Who needs an i-pod?

It is Saturday morning and I rec'd good news, an email from Ky saying his friends from Vancouver have arrived in London and he’s been busy entertaining them, hence the radio silence.

I have been waiting to hear his itinerary for the India trip…I think it is still not settled.

I've been following his photo posts to Flickr and when I see he's just posted, I know all is well. He has the eye and spirit of a true artist. From the age of about 6 years old when he first started to draw and color I could see his talent clearly defined. To follow his posts Google "ky zoss photos" and it will bring up his pages.

It’s a lovely blue sky morning and a perfect day for a walk to work.

As planned I watched the Elvis Costello special last night after work. A week ago I had seen the ad for the program and put a post-it note on my table with an abbreviated message so I would not miss it.

His guest was James Taylor and what memories their exchange brought back for me! I had goose bumps knowing I had been there too, in some ways.

After spending 40+ years as a singer songwriter I have some memories that echo the best of the vintage memories of any of the artists of my generation, famous or not. Part of the thrill I have in following my son's journey is knowing that he is laying the groundwork for some of the same treasures I have stored in my cellular memory over the years.

With stuff like this latent and ready to retrieve in an instant without any electronic devices, who needs an i-pod?

Seeing images of the young James Taylor juxtaposed to the present shots of an aging and much gentler, wiser man reminded me of my own journey. Watching him deftly finger the chord changes to some of his famous and memorable songs brought back memories of first hearing Sweet Baby James on the house sound system while sitting in Les Cousins Coffee House in Soho, London, just a few blocks away from where my son Ky is now working.

I was waiting for my spot at the open mike, my guitar in hand and going over the words to the songs (my own songs) I was about to perform as I had done so many times over the years and would continue to do for so many years to come.

Of course I had visions of these songs soon appearing on the pop charts and on the radio airwaves, a long lasting fantasy that never materialized for me but which fueled my journey and seemed to be a reason to carry on in the face of struggle. And what a struggle it was year after year waiting for those brief 15 minutes spots to showcase my songs!

In those days it never occured to me that I was writing music for a far more important and intimate reason...and that is the act of composing itself.

Thank God for that discipline, for the strength developed by it and for the life-line it has provided for me for so many years.