By Chris Moore:

And the award for most spirited contribution to a Laptop Session goes to…

Jim Fusco!

Yes, that’s right, for my FINAL video of 2008, I called in the big guns (plural) — not only Jim, but also Dana.  The video that resulted is a one take, gather ’round the ol’ laptop spontaneously kind of video.  At its core, this is what the Laptop Sessions are all about — recording a performance as if you were just sitting around the house with us.  Break out a guitar, tune it, and start strumming.  That’s what we do here.  And that’s what we’ll continue to do in 2009!

For tonight, I chose “Feliz Navidad” in honor of the quickly approaching new year.  Jose Feliciano recorded this song in 1970 and when it was released on CD in 2001 it quickly became one of the most played and recorded Christmas songs, according to ASCAP.  Now, it has been added to the massive “session-a-day” catalog at the Laptop Sessions music blog, soon to be 366 music videos strong from this year alone!

Tonight was a lot of fun.  Not only did I get to go to my English department Christmas party, but I also got there on time and without getting lost, thanks to the GPS that Jim and Mike got me for Christmas!  I’ve been saying for years that I don’t really need one, that it wouldn’t get used, and epecially with the iPhone, that a GPS seems unnecessary.  Well, not so.  This was extremely easy to use and it was more fun than it should have been to drive to Hamden and back.  Anyone who knows me will understand how great this is, as it combines my dorkiness with technology AND my dorkiness for loving to drive places!

Anyway, the party was extremely relaxing and fun (I am grateful for an amazing department of people to work with), and when I got home, I went out for some late night Burger King and Jim and I kicked back to watch some YouTube Videos.  First, he showed me the little kid screaming as he opened his Nintendo 64.  “NINTENDO SIXTY-FOOOOOUUUUUURRRRR!!.”  So funny.  (YouTube search: kid opening nintendo 64)

Then, I showed him a video I just came across today.  It’s Jeff Tweedy, front man for Wilco, playing an acoustic show and talking to the crowd in between songs.  About midway into the video, he explains “the game” to the crowd.  Essentially, the game is to name a band — Three Dog Night, for instance — and then to consider the bowel movement that might have inspired the band name.  There are so many good ones!  Just think — Green Day, the Rolling Stones, String Cheese Incident, etc…  The list goes on.  (YouTube search: Jeff Tweedy banter and the game)

When we were done and Dana had arrived, we were all fighting unconsciousness.  At least I was.  And I think Jim a bit too.  So, Jim suggested I record my video before we went our separate ways (tangent:  anyone remember that American Dad episode with screaming “Debbie and I went our separate WAAAYS!).  Even I didn’t need more than a quick glance at the chord sheet for this song before I joined them in the other room to record what is probably one of the most fun sessions I’ve done.  It won’t win any awards, but I hope you enjoy the energy and the simplicity of the message.

Truly, I wish you a happy new year and the best of happiness, health, and success in 2009.  Thank you for all your support, for watching our videos, and I hope you’ll continue to come back next year.  With any luck, our numbers will continue to grow!

2008 was a great year for music; there were lots of great albums.  There were also disappointments, but those were weighed out by the good songs and albums that were released.  Personally, it was a year of up and downs for me.  Musically, I found one of my new favorite bands, Wilco.  In other aspects, I’m certainly hopeful that 2009 will be a better year — that I will catch up with my grading and do well on my BEST portfolio, that I will record my album with Jim (hint, hint, nudge, nudge 🙂 ), and that I will deal with some personal issues that need to be dealt with, oh, I don’t know… months ago!

But for now, I will comfort myself with the knowledge that Jeff’s video will be here tomorrow — our VERY LAST SESSION OF 2008!!  Don’t miss it!

See you next year!!