Slow Joe - Roller Blading on Stilts

Slow Joe, by Catfish Bones

Video includes Fire Juggling with a Devil Stick, Roller Blading on Stilts and clips of Catfish Bones (that would be me) playing harp. The song "Slow Joe" will appear on Glenn "Catfish" Bones next CD - titled: Casey the Puppy's Memorial Album. "Slow Joe" was written and arranged by Glenn "Catfish" Bones, foolscircus, 2008. Stop by and say hi at: www.myspace.com/glennbones

Bubblegum Blues

In this track I'm playing cross harp in B (a Blues scale) against a backing track in B minor. The more major feel of the blues harp scale of the solo creates a tension against the minor backing track, and the harp is one of the higher pitched harps - so that when played at a faster tempo, like in this track, it creates an edgy, nervous kind of feel.

It's like what a kid would want to hear after drinking a 12 pack of Mountain Dew. This can be effective after a slow, "throaty" song. I call this stuff "Bubble gum Blues". It's for the kids more than us old folks. Myself, I'm like " you can't dance to that".

Anyways, I'm just jamming, then turning it into a MPEG file, and downloading it to this page. I was having too many problems with the movie making software, so I got some new software, Sony Vegas Studio.

Hopefully, this means I can cut down on how long it takes to make make a clip - it's ridiculous to spend 10 minutes practicing a track, 3 minutes recording a track, and 3 hours trying to get it in a movie format - this only took about a half hour to put together after I ran the setup program.

The Black Keeshond is Casey, and I'm doing going to be recording a memorial album for her (Casey passed away at 14 on Oct 1, 2007), and I have a number of dog-related songs I'm going to put together to make this CD.

Anyways, I have a web page, if your interested: http://glennbowen.biz/index.htm

and an email: glennwbowen@hotmail.com

Later,

Catfish

Still Jamming after all these years

Like I said last time, I'm going to use a rhythm machine for the
backing tracks on a CD I'm going to record - so I'm just playing
around with it -to get used to it, and sort out some recording issues
(not that I'll ever advance much beyond hit record and hit stop -but
I can play around with the audio quality of what gets recorded).
So here is my latest effort - total time to make (including slide show -under 2 hrs
(to quote Arlo Guthrie - I'm not proud, or tired).
I'm recording from the rhythm machine direct into a digital recorder,
and playing the harmonica right into the recorder too, using the old
Turner/Schure mic that I always use plugged into an instrument jack.
I'm playing in A
As always - email glennwbowen@hotmail.com
website: http://glennbowen.biz/index.htm
Later,
Catfish

Another Solo CD

So I'm going to make another solo CD, and to pick up the tempo, I bought a new DR-880 Rythm machine yesterday. I'm just jamming on a tin whistle, and using a hand held tape recorder, so the audio quality is pretty miserable -but for ten minutes effort - what the heck. It's energetic, at least.

I wanted to just upload it as a .wav file, but that's not an option on this blog (it has to be a picture or a movie, not an audio file) so I spent the next four hours figuring out how to make the damn thing into a movie - anyways I don't think Hollywood's going to be calling any time soon.

The black Keeshound is Casey, my old dog -she passed away back on October 1st, and the CD is going to be a memorial album to her life, mostly, along with some other stuff.

I've given up on getting other musicians to record on my solo CD's. I know drum/bass track machines are totally bogus, but hey, unless you're a drum or bass player who want's to record on the CD, don't give me grief about how I get some backing so that I can do what I do - Jam.

I haven't stopped playing the Blues harp, but sometimes, like on this track, I screw around with the tin whistle.

Anyways, I had fun with it. As always - you can contact me at glennwbowen@hotmail.com

web page: http://glennbowen.biz/index.htm

Later,

Catfish Bones

Doggie Heaven

so here's the complete song
(composed Dec, 2007, Glenn Bowen)

I don't want to go to People Heaven
I'd probably meet Don Rumsfield there
I'd call him an Ass and He'd call me a Jerk
He'd kick me in the balls, and I'd pull out his hair

we'd kick,and we'd bite and we'd spit and we'd swear
'til some Heavenly Angel comes out of nowhere,
grabs us by the scruff, throws us way down below
in that Eternal Fire, where bad people go
full of all the bad people, who do all the bad things
and everyone sings ------like me

No I don't want to go to People Heaven,
it's full of Republican Christians, you can't make me go
there must be a place called Doggie Heaven,
yeh that's the place where I want to go

yes, give me a coat of long brown hair
give me a tail, hey I don't care
even call me Rover, I'll still be your friend,
and when this life is over -send me to Doggie Heaven

Yes, Suzie and and Bootsie, I will see you soon
Oliver old pal, we'll go howl at the Moon,
Casie I know you'd never leave me alone,
It wont be too long 'cuz I'm going back home,
to a place where I will spend all eternity,
with lots of good friends who care about me,
you know you're home when you can pee on a tree----
in Doggie Heaven

another song I wrote yesterday (Dec, 2007, Glenn Bowen)
(no title yet-maybe "Wheelchair by the Door")

He's an old man of Ninety
His wheelchair's by the door
He thinks his friends are coming
but they died in the War
He knows that you are family
but your name he can't recall
and if you can't see the Beauty,
you can't see at all

yes, if you can't see the Beauty
you can't see at all

She's the Old Lady in the shoe,
gets by on that Social Security check
But she'll break out the best china
aint no trouble, what the heck
the steaks are thick and juicy
when you leave, she asks you to call
and if you can't see the Beauty,
you can't can't see at all

Yeh, I tell you she's a Beauty
but you don't see at all

The cold wind was blowing trash
down this God-damned, lousy street
and I swear it was a week
since I last had a bite to eat
when I first picked up this harp
played it and had a ball
and if you can't hear the Beauty
you can't hear at all

If you can't hear the Beauty
you can't hear at all

anyways, as always -the website is
http://glennbowen.biz
and the email is glennwbowen@hotmail.com

next Gig is at the American Legion in Mound,Mn
on New Years Eve with the Barefoot Boogie Band,
Stop by and say hi,

Later,

Catfish

Same old Shit

I'm working on a song called "Doggy Heaven",

and it starts out:



I don't want to go to People Heaven,

I'd probably meet Don Rumsfield there,

I'd call him an Ass, and he'd call me a Jerk,

He'd kick me in the balls, and I'd rip out his hair



We'd kick and we'd bite and we'd spit and we'd swear,

'til some heavenly Angel comes out of nowhere

grabs us by the scruff and throws us way down below

in that Eternal fire where the sinners go,

full of all the bad people who do all the bad things,

and everyone sings-----like me



no give me a coat of long brown hair,

give me a tail, I just don't care

even call me Rover, I'll still be friend,

and when it's all over,

send me to Doggy Heaven



(then I'll go into some lines about Dog's

I've owned in the past who are now in

Doggy Heaven)



and finally end with:

A place I can go spend all eternity

along with good friends who all care for me,

you know that you're Home when you pee on a tree

in Doggy Heaven



otherwise it's all the same old shit

but you gotta keep the Faith-

Later



Catfish

Good bye, Casey the puppy

So my dog Casey, passed away
Oct 1, 2007 about 3 in the morning
or so,and later, in the afternoon,

we buried her. Then I went

to Purgatory (which is the name

of an off-leash park were I would

take Casey for a walk and practice

my music. We would go almost

every day).

I wanted to record something, and it was important

to me that it be recorded here, because Casey

loved going to this park, running around, meeting

other dogs, etc, etc.

Anyways, so I made a couple attempts on another

instrument (a hulusu, a Chinese gourd flute), but I

was not getting what I wanted, and the sun was
starting to set, and I didn't want to be playing in the

dark, and I felt I needed to get something recorded

before the sun set, or the moment would be lost.

(Of course I could go record something

the next day,or when ever, but that's just being practical

and you know what, "F**k being practical.)

So, with the sun quickly setting, I gave up on the hulusu, and

went for the another instrument in my car that I had

grabbed on the way out the door, a flagolet

(which is what you call a tin whistle when it's made out

of wood, not "tin").

Now, about a year ago, I was walking along the

path at Purgatory, with Casey following along, playing
a Clarke tin whistle,and this lady came up to me

out of nowhere. She had tears running down her face,

so you'd figure she was sad, and something was wrong,

right? But she was smiling, and she'd come up to me

to thank me for playing, something she'd found beautiful.

It turns out her son had passed away, and she had gone

to the park after the funeral, and the flute-like songs

drifting through the woods, was something she found

appropriate to the mix of emotions she was feeling.

It was for her a moment when she could really

acknowledge her love and her loss in one joyous

moment that she could hold on to, and music was the

catalyst.

I of course was just practicing my music, and walking

my dog (or more correctly walking along with my dog

lazily following along in her own sweet time), and was

blissfully unaware of any profound event going on

around me.

As soon as she appeared, told her story and thanked me,

she walked away, leaving me going "Huh?",

So I went back to practicing my music. But somewhere

in the back of my mind, I'd stored this event, and so as

I'm walking out of my bedroom, I grab the flagolet,

without even thinking why.

Now, with the sun setting in a couple minutes, I have

one, maybe two chances to record something, before

I'm sitting there alone in the dark.

If that happens, the moment is lost, and I really

want something this day to capture what Casey

meant to me.

I take the flagolet out of the car, pull it out of

the case, and hit the record button of my portable

digital recorder, and compose an air, I later call

"10/01/07" playing here: http://glennbowen.biz/

I think a minute about trying to do another

recording, but I decide that this is what I want

to keep. By October 1st the sun is setting

fast and a minute or two later it is dark out.

I drive home in the night.

Now, I'm not saying it's great or anything -

I'm a Blues harmonica player,
not an Irish Tin Whistle player.

Whatever,

This is a lamentation for Casey the Puppy,

and a description of why it's called 10/1/07.

http://glennbowen.biz/

Goodbye Puppy Friend