We’re projecting a May release for my album,  Dancing with the Moment.  I am really excited that after the years of hard work, the goal line is in sight.

Production still from the video for the song The Sad Man

With two jobs, and keeping up with household demands, finding time to tie up all the loose ends is sometimes difficult.  “Life’s what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” as John Lennon so wisely put it. If I may digress… this has been the month of broken things. The garage door, the washing machine, the kitchen faucet. On a Friday evening, after having purchased a new washer (In the nick of time! I was down to my last pair of jockeys!), and installing a new door, we were kicking back with a sigh of relief, watching TV, secure in the knowledge that things were on the mend, when suddenly around 11:15 we were startled by a huge whooshing sound. My wife peered out the kitchen window. “Oh, my God!”  she said. “Look at this.” The ash tree in front had cracked and split, dropping a thirty foot limb down into the street and onto the drive way.  It was still attached at the break and looked like a monster’s gigantic arm reaching down to paw at the asphalt. There we were until 1:30 with saw and ax trying to clear enough space to back the car out. On the following Sunday I sharpened my blade, and proceeded to chop in the afternoon sun. I ‘d been at it, doing my Abe Lincoln thing, for about a half hour when a good neighbor, Hamid, with power saw in hand, came to lend a hand.  In about forty-five minutes, we’d completed the task. It’s things like this that renew one’s faith in humanity.

We are currently shooting videos for  three of the album’s songs. The process is new and fresh to me. Although way back in 1968 the Peppermint Trolley Company filmed a 16 mm movie short of “Baby You Come Rollin’ Across My Mind” for Acta Records (Wish I had a copy), and in 1979 we Faragher Brothers shot two videos for Polydor –  Stay the Night and Open Your Eyes, In both cases we were simply the subjects, and our role was passive. Now I am involved conceptually from the get go. Using  a visual media to complement or enhance the music is new territory for me, and a challenge, but it is a challenge I welcome.

@ The Cowboy Palace about to perform.

I’m working with several young guys – my son Bryan, and two of his friends. Wow, I remember when they were kids, and I would pick them up from middle school, or drive them to Magic Mountain. Now they are men with knowledge and experience who are helping me attempt to create magic. We are striving to produce videos that are artistic and interesting on the limited budget available to us.

Two weeks ago I performed at the Cowboy Palace in Chatsworth alongside songwriter and good friend, Samantha Elin. The occasion was a benefit for Bob Gothar, a great guitarist and wonderful guy who also happens to be Samantha’s boyfriend. Bob is recuperating from serious injuries sustained in a bad car accident.  Sam and I performed a couple of tunes we co wrote – As the Night Wore on and Heartache Diet. Listen to As the Night Wore On here –   –  Bob played on this track as well as my tune, Pacific Blue which appears on ‘Dancing...’

We have posted a video honoring my former band mate, friend, and fellow activist, Patrick McClure. The video, edited by Bryan Faragher, features a clip of all five of us Peppermint Trolley/Bones Brothers together in 2008. With the loss of Patrick these clips become all the more poignant. It’s still hard to believe he is gone. He lives through the beautiful songs he left behind for us.

Peace
Danny