by Gregory 'Bassie' Jackson
Greetings everybody… again… thanks for all the positive vibes… and feedback along this journey… but I turn it around and thank you… and Spear… and the band… everyone… for the possibility… that this could happen… yunno… I'm a bit embarrassed by all the responses… smile… and I never realized… but maybe I should have… realized… that this account… may have increased the capacity for you… everyone… to feel this experience… The Spear experience more deeply… to allow it to resonate in another way… to open a door to the Spear that you may not have realized was there all the time…
hummm… maybe I'm just talking out of my head… but I read somewhere… that the capacity of hope is the most significant fact of life… it gives human beings a sense of destination… and the energy to get started… who said that? anyway… I realize more and more… that the Spear is one of the few men… in this music scene today… that offers that to such a wide cross section of people… sure… I didn't do any research… but hey… it's my vibe on it… just from my eyes… amazing… the cross sections of people… as we make our way across the heartland of America… and Canada… and so many other places… I can see the diversity… that is humanity… not just in race… or creed… but in age too… it's amazing to me to see so many generations of Spear fans… and in a way… it's a reflection of the leadership… musically… and otherwise of the Spear… the vibe… Mr. Winston Rodney… a leader… a true leader…
I've been reading about Da Vinci… yeah… stuff for the bus… yunno… those long rides… chuckle… anyway…
Da Vinci… from way back in the ages… yunno… but something connects these two… seems funny huh… your probably wondering… what am I getting at… ok…
from the beginning of time… those who become leaders were not necessarily the strongest, or the fiercest even… but rather those with the unique ability to make connections… to connect with people… and that comes back to the Spear groove… yunno… that Spear swing… that we sometimes sit and discuss into the early hours… sometimes… we don't discuss it… we just feel it… the connection with something deep inside us… like a brother last night… who asked me to share with Spear his story about how his music connected with him in a way… to help him get through years of incarceration… how it offered him hope… humbling to hear these things… yunno… smile…
Humm… last I left off… we were in Aspen… we played a downstairs place, full of Aspen party folk… intimate… that's what we call it… we never call them small venues… and let me tell you… The Spear puts everything into these shows… again… the connections… the connection with the people… it's part of the vibes… the flow… like the relationship with the sea and the surf… the ebb and flow… the tides… yunno…
Mikey… Cecil… and a few others loaded up on C.D.'s out there… before we head out to Vail… we stayed at a sweet hotel nestled at the foot of some majestic mountains… finally I got a signal on my new cell phone… made a bunch of calls… most of us drifted about… I saw Stewie making his way up to the Post Office… Riddim guits… me… and some others… yeah… later that night… we played the club… with the bouncing floor… what an experience… as we hit the first few notes of The Youth… which we have used to open up this tour… the floor just started bouncing… we had to hold on for dear life… not really… ok… I'm taking that a little too far… but we had these silly grins at first… cause it was a strange feeling at first… I don't know how Mikey kept from falling off his drums… and I remember James… Clydie… and Micah talking about how the shaking effects pressure… yunno… horn stuff… anyway… it was a killer gig… Spear rocked the place… it got steamy… very steamy… and that's a good sign… Spear loves it hot…
Next night was at the Fox Theatre… talk about phat sound… yeah… that room had a nice phat sound… booming… after the gig, we enjoyed milling about in the crowd of mostly students… nice energy… Fort Collins the next night was special… after the 2 hour show… Spear ended by improvising at length on Happy Day… trance inducing vibes… yunno… sometimes we go into new unique realms at these moments… and it happens often… I think it is part of the artists way… something I respect a great deal from Spear… let me explain…
I call it Sfumato… the literal translation means up in smoke… but I would describe it as a willingness to embrace ambiguity, paradox… and uncertainty… it's taking flight on the groove… yunno… when the maestro… spear… gets onto that flight… it's so sweet… truly sweet…
So that night at the aggie… he took off… and before we landed… he had introduced every band member… and shouted… play something… and we each took a solo turn… sure… even me… bassie… later… Virgo came up to me… as he was taking care of loading up our things… he had a chuckle about the look on my face… ok Virgo… laughs…
but getting back to Sfumato for a moment… the music… the sound is part of this embrace… this sweet embrace… but check the lyrics too… the combination of joy and sorrow… intimacy and independence… humility and pride… life and death…
Some heavy vibes… timeless… eternal… something we all can relate to… and for us… the band… I suppose we look deep into ourselves… each night… to get into a space where that comes out…
I realize… and again… a lesson from the Spear… that sometimes if you are quiet for a moment… a few moments prior to the show… and just focus…focus… that space will reveal itself… it's ethereal though… it knocks softly… but it's there…
Onward to Omaha, NE… and another solid show… Spear was doing that dance that just free's your soul… Minneapolis… Cecil got some new tubes for his amp… and Clydie got him a new mic system for his sax…talk about smiles… and a wicked sound… daag Clydie… slow down… you are moving too fast for me… chuckle…
Now we love Minneapolis… hanging in the lobby with the Mingus Big Band…Tore up the place… that's all I can say about Spear's gig that night…
Iowa City was a hot one… after that… most of us were wet from head to toe… just as the audience I suppose… chuckle…
We were together… one being… flowing together… like water… till I couldn't tell the audience from the music… we drink each other… like cool refreshing waters…
Ok ok… time to make my leave… I'm enjoy the gold dust of this afternoon… as I suppose most of the band… some cats are going out for Ethiopian… I saw Clydie coming in with bags of food… along with Tedo…all smiles… big bags… one in each hand… I shouted out… "General!!!" As I made my way down the street… my knap sack over my shoulder… I saw Stewie coming up… wearing black… as usual… "where you coming from…? " "An arts supply place man…" Where you going?" "To find some supper… yunno…" Stewie pointed the way down State street… said… "nuff things down there… just turn left down where the red car is… going… see it? " uh huh…
Time for me to leave… I"m in a laundry mat… yeah… with a computer… one day I will get my own… but till then… I find a terminal where I can… and use it… chuckle… but it's loud here… somebodies stuff is on spin now… and they must have some sneakers or something in there… banging… bugga buggah… bugga boom…!!!
yeah… till next time… peace out to all the Spear fans… The Spear is hot… come check it… yunno… see ya… Madison… Detroit… Chicago… see ya…
Gregory… signing out…
October 18, 2000
October 11, 2000
Aspen, CO
by Gregory 'Bassie' Jackson
Back in Aspen… and happy to be here… truly… it was quite a journey… these past few weeks… been through every sort of weather pattern you could imagine… don't think we aren't tough… cause we travel in a huge tour bus… ummmmmmh… sometimes it's many many hours… so many hours… that you get tired of laying in your bunk… of sitting down… of standing up… it takes some imagination… and concentration to make the time go… and stay focused… yeah… no joke y'all… we are a bunch of soldiers up in here… smile… big up to Spear… and the band… yeah…
Jackson, Wyoming… we went through some wicked storms… the road from Bozeman… closed… snow… blizzard… standing outside a post of park rangers… had to take a ten hour de-tour… and as we made our way… what do we see… but a car… sliding outta control right at us… if it wasn't for quick work on Tom's behalf… well… I won't go into that… we got through it with a bit of a dent on our sweet silver bullet… but she's fine…
We drove all day… into the twilight… and arrived in time to set up… and jump start the show… but as usual… the Spear vibes… just lit us up… and by the end of the show… we kept dancing… out in the audience… till well into the night… dancing… and having a great time with the folk in Jackson… a funny moment was when we arrived to the club… and realized there was no dressing room… Spear was laughing had us rolling too… we just said… ok… and went to the stage… set up… and waited for the rest of the men… and got the ball rolling…
The next day… misty morning… ice and snow… flurries… easing outta town on the silver bullet… Micah plays some Tom Waits on the system… as most of the men sleep… its still dark out… early hours… I can still hear the lyrics… "I got money to spend on my baby… yeah…"
The road to Calgary… what a trip… from the coolness… the cold and mists… suddenly a burst of huge sky… sunshine… and warmth… yeah… amazing…
Calgary was a sweet gig… the hotel across from the venue… always sweet… and what a treat… they knew how to sweet us up… want to know… curious… ok… simply hire a yardie to fire up the skillet in the kitchen and have some fish… and rice and peas… and maybe some chicken too… for the men… after soundcheck… you should have seen the happy faces… Tedo served us up nice… fixing heaping portions… leaving himself last… oh Tedo… take care of yourself too bro… smile
From Calgary to Eureka… and more weather patterns… amazing… we drove through Rogers Pass in Canada… its along the border… from Calgary going to the coast… Seattle way… yeah… beautiful land… mountains… snow peaks… and cool crisp weather…
Mr. Rodney riding co-pilot with Tom… and us… between the lounge and our bunks… mostly in our bunks… but those moments in the lounge… viewing pleasures… sweetness… rivers… tall trees… and hills… mountains… life…!!!
Rode into Eureka… seems the weather couldn't make up her mind… we got in under sun… but the mist rolled in… I recall it was a sweet gig… nice system… John Brown's Body joined us too… nice youth… opened up…
Seattle… cool vibes… let me tell you… big Bro'… James Smith… happy man… why you ask? seeing him with his beret to the side… locks dripping down his shoulders… and with a cup of coffee… Seattle coffee mind you… well… its a picture of bliss… smile… chuckle…
Some of us got the internet bug… check sylvan… real natty… yeah… first time on the net… now he walks up into soundcheck with printouts of e-mails… and Cecil… can't stop him… he's clicking away next to me hear… can't forget Prof… he's got a new G3… and is glued to that baby… likewise James… we got some internet brothers up in here… Tedo… when are you going to get on board man… even Gene got e-mail… Gene who is on riddim guits…
Seattle… wicked show… hot though… so hot we were all covered in sweat… me… down to my boots… yeah… but I love it that way… means there is some vibes up in there…
Portland… nice show… again the weather was a mixed bag… some of us where coming up with a bit of a cough… noticed more tea being consumed… and a bottle of this and that in the lounge area… Virgo is sipping some Mexican roots drink… Spear does the roots drink too… good stuff… even seen Tedo smiling with some Guiness mixed up with this and that… but maybe that is for something else… smile… I took a sip…
Ashland… Portland… and Sacramento… back into the heat… yeah… and a sweet show… should have seen Cecil… driving them wild on the left side of the stage… Mikey on drums says he can't watch him too tough… says it throws his riddim off… we laugh about it… but Cecil got some moves… original… I'll leave it at that… chuckle…
Eukiah… now that was sweet… nice cafe place set up for the Spear movement… intimate… Tedo fired up the skillet and set us up for dinner… nice to sit down as a band… and enjoy some food… and some cool drinks… and later… to play some pool… and have a few laughs…
Chico… what a show… I mean… it was ramming… the sound system was something Virgo dreamed about… power… power… power… the ground was shaking by the time we closed that one… and the weather… sweet like honey… ever watch Virgo dance as he mixes? what vibes…
Greetings Mrs. Rodney… San Francisco… almost a homecoming… Mrs. Rodney and many other friends…!!! Backstage… nice vibes too… Muta and Pato Banton… others… nice flow…
Onward to Santa Barbara… nice weather too… lots of our peers… its always special to be on a bill with our peers… man like Bunny Wailer… last day of the warmth though…
We hit the road… and drive through the desert… yunno… like in the movies… cactus and all that… nice laughter and vibes on the bus… we enjoyed a Spear show recorded in Germany… 1981… Mrs. Rodney rode with us… and shared little tid bits… about that time… we all enjoyed that… yunno… sometimes you have to remember where you came from… its true… she reminded us… that Spear has built this business through hard hard work… and experience… I respect him so much… he teaches us a lot… if we are willing to keep our minds open… the man… the music… the vibes… nothing comes easy… being on the road… is simply an example of that…
Durango… cold… and rain… ummmmh… more colds springing up… the soldiers holding things together… nearing the last leg of the tour… we want to end hard… and with heavy vibes… got some pep talk from the boss… its important… yeah… being with y'all… the people is pep too… meeting on the street… in shops… and other places… is very uplifting… and regarding this humble journal… I give my respect to everyone who has encouraged me… thanks… thank you everyone…
signing out… going to get some tea… and work on this cold a bit more… its 3:20… sound check in a few hours… lovely sweet Aspen… yeah…
stay tuned for more…
guidance and protection as you make your movements…
jahloveeternal…
Bassie… Gregory
Back in Aspen… and happy to be here… truly… it was quite a journey… these past few weeks… been through every sort of weather pattern you could imagine… don't think we aren't tough… cause we travel in a huge tour bus… ummmmmmh… sometimes it's many many hours… so many hours… that you get tired of laying in your bunk… of sitting down… of standing up… it takes some imagination… and concentration to make the time go… and stay focused… yeah… no joke y'all… we are a bunch of soldiers up in here… smile… big up to Spear… and the band… yeah…
Jackson, Wyoming… we went through some wicked storms… the road from Bozeman… closed… snow… blizzard… standing outside a post of park rangers… had to take a ten hour de-tour… and as we made our way… what do we see… but a car… sliding outta control right at us… if it wasn't for quick work on Tom's behalf… well… I won't go into that… we got through it with a bit of a dent on our sweet silver bullet… but she's fine…
We drove all day… into the twilight… and arrived in time to set up… and jump start the show… but as usual… the Spear vibes… just lit us up… and by the end of the show… we kept dancing… out in the audience… till well into the night… dancing… and having a great time with the folk in Jackson… a funny moment was when we arrived to the club… and realized there was no dressing room… Spear was laughing had us rolling too… we just said… ok… and went to the stage… set up… and waited for the rest of the men… and got the ball rolling…
The next day… misty morning… ice and snow… flurries… easing outta town on the silver bullet… Micah plays some Tom Waits on the system… as most of the men sleep… its still dark out… early hours… I can still hear the lyrics… "I got money to spend on my baby… yeah…"
The road to Calgary… what a trip… from the coolness… the cold and mists… suddenly a burst of huge sky… sunshine… and warmth… yeah… amazing…
Calgary was a sweet gig… the hotel across from the venue… always sweet… and what a treat… they knew how to sweet us up… want to know… curious… ok… simply hire a yardie to fire up the skillet in the kitchen and have some fish… and rice and peas… and maybe some chicken too… for the men… after soundcheck… you should have seen the happy faces… Tedo served us up nice… fixing heaping portions… leaving himself last… oh Tedo… take care of yourself too bro… smile
From Calgary to Eureka… and more weather patterns… amazing… we drove through Rogers Pass in Canada… its along the border… from Calgary going to the coast… Seattle way… yeah… beautiful land… mountains… snow peaks… and cool crisp weather…
Mr. Rodney riding co-pilot with Tom… and us… between the lounge and our bunks… mostly in our bunks… but those moments in the lounge… viewing pleasures… sweetness… rivers… tall trees… and hills… mountains… life…!!!
Rode into Eureka… seems the weather couldn't make up her mind… we got in under sun… but the mist rolled in… I recall it was a sweet gig… nice system… John Brown's Body joined us too… nice youth… opened up…
Seattle… cool vibes… let me tell you… big Bro'… James Smith… happy man… why you ask? seeing him with his beret to the side… locks dripping down his shoulders… and with a cup of coffee… Seattle coffee mind you… well… its a picture of bliss… smile… chuckle…
Some of us got the internet bug… check sylvan… real natty… yeah… first time on the net… now he walks up into soundcheck with printouts of e-mails… and Cecil… can't stop him… he's clicking away next to me hear… can't forget Prof… he's got a new G3… and is glued to that baby… likewise James… we got some internet brothers up in here… Tedo… when are you going to get on board man… even Gene got e-mail… Gene who is on riddim guits…
Seattle… wicked show… hot though… so hot we were all covered in sweat… me… down to my boots… yeah… but I love it that way… means there is some vibes up in there…
Portland… nice show… again the weather was a mixed bag… some of us where coming up with a bit of a cough… noticed more tea being consumed… and a bottle of this and that in the lounge area… Virgo is sipping some Mexican roots drink… Spear does the roots drink too… good stuff… even seen Tedo smiling with some Guiness mixed up with this and that… but maybe that is for something else… smile… I took a sip…
Ashland… Portland… and Sacramento… back into the heat… yeah… and a sweet show… should have seen Cecil… driving them wild on the left side of the stage… Mikey on drums says he can't watch him too tough… says it throws his riddim off… we laugh about it… but Cecil got some moves… original… I'll leave it at that… chuckle…
Eukiah… now that was sweet… nice cafe place set up for the Spear movement… intimate… Tedo fired up the skillet and set us up for dinner… nice to sit down as a band… and enjoy some food… and some cool drinks… and later… to play some pool… and have a few laughs…
Chico… what a show… I mean… it was ramming… the sound system was something Virgo dreamed about… power… power… power… the ground was shaking by the time we closed that one… and the weather… sweet like honey… ever watch Virgo dance as he mixes? what vibes…
Greetings Mrs. Rodney… San Francisco… almost a homecoming… Mrs. Rodney and many other friends…!!! Backstage… nice vibes too… Muta and Pato Banton… others… nice flow…
Onward to Santa Barbara… nice weather too… lots of our peers… its always special to be on a bill with our peers… man like Bunny Wailer… last day of the warmth though…
We hit the road… and drive through the desert… yunno… like in the movies… cactus and all that… nice laughter and vibes on the bus… we enjoyed a Spear show recorded in Germany… 1981… Mrs. Rodney rode with us… and shared little tid bits… about that time… we all enjoyed that… yunno… sometimes you have to remember where you came from… its true… she reminded us… that Spear has built this business through hard hard work… and experience… I respect him so much… he teaches us a lot… if we are willing to keep our minds open… the man… the music… the vibes… nothing comes easy… being on the road… is simply an example of that…
Durango… cold… and rain… ummmmh… more colds springing up… the soldiers holding things together… nearing the last leg of the tour… we want to end hard… and with heavy vibes… got some pep talk from the boss… its important… yeah… being with y'all… the people is pep too… meeting on the street… in shops… and other places… is very uplifting… and regarding this humble journal… I give my respect to everyone who has encouraged me… thanks… thank you everyone…
signing out… going to get some tea… and work on this cold a bit more… its 3:20… sound check in a few hours… lovely sweet Aspen… yeah…
stay tuned for more…
guidance and protection as you make your movements…
jahloveeternal…
Bassie… Gregory
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