JA's JOURNALS
 

Well, the game is afoot.

Finally, 16 years of making records has landed me with the conduit, the vehicle, the pipeline--my own journal page.

I can now finally kick, holler, and bleat my way into your lives, that is, those of you who find your way over here........well, saddle up, pony up, pour a cup of coffee from the pot by the campfire, and let's ride awhile, shall we?

I'm on a ride, yep I am, through this kooky canyon called the Music Business. I got a true "bifocal" view happening, because Keri Noble has a major label deal (I wish I knew how to use the italics on that line), and I have an "under the radar" deal, so I get to see it both ways. We have been working Keri's record "Fearless" since really September 2003, and I just came out with my fifth CD "Ghost Party" this month, and for the first time, I have no big deal, no big marketing plan, no Giant Expectations (which usually existed only in my mind anyway). I got a secret for you--I think I like my thing better. Hey, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed trying to be a Big Deal. But the big blue sea of the Big Deal has you dog-paddling around, never sure where land is, never sure if you're headed towards land, never sure if you are just dog-paddling in a big circle, that is gradually going smaller and smaller (if I knew how to use the make-a- word smaller key I'd use it now)until you are rotating in place, gradually drilling yourself downward. Whew. More on that later.

We just finished the Current Chapter by playing at the Pantages Theater in Minneapolis Friday night--me with my band, Keri with her band, but my band IS her band and vice- versa. Keri showed her true evolution as an artist, taking the audience on a big-league magic-carpet ride with all the muscle, agony, sweetness, and mystery that her true talent delivers. I got to play with the Hornheads horn section on two of my songs, man you cannot have any more fun that that , and I mean it, even if you are thinking about those other ways to have fun.

We are off for a few days and getting things into shape to record her new record, in New York City in June. Talk to you next week, thanks for coming aboard, and drop a line to say "hey".

JA