Good God.  Months have passed by since my last post.  It’s almost like I have been so overwhelmed by life that there has not been time to post anything new.  It’s not like I’m out of ideas.  No, in fact, if I can find the time somehow, I have a backlog of material, plus new ideas like reviews of jazz theory books, a new series that I like to call “An Un-Handyman’s Guide to Home Maintenance and Repair” (First installment: Installing a Dishwasher – Sort of Level is Close Enough), and a few thoughts on things happening in the music world.

Well, 2008 has come and gone.  I was famous for a minute, or at least pretended to be, while touring with the Ethiopiques project.  My man Luke Wasserman posted a clip from the Either/Orchestra’s first concert in Ethiopia, from January 2004.  In it, I’m playing a borrowed 5-string electric bass because my double bass had been left behind in New Jersey.  It arrived safely the next day, thankfully.

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUlEooT8V4s&fmt=18]

I have also found a lovely clip of Bati from our second concert in Ethiopia.  Bati is sung by Tseduenia Gebre-Markos in this clip (another Luke Wasserman production).

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvEPSnvJJsU&feature=related]

In other news, I have started a MySpace page (finally).  As I wrote a few months ago, when I disabled the old RickMcLaughlin.com, I was still in search of a decent way to post sound files and listings of upcoming gigs.  I’m not completely psyched that one has to leave the world of RickMcLaughlin.com to find these things, but some answer is better than none.  So, just in case you are curious, the link is here.  I have also posted it under Links on the left side of this page.

Insofar as gigs are concerned, there are lots of cool things happening in Boston, and if you know anyone in Denver, make sure to mention the upcoming performance by the Either/Orchestra with Mahmoud Ahmed.  We are performing some of the material from our Ethiopiques tour, plus a few new things.

Lastly, as you might have guessed from the first paragraph, we bought a house.  I am now an expert on buying a house in the middle of a recession, and am perfectly happy to share stories of shock, awe, and ultimately inspiration with y’all.  If you need a great buyer’s broker in greater Boston, I know one.  If you need a great mortgage broker, I know one.  If you are scared of buying a foreclosure, you should be, and I can tell you our story.

So that’s it.

Best, R.