The Ranch News

Greetings from Willow Creek Ranch.

It's maybe a good thing we aren't having a 2008 reunion this time around. Last Saturday we had an electric storm, no rain but many lightning strikes Boom, Boom, Boom, right on top of us, knocked out our power for 3 hours.

It set off 800 fires in N. California. Our air quality is yucky, thick with smoke. In the Mideast they have too much water, here we have to little. I think Mother Nature has her little jokes!

Dave Hall just had to have emergency surgery, he suddenly had his retina detach on one of his eyes. He went to the Dr. here in our area, and that Dr. sent him right down to Sacramento. He isn't allowed to come back here yet because of the elevation. He has to keep his head lowered for a few days, not fun.

On August 3rd, Steve Noonan, Michael Ray Cox, Harmonious Combustion, and Bob Sheffer are doing a gig together in the town of Rough and Ready's Grange Hall together. Should be fun.

Next reunion planned for June, 2009.

Jim Fielder Hello from Texas

Jim Fielder called tonight so I got to play a little catch-up with him. Sedaka seems to be keeping him busy these days and unfortunately keeping him away from the Left Coast. Jim was in his usual great spirits and said to say Hi to all. Sedaka will be playing at The Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas in November and I plan on going. Join us if you can. Jim is about to do some recording with his local Jazz group, so maybe we'll have some new music before long. I put a bug in his ear about Paradox Summer 2009, and we'll have to wait and see how his schedule goes. I know he'll be with us if he can. I've taken the liberty to post this because Jim doesn't do the computer thing much
(kinda like Uncle Bob)!

I found a neat website that covers a lot of Jim's history, give it a look see if you can.
http://www.united-mutations.com/f/jim_fielder.htm

Misc. stuff

No ones been blogging lately, so I guess I'll throw something up.
Steve and I went to see Ralph play at DiPiazzas in Long Beach sat. Kind of a countryish lounge band with a Nancy Sinatra-ish kind of lead singer. She was actually one of the June Taylor dancers back in the day. She actually has a pretty husky voice kind of like Judy Henske. Ralph was great as always, especially doing some vocal duet stuff with her. Good to see Ralph out playing music. Sun. I took Ralph to see Steve a friend of mine that was playing guitar in Neil Morrows Country Band at the Starting Gate, across from Los Alamitos race track. The drummer turns out to be Rhys Clark (New Zealand drummer for Billy Joel, Freddy Fender,Hoyt Axton) Jimmy Harris was playing bass (Orig. New Riders of the Purple Sage)and we got to talking about the Reunion and the old Paradox days. Some how the conversation got around to our House Bass player and it turns out Rhys Clark and Jim Fielder are good friends and have even done sessions together. He also knows and has played with Steve Gillette.
"It's a small world after all"

No Reunion Blues

• O.K. So here's the plan.
• Lets write a collective Blues...But first the rules.

NOTICE: RULE CHANGE 6/17/08

1. IF IN DOUBT SEE RULE NUMBER TWO
2. STILL IN DOUBT SEE RULE NUMBER ONE

Submit verses with add a comment

1-2-3 GO!

Anyone remember this man?

Listen to my bass man, he is lavender
His woman is his bass and he is loving her, loving her
Listen to the sounds he's giving
As he is living
True to lavender

Listen to the things my friend is saying now
A poetry of notes as he is playing now, playing now
Listen to the tales he's telling
Magic bass compelling
Lavender

Listen to my bass man, he is lavender
His fingerboard's a highway, he's a traveler, traveler
Listen to his fingers making music
Hear his soul embarking
Lavender

Listen to my bass man, he is lavender