Inspired and Impatient.

It’s labor day, and I’m watching the “I Have A Dream” speech, on PeaceTakesCourage.com. Ava, who runs the site invited me to Alabama to perform at her Sweet Sixteen birthday peace vigil on the Capitol steps in Birmingham Alabama. I sang the National Anthem at sunset and quoted his Riverside Church anti-war speech from the top of the steps looking at his church. An awe-filled moment for me. I’ve also been watching a lot of what’s happening on the political stage right now. One of my roommates is very active in getting Ralph Nader into the debates (he’s a third party candidate in 45-or-something states). Lots going on in the world! Times they are a-changing, right before our eyes!

So I’m hauling ass on some new music and videos. I’d been working on the Missing project for a loooong time, and deferred working on more social-change kinds of projects. But I’ve written a bunch of stuff and I’m so inspired by the conversation happening in the world and feel like I need to offer my contribution now.

I’m working on three other projects right now: updating the Unamerican video, A video for “What Kind Of Amazing Grace”, and recording “Things Have Got To Change.”

I’m working with Tie Die Keith who is kind of an “old salt” in the local music scene and has turned his peninsula garden home into a full-on multi-room recording studio. He’s producing, helping arrange, engineer and generally get this project done quickly. And I’m learning a ton along the way. The man is wise as he is colorful.

I hired a couple of really awesome session players to lock in the rhythm section. It’s coming out a little faster than the demo, but I’m eager to hear how this process ends up. I’ve been really enjoying getting to work with different people over the last couple years on projects. “What Kind Of Amazing Grace” is a result of a recording project I did at the Black Cat studios in Santa Cruz.

Anyway, I’ve been working all Labor Day Weekend and feeling good about it. AND I’m feeling impatient. Anxious. Gotta get goin.