August 31, 2008 - Freddie Mendoza

My Influences:

Freddie Mendoza
trombone

Upon arrival in Austin in 1999, the instructions were to visit The Elephant Room on Wednesdays from 6 to 8pm to find and enjoy The Jazz Pharaohs. I obediently headed to the basement and found myself greeted by a band full of mostly familiar faces. The music that I enjoyed that day was easily the best I had heard until that moment! I didn't miss a Wednesday after that unless I picked up a gig or some unavoidable emergency arose. School was in session and I couldn't miss a class.

Among the professors teaching on that stage was Freddie Mendoza.
In the following year and a half of Elephant Room jazz class, though I didn't speak very much with Freddie, I took a whole lot of notes on how he worked with the band and how me performed individually. His contribution was never less than absolutely professional and always musically spot-on.
I stopped taking the class after a year and a half ... The Pharaohs decided to take me on as the new bassist.

So, I started a new class at The Elephant Room. I was 100% nerves every Wednesday, playing with such incredible professors. Nevertheless, as great musicianers and great teachers, the rest of the band showed me how to relax and just play. Freddie always shot me what signals I needed to guide me through arrangements and odd chord changes.
In seven years, I've learned so much about music as a soloist and as a band member from Freddie. He's also been a good friend willing to share a joke or some enlightening conversation - verbally and musically.

Freddie Mendoza is an Austin treasure. He is an amazing musician and consummate professional. He practices what he preaches and expects nothing less from those close to him.
It is a great pleasure to make music with you, Freddie. Thank you and I look forward, as always, to playing with you again!


Some links:

Texas State University - http://www.txstate.edu/jazzstudies/faculty/mendoza.html
The Jazz Pharaohs - http://www.art-n-music.com/112/mu/jph/fred.html
Monster Big Band - www.monsterbigband.com

and in honor of some of Freddie's musical interests:
Black Sabbath website - www.black-sabbath.com

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"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."
~ Thomas Jefferson

August 24, 2008 - Geezer Butler

My Influences:

Geezer Butler
Electric Bass Guitar

I did not begin my musical life with the string bass and the music of the early twentieth century. My official beginnings were with the guitar and the rock, metal, and punk rock of later twentieth century.
It took about a year of testing out different varieties of rock and metal before one of the greatest bands - ever - popped into my reality: Black Sabbath! The first song I figured out on my own was, in fact, "Black Sabbath." Hearing a tri-tone isn't that exciting these days but, in musical infancy, it was a good place to start.
As it turns out, Mr. Butler was the man behind the tri-tone in the first song I taught myself. I think that's enough influence right there, right? With a simple tri-tone, Geezer Butler and Sabbath won me over and laid out a very clear path of study for me.
Study rhythm, time, and feel!
From that point on, I committed most of the Black Sabbath (Ozzy years) repertoire to memory. I spent most of the time learning the riffs. Tony Iommi's solos were and are fantastic but didn't appeal to me as directly as the bass lines for some reason. So, I learned just a few of the guitar solos but studied and played every bass line - on guitar.
I also spent a great deal of time listening to how the bass played with or against the drums, the guitar, and the vocals throughout. And, I loved it!

Like our subject, I moved from guitar to bass (string bass). Of course, I ended up in Austin playing a different genre of music ...

I'm still mostly focused on rhythm, time, and feel. Bassists who are happy to just lay it down are my favorites; fancy technical wizardry and musical gymnastics don't excite me too much. While playing "Star Dust" or "That's A-Plenty" or any old jazz standard, I'm not only thinking of how Pops Foster would play it, but how Geezer Butler would play it (then I smoosh those ideas together into one, throw that idea away, and just play it how I feel it). Actually, while playing those jazz tunes, I might spend more time considering the great similarities in feel and bass playing skill shared by Pops Foster and Geezer Butler. (How about that coincidental similarity in nicknames?! Maybe I ought to find myself with some sort of oldster moniker; is it the secret to bassist success?)

Thank you so very much for the stellar beginnings and the continued inspiration, Mr. Butler! It's a great honor to follow the path you've beaten.

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Some links:

Geezer Butler website - www.geezerbutler.com
Black Sabbath website - http://www.black-sabbath.com/personnel/butler.html
Geezer Butler quotes - http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/geezer_butler.html

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"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."
~ Thomas Jefferson

August 17, 2008 - Amanda

My Influences:

Amanda
Arts Enthusiast, Beautiful Human

A good six or so years ago I played one of my first gigs at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport with my old pals The Boxcar Preachers - http://www.boxcarpreachers.com/. It's an interesting gig; lots of folks are thrilled to have some live music to distract them from the altogether unpleasant experience that is air travel; lots of folks don't even seem aware that there is music to enjoy; it's also a great joy to play under the incessant robotic announcements regarding mindfulness of one's baggage. Nevertheless, a gig is a gig and playing for the folks that do enjoy music, does make the gig worth the security check.

... On the break, Korey - http://www.iamkorey.com/ - and I took a little walk down the concourse to stretch and headed back. We returned to meet the father of a family who had been enjoying the music during the first set. He motioned for his four or five year old daughter to join our conversation. She was pretty shy so Dad tried to encourage her to speak, "Go ahead, you can tell them what you told me." She was still too shy to speak but she was able to hand to each of us a gift she made while she listened to us play earlier.
The gift was the photo above, signed across the top. Amanda had drawn five of these beautiful pieces, each in a different color for each member of the band.
Dad realized she wasn't going to speak to us and said, "In her words, 'The band gave me the gift of music, I want to give them the gift of art.'"
It didn't take long before there was a small lump in my throat.

Folks, Amanda surely did give me the gift of art. She also gave me the beautiful gift of selfless gratitude, and she did it with love.
Amanda continues to give me the same gift. Everyday, I look at her art (as soon as I came home that day, it was framed and hung on the wall for all to see). Everyday, a small child hugs me with love, kindness, and gratitude in her heart.
She is twice as old now and, perhaps, she has completely forgotten that one very sweet gesture but I will never forget it. It is easily one of the very best rewards I have ever received.

Amanda, if you are out there, thank you, and please, know that I thank you every day of my life.

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"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."
~ Thomas Jefferson

Aug. 10, 2008 - Frank Meyer

My Influences:

Frank Meyer
guitar, ukulele, string bass, voice, songwriting, natural building, all-around good human

Friends, meet a guy who cares about the good things in life. Meet a guy who is looking out for the future of the planet and the good folks who live here. Meet a guy who is a great talent.

I met Frank a number of years ago. Somebody played a cold-hearted practical joke on Frank by giving him my information and telling him that I would be a good bassist for a couple of gigs. As it turns out, Frank is a glutton for punishment and has hired me many times since.

Frank is a wonderful songwriter! His tunes are all good fun as well as meaningful; what could be better?
Not only are his tunes wonderful, his delivery of his tunes is fantastic! Frank has a great voice and a natural ability to perform his material with very little effort and quite a bit of heartfelt grace.

Frank is not just a great songwriting musicianer!
He is a hardworking builder. Mr. Meyer is a veteran natural builder; by that I mean Frank builds environmentally conscious structures using sustainable material and ecologically sound practices.
He has even organized a Natural Building Colloquium here in Texas.

Frank walks the high ground; I'm proud to know him and call him a friend. He is really trying to (and does) make a difference in the world and really trying to help others do the same! Furthermore, (and very important to me!) he does it all in very good humour. Frank smiles with his head, hands, and heart.

Thank you very much, Frank!


Some links:

Frank's website (music and building): http://www.thangmaker.com/
For Sale: http://www.thangmaker.com/merchandise.htm
Natural Building Colloquium Texas 2007 - http://www.naturalbuildingtexas.org/

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"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."
~ Thomas Jefferson