The day in photos and commentary.
From tamales to classic microphones. From legal antics to art. Thanks to Clyde Beswick at CB1 gallery, Kerri Cambell, my son Jack, the folks at Mezz, Gabriela, Keith, the folks in all the bands during the evening and everybody in the sessions last night.
The day started early as I had to have my son at jury duty at 8:30am. I planned to only spend part of the day with him but as my interest grew in the antics of the court system I deceided to stay the remainder of the day.
The day started early as I had to have my son at jury duty at 8:30am. I planned to only spend part of the day with him but as my interest grew in the antics of the court system I deceided to stay the remainder of the day.
About 9:30am there was a break so we had something for breakfast. This photo is deceptive. These tamales are about a foot long.
Many more photos below with a bit of dialogue
Van Nuys courthouse at about 9:30am.
Those tamales came out of the big silver pot on the left.
Not a great lunch. Near the courthouse so they have something of a captive audience.
But ... when one is hungry you tend to eat just about anything.
When jury duty was over we went to my son's mother's house where I dropped him off with his brother.
After visiting both my boys in the early evening for a bit I headed off for the evening with eight friends.
One Thursday night each month is L.A. Art Walk. We have some friends that are gallery, club and bar owners and we generally attend the event each month.
Five of our group opted to take a car and the other four of us took the Metro redline to Pershing Square where we started our evening.
Our group fragmented somewhat quickly and some of the dialogue during the evening can be seen on facebook as a few of us posted or commented last night while we were out. A few times I used a friends iPhone where I could access things just as I do online. It was quite a step from my smart phone that is not quite as smart.
First stop ... CB1 Gallery. This may be my favorite gallery in downtown Los Angeles.
Clyde Beswick, owner of CB1 Gallery, always has a smile waiting.
The above shots are my shots of Lisa Adams work. My friend Kerri is a huge fan of Lisa's work. Kerry is a professional photographer who has a very high tech studio in Toluca Lake between Noho and Burbank. Kerri is also an artist.
The work of Osvaldo Trujillo stopped two folks in their tracks for a long period of contemplation.
Next stop was the book and record store. I never remember the name but it is also on 5th just east of CB1. The joint was jumpin' to use an old expression.
My thought in a place like this .... Natalie heaven.
The record store. My thought in a place like this - Jack heaven, Joe Bourdet heaven, Mr. Wayne heaven.
First band of the evening. Guitar player is the fellow on the right. We discussed his rig.
That is a 1968 Gibson ES-335 in the shot.
Next stop was dinner. I played with Gabriela's cell phone and experimented with its low light capability when no flash was used trying to move dishes around to best use available light. The shots come out smaller, perhaps due to the way she has her phone set for photo quality.
The upper dish is chicken parmigiana. The lower dish are very large grilled prawns (shrimp) with pasta and vegetables.
The upper dish is chicken parmigiana. The lower dish are very large grilled prawns (shrimp) with pasta and vegetables.
Kerri and her group were trying to find us. I was receiving facebook comments to my status updates to my cell phone from her. I was not receiving her texts for a while, perhaps due to reception in some areas. I sent her the above photo with the caption "we are here". This was our next music stop, the Mezz bar on the second floor where you see that blue light.
The doorman cracked himself up when he realized he was in some sort of work trance as he carded folks at the door. His trance? He carded me until he actually looked at me. We know each other with compounded the joke.
Side note ... I think I may have been the only person inside that was not carded :)
Side note ... I think I may have been the only person inside that was not carded :)
We were in time for the second band.
Looking at the rig, tone was not an expectation. Volume was.
We stayed for a while and then Gabriela and I headed back to the Metro redline for a trip to Hollywood and Vine. I called band management and asked if I could bring a friend along. They said I could. I had also been asked not to post the name of the band or any details of the sessions that were starting at midnight. Gabriela had been to some of the great studios before but not this one.
A lot of music history has been made in this studio all hours of the day but I would not be surprised if some of the most interesting work happened in sessions after midnight.
They sure have a lot of wonderful microphones in this place.
And ... with a final OK to post this from the band and their management where they confirmed that I had not said too much I will sign off for now.
P.S. My friend sat in the control room and the engineers explained the recording console/desk and let her move faders. The band members talked to her extensively. One of them asked for her phone number. She smiled and did not comply in a very nice and funny way.
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Is this because she is only interested in your phone number?
ReplyDeleteTim P
Tim - she already has my phone number so your guess is as good as mine :)
ReplyDeleteI left a status update for Kerri on my facebook wall: Kerri - thanks for everything last night. Great group of folks. I am talking to some more people about coming along next month. A bigger group could be even cooler and we could all go to Chinatown during the evening and share a gigantoid dinner!
Kerri sort of organized everything. We need to get you out here. Huey is already local so he could be a beacon of color and commentary on future events. There are a few other folks that are considering to come along which would be fun.
Some of the people reading this have asked me how you and I are together. Maybe I can explain here.
ReplyDeleteMoney cannot buy your way into many things.
You were able to take me to a closed recording session of a supergroup. That is just one example of just the final part of one evening I was able to do on this night. I lost count.
There were people in the recording session that are very wealthy and famous. Many people would find those things in people very attractive.
What I found attractive is that some of those people told me you are the key to what they do and how you help them be successful. From where I sat and from what Scott and David told me you were who people were listening to.
So many people came to you for advice. That is what I find as attractive and so very sexy.
I will not try to hide that the attention I get from being with you is a lot of fun.
The places I get to go and the people I get to meet are all wonderful.
Never knowing what to expect is fun. Taking a subway to the start of the evening and coming home in a studio limo from the studio when the subway was not running anymore. Kerri said something about my evening being a Cinderella story and on this night I have to agree though I have had many days and nights that I could talk about that would qualify.
I love the surprises. Meeting your gallery friends, the artists, the musicians one night and walking with you on skid row another night. Never knowing what is next.
Watching you talk to other people and watching you listen to them. Watching them listen to you.
You always listen to me.
You teach me new things every time we are together.
You like my pie even though Kerri can bake rings around me.
I love our age difference. If we were close in age we might ask where is our friendship going. I like that we just love to spend time together and don't wonder where we are going. I am happy where we are.
The age difference has not been a problem. Yet. But if I find it more difficult to keep up with you I will be sure to let you know :) Maybe you will slow down a little for me :)
I am not saying you two are not great friends. You two have more of what I would call a relationship than a friendship.
ReplyDelete