My wife, Carol, and I wrote this dark little song a few years back. This song emerged from channeling some Edgar Allan Poe as well as English conspirator and poet Chidiock Tichborne. Tichborne’s Elegy is one of three poems he wrote to his wife the night before his execution. Tichborne was executed…(Read More)
I Just Wanna Play The Bongos At various times in my life and career, I’ve been in a band that employed a conga player. (I’m using the term ‘employed’ here in the most generous sense). This is really nothing to brag about, but for some unknown reason my proximity to conga…(Read More)
Dean Hall: New CD on the Horizon What’s Up? Admittedly, taking a break from playing live music has been cathartic. The logistical, organizational, and managerial challenges to tour and play live shows was draining my creativity. Every day I would wake up to a to-do list, and none of it involved…(Read More)
Excited about traveling out-of-town this 4th of July weekend? Sophie certainly is. Maybe you’ll just hang close to home and let your mind wander. Either way, here’s a new travelin’ song to keep the wheels rollin’ — literally or figuratively. Check out this link to Travelin Man. The trip is…(Read More)
The Blues Come and Go The rain keeps falling and there’s nothing You can do but accept it. You can look Away or find shelter, but the rain Remains indifferent. Clouds will gather in the Garden of the guilty and the innocent— As another generation of misgiven Souls…(Read More)
Sometimes, when you’re “shufflin through the Texas sand,” your head may be somewhere else. ZZ Top sang about it, but I know it for a fact. Several years ago, I found myself stranded on a tour bus in the middle of Texas with only the bare minimums to survive: beer, pen, legal pad, and…(Read More)
Have you ever had the irresistible urge to yell “got balls?” at a band playing in a quaint, quiet jazz club? Well, here’s your chance: Got Balls…(Read More)
On Writing Good writing starts with a naked idea pleading for some brave soul to give it wings, lifting it beyond the heavens. But along that path to eternity, most fall captive to cowards, thieves, whores and pimps—destitute slaves to worthless gods; disguised dogma that wallows in timidity—hell-bent on dragging those who…(Read More)
Bullshit: You Know It When You See It Mitt Romney—Mr. corporations-are people-my-friend—was not the biggest loser last night. Oh, believe me, I enjoyed watching the Mittster bite the electoral dust, and momentarily surfed over to the Faux News channel to watch their derisive alternate reality reduced to what can only…(Read More)
Seneca said, “it is the bounty of nature that we live, but of philosophy that we live well; which is, in truth, a greater benefit than life itself.” Sadly, my dear uncle Oral McKinney, who understood the philosophy of living well, passed away on Saturday, November 3, 2012, after struggling with Parkinsonism. Living well for…(Read More)