It seems like certain instruments can take me places. I'd been playing the bass guitar for only a few years (a beautiful Rickenbacker 4003) when I saw an ad for a guy selling a 1971 Fender Jazz bass. It was pretty beat up and the hardware was all crusty, and the truss rod needed some adjustment. When I got it all cleaned up something just clicked. That incredibly heavy instrument felt like an extension of my body. I've been playing it for almost 25 years now. A few years later in '96 when the band I was in, the Rain Deputies, broke up- I wanted to switch to being more of a singer/ songwriter. I played a bunch of acoustic guitars and found my Guild, currently covered with stickers. It smelled so good when I took it out of the case. That guitar took me places. It took me to Germany and Czech Republic. It took me to Ireland and California and all over the midwest. I needed a guitar that would fight back and it does the job. I've always played percussion. I toured with Chris Barickman playing trash percussion. About 4 years ago James Durst picked up on my trash percussion and bought me my first washboard. I think when I played that thing the first time it was like dancing. I made up my own technique with a brush and a sharpie magic marker. It was a whole new way to make music. That washboard made me a real-live folk musician. A lady from the associated press took a photo of Turk and I with it and that photo wound up in newspapers all over the world. Hong Kong, Japan, Wisconsin, all over. That instrument felt good and took me places. These instruments feel like home. Just certain ones. Now I've just gotten a Fender Telecaster Electric guitar. My third electric guitar. Suddenly I am in love with the guitar, for the first time ever. The guitar used to be a means to an end- to deliver the song. Now I'm in love with this instrument. It feels so good in my hands. I don't know where this one will take me but it has that feeling so I know it will take me somewhere. The fourth instrument I've gotten to have and hold that is like a Mother ship blasting me off to galaxies unknown. I feel very fortunate.....

Thursday, September 1st 2011