The Beat Goes On - A 2016 Amazing Motorcycle Adventure Ghost Post

The Quintet from left: Sue and her Oboe d'amore, Jed and his Heckelphone,
Tim and his Cor Anglais (English Horn), Jeannie and her Shehnai,
and Bev and her Hautbois Baryton (baritone oboe)
@ the Dee Wright Observatory

The beat goes on in the Comet Man’s Opus and the quintet, shed of the bit-players are cruising on to Boise, Idaho as I write this, my first ghost post. The Northwest Victory Meeting awaits them with a time of biker fellowship and a full orchestra of instruments both amazing and mundane, all making beautiful music with scheduled renditions of the classics and jazzy riffs of an unplanned nature.

Our heroes for the story have made their way from San Jose (they knew the way there) to Fort Bragg, CA to Coos Bay, OR, and to Bend, OR for a layover day of no riding to tune up for the Boise concert; a meeting up of old friends and the making of still new friends.

Not even a third of the way through the trip and already they have amplified the opus with shopping, drinking, and eating; sights and sounds to tuck away in the memory banks. They’ve seen Trees of Mystery, bays, rivers, and roads to inspire the best of road songs. The quintet has had roadside repairs and puppies, winery repairs to go with a toast or two; wineries and fruit of the vine. Did I mention the Comet Man is a sommelier par excellence?  

@ Naked Winery gift shop

I have perused photos showing them all, including the shot of Paul Bunion and his nearly anatomically correct blue ox, Babe - team members fondly observed those amazing things. Food and wine, wineries and casks of promise…the good stuff. True to their word my friends have taken me with them and rather unceremoniously added me to photos, some best left to the imagination. I love them for this and have been laughing on and off each day. Heaven knows why they put me in a women’s tank top… 

Our Shehnai player’s ride? A 2009 Kingpin, rumored to have been formerly owned by Stephen Thrasher. ‘Twas her bike hoisted on a forklift in a wine cellar (Handley Cellars Winery) for wiring repairs by McGyuver Jed, aka our Hecklephone player. Jeannie rides a very nice line on the twisties and keeps time to the ride like a pro. My day up to San Jose with the group was my first real chance to ride with her and I know it would have been a great pleasure riding with her for the rest of the Amazing Motorcycle Adventrue. She fits very well with the others of the quintet and offers a fine counterpoint along with her distinct harmonies.

Forklift Hoist and Wine Cellar wiring repair ongoing

I offer here a quote from Jeannie that captures the heart of the rider on a grand adventure: “Well, tomorrow is another day of glorious riding, and I can’t wait to see everything that is on the horizon. I really wish my memory was better so I could forever have these amazing times with me but I know I will forever have the best of friends. I can never thank them enough for what they have allowed me to experience!! Y’all are absolutely the best!”

Enjoy the day wherever you are; whatever you are doing, go easy on the binders, and keep the iron side up. Peace

jerry

Post Script: When I ride I recognize other riders using a low two and three finger wave. For groups of three or more riders I add an Iron Side Up salute for the last rider whereby I raise my arm and fist at a forty-five degree angle and give a pump, a howitzer canon salute. When I offer my prayers for this quintet and my other riding friends on the road I punctuate my ‘amen’ with the Iron Side Up salute. Boom! Bless you all.  

Comet Man's Opus

Comet Man w/
2016 Motorcycle Adventure
Shirt

Comet Man as The Maestro may have produced his finest piece to date. I watched as he placed each note, bar, and cleft upon his score sheet – a first draft, a second, and a third. A tweak here and a tweak there as he orchestrated each rest, full stop, and divergent run.

All the while the conductor sought players for his opus. First there was a quartet including himself as he always loves most to perform the piece he has composed. It has something to do with working a finely tuned instrument in concert with others as he leads.

The working group for the piece became a sextet but that didn’t seem quite right for one member couldn’t quite get tuned up, his timing was off and could not fully commit. For a piece such as this not less than one hundred percent commitment would do. Though it saddened him, he knew it was best to withdraw.

Finally the day arrived and the opus was complete; the dry run through the piece was done and all of the instruments had been tuned and fitted for the performance of their lifetimes were complete. First one arrived at the stage, ironically the one that had dropped from the group for while he knew he wasn’t right for the full piece, he had to taste the first few lines and see it well launched.

The maestro and his wife arrived next awash with eager anticipation; he with his English Horn, she with her Hautbois Baryton for this is a piece written for woodwinds with brassy bit-players as counterpoint. The next pair arrived; the man with his Heckelphone, of all things, and his wife with her Oboe d’amore. They are a fine sounding duo and when added to first pair they spin quite a rambunctious quartet.

The five of us took off on a preamble, the four woodwinds and a slide trombone. We picked up the fifth member with her Shehnai with the other bit player and his odd-man-out instrument, an interesting percussive piece, the idiophone. The main quintet and their two accompanists headed out for the first movement of Comet Man’s Opus after a brief interlude to re-tune and position all the players. From the preamble (Interstate 5) we did a lilting jaunt (Hwy 58) to pick up the main strains of the movement (Hwy 101). The setting was ideal, weather and humidity perfect to start a long composition.

Our composer/conductor dabbled with some woodwind-mariachi (lunch in Soledad at La Fuente’s) and then diverted us for a bit to explore a gathering of thousands of other players (Hollister Bike Rally). All the instruments were represented there, all the genres in play; Jazz, rock, rap, full orchestras, country in fine fiddle, even some folk players. Groupings buzzed around like swarms of bees looking for a new hive. It was cacophonous. Once we’d had a taste of the gathering we marched on toward the first full-rest of the opus (The Residence Inn @ San Jose) with only one minor hiccup in the performance, if you will.

Not to worry, they are a well led quintet with a well written piece and instruments aptly suited to the players. The impromptu changes to the piece are what will give it lasting personality, something to aspire to but won’t be duplicated. Every piece is different, all of them are worth playing.

Ride well my friends, keep the iron side up, and stay in harmony. Peace

jerry

Post Script: I had fun putting this post together. While I didn’t name any of the players I did provide a photo of one and many of the readers will know who is riding on this grand adventure. I’ll leave it to you all to put the riders with their instruments. With that in mind I offer a little bit about the instruments I used. You can use your imagination to match them up.

English Horn – aka cor anglais. This is a double reed instrument in the oboe family and is approximately one and a half times the length of an oboe at a perfect fifth lower in pitch than the oboe.

Hautbois baryton – aka baritone oboe. An octave lower than the regular oboe as a soprano. If you’ve heard the bike I reference to then you know why she plays a Houtbois baryton. And, ‘it has a deep, full tone somewhat akin to that of its higher-pitched cousin, the English horn.’ (Wikipedia)

Heckelphone – initiated by Wagner, invented by Wilhelm Heckel. It is similar to the oboe but has a wider bore creating a heavier and more penetrating tone than the oboe. It was the name that attracted me to this instrument for the quintet but the double reed construction is applicable for our woodwind group.

Oboe d’amore or Italian for ‘oboe of love’ – what better piece to put with the Heckelphone? This instrument is slightly larger than the oboe and is less assertive having a more tranquil and serene tone.

Shehnai or mangal vadya – this instrument is similar to the oboe and common in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. It is made of wood and double-reeded with a flared bell at the end sometimes of metal construction for the flare. The sound is thought to create a sense of auspiciousness and sanctity.

Slide Trombone – in the brass family and creates sound by vibrating the player’s lips, the slide changes the pitch. It is the perfect instrument to play ‘wha wha whaaaaa’ and that’s all I need to say about that.

Idiophone – our percussion instrument for the first movement creates sound primarily by the whole instrument vibrating without the use of strings or membranes. Struck idiophones include wood blocks, singing bowls, marimbas, and steel tongue drums.