THIS IS WHAT WE CAN DO: Trade with Jamaica is pretty awesome and very productive. Noel, one of the photographers I am working with that did more great work for me than I could possibly afford suggested this,
I should buy him a camera bag because he could really use it. He left behind a lens at Tuff Gong Studios, which the nice folks at Tuff Gong had waiting for him, but that wouldn’t have happened with a decent camera bag.
That’s a bargain for the both of us. That’s how friends can work on fun projects together.
Then there is one of my favorite people on the island, Jah T. Not the Styles FM DJ, but the guitar player from The Jolly Boys that I play with that wants me to play rhythm guitar and sing with him, so we can switch to banjo.
But he has to learn banjo, so I am buying him 2 pairs of banjo strings and a How To Play Banjo book from a Kingston music store. The ways Jah T is helping me can not even be quantified by the fact he’s adding his harmonies as a final touch on the song ‘Go Tell It To The Mystics’.
He’s teaching me to play Mento guitar and making me a part of his band. And I even got another shout out from the Gleaner in an article about The Jolly Boys, coming out soon.
Since I kicked off the Patreon account, with the support of 45 friends kicking in 1 to 10 dollars a month, trade like this is more possible and productive than ever. And since the second tier owns publishing on ‘Free Your Mind’ and potentially more songs they will soon have a chance to choose, everyone is winning.
I am definitely winning a chance to live a dream of being part of something I always wanted to be a bigger part of…
World Music. Remember, in Jamaica and even in England, I am the World Music artist. I’m the swarthy backwards foreigner with seemingly simple songs that are fun to play along with, but harder than they seem.
And that is they way we should like it. If you can’t walk a mile in their shoes, in exchange for great work, make sure your friends are wearing some decent shoes.
Thank you Patreons and future Patrons. A link is the comments. This is what we can do, for Jamaica, for my charming little career as a writer and musician, and for ourselves.
Back at work for first time in almost 4 weeks. Back at Lenny’s grocery in Greenwood on break spending $22.48 on all these fruits and a few veggies. I even got a couple mangos.
First apple in 3 weeks. I probably needed a break. I was often eating a bag a day. Because why not? It worked. Eating an apple instead of a hamburger was clever. You can eat 6 instead of a burger. Works just fine.
A breakthrough in Jamaica: Ras Isachar said it’s Hip and healthy and faster just to eat the mango skin and all.
Did you know I am playing this Saturday in Snoqualmie at The Bindlestick? It’s an early evening show in the outdoor beer garden with BBQ, brews, and my new band, The Soul United Allstars.
The Soul United Allstars are an awesome concept. My friends are helping me present the breadth of my Soul United publishing “Empire” on stage. Tunes from The Staxx Brothers, the songs I recorded in Jamaica and England, and most importantly for the future of this fresh new band…
Songs we are writing effortlessly like ‘Tony Danza’. Bangerz. I’ll play a little guitar but expect the swagger you know and hopefully love.
It’s a great preview of what we’re bringing to BrodieNation Music Festival before we add the horns of my Queen Mother Tracy Ferrara.
…and thank you Pamela Eaton-Ford. I tried to get The Gleaner to credit you for your game changing photos. You know how it goes. Here’s another keeper.
Come see me this Saturday with Alex George, Jeremy From-Steel Beans, Tom Wilkinson, and Daniel Oliver.
Sabado, Sabado, Sabado!!!
– Musician and writer Davin Michael Stedman has many ventures, such as the AMAZING blog, 100milesofmusic.com. Davin’s new song has become a global earworm and Caribbean dancehall hit. Listen here on Reggaeville: DAVIN MICHAEL STEDMAN & ANTHONY RED ROSE – FREE YOUR MIND FEAT. SLY & ROBBIE WITH LENKY MARSDEN. The video is now available on Youtube: Tuff Gong Television. His single with British band Sherlock Soul is available here.
