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“Something’s missing. It’s Moody.”

May 182013

Funny how a short comment like that, in the right context, can inspire a whole song. In this case, the comment was made on Facebook by a gent named David Johnson, who like myself was a long-time friend and former bandmate of the late Tim Moody… multi-instrumental musician, composer, filmmaker, and acoustic recording engineer par excellence. We lost Tim unexpectedly last year to a sudden massive coronary. It’s was David’s comment in a post about some video that just made the song title leap into my brain, and after that, the tune and lyric just came tumbling out. I guess some emotions had been percolating down inside for a while.

Anyway, here’s the song, which I hope you will enjoy even if you aren’t part of the history that inspired it.

Get CD-quality Audio
Tim generally despised the MP3 audio format, even while recognizing it has it’s place. He would hate it that a song remembering him would be only MP3. So if you’ve got the ear to hear, and the bandwidth to download… help yourself!

Download "Moody’s Missing" by Robert Palomo – 16-bit AIF audio, zipped, 49.7 MB

Meet us at Indiana Fiddler’s Gathering
Friends of Tim Moody are planning to meet at the 2013 Indiana Fiddlers Gathering, in Battle Ground, Indiana, USA. Some of us know each other only by name, and some of us are long-time friends and band-mates. Main gathering is planned for Saturday, June 30, 2013 at 5 p.m. with a picnic/potluck, followed by an evening of reminiscing and playing music. With luck we’ll get a pick-up band together for one of the Open Stage events. If you’ll be in that neck of the woods at that time, do come join in.

LINKS:
Indiana Fiddler’s Gathering
Tim Moody’s M-Unit Project page

“Gray” version 2.0 – the learning curve continues

News, Things Musical Comments Off

Apr 032013

Or… “If only I knew then what I know now”.

I went back and looked at the original GarageBand tracks of the first song I put up on my site 2 ears ago and discovered that almost all of the tracks contained “clipping”… too much volume, causing distortion.

My music a strictly DIY project until I get discovered by a big-time producer with a heavy-hitting label. (Maybe I should skip music and go into joke writing?!) So not only do I play all the instruments and sing all the vocals, but I’m also the recording and mixing engineer, general go-fer, flunky, and janitor. Considering all the slick gear I haven’t got, the results could be worse. ANYWAY…

Here’s a new take of “Gray”with every track re-recorded except the guitar solo. Toward the end… well, maybe it was the single malt, maybe it was the lateness of the hour… but I started gettin’ a little goofy. So the last chorus of Gray Version 2.0 (hey they do it with software, why not with songs??) adds… are you ready… classic rock organ, and then, to take it out… Latin style trumpets. My Hispanic genes asserting themselves (LOL). I’m not sayin’ it’s better… just different. I may scrap it later.

Listen to “Gray” Version 2:

Get a Hi-quality MP3 »
Lyrics page »

HOW “GRAY” WAS WRITTEN

The introduction riff is something that I had around for maybe 10 years and never quite knew what to do with it. Then one day I was in our upstairs sitting room gazing out over the meadows into the gray mist that had been hanging around for, well, days… weeks? Long time. That’s St. Petersburg and environs for you. The climate that some enterprising tourist brochure copywriter called “maritime”. Which translates to shi**y. ANYWAY…

Looking at the gray mist (the song art is the actual view out my window) and running over that banjo riff, I just sort of hummed… “Gray. Another gray day. Another gray day just like yesterday.” It fit the tune. I went and wrote it down. The tune stayed in that state for several months until winter set in and the wood stove started up. One evening when the Missus and I were sipping some wine after dinner and the fire was dying down, I said something pretty close to “I’ll toss another log on the fire. You pour another round of that there superb vintage.” Or words to that effect. I realized that would make a nice chorus for Gray. I mean, what else can you do when the weather is cold and gray and you heat with wood?

So I had a first verse line, and the basic idea for the chorus first line. After that, it was just the craft of songwriting. The result you can hear. It is what it is, folks. Oh yes, one more tidbit. I kind of rushed to finish it by my other half’s 50th birthday so I could play it at her party. I did. All I can say is, I hope it goes over better here than it did there. But hey, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, even if you end up wondering if you “oughtta hadn’t”.

Which is about where I am with this blog post.

Thanks for dropping by. Have an un-gray day. Stay out of jail.

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Happy Frozen St. Patrick’s Day

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Mar 172013

"Today upon Saint Paddy’s Day it may be warming globally.
But this much we can safely say, it’s feckin’ freezin locally!"

Minus 18 Celsius as Saint Paddy’s dawns just north of Saint Pete. That’s just crazy. And so is this song:

Get the free high-quality MP3 »
Lyrics and Back-story »

A Cultural and Linguistic Note
The word "feck" occurs frequently in this song. In fact, the chorus is mostly just that. I’ve been informed that this is a common expression in Ireland and not considered particularly offensive… certainly not as offensive as the variant spelled with the word "u" is considered in the USA, or at least some places in the USA.

Have a look at this video. Apart from being hilarious, you will notice that this respectable looking, mostly middle-aged to senior audience (not sure if British or Irish) are laughing like hyenas and not being offended at all. Using the word in this song was certainly not intended to offend anyone, except for whoever ordered this feckin’ deep freeze for Saint Paddy’s Day.

If for some reason you feel that "feck" is somehow offensive…

a) don’t have a look at that video and –
b) don’t listen to this feckin’ song!

And a right Happy Saint Patrick’s Day to ye!

song qr code image

Image based on work by Michael Pohl posted on stock.exchng

Relief for the late winter blues

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Mar 062013

Flowers Under the Snow In Russia they say March 1 is the first day of Spring. Technically it’s not, but then these people have good reason for wishful thinking. Having lived among them for almost 20 years, I indulge in a bit of that myself. If you’re about at the butt-end of your tolerance for winter, maybe this song will help you hang on. Because it’s true… there are Flowers Under the Snow!

This song was written for me by a man I’ve never met face to face, but who I consider a good virtual friend: Greg Connor, from Savage, Minnesota, USA. As a Minnesotan, he knows what winter is (Savage describes the couple of winters I spent on the road in Minnesota!) Greg is far and away my favorite completely obscure and unknown songwriter. He, as do I, makes a living from something other than music (in Greg’s case… sausage!). If you like this song, I recommend you pop over to www.alonetone.com and listen to more Greg Connor.

This performance is dedicated to the memory of my father, Robert Palomo, Sr. born on this day in 1924. I know he would like this song.

Free High-quality MP3 »

Music tainted with horsemeat!

New song release, News, Polemic Pontification, Things Edible Comments Off

Mar 012013

LISTEN ONLINE (WARNING: Lyrics contain language rated PG-13)

I started following the European horse meat scandal when it first broke in the UK early in 2013. So here’s yet another example of the widespread lack of of ethics in 21st century business. Only this thing has a new twist: instead of merely corporations defrauding consumers, now we see there’s been prolific defrauding of corporations by other corporations! (The end result for the consumer being the same ol’ same ol’ “bend over and smile”.)

However, nothing musical suggested itself until late February, 2013. I had just got back from a business trip to Prague when a story broke in the New York Times about horse meat being found in Ikea’s frozen Swedish meatballs in the Czech Republic (talk about globalization!), causing the company to withdraw them from sale there and a number of other countries.

Not sure why, but inspiration struck and in about 20 minutes I had lyrics for “Pony Burger”. While cooking dinner the next few days (no Ponies… at least I don’t think so), a tune started taking shape in my head, but I didn’t have time to work on it until some things for The Dreaded Day Job got done. After that, the recording went pretty quickly. Here’s the result: a cheery Americana song with a sort of Singing Cowboy feel, and definite horse meat content! Enjoy… along with whatever you like to grind up and munch down.

Get the free MP3…

4 Ways to Help YOUR Candidate Win

New song release, Polemic Pontification Comments Off

Oct 132012

Cartoon of politician kissing protesting baby It’s that time again… mud-slinging, flag-waving, plank-hammering, and squandering mountains of money that could be more productively spent almost any other way. Yes, it’s time to elect the President of the United States!

As the final days of the insane almost 2-year circus and media feeding frenzy wind down, no matter which side of the Looney-toons aisle you park your butt on, you certainly want your favored candidate to walk off with The Big One. Well, here’s how you can help your candidate!

Remind them about the basics of campaigning. Right about now it’s easy for them to get distracted by things that don’t really matter… like the serious issues confronting the nation and the world. Hogwash! Here’s the way to win:

“If you want to get elected to a high political office, you gotta shake the menfolks' hands, and you gotta kiss the womenfolks' babies.”

Listen to "Kiss the Womenfolks' Babies"

4 Ways to Help YOUR Candidate Win!

Download the MP3 send it to your favorite candidate as a little “Banjo-centric” reminder!
Send your favorite candidate a link where he/she can listen and learn!
Share a link to this post on Facebook, Google+ or wherever you virtually socialize!

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Get your narrow butt to the polls on election day and VOTE!
(If you don’t vote you have no right to bitch about the lousy job they’re doing!)

Where No Bluegrass Has Gone Before

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Aug 202012

Well, another Russia-America Bluegrass Jamboree has come and gone – the third one so far. When I suggested the crazy idea to the American Consulate General in St. Petersburg 3-1/2 years ago I never dreamed how amazingly it would pan out. The first one in 2010 kicked off with Pete “Dr. Banjo” Wernick accompanied by Joan Wernick on guitar, Justin Hoffenberg on fiddle, and yours truly on bass. Then last year we brought over Donna Ulisse and the Poor Mountain Boys (Greg Davis, banjo, Rick Stanley, guitar, Jon Martin, mandolin and Bobby King, bass). This year Bill Evans came over with an all-star cast from Nashville: Barbara Lamb, fiddle, Tim May, guitar, and Todd Phillips, on bass. What a treat to meet those folks and hear them play over here!

Bill Evans and Nashville Bluegrass All-stars sound check at Vologda, Russia

Jamboree 2012 Hightlights

The 2012 jamboree was a bit different in several ways. For one thing it featured shows in vastly different localities: super-urban Moscow, Russia’s analog of New York City, and Totma, a very small provincial town with a long history – 875 years! And a connection with the USA – the founder of Fort Ross in Sonoma valley California, Ivan Kuskov, was a Totma native. The reason the Consulate chose to have a show there was to showcase American traditional music as part of the town’s bicentennial celebration of the founding of Fort Ross.

One thing about doing a show in Totma: we can credit Bill Evans and company for boldly taking bluegrass where no bluegrass has gone before. The crowd numbered around 1000, and we can be pretty sure it was the first time any of them heard bluegrass music. There’s an old saying in Russia: “In this country we have two problems: fools and roads.” Bill and the gang definitely experienced the latter. The road from the first show at Vologda to Totma was, well, the word brutal comes readily to mind. I’ve ridden over worse but only once. I think if Bill ever performs with the same band again he can name the act “Bill Evans the the Rough Riders”.

Let there be jams!

The high point for me was an impromptu jam session with the 2 Russian bands that were on the Vologda-Totma leg of the jamboree: Grass Pistols, from Nizhny Novgorod, and Fine Street from St. Petersburg. It was in Totma after the ceremonial ringing of the cathedral bells simultaneously with Fort Ross. The directors of the Ivan Kuskov Museum graciously made this beautifully restored old log building available way after hours. I know Bill and the band were pretty exhausted, but they went the extra mile realizing how much it meant to the Russian musicians to get to pick with these masters.

Card of thanks

I hope bluegrass fans everywhere will join with me in thanking the United States Consulate General in St. Petersburg for their financial and organizational support for the past 3 years, and also to the directors of the Vologda State Museum for providing outstanding performance venues, local organizational support, English-speaking guides, and more. And this year, kudos to the Totma city administration and directors of Totma museums for their gracious hosting of this bluegrass event and musicians.

We never know from year to year if this event will continue. It all depends on availability of grant funding and personnel resources on both the U.S. and Russian sides. In just 3 short years has a stellar record of showcasing some of the best of American culture, not to mention top bluegrass musical talent, in places that have never encountered it before, of bringing people together rather than dividing them, and of helping a well-loved form of music to be heard in, and spread to places and people where it hass never been before. Let’s hope we can keep it going!

LINKS

(Facebook)

Bill Evans Photo Album on Facebook

Rain Vibes for Colorado: “Rain’s Coming”

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Jul 102012

There for a while it was looking tense for some of my friends based in Colorado. I’m worthless as a dancer, so a few steps of the the ol’ rain dance was outta the question – I’d probably just cause more fires!

Then one of my friends on Facebook posted a link to an album project that’s going to raise some funds for Colorado folks who lost everything in the fires. That reminded me of a song I wrote sometime back in the 1980s. I was living in Indiana. There was a long dry spell, and one morning it ended. You can read the full back story over on the song page.

HAVE A LISTEN NOW:

So I went into the ol’ All Natural Studio and finished up the song as quickly as I could. The resulting bluegrass style tune is better than I’d hoped given how much time I had to spend. I submitted the tune to the Rain Dance page on Facebook and hope it will help them do some good.

Colorado isn’t the only place that could use a few rain vibes right now. So why don’t you hop over to the songs page, snag yourself a download, give it some plays and think rainy thoughts for them as need it! Oh yeah… and share it with folks you know and ask them to do likewise!

More Bluegrass in Moscow

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Apr 182012

Playing some bluegrass style banjo with Moscow’s The Red Brick Boys.

2 Bluegrass-Americana sets
1 Irish-Celtic set with guest musicians
1 solo “Banjo-centric” set by Yours Truly

Venue:
“Dom y Dorogi” (‘Road House’ club ) Located on 2nd floor of the Rythm’n'Blues Cafe)

Address:
Starovagankovsky Pereulok 19, Building 2. Metro Aleksandrovsky Garden, Metro Biblioteka im. Lenina.

View Larger Map

Time:
20:30 – 11:00

Tickets: 300 RUR

Bring a print of this image, get in for 1/2 price:

Click for large image - download, print, present at the door for 50% off admission

Coffee Achievers, Ronnie Raygun, Miami Vice, Yuppies, Doin’ Cocaine

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Apr 012012

The 1980′s. Remember? Designer version of the 1950s? Miami Vice pink and aqua everywhere you looked? Ronald Raygun the Sincere? Coffee Achievers? Iran-Contra? De Lorean? Yuppies? Cocaine?

I’m old enough to remember that decade when cocaine became the recreational pharmaceutical of fashion (though I’d rather forget most of it). One thing about it I had managed to totally forget was this song, which I most likely wrote as a result of the onset of middle-age. Oddly, it was the untimely death of singer Whitney Houston in March, 2012 that dredged it up from the depths. (Although she didn’t die from a coke overdose, the blow was reported to be a contributing factor).

Reading the headlines triggered the thought “Hey, I once wrote a song about doing cocaine!” The gears started churning and by the end of the day I had the lyrics written down and started working out the guitar chords. Human RAM is an amazing thing because it all came flooding back and within a couple of days I had the guitar and vocal tracks you hear on this recording.

There’ no banjo in this one. It just didn’t work. I may be banjo-centric these days, but I’m not banjo obsessive-compulsive (although some might argue that point).

Although the song pokes fun at the zaniness of the 80s, it must actually have been written in the early 1990s because the politician verse was definitely inspired by the story of the then mayor of Washington D.C. Marion Barry. Despite having everything going for him, he went in for doing coke, got busted, went to the slammer. That was in 1990, so the song was written somewhere around that time.

LISTEN TO DOIN’ COCAINE:

The Rude, Bad, Evil Version

During the recording sessions I added another verse to the song. It contains some rude language that would get a movie a PG-13 rating. Why? Because I was feeling cranky, ornery. Why? I’d been following the Republican primary elections in the U.S.

OK, so now you’re warned about it. And you still want it?

AUDIO STREAM
LYRICS & DOWNLOADS

Happy April Fools Day!

It’s a year to the day since this fool launched this foolish little venture. Didn’t manage to do everything I’d hoped to do when I started, but did more than I thought I actually would. It’s been fun so far, and there is more to come. I’d like to personally thank everyone who became a faithful fan during this first year of my coming out as a songwriter. One of these days I swear I’m gonna buy you both a beer!

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