Thursday, May 17, 2007

Reviewing Recent Video Footage

Reviewing video footage, I see my world again in bright, vivid, high definition images. Since the camera is new, I’ve been subjecting it to various light and color tests. I’m watching the footage of the band from the other night. Testing the camera’s low light capabilities with a long island iced tea, the footage looks good and the audio surprising for an on-board condenser mic.

My mind wanders and my body feels good. Yoga again this morning in the living room with the yoga dvd and my girl. I hope she wants to check this band out sometime and dance like a freak. Dancing to Grateful Dead is a long way from the swing dancing that we’ve done. Free form, letting your freak hang loose. With a cocktail and a buzz, the band meanders into the intro of “Eyes of the world”

Silly footage of Aaron Fisher singing outside of the club.

Footage of Sam Rapp performing/pitching on Hollywood and Highland. Met a guy named Daniel Davenport. Nice young man with lots of big plans and ideas. Student of magic and street performing. Shot him doing a little billiard ball manipulation and some card stuff. Both Sam & Daniel, working the Blvd. on a Tuesday afternoon. Better men than I. I was really there just to help Sam a bit and shoot some video. We were lucky to have a rare overcast day that created very even afternoon outdoor lighting with no shadows.

Hollywood Blvd. offers itself as a great location to shoot street acts. Rich in the history of Hollywood, Hollywood and Highland is a major tourist attraction.

I’m in the beginning stages of a dvd project. A dvd I can sell after my performances, that also teaches a little “Street Magic” Hell, I’ve been doing it for a quarter century, why not cash in on the current trend. Shit I might even lecture on the subject as I have in the past.

Taped a few of my shows at the City Walk last night. My chops are tight and the new stuff looked good. Not really that new, cups and balls to music, coin stuff to music. Working on a whole silent sequence to music, maybe a whole act.

Worked to some Michael Close Quartet music. He had given me a disc in Vegas. Upbeat jazz with an improvisational flair. That’s what I’m going for, with some of what I’m doing these days. Go with the music, let it direct me as to what I’m doing. But different music, different feels. Live, experimental, improvised yet refined to a fine point. I’m digging it. But to be confronted with it on the big screen in my living room, oy. Audible gasps and extended laughing upon the revelation of the final loads in the cup routine.

Mike Close plays Georgia on My Mind as I go into a 4 Ace Routine (poker deal into Dr. Daley’s Last Trick). Trying to make my card work look as pretty as possible. Framed tight on the hands for the shuffle work, the control holds up to my own tough standards. Liking that :-)

1 comment:

John said...

Did I read that you are making a dvd, I'll buy one, by yhe way, next Sat I am opening for the Randy Oxford Band at Jazzbones In Tacoma