Eric Keyes

FROM THE ARCHIVES...

Early 1990s. Backstage at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas with one of my guitar heroes, Chet Atkins. I was a member of the Dallas Classical Guitar Society at the time, and we had brought Chet in to perform for a fundraiser.

Backstage, I introduced myself, got him a glass of ch*****ne, and somehow we ended up talking guitar — specifically Misionera by Fernando Bustamante, a piece we had both played. Before I knew it, Chet Atkins and I were discussing fingerings.

That's a pretty good day for a guitar player.

Chet had already influenced my playing tremendously. I had even incorporated the chime harmonics I'd learned from listening to him into one of my own recordings.

What I remember most, though, is how approachable he was. We talked music, guitar... and he told me a couple of jokes that are probably better left backstage. 😂

I've been fortunate over the years to meet and sometimes become friends with a number of the musicians who were my heroes when I was coming up. Looking back, I realize how much those encounters became part of my own musical journey.

The music has a way of connecting the dots.

From the archives.

— Eric Keyes

Some days you write the song.

Some days the song reminds you why you started doing this in the first place.

I’ve spent a lifetime writing, recording, playing guitar and making music — and lately I’ve been going back through my original catalog with a completely different appreciation for what’s there.

There are songs that deserve another listen.

Songs some of you may remember.

And songs many of you have never heard.

So I’m going to start sharing more of them.

Not chasing trends. Not trying to sound like everybody else. Just original music, real players, real studios, real performances — and a lifetime of stories behind the songs. If you’ve followed my music over the years, thank you. And if you’re just discovering it, welcome.

There’s a lot more coming.

🎸 Eric Keyes

The Best Way to Start Anything.

What is the best way to start a band?

Start a band.

What is the best way to become a chef?

Have your Grandmother show you one of her recipes.

What is the best way to lose weight?

Go for a walk.

Is it really that simple? I think so. Here's a story that shows it.

In 1992 I went to see Sonny Rollins at Rockefeller's Night Club in Houston, TX on Washington Ave. I went with my friend Jeff Viaclovsky who is a great tenor player. We lived in Bruce Hall at The University of North Texas. A lot of great jazz was around us.

The show had a huge affect on me. Sonny's tone gave me goose bumps and he seemed so free on his horn. Like he was talking.
That fall I moved out of Bruce Hall into an apartment complex on Oak St. in Denton called The Oaks. So did Jeff. He came by one day with some jazz records for me and his horn. He showed me this chord progression and I played in on my Martin HD-28. It was way different than the type of tunes I usually played on my guitar.

After he left I kept playing the chords and a melody popped into my head. So then I jotted down some lyrics. Then I sang it it into my Tascam 8 track along with the guitar and a drum machine. I didn't want to forget it. Another friend stopped by when I was mixing it down to my DAT machine. He said "Hey man, what is that? It's pretty cool, you need to do something with that" So that planted the seed. Then I decided that it would be good to record it. I did not know anybody that had a real recording studio. So I asked Terry Slemmons who was repairing my guitar amplifier if he knew anyone that had a recording studio. He said "Yes my neighbor Eric. So we went next door and he knocked on the door and Eric answered. He had a 16 track and a real recording studio.

Get this, it was even called "Reeltime Audio" so that was out of the way. Now I knew someone that had a studio. Only problem, I did not have a bass player or a drummer to record with. Much less a band. So then I asked myself "Who is a good drummer?" The answer came quickly 'Earl Harvin' I had seen him with Ten Hands and I thought he was great. So I called him. He was living on Lower Greenville so I drove to Dallas and brought him the DAT.

New challenge -I don't know a bass player? So I thought about it for a second. Immediately I thought about a Clint Strong guitar clinic I saw earlier in the week. The bass player that played with him was a student and was great so I called him. His name was Jon Button. So I called him and he was down to record it and I brought him a cassette. So then I called Eric and booked a session at Reeltime Audio. I recorded it with them and I even sang it. It was the first time I sang and recorded a song with vocals. I had done plenty of instrumental guitar but never this.

I liked the way it came about. It had this tropical 'Sonny Rollins' vibe? I wonder where that came from? So then I decided it had to have a saxophone. There was a cool saxophone player I had seen earlier in the semester his name was Ben Kono. So I called him. He came an played this beautiful solo on the track. So then I thought what if it had steel drums? That would be cool. I definitely did not know anyone that played steel drums. So I called Dr. Schietroma the head of the percussion department at UNT. He had a steel drum ensemble so I knew he would know.

Sure enough he did. He gave me the name of this steel pan player Steve McDonald. So I called him and he came to the studio. Eric mixed it and now I had one song that I had written.

A friend of mine also named Eric that was a drummer told me there was a "Best Music of Denton" CD contest that was being put on by a local music venue. It was called Scooter's. The deal was you could enter 1 song. If you were selected you would be on this CD called "Denton Discoveries" CD's were a big deal at the time. Also if you were chosen there would be a big concert at the venue with all the bands selected. So I thought why not? I sent it in.

A few weeks later my friend Eric that told me that he saw in the Denton Newspaper that my song had been selected. Now I had another challenge. I did not have a band. So how in the heck would I play at the CD release? So then I started a band with Eric on drums and Jonathan Stokes on bass. I had no idea what I was doing. We had a few rehearsals and did the gig. Each band was asked to play 3 songs. I only had 1 so we had to do 2 covers. One was "Voices" by Russ Ballard. it was a surreal experience. Once the CD came out I mailed one to Carl Finch from Brave Combo. He liked it and wrote me a letter. He went on to be a great mentor to me. Years later his band played at my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary. I know this is a long story. It may be, but it happened so fast. Moral of the story? Just start. The only thing that happens if you wait is you get older. So what do you have to lose?

Here is a link to that 1st song:



https://open.spotify.com/track/5UEYCSvZrF8uBX5iTCgX1a?si=f54fbc32c461434b

"Clinting"

One of my favorite things to do is go "Clinting" as I call it.
We were in "Foat Woath" (Lucius Tate ref.) yesterday. We
went to a powerful gathering at Joe T. Garcia's for lunch.

Then went to Leddy's to see my one of my favorite protégés
Razz and then to visit Clint for "guitar talk" We yapped a lot
about the old house in Denton. Clint was a regular over there
and we listened to a lot of sides at my home and played guitar.

Life unfolds in chapters and this new one has been a busy one.

Be sure and pick up your instrument daily and sharpen the
saw. Those little "10 minute" sessions add up a lot over time.

Keyes to Life Principle #6

You are Your Attention.

Psychically, this world out pictures exactly as you picture it. You don't believe in Miracles? Here is one for you: You are a miracle. You are living proof.

The very fact that you are conscious of being is mind blowing. Consciousness is the Father. This is how powerful you are. Nothing has any meaning except the meaning you give it. Feel those tones in your bones. The Biblical story of the flood is not to be taken literally. There is a much deeper meaning embedded there. The Biblical story of the flood is the state that man lives in. Consciousness is an ocean of possibilities that we all float in. You are the Ark. Contained within you are the male and female principles of every living thing. The dove so brilliantly captured here by Shutter Ninja Bradley Watson is symbolic of your ideas, your thoughts. What are you sending out to dry land? Impressions when consistent become concrete ideas. This is the true meaning of creation and you were created in the image of your creator. I know this is heavy stuff but it's true. Your thoughts are like boomerangs and they will come back to you. It's amazing that we have been distracted from our own personal power by wasting our time with TMZ and Pokeman or even worse gossip, judging others and staring into our phones. Even more powerful stop pimping out your personal power to politicians, preachers, professors, gurus or whomever claims to have all the answers. Your soul knows what to do. Just quiet that doubting Thomas and look inside. It's already there inside of you. No pill is more powerful than your mind is. The greatest pharmacy is between your ears.

I don't feel Bradley could have captured this photo in New Orleans last year if he was anywhere but right there in the moment. This shot is incredible and so are you. It's no coincidence that Nelson Mandela had the impact he did and it's no coincidence that New Orleans and Louisiana have influenced music and cuisine worldwide. It's one of my favorite cities in the world.

It is my wish that this photo inspires and reminds you of the power of thoughts as much as it did to me. I was right there when it was taken.

When we shot the music video for "Not of this World" that weekend we purposefully rented an "ark" and shot the last part in the river in New Orleans just to hammer home the theme at the end of the video.

Have a Powerful week. a picture is worth 10,000 words. Feeling you have it is worth a million. Believing in yourself and having the faith to stay the course and realize it. That's priceless.

The video is on my homepage and on my YouTube channel.

Have a great weekend.

Eric