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MissRepresentIT / Blog

change the game with “Two Blocks From Far (Sam's Mix)”

dear friends, lovely family and fans – it is halfway into the first week of the release of our song

“Two Blocks From Far (Sam's Mix)”

on www.cdbaby.com under Miss Represent IT Groovegardens, the link:

https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/MissRepresentIT

We could very much use your help to get noticed and claim our place in the big time, like this track deserves, as it was recorded and produced with some of North America's finest musicians ... therefore, we'd like to ask y'all to

order your 99c copy without delay and then

share this track and email this info here far and wide. Even so it seems impossible, it takes only

200-400 downloads !!!!

in the first week after release in the US of A to get on the Billboard charts – where then a lot of spotlight will fall on us and can result in hundreds of thousand of sales, but it all starts with our die hard fans ! Your various adorable forms of support have really made this song grow some big wings, and the images in my head from when we spent time together are propelling me 'till this day – don't feel like I need more home than than, y'all made me feel at home so easily - so happy and feeling humbled to be given the chance to find out and start liking that about myself.

Thank Y'all very much for all your love and generous opening of your (garage) doors. May the good Lord bless y'all and Karma be a friendly wind sweet talking like a lil kid selling lemonade on a midsummer day. Hot?

Have a listen to an excerpt of our new track with the trombone intro: https://soundcloud.com/abroadcom/two-blocks-from-far-sams-mix

I can just see y'all killin yourself to find out more now, and so be it! Here are the production credits: A MissRepresentIT Production (c) 2017 lyrics, music and bass by MissRepresentIT.net, drums by Groovegardens.net, recorded and engineered by Jeffry Becker at TreblehookStudio.com, Minneapolis, MN; killer keyzzzz by Linny Nance who recorded his tracks at funkygroovemusic.com, Dallas, TX; trombone and vocals and trombone recordings by MissRepresentIT.net; recording of vocals @ Pasadena Avenue; engineering, mastering and mix by SamDamask.com; it all facilitated with the generous support by film-locations.com.

Photo credits Track photo: GrooveGardens.net, effects by film-locations.com Profile photo: MissRepresentIT.net

And the liner notes: I wrote the song “Two Blocks From Far” in 2007, an early beautiful live version is btw on my website here: MissRepresentit.net, and the latest mix takes a hold now with no guitar at all and the trombones recorded in my van – the Kia, that, in case some of u were wondering, did, helas, not quite make it back – we scrapped it in Meadville, PA, and I am not over it. As I had my clothes and fabric bags hung up on bamboo and elastics, my Persian carpet and layers of horse blankets and bed throws, pillows etc to sleep (loved that, and don't worry, it all went in B's Windstar), the room acted like a perfect chamber of sound and gave me a great recording when I was playing the trombones, and I feel very empowered with that – a good place to shout out to sensational Linny Nance @ funkygroovemusic.com in Dallas, TX, his B3 and Wurlitzer and his whole beautiful spirit acted like a big urban draw to just add trombones and pass on any guitar, quite a change of plan and such a good outcome for a studio production with a fab live ancestor, even so Brian and I did drums and bass live together in a no less sensational place in Minneapolis, MN, called TreblehookStudio. Best cymbal sound ever, scratch that, best everything sound, Jeffry Becker!

My idea is that we will be traveling on a constant basis, so I'm gonna conclude this with making y'all part of my anticipation to see y'all again sooner or later!

with all our love and appreciation, peace out

Maren & Brian we Are MissRepresentIT.net GrooveGardens.net

Frozen heros saving princesses' a$$$ets part 1

Wow. Universe. Just wow.

Imagine.

Playing a live show in a beautiful place with a super nice, personable owner on the coldest night of the year just because some Ceos decided they wanned to sell more roses in February – I mean this is where laughing starts right there.

Groovy night all the while, everybody having fun, people showing up and buying tickets for the concert with Danny - and/or enjoying the music, volumes just right, setup way better than the first time playing there, meeting the guitar player's beautiful and well travelled wife, always certain ways u can tell as a bass player, u r moving up in the world.

Imagine.

Riding off the property the van fully loaded with the big speakers into the minus 35 night with nothing but cold air blowing out of heating vents. And like trick of the mind, remembering that somebody just filled up the rad with anti freeze.

Yup. U guessed it, the next 2km we got hypnotized by the temperature gage not only steadily but acceleratingly moving toward the red top, realizing not only will the yet ice cold air blowing outta the vents (with B n I now arguing over me turning the fan off) not get warmer, no, we won't even get to the bridge without the engine overheating.

I thought that was funny, too. It's funnier in June though.

And so we stop. B turns the key and the motor goes silent, our two breath clouds exhaling toward the window with not a drop of humidity in the arctic air. Then the unthinkable happens. I am still fu.ming. when thinking about B just opening the door and not putting on his coat on or just taking a moment for heat preservation analysis or some reasonable analysis, INSIDE the car, period. Somehow we are on the parkway, ok, the Ottawa river just a biatch of a blow, the worst place to break down with no heat in February, on the coldest freaggin' night of the season.

A flash light in his gloved hands already stiff from the cold and a suede leather blouson over a tee shirt and rat pack suit pants, and u don't want to know what else. No toque, no hood, not even a shawl, just the rat pack 40ties hat. No socks in leather shoes with only over shoes. Turning away the first car that stopped. Right there I wanted to.shake.some.sense.into.him. Although I wanned that already earlier, too.

That he has frost bite on only one ear is very lucky and owed entirely to the four Canadian super heros who promptly.

Wait.For.It.

Show.Up.

Totally uncalled for and somewhat reality-show-like, how the 4 of them one after the other keep jumping outta that truck, three of which turn out to be mechanics and all just on the way of getting together with their friend, THE FLATBEDTOWTRUCKDRIVER for the weekly Saturday late night wings, a social thing, quite obviously, but let's just recap that for a moment.

And I want to thank the universe for sending us so many really considerate drivers. And, promptly, a tow truck super hero on top of everybody else.

Of three cars (and there really was no traffic), 2 stopped and the second only didn't coz there was already the first car stopped. In the third car, the mechanics arrive and promptly analyze the problem in front of the opened hood, I can feel how B is turning blue now. I know what he wants while he is opening the sliding door, while I am telling him to close it coz I have the coat in the front.

I realize I cannot entertain the amount of madness that would be corresponding with how B has been moving around, so at the slightest notion I just stop further letting myself go there and occupy my mind instead with weighing the odds of getting myself in a warm truck for the near future. Also, I got stoned after I realized that sh*t was gonna be ok with them biatch cold mocking freakin' nature freaks out there, too – I swear to God above, it was not 2 minutes after he got out, them lads showed up. Ten minutes later we all sit in their warm truck which turns out to be a lot more spacious than appeared earlier –

Frozen heros saving princesses' a$$$ets part 2

B totally frozen. I never got cold, but I take pride in my heat management – I do make fashion sacrifices which are tolerable all the while at least sitting inside ...

Now here is the bomb, turns out and that is of course only casually noted that they all just came back ice fishing, ok. As if it weren't cold enough to get stuck on the parkway. And so casual about it, just stating the facts with that angelic smile and the wide open space stare. And slightly smiling, then.

20 minutes later, tow truck is there, coz turns out he was just around the corner. Another 5 Minutes later, they got the car all up and tied, the tow truck guy robbing around in the ice and snow under in behind the van's wheels.

That is where I just want to cry and reach out to the stars for sending such a beautiful bunch of good guyze our way.

Just.too.cool. Just.so.impressed.with.the nonchalance.of.just.gettin. it.done. Not understanding how he or any of'em functions so easily in this minus 35. At all. Plus the wind. Really didn't freaking feel that cold when we left the house.

Needless to say, Flatbed Fred towes us home super safely and warm and gave us a deal, too. So the pay from that night is gone but I don't have a bladder infection and also, all of them super heros braving it for our assets or at least mine to stay tolerably warm throughout this episode got a free ticket to Danny Draher's show which seemed only appropriate seeing that I still got some on me.

The timing of it all, the stoic quietude of dealing with it, whatever it is. How they all stand in that wind and smile and probe and trade these bits and pieces of info on the rad seals and all – just like it was August and somebody's backyard BBQ.

The only thing is, I am worried about B's ear. It looks very big and red. Any frostbite remedies?

Also: always have candles and lighter/matches in the car, maybe a blanket and some water?

Stay warm folks, and when u see a stopped car, stop.

@ the bow jamming 2

4casted: I see the signal lights flash and in kinda stroll two middle eastern looking guys, getting in the car, I turn the ignition and pull up subito, they get out of the car again trading keys or some kinda something, the second guy trying to back up the car to the bumper behind him, about at least 4 feet away from his, and moves the car about 1 foot. I am showing him that he still got miles behind that trunk there and he manages to pull out forward, by a hair, small car, I pull next to the slot with a thousand arsseholes right up my bumper all the while I am having my signal lights to the right, one way, just sad and often dangerous how people cannot drive in the capital. some really felt like a typical case of "how many pills were u on?" Next thing is I try to explain to a person up on stage (which was the wrong place but I just didn't have time b4 and covered the microphone) to give a solo to fellow jammers and get asked back what a solo is. just one of those things that u can hardly make up ... so many really great things happened, the most elevating for me singing harmonies with Brian and Clint over "WHo's Fooling Who" - wee startin' to sound really full and phat! Things got even more perspective after a few songs with a lovely first nations person telling me right after the songs we just played together: "I loved what u just did there girl, I want to take u up to my cabin and eat Moose meat with u!" I know I must have done something right today!

Just thought I'd share this with u, and that wasn't even all. I feel very blessed to play really groovy music with all these people, I feel full and I feel rich. Thank y'all very much!

read this first: @ the bow jamming 1

and it's just like 1 of those daze where u just want a video camera attached to your 4head and it recording EVERYTHING. First of all I would like to thank my new fans for checking me out here on reverbnation and coming to the jam or where ever it was that u noticed me. Also many thanx to my existing fans for sticking around. We managed to record a new demo of Two Blocks and I will try really hard to get it up here soon. But get this: Somehow I managed to get a glimpse on a new born person - so.sweet. sighing right b4 my eyes. sure did it 2 me! while B is riding real easy coz we r early coz we been running 4 daze now trying to get the house ready for a showing this afternoon, I.Am.NJoYING the scenery - very rare moments of catching your breath in a race that never seems to stop. the river. the bridge. beautiful water! what it once was on that stretch anyway ... dark roast @ TH 4 daddy, then around the corner to Murray and at the red light I am lol for the first time looking at Dave's flaming red scooter - just an orgy in color, Dave locking her all up with a small u-lock around the front wheel, all bent down, turning the key, the space grey helmet just off, hanging from the handle by his neon colored chin strap, I mean do check out the fb photo I was able to boss around Brian into snapping, cleaning the lense and still folding cd covers, it's in the album BD Blues Jam @ The Rainbow Bistro. B now unloading, trying to slave drive me into unloading 2, so I do try to concentrate my thoughts on what I wanne drag up first, still bagging cd covers and cds, David lighting a smoke, the door open, and while I still sit and fold, her way of moving makes me look up. and then this.adorable.person.kinda.audreyhepburns by REAL SLOW, pastel rose top, linen green kinda pants all seaside and strawberry social, no hat, just kinda swing-trippling along, like a deer enjoying a monkey parade. I can't help it, all alone, stranger in a strange place, she is taking it all in, almost smiling, looking out for street signs, window is down already, this is when I hear myself say: "This is what u r looking for, right here, I can tell by your class and your style, we've got the best drummer in town this afternoon", she just never stopping just kinda pondering by passing me, looking in my direction but keeping to walk but as if she was trying to understand weather she was meant, so I keep talking "he played with CHuck Berry Herb Ellis, CHet Baker, John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry actually picked him out after hearing him drum" and she finally grabs a heart turns sort of around, back to us, and asks me: "Are u talking to me?" with the infliction very sweetly on the me, as if nobody ever possibly would want to address her, with me instantly laughing about this catch and then immediately, no analysis required in this wording of a situation saying: "Of course I am talking to you, I mean to whom ELSE would I possibly be talking to here", looking around at Dave, Jordan and Brian all biting it not to lol, "YOU are THE person here", she still having that bit of a deer in the eyes but moving toward me, and I am just all smiles, just all happy about that whole exchange! she is taking the post card I've been extending out to here, secretly cursing the fucking cd covers on my lap and hating myself for not JUMPING out of the van IMMEDIATELY. She, for some reason is still smiling, I say, "I mean, just look at you!" Finally I get out. "Hope u have a wonderful day, Ma'am". she says "thank you", really liking it I think. Liking something anyway. She wonders around the corner, looking at the postcard, wondering off. just like a little deer on a stroll, sigh. Finally I walk around to the driver's seat. I stay in the car coz I am supposed to jump drive it into a parking spot while it becomes available. Daddy is a master in spotting those candidates: "one has the engine running and that one over there has the lights flashing, just wait a few minutes", then it happens exactly as he

A great day grand: yesterday's best part! A

Feeling humbled I should be able to catch myself rolling outta town south with 2 great fellow musicians up 2 the task, playing for a mature crowd in Manotick - no snow falling, dryer and colder than a mother though, sunlight blinding my basement eyes (where the wood stove is) and flooding the white pastures with this majestic light - the gig goes great, the organizing ladies love us and we hand out a pile of postcards, people come up an shake our hands, just sweet to see the appreciation for that kinda music - on the way back we have a stop at a music store and I am thinking ok, I might have somebody look at my Chinese Squire Strat on which I played most of the show (the rest on bass), we walk in, immediately losing ourselves as we drift in2 the areas with the objects of our priority interest are exposed. As I am checking a number of expensive Fenders, running my hand up and down the side of the neck to see how much my fingers feel about the fret metal sticking out (which was a problem with my dried out Strat when I bought it straight from a Nashville pawn shop), the piano noise having dominated the room while entering, is getting to a degree of repetition, my conscience can no longer dismiss it, so I look up and it re-enters my brain that my fleeting regard earlier revealed a kid with dark skin bridging some wait time @ while repeating the same pattern. I look up, trying to screen the scene under my furry hat, everything is quiet otherwise, with maybe some 3 other rich guys eyeballing at the gits and 2 staff behind the counters where the cash is - no word is being spoken anywhere, all just seems in favor of 25 years of celibate study of some awful boring thing that nobody would ever want to perform anyway - time 4 action, my little devil voice whispers behind me, and I'm on my way over to the piano area. The little guy is adorable, maybe 7 or 8 years old, his second corner teeth just emerging outta the jaw that seems too slowly growing to accommodate that change - his brown skin dad sharing the same big smile sitting in 6 meters distance, taking it all in. I'm ok, the most important person approves of my doing, my devil voice reassures me, now there is no holding back.

a great day grand: yesterday's best part! B

How u doing, I say as the boy jumps up immediately as to expecting some shit 4 having played, then realizing I am just greeting him, he says good, how r u? I say good, do u want to learn how to boogie? kinda surprised at my words, we both need a repetition of my offer, and then he just stares @ me with this big wide open eye and smile and nods his head with excitement. I say, u know it's one of these things where some inner voice just tells me I am supposed to teach u this, him looking at me trying to figure me out, but kinda going 4 trust. I love where I am now. I show him that there r really only 7 notes, and the 8th one is really the 1st one, the octave which is just a different version of the 1st one. then I say: "now the riff I'm gonna show u, is based on the 1 and the 8th note, so u keep playing the octave with this", upon which I play a basic Blues bass line: 1-8-flat7-5 - he struggles to repeat is, I show him again, I tell him u are taking lessons, right? he says yes, I say, I can tell, I know already, so let me show u the right way of doing this. the idea is to play this with your left hand", and we change sides on the bench, him now playing with his left hand, in the end picking up the line with no pocket at all. Now then I say to him: "this 1st note, u want to make that a looong note." I play it again for him, myself struggling to keep up the rhythm, AND HE PLAYS IT exactly like it's supposed to be done and y'all know where I learnt it ... - I stop playing and start clapping and he stops playing, and I say, don't stop, but Brian has arrived from the back of the room, and suddenly we r aware that we have an audience and the whole room knows that Count Basie just took over the place - kid looks up from the keys and looks at me as if to double check if he did a good thing, I feel so important all of a sudden, all the while his father is having a ball with all this and I say to his boy: "you picked it up right away, kid, give me 5." he smiles and we highfive, I know at that point this was something orchestrated by the universe - very cool I could be of service teaching a black kid how to boogie on the piano - seems to be a big accomplishment today!

Groovy's Roti Hut now closing 4 real.

seems like singer and trombone swinger Winston "Groovy" Wilson finally has his way and sold his restaurant "Groovy's Roti Hut" with Ottawa's longest running Jazz Jam on every late Sunday afternoon, so don't miss the last upcoming shows - Sunday's Swinging Thang with entertainer and monster singer Sydney Bostic, the Mike's and the Dave's, Horace Hogans - well the boss is off to spice island, back home 2 Grenada - I want 2 wish him a sweet retirement, and once more, thank u very very much, hard working proprio and killer t-bone player Winston "Groovy" Wilson, 4 having had us on - we will take a plane sometime!

Everything happens at once.

the first time I will play 4 the online community live, https://new.livestream.com/accounts/8081731/events/2953414, is of course in the week where I also put my radio show together (airing on tonkuhle.de on SAT), is also the week where I rehearse with the big band for the Rainbow Blues Jam come SUnday, and the week where we have a gig on Saturday night @ Harry McLean's in Merrickville... lots of choices to scoop up some music off us people, don't miss it. love and light, have some mercy on me universe, just this week, merci.

un4tunate, but no moa Groovy's on THU.

with a lot of regret we'd like 2 let u know that The Brian Downey Band will no longer be playing @ Groovy's Roti Hut ON THURSDAYS - Sunday's Swinging Thang with entertainer and monster singer Sydney Bostic is going strong and we hope 2 see u out there soon - in a place where extra licenses r required and costly 2 host live music and bitchy insurance companies make any undertaker's life hell 1 wonders, how any good music could ever establish itself without being milked 2 fucking chronic dehydration in the process. blood suckers. More importantly, thank u very very much, hard working proprio and killer t-bone player Winston "Groovy" Wilson 4 having had us on - lots of fun what we got 2gether there in the short of time ...