MUSIC

Once a year, generally in the fall, I set up the recording studio and basically just jam. I cover a few tunes, but mostly it's Thom tunes; a lot just made up on the spot. I've got them going back a few years; I'll get them up someday. Click the links below

Video

2023: 

October 2023:Part 1 (23:32)    Part 2 (22:13)

2021: 

November 2021:Part 1 (24:52)    Part 2 (21:34)

2019: 

M'Kuleana mobile recording: Eagle Harbor, Cypress Island, June 2019:Part 1 (23:36)    Part 2 (19:24)

2018: 

October 2018:Part 1 (24:31)    Part 2 (21:36)    Part 3 (23:03    Part 4 (14:53)

2013: 

September 6, 2013:With That Silence Gone (2:11)

2001: 

Hey, Old Guy: Make It Right (6:48)    Little Man (5:26)


Where Am I?
Where Were You?

Bellingham Present Day
Squalicum Harbor

As my career in graphics, publishing, and web design was winding down, I told myself I would build something for me - I'd been doing it for other people for so long. Around 2018 I started hauling myself and the "recording studio" out to the shed and recording jams sessions: no agenda, just playing guitar and crooning. The October 2018 was pretty good and each year seemed to get better - it's mostly getting the sound levels and video framing right. The last one - October 2023 - turned out very well, so I decided to stick it on my old WeaselWorks website and invite a few folks if interested. While it certainly did not go viral, there was a satisfying number of views month after month. The idea of "Opus Vida" was born.

I started with the annual shed videos, the "Hey Old Guy" CD, songs I'd written and recorded since then, and some songs from Fourth Corner Community Church, around 30 song total. Seemed like enough to warrant a webpage. Gathering the files was easy enough, though some needed serious audio/video editing. The guitar collection would be included as well. I realized not all the guitars had recordings, and a few instruments I no longer had, most notably the '64 Stratocaster.

Lamenting that I had no recordings prior to 2001, I dug through a box of around 50 reel-to-reel tapes I'd been dragging around since 1974. BONANZA! I found tapes I'd completely forgotten about: Korea, Key West, SoCal, Oroville, and Bellingham. Everything above "Hey Old Guy: 2001"! Well, not quite. A feature of a number of tape boxes was the titles were in red felt-tip pen, as well a some writings I attributed to the same time period/locations. So I dove back into the tape box to see if there was any more red lettering. Basically hidden on a Julian Bream tape, in faded red felt-tip pen, I noticed "July 11, 1977 T. Jams," putting it in SoCal. So, that rounds out the songs from 1975 to 2002+. The guitars and their stories are below: click the pictures.


The Guitars

Dates are when I got them. Choose a song at the right and the song and guitar(s) will be highlighted. Thom tunes are colored. Some instruments in the early recordings I no longer have: the Strat, Giannini, Ventura and Bass.

Ventura - 1973
Stratocaster - 1975
Conrad - 1975
Dorado - 1976
Adamas - 1999

Riviera - 2002
La Patrie - 2008
Les Paul - 2008
Fender - 2012
Telecasters - 2018

Missing instruments:

Fender Bass - 1975, Giannini 1975, Piano.

GO THERE
or play the songs below


Audio

Snowfall


Key West – 1975 – Thom and Skip

Four Dead in Ohio

Teach Your Children

Blues

It Ain't Me Babe

Rocky Raccoon

Skip

Like a Rolling Stone

Key West – 1975

Old Soldiers

Southern Man

The Journey

SoCal – 1977-1978

On the Beach

Rain Song

Wave

Will to Love

SoCal – July 11, 1977

Sometimes

Said and Done

The Way It's Being Run Today

Blackbirdish

Oroville – 1978-1980

In the Sanctuary

Tonight's the Night

Bellingham ~ 1986 – Thom and Michele

Judgment Day

Hey Old Guy: 2001

Piece of the Pie

Half Mile from Here

Given Away

Firelight

Snowfall

Make It Right

Little Man

Anthem

Willy's Song

So Fine

Reason to Believe


Wild Ladies-Concert

4th Corner Community Church: 2001-2007

Will the Circle Be Unbroken

Rock That Doesn't Roll

Amazing Grace

Gotta Serve Somebody

Here Am I

You Are So Good to Me

Beautiful One

Trust in You

Bellingham: 2002+

Requiem

I Know Who You Are

Justified

Just In Time

Leader of Men

Wild Ladies

You're So Fine

Nostalgia