News   ~   Musings

Dear friends,

As the release of our album ‘The Golden Age’ is drawing nearer, I have decided to re-establish this periodical to be in first order, a source of News.  In the past, it has served me well as a place for my creative Musings, but the season has come for me to focus my efforts on busy-work.  However, as I may still be inclined to engage in the occasional act of creative writing, I have narrowed my post categories down to these two. I thank you whole-heartedly for your interest, and hope you will visit regularly as there are many exciting announcements to come!

The author,
Mr. Joseph Hazelwood

At our Basement show on July 6, I was approached by a gentleman named Kevin Kaz who informed me that he had surreptitiously captured a video of our performance which he would impart for a nominal fee. What a brilliant idea!  It was reminiscent of stepping off a roller-coaster at Disney World and being solicited to purchase a photograph while under the influence of adrenaline.  Of course I would trade my money for an objective view of that memorable moment!  Not more than a day after a simple online transaction there was a disc in my mailbox, the contents of which I  found it to be of the highest quality.  I am grateful for the ingenuity of this fellow!  His other works may be found on his Vimeo Page.   ~Hazelwood

It has become exceedingly necessary that I should express my sincerest gratitude for those who have taken an active interest in the progress of my upcoming album.  In these early stages of what I intend to be a life-long career in the recording arts, you are the pioneers of a land which is yet to be discovered.  Each of your posts upon this and other of our pages is like a National flag, planted upon the surface of Mars.  It is by virtue of your curious nature that this site stands to be colonized by future adventurous music fans, and so I am truly humbled and inspired by your openness.  I thank you wholeheartedly.

There have been several developments since my last post.  One important announcement is that I have decided to change the name of the record to ‘The Golden Age’.  Mr. McMahan and I have spent the past week in his home studio, making some finishing touches to the tracks before we set about mixing them down.  In listening to those eleven selections as a whole – after having gotten away from them for a month – I was able to listen more objectively than ever before.  As I have mentioned previously, we made the decision to go back into the House of David and record a song entitled ‘The Golden Age’ at least a month after the initial tracking sessions.  And to me, it seems a fitting title track and the perfect ‘last song’ on the album.  It is commonplace to put a lot of consideration into selecting the opening song on an album, but I have an almost equal fixation on how the album should end.  That perfect last song just wasn’t there…until ‘The Golden Age’!   Interestingly enough, the opening song is yet to be determined.  The album will be rendered within a fortnight and I have complete faith that this initial track will emerge and the rest will fall into sequence. 

Another important tidbit is that we have been booked for two performances at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville!  These dates are September 24 and October 15 – each on a Friday.  It is quite an honor to be asked to perform in the midst of priceless works of art and in such serene, marbled environs. 

Last night we did a set at The Wine Loft in The Gulch area of Nashville.  It was a wonderful moody environment with an attentive and gracious crowd.  I extend my warmest thanks to the staff there and everyone who came in support.  Tonight, we appear once again at The Family Wash in East Nashville.  It will be the same stripped-down manifestation of the New Transcendentalists as last night – Mr. Goforth on lap-steel/harmonica, Mr. Estes on bass, and my-self.  Our set begins at 9pm sharp.

Until we meet again,
Mr. Hazelwood

The Basement is my very favourite place to experience and to perform live music in Nashville.  The layout, lighting, and/or unseen aspects of that environment are inexplicably conducive to the intimate exchange of energy betwixt performer and audience.  It is appropriately termed ‘The Basement’ as breaching its discreet rear entrance is liken-to taking refuge in a storm shelter – amidst a swirling squall of worldly complexities.  I like the safe, underground feeling invoked by this dimly-lit dive, both on and off the stage.  I have witnessed countless shows there which I would categorize as ‘magic moments’, being saturated in that certain something that makes for an awe-inspiring performance.  Stand-out performances by Sarah Siskind, Jennifer Niceley, The Altered Statesmen, Kurt Wagner of Lambchop, and many others rush into my mind as I recall that feeling of musical transcendence.  Certainly, there have been many great performances there which I have missed altogether, and so other minds have surely been impressed with once-in-a-lifetime experiences within that space which have managed to evade my consciousness.  But in those sanctified moments of my recollection, I have no doubt that every other present soul was equally inspired and engaged as I was.  It is among my philosophies that this is the aim of music – to invoke this mysterious, collective experience that I want to call Unity.

Last night, from the vantage-point of the stage, there were undeniable moments when logic was suspended just long enough to allow that unnamed entity to flow into our performance.  It seems to me that the degree to which every participant – musicians and spectators alike – is willing to surrender in this way is directly proportional to the success of the performance – ‘success’ being defined in the aforementioned terms.  I am at a loss when I attempt to intellectualize this experience, so I will say only this:  It felt Good.  From my position in the stage-lights I was only able to discern a room-full of shadowy figures.  I often find these lighting conditions favourable, because in my opinion it is detrimental to a performer to gauge the response of an audience in-the-moment, or to second-guess any myriad of perceptions in-order-to adjust his performance in alignment with some imaginary expectation.  Emerson said it best: “Shall I preclude my future, by taking a high seat, and kindly adapting my conversation to the shape of heads?”  It would serve no end for me to deliver some performance that I could only mistakenly presume one would want to hear.  Moreover, it feels extremely liberating to allow for the possibility that my own perception could be the correct one!  This is how last night’s performance felt to me – as though my own intuition was served.

After the performance, that collective body of silhouettes disintegrated into individual personages with features and expressions and encouraging remarks!  It is inexpressibly gratifying to receive such an overwhelmingly positive response after having detached from a need for it.  It is at such a moment when I am completely fascinated with the perceptions of others with regard to my music.  I want to know what they see and hear and visualize, and if it speaks to their experience of life.  I want to know how they came to be there, and recognize the synchronistic undercurrent of those logistics.  I want to say a silent prayer of gratitude for having crossed their path.  The same goes for my band-mates, the New Transcendentalists.  I feel very grateful to have had the opportunity to share the stage with each of these highly-creative individuals.  Yet, having said all that, I have the sense that our stage-show has yet to become fully actualized.  Upon the release of ‘Days of the Visceral’, I fully expect our presentation to have reached greater and greater heights. 

~ Mr. Hazelwood

Good morning!  I trust you were comfortable here in my absence.  I have taken leave from the experiential realm just long enough to conjure-up something for the pleasure of your and my imaginations.  These moments are proving rare for me in these scorching days of summer, when I am vehemently propelled by the sun’s energy to conquer every Medusa along my path, lest I be turned to stone!  This is the season for doing – for transmuting those wispy spring musings into something more tangible, within the dense confines of the natural world.  The intuitive, boundless, all-knowing Right Brain has had its go at creation, satisfied that my own conscious recognition of its images was enough. Yet, if they are never brought to light are they real?  It is the old ‘tree falls in the woods’ conundrum.  No.  The methodical, organizing, actualizing Left Brain has an all-important role in the creative process.  This may sound obvious to many because we live in a Left Brain world, but it has been a great challenge for me to come to come down to Earth. Yet, I move forward in faith that there will be plenty of time for musing when the harvest has been reaped, the leaves begin to fall, and the rest of nature is settling into introspection.  As for now, I chop wood so that I might have a fire in the winter.

There is a lot of busy-work involved with releasing an album – many mundane, tedious tasks which are necessary for the success of the release.  It is testing my self discipline for sure!  I learned a lot from the Ode Hazelwood album, regarding the things that need to be in place before scheduling a release date.  Nothing could be more detrimental to my purpose than a hasty release!  I say ‘purpose’ because I don’t believe that every album release holds the same intention; and some hold very little intention at all.  In hindsight, I know this was the case with Radio Noise.  My business plan consisted of two steps:  1. Put it out there   2. Wait and see.  Since then I have formed a deeper understanding of these important truths: ‘We will never have more than we can first conceive of  – we will never rise higher than our vision’.  These philosophies, taken out of context would lead one to believe that he can sit around and dream and Poof! – his desires will be manifest. Alas, Right Action is required. Every worthwhile creation begins with a clear vision and a set of goals, and is actualized through focused initiative. I have made peace with the filing system of my Left Brain, moving into a new paradigm wherein a perfect balance between Left and Right is the goal.  In my world, this is what it means to be ‘centered’.  This is the ‘middle way’.

With forward motion,
Mister Hazelwood

The Family Wash, being blocks from my estate, has become for me a place of solace.  A laundry facility – turned music venue, it is a place where I am often inclined to test my material – to ‘come clean’, if you will – absolving my-self of a persistent sense of duty to broadcast those epiphanies which have come to me from the enigmatic now-here.  Creation is a cycle.  I fully believe that if I do not share my gifts – those things which make me joyful – I am blocking a flow, and hindering future creative ideas.  It is an economy of creativity.  Inspiration is a currency which must circulate, and so I must spend freely, and with faith that more is on its way. 

Tuesday evening I claimed the stage for a half-hour, presenting an abbreviated set of music with only the aetherial half of the New Transcendentalists – no rhythm section.  It is interesting to me how variations in accompaniment can transform the quintessence of a repertoire of music.  This set felt very mellow and spacey, lacking in an energy created by rhythmic pulse, yet revealing nuances of feeling which otherwise might not be prevalent.  All one can do in such a moment is to let go of any presuppositions of what should-be and surrender to what-is.  In doing so, I found great reward in the passages of this mild-tempered set of music, and I trust that the audience did as well. 

As our album release is a mere couple of months away, it has become apparent to me that I need to schedule some appearances surrounding that event.  Perhaps a Fall Tour is in order!  Already, I have begun to coordinate with various personages to facilitate future bookings, and have met with flattering receptivity thus-far.  However, if any among you are inspired to recommend a venue befitting our aesthetic or another act with whom we might clique, I would be delighted hear from you!

With Gratitude,
Mr. Hazelwood

Have I mentioned that I love this website?!  Somehow I have managed to use my limited knowledge of web-code to erect this virtual home with relatively little money.  Granted, I have put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into it – hammering in every nail myself, but I have found great reward in this toil.  Also, it has taken a little while to get it decorated to my aesthetic, for admittedly, my personal taste has been taking a growth-spurt.  But alas, here we are sitting in my newly-furnished parlor in the sky, sipping imaginary tea and discussing lofty ideals of consequence only to you and me, as we are the dreaming sort who possesses the rare ability to grasp the intangible.  Might I note that construction is still underway – it has come to my attention that on certain browsers and/or screen resolutions, some of the elements on this page appear out of place – so please excuse the mess!  I will climb up there and make the necessary repairs when the weather cools off a bit.  In the meantime, I am delighted that this has become such a comfortable space where we might convene as to share our Good news.

There is so much going on in this big old world, yet most of what makes it into the mainstream media – while in-turn affecting the collective consciousness – is that which might invoke fear.  This is because the multitude is heavily addicted to fear.  Just like food, we need Love in order to live, and fear is as a drug which curbs our appetite.  If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ve come to enjoy the rush that we get from worry, anxiety, and panic.  In some distorted way, it makes us feel more alive.  But let me assure you that ultimately, it will only cause you to feel depleted, rob you of motivation, and leave you powerless to do anything.  Among our intrinsic qualities are wholeness, vitality, openness, and creativity.  Upon sobriety from the unnatural substances of judgment, cynicism, scarcity, and disaccord we find these Truths in place, ready to impel us into the world of our dreams.

In Truth, what we see on the ‘news’ is not an accurate depiction of what is going on in the world.  There is so much Good happening at every minute that I find it laughable that we can only conjure up a few tragedies!  So as an experiment, try this with me:  Spend a single week focusing only on the Good in your life and in the world.  Take a hiatus from mainstream media (especially Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and other sources of sensationalism) and deny those attempts of others to guide your perceptions toward doom and gloom (without a need to change theirs).  You might very well encounter feelings of guilt for actually feeling Good!  Let them pass away natuarally, for they are withdrawl symptoms from this radical fear detox.  Then, observe the paradigm shift that will have occurred.  Your world-view will have begun to converge with the Truth, and it is only from this position that you can effectively live the life that by Nature you were meant to live.

That is all for to-day.  I now return to the many tasks involved in the release of my upcoming album!  It will be at least a month before it is completed, yet there is so much to do aside from rendering the music itself.  I will post the details of those endeavors soon! 

 
With Love,
Mr. J. Hazelwood

Circumstance having granted us a month-long reprieve, it was satisfying to return to the studio on Friday, May 28.  The producer Mr. Joe McMahan and I met at the House of David with a clear set of objectives – to finish any overdubs which could only be captured in that space, as it would soon be occupied indefinitely by other recording artists.  Primarily, this meant we had to finish the few remaining vocal tracks, since the vintage Neumann tube microphone (cmv-536) – which had been an integral part of my vocal sound – was property of the studio.  Also, if any additional piano parts were called-for, we knew it wise to make use of the beautiful-sounding Baldwin grand piano while it was still at our disposal.  Once this was all finished, and if there was still time, I had also hoped to lay down the basic tracks for a new song entitled ‘The Golden Age’, which had not been ready to record during the initial sessions.  I am pleased to announce that we did all of this and still had time to consolidate and copy the entire album’s files (with the help of an engineer named Mr. Adam Bednarik) to a hard drive to be transferred to Wow & Flutter – Mr. McMahan’s studio – where we will mix and render them to be mastered.

‘The Golden Age’ needed a sparse arrangement – or else it would not have been feasible to track it this late in the process, as the logistics of setting up and conducting a full-band session would be too time-consuming and expensive to justify doing so for only one song.  This session was merely my-self on guitar and vocal, Mr. Ryan Norris on piano, and the aforementioned Mr. Bednarik on upright bass.  In the end, – due to the pure creativity of these instrumentalists and Mr. McMahan’s clear vision and respectful guidance – the song became everything I had hoped it would be, and more!  With that, it pleases me to exclaim that we have moved into the next stage of this album project, and thereby a huge step closer to its release!  I am so eager to reveal it to you that I can scarcely contain my glee!

Also, I would like to make mention of my recent efforts to improve upon this web-site, particularly this Journal.  It had been my intention all along to blur the lines between reality and imagination – as cosmically-speaking, I find that there is no such distinction.  But, it eventually occurred to me that this was creating a chore for the reader, to decipher real-world information from the smatterings of my creative mind.  Therefore, I have created two categories – ‘News’ and ‘Musings’ – one being Non-Fiction, or a place to garner ‘facts’; and the other being Fiction, or ‘the free realm of my imagination’.  I do hope this will clear up any confusion and/or concerns with regard to my mental health.  Just so you know, this post has been categorized under ‘News’.

Good Day!
Mr. Hazelwood

Photo by: Amy Hall

It is appropriate that I should begin to-day’s edition with a statement of gratitude, given that my arm will not allow me to write anything else.  Admittedly, my curious nature would often call me to explore all manner of cynicism, despondency, and other such delusions; but over time that subtle, life-affirming voice of my intuition has become sweeter and more alluring than the misleading exclamations of habit.  I am eternally grateful, to-day, to have discovered an overgrown path to this high vantage-point, from where I might survey my-self and my surrounds objectively – revealing Universal Truths which stand to serve my highest Good.

Nothing is as it seems,
but only as I deem. 

 ————————————————————————————————————————-

I have received many letters, as of late, inquiring as to the status of my up-coming body of works, Days of the Visceral.  Therefore, I shall take this opportunity to make the following promulgations: 

~ We have not scheduled an official release date as-of-yet.  From prior experience I have learned that it is not wise to do so without a final rendition in-hand.  The success of an album release has everything to do with inertia, and there is the possibility of unforeseen circumstances which might compromise that force of Nature had I instigated it in haste.

~ In our initial sessions which spanned the breadth of three days, we were able to capture a total of eleven songs, in full live performance, with up to eight musicians.  Currently, my plan is to include all of those tracks as well as one other – The Golden Age – that is yet to be recorded.

~ As the studio – The House Of David – is currently occupied by another recording artist, – Justin Townes Earle, I’m told – it will be at least a fortnight before we are able to return to the task of Mixing.  Once we are engaged, this process might take a week – as will the final process of Mastering. From that point, I expect duplication to take a month.  This suggests at least two months before I actually receive the first copy.  This would in-turn insinuate that we will be releasing an album in the Autumn.  Perhaps a safe prediction would be my birthday on October 7.

~  I have selected a series of paintings by my good friend Ms. Wendy Walker called Moody Landscape to be incorporated into the artwork for the album’s packaging.  I will post an image of the cover here as soon as I have completed the design.

~ I am intrigued by the concept of releasing the album on vinyl as well as compact disc, although I have not investigated the logistics of this undertaking.  If there are any opinions of this topic among my readers I would surely welcome them!

On-going,
Mister Hazelwood

Dear Friend,

I write to you from the depths of a fiery Heaven. From this optimal vantage-point at my writing-desk I have a clear view of my garden where a rose-vine has inched itself fully around the trellis and has taken the liberty of igniting itself in a multitude of sanguine explosions.  There are other varieties of flora in this inferno which serve to contribute subtle flashes of azure and amber to the flickering display.  That the ornate wood-work of the trellis has not fallen to coals within my hour of its contemplation would seem a miracle, since – if perception is reality – I truly am gazing at an efflorescent manifestation of Dante’s Inferno.  Naturally, my sustained interest in this display has begun to ignite a wonder-lust within that chamber of my heart which is responsible for impelling me into action.  With objectivity, I surmise that this transcended perspective will soon be inadequate for that capricious child within me and his curiosity for detail.  Through prolonged strife I have learned not to protest these arbitrary excursions, for he will stamp his feet and threaten desertion lest he have his way.  It is a fool’s errand, I say, as we are certain to confront dualities at closer examination of this blazing botanic scene that can do no other than depreciate such a spectacular vista!  Yet, here do I stir in abating its proximity.

On my way, I am reminded of a similar occasion where, from afar, I surveyed the scene of a lush, rolling pasture.  From that abstracted perspective I was sure that I beheld the very feather-bed of God.  So comfortable and serene did it appear that I could have reclined there all day in a state of relaxed repose. But as you might suspect, this is forsooth not what occurred – as my pesky brain-child would not allow it.  For no practical reason that I can surmise, I found myself on my feet – trudging through brush and thicket for the better part of a day.  However, I did revel in this opportunity to convince the irksome lad that we had quit our own Divine pallets in pursuit of a ‘greener grass’ which by Nature would perpetually disappear like an oasis in the desert.  I must admit – discreetly, of course – howbeit, that I did find a strange physiological fulfillment in the wake of those exertions.

Alas!  I am now within range of the floral flame and am not surprised to find it extinguished.  Moreover, had I not been fully conscious en route, I might have insisted that this soft, thorny bouquet of roses is an entirely different arrangement from the one which had so vehemently alighted in the frame of my picture-window.  In fact, I believe I will take metaphysics over the testimony of my experience here, and proclaim that this very rose-bush is quite another thing!  Interestingly enough, my new perspective has given rise to a better regard for the close-up view!  I now stand intimately in the midst of a beautifully delicate display of scarlet petals which is uniquely Divine and incomparable to that which I observed earlier.  However, I will not readily admit this to Boy-Wander for he will surely have me gazing into a microscope….

Zooming in,
Mr. J.S. Hazelwood