Saturday, July 14, 2012

Monday, June 25, 2012

Monday, June 11, 2012

Final Gig at the Saint

I played the Stone Pony for the first time in 1987 after our band Gemini won a popularity contest hosted by Uncle Floyd and Chris Barry (R.I.P.). I was 19 and my twin sister Collette had to join the band on backing vocals that night just to be allowed to stay in the club. Asbury Park was a dark, mystical, foreboding, yet artistically alluring place back then. A sleeping giant getting some seriously needed beauty rest. 25 years later after countless gigs with countless musicians, special events, festivals, fund raisers, open mics, new clubs, old club, veterans, up and comers, etc., I now must face my last gig in Asbury Park - at least as a fellow shore resident and full time community member. A new chapter beckons.. Leaving NJ will be tough on our family. We have very deep roots and connections on so many levels here, but every once in a while, changes whispers to your soul and you know that personal growth and aspiration pushes you to explore a new trail.. . Words can not convey the love I feel for what I consider my extended dysfunctional family - the musicians of the Jersey Shore music scene. To some I have been a Father and a mentor, to others I have been a son, sideman, and humble servant. It's all the same.. You just try to apply your speck of talent towards a bigger picture. I've never been a pedigree or virtuoso, I'm just another alley cat tradesman/lineman throwing in for the cause, yet some of the moments I've shared here have been spectacular realizations beyond compare - and I'm really gonna miss that.. There is nothing like the rush of performing live music here. Sadly, on Thursday, I will play my last gig at the Saint for the foreseeable future. I'll try to comfort myself with the thought that I'll be back frequently for gigs, but I suspect the 1200 mile round trip commute will get fatiguing at some point :) Anybody want to meet for a gig in Portland? In any case, our band the New Age Blues Experience featuring Prof. Alan Gowa, the stoic and heroic Joe Savio, and the utterly inimitable Jay Walker is going on early - 8:30 and then around 11 or so I'll play my last set with Geena and Dragster - reunited once more featuring Lioness fury and songwriting genius of Geena, an Asbury Park icon if ever there was one.. Featuring me and Jay, also back in the fold is band leader Marcus Croan on drums. Will Ben Feld be there? If I don't see you on Thursday, let me say good bye and thank you now. This has been an incredible time in my life and artistically productive. I've recorded a lot of stuff. A few things I would consider "master' quality aural paintings, and a ton of stuff more like loose sketches done in the moment. I know most recording artists agonize over their releases and strive to "get it right", but I tend to just hit the record button and let it flow in that moment.. Sometimes it's grade A amber, plenty of times it is not.. Somewhere along the line I figured that life was fragile and short and that I just wanted to release what I recorded for better or worse and let time and circumstance determine which ones were the "keepers". Turns out that every music fan I ever met has varying opinions on that subject. So, thank you to everyone I've shared this part of life's journey with. You are all loved and will be sorely, sorely missed. Special thanks to Asbury Media for a killer day job and my sister and brother and law for renting us an incredible little home so close to the beach. Through their kind generosity we were able to buy our home in Eastport, Maine and words can never express enough gratitude. Colie

Friday, June 08, 2012

New Live Recording!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

5 years, 200 + gigs - solo, bands, sideman, etc.  I've enjoyed an amazing chapter of life as a work horse Asbury Musician and it's tough accepting that it's soon to be over as I know it.  It's been such an incredible experience to be part of this fabulous artistic community.  THANK YOU to every artist who has ever shared time and space with me on stage, in the studio, at rehearsal, on the boardwalk, you name it..  What a ride!

THANK YOU to my blood brothers Alan, Jay, & Joe..  I'm choking back tears of pain and joy just thinking about the serious fun we've had, the pure illuminated moments of natural presence, the ball busting, the fellowship..  GEENA & BEN FELD - for dragging me back into the game, for helping me remember who I am on a soul level, to all 54 of the past and present members of DRAGSTER especially TANYA, MARCUS, JAY and BEN, and Capt. JAMES and the PAIN (only 18 members)..  To LUNAR ENSEMBLE, to SHELI MONACCHIO, to all the musicians I've ever played with, backed up or simply jammed with AGENCY, BRIAN SAINT, MICHAEL SCOTTO, MARK PRESCOTT, JAMES DALTON, MATT LOTT, TONY TEDESCO, JOE HARVARD, ANDY BOVA, TURTLE SOUP, WAKAH CHAN, DUB PROOF, KEITH MCCARTHY, SLIM CHANCE & the GAMBLERS, MICHAEL BRETT, BOBBY STRANGE, KURT THUM, EMILY GROVE, ASTOR PHOENIX, JERZY JUNG, SARAH TOMEK, the SURF CHIXX, GUS VIGO, GARY CAVICO, CARL CHESNA, JOHN DAVIES, and so many others..  THANK YOU..

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Fear mongering galvanizes the ignorance and complicity necessary to manage the herd..

Monday, February 27, 2012

I've known pleasure and pain, triumph and tragedy..  In a world where I am only one small voice, I've had little control over the systems I survive in.  I don't particularly agree with the conventions of contemporary society and have always felt like I was going against the grain of conformity.

To be continued..
Listening to Live On Faith by Colie Brice