This from Bill and Athena Steens’ blog:

“The one thing we have been lacking in our writings about this lovely group is video footage other than a few short clips that we posted sometime back. Mostly it’s been still images. Through the group’s teacher Nicolas Lizarraga I got hold of a video of the group performing at the national competition this last year where they won third place overall. So with it in my hands I posted it to YouTube for you to see. Be patient, the first couple of minutes there is no dancing, the announcer is explaining to the audience the costumes from the Sate of Sonora and in turn they are being modeled.

https://www.caneloproject.blogspot.com/

My son Will is a musician living in Santa Cruz, Calif. He’s a member of the Brazilian band SambaDá, billed as an “Afro-Brazilian samba funk dance band.”

Will also is the studio manager and engineer, along with head engineer Rich Williams, at the Paradise Recording studio in Santa Cruz, and they recently posted some samples of their work at https://www.paradiserec.com/clients.htm. Click on the list of songs on the right to hear the eclectic list of songs from different musicians.

I asked Will to describe what they do: “The best thing to me about this place is that we use analog tape to get a sound that feels good. Analog recording is like a hand built home, whereas digital recording is analogous to a prefab house. This way is old fashioned, imperfect, and feels better. But we also have custom gear that is being used all over the world…”

Can we talk?

Last week on Sirius radio they played “Most likely you go your way and I’ll go mine,” and it was stunning. After all these years, it sounds better than ever.

Put on Blonde on Blonde, track #9. Jesus! And if you’ve lost it over the years, buy the album. Trust me.

Then time will tell

just who fell

When you go your way and I go mine

Several years ago, my neighbor Chick, who has turned me on to music such as J.B. Hutto and the Hawks, gospel singer Dorothy Love Coates, and the radio recordings of Hank Williams — said, “Listen to Blonde on Blonde.” And I did and was knocked out and played Dylan music for weeks.

Boy, was something going on back then! It can almost bring on tears.Click below for words.

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Layering for the cold: Yesterday I managed to get up at 6 AM – needed to get work done on tiny homes book before heading over the hill – dark and cold at that hour. We have very little heat in the production studio, so I wear layers. Silk t-shirt, other layers of various wool shirts*. Gloves with open fingers for typing. Yesterday I had on 7 layers. Lesley came out and draped one of her homemade coats on me. (She dyed and wove the fabric, then made the coat), So I had on 8 layers. Plus my Cowichan warmest-of-hats with ear flaps (from Hill’s Native Art).

*My favorite article of clothing of all time is my Icebreaket Sport 320 shirt, which I wear every cold day (all winter).

Music on the mountain: Took off around 9 for Mill Valley, sun was out, yahoo, powdery blue skies, sun reflecting off water in the lagoon, felt warm, John Lee Hooker singing Chill Out (Things is Gonna Change), perfect. On the road again…

As I drove, I was thinking of the “downturn:” Fact is, we (Americans) were way over-consuming. It couldn’t go on. Plus the money-savvy pricks , with Bush & Co. leading the way, caused a huge transfer of wealth to the few.

“It’s not over til it’s over,

And it’s not over yet…”

by Billy Joe Shaver came on, a great song by a great songwriter/singer. Then Lay Down Sally by Eric Clapton, next Good Old Boy (Gettin Tough) by Steve Earle, and I turned up the volume full blast as I went through the redwood trees with dappled sunlight on the mountain road. Creeks were gushing. Little seasonal waterfalls were streaming, the mountain’s alive…

Running at night: I ran by myself south along the coast from Muir Beach last night. I counted  lights of 14 crab boats out there. Best crab season in many years, they’re all over out there, creeping along the ocean bottom. Deep blue black night, here they are once again after all the rains: Orion, the glittering Pleiades, and my boy Taurus. A beautiful night. I’m running lightly, boy, when you don’t care about speed or training for races, it’s a whole different experience. Went down the ridge to a lookout spot, San Francisco across the water, 1000 feet down to the waves. Place of power.

Pic of Mt. Tam yesterday driving into Mill Valley

Oh yeah, I got on my skateboard for the first time in 4 months yesterday. Old brown eyes is back.

Last week I heard Thornetta Davis sing “Please Send Me Someone to Love,” couldn’t find it on YouTube, but did run across this duet on “I Just Want to make Love to You.” Wow! Play it full screen (click on the 4 little squares at bottom right of screen).

After that I ran across this sizzling guitar duet of young Mike Bloomfield with young Johnny Winters (just audio, no video): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Me-CrOVdnA&playnext=2&list=PL92404FF5862D91DC

Here’s to the New Year. May there be more joy like Thornetta’s for everyone.