What I Need to Give Away

Jerry Farnsworth stopped by yesterday to pick up Scot’s amp. “Jerry’s Kids” will be featured at the 4th Street Festival of the Arts and Crafts, which is taking place here in Bloomington this weekend. I am happy music is going to pour forth from it today. I asked Jerry about this session. With a little mental poke, I remember the whole story. Jerry was always on the look-out for promising BC invitees.

Aaron Persinger was one such character. His vocals pop. Also—this is all his own material. Scot saw an obvious sweet spot for his melodic bass lines, and jumped right in to make some jam. I have been a lead Scotiphile, since first laying eyes on him, but beyond all that, this is some tasteful bass playing going on—on anybody’s scale.

Scot was very excited by this session. He saw this kid as a pretty fully assembled package, and I think he thought his bass playing could become part of an expanded package. It didn’t work out that way. Jerry told me yesterday that Aaron didn’t think that much of the session. He had a chance to play with the other Bloomington drummer whose name is also Kenny—Kenny Arnoff, John Mellencamp’s drummer. I guess he thought that was a better bet. I don’t know what’s happened to him since. I’d like to add here, a nod to some pretty tasteful Jerry leads which make up a frosting for this cake.

Today’s artwork is a quick, probably incomplete original drawing. I’ve been looking at this piece for several days as I shuffle through the deck of cards that make up the body of work that Scot has left us. In this drawing I see a lot about some of the words to this song. I think it’s kind of like this for all of us—there’s a certain amount of stuff that works out best if it’s given away. Many contemporary business models are building in whole lines, designed to be given away. I’m finding it easier in general to want to spread some of the extra stuff I’ve got layin’ around—out and around. I like our little lady’s open arms. She’s got her windows wide open and energy is clearly set motion. She seems to be receiving a subtle little something right about her ‘crown’.