From
Los Barilles, MX – a blog about life in general. Part 1...
As
I look out into the vast expanse the ocean here provides, I'm
reminded of just how lucky I have been thus far in my professional
career as well as how on earth my personal life allowed me to find
such exquisite beauty. I can't help but thinking each morning when I
open the window blinds that I really do not deserve to live this way.
There
is intense sun all day long... the temperature averages daily around
eighty degrees. There are wonderful exotic flowers and cacti
surrounding the palm trees... and of course, the white-sanded beach
acts as a gateway for an area of the ocean (Sea of Cortez) which
provides one of the most desired and sought-after fishing hot-spots
in the world. Marlin, Tuna, Yellow-Tail Mackerel, and of course, the
coveted Dorado (known as Mahi-Mahi in the States)... are all just a
cast away from appearing on that evening's dinner plate.
The
people who live here are quite proud of their own heritage as well as
this beauty they protect so well yet it would seem as though their
main goal in life is to make my stay here just that much more
enjoyable! ...and in return, I'm sad to report that the people
native to this area profit so very little monetarily.
Fortunately,
it does not take much money to live well here. The “Cost of
Living” is compensated in ways which seem foreign to someone born
and raised just south of Toledo, OH.
For
example, we don't often deal with propane, electric, or ANY other
ways to generate HEAT here. We rely only upon the sun and if the
night should take us into a chilly state, we get out a blanket or
two. Although Las Palmas Hotel here in Los Barilles does have
air-conditioning, one rarely needs to run it only because of that
gentle breeze coming off the surf 24/7. ...and tacos are cheap and
tasty.
So,
here I am... I'll be here if no one calls to “bother” me until
mid-April. This provides the PERFECT surrounding to inspire new
music. Miguel De Hoyos arrives tonight via car all the way from San
Diego... about a two-day drive. Our first show together is Saturday
night about two blocks away from the hotel at a restaurant named,
“Otra Vez” and it is sold out.
Last
year at this same time, Miguel and I made many friends/fans here
while performing a series of concerts (Sat. night each week for three
months) and it appears as though they are eagerly awaiting our
return.
Thanks
to one Otra Vez patron, Stuart Barr, we were able to launch and
complete production of our first CD, “Underground Whispers” which
our audiences here have not yet seen... and it was THIS AUDIENCE WHO
DEMANDED THE CD INTO IT'S EXISTENCE! It's all very exciting, really.
Feels a bit like Christmas Eve to me (maybe because I no longer
physically celebrate Christmas, perhaps?).
Consider
this paragraph a “plug” for any of you who wish to get away from
the snow or simply want a secluded spot to mis-behave... the city is
Los Barilles, MX... the hotel is Las Palmas Hotel (ask for a lovely
lady named Cha-Cha and tell her The Fiddler sent you) and the
restaurant is Otra Vez, where you will come the closest possible to
four-star dining in this area.
Otra
Vez is owned and operated this year by the beautiful Linda Lambrecht.
Last year, she and her husband, Patrick, led us through an
absolutely wonderful series of concerts and contacts through their
restaurant. And since then, Patrick Lambrecht left this world.
One
cannot express exactly what kind of treasure Patrick's family and
friends lost upon his demise to Lung Cancer. He could change your
mood in an instant and was quite “worldly”, having served in the
US Navy... his humor could literally shock you into laughter and
joy...and above all, he was our friend. We are very grateful to have
made it to San Diego during the last week of his life to deliver a
personal farewell concert. Without BOTH Lambrechts, it is probable
that our duo, “DePue/De Hoyos” would not have survived as a
musical force.
We
wish Linda Lambrecht all the best as she takes the restaurant reigns
solo with high hopes for continued success in the restaurant
business. We are HER fans and that loyalty will not ever waver.
Together we shall rock this city once again starting tomorrow night!
Let's
go back some... I have written nothing on this subject since the duo
even formed and it's long overdue, really... and that is the
Greatness of my musical partner, Senor Miguel De Hoyos, Guitarrista
Mexicano.
I've
been playing professionally for almost thirty years... Miguel has
been at it almost 40 years. We were introduced by my cousin, Brent
Patterson, about two years ago.
Miguel
had just finished a long night (four sets solo) at a restaurant in La
Mision, B.C. MX. He had just packed away his guitar when Brent took
me up to the stage. He introduced us, we shook hands and, maybe in
Miguel's mind, that was the end of it, so he hoped.
But
Cousin Brent told Miguel about how I play the violin... and Miguel
was STILL just as unimpressed... as I would be if I had just finished
a hard night's work... but Cousin Brent would not give up... he
begged. He told us of his recurring vision of Miguel and I
performing together. Finally, Mr. De Hoyos reluctantly reached back
into his guitar case. Up until that point, neither he or I had any
idea how the other played as I had just entered the restaurant from
the parking lot.
...and
with a sigh (I was also tired from my gig earlier that evening) I got
my fiddle out to satisfy my Cousin's dream of Miguel and I performing
together and then... off to my warm bed... so I thought. (more
for-shadowing...)
With
a worn-out glance, Miguel politely asked me what I would like to
play. I told him to just pick anything and I'd just fall in. He
raised his eyebrows... “Besame Mucho?”, he asked, very politely
once again.
(The
frequent mention of Miguel and the word polite is important... if you
were to sum up his character in one word, “polite” might be the
one. Word.)
Still,
somehow I felt like a six-year-old with a whiffle-ball bat stepping
up to take a swing with the Red Sox. I told him that I had heard
“Besame Mucho” at least once before. “What key?” he asked.
I indicated that he could pick his favorite and go with that.
He
was pleasantly surprised with that particular answer and his demeanor
changed a bit simultaneously... it is often the case that whenever
any musician indicates no hesitation playing in ANY key, most likely,
that musician has vast knowledge and skill on his/her particular
instrument. And then he began to play.
What
happened next can only be explained in make-believe land. The sounds
that rolled out of his guitar were truly foreign to me. I had never
heard the guitar speak in a foreign tongue. We all know that music
is a universal language.
Still,
I immediately felt like a mere visitor in a country where music was
VERY important... especially to those who perform for survival. I
have “jammed” with and even performed with the greatest
guitarists of our day (heck, I just toured with Vai, right?) and
thought I knew all there was to know about the guitar as well as it's
capabilities... even play the guitar myself, yet Miguel has proven to
me once again that I must continue to learn on a daily basis.
The
Flamenco style of playing the guitar incorporates plenty of left-hand
technique. If you can imagine a fast Mexican song... even the famed,
“La Bamba”... that's a pretty quick tempo. OK, now take your
right hand, get all five fingers (thumb included) positioned over the
SIX strings... and then roll, or finger-pick, or even tremolo... your
lead line/solo by sub-dividing all the way down to what one could
only call 64th
notes.
At
times, Miguel's right hand looks like a fan... a blur... it's
exciting to watch and epic to hear. He overwhelms our audiences with
his mastery... now let's talk about artistry.
To
play with Mr. De Hoyos reminds me a lot of my college days at Bowling
Green State University as a student majoring in Music Performance. I
had the privilege of working and performing with world-re-known
pianist, Jerome Rose. Mr. Rose and Miguel have a lot in common.
Playing
with either of them is so easy because my own mind is constantly
being read. They know how I'm about to turn a particular phrase
sometimes before even I do! In some ways, it's a bit creepy. The
difference between Rose and De Hoyos is that Miguel has never had a
formal music lesson. His Dad taught him when Miguel was only a boy
growing up in Monterrey, MX.
Our
music (DePue/De Hoyos) just flows freely without much effort at all.
Some of the tunes we currently perform have not changed AT ALL since
our FIRST TRY. The same is true for some of the tracks on the CD.
It would seem as though we think the same, feel the same, and
ultimately, even breathe exactly the same when performing.
We
just began recording our second CD with two new tracks in a rather
cold and snowy Philadelphia last month. We got to the studio, pulled
out our cold instruments, sat down in front of hot mics, and
completed our first track in one take. We did not even speak to each
other, really... too early for that... just one quick bit of eye
contact and three minutes and thirty seconds later, we were finished
with that much of our next recording... and HAPPY with the
performance!? Sound unbelievable? It was just that.
Because
the name Miguel De Hoyos is even more unknown than my own in the USA,
I have had the luxury of introducing De Hoyos as my “special guest”
for our American audiences... which is comical to me.
It
is a DUO. It's 50/50 and our reasons for promoting ourselves
temporarily in this manner, at least in the US, are complicated and
involved... say no more.
Whenever
I'm stuck during a show and feel as though any particular audience is
getting even the slightest bit bored, I just grab the mic and say,
“Now I give you Miguel De Hoyos” and leave the stage. By the
time I get back the audience is on their feet cheering... EVERY TIME.
Well,
back to the story... don't really NEED to go back now, really, cuz
you already know the outcome. The short version would be that after
we performed together that first time on the famous, “Besame
Mucho”, we exchanged many compliments and we both knew that we
could finally satisfy ourselves musically and artistically through
working together, no matter how large the audience. Then I left the
country with Steve Vai.