Rattlebrained

Last year I rejoined the world of photography when I bought a used Sony Nex5n at a local camera shop. It came with a 18-55mm zoom (SEL1855) and since I had been using a Olympus C-8080 that I had bought – also used – some 9 years before, it was a whole new world. It seemed that it was probably time to give a decent burial to the old camera with its manual lens I still had in a shoe box somewhere, but since two of those were Zeiss as you would I wondered at the value – if any – and hit the search button.

I don’t remember exactly how but down the line I ended up reading an article about using old lens on cameras like the Nex with a special adapter. Three weeks later the needed C/Y to Nex adapter I had ordered came in the mail, but I have to admit that my first relationship with it was not that great. The difficulty in focusing, the extra weight and the fact that the pictures taken with my old lens weren’t all that impressive made me think twice about using them.

Still, I ended up reading through a few articles here and there…

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I’m still under the magic of having seen CeDell Davis last night at the Lux, an old movie theater transformed into concert venue over in Le Locle.

Although I had heard he might be touring Europe earlier this year there hasn’t been much info on the web. Miracles come in many ways and in this case when finally the weather changed to sun last week after the long dreary and cold spring we’ve been having I couldn’t stay inside and went out for a walk; and a poster caught my eye: CeDell Davis and Brethren + Guitar Fucker / Dimanche 9 Juin 2013 / CHF: 10.-
I had to read it 5 times to actually believe what I was seeing… I mean really… In my view of the music world CeDell is as good as it can get! His music just grabs you at the most primitive level and twists and churns and overpowers you… Up here in the Jura back land… For not even 10 bucks… I had to confirm it on the web before it actually sunk in.. ..and I almost missed it… A miracle!

So it was with some trepidation that I drove over, the man is in his eighties and unfortunately isn’t able to play his guitar any more. I had looked at a few videos on the web of him and Brethren but CeDell’s guitar playing was so special that it was difficult to imagine him singing with a band, however good. Was I ready for the possible disappointment?

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Do-it yourself bells and more for your musical washboard.

When I first started to play the washboard there wasn’t much information to be found on the web about how to add extra sounds to a washboard. Since I don’t live in an area full of renown washboard players to try and learn from, but am not to shabby at doing stuff myself, I decided to make a page explaining how I had put a cymbal or bell on my board. It (Jazz Up Your Washboard) used to be posted on a different website but for reasons too long to get into I closed my account over there and moved the page here (to this blog).

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CeDell Davis – Blues Back Home

An inspiring documentary from 1984 on the great Mississippi bluesman CeDell Davis.

CeDell’s music is so special and emotional that it kind of leaves me speechless when it come to writing about it; although I have tried in the past. What is there to say? He should be better know and he should be in whatever halls of fame those folks who like that sort of thing have for the blues…!

Many thanks to cjohnson22463 for posting this.

Up here in the mountains, Spring usually means two months of rain and mud. It is not yet clear if we are there or not but feeling a bit of warmth in the air these last few days has been nice. Still, it can be dangerous too!

Early in the week these blocks of ice fell from the roof…

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I’m usually the last person that is aware of whatever meme is going around; mostly, if ever, I learn about them in whatever last year’s magazine found in the dentist’s waiting room. But last week this one caught my attention as it spiraled by for at least the fourth time and inspired a song:

………..

I may not care for techno
I may not care for house
But the good ol’ Harlem Shake
Has me up all raised and roused

It’s a pulsating movement
Everyone join in!
Fight your persecutors
Let the mutiny begin!

Thrust your pelvis forward
Thrust your pelvis back

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I don’t know about you, but when I don’t like the sound of something in my drumset I tend to not use it. So it’s important to me to have drum stuff that have sounds that I like.

When you first start playing the drums you usually don’t have the experience to know the difference that different materials can make sound wise; a metal or wood snare for instance. And if you don’t have a drummer friend or a teacher to guide you can spend hours on drum forums trying to get an idea of where it would be best to invest your hard earned cash.
I was fortunate to be able to borrow the basics of an old drumset when I started: a brandless metal snare, a kickdrum, high-hat and a bunch of cymbals. And with hindsight I believe anything better would have been wasted, but after a year or so of practicing I became more acuity aware of two factors: one – my wanting technique made it difficult to fully exploit the equipment I had, and two – even so, as my playing improved I became less than happy with how parts of my equipment sounded.

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