theWheel

What happens at Song Night at my house?

A typical night was last April 12, 2007. Dave Mason and Steve Osburn came over. Dave played bongos and Oz picked up my fretless Fender Bass.

Then we improvised new songs, which I recorded and promptly forget about, as I’ve been too distracted to transcribe the discs. Here’s one tune:

It’s good – we should write a lyric. » Read the rest of this entry «

theOwl

Well, I guess we probably passed the record.

theOwl

OK, I’m torn. Apparently, Ann Arbor has had a nearly record amount of snow this year. From the Ann Arbor News two weeks ago:

 

So far this season, the Ann Arbor area has received 76.9 inches of snow, said Dennis Kahlbaum, a University of Michigan weather observer. That compares to an area average of 52.9 inches over an entire season, which runs from July through June.

The local snowfall numbers are inching close to the 2004-05 season record, when 83.9 inches of snow came down.

Here it is March 20, the Spring Equinox. I’m ready for Spring, and now I hear we’re supposed to get 3 to 5 inches of snow tomorrow.

I’m ready for Spring. However, having come this far, it would be a shame to fall short of the snow record.

What will be will be….

theOwl

As previously noted, if you want this to make sense, you should probably start at Squirrel Trouble (part 1).

OK, the squirrel didn’t “get” me. I got him.

First I called Karen back and assured her that I was OK. Then I left the bathroom, closing the door behind me, and hurried out to the garage to find the trap. Got it. Now a slice of apple with a bit of peanut butter… » Read the rest of this entry «

theOwl

This post is a continuation of Squirrel Trouble (part 1). You pretty much need to read the setup first…

» Read the rest of this entry «

theOwl

There I was, home alone minding my own business, working on music at the piano in the living room, when I heard a vigorous splashing sound from the bathroom. There is no good reason for splashes in an empty bathroom, so I walked over to investigate. The splashing sounded like nothing so much as what I might expect to hear if there were a small, frantically frightened, indeed panicking, squirrel in the toilet.

As I walked into the bathroom, a small dark wet bedraggled mammal jumped out of the toilet onto the bathroom floor. At first I thought it might be a rat – after all it was emerging from the toilet.

How Did He Get In There!!!? Did He Crawl Up From the Sewer???

But though the creature was wet and bedraggled and about the right size to be a rather large rat, it had long hair on it’s wet tail.

First estimate – a small squirrel – one of those impertinent little ones – had just climbed out of my toilet in a state of frantic disorientation. » Read the rest of this entry «

theOwl

Catagory five football game. » Read the rest of this entry «

Owl

I guess most people who visit theWheel know that my current day job is driving city buses for AATA – the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority.

Over the last few weeks, AATA has started putting hybrid electric/biodiesel buses onto the road here in Ann Arbor.

Here’s a picture of a similar bus… » Read the rest of this entry «

Owl

General Chaos and the Natural Order has never been a “band” in any conventional sense. It was and remains more or less a non-binding protocol for a certain type of improvisational musical encounter in which train wrecks are always infinitely preferable to ruts, and a good time is had by all.

I suppose the one irreducible crucial factor from my point of view is the presence of Steve Osburn. I don’t know that I’m essential – I suppose that’s up to Oz. Tim Twiss has often been a factor.

These sessions have usually, but not always, happened in Oz’s Music Environment. Such was the case a few Thursdays ago on the night of October 11, 2007, when Oz and Dave Mason and I, along with some drum grooves from my computer, convened for a General Chaos session. (Somehow one does not tend to think of them as “Natural Order” sessions.)

What happens in such a session? » Read the rest of this entry «

Owl

Let us start with an audio recording.

This little improvised groove was the first of three or four improvisations that happened at my session at Oz’s last Thursday night. Present were Aron Kaufman playing traps, Steve Osburn playing Chapman Stick, and yours truly Dan Bilich playing muted trumpet, piano and voice.

I am really lucky to have guys like this show up to play music with me.

Could this music be an embodiment of the Lunar Glee Club?

It’s definitely rather seriously influenced by the Lunar Glee Club…

Will we ever develop or play this improvised piece again? Probably not, but who knows?

The Process is the Product.