A Celebration of Freedom, Integrity and Communication.

Did you catch any of the Obama Presidential Center celebration on June 18th? 

I'm guessing most of my NY folks will watch the recordings, as the Knicks championship  celebration was going on about the same time. 

We watched some of it in real time until we had to get on with our day, then rewatched some and replayed other bits on You Tube after we got back home. Jennifer Hudson brought me to tears during the theme from "Man of LaMancha" -- not only for the beauty of her rendition and the lyrics of the song, but it brought me back to the days when my mom would dance to the radio as she carried the laundry to the clothesline out back.  

The idea to open the Obama Center to the public on Juneteenth is so appropriate, as both events commemorate freedom; one more private than the other. The Obamas have done their time, "in The Crucible." Time for more of us to step up. With freedom comes responsibility to be informed before you vote. 

I hope and pray that we all free ourselves of the prejudices, internal and external, that hold us back from realizing our fullest potential -- individually and as a nation. The first step to becoming free is the realization that you are free, and we have laws to protect those freedoms.  Our laws must be upheld, or we will lose those freedoms. 

Ok, enough rambling. Hope you have the best possible day. 

Keep your chin up and enjoy each moment, because moments become years, and they go by so quickly. 

Ox, 

Mari 

A Correction and a Reminder

The opening of the Obama library begins today, Thursday, June 18th. Tomorrow, we celebrate Juneteeth, a federal holiday that commemorates "the effective end of slavery" in the United States: June 19th, 1865. 

 We all get a reminder of what it felt like to have a POTUS for the people, a person who spoke with eloquence and hope, who still believes in the promise of America. What a promise means to one person, can.mean something completely different to another. 

Obama.org

Gigs: 

Correction: lineup for July 11th will not include Richard Wood on keys. Lineup will include Myself, Arne on bass, Dave on guitar, and Roy Blumenfeld on the drum throne

Gig Recap and Save the Dates

We had a great gig on Saturday, which made up for last week's session, which was more emotional than great, for several reasons. Sometimes the two (emotion and music) combine, sometimes they don't. The best part was sharing in that moment, with family and friends. I will keep some of those moments with me for a long time.  

Harry Nillson was born on this day, in 1941. 

That said, besides having people sing along with tunes I've written, I can't think of anything I've ever done that comes close to the way I feel when I go for a note and it hits. I'd like to share that, so if you know anyone needing a vocal coach, please send them my way. 

Upcoming gigs: 

July 11th at The Saloon 4 - 8 

July 18th at the Sausalito Cruising Club 6:30 - 9:00 

August 7th  - Lucca in Benicia 

August 8th - The Saloon 

Stay hydrated and get some rest when you can. Be kind to yourself by being kind to everyone else. 

Ox,

Mari 

p,s. Every time I use the vacuum, I think of this song and video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4Mc-NYPHaQ

Saturday!

Saturday. 6/13.

See you at The Saloon 

Bittersweet Beats

Hey Everybody! 

Hope you are having the best possible day (or night depending upon when you are reading this.) Come to think of it, night is part of every day...but I digress... 

We ventured back into the old Sausalito studio yesterday (6/7) which happened to be Prince's birthday. The studio is currently operating as 2200 Studios. I have to admit, it felt strange, but it felt really good to be able to record some of the tunes that have been sitting in demo form for what seems like the longest time, so hopefully, this will help get us some of what I call "originals gigs." We recorded live in front of a very small, private audience. It was a very emotional experience. 

Anyway, as previously shared, our dedicated drummer for the past five years or so, Martin Cunningham, is moving to NH at the end of the month, so we are saying a fond farewell this coming Saturday, June 13th, at The Saloon. Downbeat is 4:00 pm, and we may have some special guests, or not! 

Hope you can join us. We will give it our all, as we always do. 

Wishing you peace in your soul, love in your heart, and beautiful human music. 

Oh, and speaking of beautiful music, Questlove has blessed us with a new music documentary, this one about Earth, Wind and Fire. It's showing on HBO Max, so...

Ox, 

Mari 

Election Day - Please Vote!

 Hey Everybody! 

Mari here. Excited to be working on some new tunes. We are taking the band of kings into the studio to record. 

Please vote as your conscience tells you to do. I used CalMatters.org for guidance. You do you. 

Happy Pride to everyone who believes in personal freedom as long as you aren't hurting anyone else. And if you are hurt by someone else's choices, maybe consider concentrating more on the things and people you love. 

See you on the second Saturday afternoon. 

This Sunday, I may try to do a live. Not sure. But stay tuned. 

Ox, 

Mari  

Rain in May in Northern California

It rained last night into today. And as I listened to the sounds of the water hitting the skylight this morning, I searched for a quote about rain and found this poem:  

  

"Instructions for Having a Soul"   

Take it out in the rain sometimes. 

It has vast, invisible wings that gather dirt and need rinsing. When it tries to kill you that is because you've forgotten to let it look into someone's eyes for longer than a minute. 

It needs that the way a bee needs nectar in the early morning dew. 

Every so often, take it on a journey. 

Let it read long, hard books and let it stare into the depths of the sea. 

Yes, you can give it chips and whiskey but from time to time let it kneel in a place that is holy like the simple cathedral of the willows. 

All it wants is to live, to keep becoming. 

Nourish it, and it puts down roots, it opens. 

But starve it, and the mind, the flesh is empty; the world breaks down; symphonies go unwritten; 

the rockets fall; 

the children die in flames. Listen. 

It is not too late to wake it. 

Say the names of the wild, the forgotten things: bluebird, red wolf, robin; violet, child, clover. You cannot save the world but you can open the window for the trapped wren in the cellar. Read a book to a blind man, to your father. 

Tell a child you do believe her anger. 

Make your life the first life that you save.   

—Joseph Fasano

Emphasis added. If you know, you know.

When you have some time and the inclination, look up this writer and teacher and gift yourself one (or more) of his books. 

Our souls need nourishing with poetry and art and music. And speaking of music, we are going into the studio very soon to record a live album of mostly originals, some previously recorded, some not, with a very small audience of family and friends who live nearby. 

I want to document this core lineup while I am able. We have worked a long time to get this unit tight, and I am not quite ready to let that go, so I want something to hold onto, to remind me of how dedication and consistency can create something worth making. 

June 13th from 4 - 8 pm at The Saloon will be our last performance with this lineup for a while, as Martin is moving to NH. 

Not sure about video yet, but we will try. 

 

Ox, 

Mari 

Upcoming dates: 

June 13th - The Saloon, SF

July 11th - The Saloon, SF

July 13th - Sausalito Cruising Club

Additional 2026 dates at 

4 - 8 pm at The Saloon :

August 8th

September 12th

October 10th

November 14th 

December 12th

Memorial Day : Wishes and Dreams

Hey Everybody, 

It's Memorial Day, and we remember the people who died serving a purpose greater than their own. 

____________

My friend Sharon,  bartender at The Saloon, took a snippet of my sit in with Blues Power yesterday. The city was hopping due to the long weekend. 

Sharing here for friends and family who are too far away to be there. 

I wish you love in your heart, peace in your soul and the courage to care about someone other than yourself. Because it isn't easy. 

That said, we need to care about ourselves, too. It's a fine line to balance sometimes...

Ox, 

Mari