Got a raise last night, played a great set with my buddy Scott, had a big crowd that stayed and enjoyed the music, shook some shakers, laughed along, another perfect "ladies night" at the CU. Then we stuck around to back Apple, so that amounts to 3 straight hours of music, no break. And I love it. Jeff came through with 500 baht rather than the usual 400, and that meant that I earned a cool $10 for my night's work. We have to kinda sneak the money piece, nothing is out in the open, because technically I'm not allowed to earn money here, so we will have the '$10 handshake' or he'll slip something into my pocket. It's just the way things are done... and he asks that I do the same when I pay Scott, so of course I do.
After the amplified music ended, this young Aussie guy, looks biracial, almost Maori and Caucasian, big handsome guy... he grabbed a guitar and wowed the late night crowd. His name is Clayton, looks early 30s, and he had sat in with us for a couple of numbers that evening. He was talking to Jeff when I showed up to play the 9pm set, and Jeff turned him over to me, saying that 'this is the guy you need to talk to about playing'. Clayton was kinda cheeky, wise-ass, full of himself, so within 20 seconds, I'm saying to him, 'So in other words, you're giving shit to the guy who is trying to get you on stage?' He reminded me of myself as a younger man, and that feeling only increased as the night went on.
Clayton told me that he only brought one harmonica, a D harp, which meant that he could blow some blues in the key of A, and I got him up to jamming in the later set, and he was great, making up lyrics, going for it, singing and playing the blues. He asked to do another song, and I said, 'what do you want to do?' He asked if we knew 'Like a Rolling Stone', and sure, can do, though I needed to talk Apple through the chord progression for a second. So we launch into it, Clayton is rocking, the place is into it, and we reach the 'How does it feel?' section and people are singing along loudly. Then Clayton is asking for a little tempo increase and we give it to him for the next verse, and now it's really rockin', and he's mostly doing the lyrics, but throwing in some Chiang Mai references too, like I say, a younger version of me, (taking over, making up shit, working the crowd). That's kind of the magic of the CU, people show up, they get a chance to get up there and give it a shot. (It helps to have a house band of pro musicians, and that's what we were). So young Clayton was a big hit and we all dug it. Then he stuck around, grabbed the guitar, put himself in the center of the room and played 'Dream', 'Sweet Caroline' 'Hey Good Lookin' and 'American Pie' to the delight of the late night drinkers. He handed me the guitar and I followed with 'Hound Dog' (in A, so he could blow some harp), and then a version of 'Sloop John B' in D, so he could blow some 'straight harp' along with that. People were singing along, having a blast until 1am when Dao said we had to quit. (got to keep the neighbors happy) Quite a fun night, and quite a treat to jam with my younger self... (several people had said he was like a younger version of me) (I added 'and more talented' in a nice example of false modesty). It was very fun.
Spent the night alone (a rarity lately) as M is at that womanly place in her month where it feels right to have a night apart. (TMI?) We've been in quite a fine groove lately, a gift to be sure, and we seem to both want to ride the wave. It feels especially nice after the turmoil to just be in 'appreciation' mode, love mode, 'not try to change the other' mode. I do take it with a grain of salt, I'm not head over heels, but it is feeling like a deep connection, and my soul needs that. 'Gratitude' seems to be the best approach. Nuff said.
Spent the better part of two hours yesterday modeling for some pictures with photographer, Wayne Edginton, a guy my age, from Yorkshire in northern England, now married to a Thai woman (baby on the way) and living just outside of Chiang Mai. He's a real photographer, and he was fun to work with, great sense of humor, just a good guy (and I love the accent). He came by the Guest House and took some shots by the pool, at the table, in the hallway, me in a bathing suit, as well as dressed in a pair of slacks and a shirt. We've got a little trade going, music lessons for photography work, what a deal, huh? Wayne had a career in Health Care in Great Britain, now has a comfortable pension and is living the good life. Haven't seen the pix yet, but I'll bet there is some good stuff there, though as I said, no matter how good they are, I'm still a 58 year old guy, so I don't think there's any modeling career in my future. But it is nice to document this period of time, That's the goal. We even swung by CU to get a few shots of M and I together. We don't have any. I'll post something when I get something...
So is this blog getting boring? music in the bar blah blah blah... I love Chiang Mai blah blah blah... I dig M blah blah blah. Me, I'm not bored with it, somehow it's not about being impressive or getting a reaction or 'hey look at me'. I mean, those feelings are in there too, but somehow there is something deeper going on. It's as though the desire for a reaction is being subsumed by the more mature desire to just keep at it and keep uncovering. it's not about the incidents themselves, the great nights, the fun jams. That's just a starting point, then you push off, hoist the sail and you're on a journey of looking in and looking out. I just flashed on the Siddhartha story by Hermann Hesse, in which Siddhartha had all these adventures around the world, and then ended up as a ferry boat worker, going back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. The journey is inside ultimately; you can find the wind, the sun, the mountain inside. It's just a breath away... I'm trying to capture that feeling in the bridge to my latest song, Chillin in Chiang Mai.
We're takin' it step by step
Climbing up to Doi Suthep (the famous temple high on the hill, west of Chiang Mai)
How high the path will go
Is something only you can know ....
'Chillin in Chiang Mai... sabai sabai (it's all good)'
Ain't no worries, mai pen rai
If you're willin' to be chillin' in Chiang Mai
