http://smittywest.com/news.html Smitty West: News Jannis' PHPRss class - http://www.jannis.to/ Sun, 05 Feb 2012 03:08:38 -0800 http://smittywest.com/news.html#6 http://smittywest.com/news.html#6 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700 It's Your World...It Ain't Mine - Smitty West - News http://smittywest.com/news.html#7 by
Zoe Murdock


It was late when Scott awoke to the sound of coyotes yipping. They were usually in the river basin behind the house, but tonight they sounded closer, and there were more of them, making a real raucous about something. He decided he’d better check it out.

He pulled on his pants, grabbed his sandals, and slipped quietly out of the bedroom trying not to wake Betsy. When he got downstairs, the coyotes were so loud he wondered if they were out by the coop where he kept his prize chickens. “Oh, man. How did they get in there?”

He hurried outside, but when he closed the door, the coyotes must have heard him because they stopped yipping. He wasn’t sure where they were. He stood perfectly still, listening, but the night was suddenly silent.

A full moon, high above the twirling windmill, spilled blue-white light across the yard, casting eerie shadows beneath the oak trees. He thought he saw something move through the orchard, but it might have just been the wind, which had cooled and freshened since the afternoon. Although it wasn’t all that cold, he felt a sudden chill.

He moved quietly toward the chicken coup, wondering if it was a smart idea to confront a pack of coyotes with their kill. One coyote was no problem, and he could probably handle two or three, but a whole pack might be trouble. He stooped and picked up a thick stick and held it out before him as he went slowly down the path. The coyotes were still keeping their silence. He couldn’t see them, but maybe they were on the far side of the coup. Or maybe they had somehow gotten inside.

He hurried his pace until he got to the chicken coop. He looked through the wire that covered the windows. The chickens clucked softly, and shifted on their perch, but everything seemed fine. So where were the coyotes and what had they been so excited about?

He braced himself against the chicken coop, barely breathing. If he didn’t make a sound, maybe the coyotes would reveal themselves. He stayed like that for quite some time, becoming more sensitive to the sounds of the night: the whirling chatter of the windmill, the rustling of leaves in the trees, a few sleepless crickets keeping track of the temperature. There was a smell of crushed sage and lilac. Then he heard it; one little yip, and then another. Soon the whole pack was going again. They were close, out by the pool.

He took off his sandals and walked bare-footed, stepping carefully so as not to step on anything that would make a sound. The coyotes were going crazy. As he got closer, he realized they were on the far side of the pool, beneath the oak trees. Hurrying forward, he stepped on something that stuck into his foot, and he said, “Damn,” before he could stop himself

The coyotes may have heard him, but for some reason they didn’t seem to care. They were in a frenzy, and now he could see them leaping wildly beneath one of the oak trees. There must be something up there, he thought. A cat? A possum? A squirrel?

It seemed like a lot of effort for something that small. It wouldn’t make much of a meal for so many coyotes. There must have been six or seven coyotes around the base of the tree, all jumping and yowling.

He didn’t know what to do, or if he should do anything. They deserved to have their food, didn’t they? But he was curious. He wanted to know what they had treed. Maybe it was the neighbor’s cat. They wouldn’t be happy if the coyotes killed their cat. Maybe he’d better scare them off. He stepped forward, waving his stick and shouting, “Hey, get out of here.”

The coyotes stood their ground. He wondered if they were thinking of exchanging him for what was in the tree. He stepped closer, and shouted again, louder. This time, they scattered and took up positions some distance away.

It was dark beneath the oak tree, and, at first, he couldn’t see anything in the branches. Then adjusted to the dark, and he saw the flash of yellow eyes. They were large and far apart. He couldn’t stop looking at them. Finally, as the wind rustled the leaves, letting moonlight through, he saw what it was. A mountain lion. And oh man, it was big.

He felt the hair stand up on his arms, and suddenly he could hear the sound of his own heart beating loudly in his ears. He knew better than to run. Stand your ground. Show your size. He glanced over to where the coyotes were. They were still there, watching, and maybe even a little closer now. That’s all he needed.

His attention was drawn back to the lion when he heard it shift in the branches. Was it coming down? Would it pounce? Maybe the coyotes had scared it so much it would attack anything.

He kept his attention on the shadow in the branches. What to do? Back away? Make more noise? He decided on a different tact. He began to hum, then to sing,


Oh, Sayulita, mi senorita
Te encanta cantar


The yellow eyes flickered and then he thought he saw them glisten. He sang a little louder, and the coyotes joined in the chorus with their mournful cries.


Oh, Sayulita, mi senorita
Te encanta cantar


The days melt away and the evening, I pray, will go on and on
Into the hours when only your voice fills the night
“Te Amo,” I plead, as your song goes higher and higher
But in your dark eyes there burns an unreachable light.


He finished the song in a whisper, and the voices of the coyotes died out. Then, for some reason, they turned and trotted away towards ridge of the river basin. As they disappeared over the edge, Scott looked back up into the tree and thought he heard the mountain lion sigh. Scott decided it was time to back away and leave her in peace.

As he came out from under the trees, he saw Betsy standing in the backyard, the white fabric of her nightgown fluttering in the breeze beneath the translucent moonlight.

When he got to her, she said, “Since when have you been sneaking out to sing with the coyotes.”

Scott just smiled. He put his arm around her shoulder and they walked slowly back up to the house.
Zoe Murdock - My Birthday Story (May 14, 2009)]]> http://smittywest.com/news.html#7 Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700 It's Your World...It Ain't Mine - Smitty West - News http://smittywest.com/news.html#5
I returned from a wonderful tour of the beautiful country of Lebanon to hear that three of my songs had been nominated for the 2008 MAVRIC awards.

In case you haven’t heard of them, MAVRIC awards “Music Awards for Ventura and Independent Creations” recognize Ventura County creative music talent in an awards ceremony held at the Thousand Oaks Civic Center. This year’s awards night is Sunday, February 22nd, 2009.

Online voting counts for 20% of the selection process, so PLEASE GO TAKE A LISTEN HERE and vote for whomever you think deserves it! 

The Smitty West songs nominated from over 1500 songs reviewed and 139 artists:

Lady Of The Aisle Song of the Year: Comedy/Humor (category SOY08)
Sequoia Song of the Year: Folk (SOY13)
Sandman Song of the Year: Foreign (SOY14)

Again, to vote, click HERE
You can only vote once and you’ll be sent a confirmation email that you need to respond to in order for your vote to count.

You can also buy a ticket to the awards ceremony”¦.you know I’ll be there!]]> http://smittywest.com/news.html#5 Sun, 28 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800 It's Your World...It Ain't Mine - Smitty West - News http://smittywest.com/news.html#4 heart: the support of landmine victims.

Here's the scoop:
Tuesday Oct 28th
7pm
TICKET Costs: $10 advance, $12 @ door, or $20 including pre-show dinner Smitty West "CD Release Concert" and Benefit for Landmine Victims

PLEASE GET YOUR TICKETS SOON. THE SHOW IS ALREADY 1/2 SOLD FROM ADVANCE SALES. The club only holds about 100 seats. I wish everyone could fit, but they just can't. This may be the only time that these musicians, who played on my CD, will be performing together live.

Here's the producer's press release with all the details:

Announcing the release of his first solo CD, "Your World,"
songwriter-pianist-singer Smitty West performs a concert of the original music from his CD as well as a few favorite covers, backed up by some of Southern California's finest musicians.
Smitty West (stage name for Scott Smith) has just released this eclectic solo collection of 12 original songs, spanning genres of folk, rock, metal, and country.

Backing Smitty are some of Southern California's finest musicians:
Legendary bass guitarist Jim Monahan, drummer/percussionist Bob Nichols, Scott Luedke on guitar, and vocalist Julija Zonic. This is a first time assembly of this band for a live performance.

Smitty will be returning from Washington DC, where he is performing his new song, "The Apple Tree Stands and Waits," a ballad written in support of landmine action. He was commissioned to write this song for the Marshall Legacy Institute's "Clearing the Path Gala" and is singing it live on Tuesday, 10/21st at the Fairmont Hotel Ballroom. This benefit is attended by world leaders, diplomats, congressmen, and supporters of landmine action. Smitty has been a strong advocate of mine action since he inadvertently walked into a minefield in Lebanon in 2004 while visiting his grandfather's home village.

Smitty will perform a multimedia rendition of "The Apple Tree Stands and Waits," and a donation will be made to the Marshall Legacy Institute for every ticket and CD sold at the CD Release Concert.

Smitty (www.smittywest.com) is the founder of Ojai Songwriters Anonymous, a collaborative support group of local songwriters. He has recently completed the scoring of Christopher Devine's, Fighting With Sticks, a high-definition movie shot in Ojai. Just this month, Smitty produced and recorded Jim Monahan's political satire Wasilla Girl, which has received national radio play and is a YouTube favorite with over 10,000 views in three weeks.

He owns and operates Euterpe Farms, a California native plant farm:
http://www.geocities.com/surfohi/euterpe.html

All profits from Smitty's music and farm are donated to supporting "Landmine Action"...helping bring hope to people in war-torn countries.

This show will be held at the beautiful Ojai Valley Woman's Club, 441 E. Ojai Avenue, Ojai, California. Show starts at 7:00 PM, with doors open at 6:30 for will-call and at 6:45 for ticket buyers. All seating is first come, first served. Ticket prices for kids under 14, are 1/2 of the parents' ticket price.

If you want to meet Smitty and the band for a bite before the show, join us at Il Giardino Restaurant for a special Italian buffet at 5:45pm. It's just a one-minute walk to the Woman's Club from the restaurant at 401 E. Ojai Ave. ONLY $20 INCLUDES THE DELICIOUS ITALIAN BUFFET AND A TICKET TO THE SHOW! (drinks, dessert, etc. are extra) Please call ahead for a reservation 805.640.7381. Ramiro Santana, the owner of Il Giardino's, is a strong supporter of local music and landmine action as well, and he was happy to support this show with this great deal on some delicious food. If you already have a ticket to the show, they'll knock $10 off the $20 price.

Purchase Advance Tickets at these Ojai locations:
Ojai Creates 606 E. Ojai Ave, Serendipity Toys 221 E. Matilija, and Cardinali Brothers Music 139 W. El Roblar (Meiners Oaks)]]> http://smittywest.com/news.html#4 Sun, 19 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700 It's Your World...It Ain't Mine - Smitty West - News http://smittywest.com/news.html#3
All the work I do on serious music and "Wasilla Girl" has more hits than everything I've done combined!

Don't get worried about my politics....I'd do a video about Biden, but he's not very funny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iejC7NAtTzQ]]> http://smittywest.com/news.html#3 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 It's Your World...It Ain't Mine - Smitty West - News http://smittywest.com/news.html#2
http://radioojai.com/2008/08/29/lisa-interviews-scott-smith-aka-smitty-west.aspx]]> http://smittywest.com/news.html#2 Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 It's Your World...It Ain't Mine - Smitty West - News http://smittywest.com/news.html#1
Each month, Music Critic Mike Cameo publishes the top ten Independent music songs....In his words, "The Top 10 represents what we consider the best Independent Music sites available for artists and bands. These are sites that have a great standing with Indie musicians and do well in tracking who's being listened to, allowing these sites to create and maintain "charts". These charts are what we use to create the Indies' Top 10 shows, bringing you the best artists from these charts including news and exclusive interviews."

The Top ten is not solicited music, rather a gathering of the top songs from the leading independent sites. "Sandman," by virtue of its list-topping performance on SongPlanet.com, received the honors of the presence on the August Top-10.

You can hear Sandman and the other 9 songs at http://www.indiestop10.com/]]> http://smittywest.com/news.html#1 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 It's Your World...It Ain't Mine - Smitty West - News