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FAMILY MUSIC

Previously I’ve mentioned that sons Alex and Wes played with a

band called “Purified.” One of my favorite songs from their

album “Speaking is Easy” is “Speaking is Easy.”

 

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Wes and Alex are still active musically. Alex leads worship

occasionally at their church and Wed did until recently. Wes

also played with “Gospel Machine” based out of Minneapolis.

Wes has also recorded with Small Cities and has a couple of

solo CD’s. Unicorn Rock is his children’s album and I particularly

like “Wake UP!".

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I’ve also previously mentioned brother-in-law David Defore,

drummer with the InRhodes. Until his recent relocation to

Colorado, David occasionally played with various jazz trios and

quartets around the LA area. Long before the InRhodes, Dave’s

band, originally called the LaMonts,  but renamed the Fugitives,

was a well-known surf band – first band to play at the famous

Palisades High School Sports Nights mentioned elsewhere.

Click on the link to the right to listen to the Fugitive’s version of

“The Wedge.” The 100+ BPM drum roll that starts the song is

AMAZING.  Thanks Dave, for sharing. 

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My other brother-in-law Ron DeFore was well known in the

surf band days in LA for his lead guitar work. When I was

putting this together Ron reminded me that he’d done

some recording a few years later with Donny Most 

(Ralph Malph on Happy Days) “trying to sing” as Ron put it.

Also Michael Botts (Bread drummer), Ron Brown (Motown

bass studio musician), and the Happy Days Assistant Director,

John Lenox on keyboard. It’s called “Nashville Sneakers.”

A little in-family promotion - Ron's semi-autobiography "Growing

up in DIsneyland" is available from Waldorf Publishing.  Full of good stuff!  

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My nephew Elliott Peltzman (sister Linda’s second son) is the only full-time musician in the family (that I can think of.) Elliott plays keys (of course) with the Stone Foxes. Dawn and I had the chance to see them live last year in the Woodlands. Great band, excellent musicians and performers. Go see them if you have the chance, they’re touring most of the time.

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Dawn's last significant birthday was also celebrated musically. Pictured on this page are youngest son Wes, David (getting lessons from my granddaughter Larkin), eldest son Justin (Larkin's dad) and brother-in-law Ron DeFore, #3 son Alexander on the Fender Rhodes, and Autumn Moore (Dawn's youngest sister).

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Last Christmas (2019, not 2020), I asked two of the grandaughter's (James' Sara and Justin's Larkin) who are each learning to play violin, to help me record a family version of "Carol of the Bells."  I think it's pretty sweet.  

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Autumn also has a great voice and while the only recording I have of her isn't the greatest quality, I'm including it to round out the family.  

03 Speaking Is Easy
00:00 / 03:50
FUGITIVES, aka LAMONTS, Dave DeFore, Dru
00:00 / 01:58
Nashville Sneakers - D Most & RD4 guitar
00:00 / 02:51
carol of the bells family project - Dec
00:00 / 01:12
05 Old Woman
00:00 / 03:43

This Summer/Fall (2022) we had several family gatherings and a couple of times I was successful in getting Dawn and her sister Autumn to do some recording with me.   

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This is a recording is one of my favorite tunes - "Aimee" by the Pure Prairie League.  It has a "natural" feel with the added background noise!  Enjoy.  

aimee with autumn 12 27 22
00:00 / 04:24

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