lived musical institutions, Brave Combo. As the band enters its 30th year of existence, I’ll be returning to my bass playing roots and manning 4-stringed lownesses with the impossible to describe musical coat of many colors that is Brave Combo. Borrowing liberally literally from the BC website bio:

Brave Combo is America's premier contemporary polka band, and a Grammy winning one at that. In the same breath, to name some but hardly all of the colors found on Brave Combo's musical palette, one can describe them as a groundbreaking world music act, a hot jazz quintet, a rollicking rock'n'roll bar band, a Tex-Mex conjunto, a sizzling blues band, a saucy cocktail combo, a deadly serious novelty act, a Latin orchestra, and one of America's dance bands par excellence. It's all in a night's music for Brave Combo, often in a synergistic fashion that includes everything from klezmer surf rock to rocking cha cha to what The Washington Post calls "mosh pit polka," as well as to the hokey pokey and the chicken dance. And zydeco, acid rock, Muzak, bubblegum, cumbia, classical, and the twist, to still not exhaust the list. This plethoric multitude of musical styles and flavors is frequently mixed, matched, and melded, into delicious, new concoctions by an imaginative team of musical gourmet master chefs.

I refer you to the Brave Combo website for more: http://www.brave.com/bo/, and to leader Carl Finch’s musings in his latest newsletter, from March of this year: http://www.brave.com/bo/wordpress/
I’ve been rehearsing for the last couple of months with the Brave ones, absorbing as quickly as possible the multitudinous iceberg tips of their vast playlist. Man o man, it’s hard work, and has been exposing me to a wealth of styles that are pushing my boundaries, but in a good way. It’s gonna be a blast, and I’m really looking forward to actually getting my performance feet wet with the guys. Per Aspera Ad Astra.

I’ll be starting up with the band in public performance on May 1st, but will not be bassing with them at the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival. But you really ought to check them out there on the Jazz Stage, at 7:00 pm on Sunday, April 26. It’s the right thing to do—just hop on over from the LJM show, Courtyard Stage at 4:30, grabbing tasty combinations of hot and cold items alternately along the way, and get ready to get your ears, and imaginations, pinned back. Pro nobis profusium in Terpsichore.

Gotta go, running out of time. Must go learn another 25-30 Brave Combo songs in the next three hours. I’m exaggerating only slightly. In Hoc Signo Vinces.

Best to you, seeya one way or another, and thanks for your time and support,
LITTLE JACK MELODY
Denton, TX, 4/20/09