There is an incredible amount I have to share with you. However I’m on a dialup connection in Machokos paying for a connection by the minute, 3 shillings per minute to be exact.

The group I’m traveling with is beyond amazing. We have bonded with each other emotionally and spiritually.

The first 2 days we spent with orphans at the Havilla Children’s Home in Nairobi. We helped Joseph, the director, build a new chicken coup. We cut the grass that the cows eat. The women helped cook and wash clothes.

The children there performed for us. They blew my mind. It was pure emotion and pure worship. They are so loving and beautiful. You’ll see the video and pictures soon.

We left from Nairobi and have spent the last 4 days in Ngaamba. It’s a village of 6 sections that has 20,000 people. For 3 days I helped dig trenches that will bring water. It was back-breaking work.

All of Ngaamba has NO electricity. The schools and homes have dirt floors. They wash their clothes by hand. Oddly enough, everyone has cell phones. I can go on and on at how beautiful and kind the Kenyan people are. They are so generous and so grateful for our help.

Today we helped build the foundation for the a huge water tank that will supply water for the villages. We hiked up a mountain where we were able to see all of Ngaamba. After that we went to the school and played football (that’s soccer) with the Kenyan kids. It was a draw 2-2. They completely schooled me several times.

Tomorrow we head off for a 5 hour drive. I can’t remember the name of the village but it’s near the base of Mount Kilimanjaro.

There is so much more to share but I must leave now.

Oh yeh, my brand new MacBook Pro died on me. Yay Apple! It won’t power up at all. It’s still under warranty.

Thanks for your prayers and love. They have definitely been felt by our team. I will see you all very soon.

Make sure you head over to kenyabound.com/blog to read more posts from our team.

Love,
JamSmooth

A mixture of fear, excitement and anticipation swirl through my mind. I’ve never been on a flight longer than 4 hours. I will be on two 20+ hour flights leaving and coming back. I get hungry a lot and always have food around. There will not always be food when I want it in Kenya. I value my sleep and get concerned when I don’t get enough, which is rare. I’m concerned about jet lag. Will I be able to function? Will I have enough rest? None of that matters. Nothing on this trip is about me. This trip is about service, about getting out of the way. It’s about bringing glory to God.

God has already shown up before I’ve left. I remember having sticker shock when I saw how much money I needed to raise, $3,500. I ended up receiving $4,500. I was never worried. I knew God would provide. That simply shows the power of God, faith and prayer.

I’m taking a guitar. Several on our team asked me if I was bringing it. I found a case, thanks to my buddy Marc, that should protect my brother’s guitar. I’m wondering if these kids at the orphanage have ever seen a guitar? Maybe, maybe not? I will be playing music for kids in an orphanage. I don’t want to have expectations but I think that is going to rock my world.

Having expectations is challenging because I have no frame of reference. That’s good. I don’t want any because they’ll only lead to disappointment. One of the women on our team, Rita Bailey, said we must be fluid. I like that metaphor. For me that may be the greatest challenge. I hate having to wait. I hate being inconvenienced. In Kenya things run on “Kenya Time.” I like to think I’m highly adaptable but this trip will test me.

One more day of work and then we’re off. Thanks for all your prayers and contributions. Stay tuned here and at kenyabound.com/blog for what’s happening.

Here’s a list of bass players I like in no particular order.

A bass player simply plays the root or they bring out melodies you’d never hear. These are players who stand out, who were irreplaceable in the bands they played in and the records they played on.

1. Geddy Lee
2. John Paul Jones
3. Meshell Ndegeocello
4. Adam Clayton
5. Mike Mills
6. Perry Bamonte
7. John Pattitucci
8. Paul McCartney
9. Nathan East
10. Kim Deal
11. Kim Gordon
12. Simon Raymonde
13. Ron Carter
14. Carlos D.
15. Steve Harris
16. Doug Pinnick
17. Joey Staubes
18. Tony Levin
19. Sting
20. Les Claypool
21. Tommy Stinson
22. Paul S. Denman
23. Justin Chancellor
24. MCA
25. Flea
AND of course
26. Derek Smalls

Why doesn’t everyone use this simple HTML code? I can’t stand it when I click on a link and it doesn’t open in a new window. I always have my links open in new windows.

What happens is I lose my place. I like to close the window that just opened when I’m done and then go exactly back to where I was on the site that linked to it.

What do you think?

Yesterday at work a contractor we hired to do some work was playing Eric Johnson’s Ah Via Musicom. I’ve listened to that record countless times. With each song I was transported back to Savannah, Georgia.

I remember when I first heard Johnson. It was the song, “High Landrons.” The local rock radio station, WIXV I-95, played it. I remember liking it immediately so I went to the record store and bought it. That alone is worth its own blog post. That’s how the music biz used to work. You’d hear something on the radio. Then you’d go to a record store and buy the record. I haven’t had that experience in years.

Yesterday I imagined the record label meetings where they chose, “High Landrons,” as the single. “Hey Eric we feel that ‘Landrons’ is really the best choice for the first single. It has the most appeal. Then as people get to know you we can release ‘Righteous.’”

That’s not what this is about. It’s about how music takes you away. What I was taken back to was the year 1990. I just resigned from my job working at the St. Joseph’s hospital pharmacy. I just graduated from high school. Having aspirations to become a lawyer I had gotten a job working with Greg Bennett, a local real estate attorney. I was hired to be a runner. I drove around town in my 1982 Nissan Maxima.

My job was to pick up closing documents from the lenders and bring them to our office for closings. That blows my mind again realizing that we literally had to go pick up the documents. Now we effortlessly email these documents in seconds.

My Maxima did not have a CD player. If I wanted to play my music I had to record the CD onto a cassette tape. I still have many of these tapes.

But back to Johnson, I remember this performance from Austin City Limits. My brother and I wore that tape out. I remember the night I taped it. Right when the show came on the phone rang. It was the principal of our high school, Frances Wong. She was calling to see how my brother was doing. The night before a roaming gang of black kids beat up my brother and some of his friends. Nothing serious happened, I think he got scraped a little.

I was so irritated because the show had already started and I hadn’t hit record yet. But it was the principal of the school so I couldn’t say, “Hold on for a minute.” Luckily it wasn’t a long phone call so I only missed the first part.

Now look, with a few keystrokes I can watch this very performance I wanted to tape almost 20 years ago.

So that’s what this is about. All of these memories came back to me because of the music. I had not thought of these events in years. That’s why music is a time machine.

Check out this stimulating conversation between two legends.

(via ATLmalcontent)

3 years ago my brother and I went to the Coachella Music Festival. When I heard Cocteau Twins were playing I think I bought my ticket instantly. Alas, they ended up not playing but we still went.

Another huge festival I went to was in Atlanta called Music Midtown.

I just read an article on CNN that argues Bonnaroo has brought back the huge music festival.

I have nothing against these huge clusters of humanity but they are not for me. Inevitably bands you want to see all overlap. So you can never see an entire set. Another downer is that you’ll have to walk a mile to the other stage to see the band. By the time you get there you can’t find a good spot to see the band. Make sure you take out a second mortgage so you can pay for the food and drinks. You can never bring in your own food to these festivals. $5 waters are the norm.

There are things I enjoy about festivals. At Coachella the scenery is stunning. You’re surrounded by the desert mountains and palm trees. The people watching is unparalleled. All shapes, sizes and colors are on full display. You also get to see a lot of your favorite bands in a short amount of time. When they come to town you don’t have to go, you’ve already seen them. Then you can say to your friends, “Oh I saw them at Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, etc.” and prove your coolness.

However if you live in a major market you don’t have to bother with the festival. Most of the bands will come to your city anyway. Then you don’t have to deal with the airfare, hotel room, rental car, food, drinks, etc.

I’m glad Bonnaroo, Coachella and Lollapalooza are back and doing well. They give all the 20 somethings a place to spend their money. As I’ve gotten older my tolerance for sweaty, shirtless, tattooed dudes who smoke pot and yell, “Woooooooooo,” has gotten pretty low.

Once again I’m copying Carlos at Ragamuffin Soul. It’s a great idea and I want to pray for you.

So tell me, how may I pray for you?

Sitting here at work on a Friday afternoon. How are you doing? Good Good Good. These guitar players are some of my favorites. They’ve all influenced me in some way. Here’s the list in NO particular order.

1. Jimmy Page
2. Jimi Hendrix
3. Eric Johnson
4. Robert Smith
5. Robin Guthrie
6. Kirk Hammet
7. Lindsey Buckingham
8. The Edge
9. Alex Lifeson
10. Alex Chilton
11. Pete Anderson
12. Vernon Reid
13. Jeff Beck
14. Soundgarden - Chris Cornell and Kim Thayil
15. Slash
16. Dave Navarro
17. King’s X - Ty Tabor
18. Peter Buck
19. Eddie Van Halen
20. The Pixies - Joey Santiago
21. Andy Summers
22. Prince
23. The Ramones - Johnny Ramone
24. Johnny Marr
25. The Beatles - George Harrison, Paul McCartney & John Lennon