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Yoko on the street.

Holy Shite. Yoko Ono’s show at the MCA is absolutely fantastic. No doubt, she is one of the greatest artists of the 20th & 21st Centuries. I have come a long way around. I remember in high school sort of hating on Yoko for breaking up the Beatles. But it was a bad rap. John & Paul just didn’t see eye to eye anymore.

Anyway the show is great. There is a video with a young & gorgeous John & Yoko doing a crazy-ass performance piece. It is so cool and inspiring to see them performing together with total, unbridled, discipline & commitment.

Yoko also has been doing little “dot” drawings since the 90’s. They are absolutely fabulous. A truly thrilling and inspiring show, there is a surprise in every room.

Yoko has had an uncommon, quite brilliant, sad, and wonderful, inspiring, life. As young girl in Japan running & sheltering from the bombs dropped by the USA in World War II, later making avant garde art with John Cage, making short films, doing crazy performances pieces in London & New York, meeting John Lennon and totally blowing his mind, expanding his vision, breaking up the Beatles (ha!), inspiring John to expand his artistic approach, creating some great solo records herself, inspiring John to make music too, then tragically having her husband gunned down in front of her in New York City in 1980.

She has carried on, to this day, doing her thing, never stopping, creating art, and promoting Peace. And that old revolutionary philosophy she & John promoted early on works today too: “Change a Mind/Change a World.”

Peace, yes, but also, in the face of Tyranny, Peaceful, Non-Violent, RESISTANCE! Abolish ICE. Damn the fucking torpedoes. – Jammer

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The Trump administration has declared war on Blue Citiies, American Citizens. It’s a MAGA civil war come to our streets. Maybe in our hearts we all knew it would come down to them murdering folks, lying about it, and doubling-down, declaring that they will continue to terrorize, kidnap and murder.

It is appalling, disheartening, and unbelievable that a President, a Vice-President, Department Heads, Republican Senators & House Reps can get up in front of cameras and repeat lies that are easily disproven by multiple videos. I do think this is the Death of America as we used to imagine it. If folks won’t even admit the truth about a murder of a young woman, the country is lost.

If the Democrats ever get the chance, we need a radical re-do. But that is just a glimmer in our eyes, of a distant future. In the meantime? Murder on the streets, terror unleashed from our own very powerful, well-armed government. Reminds one of Nazi-Germany, Stalin’s Russia, all those other countries with long histories of Dictators, Strong-men, & criminal-states.

What do we have? iPhones, the right to vote, our better ideas. The right to protest, free speech; raising our voices, putting our bodies on the line.  It is certainly a lopsided battle at the moment.

From Heather Cox Richardson:  

“On MS NOW today, columnist Philip Bump broke down when talking about the shooting of Renee Nicole Good yesterday in Minneapolis. “I have a six year old,” he said. “And…seeing the image of the stuffed animals in the glove compartment of her car—really emotional for me and…what I take away from this is, for me that’s the thing that stands out: that this was a family that could have been like mine.”

Bump went on to emphasize that “there are a lot of situations, a lot of incidents that have involved ICE, have involved the government over the course of the past thirteen months in which there is resonance for other families in similar ways,” but what he hit on in his first reaction to Good’s killing was the one the administration must fear most of all. Good was a white, suburban mother, whose ex-husband told reporters she was a Christian stay-at-home mom, and Bump is a white man.”

We the people stand against murder in the streets. We stand against ICE. We stand in solidarity with the citizens of Minnesota. We will not forget Renee Goode, the young mother, so cruelly shot down. We will not forget the ICE goon who murdered her, and all the other goons who stood around doing nothing. Her murder was a brutal, vicious act; a cold-blooded murder. We will not forget those who lie about what happened, those denying reality, & re-writing facts. All of our major institutions are failing us. We stand with the common people, the average American citzens, those protestors, resisters, community activists showing such heart, courage & bravery, standing up against ICE in the cold streets of Minneapolis. We stand with all of our brothers & sisters. We expect Justice for Renee. This shall not stand. We all deserve so much better. Abolish ICE. Hold those responsible to account. Truth, Justice. The only way forward.- Jammer

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Best way forward in 2026? Do the things we love to do with all our love, heart & soul. For the Lovely Carla and I, that means making music with our band, whitewolfsonicprincess, and the incredible collection of creative souls we are lucky to create with & know. Fellow creative spirits onto the next thing. Creating new songs, new worlds, exploring new territory. For us, the new year also means spending lots of time with our little flock of birds, and all the happy little furry creatures we hang with; living with body, mind & spirit aligned, navigating a fantastically strange existence as best we can.

Still, 2026 in America: difficult circumstannces, no doubt…

If you have read Cormac McCarthy’s post-apocalyptic novel “The Road,”  (2006) (it is a worthy read), you know one of the key existential questions, that “the Boy” asks “his Father,” after much drama & trama, and a long, winding journey across a bleak & scarred land, a question that sort of makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up:  “Are we still the good guys?” 

It’s a question that this particular American is asking himself this particular morning, the 1st day of 2026. This country I live in has taken a very dark turn. The USA is being led by a criminal & a criminal administration. All evidence points to the conclusion that “No, sorry to say, we aren’t still the good guys.”

Crimes against humanity near & far. The USA now seems to be a force for evil, corruption, murder, greed, racism, white supremacy & idiocy. It’s a major bummer. Makes living in the USA a very difficult proposition. A thorny, contradictory, porcupine-like existence.

It’s  a killer conundrum. I cling to a disciplined positivity as a basic & essential survival strategy, but also I adhere to a determined clarity. To see the world as it really is, not just how I want it to be, no rosy-colored glasses. Clarity. Stone-cold clear-seeing.

How to live a good life, knowing that crimes are being committed in my name every damn day? The only answers I can conjure up: Stay close to ground. Create music. Try to do my best to be honest, true, with positive thoughts for a better day and a better way. Love those I love. And resist, oppose the evil-doers,  refuse to go along with the idiocy, and the bad actions of others, to stand against them with every ounce of my being. 

The Lovely Carla and I choose Love, Grace, Beauty, Intelligence. Happy New Year! – Jammer

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Photos from our Studio Show on 12.20.25

Sometimes I do think chaos is my middle name. I wonder, am I the source, the channel, the generator or receiver, or the conductor of the chaos? I am not thinking of major, catastrophic, chaos, no, more like little, tiny, moments of micro-chaos built into the smallest of actions & thoughts. I can be orderly & disciplined, I enjoy & cultivate my silences & quiet times, I love working in the calm before the storm times, setting up a theater space or a performance space, arranging the deck chairs, running the cables, placing the microphone stands in just the right place, setting the lights, conjuring up a mood & a positive, beautiful vibe. But then fill that space with a rambunctious crowd of human beings in close quarters, with friendly noise, and chatter, and  the power of electricty animating everything, drinks flowing, a soft buzzing in the air, anticipation & expectation floating above us, things happen. Unsourced feedback, a drop of sweat in the corner of an eye, an imprecise instrument, a cable fail, a weird noise from some unknown location, a tiny almost imperceptible tuning issue, being slightly sharp or flat, a surprising demand or comment from an innocent, a dropped guitar pick, a teetering,  a nearly tripping & falling, a hint of mortality, a surge of energy running through the cells of my body; funny, unconnected thoughts, words falling from my lips in surprising ways, my head suddenly swimming, uncommon feelings of being unmoored, uncomfortable. Conducting moments of chaos, trying to corral & tame things, but watching, listening, experiencing the awesome powerlessness alive in every tiny moment.- Jammer

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Yes. It’s true. As of right now. This will be our last show of 2025. It will be at our own little humble rehearsal space. Details here:

12.20.25 – PM Woodwinds Studio Show – 826 Custer St. Evanston, IL – We decided the best way to end 2025 would be a little party/concert at our humble rehearsal studio, one door north of the shop at 826 Custer St. Evanston, IL We will have some of our favorite performers joining us.

4:00 p.m. – 4:35 p.m. – The Lightning Round of Cover Songs from: James & Carla, Chris Bock, Randy Farr, Pat McDonald.

4:45 p.m.- 5:45 p.m.
Solo Sets: Karen Singer, Daniel Connolly, Scott Judd

6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
whitewolfsonicprincess (6 piece)
The Telepaths (acoustic quartet)

BYOB if so inclined. There is limited seating. Suggested donation $10 (or pay what you can). – Jammer

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I finished reading Patti Smith’s “Bread of Angels” (2025). It is a beautiful, “death-haunted,” memoir. I suppose if you live long enough you too will become “death-haunted.” Death is sort of the mystery that envelops every life. Those of us still living must contend with the reality and finality of death in our own particular ways. Patti reaches out to the mystery & the poetry. It’s admirable, inspiring and deeply sad too. I was happy to read the book, and also happy to finish it. Patti lost some of her most significant lovers, inspirers, and co-conspirators early on. And she lost many more significant & influential folks over the years. She pays tribute to all those who gifted her along the way. An extraordinary life. The r&r shaman & poet. I recently purchased the 50th Anniversary Edition of her debut album “Horses.” (1975). The remaster CD sounds fantastic. One of the greatest debut albums of all time with probably, for me, the greatest opening lines of all time. Certainly lines that made this lasped-Catholic boy sit up and take notice. Yes. Head-opening. A glorious liberation: “Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine…”  The lines that follow are epic too: “… my sins are my own… they belong to me… to me…” Very Jean Paul Satre “existentialist,” don’t you know?! And then throughout her rendition of the classic r&r song, “Gloria,” Patti adopts the persona of a very insistent & aggressive rebellious-tomboy, on the hunt for a pretty young thing, “leaning on the parking meter, humping on the parking meter,” or maybe she’s imagining embodying a creative, rebellious, rambunctious boy, something along the lines of a young, surrealist-cowboy-mouth Dylan or an illminated Arthur Rimbaud? You know, totally, fucking extraordinary, mind-expanding r&r, right up there with Dylan’s great album “Highway 61 Revisited” (1965).- Jammer

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Freaking cold this morning. Sun breaking over the lake, and I am blasting Patti Smith’s record “Horses,” on a magnificent sound system in a mansion by the lake. It’s a funny life. Is there a better opening for a record than “Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine?” I think not. The only album-openers that come close for me are the rim-shot opening Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisted,” and the descending notes from Keith Richard’s guitar on the Stone’s “Let it Bleed.” As the Lovely Carla Hayden says about me, “Jammer is a r&r purist.” Hah. I know what I like, & I am always looking for moments of passion & truth. The new 50th anniversay edition remaster of “Horses,” is freaking glorious. “My sins are my own… they belong to me…” Yes, so liberating & exhilarating! – Jammer

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We know people, who know people, who are being terrorized & assaulted by ICE here in our beautiful town, and surrounding localities. ICE is acting like a lawless force, snatching folks off the streets: Mothers, Fathers, hard working folks, carried away to god knows what gulag-hell-hole, leaving young children Motherless & Fatherless, crying and alone. Totally ripping families apart. This is madness. It’s happening out on streets blocks away from our home. It’s happening in beautiful Chicago Neighborhoods like Little Village, Pilsen, Lakeview, and yes, our sleepy little Town, Evanston. Such cruelty, pointless, heartless, nihilistic cruelty, with no purpose. Really, just raw power imposed on the defenseless Humans. Very, very sick. 

ICE is an obscene abomination. Of course, it should be abolished. It is being used as a tool for this Facsist/Authoritarian regime. It is ugly, counter to everything we hold dear here in America.

We spent time at a little art-space, Compound Yellow a truly extraordinary art-space last night. A shaggy, welcoming, friendly room, well-lit, and comfortable, filled with creative, engaged, intelligent Human Beings. The Crimes Against Humanity out on the streets loomed over us all. We are the kind of people who see an attack on one of us as an attack on all of us. We see ourselves as part of a beloved community, a collection of beings that includes folks of all colors, creeds, & persuasions. We are diverse & inclusive. We open our arms and hearts to all. We talked of the pain, the sadness, the disgusting displays of power being inflicted upon our Brothers & Sisters, and how we are all deeply wounded, but at the same time absolutely firm in our opposition.  

Folks are rallying to help the children. Folks are out on the streets witnessing & filming the atrocities, and voicing their deep contempt of the actions & crimes of the ICE thugs. Last night we played music, we gathered together as a community of souls. We think of this creative pursuit as the good work, soul-work, enriching & life affirming, we think it is the antidote to the tragedies unfolding across our country. We are filled with sadness and righteous anger. We oppose this super-charged cruelty with all of our hearts and heads. A disciplined non-violence. and a dedicated, deep in the bone, opposition to this terrible shite. – Jammer

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Yes, this Saturday, October 25 whitewolfsonicprincess the WWSP Trio (Carla, Michael & Jammer), is heading over to Oak Park, & Compound Yellow. We are playing a set as the WWSP Trio for this one: acoustic guitar, double bass, percussion. Two vocalists. It’s quite the combo. Sharing the night with a handful of creative dynamos. Oak Park, here we come…With Norman W. Long & Sharkey Zalek w/ special guests whitewolfsonicprincess + Sharon Udoh. There will be cake. October 25, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Tickets here: https://www.ticketleap.events/…/side-yard-sounds… – Jammer