Life In The Mosaic Sun

WhiMSy love: Love is the Way: Giveaway

2011-12-06T13:12:00.000-06:00

Mel Bay, Ozzy and A Dog Named Blue

2011-10-21T12:07:00.000-05:00

Often I’m asked what kind of music I play. “Folk Rock Groove,” I usually respond - then I offer further explanation, responding to the oft-puzzled looks I get! What’s Folk Rock Groove? I’ll start at the beginning of things – sorta . . . uh, let’s start with rock.

ROCK
I started playing guitar when I was eighteen. I’d landed a job at a grocery store and I finally hand a little money - and a lotta time on my hands! Having listened to tons of Ozzy Osbourne, Van Halen, and Quiet Riot, I was well groomed to join the ranks of heavy metal guitar slingers! I bought an amp and used electric guitar and I started taking a few lessons. I was on my way to rock the world! Mmmm, so I thought . . .

FOLK
My first guitar lesson was with a Mel Bay’s Modern Guitar Method workbook – a very slow and arduous text for an anxiously aspiring rocker! After a few lessons, my instructor, Kenny, suggested I pick up on acoustic guitar. I was playing around on his acoustic one day and he told me I seemed to have a knack for it. Seeing that I wouldn’t be shredding on guitar anytime soon, I took his advice . . . but stopped taking his lessons. I wanted to rock and roll man! Kenny and the Mel Bay were a little too slow for me.

NOTE TO FUTURE GUITARISTS: YOU WILL NOT SHRED ON GUITAR OVERNIGHT! STICK WITH THE LESSONS – THEY WILL PAY OFF SOON ENOUGH!

FOLK continued . . .
Having forsaken Mel Bay’s Method, I opted for something more my speed and bought a little book that promised the ability to play guitar in twenty minutes. Great! I would be wailing away before I knew it!

The book - true to its promise - showed finger patterns to play two chords – C and G. Consequently, the first song I learned to play was not Crazy Train ala Ozzy and Randy Rhoads! Rather, it was Had A Dog And His Name Was Blue ala Peter, Paul and Mary! Add to this a few more chords and also my experience with summer camp bands, and you’ve got the major reason for my folk infusion – practicality! I wasn’t shredding . . . but I was playing guitar!

GROOVE
Okay, I was, confessedly, the odd kid on my New Orleanian block! Though I was a rock guitar slingin’ wannabe, Jazz, Funk, Soul, Rap and R&B permeated the atmosphere where I grew up. Groove is a prenatal, cultural inheritance that forms the very foundations of my musical inclinations. Stevie Wonder, Professor Longhair, War, Chuck Mangione, Dr. John and a host of other groove purveyors inform who I am as a musician and songwriter - It’s in my musical DNA!

Enclosed is a FREE DOWNLOAD of a Folk Rock Groove sample, Day In The Life of a Girl. Check it out, share it with your friends and let me know your thoughts! Better yet, buy the entire album (only $5 for digital download) . . . and help me make an honest living!

Well, that’s my brief history in Folk Rock Groove - Thanks for delving in!

Peace, Love . . . and lots of Groove to you,
Joey K

Laugh Today

2011-04-04T12:09:00.000-05:00

I am especially glad of the divine gift of laughter: it has made the world human and lovable, despite all its pain and wrong. -- W.E.B. DuBois

This is one of my most favorite quotes and I woke up with it on the mind . . . thought I'd share it with ya!

Be encouraged!

Hope this day finds you with something to smile about!

Love and Peace,

Joey K

Alien Jive Live @ The Frame Gallery

2011-02-27T00:36:00.000-06:00

Soooo . . . One day I woke up with this idea in my head: a guy was having a conversation with this dude at a coffee shop who spoke this weird lingo: alien jive. I tried to explain the concept to my wife . . . and she has since banned me from staying up late and drinking coffee 'til the wee hours of the night!

I tried to tell her: Hey - caffeine doesn't have an effect on me! Okay, well . . . maybe it does . . . just a little . . .

Here's a live performance with a jazz trio of the song that came from that wild idea; I would LOVE to know your thoughts!

Have a caffeinated kinda day!

Love and Peace,

Joey

Sittin' Around With My Guitar ...

2011-02-17T22:02:00.000-06:00

It's been a little over a month since I left my day job to pursue music full time. I've been asked on occasion, "Sooooo - are you bored yet?" I answer that with a resolute smile - NOOOOOOOOOO! Man, I am busy! Meeting people, cleaning up contact lists, getting ready for taxes - there's a whole lot more to being a musician than just playing guitar and singing!

BUT...having my time freed up does afford me moments when I can just sit around for hours with my guitar . . .

Okay . . . I was modeling for an art session at The Frame Gallery, but still ...

Hope your day has good moments filled with laughter!

Love and Peace,

Joey

Day In The Musician's Life

2011-02-16T01:15:00.000-06:00

The Arena

2011-02-07T13:14:00.000-06:00

Per my previous Super Bowl post, here is one of my favorite thoughts to ponder. This is from former US President Theodore Roosevelt.

It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the Arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.

--Theordore Roosevelt

Man, that's compelling.

Love and Peace,

Joey K

King Solomon and the Super Bowl

2011-02-07T12:43:00.000-06:00

Have you heard the bad news? Yes, it's true: The Pittsburgh Steelers did NOT win the Super Bowl. Drats and humbug! Oh well . . . life goes on!

As I watched my team go down against the Packers, I thought - what does it matter? In a couple of days the afterglow of this Super Bowl will go down as a foggy memory.

Jerome Bettis aka The Bus (formerly #36 with the Steelers) also came to mind. Do you remember him? I wondered what he was up to these days after retiring from the game - Super Bowl ring in tow.

If King Solomon were watching the game, he probably would have cried out: Vanities of vanities - this game is vain! What's the point of this thing?

As I continued to urge the Steelers on in the battle - wondering why they weren't crushing Green Bay - this revelation came to mind: the important thing in all this is playing the game. . . and I think Solomon would have concurred.

YES - it would have been glorious if the Steelers had procured their 7th Super Bowl ring; YES - it would have been great if all my trash talking had been actualized in the glorious defeat of Green Bay. But what happens tomorrow? How about a week later? Six months? A year? This game - like the host of others played before it - will be lost in the after thought of history.

Losing or winning isn't the most important thing: the important thing is playing; the important thing is living and engaging the process of it all.

I hope this finds you engaging life well!

Love & Peace,
Joey K

Olé

2011-02-01T17:12:00.000-06:00

In some of the venues I perform these days, people don't give a flip what you're doing:

-- You just learned a hip new song that's taken you weeks to perfect!
So what.

-- You have a new CD you're TOTALLY stoked about - the result of months of turmoil, crafting and cash!
Who cares.

Sometimes that is just the way it is! It's a good thing I am learning that my value is not based so much on what I do but much more on who I am as a human being . . . and I think I'm alright as a human : )

In those times of disregard, however, two thoughts usually come to mind. One is a story my wife shared of a lady who remembered seeing Billy Joel (before he was a HUGE success) playing piano in some little obscure dive bar.

The other is Olé - the culmination of thoughts shared by Elizabeth Gilbert at a TED conference.

If you're needing a bit of inspiration, I'd encourage you to invest 20 minutes in yourself and check it out! The video follows!

Olé to you as you live, love and create!
Peace, Love & Groove,
Joey K

WONDERFUL WORLD at KEOS Radio 89.1FM Bryan, Texas

2011-01-21T12:24:00.000-06:00

Texas Sky

2011-01-14T01:19:00.000-06:00

Per my previous post, here's a taste of the Texas skyline. It isn't Pala Duro, but beautiful none the less!

Love & Peace,
Joey

Themes, Western Skies and Songcrafting in Yesterday

2011-01-14T01:01:00.001-06:00

A lot of the themes in my songs are based on recollected experience. They are compilations of reflected thoughts bound together to form a singular item - the song.

Yesterday is like that. A line from the song reads - we can live we can breathe in the Western skies - and it is an allusion to two specific life experiences: traveling westward for the first time and having lived in the Southwestern Pennsylvania.

The only landscapes I knew for the first 18 years of my life were the flatlands of Louisiana and Mississippi. Most of those years were spent within concrete and asphalt confines of New Orleans. Then I landed a job at an adventure camp - Philmont - in New Mexico

It was on my way to Philmont - traveling by way of the Pala Duro Canyons - that I got my first taste of the Texas sky. Imagine seeing the vast and broad sky unhindered by stucco, concrete and telephone wire! The sky went on without end until it converged with the land, uncluttered - only the ribbon of road winding through it. It was awe-inspiring: Spacious. Clear. Liberating. I was free.

As for Southwestern Pennsylvania - in spite of its rich history and plush green landscape - the winters there can be cold, damp, gray and loooooooooooooong. It leaves you with a sense of yearning, longing for warmth. heat. summer. sunshine. It left me longing for the western sky.

Well, there’s a bit of the meaning in a line from the song. West is rich, dense, and sweet in meaning for me. Hopefully you catch a glimpse of that in Yesterday.

Love, Peace, Freedom & Groove to you,

Joey K

DREAM live at KEOS Radio

2011-01-12T00:09:00.002-06:00

What's New In The New Year

2011-01-11T22:51:00.002-06:00

Hola! Hope your new year is AWESOME and I hope this note finds you well!

Here are a few things going on with me:

I left my day job - hallelujah! Wrote the song DREAM just before I left! Insane? Yes. Good timing? Who's to say! You're crazy! I won't contest that! But sometimes you have to leave the safety of the known and mundane to pursue the unknown and life-fullfilling. So I jumped and am pursuing music full time these days!

CD Baby, Amazon, and iTunes are carrying Love Is The Way! Please download a song or two - or album - and help me make an honest living!

I visited KEOS Radio 89.1FM and DJ Stevo yesterday and recording a video of a new song I wrote: DREAM It's a bit of a shout out to what I'm doing these days - pursuing my dream.

Well, I hope you are in peace.

I hope Santa was good to you.

I hope you are pursuing your divine dream!

Peace and Love to you!

Joey K

PS And please share the music - I appreciate it!

Lean On Me

2010-12-02T01:19:00.000-06:00

Wise Kings, Old Band, & Free Christmas Music

2010-11-29T20:19:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite proverbs from the ancient Philosopher King Solomon reads:

Where there is no ox, the stall is clean; but much increase comes from the strength of the ox.

I love that! The implication? Well, to me it reads: Dude, you can do a lot of stuff on your own and it will be neat. But get others involved and it will be freakin’ awesome! Messy, yes, but awesome!

These days I work primarily as a solo artist, but few years ago I was a part of this really cool band, Ten point Ten. Our group was comprised of a really talented lot, especially the keyboard player - Bill Hubauer. Billy Hue - who painted sound on the keys - was one of those guys who had to be at the very front of the line when talent was being doled out!

He had the ability (it seemed) to play all of our instruments better than we could! Okay, maybe not the drums - JT was rockin'; Scob on bass was pretty phenomenal too; Scotto wasn’t playing his primary instrument. Okay, maybe Hue just played guitar better than me!

One of the projects we recorded was the Christmas CD - 12 25. Hue and I collaborated on a couple of the songs including Messiah, He Is Born - and I’ve made it available as a Free Download (just click the link). Check it out and I would love to know what you think! Post a comment (on my site, Face Book . . . )!

BY THE WAY, I have a very limited quantity of 12 25! If you’d like a copy before they run out, click HERE! You won’t be disappointed!

I hope you had a GREAT Thanksgiving, celebrating with family and friends!

Love, Peace, & Christmas Groove,

Joey

'Love Is The Way' Pre-Release Sale

2010-10-31T21:38:00.000-05:00

Hola everybody! In just a few weeks the 'Love Is The Way' CD will be done! A final mix-down and mastering and it’s off to the presses! This final process is a bit pricey (well the though whole thing is, really), so I decided to have the 'Love Is The Way' Pre-Release Sale to get this finished! Here's the scoop:

The Love Is The Way CD will normally sell for $10 US.
Pre-Sale pricing follows:

1 CD…………..$8 US
2 CDs………...$15 US
4 CDs………...$25 US
Shipping Included!

You can pre-order using Pay Pal, Credit Card, Check, or Money Order. Just click on the link: www.joeymcgeemusic.com/prelovepage.cfm

Check or Money Orders, make payable and send to:
Mosaic Sun Music
CD Pre Order
PO Box 5417
Bryan, TX 77805-5417

Your Pre-Ordered CD is GREATLY Appreciated!

Love Heart Dove: A Cover Story

2010-09-21T20:52:00.001-05:00

On a monthly basis in Bryan we have a monthly event called First Fridays. It’s a multi-sited event held in the historic downtown area and features the arts, music, food venues and so forth. My friend Greta Watkins – an artist and gallery owner - usually hosts one of the locations at her shop, The Frame Gallery.

I was a part of a group with Greta that met to discuss community, spirituality, finances, celebrate birthdays, have barbeques and so forth. One night before a First Friday, we decided as a group to assist Greta in getting set up for the event – which takes a lot of preparation.

Many hands make work light certainly bears truth and we got the Gallery ready in a short amount of time. So we had a bite to eat and were invited to do one of the kid-crafts to be held at the shop: create paper plate hearts. It must have been around Valentine’s Day or something.

We dove into our projects, splattering acrylic hues onto the plates, swirling varied patterns, then we cut out our creations in the form of a heart. We hung our hearts on a line and they would be displayed in the Gallery along with the other pieces that would be created on First Friday.

One of my friends - Holly - created this AWESOME piece for her project. She took 3 plates, painted, cut and pasted them together and came up with this:

Wow. Yeah, I know – pretty awesome, huh? Usually, the crafts are given to the creators or thrown out about a month later. I happened to be visiting Greta during the clearing of the projects and Holly’s was slated for the trash can. What! This? Slated for the can? No way! Umm, yes! I will certainly take it. I had no idea what to do with the piece, so I put it into my song book to protect it.

Then I started working on a recording project . . .

Then I needed an album cover. . .

Let’s see: if I could put some text here, put a cool background here, push this around, sharpen this line . . .

Well, you’ll have to wait to see the end result. Like the CD, it’s almost done! Well that my friends is the story of the album cover coming together

To be continued . . .

Love, Peace, & Groove,
Joey

Authentic Bingham

2010-08-11T16:34:00.000-05:00

Lately I’ve been listening to the music of Ryan Bingham - an Alt-Country/Rock artist – and it is so good that it almost makes me want to quit song writing and performing! Okay – well, maybe not quit - but that dude rocks!

I first heard Ryan’s music on Austin City Limits and I immediately had to get some of that music! Living in Texas must be affecting my musical taste because Bingham has a distinctively Country sound . . . which is a far cry from my funk-metal, progressive rock leanings. But when something is good, you gotta appreciate it!

The song that stuck out to me from Austin City Limits was Hard Times – it is freakin’ awesome! It’s one of those songs that make you throw your fist into the air and yell – Yeah! There’s no other way to describe it; it connects with you on a heart and gut level. I’ve also been groovin’ to the tune South Side of Heaven over and over and over again – it’s just good stuff.

What I like about Bingham’s music is that it screams of something very much lacking these days: authenticity. The music is gritty, rough-edged, passionate - sometimes coarse – but I love it because it’s real. Man, I’ve had enough fluff and stuff in my life; I’m appreciating the authentic more and more these days.

Well, that’s all for now. I just wanted to let you know what I’m listening to these days. As for my own music, I’m still in the studio – man! I was hoping to be done by now, but life doesn’t always happen in accordance with our plans. We must learn to flow with it!

Here’s to keepin’ it real and flowing in the river!
Love and peace,
Joey

PS Ryan Bingham has music that’s more recently released. There are a couple of songs on the soundtrack from the movie Crazy Heart that are available, and he has a couple of other albums floating around. This Ryan Bingham link should have more info for ya!

Brothers

2010-07-02T16:28:00.002-05:00

My relationship with my brother, Shawn, is a testimony to the miraculous. If you heard our conversations and laughter, you would never know that we were once as Cain and Abel . . . but we are not subject to the dictates of what was. We can surely change.

Poets are a pensive lot: there’s always something brewing beneath the surface of our laughter and smiles. I wrote this during one of those times as thoughts of my little brother came to me one day.

Chase – you are awesome! You’re a great dad and a great person. I love and appreciate who you are and who you’ve become. Never let the haters get you down.

Brothers
once i accused you of being a bastard child
yet find myself the same:
fatherless;
wandering;
wondering;
discovering
who and what i am and will be.

but we are men now;
we should not have these struggles.

cursed are absent fathers!
don’t you know your sons and daughters need you?
they will surely prophesy:
damn! damn. damned.

once again, we bear the grievances of now:
hope is yet alive
and by grace
we will become
and evolve -
revolve –
around this sphere
of earth and influence.

perhaps we will become
greater than the destinies laid out before us
as we share this fate of being
fatherless men
with a troubled mother
- ascended on high -
much like mary, the mother of jesus:
have mercy on us sinners.

The Writing Life

2010-06-11T15:12:00.001-05:00

Do you keep a journal? If you don’t – or some other semblance of recording your life – let me encourage you to take it up! Recently, I was reading journal entries I wrote well over twenty years ago and I came across this:

The writers and the poets of the world are painters. We paint the pictures of life in all of its glamour, beauty, its charm and even in its ugliness. We are the expressors [sic] of that which we see. I hope some day to be a great painter with my words; and I hope I can share light in a world of darkness.
Love Joey K, Euless, Tx 5/30/89 6:15pm

Well, the dexterity of my writing was a bit lacking, but the sentiment remains the same: In a world of darkness, I want to shine light. That’s my hope as I live out who I am . . . and create and sing and perform.

I am also finding that we sometimes have to look back at our lives to rediscover who we are and where we are going – reflection and meditation is good.

Now the very next line of the journal entry reads: I’m listening to Metallica now. Some people think of it as very aversive music . . . What can I say? You gotta have your dose of metal music every now and then!

Be graced to continually be and may your light shine as you become!

Peace, Love & Groove
Joey K

Corrections and Revelations

2010-06-05T17:43:00.001-05:00

Ummm, if you read my post from yesterday and tried the link for the phenomenal song JUNE that I spoke of, the link would have simply brought you over to the www.blogger.com site. Now, this is a grand site, but not the one I intended. Thus, I made a correction and also made the link available on this post. Thank you, editor in chief (aka, my wife) for pointing out this debacle!

Well, I just wanted to give you a heads up on that . . . but while I am at the processor, let me share this with you:

YES, there is a difference between a $4 harmonica and a $34 one! There. I hope I clarified that for ya! And while the Jambone Harmonica is a great little tool and has served me well in live performances, the Hohner 532 Blues Harp is a far better tool for rockin' the house and recording. We live and learn!

Happy Harmonica playing!

Love and Peace to you!
Joey K

June

2010-06-04T15:49:00.001-05:00

So, have you ever heard Spock’s Beard? Spock’s what, Spock’s beer - what? Yeah, that’s the same reaction I gave my bud, Billy Hue, when he asked me the question. Hue and I were working on a demo for a recording project and we were discussing elements we wanted to incorporate. That’s when he mentioned the Beard thing.

Well, the name was weird enough so when he offered to play a sample of the music, I received it nonchalantly: “yeah, sure let me hear what you’ve got.” Then he played it and O M G. I was left stunned and gaping. He played the song June for me and I was left simply dumbfounded . . . and I needed to hear that song again!

Neal Morse was the lead singer for the band and he has become a huge influence in my own singing, writing, and performance of music. Neal has this distinctive, signature voice and the intricate vocal and musical melodies the band intertwined along with the captivating narratives opened up another world for me. It was GREAT! They are still one of my favorite bands.

Two songs on the Love Is The Way music project - Boy Met A Girl and Yesterday have a direct relationship to both Hue and Spock’s Beard. Inspired to pursue something epic in nature, the songs were to be a part of this awesome, double-disced project called Odyssey of Boy … but the band broke up and I was left to complete the songs on my own. That was too bad - but I have recruited Hue to lay down some keyboard parts on the Love project . . . and you’re gonna like it!

While we’re on the subject of June - I’m hoping to have the finishing touches for Love Is The Way completed this month. After that we’ll have to mix everything, get it mastered and pressed – there’s a LOT involved in this. I’m learning something new every day – but I’m loving every moment of it!

Well, that’s all for now!
Love, Peace, & Groove to you,

Joey K

PS Let me recommend a couple of things for ya: First, you need to check out the song June. At $0.99 (from iTunes) – it’s a great investment!
Second, if you’re interested in what my friend Hue is up to these days, he currently has a few things in the works with the band, Ten Till. It’s very cool stuff in the progressive-rock genre.

Peace!

JKM

Notes From The Underground, 2010

2010-05-07T15:57:00.000-05:00

As an artist and writer I am finding that there are times when I’m so entrenched in my work that I haven’t communicated in a while. This is one of those times and, hence, the title of the blog!

To date I’m continually plugging away at recording my latest project, Love Is The Way. The last time I wrote I was in the throes of deciding which songs to produce and meeting with musicians to help me on the project. I didn’t even have the title then. I’m happy to report that I am beginning to see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel! Woohoo!

This production will be a studio recording of newer songs and a few older ones. My previous recording - Alive & In The House - was a live recording of a little concert I performed. The final production for Love Is The Way is near completion and I’m hoping to release a single of the title track shortly. I’ll keep you posted with that!

Other than that, I’m just plugging away at life . . . and it is good! I had an opportunity recently to visit a good friend in Florida and also have some hang time with my wife in Austin, Texas and those were GREAT times! It is always good to connect with those you love.

Well, I just wanted to say hello and let you know that I’m still alive! I hope this note finds you in much peace.

Love, Peace, & Groove to you,

Joey K

Hola & Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T17:58:00.000-06:00

Hello Everybody! Hope you are doing well!

Just wanted to show the love and send you a song. This is Boy Met A Girl and it is a part of the recording project I'm currently working on. It's not quite complete but pretty cool as it stands.

I'm performing at a house concert tonight in College Station, Texas and that should be cool. My last couple of performances have gone really well and I feel like I'm getting more and more into my groove each time I perform. It's cool!

Well, Happy Valentine's Day!

Love and Be Loved!

Peace and Groove to you!

Joey K

PS Feel free to SHAREhare the song with as many thousands of folks you may know! The more the merrier!

Shalom,

JKM

Happy New Year!

2010-02-02T17:27:00.001-06:00

Recently I came across this statement from Austin artist Jana Pochop while reading her blog: As for the rest of 2010, which I deem really starts in February because January never counts, there promises to be tons of good stuff happening. I’m inclined to agree with Jana on this one. So since February really is the start of the New Year – Happy New Year Everybody! And hey - it’s been one year since I started this blog!

I didn't perform much during the holiday season going into the New Year. I don’t think I had any gigs in November, December or January. I was actually glad about that as Christmas season got into full swing. Now in February, though, I have two gigs this first week and we’ll see what the future holds for others.
I am in the process of recording with recording engineer / bass player Steve Carr and drummer Michael Holleman and that has been GREAT! To date we have about 12 songs in the can to polish up and they should be released around summer time.
I made no promises nor resolutions for the New Year. I’m only purposing to continue some practices I’ve begun. Two practices in particular will be life altering if I am graced to keep it up: Incremental Improvement and Thankfulness. The gist of these practices is pretty simple: try to improve one thing about yourself every day (I’ve heard that this is a Japanese mindset) and express thanks for the smallest, simplest things in life – water, air, shelter, food, clothing, relationships, health - take nothing for granted. it's been a cool way of being and the continuance of what I've started some time ago.

Well, I just wanted to say hello to ya! I hope you are doing well and again – Happy (belated) New Year!

Love, Peace, & Groove,
Joey K

What's The Buzz with Starbucks and Free Music

2009-12-09T00:10:00.001-06:00

To the great dismay of my coffee loving comrade John Flinn, I am recently obsessed with Starbucks Coffee Company. John is the primary roaster at What’s The Buzz – a fine and outstanding micro-roastery here in the Brazos Valley. If you, perchance, visit the website, maybe you could mention my name on any notes you would leave there. And maybe – just maybe – John will speak with to me again; order something and you’ll be the impetus for restoring a coffee-bonded friendship!

My current obsession with Starbucks comes from reading Pour Your Heart Into It. It was written by Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, over a decade ago and it was cool to learn a bit of the company’s history. If you’re a business owner or a Starbucks fan, I’d encourage you to check it out. It is filled with cool insights, wisdom bits, and it really expresses the heart and vision of Starbucks. Here’s a snippet from the final chapter of the book that really resonates with me:

The music of the Beatles resonates with me, as with many members of my generation, because it reminds me of people and places and times when I was growing up. So I was eager to watch the Beatles anthology special on TV and hear the Beatles themselves talk about the history of the band. In an interview during one of the programs, Paul McCartney said something that really hit home with me (Schultz).

It was after they had drawn a crowd of “only” 50,000 at Shea Stadium, and they were getting fed up with touring. Their final tour ended at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on August 29, 1966.

On the TV program, Paul, George, and Ringo were sitting around a table recalling the reasons they had decided to quit touring. “We were getting worse and worse as a band while all those people were screaming,” Paul said. “It was lovely that they liked us, but we couldn’t hear to play.”

That one quote struck me as profoundly relevant. They could no longer hear the music. When that happened, they lost their meaning. That had to go back to the studio to find their sound.

Well, my hope for you is that you will always hear the music in your life beyond the constancy of noise. Here’s a link for some Free Music from yours truly: don’t get Stuck In The Middle!

Peace, Love and Groove,

Joey K

Patty, Penchants and Poetry

2009-09-25T16:16:00.005-05:00

Patty Griffin is one of those songwriters whose songs simply arrest: they command attention. I was first exposed to Patty’s music while living in Pittsburgh via WYEP (http://www.wyep.org/) – a very cool indie radio station. The first song I recall hearing was Rain and I had to get that song . . . so I immediately went out and purchased 1000 Kisses. Ahhh.

As I delved into the history of Patty and her music, I discovered a number of commonalities we share. Among them is our penchant towards melancholy and our Arcadian French Catholic heritage: her folks settled in Maine as I recall; mine settled in Louisiana. Perhaps the heritage explains the inclination. Perhaps.

Well, I won’t go on and on with some deep introspection on melancholic dispositions. I will encourage you to go out and get yourself some Patty Griffin music, though! You won’t be disappointed!
With that I enclose the following poem, These Songs. Patty here’s to you – stay beautiful, keep creating, and – yes! Of course I’ll sing a duet with you anytime!

Peace, Love and Groove
Joey K

These Songs: Addiction

Melancholy
Sickly
Sweet
Songs of the Soul
A Friend? A Desired Companion?
I Don’t Know
Sometimes I Just Don’t Know

Still
The Siren Sings
Beckoning me onward with a Simple Lyric
And a Rhyme of Complexity.
Dark and Lovely
Softly Spoken
Words
Into the Chambers of My
Leaning, Listening Ear.

These Contemplations,
Am I all the more a Fool to Pursue?
Will it Lead to my Demise?
(I Hope Not!)
Are They Fleeting Vanities
Or
Are They Substantiated Necessities
(These Ponderings of the Heart)?

Chaos in the Midst of Calm Express Am I
And these Songs
Pour
Constantly
Endlessly
Resoundingly -
Resonances of the Heart.

Deconstruction, Being and Funk Metal

2009-09-03T13:49:00.000-05:00

Wow - It’s been a while since I’ve written anything here. I’ve been pondering a lot of deep things these days. Basically, I’m pondering the thing of being and becoming. In my life I’ve been so focused on doing, doing, doing that I’ve missed the mark in being. Thus, my identity has become what I do and not who I am. Things begin to fall apart when what you do is stripped away. You’re left with the question: well, who am I . . . really?

It’s cool to be in this mode of living. In this process I’m discovering things about myself that I LOVE and things that really stink . . . and I don’t want to be a stinker!

If I could label this process I would call it deconstruction. It is essentially an examination of all I believe and purport to be true and seeking to live within the parameters of those discoveries. The thing of living within these discoveries I call being. So that’s where I’m at these days – on the apex of being. On that threshold there is both immense freedom and a certain weight of responsibility – it’s GREAT!

May you be graced to be all you are meant to be; I pray that you will embark on a path of discovery that will profoundly astound you!

Peace, Love, and Groove,
Joey K

PS Okay, I have to write something about music!

Have you heard of the Funk Metal group Kings X (http://www.kingsxrocks.com/)? They are awesome and are a significant influence in my music. In line with thoughts just shared, I’d encourage you to check out the tunes We Are Finding Who We Are and A Box. And I’ve enclosed a couple of photos for ya!

Keep rockin’!

JKM

Bob Dylan, Etcetera

2009-06-18T12:20:00.006-05:00

Bob Dylan is one of those creative forces whose influence so permeates the musical world that it often goes without notice. Like the wind, you can’t quite tell where it’s coming from – but you know it’s there! As I’ve read articles and bios of songwriters, a common theme often emerges: Dylan’s music had a significant impact on them. Cool!

I got into Dylan because of one of my influences, Jimi Hendrix (whose music I got into because of his influence on guitarists I was really into: Stevie Ray Vaughn, Billy Gibbons, Eddie Van Halen, Michael Hedges . . . the list goes on). One of my favorite songs of Dylan’s is All Along the Watchtower, which I often – if not always – perform during my sets. If you haven’t checked out any of his music, do yourself a favor and gogetchoselfsum!!! You can also listen to my version of Watchtower on myspace: www.myspace.com/joeymcgee

This past week has been a blur! I played my first gig at Veritas Wine & Bistro (www.veritaswineandbistro.com) and that was cool! Veritas is a sweet venue and the music usually played there is jazzy. But they gave me a chance to do my thing (which is more folk rock groove) and the crowd was pretty into it. Sweetness!

I also joined Kristy Petty again at Art 979 Gallery / Village Café (www.art979.com) for this year’s Art Step (held in lieu of First Friday this month). Playing at 979 Gallery is always a blast, but it was especially cool this time: my bud Tim Elliott (aka Dr. E) joined me for a few songs and played a mean – and I mean mean - blues harp on the set. Also, my friend Greta Watkins (The Frame Gallery) had a chance to show her works as a featured artist this month. She even painted a picture of me. While I was playing I was beside myself!Yes, pun is intended – if you look at the pictures below you’ll see there’s a painted portrait of me behind the wall – what a riot!

Well, life continues to groove on! I’m still meeting cool people, connecting with other artists, learning the art of recording and mixing, and still trying to shine the light! Last night I went into the studio to learn more recording ropes from Steve Carr . . . who also laid down guitar tracks on a fun blues song I wrote called Tip My Tip Jar, Man. I’ll keep you posted with that!

I hope this note finds you in much peace – SHALOM!
Until Later – Peace, Love & Groove,
Joey K

PS Okay, sorry this is so long but I had to add this. In honor of Bobby D, I pulled out my old harmonica and started playing it live. Man, you gotta love harmonica!!! Okay, that’s all!

Peace!
JKM

Notes From the Underground

2009-06-03T10:26:00.012-05:00

Have you ever read Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison? It’s a modern classic written about a man who feels so alienated from society that he decides to live underground – literally (I believe the setting was New York City in the 1940s). Well, I’m not feeling that estranged these days, but I do feel like an invisible man of sorts. I haven’t been on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Blogspot nor email in eons. Ah, the e-connections we have these days . . .

Life is busy but I must say it is has been good – real good! Here’s a snapshot of what I’ve been up to: Do the normal day job thing; run to the recording studio at night (I’m still learning the ins and outs of recording . . . and I am GREEN); play at the local Farmers Market (5:30am start time – yes, that was 5 am); visit Jacob & Anna Kail and the Family in Austin, Texas; have Memorial Day cookout with the family; attend Texas Reds Steak and Grape event in Downtown Bryan; do some more studio stuff; lead a few worship services; back to work again . . . okay, I think you get a bit of the picture I’m painting. It’s been a little busy!

The busy-ness is hectic, but – again – it’s good. While learning to record, I’m also meeting really cool musicians and experiencing the variety of musical flavorings from the area. There are some talented folks out here! Josh Hammons, John Clark, Eugene, Devon, Randy Watkins, and of course Greg Tivis and Kelsey Taylor (who finally finished their project – and it sounds GREAT!). I’ve enclose a few pictures from the various happenings and there are still more events to come! I’ll keep you posted!!!

Until later,
Still Surfing Below the Surface,
Joey K

PS While performing at the Farmers Market, I was informed (just a vibe I caught) that I need to expand my musical repertoire: It seems that I’m in desperate need to include some country in the mix – what a riot! Well, I do like Brad Paisley!

Life is good,
Peace, Love, & Groove,
JKM

2009-05-01T10:22:00.001-05:00

The Big Kahuna

2009-04-30T15:57:00.005-05:00

I had a chance to be a part of a cool event this past Friday: The annual BBQ Cook-off! I was in charge of music for our team – The Big Kahunas – and we had to compete against other teams based on theme, presentation, spirit and – of course – the Menu! My team – perhaps indicative of our name – opted for Hawaiian BBQ and it was pretty sweet . . . literally . . . with pineapples!

Some of our competitors were: Backyard Babes, Nuestro Pueblito, and Hellraisers & Heartbreakers. Now with names like that, you know the competition’s gonna be hot . . . or scary, one of the two!!!

Overall it was a cool times: I got to sing a couple of songs live, play the role of DJ (broke in the new sound system!), and afterwards cleaned up the mess we made! No lies, it was good times connecting with folks, hookin’ them up with the Hawaiian-styled BBQ, and just having a good time.

The Kahunas didn’t win a THING (I’m thinking there was some partiality . . . ‘cause we were GOOD!!!) . . . but I do think we made an impression with our Hawaiian PUNCH. If there was a PEOPLE’S favorite, I’m sure we would have won it! Oh well - next year! I enclosed some pics from the event.

Peace, Love, & Groove
Representative for The Big Kahuna,
Joey K

PS If you'd like to hear a few songs I've done, check out www.myspace.com/JoeyMcGee

and lemme know what you think

Later!

JKM

Black Boys in America, Part II

2009-04-28T09:11:00.004-05:00

After posting Nobody's Darling in The Cult of Cool, I thought that this was an apt follow up. I wrote the following poem around the time of Black Boys in America (see previous posts to view that one). As with that one, this poem is a reflection of my experience growing up as we did.

Black Boys in America, Part II

For Black Boys in America
Fathers are the Stuff of Dreams
Unfathomable Notions
Tearing at the seams.

Mothers are our redemption
Peace in them we find
Brothers are our companions
Walking the Thin Line

Sisters are just whores
As dreadful as that seems
Bewildered is our outcome
Justifying the means.

Peace, Love, & Groove,
I hope this post finds you well and blessed!
Joey K

Nobody's Darling in The Cult of Cool

2009-04-27T15:04:00.004-05:00

There is much that is woven into the influential fabric of my life. Pivotal among them are early writings of Alice Walker. She authored The Color Purple and wrote a number of essays she described as womanist prose. Womanist – as I recall – is a term she coined to demark her being uniquely black and feminist.

While growing up I grappled with a number of tensions: black and white, right and wrong, love and hate. Among the tensions I wrestled with was whether or not I was cool. Now cool in my culture was typified (negatively, among other characteristics both positive and negative) by outward appearance, possessing a demeaning view of women, and not excelling academically. At one time I earnestly desired to be cool, to fit in. But as fate would have it, all my strivings were in vain . . . I failed miserably! Just call me a flunkie in the Cult of Cool!

I experienced freedom from the desire to be in the Cult of Cool through several means: traveling, discovering like-minded people, and reading, chief among them. I don’t know how I fell upon Walker’s writings, but she made an indelible impact in me that still resonate to this day. I read much of her poetry and prose and found a kinship and understanding in them; reading and reflecting upon her writings helped me to take a stand to be who I was in spite of what culture dictated who I should be. Thank you Alice! Following is a poem of hers that is significant to me in daring to break free from the dictates of culture and the Cult of Cool. Enjoy . . . and may you be graced to follow the dictates of conscience even if they are in opposition to those of culture!

Peace, Love, & Groove,
I appreciate your prayers!
Joey K

Be Nobody’s Darling

Be nobody's darling;

Be an outcast.

Take the contradictions

Of your life

And wrap around

You like a shawl,

To parry stones

To keep you warm.

Watch the people succumb

To madness

With ample cheer;

Let them look askance at you

And you askance reply.

Be an outcast;

Be pleased to walk alone (Uncool)

Or line the crowded

River beds

With other impetuous

Fools.
Make a merry gathering

On the bank

Where thousands perished

For brave hurt words

They said.

Be nobody's darling;

Be an outcast.

Qualified to live

Among your dead.

Hap'nens!

2009-04-20T15:57:00.004-05:00

I’ve been in a very absorptive state of mind these days: I’m seeking to learn all I can about different elements of music . . . and there are a lot of elements, let me tell ya! Yesterday I had the opportunity to be a part of a recording session with sound engineer Steve Carr - who is also a MONSTER bass player. It was incredible! We recorded jazz artist Greg Tivis (www.gregtivis.com) and crew - Ron, Denny, Rich (sorry guys, I forget your last names) and Kelsey Taylor, an incredible singer. I can’t wait for the CD!

Steve invited me to learn some of the ropes of recording with him, an invitation I gladly accepted! When I listen to music, I visualize it. I see where the drums are, where the bass player is standing, the type of guitar that’s being played. Music is a very visual experience for me. In my song writing, I often see the lyrics I write in scenes played out in my mind, and I think learning the art of recording from Steve will be a great and practical experience.

Last night’s experience was a good one. If there’s one good lesson to be learned it’s this: I need to practice . . . a whole lot more! I need to know my instruments and songs like I know my name! The recording session lasted for about 8 hours, and in that short span of time, this band cranked out 2 full-length CDs worth of material with minimal retakes. I was simply stupefied.

I enclosed a few photos from last night; it was incredible! Okay, I gotta go practice!

Until Later,

Peace, Love & Groove,

Joey K

Creole Gumbo . . . mmm, mmm!!!

2009-03-28T14:11:00.009-05:00

Have you ever had gumbo? Oh, you have not lived until you’ve tasted some good, authentic, Creole gumbo! Gumbo is this beautiful meld of ingredients - okra, tomatoes, chicken, crab, sausage, shrimp, celery, onions, garlic, parsley, bay leaves, cayenne pepper - ughh! My mouth is watering now! It is this great soup-like meal with all these ingredients thrown together to make this beautiful, tantalizing, savory dish that makes you go - “Mmmm. Life is good.”

Like gumbo, my music is influenced by a cornucopia of musical spice and flavors. Among them is the artist Paula Cole. (I included a picture of her from Amazon.com).Paula is one of those artists that I just happed upon: I saw the cover of her CD, listened to a sample of her music @ Borders Books in Pittsburgh, and I was immediately hooked. She has this powerful, compelling, emotive voice and writing style that simply enthrall. Paula, you ROCK!!!

Some time ago, I wrote the following poem in response to her song Neitchze’s Eyes - wow! If you get a chance, check out the song and you’ll see what I mean. A warning: some of Paula’s songs are very poignant - enough said. Well, enough of my yapping; here’s the poem:

Until Later - Peace, Love & Groove . . . and please pray for me!
Joey K

Understanding 4/9/97
Entranced, I find it hard to break away
And so grasp for your familiarity

Your songs drip of potency
Take on the semblance of somber echoes . . . a distant past

I listen. I hear determination in your voice -
The Tiger unleashed, roaring
You've made up your mind, haven't you?
Your tender frame reels of the decision
Forsaken only are regrets -
Revelation is good

Shaking Quaking Trembling
This is not an easy road
Welcome to this Walk, This
Way of the Lone

Your Emotion Poured out Upon the Covering
Tears are Pools Upon the Pillows
Libations to Appease the Gods of Sorrow
The Bed a Place of Torment and Revulsion
And The Pain Just Will Not Let Go of Its Grip

But in Those Things that Matter
In this Thing of Life
In this Stuff of Existence

It is Good to see that you've escaped the Tumultuous Rat's Race
The Pedestal of your own Undoing and
Coming Apart

P.S. If you get a chance to partake of some authentic gumbo - heck, gumbos at a restaurant like Bennigan’s would suffice- then by all means, get yo’self some! You won’t be disappointed . . . unless you aren’t into seafood, spice, and flavor!

Retreat!!! Spring Break 2009

2009-03-25T14:13:00.004-05:00

As many of you know, a significant part of my musicianship was developed while playing music in the church. Though I haven’t played steadily in a church for sometime, I relish the opportunity to participate in the spiritual experience of leading the musical segment of a worship experience when the opportunity arises. This past weekend I had such an opportunity to lead musical worship with my good friend Jacob Kail, who hails from the groovy city, Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania’s, that is – GO STEELERS!). Here's a picture of him - gotta love that smile! And just in case you were wondering - Sorry, he's already taken :)

Jacob currently lives in the sweet city of Austin, Texas where he’s the youth pastor of a cool group of kids. This past week was Spring Break for a number of students, so Jake and his crew headed south of Austin to the New Braunfels area – yet another cool area of Texas. It was awesome! We had a great time engaging the Spirit, hanging out together, and just having lots of fun! Retreats rock!

Of course I was totally EXHAUSTED after the experience! Retreats are typified with early morning rises, TONS of activity in between, and staying up far too late for anyone’s good! So after all of that and then driving 3 hours to my little town of Bryan, I just crashed - I think it took be about 2 days to recover! But you only live once! Gotta make the most of life, you know!

Well, just striving to rock out in Texas!

I appreciate your prayers and good thoughts,
Peace, Love & Groove!
Joey K

Mosaic Sun Music

2009-03-04T16:38:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, I’ve been doing the music thing for eons! I’ve been a part of bands from Phil-Harmonics (camp-folk rock) to Ten point Ten (progressive rock), and all were great experiences. I’ve finally reached a point where I figure it’s now or never as far as pursuing music to make a living. I’m older now, so I won’t be competing with the good looking, well-fashioned boy bands of the era – but I’m going for it!

My personality is very laid back and this has its pros and cons. It’s great if you want to relax, enjoy life’s moments, and enjoy the people in your life. It stinks if you want to run a business! Discovering this, I approached several friends who’ve achieved some modicum of success in business for their advice. I came to them with all these awesome ideas about songs, album art, and ideal bands. Their response: Uh, dude you need a BUSINESS PLAN . . . and focus wouldn’t be a bad thing either! A business plan! I always got stumped with that. So, a business plan, huh? Yep, a business plan – ughh!

This year I’ve determined to put my nose to the grindstone and complete the ever elusive business plan. I am plowing away at an enormous to do list to complete it, and man, this thing take time and energy! But I’m getting by – as the Beetles said - with a little help from my friends!

I accomplished two significant tasks recently: I filed a fictitious name and I opened a business checking account. With that said, Mosaic Sun Music is open for business! Yeah!!! Okay, enough rejoicing – I have to get back to the taskmaster, uh, I mean list.

A special note to my groovy and savvy friends - Brian Fisher, Dan Robbins, and Adam Saenz – thanks!

Until Later –I covet your prayers,
Peace, Love & Groove to ya!
Joey K

Black Boys In America, Part I

2009-02-20T11:24:00.003-06:00

Orators astound me. I am perplexed with the eloquence and lucidity of speech that some folks have. At my small Catholic elementary school in New Orleans, we students were put through the rigors of speech memorization and execution. We had to learn speeches of the great orators of our history – Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King among them – and prizes were doled out to the most expressive and skilled among us. I, of course, was not among the heralded crowd. I just tried to eek by, hoping by some extreme act of Providence to garner a passing grade. I don’t recall what my scores were; I only recall hating that part of the school year!

Writing has been and continues to be a saving grace for me. If I must, I will speak in public . . . though I’d prefer to leave the speaking to the orators! There is something healing about getting all of the thoughts, emotions and ideas that swirl around in my brain out on paper. They become tangible and I can attempt to make sense of them all. In that light, I share the following poem I wrote while reflecting on my youth. I hope you enjoy.

Until Later - Pray for Me, Peace, Love & Groove,
Joey K

Black Boys in America, Part I
When we were young in America
Pride was our Creed
Cool was our Code
Bravado our Defense -
- Silence, the mode.

But Black Boys can not deny
In those Formative Years
The Constant lull of Avarice
And Adolescent Fears

Confessions, Revelations & Harleys

2009-02-04T13:20:00.001-06:00

Having heard from several folks that they’ve actually enjoyed my writing – combined with the fact that I am constantly writing some thing or another – I thought I’d get involved in the blogging phenomenon. I write with more purpose than blogging for blogging’s sake. So if you dare, read on . . . and welcome to the world of Joey.

Since moving back to Texas (hallelujah), I’ve made a discovery about myself: I live in the moment. My good friend Lou (now, Dr. Adam L. Saenz - psychologist) helped me to see this, and it makes a lot of sense. The good part of this is that when I’m with you, I’m with you! My mind isn’t off in the future contemplating what needs to be done: I engage the moment. The flip side of it is that I tend to forsake putting forethought into the future. Thus, I can be like a sweet Harley – souped, dressed, and gassed up – but never really going where it’s designed to go: thundering on the open road. That is frustrating . . . but I’m a work in progress!

I share this recent revelation as a confession of sorts. To my chagrin, I’ve neglected to stay in touch with a whole lot of cool folks with whom I’ve connected with over the years, especially folks from Pittsburgh. To those folks – and others - I have this plea: Will you forgive me? Please? Pretty please . . . with a cherry on top?

Okay, so here’s my repentance and attempt at breaking away from being a person living solely in the moment: this blog. I write all the time - It’s one of those things that keep me from going insane! I figure this is one way that I can let you know what’s going on in the life of Joey K . . . and hopefully connect.

I haven’t figured out blog culture yet, but there’s probably some way to keep you up to date with new posts. Until then I’ll just send update links via email or facebook or some other avenue I know. If you want to opt out – you know: you haven’t forgiven me even though I asked pretty please with a cherry on top – that’s cool. No pressure. No problem. We’re certainly inundated with an overload of information these days.

Well, that’s all for now - I’ll be bloggin’! The subjects will be broad and varying, but you can certainly anticipate themes of music, revelations of life, revelations of God, my victories, my struggles – you know: The Life of Joey McGee.

Until then, Peace, Love & Groove!
Joey K