Jim Hudak: News

On Sunday, March 8th, Jim Hudak took a "trip to the fringe," as he describes it, performing with renowned poet-musician Tazuo Yamaguchi in Clayton, CA. Their performance was part of the final day of activities in conjunction with the Creekside Arts Celebration at the Clayton Library performance hall.

Yamaguchi, a full-blooded Japanese who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, captured the audience with his unique poems about Hiroshima, philosophy, art, and life in general. But the excitement went up a notch when Hudak joined him and added keyboard sounds to Yagamuchi's lyrical phrasings. The two engaged in a call-response mode for nearly 15-minutes, with Yagamuchi expressing a verbal Haiku and Hudak "responding" with improvised musical acknowledgement in a most engaging fashion.

The audience was held spellbound. Applause after each Haiku was warm and palpable. Hudak and Yamaguchi have already talked of collaborating and songwriting in the future.

After the poetry, Hudak performed a 30-minute solo set on keyboard and guitar, which was also well received. He mixed some of his best known original songs ("Never Had A Bad Day") with some of his more rarely performed obscure musical masterpieces ("Highway Fever" and "Seasons," co-written with lyricist Dan Erikson) before closing the set on his Fender Telecaster guitar with "Wild About My Lovin'" and "Ring Of Fire."

What followed next was more musical magic. Hudak was rejoined by Yamaguchi, the latter performing on percussion while adding some spot-on vocalizing, and several other musicians on assorted instruments. Especially noteworthy was an appearance by the bass player extraordinaire, Dennis Tuohino. Tuohino has performed several times at concerts with Hudak over the past five years, and provided the bass tracks on three of the songs from Hudak's latest CD, "Bridging Textures." He's a gifted musician who held down the bottom end of the "jam" group admirably.

By the time the jam session fully kicked in, some unique and powerful music was being created by an ensemble consisting of piano, bass, percussion, saxophone, and vocals. A good time was had by all, and plans are already being made for the musical lineup for next year's Creekside Arts Celebration.

The proceeds from the CAC go to help support Clayton's library. Artists from all over the region display their work, and the event is organized each year by Arlene Kikkawa-Nielsen. She donates countless hours to the Clayton Library and to this event, and is to be commended for her superlative efforts on behalf of the library and of the many talented artists in the Clayton area.

Up until now, I’ve never written a eulogy. But I guess there’s always a first time.

Sure, I’ve written letters of consolation to friends and relatives when someone close has died. But this is a public testimonial to a friend of mine for 40 years. His name is Ron Sarver, and he passed away in Portland, Oregon, the town where I grew up, about 10 days ago.

One of the reasons I’m making this writing public is that Ron was a musician. That made him different than the vast majority of the students at Jesuit High School, which we both attended back in the late 1960’s. Ron went to Jesuit for two years. He left after our sophomore year, opting instead to go to Sunset High School, a public school. Getting a Catholic education wasn’t high on his priority list.

But early on, at Jesuit, Ron was known as the guy who always had his hair a little too long. “Illegally”so, in fact. But because he played bass in a working band known as The Renegades, he was able to get away with it. Soon enough, given that his bangs hung too low in the front and his hair was too long and curly in back, Ron acquired the nickname “Haircut.” But the nickname was given to him affectionately. There was a group of us that enjoyed going to see him play at high school dances in the area on Friday and Saturday nights. It was fun to watch Ron bobbing his head and smiling from the stage as he rocked out with his band.

Ron was a good musician. He was steadfast about playing bass with his fingers as opposed to with a pick. It gave him a rich tone, and helped him define a sort of rapid-fire playing style. He had studied cello as a child, and making the transition to bass was natural for him. He played lots of sweet little runs, while still holding down the bottom end in fine fashion.

The Renegades in those days sported matching outfits with the big boots similar to what Paul Revere And The Raiders wore. What was impressive was that The Renegades worked a lot. Virtually every weekend they were performing somewhere. Often they’d play out of town and have to load and unload their music equipment in and out of their oversized van. To be performing out of town and staying in hotels when they were still teenagers made The Renegades grow up a little quicker than the rest of us. They always had girlfriends. There were lots of late nights, meals in diners, and life that was a bit on the edge.

Musically, Ron preferred rock music with a groove and a dose of rock-jazz fusion. His favorite bands were The Sons Of Champlain, Steely Dan, and Tower Of Power. He also enjoyed Queen, Willie Nelson, and numerous other artists and musical styles. But he loved that rock-jazz-funk thing the best.

Ron played in various bands through his 20’s. But by then he was settling in as a sound man and union stagehand. He worked the biggest shows to come through Portland, handling sound for the likes of Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, and several symphony orchestras. He did the sound and helped set up the stage for virtually every major act in music into the 1990’s. He had good ears and he knew what he was doing.

But when Ron hurt his back in the 90’s, he had to re-invent himself. He chose to pursue a new career in the printing industry. He said, pragmatically, that virtually everything around us contains print of some kind, and that there would always be available work in that business. That proved to be true in his case.

A lifelong smoker, Ron became afflicted with lung cancer a year or so ago. His wife of his final six years, Jan Sarver, said that chemo treatments weren’t working too well. Unsuccesful treatments made it just a matter of time. He kept it quiet, though. When Ron died, very few of us even knew he had cancer.

Keeping one’s ego in check is a challenge for many of us. For Ron, it came natural. He was a genuine person who didn’t have an over-inflated opinion about himself. Though brighter than most, he was cool about it.

I could go on. Indeed, I’ve barely scratched the surface. Ron was a unique, talented individual with a great sense of humor, and as my Dad always said, a particularly good smile. Ron was one of my dearest, most loyal friends. Now he’s gone, and I miss him a lot already.

So long, Ron. It was a pleasure knowing you.

Jim Hudak – Clayton, CA 02/08/09

Sure, some of the reworked pieces were barely recognizable to their original versions. And the audience was a hoot to watch file into their seats, with conservative symphony season ticket patrons mixed in with tie-dyed clad Deadheads. But that only added to the fun of an event that doesn’t happen along every day.

The California Symphony rendered the West Coast premiere of “A Dead Symphony” in a two-night performance at the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek in late January, and attending the January 27th concert was most enjoyable. Atlanta based composer Lee Johnson has reworked 10 songs from the Grateful Dead songbook for full orchestra, with arrangements mostly right on target, if occasionally a bit confusing.

Credit the talented director of the orchestra, Barry Jekowsky, for setting the mood. He conducted the “Dead Music” portion of the performance in tie-dyed shirt and tuxedo tails, a nice touch. For many regular symphony goers, this music didn’t exactly connect, but the unique spirit of the evening left a good impression. No standing ovations, but plenty of sincere applause.

Those more accustomed to traditional symphonic music still got their fill, too, with a stunningly fine performance of Stravinsky’s “Firebird Suite” to close the program. This was the perfect way to finish up an evening that touched on the abstract more than a few times during the “Dead Symphony” portion. After all, Stravinsky’s music was written specifically for the symphony orchestra, and all of its dynamics and subtleties were showcased to perfection. “Firebird” displays all of the wonderful aspects that make symphonic music so appealing.

But back to the symphonically treated Dead music. It helped a lot if you knew the songs, though the downside of that could be that many of those “songs” never quite emerged as you know them. Still, to feel the power of so many fine musicians working with great precision on music that came mostly from the folk and rock music tradition was its own reward. The songs of Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter were featured, with the only Bob Weir co-written song of the evening being a scurrying version of “Sugar Magnolia,” delivered entirely by the woodwinds section.

One of the highlights was “St. Stephen,” a song that translated particularly well to the symphony. It powered along nicely, occasionally reminiscent of Gustav Holtz’ piece titled “Saturn,” from his masterpiece “The Planets.” A particularly sweet performance of “Mountains of the Moon” was lovely, as was “Stella Blue,” where enough of the clever changes and melody notes of the original version were left intact to make it feel warm and almost whimsical at times.

“Dead Symphony” ends with “Funiculi Funicula,” a song the band used to render somewhat frequently and with some humor. On this night, it ended quite abruptly, sending us into Intermission mode not entirely sure of what we’d just witnessed, but happy all the same. It’s a good sign when the original composers’ music can be reworked by a great arranger, then performed by an excellent symphony orchestra that makes you feel thrilled to have attended. The Firebird Suite that followed the Intermission only served to reinforce the good vibes.

After the concert, a four-man panel offered commentary and insights into “Dead Symphony.” About a hundred of the concert-goers stayed to enjoy the panel, which included Dennis McNally, long-time Grateful Dead publicist and author; David Gans, Grateful Dead historian, author, and host of radio shows “Dead To The World” and “The Grateful Dead Hour;” Barry Jekowsky, conductor-director of the California Symphony, and Lee Johnson, composer-arranger. It ended a memorable evening of outstanding music.

A couple weeks ago, one of my oldest and dearest friends, Will Sullivan, received his first royalty check from SESAC. It’s a small event in terms of other issues going on in the world, but one that contains both irony and significance. A note of congratulations, to both Mr. Sullivan and to SESAC, is in order here.

Sullivan, also known as Zubito Huascar, received a check for airplay of a song he’s credited as co-writing with Jim Schlauch and myself, the founding members of The Spunkies. As has been reported on this website, Will, Jim and I formed this unique musical aggregation in 1981 after knowing each other since our high school years growing up in Portland, Oregon. We’ve written dozens of songs together by way of informal but creative gatherings. Over the years, we’ve invited selected friends to participate in some of our music creation sessions.

To appreciate the full meaning of his first royalty check, one must look a little deeper. Will Sullivan has had limited formal musical training. Yet, his gift for writing lyrics and telling stories from a high plateau of consciousness, adding weight and meaning to the sound and feel of The Spunkies, cannot be overestimated. He is a one-of-a-kind artistic force.

Just as importantly, after I arranged for him to be invited to SESAC as a writer affiliate, he took the time to fill out the paperwork. It sounds simple, taking 45 minutes or so to fill out the forms, mail them in and put oneself in position to get paid for their creative work. A one-time-only investment of time that paves the way for a new income stream. Sullivan did the work. As he frequently says, he “loves the business.” He’s constantly honing his craft and embedding himself into the mechanizations of the music business. It’s refreshing, given the amount of cynicism found among many in music.

Sadly, lots of talented composers and songwriters allow laziness or lack of ambition to keep them from doing the work necessary to get in on the payment of royalties. It’s heartbreaking to hear artists complain about being victims of the “commerciality of the business” rather than becoming beneficiaries. The most common excuse is something along the lines of "I just care about my art. Art and business don't go together."

Yeah? Well, we all have to eat. Performing rights organizations such as SESAC, ASCAP, and BMI provide a means for composers and lyricists hoping for a share of the musical pie. When I worked at SESAC in the 1990’s, they were the first company to devise a sophisticated system of tracking airplay on thousands of radio stations in the United States. By monitoring the performances of music written by their composers, lyricists, and music publisher affiliates, SESAC can compensate those who create music that adds to the culture of this great land.

On this historic day, we inaugurated a new president who promises change and new determination. What better time to look at our own pile of work still to be done, and to get past the doubt and lethargy. Starting with ourselves, let us do the work necessary to take our lives and creativity to the next level.

For the record, the song that’s garnered worldwide airplay that led to Will Sullivan’s first royalty check is titled "Steppes II," which can be heard regularly on XM Satellite Radio. The song is also available for download from many digital download sites including iTunes. It’s on my latest CD, titled "Bridging Textures," which is available via my website from CD Baby.

Meanwhile, I'm happy for my old friend. May this royalty payment be the first of many more to come. I’m proud of him, and proud to be a SESAC affiliate.

Jim Hudak – Clayton, CA

Hi Everyone:

Lest it appear that I have ceased to exist, I wanted to add an entry into this, the "News" section of my website. After an extraordinarily busy November and December, we've sort of let the website slip, with no new news or information lately.

Let's just say this: We've been reviewing some recordings from the archives, along with some more recent recordings we've made, and we like what we're hearing. Plans are gestating now, for any number of possible projects and directions we might be heading into.

We're contacting different production, marketing, and administrative people, as well as numerous musicians, about their adding their talents to what we will be doing. It's exciting, but as the old saying goes, actions speak louder than words. Accordingly, we'll end this update here, while thanking you for checking in. Please try us again soon, as we think you'll like what you will be seeing and hearing.

Have a healthy and prosperous 2009. Let's celebrate all things that are real.

Yours In Music,
Jim Hudak

The Holiday Luncheons at Vic Stewarts Restaurant will once again feature Jim Hudak on piano this year. Reaching an agreement earlier this week, Hudak will return to the prestigious Walnut Creek landmark restaurant for the seventh successive year. He will provide piano music during an 18-day engagement starting December 1st and continuing through December 24th.

"Vic's has become such a special place for me to play," said Hudak yesterday. "I love the spirit of the restaurant, and the fact that they're independently owned. They're not part of a big chain, and that makes them extra special. They do things their own way and have survived and thrived in spite of the financial challenges that businesses face these days."

Indeed. In fact, owner John Herrington is taking it a step further. He's actually opening a second location in Brentwood, CA, which borders Antioch and Stockton, two of the hardest hit areas in the United States with home foreclosures and bank repossesions.

"I'm sure that John didn't foresee the incredible real estate crash when he first envisioned opening a new restaurant in Brentwood," Hudak says. "After all, the Brentwood area was one of the fastest growing areas in California and beyond until about a year ago. But John is fiercely determined to see this thing through. And the fact is, the Brentwood area desperately needs a top notch restaurant like Vic Stewarts. My guess is that they will make it, in spite of the enormous challenges they will face." The Brentwood location is scheduled to open on December 4th.

Hudak will perform at the Walnut Creek location from 11:30 AM till 2 PM Monday through Friday during the holiday season. Vic Stewarts is normally a dinner house only, but they open for lunch on weekdays during December until Christmas Day. Hudak offers his unique blend of holiday songs and a huge repertoire of piano music from every style and era.

Vic Stewarts in Walnut Creek is a popular restaurant for local businesses who book holiday luncheon parties for their employees and clients. It's conveniently located adjacent to Nordstrom's and Macy's in the Broadway Plaza Shopping Mall, and provides weary shoppers a chance for a break from the crowded holiday shopping experience. It's located at 850 South Broadway and reservations can be made by calling (925) 943-5666.

By Jim Hudak

“They just don’t make music like that anymore.” So goes the lament of most people who grew up with music and artists that they particularly enjoy or enjoyed.

But that sentiment gets some validation when subsequent generations “discover” that music and embrace it as their own. It’s encouraging that in today’s more technologically oriented popular music scene, there are lots of young people delving into some of the artists who have endured the test of time. The Beatles, Stones, Tom Petty, The Who, Eric Clapton, and a host of other bands and solo artists continue to get airplay and attention from today’s youth. The purity of their music is real. For us “oldsters,” that’s encouraging. We probably feel like our parents did when some of us discovered the greatness of Big Band music from their generation.

It’s fascinating to explore how the truly great talents in every musical genre continue to endure changing tastes. In jazz, there’s no denying the staying power of a Charlie Parker or Duke Ellington. Country singers and composers like Hank Williams have influenced over 50 years of music. Bob Dylan set the standard for singer-songwriters in the 60’s. Classical music is especially impressive, with the biggest names in that genre providing us with music from hundreds of years ago. The list goes on and on, with only the best holding our interest over time.

Here, we give a short review to some of the music from two bands that enjoyed considerable success in the 60’s and 70’s, The Kinks and Little Feat. Both would be considered second tier acts compared to the biggest groups of the day. They were more apt to be found headlining shows in theatre sized venues than in football stadiums. But both bands have endured the changing tastes of time to earn their place in the hierarchy of the history of popular music.

Let’s get down to their music. First, The Kinks. A young friend of mine recently gave me a disc of carefully chosen Kinks songs from 1967 to 1972. Featuring the lead vocals and songwriting skills of Ray Davies, this was a one of a kind band. Davies explores everything from politics and the social class system in England to loneliness, fallen stardom, and mental health issues. All with a wry sense of British wit. This music is priceless.

Among my favorite Kinks songs are “Holiday,” “Sunny Afternoon,” “Celluloid Heroes,” “20th Century Man,” and “Waterloo Sunset.” But when one takes the time to explore the extent of the Kinks catalog and body of work, plenty of other great songs and recordings are there to be found. Some of their earliest recordings sound similar to early Stones, Beatles, and early Who songs. The friendly competition between these young British bands is apparent.

Little Feat takes the listener in a different direction. Less political and more soulful is their sound, with their vibe coming primarily from their musical groove rather than from social commentary. But in listening to two classic Little Feat albums recently, Dixie Chicken and Feats Don’t Fail Me Now, one is reminded that no one back in the early 70’s played music quite like Little Feat’s. The music sounds as fresh and full now as it did back then.

Founded by Lowell George in the early 70’s, some of The Feat’s best known songs include “Dixie Chicken,” “Roll Um Easy,” and their medley of “Cold Cold Cold” and “Tripe Face Boogie.” Other personal favorites include “Easy To Slip” and “Willin,” along with “All That You Dream.” Little Feat combined Rock, Soul, Funk, and Blues into their own unique sound. Though Lowell George died young in 1979, the band has carried on and built upon their legion of followers young and old.

It’s fair to say that the music of The Kinks and Little Feat will live on, just as it has for roughly 40 years. In the end, the cream always rises to the top, in music as well as in life itself.

Many years ago, in the early 1980's, I worked as a music licensing field representative for ASCAP. It was a dificult but great job, as I offered ASCAP's copyright clearance license to all types of businesses who offered music to their customers. An unusual job in a unique business. Very few people did what I did for a living.

I became friends with a fellow ASCAP representative named Brent Steiner, who worked out of the Spokane, Washington area in his home office. He handled the northeast quadrant of Washingon state, while I covered most of the northwest section of the state out of my Seattle based home.

Brent and I somehow discovered a mutual affinity for maps. Maps of all types interested both of us. It could be a map of a small city, or a state, or of a region, such as the western United States. We could spend hours looking at maps, analyzing and dissceting them.

Brent was a generous guy, and one day in the mail I received from him an envelope full of vintage maps. Older maps, in mint condition, of several states. I still have them, nearly 30 years later.

But what I remember most about Brent's kind gesture was something he'd handwritten on the outside of the envelope containing the maps: "Invest in Copyrights!" Those three words hit me, even before I opened the envelope to find the maps. There was somthing about his humorous advice that resonated with me.

Recently, I happened upon a financial advice column from one of the many fianancial gurus out there. The columnist listed a few ways to accumulate wealth, which included some of the traditional methods of buying real estate and stocks. Of course these days, those may not be such good investments.

Which makes the financial guru's next suggestion all the more interesting. He listed investing in Intellectual Property as a wise and safe investment. It made me think of my old friend Brent's advice to invest in copyrights.

When you think about it, investing in intellectual property makes sense. Particularly if it's your own patent or copyright to begin with. Fees for obtaining patents and copyrights are relatively nominal. If you copyright or patent something that you yourself have invented or created, your "investment" is essentially in the sweat labor required to make or build your product.

For the investor who wants to take investing in copyrights or intellectual property to the next level, there are always "products" available for sale or at least for license. Especially in today's high tech world.

Patents and copyrights for video games, computer software, movies, books, songs, and other intellectual property are for sale, if you care to track them down. One of my favorite examples of this has to do with the copyright for the well known song "Happy Birthday," which was listed for sale in the Wall Street Journal several years ago. Roughly, the terms were a one million dollar purchase price for the copyright of the song, which had seven years left on the term of its copyright. The song generates roughly a million dollars a year in royalties (after all, we all hear that song played or sung publicly many times each year), which means that if you bought the song for a million dollars, seven years later your investment would have generated approximately seven million dollars. A 700% return on your investment over a seven year period. Not bad.

The other attractive thing about investing in copyrights is that any payments or royalties they generate is for work that's already been completed. Once a song is composed or a book is written, that's it. Any income derived from future sales or uses is passive income, also known as residual income. Nothing quite like getting paid for work that's already been done.

Of course, it's a competitive world out there. There's no guarantee that the intellectual property you own the rights to will generate any income whatsoever. That's the risk. But if you happen upon the chance to get your hands on the rights to a hit song or a hot selling book, investing in copyrights can be a good way to go.

Consistent with a career vision that began when he was 12 years old, Jim Hudak continues to generate royalty income from his recordings and compositions. With nearly 30 of his recordings receiving ongoing airplay on DMX, Sirius, and XM satellite radio stations, (among other sources), his royalty income has increased substantially over the past 10 years.

Several of the most performed songs are Jim's own compositions. They generate a higher "per performance" royalty than his recordings of cover songs. But even the non-original songs add to the royalties stream due to fairly recent changes in copyright laws pertaining to digital transmission of recordings.

"Between SESAC, my long time performing rights organization who monitors my original music airplay, and Sound Exchange, who monitors airplay for all of the songs I've recorded, there's a decent infusion of royalty income developing," says Hudak. Since I was a kid, I would read about songwriters who received royalty checks every quarter, and I said to myself 'that's what I want.' It's nice to have the childhood vision I've clung to all these years paying off. The three primary ingredients for what I wanted to be when I grew up haven't changed: a performing, recording, and composing artist. I feel so lucky to have managed to do that."

To be sure, performing is still Hudak's bread and butter. Most weeks he performs at least four times, often as much as eight times or more. "It can be labor intensive," he says, "which makes the recording and composing income all the sweeeter. After all, that income comes from work that's been done and completed in the past, whereas performing requires ongoing committment and energy virtually every day."

Part of Hudak's joy in earning a good living as a musician is to be able to act as a role model for young musicians. "Musicians take a bad rap a lot of times for choosing an occupation that is driven mainly by the heart. And while the desire, the drive, and the need to create should in fact be the primary motivating factors for an artist, I've always said you can do well financially with it,too, providing you're truly dedicated to your craft. It's fun to be approached by so many young people who gather hope and inspiration just by seeing someone who's managed to pull it off. I always tell them that if they have a reasonable amount of talent and a whole lot of ambition that they can make it work."

Hudak's plans for recording a new batch of songs has been delayed. "Just too much other stuff going on right now," he says. But expect new music and recordings from him to emerge eventually. He suggests "it'll happen when it's meant to happen."

When it does, the world's satellite radio stations, iTunes, and all the other music providers in today's rapidly evolving music industry will have additional music from Jim Hudak to sort through and hopefully make available to the masses.

Stay tuned.

Jim Hudak, one of the most steadily working musicians to be found anywhere, has secured a new regular piano playing engagement. He has reached an agreement with Leslie Brown, proprieter of the popular San Franciscan Restaurant in Walnut Creek, CA, to perform every Monday night from 6-9 PM starting September 29th.

"I've been looking to add one more regular weekly engagement to my performance schedule," comments Hudak. "I'm excited about working at The San Franciscan, which brings a touch of 'The City' out here to the suburbs in Walnut Creek. Leslie is an innovative restauranteur, who's to be commended for continuing to offer live piano music nightly."

The San Franciscan is located in busy downtown Walnut Creek, at 1525 North Main Street. The phone number is (925) 934-4831. Reservations are suggested.

Hi Everybody:

Yesterday my wife Linda and I returned from a three-day visit to Yosemite National Park. Jeff Hornacek, my brother-in- law, owns a home there with his wife, Melissa, and they're nice enough to share it with family members and friends quite often.

Yosemite is such a beautiful place. We hiked and traveled extensively around the park and more than ever, I appreciate the vastness of this one of a kind place. The sheerness of the cliffs, huge sized boulders, and breathtaking scenery make Yosemite a wonderful place to visit.

Thanks to Jeff, Melissa, and Matt Hornacek for making our Yosemite getaway such an enjoyable time. With our trip to Portland two weeks ago prior to this Yosemite trip, we think we'll be home bound for awhile now. Yet, you never know when the itch to travel will strike again.

Jim

Aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, my spouse and my sibling brother all gathered in Western Oregon last weekend. The purpose was family reunions and special birthday celebrations, and it was fun to be part of it.

In the small but growing city of Mt. Angel, Oregon, my mother's side of the family held the annual "Schultz Family Reunion" on Sunday, August 17th. It was good getting reacquainted with so many relatives from that side of the family. Schultzes, Etzels, Gaffkes, and their collective offspring made up the bulk of those attending this event, which included a birthday salute to my parents, Ted and Rita Hudak. They are both turning 80 years old over the next month and a half. My brother, Don, flew out from Iowa for the occasion which added a nice touch. Thanks to the reunion organizer, Sister Josephine Schultz, and to all who attended who made the day a memorable one.

On Monday, August 18th, the eleven surviving Hudak family members from the Portland area gathered for a luncheon at Rose's Restaurant in Tanasbourne Square. It, too, was in honor of Ted and Rita's birthday, and produced a lot of laughs along with good meals and decadent desserts. The party moved to Mom and Dad's house after the luncheon, and for a couple hours there, it was like old times. Nothing like family gatherings to regain one's sense of balance and perspective.

My wife, Linda, and I enjoyed a lovely dinner at our friends Steve and Paula Barsotti's house later that day, before hopping a plane back to the Bay Area Tuesday morning. It's always fun to see the Barsottis.

Thanks to all who helped make the tribute to two very special people, my parents, a wonderful and special occasion. It was great to be back in Oregon again and to reconnect with so many relatives and friends.

Now its back to work and back to the music. The events of the past few days should provide some fodder for renewed artistic inspiration. By the way, I watched the movie "Copying Beethoven" last night and found it, too, to be inspiring. Particularly for musicians and/or composers, I would recommend this movie.

More later....Peace and love to all.

Jim

One of the world's most misunderstood musical ensembles quietly celebrated their 27th anniversary on August 9th. The Spunkies, featuring Zubito Huascar on vocals, Fingers on piano and assorted other instruments, and Mr. E-B-G-D-F on guitar and keyboards, formed in a mobile home in Issaquah Washington on a 110-degree day on August 9th, 1981. They've gathered to play music hundreds of times since then, but with only one public performance to their credit, on May 24th, 1997. They performed that night in Nashville, TN, at Jim Hudak's wedding reception.

These days, the band's charter members are going a variety of different directions. Indeed, the majority of the bandmates don't even know that August 9th is in fact the anniversary date of the formation of this unusual group.

But the spirit of The Spunkies lives on. Offering a subliminal message that suggests that if one always gives 110% in all that they do, that things will eventually work out remains the essence of their philosophy. Expressed musically, the results range from chaotic to coherent. But this much is certain: there will never be another band like The Spunkies.

Happy anniversary, guys. Rock on.

Hello Everyone:

Busy times...That's a good thing, but it can be hard to keep up with everything. Just a quick note to say hello and quickly touch on a few items.

First, thanks to all of you for your kind comments regarding my "City of The Angels" video on YouTube. So many people have never seen me perform live or heard me sing (though certainly a fair number of you have) that it's interesting to receive your wide and varied comments. One never quite sees themselves as others do, so it's fun to get the feedback from a good cross-section of observers.

I notice we've had over 200 "plays" of the song. That won't set any YouTube records, but it does indicate that a good number of you are curious enough to have given the video a look. Watch for new videos featuring "Jim Hudak and Friends" to be added to both YouTube and onto this website in the near future.

In fact, if you click on the "Video" link on the homepage of this site, you will find a short video describing an idea I have for a television show called "Music By The Bay." It shows some historic Jim Hudak footage along with interview clips that outline the TV show idea I've been kicking around for some time. Special thanks to Pat Mosca for some fine editing work in putting the video together.

Referring back to the City Of The Angels, my recent trip to the Los Angeles Film Festival was very enjoyable. It was nice catching up with a few of my old friends and colleagues, including Stephen McDonough, Barry Knittel, and my good friend Lindsay Spiller, among others. I also met some great new people and composers, including Noah Perry from the East Bay Area and Vance and Tracy James Marino from San Diego. We had the privilege of attending a workshop featuring the great film composers Dave Grusin and David Newman, who we also chatted with briefly after the workshop.

Back home in the Bay Area, I've been meeting with some local entertainment attorneys about doing some music and intellectual property rights consulting work, which I'm excited about. The aforementioned attorney, Lindsay Spiller, along with entertainment attorneys Robert Preskill, Ned Hearn, and John Coker have all been particularly helpful in getting me on track with some of my ideas.

All this and a continued busy performance schedule has kept me hopping. I'll be seeing my brother, Don, along with my parents up in Portland, Oregon next week. It'll be the first time our family has been together in nearly 13 years, so it should be special. The occasion is the 80th birthday celebration for both Mom and Dad (they were born exactly two months apart in 1928), and we'll also be seeing members of both sides of the family at a couple different family reunions. Nothing like a return to one's roots to gain some good perspective on things.

Besides all that's been happening that I've touched on, I also want to do some serious recording of lots of new material this fall. I'll be assembling my musician and engineering friends and associates for that purpose over the coming months.

Thank you again for your interest and support. Best wishes to all of you for good health and prosperity.

Yours in Music and Life,
Jim

It was billed as the Guinness World Record Breaking Attempt, and it was successful. Led by legendary performer and Bay Area icon Country Joe McDonald, Jim Hudak joined 2,051 other guitar players last Tuesday night, July 1st, to set a new world record for the largest guitar ensemble ever gathered in one place at one time.

Todos Plaza Park in downtown Concord, CA provided the setting as guitarists young and old joined Country Joe in the singing and playing of the Woody Guthrie classic, "This Land Is Your Land." The atmosphere was indescribable.

Guitars and people of all shapes and sizes jammed the park, with all them Bay Area news media capturing video and sound of the historic gathering.

City and County dignitaries and officials got a chance to wave and take a bow, many of who had guitars and performed right along with the rest of those in attendance. Every guitarist had to register and sign in to authenticate their presence in order to validate the new record.

The chance to play with Country Joe, most famous for leading the "F-Cheer" at The Woodstock Festival in 1969, proved to be enough of a drawing card to attract the 2,000-plus guitar players. And with such electricity in the air, it was worth the effort to find a parking place in crowded downtown Concord.

A good time was had by all, and the previous world's record of 1,800 guitars in ensemble has been eclipsed.

Continued airplay for over 25 of his recordings, ongoing regular performance engagements, and a slew of private parties have been highlights to a busy musical summer for pianist-composer Jim Hudak. Add the considerable time spent in his new home studio, and you quickly see how this is a musician with passion and dedication.

"I'm slowly getting my compositions and recordings together and stored on my various computer hard drives," said Hudak recently. "To have good access to my songs and recordings and be able to send them out by e-mail at a moment's notice is the goal for any serious musician nowadays. It's a painstaking process, but I'm starting to get more comfortable with it."

Utilizing a powerful ProTools system with his new Apple Computer set up, loaded with plug ins and recording options, Hudak is continually amazed at the possibilities. From orchestral music to simple live recording of piano, vocals, and guitar, he's joined the ranks of thousands of musicians who now record in the comfort of their own home studio.

Film and soundtrack applications continue to be the focus of much of what Jim Hudak is working on these days. Music licensing, music publishing and co-publishing agreements, and more and more new compositions are filling his plate. "It's an ongoing process," he says. "And it's nice to see the fruits of one's labor start to accumulate. I expect a whole new bunch of my songs to be added to satellite radio music stations in the near future."

As summer heats up, so do this musician's efforts to expand on his already successful career.

Last week, at the legendary Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, pianist Jim Hudak performed with vocalist Fred Pierce, the Tony Bennett Impersonator extraordinaire. In an unexpected series of events, Hudak, who had been booked at the Adobe Company's special party for clients, was teamed up with Pierce, the Reno based performer in the Fairmont's Penthouse Suite.

The duo performed five Bennett-recorded songs together, opening with "Pennies From Heaven" and thrilling the crowd with "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" as their closing number. The Fairmont Hotel was the site where Bennett first performed his monster hit recording of "San Francisco" nearly 50 years ago. Performing the song at the Fairmont with Pierce was a memorable experience for Hudak.

"The Adobe people decided that the significance of having a Tony Bennett impersonator as part of a party for some of their prized clients might be a nice touch," Hudak explains. "It turned out well for everyone, as Fred is a real pro. He helped me learn some of the songs he does from Bennett's repertoire on the fly, and I quickly realized that Fred comes from the old school of singers. By that I mean he's a musician first, like Bennett or Sinatra. They've all got a great sense of rhythm and timing, and they know how to swing. It was an honor to perform with such a fine talent."

With recent performances with such noted musical artists as The Relyks, Blues Journey, and even an informal session earlier this month with his childhood musician friends, The Spunkies, Hudak's engagement with Pierce continued his recent trend of playing more often with other musicians. "The interaction factor cannot be overestimated when you're playing music," says Hudak. "You give and take with the other players, and always learn something new. As much as I enjoy the total freedom of performing as a soloist, there's still nothing like the spirit and camaradarie of getting together and playing music with other people."

Last week's Fairmont Hotel performance was part of a busy performance stretch for Jim Hudak. He had 10 performances during a 10-day stretch in the middle part of May, including a Mother's Day engagement at Round Hill Country Club and two large private party events. He enjoys the frequent engagements, as it keeps his chops intact and his fingers limber. "Besides that, the extra cash is always welcome, too," chuckles Hudak.

Jim Hudak has joined the video revolution. Captured live while performing his original song "City of the Angels" in concert, a video of this performance can be seen on the popular YouTube website. The four and a half minute video provides a glimpse of the multifaceted talents of this great artist.

Introducing the song with his inimitable brand of self-deprecating humor, Hudak renders a fine vocal performance of the piece along with stellar piano work. The song is a tribute to his beloved city of Los Angeles.

"This song took me about seven years to write," said Hudak recently. "I would go to a special spot I'd found on a mountain top between the ocean side and the desert side of the city that would give me a 360-degree view of the greater Los Angeles area," he continues. "I would bring my guitar up there almost daily, and slowly add a phrase or line to the song bit by bit. I finally had it pretty well finished by the mid-90's, and recorded a studio version of the song with some great session players. I also have two different instrumental recordings of the song available on two of my CD's. But this is the first time I've ever had a video performance of myself singing the song, and I'm really happy with the way it turned out."

To see this historic video, go to www.youtube.com and enter "Jim Hudak" in the search bar at the top of the screen. Then click on the title "City of the Angels," and the video will begin playing automatically.

We welcome your e-mails and comments at jimmydak@pacbell.net. There is also a box available for your comments on the YouTube website.

Watch for additional video footage of Jim Hudak in the near future, including video clips that you can view from this website. Yes, it's true - Jim Hudak has joined the video revolution. Halleluiah!

In his continuing quest to keep expanding his musical boundaries, Jim Hudak will perform with The Relyks in a weekend set this coming Friday and Saturday nights, April 11th and 12th. The performances will be at the Clayton Club Saloon in downtown Clayton, a bar that's survived for over a century.

Indeed, the Clayton Club probably looks pretty much the same as it did 100 years ago. It once served as the watering hole for the coal miners who helped establish Clayton as a town in the 1800's.

The Relyks are a high energy, four-piece band who play a wide assortment of classic rock, pop, and blues music. Their first ever performance as a band was at the Clayton Club about four years ago, and they've performed throughout the Bay Area since then. But the Clayton Club is where they call home.

Comments Hudak: "You could call the club a dive, yet, I like the place. It has some character. For example, there are dozens of pairs of cowboy boots hanging from the ceiling. You don't see that every day."

We've all wandered or stumbled into a bar like the Clayton Club at some time in our lives. Particularly on a Friday or a Saturday night when the air is dense and hot, the music is loud and right, and there's a hint of potential trouble in the air. Wall to wall people looking for a little release in their lives.

"The club is small, and fills up quickly on nights when there's music," says Hudak. "There have been known to be fights there, though I've never witnessed any. As long as they don't throw beer bottles or shot glasses at us, I'll be happy."

Primarily a cover band, The Relyks perform music by some of the great rock and blues artists from the 50's through the 90''s, including Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, and Chuck Berry, among others. Hudak adds touches of the high, rinky tink piano sounds that are so much a part of the rock and roll tradition. His keyboard also enables him to provide organ sounds that swirl around the bed of rhythm and blues provided by the rest of the band.

"Between those upper register piano notes and bluesy chords along with the organ sounds, I feel I can add a little something to the band's already solid presentation," Hudak points out. "They're great guys to play and get along with, and The Relyks provide me a nice diversion from my typical solo piano performances at country clubs and restaurants. After all, there's certainly a rock and roll spirit in my soul, and The Relyks provide an opportunity for me to get reacquainted with that side of my musical interests."

If you can find your way to The Clayton Club next weekend, you may want to consider an afternoon nap. Hudak will be joining the band at 11 PM both nights, performing till 1 AM. He has piano engagements earlier in the evening at Round Hill Country Club in Alamo both nights, and will miss the band's first two sets between 9 and 11 PM.

For those who can make it to The Clayton Club Saloon, they'll be part of the continuing history of frolic and grit that's turned the club into a beloved relic in its own right. Come on down and join the fun.

Closing out the weekend long Creekside Arts Celebration in Clayton, CA, Jim Hudak joined a scaled down lineup of "Blues Journey" in an old fashioned jam session yesterday.

Shortly after performing a solo set on piano, Jim joined the three-piece band for about an hour of blues and country music playing, much to the delight of a captivated audience. He provided the "rinky-tink" piano blues notes that soared above the band's guitar, harmonica, bass, and fiddle parts, and the four-piece unit looked and sounded like they'd been performing together for years. "These guys are good," he said afterward. "They were real easy to just fall in and play with."

Jim's earlier solo set featured a rare look at him performing on piano while singing on several selections. He sang on "Children of the Sun," "Wild Goose," "Highway Fever," all songs co-written with his songwriting partner, Dan Erikson. He mixed in some instrumental selections from his five CD's, then closed the set with a vocalized version of the crowd pleasing "When We Get To Love," a song he hopes to record with a full ensemble of musicians in the near future.

The Creekside Arts Celebration features artists of all disciplines from the Clayton area and beyond. It was well attended, and has outgrown the limited space confinements of the Clayton Library. Event founder Arlene Kikkawa-Nielsen is exploring new options for future CAC presentations, including the possibility of having the event in the summer, when artists can display their work outdoors.