Many of my friends are touring musicians. This is a reminder to get your absentee ballot.
Here is the link for New York:

http://www.elections.state.ny.us/NYSBOE/download/voting/absentee.pdf


All the states are listed on this site—you can click on your state and either download your absentee ballot or get an address to send away for it. You can also get filing dates and other info your state has at this site:

http://www.longdistancevoter.org/?gclid=COqkntbQ5ZQCFRYLIgod4jIKRg



This is the New York state absentee ballot info:

Applications for Absentee Ballots are available at your county board of elections.
You may also download a PDF version of the New York State Absentee Ballot Application Form. ( 55KB)
Upon completion, applications must be mailed to your county board no later than the seventh day before the election or delivered in person no later than the day before the election.
You may also request an Absentee Ballot by sending a letter to your county board of elections. The letter must be received by your county board no earlier than 30 days and no later than seven days before the election. The letter must contain the following information:
the address where you are registered
an address where the ballot is to be sent
the reason for the request, and
the signature of the voter

This blog was my mother's idea. I would probably forget to do this myself without a reminder.

Guitar has a special significance all over the world. In Spain, there is the proud tradition of Flamenco music. Brazilian Bossa Nova is ruled by the guitar. Folk musicians everywhere choose guitar to support their songs, to deliver their message. Rock and Roll is defined by the guitar. Why the guitar?
There are practical reasons.
1. Guitars are not expensive. You can get a beater-upper for next to nothing. I bought my first guitar for thirty dollars with money I made mowing lawns. This makes guitar a democratic instrument, an instrument of the people.
2. You can take a guitar with you anywhere.
3. Guitars can accompany, there is a natural relationship between the guitar and the human voice.
4. Guitar sounds beautiful by itself, it is an orchestra that sits in your lap.
5. Guitar is easy to start. It takes a lifetime to master, but you can almost immediately learn a few simple chords that allow access to a world of songs.
6. Many guitars are designed to amplified. There is an unnatural amount of power if you need it.
There are aesthetic reasons.
1. The guitar is shaped like a human body. There is a head and a neck, and a curvy body. You hold a guitar close when you play it. When you pluck a note, you actually feel the resonance of the wood in your body. The wood was once a living thing, and it still retains some qualities of life; the wood changes with the weather, it breathes. The guitar is alive.
2. Symatry. The twelfth fret is an octave away from the open string. This is the halfway point of the string. If you pluck the string just touching the twelfth fret, you will hear the pure sound of a harmonic. The guitar is mathematically beautiful, in a Pascalian way it is perfect.
3. Guitars are works of art. Luthiers express themselves through their designs. There are uncountable sizes, shapes, and finishes in the guitar world. Guitar players express themselves through their choice of instrument before they even play a note.
4.There are also altogether different kinds of guitars; archtops, classical, steel string acoustic, steel guitars, solid body electric etc. There have been so many different techniques developed to play these different guitars, I wouldn't know where to start. This wide diversity makes there something for everyone to love.
5. Overtones. I guess this is true of any instrument, but it is particular pronounced with string instruments. Anytime you play a note, there are overtones and sympathetic vibrations. It is often difficult to hear the actual pitches, but it creates a sonic aura, something magical that you can't touch.
6. Guitar is a percussive instrument, that can sustain notes. You can bend notes or put vibrato on a note like a wind instrument, but play a chord like a piano. You can hit the instrument like a drum.
There are symbolic reasons.
1. Guitar has become a symbol of romance all over. I think this has to do with the qualities mentioned above. I've never heard of someone serenading a woman with a hand drum. It could be hip, I just haven't heard of it.
2. Guitar is THE symbol of rock and roll, of youth rebellion, of the angry folk singer. When I used to be more active as a guitar teacher for beginners, I noticed a searching energy to many of my students. Guitar can be a way for a young person to define themselves.
Guitar, Guitar, Guitar.

I've been getting a lot of requests that I run for political office. I decided to go for the gold, and announce my presidential bid today.
I'm anticipating all the usual nay-sayers; "He has no political experience," "He never took health class in Junior high school," "He eats Pakistani food," etc .. but my message will not be denied.
I do have some concerns though. First off, all of the best campaign slogans seem to be taken allready: "A time for a Change" "Change is Coming" "Let's Change our government" and "I Need Change for a Dollar."  
I feel that I need a slogan that speaks honestly to the people. Something that separates me from the other candidates and defines my presidential run. Here are some heartfelt thoughts from the heartland(Manhattan).

Randy Napoleon in '08 - "Prepare For the Worst"
The campaign poster would have a picture of me wearing an army helmet, curled into fetal position under a school desk.  

Randy Napoleon in '08 - "Don't stop Thinking About Yesterday"
The campaign poster would have a picture of me wearing parachute pants and playing with a hoola hoop. MC Hammer would finally have a new gig as my running mate.

Randy Napoleon in '08 - "Let America be the Soviet Union Again" -
An inspirational picture of me standing on a breadline with some voters - everyone is laughing and hugging.

Randy Napoleon in '08 - "Real Plans for Rich People"
I'm trying to decide between this one and "Leave Some Children Behind"

Randy Napoleon in '08 - "Vote Randy for Candy"
People like it when you rhyme, people like candy. These two things are missing in the political arena today. I will fill the vacume left when Dr. Suess dropped out of the 1992 election after the Lorax-Logging scandal.
These are some ideas I'm throwing around. This is an exciting time for me as I strive to represent myself to the voters with as much heartfelt honesty compassion forsight hindsight experience washington outsider straight talking liberal-conservatism as I possible can.
That about covers it

My roommates and I have been having some problems filling the last room in our apartment. On an unrelated note, I've also been feeling strange about how many of my friends are maturing faster than me. They are buying houses, working six figure jobs, getting married etc... I will trump my overacheiving friends and find the perfect roomate in one fell swoop. I will adopt a house baby.
There is nothing that screams adulthood like having a child. I can finally cooly end any discourse with, "When you have a child, you will understand." My richer, married friends living in their own homes will concede to my superior wisdom. I believe baby will be a great roomate too!
No one in my apartment is really interested in caring for a child, so baby will learn to be an independent, can-do kind of infant. I believe everyone starts life with an untarnished credit record. We will keep track of how much baby owes, and when baby is three years old, we will start billing him for current rent as well as his three year rent loan(with low interest of course, I'm conservative, yet compassionate.)
I believe a baby that can take care of itself in New York City is the resourceful American that all of our politicians are always talking about. Baby isn't looking for a hand out, not even a hand up. Baby prefers to lie down on his own. No time to cry when there are bills to pay.
This is the model of the America of tomorrow, in fact, I'm naming the baby America. Can you imagine the budget surplus we would have if the freeloading toddlers of today were paying taxes? It does seem only fair that they should pay a slightly lower percentage of their income than the top one percent of our nations earners, unless of course Baby is Burping up Big Bucks.
Good old fashioned Yankee elbow grease will help Baby America pay off his debts. Baby America will turn his bedroom into a sweaty shop of good old fashioned child labor. When you are sewing blouses for sixteen hours a day - there is no time to leave dirty dishes in the sink, or empty beer bottles on the counter. Baby America will be proud to be a self made man. No coddling this intrepid pioneer. Leave that to those communists in Canada. Finally the youth of our great nation won't have to wait to take part in the great American dream.
This is just good common sense. We take that pacifier out of Baby America's mouth so he doesn't suck the economic teet of our country dry, and I finally have a roommate who won't challenge my TV remote control dominion. Ever.
Everybody wins.

I recently got a new guitar that I'm really excited about. Eastman is a small guitar company that specializes in hand carved instruments. I'm proud to endorse their guitars.
They made me a customized AR910CE Sunburst. It has a set pick up which, at least right now, is not a standard offering. The pickup is the same Kent Armstrong pickup that is on the AR803CE series.
This is the best instrument I've ever owned, it's got so much sustain I can't believe it. I can play more vocally, less percusively. I've never been much of a gear head, and I'm always surprised when I remember that the right equipment can make a big difference. I've had a sound in my head for a long time that I'm starting to get closer to.
More here: www.eastmanstrings.com

As many of you know, I recently started touring with jazz master Freddy Cole. The last few months have been a whirlwind, personally and musically, and this is the most exciting thing to come of all the change.
Playing in Freddy's band is a dream come true. He is the most elegant and soulful singer imaginable, and a really nice guy to work for. I've been learning so many new songs from him, I feel like my head is going to explode. Freddy is famous for finding songs that have slipped into obscurity, and breathing new life into them. We never play the same set twice, and he never tells us what we are going to play before we get on stage. This keeps me on my toes, and the gigs are always exciting.
The arrangements are hip and tasteful, but never over arranged so there is no freedom. Freddy gives us a lot of room to put our personality and creativity into the music. Freddy also plays great piano. The interplay between piano and guitar has always fascinated me in groups like this, and it's really satisfying to learn how to make the two instruments work like one. Also, Freddy gives us all feature time to stretch out and do our thing.
The other two members of the quartet are a real pleasure to work with also, Curtis Boyd on Drums and Elias Bailey. Curtis is the real deal, having come up working with people like Joe Williams and Carmen MacRae. He's a really cool guy with a great sense of humor, but when he gets on the bandstand it's all business. The thing that strikes me about Curtis' playing is his flow. He makes the groove extremely comfortable and unforced. When Curtis and Freddy play a slow blues, my skin tingles. I wish that everyone from my generation had the chance to play with someone like him. It's changing my understanding of jazz.
Elias Bailey, what can I say? I've been friends with Elias for about six years now and I've always loved playing with him. He's one of the premier young bass players in New York right now. I call Elias "Grits" because he always keeps the soul in! A good bass player is the heart and soul of every band, they make the wheels turn.
We have dates coming up in Europe, North America, South America, and the Middle East. If you live in any of those areas, check my schedule and please come hear these guys. I believe you will enjoy Freddy's music as much as I do!

Someone told me recently that 30 is the new 20. I'm curious what that makes 20, would it be the new 10? That would definitely explain a lot about my sophomore year of college and the fort we built out of pizza boxes.
I'm a little concerned about what that would make 10, would it be embryonic? I might be getting the math wrong. Maybe it's like a graph where the older you are, the more years you get back. 30 is the new 20, 20 is the new 15, 15 is the new 12.5, 60 is the new 40 etc...
Another thing: When you are 10, everyone is always telling you to "act your age." What age do you start trying to fool everyone and yourself into thinking you are younger then you are? Maybe 20 is still 20, 25 is still 25 and at 30, you go back to 20. Expressed mathematically this gets even more screwy:
20=20
30=20 so.....
20=30
20 is the new 30!!! And...... 30 is the new 40, 40 is the new 50, 50 is the new 60, 60 is the new 70, 70 is the new 80 ......................
They say life starts at 40, but I'm starting to fear that it ENDS at 20!!! I've been cheating death for the last ten years.
Confused at 30,
Randy
P.S. People ask me what musicians do in the afternoon. This is what we do.
P.P.S. Josh Brown, I will never ridicule your advanced age again. I'm right behind you in the old folks home.
P.P.P.S When I said I wouldn't ridicule you, I lied. Hee hee hee.

I've gotten a number of messages from friends asking how they can help us to get our music out there. Here is my blog with some thoughts:
1. Add one of our songs to your profile/add me to your top friends -
That can really help to get the word out!
2. Request that your local radio station plays the CD-
I've been getting some really nice messages asking me to come to people's towns to play. If the CD gets some play in a town, it makes it easier to get an audience, easier to book the gig etc. Just so you know, I always want to play!
3. Tell your friends-
Same idea as ..1
These are good guidelines for helping out any musicians that you like, especially those of us who are on small labels that don't have much of an advertising budget. Grassroots-word-of-mouth is the only way the little guy gets heard!
Thanks again for all the help I've received lately. It's really amazing how much a few motivated people have changed my musical life in very positive ways! Thanks also to all of you who have bought a CD or come to a gig. We will be able to continue to play our music because of your support.
Sincerely,
Randy

At long last, our new CD, BETWEEN FRIENDS is available! I recorded this with my friends, for you to enjoy with yours.
This CD is the result of two recording sessions. The first features the long standing working trio I have with Jared Gold on B3 hammond organ, and Quincy Davis on drums. In the last four years since our first CD, ENJOY THE MOMENT, we have had ample time to develop a whole new book of arrangments and originals. When we went into the studio, we were thinking more about documenting the music we had been working on than releasing another record. We ended up knocking out about twelve songs in under four hours, as always it was a breeze with those guys. When I started talking to Azica records, we decided to use the best songs from that date, and do an additional session with piano, bass, and drums.

The second session ending up happening about a year later, because every one was very busy with other projects! This date featured my mentor Benny Green on Piano, and one of my favorite Bass players, the wonderful David Wong. Quincy Davis rounded out the group on drums.

It's nice for me being able to have these two different sounds on this record, and to be in the company of some of my favorite players and people. I feel that it's a nice representation of where I'm at right now, and hopefully it's something that people will be able to get into and tap their feet!

This CD is available at some stores and at the following places: CD universe, Amazon.com,
BarnesandNoble.com and others. Bellow are some links that will take you right to the order page. It is now it stock and shold get to you for the holidays if you order now! In addition, it should be avaliable through Itunes any day now.
Hope you check it out!
Randy

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7292257&BAB=E

http://www.amazon.com/Between-Friends-Randy-Napoleon/dp/B000I5XECI/sr=11-1/qid=1165850481/ref=sr_11_1/103-8538626-3725432

http://www.cdconnection.com/cd_and_dvd/search/Randy_Napoleon?s=vmOESHACysCm

http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/product.asp?z=y&EAN=787867223628&itm=19

I want to sincerely thank all the people who have been so helpful to me recently. I'm finishing up a mini tour where I was able to play some of my favorite music with some of my favorite musicians.
I have had SO MUCH help from so many people to make this possible. Some have been old friends, others people I've just met. The old adage states, "It takes a village to raise a child." I submit to you, "It takes a lot of people to get a guitarist some gigs!"
People have helped me in the last few months with almost every aspect of getting these performances together. I've had help booking and promoting, all the way down to help finding a place to sleep!
I just really appreciate the support and necessary help I've been receiving. It would be impossible for me to sucessfully do out of town gigs without the unasked for help I've had. That is not to mention the emotional factor of knowing that people value what we do.
To anyone who has contributed recently in any of the above ways, or to any one who has bought a CD, requested that a radio station plays the CD, attended a gig, told a friend to go to a gig etc ... I say THANK YOU! You are enabling us to continue presenting our music.
I've been getting a lot of messages on this site saying "are you going to play in (fill in the city)" I want you to know that I am sincerely trying! I will put up another blog with thoughts on simple ways, if you're interested, to help make that happen.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

Randy