by Gregory 'Bassie' Jackson
Sorry to take so long to get back to everyone… we are here in North Carolina… you should have seen the looks on our faces to see sunshine… and clear skies… after weeks of cloud cover… it was like coming up above the water… after taking a long long deep dive… into the penetrating waters…
We dozed… as the bus glided down the highway… we call her the silver bullet… and man… when we hit an open stretch… it is so smooth… we just glide…
Usually all of us are sitting up… and chatting about this and that… as we make our blast off from our hotel…
But after Tom hits the open road… we make way for our bunks… usually Tedo is the last one… riding as co-pilot up in the front seat…
Its been a pretty interesting past few days… we did a two day stand in Nantucket… and had a blast…
I enjoy it out there… intimate setting…
I must admit that sometimes days slip by… I recall we played a bubblin set up in New Hampshire… later after the show… many of us walked along the board walk area… Hampton Beach… just gazing in the store windows… me and Cecil bounced into James… and later Micah… all of us on different missions… for us… we sought out some ice cream… but no luck… we got some nice vibes though… just walking slowly… and talking through things… the parts we want to focus on and things like that… the essence of the groove… that sort a stuff…
Earlier that same day… Stewart and I had a nice chat… yeah… I treasure those moments… it was in a little restaurant a few hours prior to show time… just talking about things to do to make that special Spear swing… even stronger… we sat and talked and talked… till the place was empty… time didn't exist… we just went on vibes alone… something timeless… I'm learning a great deal about that… and just letting go… and riding that special kotch… the spear swing… yeah… its about life… really… ssssssshhhh… can you feel it…? somewhere deep inside… its there… Just watch the man… the Spear… watch him free out… tune in… on that frequency… and you will know… smile… I'm not just saying this to be saying it…
Mikey and I are trying something… yeah… I'm anticipating the riddim a bit… building the urgency… yunno… Stewie would say its bad bwoy style… Mikey is riding the hi-hat… yeah… its a special sort a swing… but not with every tune… check out our live set on rocking time… close your eyes… and penetrate that… then come talk to me… smile… chuckle…
Its 3:00 a.m. the a.c. in my room is busted… but Micah's room is cool and peaceful… he is out… just taking a stroll… I'm happy he checked me… I was standing at a soda machine… with Tedo… laughing about this and that…
Earlier today… I got a wicked lesson in mix… just me and Virgo… our house engineer… you see… on stage… its a different mix all together… we got the horns men… Micah, James, and Clyde… yeah… they have there own mix to hear themselves… and Mikey… he gets a lot of attention… cause the drums mix is very very important… same with everybody… Mr. Rodney too… we take our time at sound check… and get all our levels right… Me… I'm hanging with some new gear… and I'm learning how it reacts under certain conditions… sometimes it loves me… other times… I need to be patient… and learn… learn to adjust my levels… yunno…
Today… I got a lesson though… in mix… as the others were in the bunk… our silver bullet whistling down the highways… and byways… Virgo and I chilled out… listening to some c.d.'s on the system… he cut it up… dissected it… and explained a lot of things about what is happening in the mix on the house system… what you all enjoy…
I'm curious… and I feel it is important to know about what is going on… and Virgo was very pleased to share… Cecil… he sat with his feet up… and listening too… asking questions… as we rewind the c.d. and point out things…
My eyes are getting heavier… I wish I could go on… but tomorrow is another work day… I need my rest… maybe I will get together with some of the bredren and go jet skiing… during the day… morning time… when the sun kisses the sky blue… yunno… god spare life… right…
we'll see… time to move into anther space… or as James would say… re-charge the batteries… chuckle…
Man… just before I sign off… I got a picture in my minds eye… of the look on this young woman's face… as she had a few moments near our bus… with Spear… got her poster signed… this is after we had a nice little chat… about how she digs reggae… and how she was hip to it a few years ago… in college… hey… y'all listening… we like hearing from you… thanks for sharing…
Spear had a sparkle in his eye… magic… as he put his ink on the poster… she was in a magic realm… we all shared that experience…
magikal huh?
till next time…
Bassie signing out!!!!!
