What the IUW didn’t plan for, was that my first step would be to recruit her!

And so it was that Certifiable was formed. With the IUW on backing and lead vocals, Stand Up Eight alumni Mikey T and Tony on guitar and saxaphone, and a host of musical geniuses bolstering the grooves, we are the movingest dance band ever there was. Hire us for your parties, weddings, or other dance-oriented activities. We love it.

With the cover band angle, well… covered, I still needed a creative outlet for improvisation and songcraft. Enter The Wildwood Brothers. Part Americana, part Jam, these fellas needed a bass player, and that’s me. Super great guys, really fun tunes, and a nice musical direction to boot. Someday I’ll even appear on the website. Unless they can me first for trashing the hotel room and crashing the Bentley into the mayor’s prized gardenias. Or whatever it is that rock stars do these days.

Check the websites linked in this post (and in the “Links” section of sundaybender.com for you facebookers) for gig schedules, new tunes, and related musical business.

Well, it was bound to happen. Music that ISN’T from one of the aforementioned bands has fulfilled me in ways that I thought I couldn’t (or forgot tthat I could) be fulfilled. I am listening to three albums, over and over, and I am smiling. Each of these albums makes me feel like the players were having fun when they recorded the album, not taking themselves too seriously, but taking their craft seriously enough to make the best product they could. Maybe I ‘m crazy, but that’s what I like.

Check ‘em out.

Percy Hill – After All
Muscially involving, emotionally fulfilling, and the soundtrack to good times. Can you beat that? Possibly the most mature band I have heard in a long time. They bring the grovve to a simmer, and never let it boil over. Just push it right to the edge, every time. Inspiring.

Jamiroquai – Return of the Space Cowboy
Jay Kay is so bad, he can’t possibly be any badder. And Stuart Zender on bass is like a fingerstyle funk textbook. How can you NOT smile when this is playing?

Young MC – Stone Cold Rhymin’
Before suburban kids were introduced to the chronic, hos, and AKs, we were dancing to this. And 17 years later, I remember why. Super fun grooves, actual musical changes, and my man Marvin isn’t content to just rhyme single syllable words. “Just Say No” is a horrible let down, but I can overlook it when I listen to “Know How” and hear rhymes like, “You think that it’s your destiny to get the best of me but I suggest you be: quiet, bro don’t even try it, from the East and West of me.” Plus, Red Hot Chili peppers bassist Flea is in rare form guesting on a number of tracks. Skip over “Bust a Move” if it has left a bad taste in your mouth. The album has a lot more to offer if you can seperate it from the memory of that awkward bra incident after the 8th grade dance.

And yes, I am nearly 30 and I still play in my college marching band. Again, note how happy it makes me.

Good times.

Scat Sunday Bender lives!!!! The band’s first tune is taking shape… Reason-style.

La Honda Inspired by the the roads leading out of the mountains to the California coast south of San Francisco.

Hip Changes Vintage keys are my favorite. I went all out with ‘em here. Dig that midi-bass sound. Ack. That’s why they call it a demo.

Make it Real Upbeat acoustic grows into world-influenced groove.

He Said, She Said Funky tune, – check out Mike’s (guitar) SUPER funky intro and awesome short solo. Tasty taste.

Onche Uptempo funk, super crazy unison “Hott Lixx” for Mike and me, rippin’ solos from Tony (sax) and Mike (guitar). Damn. Oh, and I do some vocal improv in the middle vocal breakdown.

No I’m Not At this point a work in progress, this tune is based on a SUPER funky “lotsa notes” groove from Mike in C, followed by a soulful “few notes” groove in C from me. Then a soaring chorus, and a rad solo from Tony. Rinse. Repeat as desired.

Weak Man, Strong Man Oh so funky. Come on. COME ON! Intro riff is tight, and was written piecemeal by all of us in the band, one crazy lick at a time. Rest of the tune is Mike’s inspiration from a story his dad used to tell when he was a little boy.

Circles Big tune, pretty harmonies, nice Tony solo action. Ahhh.

Zorro Another work in progress, that incorporates some heavier motifs, and mandolin into the mix. Crazy? Perhaps. Fun? For sure.

Cheyenne Rough mix – now with vocals and sax!

Dancing Around The “Prequel” to Cheyenne – Amazing guitar work from Mike – Fun bass double stops in the bridges, rough vocals now included!

Letting Go Bittersweet acoutic ballad with major vocal harmonies from Josh, some great mandolin work from Mike, and a “hide and seek” bass line that needs changing from yours truly.

B Minor Guess what key this is in? The song is built, the title isn’t. Stand Up Eight gets rockin’. Who’da thunk it? MIKE ROCKS THE HOUSE. Check out the solo. It will blow your mind. I promise.

No I’m Not Another funky tune – this one is REALLY different from the live version, same grooves, same ideas, better executed and arranged in an “on-purpose” way. Placeholder solos are so dang good I may just leave ‘em!

Weak Man, Strong Man A funky favorite – notice the deifferences between this version and the live MP3 posted in the “live” section. This ‘un is slower, and tighter. Still needs sax, vocals and solos.

Window Commercial success? We aren’t afraid of it!

STS9 Mix equal parts trance and the Police, and serve laid back.

So far, I am extremely happy with the bass. I have never seen fretwork this good, and I have never played a bass with this much life. It literally tingles my chest when I pluck a note. (Don’t be dirty.)

The new arrival has caused another bass, an acoustic guitar, and some recording equipment I don’t use anymore to run away from home. Apparently there wasn’t enough room in the house, or my wallet, for all of them.

This new bass is so wonderful, I have even proclaimed aloud that it is the best bess I have ever had. Of course, that inspired me to create a list (including pics if I have ‘em) of all the basses I have owned. It’s gonna really be something. Something that indicates my craziness, for sure.

Here’s the basses: Pics and sounds to come later.

• Red Cort Precision Bass Copy
• 1979 RootBeer MusicMan Stingray
• 1996 Natural Ibanez SR506
• 1998 BlueBurst G&L L2000
• 1998 Teal Green Metallic Fender Roscoe Beck 5
• 1998 Olympic White MIM Fender Jazz 5
• 1996 Sunburst Fender Custom Shop Jazz Relic
• 199? Blue Ibanez SR-”Cheap” P/J (defretted) [still own]
• 1969 Sunburst Fender Precision Bass
• 1997 Mahogany/Maple Alembic Epic 5
• 1998 Pearl Blue Ernie Ball MusicMan Stingray 5
• 119? Alder/Buckeye Rbass 5
• 2002 Maple/Walnut Ken Smith BSRJMW-5
• 1963 Lake Placid Blue Refin Fender Jazz
• 196? Lake Placid Blue Kalamazoo EB-style
• 199? Mahogany/Purpleheart/Ebony/Wenge Warrior Neck-though 5
• 2002 Mahogany/Maple MTD 635
• 2003 Ash/Maple Fodera Emperor Elite 5 [still own]
• 198? Lake Placid Blue “Custom” Chandler P/J with early 70’s Fender Jazz neck [still own]
• 2000? Ash/Maple Kinal 6
• 200? Buckeye/Ash Benevente 5
• 2005 ‘59 Burst Alder Sadowsky Metro Vintage 5 [just bought]