The highlight for me was having Mike Gomez add some cool sax to Sunset Roses and Just When I'm Safe. The second song took me past my time and I had to drop the last verse. Oh well.

Here is the video of Sunset Roses...with sax!

Just When I'm Safe

That shaking of foundations refers to the fact that I have been enjoying the company of a special lady named Sandra. You may have noticed some photo's here credited to her over the past couple months. We met a few months ago at church and gradually began spending more time talking and hanging out. A few weeks ago we realized that there may be something more going on here....we'll leave it at that for now. The story so far is in the songs.

We took a trip to Arizona to see her friends Rick and Terri for a couple days right after Christmas. What a blessed time. The 4 of us had some great worship and prayer times together and Rick and I really mixed well musically. It was truly a special couple of days. I have dubbed it The Painted Visit and you can see more of the pics in the photo pages.

Naturally, I recorded hours of our playing, so here are a couple highlights: 

This one is a song I started writing to process the scrambled eggs in my brain regarding entering in to a new relationship and all the questions that arise. The thoughts conveyed in the song are mutual thoughts that Sandra and I have been pondering both seriously and laughingly. It still needs some tweaking lyrically and this is a pretty rough run but it's one of those captured moments. The synergy between Rick and myself is rockin...at least I think so. It is a rather special recording with Rick being a big brother of sorts to Sandra and this being the first time either one of them heard the song.

I Don't Wanna Bleed (with Rick Hughes)

Here's a version of Sunset Roses from the first night with the 4 of us just kickin it in the living room. At this point Rick and I had only been playing together about an hour. I love what he adds to this song which is one of my favs from my new batch.

Sunset Roses (with Rick Hughes) 

We played Painted Room a few different times in 2 different tunings but this was from the first night (I think) out in Rick's studio where most of the other jamming and recording took place. What a great room...a Painted Room. We did church in that room!

Painted Room (Rob Sandra Rick Terri) 

 Seriously, we did have church in that room. Before we headed home we went back out for a final session. Rick played some of his songs and we moved into worship with some Chris Falson songs. The union of 4 people worshipping Jesus in spirit and truth was beautiful. God's presence was such that none of us had experienced in a while. We moved into prayer and thanks to our Father as he loved on us like the best Daddy in the whole world. From there we moved into this song that I wrote a few weeks back. I hope these recordings transport the listener to that room with us. Be blessed.

The Master's Flow (with Rick Hughes)

 ...And here is the video for Sunset Roses. This is from a turn off on the way to Rick and Terri's.

Photo by Sandra Huston 

This last month in itself has been...wow, where do I start...lets just say God is full of surprises.

I'll stick to the music for now.

I have been writing a lot. I have also been working with some new recording equipment and getting the feel for adding tracks and mixing. It's been years since I have done multi-tracking with a cassette 4 track and everything is different now in the digital world.

There is one song that I have mixed and remixed a couple times that I will post here. It's called "Just When I'm Safe". I recorded the main track of my singing and playing together live with the Olympus as I usually do. Then I loaded that track to an SD card and loaded the SD into the VS 100 and added a pseudo-bass track using an acoustic guitar and then tweaking the EQ to make it sound like a bass! That was fun stuff. Then I added a lead/accent track with the same acoustic (Baden, my pal). I used an odd sounding chorus effect from Adobe Audition on that track.

That's the song I have done the most with at this point. So Here it is:

Just When I'm Safe

OK, How about a cover tune? Yes, it happens rarely around here. So I figured I'd do one by someone you all know, Kemper Crabb. WHO?? Look him up. This song is from his underground classic album "The Vigil" released in 1982. The song is called "Doulos" and it is a deeply special song to me. I'll close this post with an explanation from Kemper.

Doulos

Of course I have an instrumental too. It is recorded with the Olympus with my door open so you can enjoy the birds. I added a lead track.

Segue

And last but hopefully not least, I wrote this last night:

Sunset Roses

Oh Yeah, and here is something for Christmas:

Silent Night

So peace to you all. God bless you and Merry Christmas. See you in 2010.

doulos is a Greek word that means bondservant. In the New Testament times, it was not uncommon for a freed slave to voluntarily re-enter servitude to a master whom he loved. This servitude was called bondservice. Only a freed slave could be a bondservant and once he had chosen to become one, he could never be freed again. Neither could he be bought or sold, and he served his chosen master until death. When a man chose bondservice, he was taken to the front entrance of the house, and his right ear was laid against the doorpost. A nail was driven through his ear and a golden earring was placed in it. This golden earring was a symbol to all, of the servants choice and of his immunity to being made merchandise. Paul and Peter spoke of themselves as being bondservants to Christ. There is a service whose true name is freedom. (read I Peter 2:15-17; Luke 12:37). taken from Kemper Crabb's, The Vigil

At this time last year I was beginning to come out of the most devastating time of my life. I was spiritually, emotionally and financially shattered. To be clear, most of the trials I have experienced are ultimately self inflicted. However, by 2006 I had shot myself down to the point of thinking everything was my fault and I deserved what I got. This is vulnerable place to be in.

Suffice it to say that on the heels of a divorce I entered into a relationship that I believed was from God. While in the beginning I thought I had found my true soul mate, I have a different perspective now. I don't have all the answers, and I don't need them. What I do know is that I am supposed to pursue my music. I'll leave it at that.

So last November I had finally gotten enough work to rent a room after spending 6 months sleeping in my car and the occasional couple days at Motel 6. My new rented room was in Aliso Viejo Right down the street from The Neighborhood Cup. One day while at the cup I noticed on the calendar that they regularly had an Open Mic night. Something inside me told me I had to take this opportunity. I don't remember the exact day that was, it is logged somewhere, maybe even on this site, but it was around the same time as the launch of this site.

I started the site with a piece of music called Flickering Light in a post titled  Purpose. It refers to life recovery and the desire to see myself grow through music. My vision is expanding to hope and pray that the songs that came as a gift to me for my healing will be a blessing to others as well.

I also believe that as I am growing through embracing music as a foundational part of who I am, the the music is growing. The first album, Strategic Wanderings, beginning recording in the days ahead, is a very personal album, understandably. I have material that is going in other directions for the next projects.

Most recently is the song Painted Room. This is a Worship/Warfare song. I have written worship songs but this one has something different. The song basically flows with the fact that true worship is warfare. This song was written in an alternate tuning after the first line came to me while I was at a worship service. I felt that the presence of God just seemed to paint the room. It wasn't about what I could see, it was a presence. It was His beautiful peace.

When the song was completed...or so I thought, I felt something was off or incomplete, I couldn't put my finger on it. I prayed, "Lord what is it about this song? Is it too dark? is it not finished? Do I need to change the lyrics? Something is off."

Well, I picked up a guitar in standard tuning a couple days ago to just noodle out some accent lead over the recording I had of the song played in the alternate tuning. The next thing I know, I am writing harmony chords or rewriting the song in standard tuning. As this came together, it became apparent that this is what was missing.

So I now have 3 versions of the song in standard tuning. The next step will be the first multi track recording with the original and the harmony chords played on 2 separate guitar tracks. It sounds really strong together.

Here are the 3 standard versions, the original version in the alternate tuning can be heard in the video from the previous post.

Painted Room 2

Painted Room 3

Painted Room 4

Still

Painted Room

This is something I wrote a couple weeks ago. The first 2 lines came to me at a worship service. It seemed as though God's presence painted the room. The lyrics progress into heartfelt spiritual warfare and back to the lingering Glory of God.

Over the past few weeks I have been getting ready for recording. The original plan of going to a studio has changed and I am almost ready to start recording at home. I have spent a lot of time researching what I need to do to upgrade my computer and what else I need to be able to record here. It looks like I will start recording in about a week. More on that soon.

I have several things I want to post including a new song and a live set from a new venue but those will have to wait for a few days.

For now, here are some things I am pretty happy with. The first two are new instrumentals in yet another new tuning, E G# C# F# A E

Time Out

What It Is

And then there is this jem from an after work jam with brother Mike Feliciano.

Whisper to Me (With Mike Feliciano)

Rain Bird Laguna Jam - Mark playing nylon string, Sandra Huston reading from Isaiah and taking pictures.

Mark's Groove - that's what it is, Mark on rythym, me plucking wrong notes.

I picked it up today, strummed it and laughed. It sounded beautifull but I had no clue what tuning I was in! Then I hooked up the tuner and realized where I was.

Oh, by the way, the picture of me hugging Baden is from another day...I just love that guitar but picking up the Sunlite today after being glued to Baden was a pleasure. Even after days of almost exclusively playing the Baden, The Sunlite Jumbo delivers sweeeet tone even with dead strings.

I am thankfull for every member of my wooden family.

So here is today's contribution from The Jumbo.

Soul's Rest

Here is the first song with lyrics on the Baden...first song with lyrics since "Breathe on Me" a few weeks ago. I've been exploring a lot of instrumental avenues lately but this song feels like comin home.

 The tuning is EADGCD.

I don't have too much to say about this song...it speaks for itself. 

Listen to > Still

I don't wanna waste my time no more

but sometimes I can't make up my mind

dreamin big these days

I'm tryin to take the steps I know I need to take

so meet me on my road - no

better yet - show me where to go

cause I'm as blind as I can see

and I believe you Lord but help my unbelief

perpetual crossroads are my life

and once again I ask which one is right

to walk by faith is easier now

but still it's like walking through a cloud

so show me signs along my way

and do those things that put a smile on my face

a loving father I know you are

but sometimes it's hard to see

when I'm lookin through a scar

so slow me down and show me how

to sit still and know that you are God

can I sit still and wait on you

can I sit still and wait on you

can I sit still and wait on you

Abba

?

This is from a couple hours ago with the Baden in EADGCD. 

I think this one is going to be a keeper. Unlike the 2 in the last post, I think this one reflects a calm that I wish I could always have. It's that calm that comes from being still and waiting to hear...the still, small voice.

Ears to Hear