BUZZ Magazine September 2016

Magazine 

A Publication of Bay 

A Swannanoa 

Gathering 

Labor Day Ribs 

Adam Danger 

Smith 

“Doodle Galore” 

Looking Back 

At JJ’s Day 

A Solid 

Friend 

By 

The 

Entertainer 

Taper Jones 

One Man. One Dream 

1 / BAYBUZZ.ORG / SEPTEMBER 2016


BAYBUZZ.ORG / SEPTEMBER 2016 / 3



WHAT’S INSIDE 

09 

27 

16 


Dear Tampa Bay Music Lovers, 

Wow! What a month it’s been. But here we 

are again bringing you the music news of 

Tampa Bay! 

August was filled with excitement as we held, 

at Gators Cafe & 

Saloon. It was an amazing day with so much 

love and support from the community. We are 

happy to report the day was successful and 

our fundraising goal was met! 

I’d like to thank all the volunteers that 

helped us and to the vendors that set up shop 

to help us make the day more festive. Thank 

you to everyone who donated an item for our 

raffles. I’d especially like to thank my 

partner, for taking 

on the project full speed. Pam worked hard 

everyday coordinating the raffles, vendors, 

volunteers and even the venue. 

I’d like to give a shout to 

from for coming out and 

emceeing our event. It was a day that should 

remind us all that when we need a helping 

hand, The Tampa Bay Community is there for 

you. 

Remember, The Best of the Buzz voting is 

going on now and you have till October 31 st 

to cast your vote. One vote per email, 

please. 

We are getting ready for our next big event in 

November, 

Tickets 

will go on sale soon for this amazing music 

festival. We will have live music on 3 

stages. How amazing is that! 

As always, we want to hear from our 

readers, so drop us a line at 

info@baybuzz.org. 

Until Next Time, 

Constance 

TAMPA BAY’S LOCAL MUSIC SCENE 

EDITORIAL 

Publisher Constance Hilton / constance@baybuzz.org 

Editor in Chief Pamela Wills/ pam@baybuzz.org 

Editor Bob Feckner / bob@baybuzz.org 

SALES / 727.320.2424 / 

Pamela Wills -pam@baybuzz.org 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Daniel Childs 

Andrea James 

Phil Traynor 

FIND US ONLINE! 

Website: baybuzz.org 

Facebook: facebook.com/baybuzzmusic 

Twitter: twitter.com/baybuzzmusic 

ON THE COVER: 

Taper Jones 

BAYBUZZ.ORG / SEPTEMBER 2016 /7

8 / BAYBUZZ.ORG / SEPTEMBER 2016 

Pirate Party Radio

- Phil Traynor 

The 2016 Gathering was my 12th consecutive year and 

it was also my best. Wait! What is he talking about? 

What is the Swannanoa Gathering? 

The Swannanoa Gathering is a folk-arts music camp 

that holds seven curriculums that run over a period of 

five weeks during the summer at Warren Wilson College 

in Swannanoa NC; just east of Asheville. It celebrated 

its 25 th anniversary this year. The camps begin 

with Traditional Song Week, then Celtic Week, then 

Old-Time Week, then Guitar Week and Contemporary 

Folk Week (these two programs run concurrently), and 

it closes with Mando & Banjo Week and Fiddle Week 

(also running concurrently). 

I have attended the Guitar Week/Contemporary Folk 

week duo every year since 2005. Every year that I go, 

my world is filled with amazing music, incredible camaraderie, 

and the most intensive learning I’ve ever experienced. 

A camper can take up to four courses, each of 

which runs 75 minutes a day for five days. In between 

the classes and meals are seminars, demonstrations, 

and exhibits. At Guitar Week, there are several high 

end custom luthiers displaying their wares; this year 

we enjoyed the exquisite guitars of John Slobod, Gerald 

Sheppard, Michael Bashkin, and Dave McCubbin. 

Dream Guitars of Weaverville brought a vast selection 

of their renowned inventory as well. At night, both 

faculties perform concerts, the students perform as 

well, and the jamming goes on all night long. The slogan 

of the Gathering is "The worst part about the Gathering 

is that there are only 24 hours in the day and 3 of 

them are wasted sleeping!" 

My week this year was the most magical of the lot to 

date; a significant thing because each year I leave 

thinking “it can’t possible get any better than this!” but 

then it does. I’d like to relate some of the experiences 

I had. First, friend and fellow Gatherer Jim Moran messaged 

me on Facebook for my phone number the day 

before camp began. That facilitated a conversation and 

a HUGE opportunity with Grammy® winning songwriter 

and CMA/ACM Song of the Year honorees Jon 

Vezner and Don Henry, who asked me to accompany 

them on bass during their sets at the Contemporary 

Folk Week faculty concert, even before camp began! 

I was sent a pair of tracks to learn, and in the course of 

rehearsing with these lovable lunatics; the call grew to 

four songs, including the song that won the aforementioned 

awards for them; “Where’ve You Been”? The 

other three songs were newer tracks on upcoming 

releases from the pair. During one of the rehearsals, a 

young lady entered the room and started singing a 

third harmony part. Against our collective judgement 

, she was drafted into service for the show 

too. Who would it be but Grammy® winning country 

(and now folk) artist Kathy Mattea! (She and Vezner 

are married, as it happens). 

During one of our rehearsals, Jon asked his friend, 

Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award winner and 

folk songwriting icon Tom Paxton to come and listen to 

one of the new tunes we were working on. As the song 

is magnificent, Tom was understandably moved. 

When Jon and I sat down for sound check on Wednesday 

the day of the show, Paxton was onstage, saw me, 

and pointed me out and asked if I wanted to play bass 

for him and his accompanist Robin Bullock for their set 

too! 

The night of the show, it got several notches better. 

The entire faculty got together for a show-closing Tom 

Paxton number, and I played for that too. An amazing 

lineup of people singing to a warm, engaged, and extremely 

appreciative crowd. The group included Robin 

Bullock, Danny Ellis, Amy Speace, 14-time Boston Music 

Award winner Ellis Paul, Swannanoa Gathering 

founder Jim Magill, the mighty and ineffable Cliff Eberhardt, 

Independent Music Award, Americana Music 

Association Award, GLAMA award winner and Gram- 


my® nominee Mary Gauthier, Kennedy Center Artistin-Residence 

Pete Kennedy, the aforementioned Tom 

Paxton, Don Henry, Kathy Mattea, and Jon Vezner; 

Siobhan Quinn & Michael Bowers, Grammy® winner 

and Kennedy Center Artists-in-Residence Al Petteway 

& Amy White, Louise Mosrie, Ray Chesna, and twotime 

Grammy® winner and 10-time nominee Janis Ian! 

The concert was filmed by PBS and is being edited 

down to a one-hour presentation that will air on PBS 

stations throughout North Carolina, and will be on 

PBS.org for worldwide consumption. 

The next day in one of my classes, I was asked “Was 

that the best night of your life or what?” I replied 

“Well, I’m 51 years old. I have a wife and a 12 year old 

daughter, both of whom I love more than anything. But 

yes, that was the best night of my life!” 

But that was just my experience at the Contemporary 

Folk Week concert on Wednesday; I was there for 

classes too! 

Once class I took was SIX EXERCISES TO IMPROVE YOUR 

PLAYING with Pete Kennedy. This was a toolbox-oriented 

class to help improve your playing, help you relax 

physically while playing, and learn more about the 

instrument. It was really helpful, and Pete is a great guy 

with wonderful stories about his illustrious career as 

sideman to practically everyone; names from Bob Dylan 

to Emmylou Harris to Marvin Hamlisch to Sinatra to 

Elton John. 

I took a guitar rhythm class with Celtic and Americana 

fingerstyle wizard (and amazing human) Steve Baughman. 

Steve asked me to help out by co-teaching with 

him, as my drumming and bass playing experience 

keeping good time helped him deliver the class material 

with extra emphasis. We learned rhythmic strum 

patterns and work in odd rhythms including 7/8, 13/8, 

and 25/8. Great fun! 

I also took a soul-altering songwriting class with Don 

Henry called The Muse Likes to See You at Work. I took 

it to get out of my two year writing rut, and I thought 

that jumping off this particularly frightening cliff would 

help. Boy, did I underestimate the potential. The class 

was structured around a fictitious movie producer who 

wants a song for a movie he’s producing. Each student 

drew a vignette out of a hat detailing the particular 

scene we were to write a lyric to. It was deliberately 

not supposed to be a literal take on the scene, but a 

broader approach that would have wider appeal. We 

all wrote our lyrics, and turned them in. They were 

then handed out at random, and we each set the lyric 

we received to music. This all happened in very short 

order, over the space of three days. The deadline pressure, 

new and strange environment, and desire to do 

well was exhilarating, and I came up with a compelling 

lyric that drew a healthy round of applause and not a 

few tears from the assembled students. The music I 

came up with to the lyric I received was equally surprising 

to me in its simplicity and power. I daresay a songwriter 

was born this week. 

In addition to the classes, and the Contemporary Week 

faculty concert I described, there were TWO equally 

awesome Guitar Week faculty concerts, and three student 

open mics to attend, and one very special camp 

event: BeatleScream! 

There is an “unofficial” embargo during the week; no 

Beatles tunes are to be played until Thursday. Why? 

Well, on Thursday night at 11PM, the camp gathers in 

Bryson Gym and we sing (shriek!?) Beatles tunes one 

after another until we drop! This year, we got through 

58 tunes and ran nonstop until shortly before 3AM! 

The incredible John Tosco, founder of the Tosco Music 

Party concert series in Charlotte NC is the main driving 

force behind BeatleScream. John, along with myself 

and a litany of other great musicians work together to 

put on an accurate and fun show that everyone can 

sing and play along to. This year, Jon Vezner joined us 

on keyboards, Ukulele virtuoso Gerald Ross sat in with 

his lap steel guitar, and a couple of dozen guitarists and 

percussionists joined in. Over 150 people attended 


BeatleScream this year, and several people live 

streamed it to Facebook! 

The Swannanoa Gathering is an exhausting, exhilarating, 

and deeply moving experience for most everyone 

who attends. It is the safest audience you will ever 

have as an artist; being surrounded by 350 other musicians, 

with skill levels ranging from multiple Grammy 

and Emmy winners, to “I just bought my first guitar”; 

and each and every one of them wants you to succeed. 

Lots of other great things happened, including 13 year 

old Aron Stornaiuolo taking the Guitar Week open mic 

by storm with his amazing rendition of the Julie London 

arrangement of “Cry Me a River”; the fantastic Adam 

Rafferty showing up at camp after his Thursday concert 

in Asheville; the great chats with Janis Ian and Mary 

Gauthier, the jam with Vicki Genfan and Daniel Barber 

on the porch while Sean McGowan, his wife Andrea, Al 

Petteway and Amy White, and Greg Ruby listened; and 

watching my friend, colleague, and first-year Gatherer 

Doug Kelley soak it all in with the sense of wonder that 

I had my first year so long ago. He’ll be back, and so will 

I. 

www.swangathering.com 

Jam with Vicki Genfan (Gathering 2015) 

Aaron Stornajuolo’s Open Mic Performance 

WLOS TV (Asheville ABC Affiliate) News: 

The Gathering 

BeatleScream Video 

“Swannanoa” 

By Janis Ian 



Mouse’s Labor Day 

Weekend Pork Ribs 


Pamela Wills is no stranger in the kitchen. 

Along with her fiancé, Johnny Fish, they 

have come up with an amazing recipe for 

Pork Ribs (with the bone-in) just in time for 

the Labor Day weekend. 

Ingredients 

Full Slab of Pork Ribs - Bone in 

Olive Oil 

Spice Rub 

BBQ Sauce 

Spice Rub Ingredients 

Old Bay Seasoning 

Dill Weed 

Seasoning Salt 

Ginger 

Parsley Flakes 

Directions 

Ground Black Pepper 

Onion Powder 

Garlic Powder 

Chili Powder 

Crushed Red Pepper 

(Optional) 

•Remove your ribs from its packaging and 

rinse with cold water. 

•Brush your ribs with Olive Oil. 

Choice of oil is up to you, but I know this great 

store on Treasure Island called, Vine and 

Grind. All natural oils! 

•Prepare your spice rub. I like to put a teaspoon 

and a half of each spice in a bowl and 

mix it up - then sprinkle it evenly over the ribs 

on each side. 

•You want to sear the flavor into the ribs on a 

high heat for approximately 8 - 10 minutes. 

Approximately 2 - 3 minutes on each side, 

flipping continuously until browned. (Don’t 

burn them, unless you like it that way.) 

I prefer Apple-Wood Charcoal for this, but you 

can use a gas grill with Apple-Wood Chips for 

added flavor. If using chips, be sure to soak 

them in water for at least 2 - 3 hours before 

using them. You will get the fullest flavor out 

of them this way! 


•Preheat oven to 300˚. Place your ribs in a baking 

pan deep enough to add just enough water to cover 

the bottom of the pan. Wrap the baking pan tightly 

with aluminum foil. 

The idea is to steam your ribs slowly to 

tenderize the meat. 

•Bake the ribs for approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours. 

You can test it by using a fork to flake the rib meat. 

If it falls off the bone easily, it’s done. 

•Once the ribs are done baking, put your preferred 

BBQ sauce on each side. Set your oven on high heat 

broil (top rack or 2 nd down for more controlled 

broiling, as you don’t want to burn them… unless 

you enjoy them burnt.) 

For BBQ Sauce, I use Burman’s 

Hickory & Brown Sugar BBQ 

Sauce 

•Broil for 2 - 3 minutes on each 

side. Let them sit for 2 - 3 minutes 

before serving. 

Enjoy! 

Please leave a comment about this 

story to info@baybuzz.org 

Photos by A Mouse & A Fish 



Taper Jones! How are you? And 

what are you up to these days? 

Hey there Bay Buzz... I'm great... 

Wow.. You're cute.. :) Ok ..Ok... 

What am I up to? Like most, I work 

my 9-5 during the week. In my 

spare time I've been working on 

my new project Taper Jones & 

Company which started as a solo 

instrumental performance of 

Blues, Psychedelic Jams and Reggae. 

I always invite others to join 

in ...hence the term "& Company" 

and as of late have been considering 

adding on a couple of musicians. 

I’ve known you for a little over a 

year and I can tell you have had 

a music vibe in you for a long 

time. How did it begin for you? 

When did you know that music 

was “it”? 

When I turned 18 I started working 

for a band called Max Creek 

for their road crew. One day 

while doing a sound check with 

Scott's guitar, I was working on a 

Grateful Dead cover "Estimated 

Prophet" and had my back to the 

room. I didn’t realize they had 

already opened the Front Doors 

and when I was done I turned 

around to an audience of 100+ 

people shouting "Don't stop". I 

knew then this was it. I have been 

playing now for 38 years. 

You have been visiting a lot of 

open mics and open jams lately. 

Where hae you been? ...And do 

you believe open mics are a 

portal to possibilities? I wanna 

start by saying THANK YOU for 

Open Jams/ Open Mics. And, 

thank you to all who host them. I 

have been playing at the Blueberry 

Patch, where I met and played 

with and joined the band Beerhand. 

I also have been at Brewers 

Tasting Room, Sawgrass Tiki Bar 

and I'm presently doing a Taper 

Jones & Company at the American 

Legion for our vets. As for Open 

Mic/Jam a portal of possibilities? 

ABSOLUTELY, I met the Beerhand 

at the Blueberry Patch's Open 

Jam. So my advice is go do the 

open mics and Open Jams. Nobody 

judges you no matter how 

well you play or sing. Just go. You 

never know when someone you 

played with comes up to you and 

says. "Hey... we liked what you 

did... wanna come to a rehearsal?" 

It happened to me. Future 

open mics at Beach Fyre, Nauti 

Nancy's, and Wild Willy's (with Josephine 

and the Machine) and sit 

in with some blues players. 

Your original song, “Bonnie Lee” 

is a hit with everyone! Tell us a 

little about the song. Ah yes, 

Bonnie Lee. Fun song to play and 

sing. It's a catchy tune. Wrote the 

song about my girlfriend at the 

time. Wanted to let her know she 

was the best thing in the world for 

me. It is also the only original song 

I never changed through the years. 

Do you enjoy songwriting? Are 

there more original songs? Well I 

haven't in a while but yes I do 

enjoy writing. I will say that I am 

in the process of writing one now. 

I do have a few other originals. 

"Waiting for You" and "Tie Dye 

Daydreams" both of which I have 

done live. I also wrote "Golden 

Way" and "Shannon" which I have 

yet to do live. 

Who is your inspiration? What 

music do you like to cover most 

and why? I have to say that Scott 

Murawski from Max Creek has 

been the biggest inspiration to 

me. He gave me 1 guitar lesson 38 

years ago. I have been listening to 

his style, ESPECIALLY his sound 

and have taken from it and applied 

it to my own playing. I absolutely 

love to play anything 

Grateful Dead. They go from one 

song to another. I also cover The 

Band, Eric Clapton, CCR, Beatles, 


Bob Dylan. I even do a song by The 

Monkees. (Last Train to Clarksville) 

and a song originally written 

by K.C. Douglas (Mercury Blues). 

At many open jams, it seems 

you’ve been the one musician 

who is asked to remain on stage 

or to return to the stage. And I 

think that is an amazing thing. 

How does it make you feel? Well 

for starts it tells me I didn’t mess 

the song up…lol. But seriously, it is 

the best feeling. I have a good ear 

and can pretty much follow anything 

played. It tells me that I am 

growing and moving forward to 

the next level. I am loving the direction 

my Taper Jones & Company 

is going. 

You just recently left the band, 

Beerhand, whom you played with 

for a little over a year. What did 

you get out of playing guitar with 

that band? This is the part of the 

interview where we start crying 

isn't it? Ok, The Beerhand….. This 

is the band that came up to me at 

the Blueberry Patch and said we 

want you! My last public show 

with them was August 28th. But, 

so you heard it from me, I am 

leaving on good terms. These guys 

opened a lot of doors for me in the 

industry down here and for that I 

will always be grateful. I'm leaving 

so I can focus on my music. I am 

mostly a rhythm guitar player and 

this will give me the opportunity 

to also play lead. I will say I am 

happy that I've been able to leave 

a good footprint for them to continue 

with. With that said, leaving 

is a hard time for me too but I 

know it’s for the best. I am hoping 

they continue with their solo careers. 

Those guys rock when they 

solo. 

What do you see the future holds 

for you? Where do you plan on 

taking your music? The Future? 

Maybe Uncle Johns Band will be 

looking for a rhythm guitar player. 

Actually I'd be happy to sit in on a 

few with them. Can you arrange 

that? (Lol) I would love to be playing 

with a GD Jam Band so if you 

know of any please let me know. 

But until then, I am looking to add 

a guitar player and a percussionist 

on my Taper Jones & Company 

Project. I can't say who but, I do 

have a guitar player in mind. I am 

also looking into places like the 

Blueberry Patch and Festivals. 

These are places my style of playing 

is accepted and for that I thank 

all you. 

Taper, I want to thank you for 

taking the time to talk with Bay 

Buzz. We wish you the best in 

everything! Do you have any last 

words before we end this interview? 

Well for a start, you really 

are cute. Ok, Ok….. I want to thank 

you for having me. Thank you everyone 

for your support. - What a 

Long Strange Trips It’s Been. 

VISIT TAPER ON-LINE 

TAPER JONE’S FACEBOOK 

FOR TAPER’S CALENDAR 

VISIT 

TAPER JONES' TWITTER 







Adam Danger Smith is a local artist with some serious 

talent. His daily doodles are anything but ordinary. 

Each day we are blessed with at least one new piece 

and I can say that I look forward to each one! He sticks 

with a doodle-a-day and it is perfect. With bright, 

flowing colors and stark outlines, Adam’s work is easily 

recognizable and instantly popular. Most people that I 

know have heard of this local artist and want a piece of 

his work! I can understand why. I happen to own two 

doodles myself and hope for more in the future. There 

is just something about his art that draws you in and 

makes you want more. If you look closely you may even 

find something you hadn’t noticed was there at all. 

Adam has a weekly ‘Doodles and Dames’ event at Copperhead’s 

Taphouse in Safety Harbor where you can 

doodle to your hearts content… while you have a beer. 

It’s a great way to be creative and make friends! You 

can follow the theme or come up with your own, as 

long as you are drawing. The atmosphere is relaxed and 

the jokes free flowing. You may also spot Adam at local 

music venues or festivals. He is always in one of two 

places… at a table with his mind in his art or quietly 

walking about with his camera to get the best shots of 

the musicians. I should mention that Adam is also an 

amazing videographer who makes short films with such 

life and feeling in them! It’s truly beautiful. When 

watching his video recaps from local music festivals you 

feel that you are truly right there in the action. You get 

a flood of those same feelings and simultaneously wish 

you were back at the festival and glad that you are 

home watching from your couch. (Those festivals are 

wonderful but exhausting!) Seeing the moments that 

you and the other festivalgoers spent together, from 

raging in front of a stage to walking hand in hand, from 

Adam’s view is just perfect. He chooses music that fits 

the tone, cuts and fits together the pieces, and there 

you have it: His heart and soul in a few short minutes 

of film that shows all of our hearts together having the 

time of our lives. 

On Friday, August 26 th , Adam Danger Smith had his first 

ever art show. I think that I may have been more excited 

than anyone because I got to take photographs of 

the event for Bay Buzz. How cool is that?! I arrived at 

Copperhead’s Taphouse in Safety Harbor to a room full 

of people. Artwork everywhere. Glasses full of ale. 

Smiles all around. This is what an art show should be! 

After taking my photographs, buying a print of his 


What do you typically take with you in your ‘to-go’ art 

bag? I know I’ve seen you use some interesting 

tools….such as coffee. I usually have a mechanical 

pencil and ballpoint pen in my pocket (probably not the 

safest thing). Most of the art tools I own and use, 

(maybe all) were free, found or given to me. I like things 

I don’t have to baby or worry about losing. I also like 

showing up places with nothing and using whatever I 

work, and getting a quiet moment, I asked Adam to sit 

down for a few quick questions. I wanted to know how 

it all began and what inspires him to keep up the doodle, 

day after day. 

Adam Danger Smith. How did Danger become your 

middle name? Are you actually dangerous? (Just in 

case, I should know.) When I was a kid, I heard someone 

say it in cartoon before school one day and decided 

to use it. My middle initial name was Daniel so I 

showed my friends that my middle initial was “D” it was 

enough to sell them. Plus, my mum would always go 

along with it. Yes. 

How did you begin the Doodle-a-Day journey? Honestly, 

I was jut trying to impress a girl using the limited 

art skills I had and with demonstrating my power and 

commitment. 

What inspires your art? How does the local music 

scene inspire you? I see you at so many local music 

events working on your doodles, it has to have a 

special meaning for you. Contrast, life scenes, odd 

shapes and pretty girls. Usually some sort of self induced 

romantic drama. I LOVE, love , love, music but I 

doodle at shows because I like being around people 

and leaving the opportunity open to meet new people. 

can find. It keeps me creative. 

What is CARCOSA and how did that come about? 

CARCOSA is my video production company. It’s just me 

and I only take on projects I want to do….so I’m not 

very lucrative. 

You make some of the most beautiful videos. How can 

people get in touch with you to have a video made? 

Thank you so much! Video is where most of my passion 

resides. 

carcosaproductions@gmail.com 

Facebook 

YouTube 

Lately, it seems that everyone wants an Adam Doodle. 

At least all of my friends do! How does it make 

you feel knowing that so many people love your art 

and want a piece of it in their home? That makes me 

really friggin’ happy! I’m all about legacy and to know 

my doodles are sprinkled throughout the land, floods 

my brain with dopamine. 

How did the art show come about and will there be 

another? I needed to get rid of my doodles. There’s a 

new one everyday and they’re everywhere! If I don’t 

have deadlines or accountability I won’t ever get anything 

done. I will procrastinate to make it perfect and 

nothing is ever perfect. So, a couple weeks ago, I randomly 

decided to have a show and posted and event 


on Facebook so I’d have to see it through and here we 

are. 

How much are you selling prints for? 

4 x 6 - $10. 

4 x 6 with frame - $15 

3 for $20 

3 for $30 with frames 

10 x 8 - $15 

10 x 8 with frame - $20 

3 for $40 

3 for $50 with frames. 

Guest Check Originals - $35 - 40 

Last, but not least, how do you people find your 

work? Do you have a website or Facebook page they 

can follow? Adam Danger Smith on Facebook. Adam 

Danger Smith on Instagram…. Actually if you just 

Google Adam Danger Smith, I own that search! 


A Solid Friend 

Entertaining in the Tampa Bay Area 

By Daniel Childs 

“The Entertainer” 

It’s been a crazy summer across the Bay area and abroad, but it’s not 

over yet. As I write today, I’m sitting in the guest room of my apartment, 

listening to rain drops falling on the window and enjoying a relaxing 

moment that may be, literally, the “calm before the storm”. Parts of my 

town of Largo are covered in water from flooding due to the impending 

Tropical Storm Hermine, and it’s only a matter of hours before the storm 

hits land in Florida. But as I watch the reporters on Bay News 9 working to 

help area residents stay informed, and local disaster relief workers preparing 

shelters for those in need of refuge, I can’t help but feel a sense of pride 

to be part of life in this area. Everywhere I look, I see state and local government officials, along with public 

service professionals and volunteers, working to make preparations for whatever comes our way - and I must say, 

I’m impressed with the care that the people of the Tampa Bay area show to those in need. Everyone is doing such 

a great job! 

Times like these are a reminder that everyone who plays a role in day-to-day life in this area makes a 

contribution to what makes this a wonderful place to live and to visit - the people. Perhaps even lowly musicians 

such as myself play a significant role in the greater Tampa Bay experience, as we bring an element to any given 

atmosphere than can enhance a person’s experience there. It’s amazing the impact that music can have on a 

person’s evening, or even state of mind. It can lift you up after a bad day, help you get over an ex, or even 

encourage you when life’s circumstances get difficult. 

Knowing this, I kind of wish I had a gig somewhere tonight, so I could sing people through this storm. The 

chance to do my part in helping people through a night of uncertain circumstances is appealing. It’s fulfilling to 

feel, at the end of the day, that you did something that helped someone through a rough 

patch on their journey. It’s the solid unspoken friendship of a good bartender, singer or 

restaurant server that can let a lonely patron know that they’re among others who are 

also climbing hand-and-foot over life’s ridges, seeking a moment’s relief in the relaxation 

of a local gathering spot. It’s the solid friendship of one who never leaves your 

side that can give you confidence to carry on. It’s the solid friendship of a faithful 

workhorse that can help you carry a load that you couldn’t manage on your own. 

On my journey, one such solid friend lends its voice to make sure that my music 

is clearly heard and felt by everyone in the room. This friend is none other than a black 

Takamine EF341SC Acoustic Electric Guitar, that I’ve played for over twenty years. It 

was with me when I played one of my first gigs on the Memphis Showboat at the age of 


ten, and was still with me just recently when the Daniel Childs Band rocked a 

birthday party at Nauti-Nancy's in Clearwater. This workhorse is one that I 

consider more than a tool, but a friend, because of the thousands of hours I’ve 

spent sweating with it in my hands, or the lonely nights when songwriting was my 

only therapy, or Worship gatherings when it was used to accompany singing. 

Whatever the setting, the Takamine has always risen to the occasion. However, 

this guitar has a whole history of its own from before it fell permanently into my 

hands. 

My dad, actually, was the first owner of this guitar. If you’ve followed these writings, you’ll know that my 

dad is an entertainer as well, and was actually my original inspiration to enter the live music field. He even had a 

record deal with RCA for a while in the early 90’s, which is when he acquired the Takamine (in 1991) and began 

to use it as one of his primary work-horse guitars. During the early 90’s, the Takamine was seen in my dad’s hands 

on national television in one of his music videos, which aired on television stations such as CMT and TNN. He 

also played it on multiple television programs, including “Nashville Now” with Ralph Emery, and “Music City 

Tonight” with Crook & Chase. And as dad toured, the Takamine even crossed international borders as dad played 

it all over Italy and France. 

When my dad became an endorser of Taylor Guitars around 2003, the Takamine fell into my hands. Though 

I had already played it (borrowing it from dad) for many years, I was now able to keep it with me on a consistent 

basis, and it was with me when I moved to Florida for the first time in 2010. In years before that and in years that 

followed, I played it all over the United States, on stages of all types. I’ve played it on stages in the Pacific 

Northwest and the tropics of Florida alike. Fairgrounds, churches, venues and beach clubs, it has been faithfully 

catering to my performance needs through thick and thin, and is still my go-to working acoustic guitar today. 

Takamine is a brand that I often refer to as “the working man’s guitar”. Though it’s name is not as 

prestigious in the acoustic guitar world as, say, Taylor or Gibson, there’s a good reason why hardworking, 

long-time entertainers such as Toby Keith, Steve Wariner and the late Glenn Frey remain die-hard Takamine 

endorsers. This company has set high standards for several years as a leader in acoustic pickup innovation, and 

the guitars themselves are incredible works of craftsmanship. I, personally, know these guitars best for being very 

easy to play, and for delivering top-notch quality and reliability in all types of performance situations. They’ll 

take a beating and keep singing brilliantly, as if nothing had ever hit them. 

Today, my Takamine bares its fair share of scars and scratches across its face. The middle of the guitar is 

beginning to cave in, and many of the frets are worn down and in need of replacement. Sometimes I wonder how 

this thing continues to perform, while it continues to hold up through 3 and 4 hour sets in the beautiful Florida 

summer heat. The three-band EQ on Takamine’s CT4B preamp system gives me all the flexibility I need to tailor 

the guitar’s sound to the way I need to hear it, and always provides a very clear, well-balanced live tone. The neck 


is fast and easy to get around for hours of comfortable play. But despite the knowledge I continually try to amass 

about the workings of guitars, I still can’t help but be extremely impressed by how well Takamine’s product 

performs after 25 years of excessive use. 

If you define true friendship by faithfulness, compatibility, and unfailing loyalty, then I guess this guitar 

makes the cut! I recommend Takamine’s instruments to all musicians, especially those here in the Bay area who 

spend hours playing their music in the sun, as Steve Miller would likely put it. Great performance, long life span 

and killer sound await you! Visit takamine.com to check these guitars out today! 

*** 


#catchthebuzz 

baybuzz.org

BUZZ Magazine September 2016

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?