Once in a while I get overwhelmed by a performance and feel I want to give up.

If I listen to Oscar Peterson for an hour I probably don't play the piano for a day or so.

I remember hearing a cover band do Robert Cray's Smoking Gun once and thinking the band I played in was terrible at it, especially me trying to do the piano and organ parts.

A week or so later we were playing somewhere, had too much to drink, I remember a beer and scotch on the amp beside me, we smoked cigars at the break and we did that tune and after we were on a total high, except I knew it wasn't that good. But it was guys, good times, and the audience loved it. I miss that most about doing solo stuff. You just hang out with yourself instead of going to the stairwell and laughing about the snapped guitar string and the big blonde trying to dance on stage.

At the end of the day it's gotta be about memories of good times. Not enough of those to go around, even if you have a thousand.

Just keep pluggin. I prefer the kid in diapers to the perfect setting, it's a juxtaposition of philosophy.

John Conley
Musica est vita