Instant Radio

I know it's been a while since I last posted but I've been in the middle of a big move from Oakland to Los Angeles. Here's some advice: when renting a truck don't believe the specs when they say a 10' truck is perfect for a 1 bedroom.  It's like the measurements on your coffee maker carafe: it may have been true in the past but not now. Let's just say I'm glad it's over.

Moving to L.A. means I've left my radio position and am looking for another.  In tribute to my 20 years at KPFA in Berkeley I am presenting "Instant Radio" written and directed by Bill Chessman. It's a full day of radio programming in 30 minutes which I think is becoming a reality at KPFA (not bitter- not bitter). Click on the title to listen or download on iTunes.

This is a new adventure for me. Here's to some great memories.

Remembrance

Day of the Dead. I've always enjoyed the Day of the Dead. The idea of honoring loved ones who had died seemed right in some way. Not forgotten but always present.

This has become more apparent as I have gotten older. I am of a generation that was hit hard by death due to the AIDS pandemic. My experiences with friends dying prepared me for what I have recently gone through in being a caregiver for my parents although I didn't know this at the time.

"Remembrance" is about how we honor our dead. How we fight to keep the memories of them from fading away. It's about saying this this person- this life was important.  It's a celebration a life through the transition of death.

So this blog posting and podcast is dedicated to friends and family who have died and my way of saying to you that it's O.K. to mourn the passing of a loved one but don't forget to celebrate them as well. Live your life as a celebration of who they were- who they are.

"The War That Never Was"- Alan Lipton Part 2

This is the second post of the Alan Lipton series. I have to say, I am very impressed with Alan. I think that he is very talented but I didn't know how far his passion for creativity went. I recently went to hear him perform (sing) in Berkeley. Despite it being fairly hot, in BERKELEY, and the usual Berkeley characters milling about AND the scheduled BART trains shaking the outside venue, Alan played and sang with passion and conviction. I enjoyed myself.

"The War That Never Was" was the first piece the Fools did with Alan. The script seemed more cinematic than something for radio so it was a challenge to make it work for radio. I think we did.

Click on the title of the post to listen or download it on iTunes.

"Death and Taxidermy"- Alan Lipton Part Uno

Alan Lipton is a writer/musician/character living in the San Francisco Bay Area. We met when I was doing Pagliacci's Fools. He was a writer. I was looking for writers. Perfect fit.

One day in brought me this short piece, "Death and Taxidermy". I fell in love with the piece right away and wanted to record it. Instead of doing it in a live setting I thought it would work best as a pre-recorded piece. There was this actor that I wanted to work with, Brent Rose, who was working with the Shotgun Players at the time. Brent came in the studio, performing both parts and hit it out of the park.

Brent is now in New York, working as an actor. Check out how talented this guy is by going to his blog "50 Characters in 50 Weeks" http://50in50.wordpress.com/. You will be impressed.

Razor's Edge

Kim Nicolini. That's a name you should have heard of before now.  Kim Nicolini is one of the most talented individuals I know. A mother, poet, artist, photographer- a Renaissance Woman. You should know her name and her work.

Kim and I worked together in Concord California back in the early 1990s. Rarely do I get involved with co-workers passions but for some reason I felt there was something about Kim I wanted to experience. One day she invited me to come to one of her poetry readings in Vallejo California. I still remember that evening. Kim's poetry was intense, raw, unapologetic- it bled. I bought two of her books of poetry and wanted to get her on tape. I created a show featuring her and her poetry and the result is "Razor's Edge". 

You can discover more about this uniquely gifted woman on her website http://kdotdammit.livejournal.com/.  But first, experience this woman's passion by listening to the podcast either by clicking on the above title or through iTunes (One Thousand Hertz).

Hey Kim- Julian Schnabel has nothing on you. 

WOYZECK

woyzeck. Woyzeck.  WOYZECK. 

There's something about this play that has stayed with me for over thirty years. I first read the play in 1979 when I was a student in England. There's something haunting and sad about this play. I can't shake it.

Perhaps it's because it was written by Georg Buchner who died at the age of 23. Perhaps it's because the manuscript has the air of mystery around it. You see, although Georg Buchner had finished the play, a series of 29 scenes, there is no guide in which the scenes should be placed. The result is that the play changes slightly depending on the vision of the director. Whatever the reason, I amazed that a man so young had such insight.


Here is my vision- Woyzeck:performed and mixed live in front of an audience.
A direct link is: http://onethousandhertz.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

I'm Going Back Home

I went to my first Family Reunion in 1996. I didn't know what to expect. I wasn't sure what to expect. Growing up  an only child living on the west coast, I knew very little about my fraternal family members who make the Mid-West and South their homes.

Arriving in St. Louis on that hot August afternoon I was greeted with smiles of curiosity. Everyone knew my Dad- in was legendary- and they knew of me but few had actually met the "son from California". Having dreadlocks and a laid back attitude made me a stand out right away. But I was welcomed and I had a since of belonging. I brought a tape recorder with me and created a show that is the basis of this podcast.

I just returned from the 2010 Family Reunion. It's been about 10 years since my last one in Jackson Mississippi. No longer sporting dreadlocks, a little grey- I was welcomed back- the prodigal "son from California".

I don't know what it is about families. There is no "perfect families" like those seen in on television of the 50's, 60's and early 70's. And dysfunctional families aren't as unique as films portrayed in films of today. Families are just people who are seeking to see beyond themselves by looking to others.

I went to the reunion this year to represent my father. But I realize now that I went home. I guess that's why my father found these semi-annual gatherings so important. We all need to have a home to return to; we all need a place where we are welcomed back.

Listen to the podcast of the 1996 reunion at http://onethousandhertz.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default .