Photo By Jon Rezin

The tour has been in the Seattle area for a few days now – Redmond, Georgetown and Vashon Island. It’s good to be among the evergreens and more of my wonderful Northwest folks.

The first gig was rough; I caught a pretty bad head cold a few hours before the show (nice!) and it really started to kick in as I began to play. Fortunately the positive energy in the room won out in the end, and everyone seemed to have a good time despite the less-than-polished performance. The Steiners, who have hosted me for a house concert before, were gracious as always – and this time they filled me up with natural remedies on my way out.

After that somewhat humbling experience, I prepared for the next show by trying not to do much of anything for a day. It worked. Between that and all the homeopathic, herbal and vitamin remedies I blasted myself with, I felt fine by the time we got to the venue.

And what a venue! The Georgetown Ballroom is a huge old brick garage, converted into an event space by someone who furnishes movie sets. You can imagine. The whole place feels like it’s made for a photo shoot or a music video… or a concert.

Rainn Wilson came down (that’s Dwight from the Office for those of you just joining us), and after being mobbed by a bunch of guys in an Escalade out front, he came in and gave me a little introduction before I went on. He’s a good dude, Rainn. Even tweeted about my show to his 2 million followers: “SEATTLE-ITES, come see one of my best friends @jbeckl work his Canadian freak magic on your earbones.” And sure enough, I did meet a few who came in on his recommendation. Thanks, man!

That show was much tighter. I felt less sick and more centered, and got really into it. Met lots of good people and ate well next door at Calamity Jane’s – I’ll be back to both of those spots! Thanks so much to Justice Beitzel, who books the Ballroom, for taking a chance on blocking out a Friday night for li’l ol’ me.

Last night was Vashon Island, a lushly treed place in the Puget Sound that required us to take a beautiful 20-minute ferry ride. I played in the home of a big Santana fan, so I told a few stories about those days. It was a great crowd, and the hospitality was outstanding… this is what it’s all about, exploring and making friends out here in this wide world…

Onwards!

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So you may be thinking: “Tour? But you don’t even have a CD out!” Well… this tour is part of the pre-launch of my new acoustic EP, Sparks. The only place to get one before then is out here on the tour - we’re travelling with the few existing pre-release copies.

Reflecting the stripped-down shows I’ll be doing all summer, Sparks has a very organic, close-up vibe. I recorded 3 originals and 3 covers, including something I originally did with Santana and a bluesy tweak on an old ’80s gem. Check out the album cover below. Look out for major changes to the site over the coming weeks, and come out to one of the shows and grab a pre-release copy of the CD. Cheers!

Photo By Bobby Aazami of OurFavoriteDay.com

I have a mean crush on Portland. I never felt as firmly planted in native soil as when I lived up here for 2 years (sorry Canada!), and I still want to tell people it’s where I live. The culture here is a rare mix of down-to-earth and ultra-progressive, and the natural beauty of the area is so intense, full of moss and ferns and rushing water… you can’t beat it. It’s not the most diverse place ever, and it rains like mad, but there is something in me that just says yes to this part of the world.

We spent Memorial Day weekend up in Washington, near the north side of the mighty Columbia River. This is where they have a retreat every year where young people come from all around the region, sleep in tents, sing a whole lot and study the Bahá’í Writings. I’ve gone to it for 4 years running now, and it’s become part of my spiritual regimen to be around these awesome kids whenever I can.

Now that it’s over, we switch over to Tour Mode. The first shows are Thursday and Friday night in Seattle, and I’m ready to get started. Today we take care of last preparations and details, and do some essential Portland stuff like walking around in the drizzle and drinking really really really good coffee. Our good friends Jane & Kent Dolan have allowed us to park the RV outside their house and use their shower, so all is well….

Fun RV facts:
This 1988 RV gets 7.5 miles to the gallon.
A leak in the black water tank gets you fined up to $5000. (Hasn’t happened.)
A lot of RV parks won’t let you dump’n'go unless you pay for the whole night.
You can park an RV more places than it would seem.
Few places where you can park are actually level.
Being level is good when you are eating or sleeping.

Onwards!

They say that if it’s really something good, it won’t be easy. Well, this whole thing must be Awesome.

We got set back a whole day by generator problems on the RV, and then we had a scare when the whole vehicle was filled with a noxious burning smell. After pulling over to have it checked out (with no success), Jon realized that it was just a tiny fuse that burned out. This rendered us without AC until we find a replacement fuse, but that’s OK. Missing the first night of the retreat in the Gorge, though, is a drag.

Before the tour started, we ran into so many hangups it started to become a running joke. Things got so bottlenecked at the end that Jon actually stayed up the entire last night getting the EP ready to send off to print. At around 72 hours with zero sleep, your head starts to take on the look of a strange potato, an Jon’s was no exception. This happens sometimes in the music biz; I have lots of memories of sunrises I should not have been awake to see… but not the night before driving 1,000 miles. (He has slept since… a bit.)

And even before all that, the various financial, logistical and schedule-related problems that delayed the beginning of our project, the details of which I will mercifully spare you, started to resemble those dreams where you’re running as fast as you can in 5 ft. of water. I wonder if my wife feels like she married one of those amateur inventor guys – ‘When I finish this Cold Fusion reactor…’

But this seems to be the way of things. I watched a talk by a dying professor who said this (paraphrasing, sorry): “The barriers are not there to stop you. The barriers are there to filter out all but those who really want it.”

Well, whatever it is, we really really want it. ‘It’ isn’t the same ‘it’ that I wanted when I was 20 (well, some of it wouldn’t be bad), but as we get more and more focused on reaching people with this music, a few barriers are no match for JB and the Next Movement team.

TOUR!

As I write this, I’m sitting in a moving RV somewhere in central California at night. It’s a 1988 Dolphin, in pretty good shape but, you know, 1988. I remember 1988. I was 17.

The effect when we hit a slight rough patch of road is eerily similar to what I experienced in the Northridge earthquake. It will be a few days before I really believe that a vehicle this size won’t break apart every time it starts moving, but I’m sure we’ll gain each other’s trust in time. Like the Millennium Falcon.

So here we are. This is my first attempt at a full-on solo tour, my first collaboration with Jon Rezin and Next Movement Records, my first time releasing material that simply says ‘JB Eckl’ on the front with no apologies. Call me a late bloomer. But better late than never.

The idea behind the tour is to play intimate concerts, mostly in people’s living rooms, with the simple goal of cultivating a real relationship with enough music lovers to develop a sustainable touring circuit up & down the West Coast. It’s just me, an acoustic guitar and a small sound system, and people sitting 3 feet away – a huge contrast to my days touring the world with WAR, with an awesome 8-piece band and giant festival crowds. This is all about digging deep and letting the songs speak, trusting myself 100%.

The first week out will be spent preparing and spending time with my people in the Northwest. It starts with a retreat I’ve been going to every year in the Columbia Gorge, one of my favorite spots on Earth. The perfect way to set the tone spiritually, singing and camping all weekend with a bunch of young folks out in the boonies. After that, we dive in – some 10 to 15 shows in 3 weeks’ time.

I’ll be posting the details of this whole adventure here, every chance I get. Jon and I are travelling with our wives and kids, all in one house on wheels, into the unknown… the chances of it being boring & uneventful are slim-to-none.

See you on the road!
JB

There’s no other way to say this. I need to change.

According to every spiritual tradition I’ve ever come across, the point of life is to transcend the selfish, animalistic side of human nature and become a different order of being – service-oriented, humble, compassionate, accountable and tuned into the mystical, unseen side of life. In the presence of this type of transformed person, the human spirit is naturally magnetized and attracted – it hums with recognition and says ‘that’s it – I’m home.’ Even the most damaged, corrupt person has that subtle tuning fork somewhere inside them that knows what’s up.

No matter what’s happened in my life, I’ve never lost that attraction to a higher reality. My disillusionment with the Church as a teenager didn’t manage to snuff out my intrinsic sense of wonder and curiosity. Neither was my total lack of a responsible father or male role model quite enough to embitter me towards all authority… almost, but not quite. I still knew I wanted an Obi-Wan Kenobi in my story. I still had at least the desire to believe in something – the future, a sense of purpose, something Good.

That flicker of desire has led me into some incredible mentorships and experiences – artistically, personally etc. I’ve made huge efforts to cultivate and make space for this stuff. But when it comes down to it, where the rubber hits the road, my idealism hits a hard limit. And the limit is ME.

As Woody Allen once said: “I would never want to belong to any club that would have someone like me for a member.” And no matter how much I want to be Bob Marley, I’m actually more like Woody Allen. Isn’t that a bitch?

But it’s true. I can imagine incredible things – the transformation of consciousness on the planet, the culmination of all prophetic vision, the evolution of humanity into a highly advanced race of Mother Theresas spreading goodwill throughout the universe… as long as I’m not involved. No matter how well-developed my imagination is, and no matter how far my adventures take me, my knee-jerk reflex in the arena of spirituality is to be an observer, a spectactor – a fanboy of the Divine. I’m the guy who hikes all the way to the lagoon and then doesn’t get in the water. “No, you guys go ahead. I’ll just be over here, in my knee-socks.”

Examples: Meditation. Does it make sense? Heck yeah; the whole world would probably change overnight if people would actually sit down and reflect for 15 minutes a day on what they’re really about. I encourage anyone to try it and watch what happens! Do I do it? Nope. Never have.

Therapy/12-Step etc: Does it help? Of course; there are countless stories of people overcoming insane obstacles through counselling of all kinds, including trauma therapy and AA, which if my Dad had stuck with it, I’d still have a Dad. So where do I sign up? Ummmmmmm….

Last one – health & healing. Is food medicine? Are we really what we eat? Are there ways to bring the body into balance, freeing up energy and resources for a longer and more fully-lived life? You betcha! Not only that, but if we were concerned about our holistic well-being, 3/4 of the world’s most evil industries would be brought to their knees, starting with tobacco, alcohol and genetically modified food. What’s not to like? Now can you point me to the nearest KFC??

We could talk about finances, organization, healthy boundaries, you name it. My point is, it has come to my attention that this pattern is creating serious dissonance in my life. Being in the bleachers isn’t cutting it anymore. And as I enter the realm of bringing my music and creativity into the world, developing friendships with far-flung folks everywhere and trying to share something authentic, my capacity for small-talk is almost nil. Especially in a blog. So here it is: the messy truth, me in the frying pan of the soul, trying to work it out. I’m sure I’ll still find time for the occasional random comment about what’s on TV or a 5-page treatise about the merits of a certain guitar or amplifier – but the truth is, that’s not the real story here.

I need to change, in order to believe in change. And I need to believe in change.

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Sony is commemorating the 10-year anniversary of Santana’s Supernatural by releasing a special Deluxe 2-CD edition of the album, with a lot of extra material including three more cuts involving Yers Truly. Cool!

That’s right – 10 years. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long since Carlos’ chart-busting, Grammy-sweeping comeback album came out. How does it hold up in retrospect? That depends who you ask, but I go to The Onion for most of my information, so let’s leave it at that.

But even if you burned out on the endless rotation of ‘Smooth’ on the radio, it did put some long-due attention on one of my musical superheroes, and it was a welcome surprise to see Supernatural beat out the sales of both ‘N Sync and Britney Spears in 2000 (for those of you under 30, they used to make you pay for music – like 16 bucks!).

I’m sure if I produced a Santana project on my own, it would sound something like Daniel Lanois and Tchad Blake remixing Abraxas, and it would sell about 12 copies (6 of those to me and my Mom). So no, Clive Davis’ concept of what makes the ultimate Santana record doesn’t vibrate at my frequency, but I’m proud to have been a small part of Carlos’ big moment. The song ‘Primavera,’ which KC Porter and I wrote for the album, came from a good place – paraphrasing the Bahá’í Writings for most of the lyrics – and has been praised as one of the more ‘old-school’ Santana tracks of recent years, so that’s cool too. And last but not least, being part of a mega-hit project helped me afford my first proper studio setup – I cannot lie. So thanks, Rob Thomas, wherever you are.

The second is a collaboration between Santana, Ozomatli, KC Porter, me and a few others, called ‘Olympic Festival.’ Carlos was interested in something that would sound good at a huge international stadium event with tons of people singing, like a global soccer chant. So we used that as an excuse to call up LA Latin funk collective Ozomatli, all of whose shows have that celebratory vibe. It was great to work with them for the first time, as well as the awesome Greg Bissonette on drums, and the song ended up on the soundtrack for the movie Girlfight with Michelle Rodriguez. And now it’s getting some more love on the Supernatural reissue.

The third is an alternate version of ‘Primavera’ with Puero Rican salsa singer Jerry Rivera. It sounds like Miami. This track made its first appearance on the ’Ceremony: Remixes and Rarities’ compilation back in 2003, and I forgot all about it until now.

And thus the Supernatural era comes to a close. It sold 27 gazillion records (give or take), the Last Huge Album of an era when major record companies roamed the earth. It brought Carlos back into the limelight, paid my rent for awhile and got me several free cappuccinos from my publisher. What more could you ask for?

Hey out there… just thought I’d post a general update before kicking things up a notch in general in this here site.

First of all, the album has been mixed. The past year has been a major re-adjustment back to LA life – even though we’ve been living in the woods – and the various gigs and situations around here have taken a front seat to getting my own thing together. Of course, you eventually realize that this process could go on Forever. So you just stay up late and do whatever it takes to focus on your love project.

Thanks to Jon Rezin for staying on my case, and getting me closer and closer to having my work out there where it belongs. Jon and I have gotten things sounding nice and fat, and in the next few weeks I’ll start previewing material and working on some YouTube action for your consideration…

So, summer in LA. I wonder if this is the last normal summer of my life. At this time of year, for people who actually have a finished project to promote, there are 50 places you could be on any given day, among lots of sweaty people with a guitar in your hand. That sounds great to me. Onwards & upwards!

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It’s always amazing to me the way that guidance comes in. Fot one thing, it’s truly on a need-to-know basis: most things are revealed in ways that mask their true purpose, appearing instead as random or even unfortunate events. It’s only in retrospect that they make any sense at all – if we’re lucky – and I suppose the ultimate retrospect will be after we leave the physical life, seeing everything for what it is.

But there are times when the universe lets you see under the hood for a minute, and marvel at the connections and underpinnings of things as they actually happen. I’m having one of those nights. The ones that get you through the other times, when everything is obscured from sight. On nights like tonight, you are permitted to witness how a hundred tiny miracles can add up to a masterpiece that has God’s unmistakable signature in the corner.

So I just want to mention, here in writing, that I’m awake enough to see it (sometimes), and I appreciate the truths that: (1.) there really are no coincidences, (2.) it’s wonderful to be surrounded by real friends and family, and (3.) things are rarely what they seem.

I’ll explain this stuff when it’s not 3 in the morning. Suffice it to say that I’m ready for whatever these experiences are here to tell me. And I’m grateful for any little bit of clarity I’m granted in this whacked-out world…

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In the 1990s I was involved in several projects with Latin rock/pop producer KC Porter. He helped me get my start in LA, including my first recording session, playing guitar on one of the last tracks featuring Selena before she died. It was in KC’s studio that I got my first real taste of the record-making process… he used to leave me in there for days at a time, experimenting with different microphones, effects, samplers etc; and committing all my work to tape (yes… tape). We wrote quite a few songs together over the years as well.

But nothing could have prepared me for the phone call when KC said “Hey JB, I have some cool news. I’m going to be meeting with Carlos Santana and his manager about doing some tracks for an upcoming record, and I thought you might want to come along and check it out.”

The nonchalance of his tone was obviously tongue-in-cheek; KC knew that I lived and breathed Santana’s music since I was 16 years old, and we had spoken many times about Carlos’ influence on my artistic journey over the years and what it had meant to me to be onstage with him a few times with WAR. It was really Carlos who made me into the world rhythm junkie that I remain to this day… and as a guitarist, suffice it to say that I used to have to consciously try not to play like him every time I took a solo.

“Gee, let me think about it. Yeah, I think I’m free today.” I got to the studio in record time.

When I got to the meeting, the manager was ready to run interference, but Carlos recognized me from the WAR days and welcomed me in. KC let everyone know that I was there so we could collaborate on something true to the spirit of Santana’s music. Carlos proceeded to roll out a bunch of big paintings on the floor of the studio… paintings full of intense color and dancing shapes, somewhere between African folk art and ’60s psychedelia. He said to us, “Can you make music that sounds like this?”

This basically set the tone for every encounter we had with Carlos. Watching Baraka at his house, listening to Fela Kuti records and watching rare footage of Miles and Wayne Shorter, we spent as much time as we could submerged in Santana-land. KC and I went into the studio and created a huge variety of music for Carlos to play on, all the way from covers of Bob Marley and John Coltrane to some songs we wrote expressly for the project, particularly the very Santana-esque guajira/soul track Primavera. The lyric used metaphors from the Bahá’í Writings about a spiritual springtime transforming the world, and the groove was a half-time funk, nicely executed by drummer James Keegan and bassist Mike Porcaro. When Carlos came in to record on the track, he tore into it like it was the last solo he would ever play. He was a force of nature.

There were many other highlights from those days… Santana swept the Grammys and sold approximately a gazillion copies of Supernatural, KC and I sang Primavera with him at the Greek Theater, I got to play Carlos’ #1 guitar one time while he jammed along – on drums. But the big highlight for me was recording another song for his next record, an Afrobeat song called One Of These Days, with Ozomatli playing on it and little ol’ me on lead vocals. There were a lot of cool things about that song: it was a tribute to Fela Kuti, it had positive, politically charged lyrics during the post-9/11 madness, and Carlos played beautiful melodic themes all over it that echo in your head after the song is over. It was also the last collaboration I would have with my good friend and longtime engineer Jeff Poe, who died a few years later.

The cherry on top was performing the song live at the Hollywood Bowl, with Santana and Ozomatli onstage, and in the audience my whole family, many close friends and my ex-boss, Lonnie Jordan of WAR. That night, Carlos took me aside and told me it was time for me to step out and make my own music. That’s a whole other story, and a long one that’s still ongoing, but it really meant a lot coming from the man whose music had been the soundtrack to my life for over 20 years. He’s an amazing person; there’s no one else like him, and I look forward to more opportunities to experience music and life with him in the future. To this day, KC and I are constantly cooking up ways to offer him something musically that reflects the influence he’s had on us. We’ll nail it… ‘one of these days…’

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