Vista = power down...

"...one day I'll kick this piece of %$#@ right out of the window." - Samir Nagheenanajar

Maybe I'm knee-jerking. And maybe I should just shut up and jump ship to Mac (I'm stubbornly fighting it). And maybe I just don't know what I'm doing.

The only thing that I'm certain of (at least for now) is that Vista was sent here by some cruel entity whose idea of fun is watching me try (in vain) to install common plug-ins.

Just shoot me.

*UPDATE*

OK. It's not so bad.

Jaco

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Jaco Pastorius, the greatest electric bassist to walk the earth, in my opinion.

As a kid (and aspiring musician) I idolized this guy. He was one of those rare talents that comes along to truly revolutionize his or her art. This guy brought freakishly flawless (as in 'without flaws') technique, musicality for days, and funkiness that will never be matched. A real genius.

It sounds hokey, but from my perspective the guy is still around. You can hear him in the playing of nearly every serious bassist working today.


some solo stuff:


rare footage of Jaco at the piano with Toots Thielemans performing one of my favorite Jaco compositions, Three Views of a Secret. Beautiful stuff:

Pops Carter

My first stint as the official photographer of the Denton Blues Fest was a great one. The Denton Black Chamber of Commerce and the other sponsors put on an amazing festival. I saw some familiar faces and met tons of new friends. Great music, food, and the weather was amazing.

I was completely beat after shooting non-stop for ten hours straight but I ended up with some cool images of the performers and festival goers. But that will have to wait for a later post.

For now I'll showcase a few images I got of Pops Carter. This guy is a legend. If you live in Denton you probably know him or have heard his brand of blues. This dude puts on a show...also one of the nicest guys you'll meet.

the man:




the omnipresent cane:





the charmer:


smooth cat:



doin' his thing:

very late Labor Day post...

Labor Day was a good one this year. Determined not to waste the entire weekend, Maureen, Ginny, and I decided to head to Turner Falls to do a little camping. And I'm so glad we did! It's amazing how easy you're able to forget about all the pressures of the world when you're detached from it, even in the smallest way.

Turner Falls was beautiful. The weather was beautiful. We had a great time.

Oh, yeah. I was nearly attacked (much to the amusement of the ladies) by a raccoon. Almost forgot. Apparently they're pretty used to humans (and all the food they bring) being around and aren't as skittish as I would have thought. In fact, one walked right up to me as I sat talking to Maureen near the campfire.These things are some sneaky bastards. And I've seen enough "When Animals Attack" videos to know that even the cutest, cuddliest animals can make you look like a fool.

I did.

here's the campsite...nice and secluded. also a haven for crazy raccoons.


a little poker to pass the time.




I can't bluff like I used to.


I belong to a small minority of people who are obsessive enough to drag a light stand and umbrella into the woods.


I think it's worth the trouble.


sisters.


underexposed the ambient light by about 2 stops.


a horseback tour guide set up shop near our campsite, so I stole a few images of her horses. She told me that they'd seen a few mountain lions near the park this summer...then she laughed at me when I told her about our 'visitor'.





just before we were "attacked". I placed a flash in the tent to light that baby up.