Jim Hudak: News

Acting upon an idea he's nurtured for several years, Jim Hudak is spearheading a day of music at the foot of Mount Diablo in Clayton, CA. On Sunday, October 10th, 2010, The Clayton Club Saloon will host the musical event, which will likely feature at least four bands, and possibly more. The bands will all include some of the many talented musicians in the Clayton area.

It's been Jim Hudak's brainchild to organize a musical event of this type for more than five years. But he won't be doing it alone. Several fellow musicians have stepped up to help coordinate the festival, and their assistance is welcomed.

"There's always more to this kind of thing than meets the eye," says Hudak. "But already I've got to thank several people who are getting involved to make this thing actually happen."

Starting with Steve Barton, owner of the Clayton Club, who's offered to make the venue available for the event, Jim has also had help from several musicians, including Bob Insalaco, Maggie New, Chris Lucas, and Rex Reade, among others.

Getting the bands and lineups set is the first priority. So far, local legends The Relyks and The Jim Hudak Band have signed on, with other bands being considered for performance participation.

"Things like length of the sets, changing of equipment between bands and their sets, background music between sets, food, equipment, and all the practical and legal issues involved in putting something like this together can be daunting," Hudak emphasizes. "But it's great how people can come together when called upon. In the end, it's a testimony as to how much we all love music and playing it together."

In what he hopes will become an annual concert-event, Hudak describes this year's inaugural effort as basically a "big party." Local concert promoter Jim Ocean suggested this approach as a way to "stick our toe in the water, " Hudak says, to see how the event goes over and how well it's received.

"We're all offering our services for free this year," Hudak points out. "If things go well, we'll hit the ground running for next year. We'll hire Jim Ocean to help run and promote the event, and get sponsorship to help pay for all the permits, security, and rental of our own outdoor park or space. We also plan to pay the musicians in future years, something that I feel is very important. Too often musicians end up doing events like this for free, and it's simply not right. The average person has no idea how much is involved in practicing, schlepping around the equipment, and everything else that goes with putting on a good performance."

With scenic Mount Diablo as the backdrop, possible future sites for the Music At The Mountain Festival include Clayton Community Park, the downtown Grove Park, or "maybe someone's big back yard if anyone offers to make it available," according to Hudak.

For now, the plan is to make this first year, the Big Party experiment, successful and enjoyable for all. "It will be a free event, with food and music, and lots of camaraderie, so we look for a solid turnout," says Hudak. "There's nothing like free music and food for getting people together."

Indeed.

It sounds trite. We read and hear it so often, that health is the most important thing in life. But when you experience some serious health related issues first hand, suddenly the importance of good health hits home.

Without getting too deep into this, let's just say that the past few months have included numerous health related challenges for me. My situation looks much better than it did a month or two ago, and for that I'm grateful. A special thanks to family and friends who have provided such heart warming support. One really gets a new perspective on the importance of human relationships when dealing with personal health issues.

More detail on all this another time. For now, I'll just say that some new music related opportunities have presented themselves, and I'm excited about the possibilities. My Christmas song, "Let's Trim The Christmas Tree," is 99% completed and nearly ready for its unveiling to the general public. Other recording and composing projects are looking promising, and I'm excited about where my music is headed.

Overall, it just feels good to be getting stronger again. Recently I read an article that addressed the single most important thing for people who are "retired." It isn't money or security per se. You guessed it, the single most important thing to enjoying one's retirement years is....Good Health. Not to sound preachy here, but I hope that's something we all take seriously, as I certainly am doing more and more these days. Not that I was ever "unhealthy." Illnesses and health related misfortunes often occur that are beyond an individual's ability to control. But I've learned that you can't take good health for granted, especially as you get older.

More music related news and developments will be announced in the coming days and weeks. Thanks for checking in and visiting my website. The great fan support that I'm lucky to have makes the making and playing of music all the more worthwhile.

Best wishes to everyone. Carry on!

Jim Hudak
Clayton, CA

While he's been in the music business for 35 years, Jim Hudak agrees that many of the old rules no longer apply. Music business veterans everywhere are scrambling to figure it out.

"Part of it is the economy, overall," said Hudak recently. "Everyone's talking about reinventing themselves, and many are out of work. That applies to all industries, not just the music business."

In spite of the challenges, it's also a time for opportunity, with avenues available that didn't exist even 10 years ago.

Says Hudak,"It's great to be selling digital downloads of my music to people in Italy or Korea or anywhere else. Certainly that would have been unlikely as an independent artist on a tiny record label until the relatively recent past. In that sense it's great."

But since a worldwide audience is now available to so many, competition is fierce. It's as if everybody and his brother is suddenly a musician and a recording artist. All an artist can do is put his material out there and hope that he connects and gets his share of the business.

"We've all got studios in our home, now, which has really hurt the studio business and put some very talented engineers and producers out of work," Hudak continues. "It reminds me of when I lived in Western Pennsylvania. Most of the steel mills had recently closed and people in that industry were scrambling to redefine themselves. Of course many of them simply had to change careers. Or else hang out in the bar all day, crying in their beer."

Why continue as a musician?

"At this point, it's so deep in my blood that it's hard to imagine doing anything else. So much time, energy, and money has been invested in my music and art. I can't stop now."

"Besides, music is still the greatest thing on earth. There's nothing like being moved by a song or a piece of music that grips you emotionally. Sure, there's a lot more music to sort through now in order to find what you really like, but it's out there. In fact, if you know where to look, music that appeals to each and every individual is more abundant than ever before. It takes patience and perseverance to find it, but it's there."

For Jim Hudak, more recordings, compositions, and performances are just a way of life. "I've been lucky to be able to do what I love for so long," he explains. "With a little luck, I just might be able to continue doing it indefinitely."

Yes, it's the new music business. But maybe it isn't so different from the old music business after all.

Jim Hudak, who's rendered over 3,000 performances as a solo piano instrumentalist over the past 15 years, is taking singing lessons. A reach? A departure? Not necessarily.

"Actually, I've studied voice from several teachers in the past," Hudak confides. "But it's been awhile. With upcoming recordings planned that will include vocals, I wanted to get a fresh perspective and give myself a chance to sing as well as I possibly can."

Richard Jennings, whose Richard Jennings Voice Studio is located in Berkeley, CA, is providing the vocal instruction for Hudak's singing renaissance. Jennings has taught voice in major universities and worked with singers on several record labels and Tony Award winning theatres. He favors the Bel Canto vocal technique, which Hudak is familiar with.

"I studied Bel Canto with a great teacher in Pittsburgh, PA named Paula Signorino for over two years," Hudak points out. "What Richard presents in the way of how to approach singing rings true and familiar to what Paula taught. That helps to make the process more comfortable for me. Like in anything else, a good teacher makes all the difference."

Hudak credits Frank Dorritie, the department chair for the Recording Arts program at Los Medanos College, for pointing out the importance of good vocal technique. "When I was going through the Recording Arts program a few years ago, one of the classes I really enjoyed was a class called 'Record Producing' that Frank taught. I remember he said that one of the tough responsibilities of a record producer is to advise prospective clients that if necessary, voice lessons might be in order. In my case, since I haven't sung too much over the past 15 years, I could hear the rustiness in my vocals, and decided that singing lessons would be a good investment."

Saying he can already hear and feel a difference for the better in his singing, Hudak plans to continue with his voice lessons until his improved technique becomes automatic and natural. In the end, good singing is about breathing, feeling relaxed, and applying good technique in order to make the voice as warm and resonant as possible.

After years of fielding requests, it appears that a Jim Hudak "Christmas Album" may finally become a reality this year. Jim has begun preparations in earnest for a CD of Christmas songs he describes as "traditional with some twists."

"Lots of artists record Christmas records," he said recently. "I'd like to do my own, featuring some original songs, a few traditional carols, and some surprise choices of holiday music that really moves me." In other words, a collection of songs with wide appeal while still being unique.

The title of the Christmas CD will be "Let's Trim The Christmas Tree," named for the title track, a song Jim composed several years ago and has nearly finished recording. It will be the record's centerpiece song, which will also be released as a single.

"It's an upbeat song, with a similar vibe to "Jingle Bell Rock," except that it's a touch jazzier," he explains. "It swings a bit, with some nice percussive parts and bass to go with the piano. That song includes vocals, too, though the rest of the record will be piano based instrumental music as I've done over the past 10 years."

Jim Hudak hasn't released a song with vocals since his 1987 album titled "The Hudaks Connected." It featured original songs by Jim and his brother Don Hudak, backed by some of music's most respected studio session players.

"I still enjoy listening to that record," Jim says. "I've been wanting to record songs with singing again for some time. Hopefully "Let's Trim The Christmas Tree" will be the start of something of a movement in that direction for me."

Jim hopes to have the recording of the Christmas CD completed by mid-summer, with the formal release of the album due in November of this year. Stay tuned for more details and information.

Whether writing music, books, or stories for magazines or newspapers, the importance of finding your own voice and following your instincts cannot be overemphasized. Every famous musician, songwriter, columnist or novelist was once an unknown. Somehow, finally - often after lots of practice and rejection, they crafted their own style or sound that's just a little bit different than anyone else's. And after awhile, they became accepted to the degree that what once might have sounded or seemed strange is now "mainstream."

Copy bands can be great. Imitators have their own talent, to be sure. But it's the innovators, artists with something different to say or to play, that stand out in the long run.

So, if it sounds good to you, even if for now, it's only you that it sounds good to, stick with it. Hone it, craft it, make it your own. Chances are someone else will like it, too. Then someone else, and someone else again. That's the way audiences and followings are built. Don't be afraid to be yourself. It's better than pretending to be someone or something you're not.

This concludes today's word of wisdom to artists and musicians everywhere. Thanks for checking in.

Jim Hudak

In so many of life's situations, we find ourselves in less than ideal circumstances. For a musician it might be attempting to perform a song (or several songs) that they've never played publicly before. For an athlete, it could be getting unexpectedly called in to a game to take the place of an injured player. In business, perhaps it's having to make a sales presentation without being as familiar with your product as you'd prefer to be.

Yet, we work our way through those difficult situations. If we're good improvisers, we might even be successful most of the time - in spite of the difficulties and apprehension that we feel.

Several years ago, I heard an interview with Steve Young, former star quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers. He was talking about his playing career, (Young retired after the 2000 season) and how in spite of both his own and his team's great success, many of the plays he called or ran found him having to "wing it" for one reason or another.

Broken down plays and assignments, unexpected defensive alignments, and just the human error factor can make the most perfectly designed play on paper end up taking an unexpected turn. It's then when one's natural ability and instincts have to kick in, and Young was as good at making that happen as any athlete I can remember.

It was during that same interview that I remember Young mentioning that he and Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice used to joke about just having to "fake it till you make it." Meaning that you give it your best shot, every play and every game, despite your own shortcomings and the inevitable presence of circumstances beyond your control. Young went on to say that if you're truly prepared - rehearsed and as ready as possible for any possible thing that might happen to disrupt your plans, that you'll get through it. Indeed, sometimes just being able to fake it till you make it is quite enough.

Recently, I had the chance to meet a couple of my longtime musical heroes, George Winston and Tom Rush. (See my 1/15/10 News entry on a concert by Tom Rush). I thought both of their performances were outstanding. Yet, meeting them after each of their concerts, I was surprised to hear them both downplaying their evening's musical presentation.

Winston's remark was particularly revealing. When I told him how great his show was, he seemed genuinely surprised. "Oh, it was pretty ragged," he said. "It's always that way." Rush was similarly self-deprecating as he assessed his own performance, even though the crowd and I thought it was excellent.

I put their responses into roughly the same category as Steve Young's "fake it till you make it" philosophy. I mean, here are three veteran performers who rate at or near the top of their professions as a quarterback, pianist, and singer-guitarist. Yet, each one readily recognizes the inherent flaws that go with their every performance. It's simply an inevitable fact of life that we humans make mistakes. We all have shortcomings and things we wish we could do better.

But that "preparation factor" cannot be overestimated. If we're as well drilled and disciplined as possible, through repetition and performance in a wide range of environments and situations, chances are that even a less than perfect performance will still be "good." In fact to many, the performance will appear to be very good or even great.

So the rest of us can take solace in the fact that even those who are the best in their given profession often feel less than thrilled about their performance. It's up to all of us to mine the gifts and talents we've been given, and if we do our very best, that will usually be more than good enough.

Yes, "fake it till you make it" seems to make more sense the more I think about it. If it's good enough for Steve Young, it's good enough for me.

JH

One never knows what to expect when catching up with one of the musical idols of their youth - 35 years later. But seeing Tom Rush perform many of his classics at the Bankhead Theatre in Livermore, CA last Sunday night was more than satisfying. It was moving.

Rush, a singer-songwriter-song interpreter extraordinaire, cut his teeth in the Cambridge Folk Music scene in Boston in the late 50's and early 60's. That makes him a bit "old" (hey, it's all relative, right?) by some people's standards. But he still played guitar and sang with youthful energy and skill, and had a crowd of about 500 fans in the palm of his hand.

Two characteristics distinguish Rush right off the bat: his relatively low voice - a rich baritone - and his preference for playing guitar in several different tunings. Both of these factors contribute to his having a unique, full sound as he delivers his music.

He played many of the songs he's best known for: Joni Mitchell's "Urge For Going" and "Circle Game," a tearjerking version of Murray McLaughlin's "Child Song," and my two favorites of his original songs, "Rockport Sunday" and "No Regrets." He treats the latter two songs as one long song, as they flow together very nicely.

Rush also graced the crowd with solid versions of some other enduring songs, including "Ladies Love Outlaws" and "Drift Away." He performed a number of songs from his new album, "What I Know," and drew loud laughter when he announced it as his first studio album in 35 years. "I didn't want to rush into anything," he said.

Though hampered by some congestion, his voice was surprisingly strong for a guy who has to be closer to 70 than 60. And his finger picking guitar stylings are still sounding just fine, thank you very much.

Rush is warm, aware, and musical. He brings some of the old Folkie Intellect blended with razor sharp humor to his shows that keeps the audience attentive and relaxed all at once.

I left the performance with the reaffirmation that some artists, in spite of graying hair and more than a few wrinkles, can still pull it off as they age. Tom Rush is certainly one of them. He was, in a word, outstanding.

For those of you visiting this website expecting "nothing but music" related information, you're in for a shock. For those of you who've known and followed me and my music for awhile, you probably won't be too surprised at this sports related News entry. After all, I've been known to write a column or two on sports here and there, and the urge to do so now has struck.

Having been a San Francisco 49ers fan for many a year, it's been painful to watch the team struggle so mightily for the past seven or eight years. There have been some games in some of those seasons where I simply can't bear to watch my team lose so badly. Especially after their storied success in the 1980's and 1990's.

Things finally began to improve in the middle of the 2008 season. Mike Nolan, the beleaguered coach of the team since 2005, was fired and replaced by Hall Of Fame Linebacker Mike Singletary.

Singletary brings a Pentecostal type fire to the team. It hasn't always been well received here in the liberal thinking Bay Area. But I felt from the beginning that he was what the team needed. A strong disciplinarian who immediately gained the players' respect.

Singletary's over the top style softened somewhat this season. Some tough losses and a realization of the team's limitations in talent made him less brash and more realistic. But with the team's finish this season at eight wins and eight losses, (their best record since 2002), things are starting to look up.

In my view, Singletary's biggest weakness is as a game tactician and what they call an "X's and O's" guy. He tends to inspire and get the most out of his players, but the subtleties and nuances involved in the offensive side of the ball don't always come easily to him.

But, he's proven to be flexible, allowing his assistant coaches to do their jobs and make changes in the offense when appropriate. After all, this was his first full year as a head coach, and at least a bit of a learning curve seems reasonable, even in the Win Now mentality of the average NFL fan.

Coach Singletary deserves and will get at least one more year to further improve this team. He's done a good if not a great job, and I predict a playoff appearance for the Niners for the first time in nearly a decade next season.

Across the Bay, the Oakland Raiders have improved, too, over last season. But just barely. Coach Tom Cable is fighting for his job after finishing the season at 5-11. Raider fans are staying away from the games in droves. Only one home game was televised locally this season because of a lack of sellouts. The reality is that for most games, the stadium is barely half-full.

Al Davis, the 80-year old patriarch of the Raiders, has refused to seek any upper level management help in running his team for the past eight years. Raiders fans are frustrated - big time. Many fans donated some of their hard earned cash to pay for the erection of a billboard on Interstate 880, which runs next to the Oakland Coliseum, begging Davis to bring in a General Manager to help him run the franchise. So far, the billboard hasn't produced any results.

Much of the disillusionment to fans and media about the Raiders in general has to do with their unique way of doing business. Davis tends to cloud himself and team personnel in secrecy, sending out a vibe that many compare to the Mafia in that regard. No one, including beat sportswriters who cover the team, seems to have any idea of what Al and the Raiders will do next. With one of the worst won-loss records in professional sports over the past eight years, it's fair to say that their shrouded in mystery approach hasn't paid dividends.

Overpaid draft choices and free agents have haunted the Raiders for years. Most recently, JaMarcus Russell, an overweight and undermotivated quarterback, has been relentlessly booed off the field after too many horrific performances.

Just when or how the Raiders will significantly improve their fortunes is anybody's guess. While Cable insists he's the right man to coach the team, the smart money seems to suggest that he will be let go within the next week. We'll see.

Professional football, and pro sports in general, have become largely an activity centered around huge dollars and big business. This saddens me, as it detracts from the healthier aspects of sports: teamwork, camaraderie, overcoming adversity, and improving one's skills. But to one who's followed sports and in particular the San Francisco 49ers for so long (50 years and counting!), it's still a nice diversion to keep abreast of "my team" and of sports in general. Even for those of us lucky enough to be able to be musicians and artists for a living.

Truth be told, many musicians are sports fans. There's artistry in athleticism, and as my father always told me, a healthy body equals a healthy mind. At least most of the time. This much I'll promise: the next "News" entry on this website will pertain more to music instead of sports.

Happy New Year to all. Thanks for checking in.

Jim Hudak
Clayton, CA

For the seventh consecutive holiday season, the piano music of Jim Hudak will add a touch of elegance to Vic Stewart's Restaurant in Walnut Creek this month. Beginning on Tuesday, December 8th, Jim will bring his vast repertoire of piano music to Vic's during lunch hours on weekdays.

"It's great to be coming back to Vic Stewart's," says Hudak. "The atmosphere of this renowned restaurant is particularly vibrant during the holidays. They have a loyal following, and I see many of the same customers drop in for lunch year after year. There are also a lot of businesses who treat their employees to a special Christmas luncheon here each year. It's just a fun place to play piano, especially in December."

Jim will have his CD's available for purchase at all performances, and will be playing his newly recorded Christmas song, "Let's Trim The Christmas Tree," at least once during every lunchtime performance. He might even have a few CD's of the new song available to hand out to special customers at Vic's.

Jim will perform Tuesdays through Fridays from 11:30 AM until 2 PM from December 8th until Christmas. Vic Stewart's is located across the street from the Broadway Plaza Shopping Mall at 850 South Broadway in downtown Walnut Creek. Reservations can be made by calling (925) 943-5666.

See you there!

Lately, pianist Jim Hudak has been pondering new record release material. It's been over three years since his last CD release, "Bridging Textures," which was co-produced by Will Ackerman, and Jim is anxious to get some new material out there for public consumption.

He explains further: "For all that my focus these days is on my original compositions, I've got this yearning to release a second CD of piano based instrumentals of Grateful Dead songs."

Interesting.

Early this year, Hudak attended a symphonic presentation of Grateful Dead music at the Lesher Center For The Arts in Walnut Creek, CA. While there, he had a chance encounter with Dennis McNally, longtime publicist of the Grateful Dead. (McNally is also the author of two books, one about the Dead and the other about "King of the Beats" Jack Kerouac).

"I've read both of Dennis' books and felt an instant kinship with him even before meeting him, but especially after we did meet," said Hudak recently. "He offered to help publicize either a re-release of my 'Gratefully Yours' CD or a new release of mostly Grateful Dead songs. If I go ahead with this, I'd prefer the latter approach. I certainly know enough material for a second full album. Dennis has so much experience and so many wonderful friends and contacts within the greater Dead family. I have to take his willingness to work for me very seriously."

Some of the songs under consideration for "GY Two" include "Wharf Rat," "Cumberland Blues,' "Black Peter," and "Weather Report Suite," among others. Hudak elaborates, "The Grateful Dead has so much wonderful music to draw from. It's really quite amazing when you fully explore the breadth and scope of their material. And I'm always looking for songs that you don't necessarily expect to hear on the piano."

When performing his more than 200 dates a year, Hudak plays his piano versions of songs by the Grateful Dead "fairly often. I try to read the crowd," he says. "There's something about people who know and appreciate Grateful Dead music that sort of stands out. They kind of go nuts when you break into a couple Garcia or Weir songs at any given moment and it's fun for me and for them. But it wouldn't be appropriate to play Dead songs at just any occasion."

Between a possible "Gratefully Yours Two," in addition to a release of his Christmas song ("Let's Trim The Christmas Tree,") which he's in the process of recording with an anticipated "Holiday Music" CD to follow, and a long awaited "all original Americana/New Edge Music" album, 2010 is shaping up to be a busy year for Jim Hudak. "There's a lot on my plate. Now I just have to do the work," he says. "Fortunately, I'm assembling a good team of talent to help me. This isn't something I'd prefer to take on alone."

Check back soon for more details. And to one and all, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Think there are enough Christmas and Holiday songs already on the market? Composer Jim Hudak begs to differ. He's hoping that his particular Christmas song, titled "Let's Trim The Christmas Tree," can establish itself in the broad but selected list of songs played heavily in December. While hundreds of new Christmas songs are written and recorded every year, very few establish themselves as songs that challenge the traditional "hit list" of holiday songs and Christmas Carols.

Comments Hudak, "When was the last time a new Christmas song made a national or worldwide splash? You'd probably have to go with 'Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer,' from 1979. Yet, if you were to research the subject as I have a bit, you'd find all kinds of Christmas songs that have been recorded by both obscure and well known artists, songs that have gone pretty much nowhere."

On the other hand, once a new Christmas song is recorded, it has the chance to gain traction and momentum with each passing year. "That's the thing," Hudak continues. "I went out and bought a bunch of Christmas CD's over the last few years, from different recording artists far and wide, adding them to our Christmas music collection. We look forward to hearing our favorite songs and albums each year. And many of these are songs that go far beyond the pale of 'Silent Night' and 'Jingle Bells.' There's something kind of special about music that's essentially off limits for roughly 11 months of the year."

Hudak describes "Let's Trim The Christmas Tree" as a cross between "Jingle Bell Rock" and "A Holly Jolly Christmas," with an upbeat tempo mixed with a traditional message of holiday cheer. He recorded a rough version at Los Medanos College in Northern California in 2005, but wants to put together a more fully realized recording of the song as soon as practically possible. He hoped to have it ready for this year, but with all of his other projects, that's looking more and more unrealistic. Hopefully by the holiday season of 2010, a new Christmas song will be made available to the masses. "We'll probably release it on-line at first, to test market it," says Hudak, "though we'll have some CD's of the song available, too."

"I hope to have a couple kids sing it," Hudak adds. "While I could sing the thing, I think it would be more appropriate and effective if children's voices were heard doing the song. My instinct is that it would work better that way."

Stay tuned for the continued saga of "Let's Trim The Christmas Tree," with a hoped for release date sometime in 2010.

9/17/09 Jim Hudak Clayton, CA

Mary Travers Passes At Age 72 From Leukemia

For openers, we quote Robert Shelton, the New York Times music critic who wrote in the early 1960’s: “Sex appeal as a keystone for a folk-song group was the idea of the group’s manager, (Albert Grossman), who searched for months for 'the girl' until he decided on Miss Travers.” This, of course, was in reference to Peter, Paul, and Mary, the ultimate folk music trio.

Then there was Peter Yarrow, also from PP&M, who said, “When you look at Mary, you’ve gotta’ think of sex.” Back in the day, as a pre-pubescent youth who loved music, I certainly did. (Think of sex when I saw pictures of Mary, that is).

This is mentioned because in her post PP&M days, Mary turned hugely overweight, and to many, at least by her physical attributes, quite unattractive. But that didn’t deter her spirit, or her voice. She kept singing, and remained an activist till the end. Many, like me, never forgot her sex appeal. More importantly, we never forgot her and her trio’s music and influence.

Mary Allin Travers passed away yesterday, and today we mourn – and remember. I just heard Derk Richardson, host of The Hear And Now radio show on KPFA in Berkeley, play a nice set of four or five songs that she sang “lead” on: “Too Much Of Nothing,” “The Song Is Love,” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” among them. One is instantly reminded of the power and clarity of Mary’s voice. Yet, as is often the case, she was best showcased when singing with others, especially in Peter, Paul, and Mary. She even sang with Mama Cass on some recordings.

It’s impossible to measure the full impact of Peter Paul and Mary. Protest singers, folk singers, and musicians with beautiful three-part harmony and understated yet intricate two-guitar parts underlying their vocals, they were the leaders of the folk movement back in the day. Virtually everyone in my generation loved them, and looked to them for leadership and inspiration. I have at least four of their albums, in vinyl, though I also bought a couple of their “reel to reel” tape releases (imagine that!) that are part of my collection of their music.

PP&M were their generation’s version of The Weavers. They sang about racism, political injustice and prejudice, and anything pertinent to social issues of their day. They even mixed in a love song or two. Paul Stookey’s “Wedding Song” still remains one of the most requested contemporary songs of all time for weddings, even in this “sophisticated” day and age.

So with Mary’s passing, we all feel a little bit older. Indeed, lots of people important to baby boomers have left us recently: Patrick Swayze, Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, Paul Newman, and yes, on a whole different level, Michael Jackson, among many others. As the cliché goes, “We’re all reminded of our own mortality.” It’s true. Sad but true. We’re all getting older. And like Mary Travers, we all will die. I’m glad she made it as long as she did. She’s an icon who had a significant impact on a great many of us, and I’m fortunate to have been one of the beneficiaries of her talent and goodness.

JH

Greetings Everyone:

From August 7th through the 13th, I took a wonderful road trip through Northern California and Western Oregon. During that time I drove nearly 1500 miles and saw plenty of beautiful scenery. I also reconnected with family and friends, sharing laughs, stories, and lots of music.

But on the last night of my travels, for a few dicey moments I thought my return home might get delayed. For the first time in my many years of driving, I was within a hundred feet of some serious forest fires.

The location of these fires was Lewiston, CA, roughly a hundred miles south of the Oregon border. I'd opted to take Highway 3, a gorgeous side road away from the quicker, more heavily traveled Interstate 5 route I usually take between Portland and San Francisco.

Even with the fires, I have no regrets that I took this longer, more scenic route. But by the time I got to Covington Mill, a tiny California town about 40 miles north of Lewiston, a local grocery store owner warned me to prepare for the worst. The air already was filled with thick smoke, and I was still a good distance away from the fires. He warned me that I may have to delay my return home a day or two due to possible road closures.

It's one thing to watch fire fighters on the television news. It's quite another to be driving along and suddently seeing multiple patches of raging flames on the hillsides all around you. That, and dozens of fire trucks and emergency vehicles, with busloads of firemen being rushed in to deal with the fires, etched a memory into my mind that will likely last a lifetime.

I had extended my trip as long as I possibly could, and was due back for a 4 PM piano performance the following day - Thursday, August 13th. But at the moment, I was still six hours from home.

Not being one to cancel a gig for any reason, I was determined to make it back for this one. But numerous roadside signs were visible throughout my final night of driving that warned "Roads are subject to closure at any time." I quickly made it my goal just to get out of the region as quickly and safely as I could.

Fortunately, I succeeded. I fought my way through numerous delays and one-lane controlled traffic to limp into Redding a little before midnight. After a good night's sleep, I had a mere three hour drive the next day, and made it to my performance with room to spare.

There were plenty of highlights during my trip that were more welcome than the fires. Playing music with old friends Will Sullivan and Jim Schlauch, with whom I co-founded The Spunkies musical aggragation 28 years ago, was a treat. So was a fun musical session I had with Jim Nolan, an old friend from high school.

I also spent time with my dear friends Steve and Paula Barsotti, some cousins and in-laws, and of course my wonderful parents, Ted and Rita Hudak. It's always fun returning to one's home and hometown, and in spite of the growth and changes, Portland remains an outstanding city in so many ways.

There was also some music business conducted during my trip, with stops at several stores who carry or will be carrying my CD's for sale. It's fair to say that Portland and Oregon in general has some of the nicest, friendliest people anywhere on earth. They also have lots of great radio stations and music lovers.

For me, there's nothing quite like a road trip. The daily routine of cleaning out the cooler and adding new ice and re-freezing ice packs quickly becomes a ritual. As is repositioning of clothes, hiking boots, and the array of musical instruments and equipment I always seem to carry with me on my roadtrips. That's one great advantage driving offers over flying: you can pack a lot more stuff and have many more choices as to what you eat and drink.

But driving certainly takes longer than flying. And forest fires are a lot more dangerous when driving near or around them than they are when you can literally fly over them. But then, that bit of danger and suspense only added to the adventure of what I'll refer to as My Road Trip Of August '09.

Till later, then. Thanks for checking in.

Jim

It could be called a re-release, though in reality it's just a new marketing approach for a CD that first made its appearance in early 2006. "Bridging Textures," the first Jim Hudak CD featuring all original material, is about to be specially marketed and promoted at the retail store level.

There are many approaches available for promoting music and recordings. It's important that the smaller, independent labels like Brainstorm Records, which is about to celebrate its 10-year anniversary of doing business, use their available advertising dollars carefully.

In this case, the label has hired the services of veteran record promotion expert Bette Timm, from Sonoma, CA. Bette has been promoting records at the retail level for 25 years, and she would appear to be the perfect choice for maximizing retail driven sales of "Bridging Textures."

"Bette will be calling on about 120 stores around the country, recommending 'Bridging Textures' as a CD that has great sales potential at the retail level," said Hudak, the president of Brainstorm Records. "We're pleased that she's agreed to work this record for us, as she's not known to get involved in the marketing of records that she doesn't believe in."

The fact is, "Bridging Textures" has sold well, primarily through on-line sales and digital downloads. Jim has also sold a good number of copies at his many performances. But to break through nationally on the retail level would be a nice bonus, and he's hoping Bette can provide a shot in the arm for the album in terms of retail sales.

"The CD has shown it has staying power," says Hudak. "Several of its songs continue to receive international airplay, and the fact that it features the talents of such well known experts in the instrumental music field as Will Ackerman, Michael Manring, and Tracy Silverman certainly hasn't hurt its reputation. Those guys add instant credibility to any record with which they become involved," Hudak acknowledges.

Hopefully, the marketing expertise of Bette Timm will serve to enhance the stature of the "Bridging Textures" CD all the more.

Unlike most people, summer is my least favorite time of year. When temperatures get higher than 85 degrees or so, my brain seems to diffuse and I get lazy. Nonetheless, life goes on, even during the summer months.

We continue to explore new performance venues and sales opportunities for our music. Talks are in the works with various booking agents, music attorneys, and artist management companies to help us with the business aspects of what we do and offer.

One thing I might point to that's immediately available is a link from this website to a video of me on YouTube. In this video, I perform my tribute song to Los Angeles, and the song is called "City Of The Angels." The performance of this song took place at the Freight and Salvage Coffehouse in Berkeley, CA. "The Freight" is a small, intimate venue with a well tuned "room" and sound system that countless performers from around the world have played at for many years. It was a thrill to be on the same stage where so many of my favorite artists have performed.

To watch this video, you can now click on the "Video" link on the Homepage of my website, and one more click will take you directly to the YouTube website where a final click will start the video. Of course, you still have the option of going directly to the YouTube.com website and searching under Jim Hudak and City Of The Angels to watch the video.

Also, if you click on the "Photos" link on the Homepage of my website, you'll see some new pictures that were added to the site a few days ago by my administrative assistant, Ananda Walker. She took the photos, which were shot at a few different locations in nearby Walnut Creek, CA.

Otherwise, the lazy, hazy days of summer continue. I've been rehearsing a number of songs I plan to record in the near future, and continuing my performances at an average of three or four per week. So even though I may not be a big hot weather fan, I'm doing my best to work through it till the cooler days of fall arrive.

One more point about weather here in the San Francisco Bay Area. We actually have 17 "microclimates," meaning we have 17 different weather forecasts in the greater San Francisco area each day. It's hard for out of towners to comprehend this, but there are huge fluctuations in temperature and in annual rainfall within just a few miles of each other at various points in the Bay Area.

For example, last weekend it was 107 degrees here in Clayton as I headed over to Berkeley, about 20 miles away. When I got there, it was only 67 degrees! That's a 40-degree drop, all because of the "seabreezes" and marine layer that hugs the California coastline and San Francisco Bay. It's especially pronounced this time of year.

So at least when it gets too hot out here in the far East Bay region I have an option. It gives me a great excuse to head into San Francisco, Oakland, or Berkeley, where chances are very good that the temperatures will be much cooler.

Thanks for dropping in to my website. We'll keep you posted.

Yours in music,
Jim Hudak

Ananda Walker, a talented, multi-faceted college student, has begun assisting Jim Hudak and Brainstorm Records with day to day operations. She will work on a part-time basis, handling everything from computer and website related tasks to scheduling engagements.

"We are fortunate to find someone of Ananda's caliber to help run the many facets of our business," comments Hudak. "There's just so much for a small record label and music publishing company to try and keep up with. She's a bright young woman, and her versatility will be invaluable."

Originally from Madison, WI, Ananda moved west in 2007, and is currently enrolled in the Recording Arts program at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, CA. Jim Hudak completed that same program of study four years ago, and he sought the help of department chair Frank Dorritie in finding someone to help run his music related businesses.

"Frank Dorritie is one of my all time favorite teachers," says Hudak. "I learned so much from him about music and recording. I'd been talking with several possible candidates to help us with some administrative work, but hadn't yet found the right person. With Frank's help and recommendation of Ananda, it looks like she might prove to be an excellent choice."

Ananda also works part-time at the Creative Listening Center in Walnut Creek, CA, where she assists in programs involving music and sound in a number of healing and health related applications. She also provides administrative and marketing assistance for the facility.

This week Jim Hudak announced that he and his independent Brainstorm Records label have signed a distribution agreement with New Leaf Distribution out of Atlanta, GA. New Leaf is widely recognized as the world leader in the record distribution marketplace for world, new age, and instrumental music, among other genres.

"We're excited to land a distribution deal with a company of New Leaf's magnitude and stature," said Hudak in a prepared statement. "They will help to get our CD's further into the worldwide marketplace, and they have a huge number of retail accounts that they do business with. It's still important to get one's music into the brick and mortar stores, and New Leaf is certainly capable of doing that."

In a related matter, Hudak and Brainstorm Records also announced the hiring of New Age/World Music expert Bette Timm, from Sonoma, CA, to promote his CD's into selected retail stores serviced by New Leaf. Timm has had great success in working records into specific stores in the retail record marketplace for over 25 years, and her assistance will be a valuable tool in the marketing of Hudak's instrumental music in the coming months.

"Wild Goose," a classic Jim Hudak-Dan Erikson original composition, has just been added to the Piano Channel playlist on the DMX Music Satellite Radio Station. This hauntingly beautiful song was the first of many originals that the renowned songwriting team penned together back in 1973.

Comments Hudak: "Dan and I both have a special feeling for 'Wild Goose.' Partly because it's the first song we wrote together and partly because, even after all these years, it remains one of our best."

This version of the song is a previously unreleased solo piano recording from a limited edition CD Hudak has made available, titled "Original Piano Solos." Since it's an instrumental version of the song, Erikson's lyrics don't get showcased, though he does get fully credited as the composition's co-writer.

"I keep saying that one of these days, I'll be coming out with recordings of these songs that will include lyrics," Hudak maintains. "Since so much of my work over the past 12 years has involved the writing, recording, and performing of instrumental music, lots of people don't even realize that many of the songs I've written and recorded do indeed have lyrics. Dan Erikson, for example, has lots of great lyrics he's written in dozens of our songs, and I like to believe his day in the sun is coming soon. I've also co-written songs with lyricists including Mike Shuler, Gordon Re, Will Sullivan, Jim Schlauch and others that have yet to be presented as songs with words. Hopefully that will be changing in the not too distant future."

For now, DMX, which regularly features over 25 of Hudak's recordings on its various instrumental music channels, offers a soaring, compelling rendition of "Wild Goose" for its millions of international subscribers. "DMX has been great for me and my music," says Hudak. "It was fun several years ago, when my wife and I were vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, to be walking through the lobby of our hotel one evening after dinner, when I heard the piped-in piano music and thought to myself, 'Wow, that piano player plays the same licks and riffs as I do. How about that.' Then I realized it was actually my recording of the song they were playing in this foreign country. Having that sort of worldwide presentation of your music gives you a nice feeling."

Jim Hudak's CD's and MP3's can be purchased or downloaded through CD Baby at www.cdbaby.com. Or, click on the "Music CD's" link on this website for access to his currently available recordings.

Hello Everyone:

As the above headline indicates, our independent Brainstorm Records label will be celebrating its 10th year of doing business later this year. It's an accomplishment we're proud of, and we're considering some ideas to help celebrate the occasion.

At the very least, you can expect some new music to become available, perhaps exclusively online. We'll see how it plays out, and will let it be known just how our 10-year commemoration will take place. Perhaps it'll be an ongoing celebration involving several events to take place later this year. We'll see.

We feel fortunate to have sold lots of CD's, and lately, more and more digital downloads of our music. Digital downloading has more or less brought back the "singles" element to the record business, with a few of our single song recordings, such as "Never Had A Bad Day" and "Come Saturday Morning," for example, showing outstanding sales as singles. Digital downloading also allows for an entire album to be purchased and downloaded, depending on the buyer's choice.

It's no secret that the record business has changed drastically over the past 10 years. When we started our label in 1999, online music sales barely existed. Those who did offer music for sale online often offered it illegally. Laws have begun to catch up to technology in terms of protecting writers and copyright holders, in spite of piracy still running rampant in the record business. But now, our online sales of recorded music through digital downloads outnumber our CD sales roughly three to one. We're encouraged by the leveling of the international playing field that the Internet has brought to smaller labels like ours. Roughly 20% of our recorded music sales now come from foreign countries.

Meanwhile, many record labels have gone out of business. Even the major labels are struggling to survive, desperately trying to adopt business models that work. The first record distributor we had 10 years ago, Lifedance Distribution out of Portland, Oregon, went out of business several years ago. They were great people, but they didn't adapt to the new music business. They never even put up a website.

Progressive distribution companies that fill customer driven niches have survived and even thrived. We're happy for CD Baby, for example, who's handled our CD and digital distribution for the past few years, and the success they've enjoyed. They're savvy, fair, and easy to work with.

Running a record label properly is a full-time job. Ideally it's a full-time job for a staff of several people. Since my performance schedule is so extensive and time consuming, it's difficult to run the label as we first envisioned it: as a full-service label open to artists with unique, creative, and saleable music. It's all we can do to keep up with the creation, recording, administration, marketing and promotion of my own work, let alone open the door to other recording artsts, as much as we'd like to. It's a struggle just carving out a few hours each week for composing, booking new engagements, and trying to keep up with the basic requirements of managing a music career. But at least we can truthfully say we've been successful, keeping our business as simple, functional, and effective as possible.

Having said that, we're looking seriously at bringing in outside help to assist in the running and operation of Brainstorm Records. My main interest and skill set has always been the performing, composing, and recording of music. The administrative and marketing aspects are vitally important, too. But we're thinking that someone else can perhaps run the day to day operation of the label better than myself.

Rest assured, Brainstorm Records isn't going anywhere. It's certainly served the purpose of providing a vehicle for me to make my recorded music available. It will continue to serve that purpose, as we have literally hundreds of songs we want to record, make available, and market over the coming years. But it seems clear that my talents are best utilized on the music/creative side of the business. So we've started interviewing potential canditates to help run the label and its operations.

For those of you who've asked, my wife, Linda, who thought up the name "Brainstorm Records," helps whenever and however she can. But with her full-time job in the carpet and flooring industry, her available time to assist in the business of the record label is extremely limited.

That's the update for now. For our growing list of fans, friends, and supporters, we thank you. It'll be fun to see how the next 10 years will see Brainstorm Records continue to grow and develop. As I said, we aren't going anywhere. For us, it's about putting out the best, most unique music we possibly can.

Yes, our premise remains the same. First and foremost, it's all about the music.

Best wishes to all,
Jim