Hello friends,
Once again, it's time for me, Chuck Jones, to update
you, my mailing list members, on my life as a performing songwriter. Finally,
I've had a chance to complete the list based on several sheets of names and
e-mail addresses I've collected over the years. My fingers are sore, but
I've still got enough in me to correspond. As per my friend Drew's suggestion,
I plan to make these "mail-outs" a bit more...how do you say...meaty.
Sort of a diary of an up-and-coming artist. (I conveniently placed the
show info at the top so the more casual fans can ignore this self-indulgent
diatribe.) So inside this "issue," you will find the following:
--The State of Me
--My New Name
--A CD Update
--The Usual Conclusion
Here goes...
In the 80's, Ricky Morton was one half of the Rock 'n' Roll Express, a popular pair with the fans of professional wrestling. In most of their battles with rival (and therefore evil) teams, Morton would spend a majority of the match being beaten by the hated heels. This frustrating pummeling would breed some heavy drama, as just when it seemed he could take no more, Morton would somehow make the "hot tag" to his fresh, unbattered partner, and the Express emerged victorious time after time. Subsequently, promoters discovered the genius of this formula, and began planning contests that "matched" the storyline. Hence, when you see a wrestler enduring a long-winded offensive strike only to successfully reach his antsy teammate, he is "playing Ricky Morton." Interesting, huh?
Well, I say all that not only to prove once again that wrestling is the greatest of art forms, but also to help you understand the notion that I have been "playing Ricky Morton" all summer. I've been letting Chuck Jones, the weakling inside, take a hefty beating. I honestly wanted to live a "normal" life for a while, like the one my father endures to this day. I worked 40-hour-plus weeks in a sterile office environment, doing another man's work. I tried a few almost-functional relationships, with the usual ups, downs, triumphs, and misunderstandings. I went on a vacation. I watched some television. I became a consumer. I relaxed. I slept. I hated it. But I now admire anyone who can live like that, because I can't. I tried, though, I really did. I was bruised and battered, tossed and turned, but I knew the whole time that someday I would find the strength to reach out and slap the hand of my internal partner who could save my lesser self. I knew that I could eventually rise from the post-graduate months with a renewed strength and purpose. The day has come. My partner is Southpaw Jones.
Yup, that's my new name, Southpaw Jones. Chuck Jones is taken, and quite frankly, funny-sounding. Lefty Jones is taken, and quite frankly, cute-sounding. Southpaw Jones is good. I am a Southpaw. I am a Jones. Boom...and so it begins.
But it's kind of a bummer to come out of a period marked by malaise just as it's getting cold. I was looking so forward to walking around with the tattered jacket, the unshaven face, the black toboggan, and the cigarette as "depressed winter man." Oh, well, maybe next year.
So, I guess Wednesday will be my first show as Southpaw. It should be interesting. 'Twill be the first time I'll play at Gibson Guitar Cafe and Gallery, which is downtown on Broadway, next to Planet Hollywood. Some of you may remember that I played there a few times when it was Henry's Coffeehouse. Cool atmosphere, good coffee, nice people, no cover. The only problem is, since it's my first time, they gave me about the worst slot I can imagine, 5 pm on a Wednesday. Ewww. So, if you like what I do, but you don't like crowds of more than, say, 10 people, this might be the performance for you! Seriously, it'll be fun. Come grab something to eat, make it a dinner show. I can't wait to share my collection of "hump day" jokes.
Let's see, what else is new? Ah, yes, I'm working on a CD for the first time in almost 3 years. Give me a break, I was in college...and whew, that mass communication program takes a bite! I'm recording in-studio with Nathan Whitehead throughout October, and I hope to release a full album before THE NEXT MILLENNIUM. Couldn't resist. Anyway, the working title is The Southpaw Jones Starter Kit. Since I've officially sold out of "In Front of People," and I don't plan to release any more copies, the Starter Kit will be my "debut CD." This is exciting stuff, and I will definitely keep you updated.
I leave you with a few tidbits:
I've cleaned up the web site a tad, and I'm about to make more improvements, so check it out at https://members.tripod.com/~riseabove.
The mailing list is a living organism with the need to adapt, so if you anticipate a change in your address, if you don't want to be on it anymore (sigh...), or if you know someone who would like to be added, let me know by e-mail at cjones@boardmember.com. The same goes for any other questions, comments, or suggestions. I may use these e-mail updates to answer some FAQs, so feel free to send 'em in.
If you've bothered to read all this, you're a true friend. If you come to the show Wednesday, well, you're a true fan. If you just finished watching a terrible movie that treats women brutally while encouraging the worst of male behavior, you're a viewer of "True Lies."
Don't ask,
Chuck Lefty Southpaw