Our country has begun a new path. Let us walk it together in unity, faith and support.

Check out the new White House web site, too. As a web guy, I have to say I really like the site’s coding and design.

Man, I am one happy home owner! Living within one’s means and having good credit has paid off. I just signed the papers for my mortgage refinance, saving me $200 a month from now until 2039. Thank you, mom and dad, for drilling into my head the importance of having good credit! While I hope our nation’s economy will bounce back soon, the low interest rates for qualified homeowners are a welcome relief!

But I finally have integrated a multi-effects unit into my gig rig. Actually, I really have never needed a real gig rig, but I think I’ve finally got one now. I’m happy to introduce the Digitech RP500 multi-effects unit.

I have to thank my brother and his wife for their $50 gift card to the Guitar Center. Their gift inspired me to figure out how I could add a new twist to my sax setup, something I’ve experimented with in the past, but for which I’ve never found a perfect solution.

So what am I talking about and what does this thing do for my horn? I can now warp my horn’s sound with cool effects, like a wah-wah pedal, a delay and reverb. I can even make my horn sound a little like Jerry Garcia’s guitar on Shakedown Street. It puts my horn’s electrified tone in the same arena as John Zorn or the saxophonist for Critters Buggin. While nothing beats the clean tone of a 1962 King tenor, it’s a lot of fun to rock a wah-wah with long delay and trippy reverb!

There are also other great reasons for justifying this toy. I can use it at home with my guitar and my keyboard, which is super cool and entertaining. Also, it has the ability to plug in directly to a computer, so new recording possibilities are abundant.

Technically, I’m still prototyping this experiment, but so far the results have been good. I might even try it out at tonight’s Clyde gig. Let’s hope for not pissing off the sound guy and generating lot’s of feedback! Thanks again, Jay and Rhonda, for providing the incentive to get this idea rolling!!

50 years ago today, Berry Gordy Jr. secured an $800 loan to start Motown Records. The rest really is history…

And if you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to watch Standing In The Shadows of Motown. The movie tells the story of the amazing backing musicians who were responsible for recording those famous Motown hits.

“By the end of their phenomenal run, this unheralded group of musicians had played on more number ones hits than the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis and the Beatles combined - which makes them the greatest hit machine in the history of popular music.”

– From the Standing In The Shadows of Motown web site

Partly to help organize my calendar, but mainly to let people know about some good upcoming gigs, I am publishing these dates to the masses.

It’s that time of year again where cabin fever can set in as persistent cold and snow begins to take its toll of Wisconsin residents. Fortunately for everyone, my experience suggests that this is a great time for local bands and their audiences. Surprisingly, when I think it will be too cold for people to turn out for a show, they brave the cold and come out in droves. Something about the comfort of a warm bar, live music and a drink in hand seems to outweigh the braving of the cold outside.

So without further ado, here are some gigs you might want to check out in the coming weeks:

Saturday, January 17th @ The Harmony Bar
Carolynn Black and The Blues from 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Carolynn Black has retired from the Clyde Stubblefield Show, but she certainly has not quit singing. Check out the event details at the Madison Blues Society.

And don’t forget to check out Carolynn with Vibe Syndicate…FuNkY! They’ll be at the Alchemy Cafe this Friday, Jan. 16th.

Saturday, February 7th @ the 5th Quarter (161 Horizon Dr., Verona, WI) at 9:00 p.m.
Multiple Sclerosis Fundraiser “Music can beat MS” with Dave Hecht and Primitive Culture
[View the Flyer]
My friends Steve and Jane Schmiedling are organizing this event and invited me to join my friends in Primitive Culture for the night. Please join us to help raise money for the fight against MS! The fundraiser event begins at 6:00 p.m. with two other bands. The Primitive Culture show begins at 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, January 31st @ Ludlow’s in Monroe, WI
The Jimmy’s featuring Jimmy Voegeli, The Crashers and The Clyde Stubblefield Horns
We’ve been having so much fun with our occasional Wednesday nights at Ludlows that we had to schedule a Saturday night gig! This is really a great band, loaded with talent. Join us here and keep an eye out for more gigs this summer, including a bunch of great music festivals!

This is video of our encore for the last Funky Monday at the King Club (RIP) in January 2008. Enjoy!

Thanks, Tom “Stardust” Strader, for sharing!