the Music (9/14) ..guest writer ;)

A few years back, I read a quote from Ray Charles that sat in my gut.  You know that sensation of something so truthful it twist and turns you in all directions? Anyway, what good brother Ray said was, "I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me..." Sadly, my love affair with music stems only to the heart, mind, ears and eyes...the good Lord decided to pass on extending me any actual instrument proficiency. Regardless, music is the soundtrack to life...and my wife and I wanted to make the most of this matrimonial concert.

When the topic of wedding music came to the forefront, a great opportunity arose. It was like running amuck in the candy store with no worries of a belly ache.   About six hours of musical canvas awaited.  We didn't want to pigeon-hole ourselves with genres or just those lovey-dove run of the mill tunes.  So, we set out,  separating the music with playlist that corresponded with particular chunks of time and settings for the wedding.  No moment without music would be sparred.

I wanted to make the musical sound scape reflect not only our past and present but also our future.  I see so many songs in her, in us, around us...it would be a daunting task.  Maybe someday I'll list the entire wedding playlist, but for now just a couple fairly recognizable tunes will be named out of the hundred plus.

I wanted it to cover every generation and genre imaginable.  From Delta Blues, Folk, Swing, Standards, Classical, Rock, Alternative, Hip-Hop, Soul, Funk, Bluegrass, Country, Unforgettable Nintendo themes, a few contemporary tunes and even undeniable rump shaking Rap numbers.   

The Check-In...guest arrived in their fine clothes and smiles to the tune of some softer styles. My wife and I figured there would be roughly 45 minutes worth of guest checking in at the front desk and getting the gentle once over by the strategic staff.  Some peaceful ear tickling would soothe their hearts and blessings after a long ride.  Gordon Lightfoot "Summertime Dream", Fats Domino "Blueberry Hill", John Prine "Glory of True Love", Ray LaMontagne "Friends", Ani Difranco "Studying Stones", etc.

With the sun still curiously peeking through the pines, the guest congregated on the front lawn for a whimsy cocktail hour.  The playlist there crept from gentle swing and waltz to songs with a slight pep in the step jaunt.  Ray Charles "I Gotta Woman", Stevie Wonder "Signed Sealed Delivered", Tom Petty "Wildflowers", Van Morrison "Warm Love" etc.

After a truly breathtaking ceremony, guest strolled over cool grass in high-heels (not easy mind you), slippers, boots and even barefoot toward the dinner portion of the day. I swear my wife and I floated there.  They were treated to some fine-dining numbers and far more identifiable songs they could lean on.  My wife and I entered twenty-or-so minutes in to, Copleland's "Rodeo".  We were formally announced, took a bow and elegantly fluttered along to J.J Cale's (Magnolia).  Perfecto.  The rest of dinner mood was set with easy listening stuff while we ate.  Frank Sinatra, Bill Monroe and some French Jazz sequences that allowed guest to easily chat with others.  Toward the tale end of dessert we cranked it up a bit and got the asses out of the seats with some James Brown (Sex Machine), Jackson Five (Oh Baby) and one or two Polkas. The Mother's had a nice moment with Louie Armstrong's "Wonderful World".  Such a keeper at any wedding.

Before we furthered that hip and wild vibe at the party barn, we requested use of the fire pit after dinner.  This allowed guests to change out of their formal wear and digest the delicious fireside offerings.  We went with some dreamy numbers, quiet guitars and spacey wanderings.  I think we achieved in stopping the clock hands for once.  The Doors "Indian Summer", Willie Nelson "Hands on the Wheel", Bob Dylan "Moonlight", Doc & Merle Watson "Sitting On Top of The World" and of course, Neil Young's "Harvest Moon" were among the ideal burning embers.  The essence here was...relax...enjoy your marshmallows.

The Party-Barn signaled it was time to kick the fires and light the tires.  While much of my musical pallet isn't entirely danceable, we kept with the times and times forgotten with a nice spread of boogie standards.  We covered many genres and broke into many sweats that fateful night.  Lynard Skynard "Gimmie Two Steps", Prince "1999", Snoop "Lodi", Otis Redding "Try A Little Tenderness", Tea Leaf Green "Let Us Go", Charlie Daniels Band "Trudy", Beastie"Boys "High Plains Drifter", just to name a few.  It was a blast seeing some folks get down and round after a few cocktails and fresh air.

Amidst the hang-overs, paper-cranes and rose petals we all managed to awake.  There was a sit down breakfast buffet available for an hour or so and we had a calming playlist set up for that.  Some Buddy Cage & Stir Fry, Grateful Dead, Dire Straits, Paul Simon, Ry Cooder, Elizabeth Cotton, Hank Snow, Chopin etc.

The BBQ portion of the wedding couldn't have unfolded any better.  Bright blue skies, the smell of early fall whisking by with soft run of the river, bocce ball, frisbee, lawn jarts and of course, picnic tables with the classic red and white checkered tablecloth.  We pumped feel good music through a serious outdoor sound system.  The Beatles "I've Got a Feeling", "Stuck Inside of Mobile" from Dylan, "Kalamazoo" from Primus, Rod Stewart's "Every Picture Tells a Story" to name a few.  There was additional Dead & Dylan tunes, White Stripes and Waylon Jennings.  We could have thrown that frisbee forever that day.

While the party is never truly over...sadly, we had to let the Full Moon Resort have their place back.  Guest checked out without much hassle, still smiling, still full of love.  We sent them off with thankful tunes and bid them all a goodnight.  Goodnight.  Goodnight.