MARCH 5, 2009
Good Stuff Thursday - Making Good of Things
Another Thursday rolls around, and I’m tired and a bit out of sorts again (anybody sensing a pattern here?), so it’s just the right moment for me to fulfill my self-assignment of listing good things on this sunny day. So here goes.

1. Jason Harrod’s new CD Bright as You arrived in my mailbox yesterday, and I’m loving it. Harrod has a great voice - clear and husky, just imperfect enough to make it beautiful, and his guitar-playing is wonderful, too (especially on this record where he’s backed by legendary guitarist Phil Madeira). The songs blend together folk, blues, a little alt-country, and great lyrics to make enjoyable and insightful lyrics. You can take a listen to a couple of numbers on Harrod’s website. And if you like what you hear, I’ll be doing an interview with him on this blog in the next couple of weeks, so stay-tuned.
 

http://www.andilit.com/?p=395

 

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2/5/2009	Low Country Live ABC TV Channel 4 Charleston SC area 10:00 am
2/5/2009	Palmetto Acoustic at Muddy Waters Coffee Bar 1331 Ashley River Road Charleston, SC 7:30pm 843.225.3683
2/6/2009	The Black Cow Coffeehouse and Bakery 3 North Main Street Honea Path, SC 8:00 pm 864.369.2269
2/27/2009	Postcrypt Coffeehouse Saint Paul's Chapel 116th and Broadway New York, NY 8:30 pm 212.854.1953 postcrypt@columbia.edu
3/12/2009	Songwriter Sessions Vanilla Bean 450 Deerfield Road Pomfret, CT 7:00pm 860.928.1562
3/28/2009	North Star Cafe 225 Congress Street Portland, ME 8:00pm
4/18/2009	House Concert at the Stubblebine's 60 Crescent Road Concord, MA email jstubblebine@comcast.net for reservations and directions 7:30 pm
5/2/2009	StoneSongs 18 Stone Chapel Lane Pikesville, MD 8:00pm info@stonesongs.org
5/16/2009	The Stoop Church For All Nations; 417 West 57th Street, NY, NY 8:00pm 212.333.5583
6/10/2009	Trinity House Theatre 38840 6 Mile Road Livonia, MI 8:00pm
7/25/2009	House Concertbr> TBA Leavenworth, WA 8:00pm
8/1/2009	Fort Flagler State Park 10541 Flagler Road Nordland, WA 360.755.9231 360.385.1259 7:00 pm

Hey Folks,

True fact 1: I have two new songs for you to listen to and download:

Train: http://jasonharrod.com/Train.mp3

and

Movie Song: http://jasonharrod.com/Movie%20Song.mp3

I recorded them earlier this year up in CT with Reid Maclean, Colin McGrath, William Berlind, Rob Moose, Aaron Thurston and Allyson Marshall.

Truth is, I've been sitting on them for awhile cause I thought something was wrong with 'em, or I wanted there to be 10 or 12 of them so that I could package them in a CD and sell them to you, but there aren't 10 or 12, there are only 2, and I probably should sell them to you on iTunes or something, but I don't want to, I want to give them to you. It's an economic stimulus package. of music.

True fact 2: I am the recipient of a songwriting fellowship which means basically I am getting paid to write songs, which has never happened to me before, and for which I am very grateful, and about which I am very excited. Hopefully there will be a new record soon which will bear the fruits of this writing.

True fact 3: There is a new website coming. I know, I've said this before. It's kinda slow. Anyway it's happening. Guess what it's gonna be called? That's right, jasonharrod.com.

True fact 4: Mountain lions used to thrive in the Eastern US but are almost impossible to find there any more. This might make you sad, but if you were to ever find one you might be sadder.

True fact 5: One time my mom read one of these emails and asked me if I was on crack. It was the time when I called y'all "my sweet, sweet babies," which of course was a Conan reference.

True fact 6: I am living in New York City. Get ready for a whole new slew of songs about wanting to leave the city and about seeing Scott Adsit in a ball cap. Which I did.

All right I'm tired of facts. Do I sound like the liberal elite media? HMMM? DO I????

I've got 2 gigs coming up this weekend (ah crap another fact. oh well):

11/1/2008
Covenant College
http://covenant.edu//
14049 Scenic Highway
Lookout Mountain, GA
8:00 pm

11/2/2008
Terra Cotta House Concert Series
Montgomery, AL
7:00 pm
katie.rose13 at yahoo for reservations
http://terracottahouseconcerts.blogspot.com/

And then one more on the 15th, again down south

11/15/2008
Music at the Barn
8022 New Town Road
Waxhaw, NC
8:00
with a bunch of other folks
email christy@mac.com for more info

I hope you can come on out.

Peace to you all,

Jason

http://jasonharrod.com
http://myspace.com/jasonharrodmusic
http://sonicbids.com/jasonharrod

...I'm in the band room jamming with 3 other guys on "Oleo," trying to keep up, because for some reason it's not allowed to ever play that tune at anything less than breakneck speed. Suddenly some dude bursts through the door just *wailing* on a tenor sax, and it takes me a second to realize that it's Branford Marsalis, wearing a green t-shirt that says "let's play a round." He's trailed by his piano player, Joey Calderazzo, who wears a "Titleist" hat. "What is it with these guys and golf?" I think to myself before thinking "Holy Mo Betta, Batman, I'm playing with Branford Marsalis." After Oleo, Branford said, "Hold on, let me get my soprano." Nobody was in a rush, so we held on while he got his soprano sax, and then we played "Autumn Leaves." After that I lay on the floor and watched him give a sax lesson to some lucky young reed player. Then they played "Giant Steps."

My song "Messed Up Every where Blues" will appear in a film starring country crooner Randy Travis. You're doubtless familiar with Randy's work in "Young Guns," "King of The Hill," and "Casper's Haunted Christmas 2000." Well, he's got a movie coming out later this year called "The Wager," and they're using my song in it. Here's a trailer. Also appearing in the film are Jude Cicolella ("Mike" in "24") Bronson Pinchot ("Cousin Balki") and Candace Cameron Bure ("D.J." from "Full House.").

How's it going? I'm good. I had a good old Saint Patty's day with lots of beer and corned beef and cabbage and fried fish and then tonight I had church. Now I am going to send this email and read my book and then go to bed.

(I'm reading Gore Vidal's "Lincoln" and I love it. Tobacco stains all over the White House carpet. Spittoons at every chair. Eww, now that I think about it.)

So, I could use your vote in this contest:

I am one of 8 featured artists at LiveAudioMag.com, an online music magazine which features North Carolina musicians and songwriters. Currently the magazine is holding a promotional contest which allows people to register for free and vote for their favorite artist. The musician or band with the most votes gets $1000.

If you are willing to vote for me, go to LiveAudioMag.com and click on the link that says "Vote for your favorite Artist Free! (no credit card required)." After you register (they just ask for name and email), look for the link that says "the Official Vote."

This contest ends at the end of March.

"In My Room," is, of course, a Beach Boys' cover I did in 2002 for the "Making God Smile" tribute to Brian Wilson. I did all the vocals, guitars, and bass. Dale Baker did the drumming and bells and stuff. Word is that Brian Wilson heard it and dug it.

"Movie"

Recorded Live at Eddie's Attic, 9/22/06

Lately this is my favorite song to play. Written about the feeling you get when you're really into someone and you really hope she calls and she doesn't call.

Also the feeling you get in the movies when you see something so true and that feeling sinks inside of you and becomes you and you become it.

Also, Yul Brynner from "The Magnificent Seven" sneaked in there.


I went out to the movie
I got lost on my way down
Oh so dark at the movie
I don't want to be found

See the hard-bitten hero
In the West, out on his own
Riding with the sun in his eyes,
I don't want to go home

Hey that's me up there
Yeah, that's me up there
Shining

I got lost in your eyes
Waiting for you to call
I forget what they shine like
No, I can't say at all

But they call me out
When they look at me
Oh so dark at the movie
I just want to be free

Cause that's me up there
Yeah, that's me up there
Shining

Now I'm sinking in my seat
Just beneath that beam of light
That's my dim blue Damascus
I just want to be right

Cause that's me up there
that's me up there
Shining

I'm just updating this because I'm embarrassed it's been so long since my last update. I just saw Amy Sedaris on Craig Ferguson's show. We love the Sedarises. Her brother refinished my grandmother's floors. And her sister went to high school with my friend Jonathan. I guess there's a "Strangers With Candy" movie out now. I'll see it if it ever comes here.

I saw "Superman Returns" last night. Other than Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor, it was a waste of time and money. I should have rented 1978's "Superman: The Movie."

Greetings from Somerville, Mass.  This is just a quick note to let you know my second CD, "Bright As You," is available for purchase on .