The Bis Key Chronicles

Hurricane = Horrific

Posted on September 5, 2008 by Gandalfe

Paul Coats, a talented musician, inventor, arranger and more wrote to the Bass Sax Coop posse about his recent hurricane Gustav experience in Louisiana. It was such a compelling read that I asked him if I could post it here.

I am at a friend’s house that we are watching for them while they are away. It is 5 blocks from our house, and they just now got power back on. I’m basking in the air conditioning…. ahhhhhh!!!!

I just found out our ISP is up and running, too. So, things are slowly coming back. The "eye" of the hurricane passed directly over us. It was strange, high winds (70-90 mph) coming from the northeast, then almost suddenly still. The rain fell to a soft drizzle, then after a few minutes quit.

We, and all the people up and down the street, took that opportunity to clear debris from the storm drains along the edge of the street. We live on a intersection, so we had four corners, each with a drain on both sides. Water was up over the curbs, but as soon as we pulled a little of the leaves and limbs out it started moving, and whooshed into a little whirpool. In 15-20 minutes the streets were completely drained.

About 30 minutes later, altogether the still of the eye was about 50 min – 1 hr. Anyway, 30 min later the wind started from the opposite direction, coming from the SW. It was not quite as strong, but still bad.

We had NO roof damage. We had the roof reshingled last year with the top quality "30 year" shingles. We had the windows covered with plywood. Of course, this was already precut, marked as to which window each piece fit, we had used it in previous storms. We had a large birch tree, about 15" dia trunk, break about 8′ up. But it did not hit anyone’s house or anything else.

Lots of big limbs and leaves in the yard, but other than the broken birch, nothing more serious. Worse was no power. It got hot and sticky quickly. We had ice chests, ice, etc, ate perishables first. Grilled chicken, other meats as they began to thaw. We picked up more ice, water, and military MRE’s (Meals, Ready To Eat) but will consume our food first. Well, we cleaned out the fridge and freezer, got that carried off and tossed in the nearby school’s dumpster where it can stink over there. Hah!

There are only a few stores open, running rental generators. My youngest daughter is at LSU (Louisiana State University) and is a certified EMT (Emergency Medical Technician), in other words, can work for ambulance services. She volunteered for a "special needs" shelter (elderly, handicapped, ) set up at the university. It turns out that she has met many people from our area that she knew. I’m sure that just seeing a familiar smiling face is comforting to a lot of the people in the shelter. She met the Louisiana governor, Gov. Bobby Jindal, and got a photo taken for the paper, interviewed for TV. Hah! She may be in USA Today. Her 15 seconds of fame.

Scroll down to the 13th photo. That is my daughter in the middle in the LSU jersey laughing at who knows what. La. Gov. Bobby Jindal in the foreground. http://www.lsureveille.com/photos_gustav_whips_through_br%252C_campus

Anyway, we are all just fine, My house and outbuildings (storeroom, workshop) are in good condition, no damage whatsoever. Just waiting for electricity to come back on. We do have water, and sewerage is working, that is, the toilets flush. The water heater is natural gas, so we even have hot water for showers/baths.

Wednesday, Sept 3. Peggy says the cell phones have just switched from Roaming to our regular service. And now we have electricity! Very unexpected. Power in Morgan City just came back on (Wed, Sept 3, about 2 pm). (We live in Bayou Vista, an unincorporated area outside of the MC city limits)

Thanks for asking… we will be fine. And thanks for all the calls, offers of a place to stay. That is really much appreciated. Just knowing we have those kinds of friends is a great boost.

Paul

—-

What has been interesting, with the power off, is the total lack of RFI on the radio… radio frequency interference. No power line interference, no computers (which are VERY noisy as far as RF), routers, microwaves, CD players, and all the other devices that make buzz and hum. Tuning across the AM band was like FM with stereo mute engaged. Between stations just NO noise. Well, a little. If I turn the RF gain and volume all the way up, I can barely hear a soft "shhhhh" between stations.

And even in day I was getting some quite distant stations. For example, KTRH 740 khz in Houston, TX, is about 250 miles away, and came in clearly on my Grundig S350DL (same as Eton S350DL, Tecsun BCL-3000).
Local AM and FM stations are all off the air, though I did pick up quiet full strength carriers for some. I was able to easily pick up various Lafayette, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge stations. Those are all 70 or more miles away.

Shortwave is coming in well, too. The total absence of RFI is a benefit, too. All of this experience is spurring me on to study for a ham license and also get set up for a quick-to-erect antenna system. With literally no communications for a while, ham radio has really been shown to not be "out of date".

Paul

—-

I can not stress enough the importance of a good radio. With no electricity there is no TV. There are no local radio stations. There is no Internet. There is no news. Our land line phones always worked, but we were lucky. Many lost phone, too. Cell phone was intermittent for us. In some areas, neither worked.

Our Internet service was DSL. If it had been cable, we would not have net until today. Even though we had working phone lines, if the ISP has no power, they can’t run the servers, which was the case here until yesterday.

So, all of those modern communication devices you assume are so reliable may not be.

I have gone through several radios which were lacking, and settled on the Grundig S350DL. This radio is sold variously as the Grundig S350DL, the Eton S350DL, and the Tecsun BCL-3000. Be careful about buying the Tecsun, there are some counterfeits out there.

This radio is usually sold for about $100 USD new. Sometimes you can find it a few dollars cheaper on ebay, but not by much. The Grundig version is black only. Red and Silver also available for Eton and Tecsun versions.

The Grundig and Eaton versions operate from 4 D cells, as does the Tecsun. But the Grundig/Eton has an additional battery compartment UNDER the 4 D cells that accepts 4 AA cells. It will not operate as long, but it will operate on 4 AA’s. There is an AC adapter, a "wall wart", but that is useless if there is no electrical power.

I have operated this radio over the past year intermittantly with the same set of D cells in there now. It has operated 8-10 hours daily since Monday (today is Thursday) and the battery meter still shows full power. I have been told this radio will operate a very long time on a set of batteries.

It has a large speaker, I think 4.5", and gives excellent fidelity, clear, distortion-free sound, that can be heard all over the room. This feature alone makes it a very good radio.

This radio receives AM, FM and Shortwave up to 28 mhz (10 meter band). This includes the 60 meter, 49 meter, and other international broadcast bands. It does not have SSB (Single Side Band) which most hams use now, even though it will receive the 80 meter, 40 meter, 30 meter, 20 meter, and other ham bands.

Note, it has KNOBS! Tuning is analog, though the frequency readout is digital. Knobs for volume, RF gain, treble, bass. Switches for bands and narrow/wide mode filtering.

The important thing, unlike many other radios these days, this one does not require a manual to figure out how to turn it on and dial in a station. Anyone in the family can pick it up and find a station.

The built in antennas (telescoping whip for FM and SW, internal ferrite bar antenna for AM/MW) are more than adequate, but external antennas may be connected to rear panel terminals.

Are there better radios? Of course! But for this purpose and price, I doubt you can find better.

I was able to get news from any number of AM and FM stations 70 or more miles away. I could hear a Houston AM station during the day… 240 miles away. Of course, at night the dx rolls in, but even in day, this is an excellent radio.

Paul Coats

Listen to Paul’s MP3’s and view saxophone photos at: http://briefcase.yahoo.com/tenorman1952
Paul Coats is the sole US importer of SAXRAX products from http://www.saxrax.com

Posted in News and politics | 3 Comments

When Your Sound Makes Ya Wanna Hang it all Up

Posted on September 3, 2008 by Gandalfe

Blow, don’t suck!

I went over the recent recordings with one of my fav instructors and plan to do that with my other instructor when we meet again. I hate listening to myself, but in addition to being very humbling, it is the only way I’m gonna get better. And my instructors work hard to keep me invested and optimistic. So I present an example of a short solo that I would have thought I could have nailed, but didn’t…

When Sonny Comes Home

Certain notes didn’t sound the way I heard them. The intonation wasn’t quite there. The effect was something less than pleasant. I talked to my sax/improv instructor who talked about both the improvements that have been made in my sound over the last year and where the playing wasn’t as good. I spend a lot of time with both instructors working on sight reading, rhythm and more on improv. It would seem that I could spend an equal amount of time on sound and embellishments.

It is said that most Americans won’t work on improvement if they don’t sound like a pro from the get go. That is of course ridiculous. So I practice on and strive for that killer sound, a sound that takes hours a day to achieve over the lifetime of a musician. I think I’ll go practice my next solo. :o)

Posted in Music | 3 Comments

Heritage House Gig

Posted on September 2, 2008 by Gandalfe

Music at Pike Place Market 2008

I’ve been waiting to post this from earlier last month. I wanted to include a video or two. This was our second paid gig for this group this year. We have day jobs, family, and other things that make gigging more than that less than appealing. And I get my music mojo sated by being in a number of bands.

So here is a rather low-tech, but nicely done recording that almost sounds like we did the day of the gig:

Jeff and Tammy did the honors and kudos on a job well done. They also took some pictures which was appreciated.

From the back, I really like this picture. Suzy and I do saxes. And from the front.

From left to right Sarah, Tim, Brad, and Dave.

Gary, Brad, and Dave montage. The audience minus those from the street. I’m luvin’ Saul keyboarding.

The video photographer Jeff. The stage. Gary doin’ it right.

This was a very enjoyable gig and our first as the Dissonance at the Heritage House. Maybe we’ll get invited back next year. That’s always the test to see if we were really appreciated and the music enjoyed.

Posted in Jazz | 3 Comments

The Dissonance at the Ballard Locks

Posted on September 1, 2008 by Gandalfe

Labor Day Gig 2008

The day started overcast and pouring down rain. And the prognosis was not good for an outdoor gig. But as the musician’s called me to see if we were gonna cancel, I kept telling everyone we were on for the Ballard Locks gig. I told whoever would listen that the clouds would part and the rain would abate for the two hour concert. But I didn’t really believe it. Guess what? That is exactly what happened. :o)

So here are some pictures taken by my grandson, who I paid to play roadie for me today. He schlepped equipment, set up my saxes, ran cables and took pictures.

First is the one-man road crew, grandson Nicky. Then there are the horns from left to right Don, me, Suzy and Gary. Next the inimitable Sharon joined us with a nice vocal or five.

Featured are the Dissonance Rhythm section; Saul, Brad, and Rossen. Don and his trumpet-playing daughter Maiya. Finally Gary doing a solo interpretation on Jordu.

Here’s the set list:

First set:

Freddie Freeloader
Blue Bossa
Do Nothing (vocal)
Embraceable You (vocal)
Straight no Chaser
Blues for Kim
Nice Work if you Can Get it (vocal)
Jordu (Gary and rhythm only)
When Sunny Gets Blue

Second Set:

Doxy
Killer Joe
Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
Love is Here to Stay (vocal)
Summertime (vocal)
Blue Monk
Night Train
The Lady is a Tramp (vocal)
Stolen Moments
Jersey Bounce

As you can see this is some of my favorite songs. That’s why I put this combo together, to get better at soloing and play the songs I like. :o)

Posted in Music | 1 Comment

Labor Day Weekend is Here

Posted on August 30, 2008 by Gandalfe

Casa du Glassa is jumping. We have our son’s family here, Helen from Vancouver, Suzy working, and a big gig tomorrow. This will be the busiest Labor Day weekend in recent memory. So here’s a whirlwind recap and we’re only halfway through!

Helen and I visit QuinnTheEskimo aka Matt and look at some toys:

For those wondering what they are looking at, they are museum-quality vintage instruments. From left to right: an alto sarrusophone, a rothophone, and a Conn-O-Sax. Yes, the $100,000 one. I’m waiting for Matt to open up a museum.

Then we hit the Seattle aquarium:

Okay, now a quiz. Name these venues in downtown Seattle:

The aquarium, weren’t you paying attention. ;o) Seattle cityscape.

Singing troubadour Thaddeus Spae, da fisherguy, and an immaculately maintained carousel. Here’s hoping y’all are enjoying the last holiday of Summer 2008.

Posted in Holiday | 6 Comments

Quote du Jour

Posted on August 26, 2008 by Gandalfe

"There comes a point in your life when you realize who really matters, who never did, and who always will." – Anon

Here is the picture of my parents 50th Wedding anniversary with many of the people I love. It is the biggest Glass clan gathering I can remember.

Posted in Health and wellness | 7 Comments

Just practicing…

Posted on August 25, 2008 by Gandalfe

Finding the time to practice is more about me than about the time allocated. There’s always plenty of time… if you remove the time spent watching TV, blogging, reading in the forums, and the like. Notice I didn’t say remove time with family, pets, exercise, and the like.

But I don’t practice enough. In a week I usually put in 1.5 hours in lessons, 4 hours in practice with the bands I’m a part of, and 2 to 3 hours beyond that. I need to be doing at least an hour a day to progress from where I am now. Oh, and I spend two hours a week with my grandson working with him on the bass clarinet and the bari sax.

On the bass sax solo for the Grinch (to be played in December at the Seattle Center House, aka a big deal), I am close to the big, loud voicing I need and without a mic. But I haven’t memorized the solo yet. And there are places where I jump an octave that need some finessing. Also, the cadenza will have two takes off to other songs, "If I only had a brain" and either "Jaws" or the "Theme from James Bond".

I could also do a piece on practicing smart. Instead of doing the stuff you like and can already do, spend time on the hard stuff, the theory, long tones, and the stylistic improvements like ubba, ubba for a swing rhythm. Still playing the music I like is soooo satisfying. ;o)

There are so many people who could be world-class performers but who, like me, have trouble doing anything over a hour at a time. That’s why I like band practice because it forces me to do so. But that doesn’t help me get the difficult passages down. I’m not whining, no really, but I am voicing my biggest concern about moving forward with my music because increasing my practice time and being smart about how I use my time is gonna be key from now on. The easy stuff is mostly learned and I’m refining that as I go along. It’s good to have a challenge though, isn’t it?

Posted in Music | 4 Comments

The Bis Key Chronicles passes 100K Mark

Posted on August 24, 2008 by Gandalfe

Pop the Champaign cork. :o)

Posted in Blog, My World | 3 Comments

ElectroWhoCardioFlook – Say what?

Posted on August 23, 2008 by Gandalfe

As I prepare for this years’ Christmas concert I’m thinking I’ll need a Dr. Suess hat. You see, the band is playing Ward Baxter’s “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch” featuring the bass sax or as the Suess man called it, the ElectoWhoCardioFlook. Sorry, that just makes me laugh, now that I’ve learned to spell and pronounce it.

So where does one go to find one of these wonderful Suess character hats. There are so many to select from, but I was thinking eschewing the Whoville styles and going for the always classic hat from “The Cat in the Hat” book.

I even toyed with doing the candy-striped hose and lederhosen look, but decided just the hat would be easier and cheaper.

I expect that some of my gentle readers are wondering about this need of mine to think that far in advance. Especially about Christmas time which comes so fast. Well there’s compulsive and then there’s me or uber-compulsive about some things. I do not want to leave this to chance.

If you are in Seattle on 6 December at 5 PM, swing by the Seattle Center House and catch the Woodinville Community Band. If you’ve read this blog for long, you have already heard recordings and know how good this band is. Why just last week a friend of mine from Toronto heard the Fall 2007 concert clip on YouTube and commented that community bands didn’t sound that good where she came from!

I suppose I don’t need to tell you that the instrument in question is the Eppelsheim bass sax that is keyed to low A. And I have been trying lots of mouthpiece reed combinations trying to get the most convincing, throbbing, low bass sound possible. I’d like to memorize the song and play it standing rather than seated. We’ll see…

Oh, and voicing the ElectoWhoCardioFlook? Let’s just say I’m getting there. It takes a lot of air, finesse, and iterations. My intent is to make the house shake and the little kids cry for their moms. ;o)