Barsh Report July '10

Barsh report June-July 2010

Summer heat is upon us, and the surefire way to beat it

Is for me to write a Barsh report and for you all to read it!

For these rhymes will cool your skin and bones much better than A/C

They'll make your heated blood go cold, like thoughts of sex with a gay tree

Well, theres a lot to tell, because in the prose-writing dept. ive been lazy as hell

You would have thought my skills were rotting and starting to smell

But in fact, they're intact,

The words are flowing as expected, like an un-infected

urinary tract.

Ok, lets get these thoughts unpacked.

Well I just got back to NYC after about 3 months away.

First in Europe for 7 weeks, then a month spent in LA

Europe was a blast, traveled from west to south to east

With the fabulous vocalist Robin Mckelle, who's music is a feast.

Combining hors d'oeurves of swing, a hearty soup of soul,

A sweet slab of the blues, served with a "this is how we" roll

A digestif of funky and dessert that's smooth and sweet

(You'd be 'rexic if that didn't make you hungry for a treat)

After Robin's smorgasbord of great music is done

I find myself trekking cross continent, from eastern France to Lisbon

To play the first Barsh solo tour in europe yet

Aided by the wonderful musicians from Lisbon's Groove 4tet.

1 problem: I was caught up in the volcanic ash that grounded all those flights

So I embarked on a 2-day journey whose humour rivaled "Robin Hood's Men in Tights"

My 3-legged train ride from Nice to Madrid, Spain

Lost its 3rd leg b/c of a train strike in France (i can't imagine the pain)

So i had to get a replacement, in the form of a bootleg bus

I sprinted there with 3 heavy bags, but the driver was making no fuss.

He took his sweet azz time and the trip took 2 hours longer than expected.

Dropping me off in Barcelona at the wrong train station; i was tired but not dejected.

I ran across town, up stairs and down, trying not to frown, sweating like a fat clown

My boxers were black (but had they been white they may well have been brown)

I made it to my final train with 10 mts to spare

En route to Madrid, yes; but with nowhere to sleep once i got there...

Luckily i awoke to an email on my phone

With the contact of a mutual friend who welcomed me to crash at his home

But when i called him, he thought i was coming the next day

And was playing poker that night, but invited me to hang anyway

So i rolled up to a top floor apt, smokey and full of pet birds

Members of Paco De lucia's band and some other players, exchanging gambly words

I tried to stay awake but twasn't long before i crashed

I slept fully clothed and fanny-packed while money was lost and many cigs were ashed

I awoke feeling strangely okay, and my friend Antonio brought me

To the bus station, and 8 hrs later i was in lisbon to play music from "I Forgot What You Taught Me"

The Portugal week was amazing, 5 concerts, a clinic, late night fun, beach and drinks

Shouts to Fred and Rita and Groove 4tet, i'll be back soon, methinks.

Then big gear shift, no time to drift, just 2 days in NYC so my turnaround was swift

A month of serious business with my sister and business partner Jesse

We lived together, did shows, and a shitload of meetings, and it didnt get messy

In fact we had a great time, mad productive inspiring and fun

So don't be surprised if you see us again soon under the California sun

We got our next moves solidly established, made some really great connects

And played 4 dope shows; only bad thing was that i sent WAAY too many texts

After a painful phone statement, i upgraded to unlimited SMS

So hopefully this is the last time I'll have to deal with unexpected cell-bill stress

Next couple weeks i'm chilling, but my next show of note

Is July 19 in chicago (where the 1st part of Barsh history was wrote)

Jesse and i are doing a special one-night only thang

Billed as "Soul Sessions" a mix of our tunes, some R&B and some swing

With us will be Will Jones on sax and Ryan Blotnick on guitar

In town from NYC to bring the funky quotient far.

And a guest on drums who has torn up the world stage and sounds great

Phil Beale, who i met back in the day at Illinois Jazz All-State.

Till the next time my people,

All Love

-Barsh