Good People, you’ve all heard it on the news and the surf is UP! I’ve been a full on saltwater devotee this last spell, squeezing in studio button pushing and guitar fretboard navigating in between the reckless bike ride down to the beach to bob untethered in the saltwater laboratory of raw Aleutian energy. What a thrill and there seems to be more coming!
 That little dot is me dropping in on a Beacons gem earlier in the week. Super fun! I was able to unravel the YouTube uploading mystery and the good news is the first set from the famed Christmas Eve concert is up and ready for your viewing pleasure. These are the highlights and the cool thing with this is I, Peter the editor, can chop out all of the goofy moments where we musically had a spill and leave you with a streamlined experience. Check it out here:  Check out the Celtic dancer fellow rocking the holiday garb to the soundtrack of Fred’s sizzling distorted guitar solo! Also nice to surface was a super positive “letter to the editor” in the SD Union Tribune written by a long time Del Mar fellow who was instrumental in building the outdoor amphitheater space that the concert takes place in. You’ve got to know this is great to hear ‘cuz in contrast, way back in the old days, there we’re some folks in Del Mar that didn’t dig the noise that got generated from the concert. And they let their concerns be known. Now it looks like we’re in like flint, playing the annual concert into infinity and beyond. Click here to check out the fellow’s note. Up for this week, I’m really looking forward to our concert on Sunday evening at the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park. The group is stellar, Beth Ross-Buckley on flute, Fred Benedetti on guitar, Gunnar Biggs the BASSMAN, myself, plus special guest Dave Drexler singing on a few tunes and leading an impromptu interview with me and the bandmates. The music is a collection of my originals plus I made new arrangements on Jobim’s “Double Rainbow” and the classic “Route 66”. I think it’ll be a magic night and look below for the fine print if you can come.  Camarada with Gunnar, Beth, Peter and Fred. that’s it and hang ten, Peter |
“Jimenco”
This week’s song highlight is a tune that we’ve been rehearsing and are playing at the Mingei show on Sunday. I wrote “Jimenco” for my friend Jim who digs flamenco music. This piece hovers in the phrygian mode which is where most flamenco music harmonically lives. Then, through the magic of jazz harmony, it travels to some new sonic vistas. The band is cooking and it’s great to hear it after all of these years.