Getting stoked...

For all it's worth, the upcoming trip to Chicago has me pretty amped up. We leave this coming Friday and we are all about to pop. We have a couple of rehearsals planned this week. I love to jam with the guys. Oh yeah...the guys...Who are they you ask? Well there is Danny (D-Hart) Hartley. Jersey born but been in Kansas for 8 years. He is a long time friend who's drumming can be best described as "in the pocket". Danny knows how to play with passion while not over complicating the music. I have played with many drummers...most believe that the drums are what make the music. Danny plays in a way that compliments it. He is very easy to work with on new rhythms and fills. He takes constructive instruction well and is humble about his ability. He has the driest sense of humor that I have ever heard. To have Dan on a trip is to have perfect comedic timing in any situation...love him.

Kent Daniel is a transplanted Alaskan. His experience on the guitar is playing in his room as a teenager then playing in a band with me called Far From Perfect back about 5 years ago. Kent is a great rhythm guitar player and is rapidly becoming a much better solo player. He is very easy to teach as well. Kent is very intelligent. He holds a degree in Biology from Pittsburg state with emphasis on wildlife studies. This means the dude can look at your boots and tell you which snake they came from and where they habitate...as if you would even care. Ha! Either way, he is a great friend who would do anything you needed up to and including giving you the shirt off his back. Great guy!

Hunter Peterson is not unlike many people in Pittsburg...He came here seeking an education and found a family in God and has decided to stay. He and his wife Emily recently bought a house and have committed to sticking it our in our church and are becoming core people very quickly. Hunter has a great attitude and sense of humor as well. His bass playing can best be described as explorative and unique. He will play whatever I ask him to but ad his own spin on it to make it that much more interesting. He is also a prolific photographer. he has an amazing eye for it. I look forward to many years spent hanging out with him and Emily and watching their family grow.

Jesse Thompson is the silent member of the band. He is our sound guy. He goes where we go. He takes very seriously the art of making us sound good. With Jesse at the mixer, I have heard many comments on how clean and clear the sound is. In fact, I have been told on more than one occasion that we sound better live than on the CD. That says a lot. Jesse will run through a wall of burning flames to help a friend in need. He is currently in brick laying school and is excelling at it. He is a great man to have around and a true friend.

Why do I put this information in this blog? It is to introduce you to my friends, my band and to announce that "Jamison" is no longer a solo artist. It is now a full on band. We expect great things in the future and look forward to what God will do with this mix of guys on the road, in churches, bars, coffee shops and wherever he will place us to preach the good news of Jesus to the world! Till next time... - DJ

Crazy fall

Well, it has been a while since I have blogged, so I thought I should. The band and I have been busy boys this summer and fall. We have had tons of events scheduled and continue to book more of them. God is doing great things and we are hopeful that He will continue to use us to speak to His people. I have been working a lot of hours of late and saving up money for an upcoming trip to Chicago. The band and I will travel to Chi-town along with my daughter and my wife to audition for "America's Got Talent". My daughter Shelden has written a song and will sing it acapella for the judges. The band and I will do 90 seconds of "Psalm 33" from my CD.
I am absolutely loving touring with the guys. Danny, Hunter, Kent and I really enjoy spending time together and cutting loose. I have seen much improvement from the guys in their skill level and level of relaxation on stage. They have really amped it up. They have taken to jumping around on stage and having fun while praising God. This makes me smile. I am glad they feel they can do so. They do not do so to entertain man, but to express their hearts of worship before man...If you are reading this blog, and are in an area where we will be playing, please come out. We would love to rock with you! Till next time - Jamison

New things a coming...

Hello and welcome to the land of no comments! Haha. I know some of you are reading this...please make me feel like you care...leave a comment once in a while.

Exciting news. "Song Of Creation" was chosen out of hundreds of song submissions as a top ten finalist in a national talent search. My band and I get a chance to play at the Rock The Light festival in September! Average attendance is 3-5000 kids and youth workers! How cool is that!!! We will get passes to the festival included with it too. We will play 1 song then be judged. If we win, we will get to go to Nashville and play for a panel of record label people with Word Records. It is a long shot, but hey...It will be fun. Wish us luck. Jamison

Home Sweet Home

I decided it would be very memorable to take a slight detour to Roanoke, VA to see the blue ridge parkway. I guess the weather had other plans. The normally picturesque drive through the blue ridge mountains was thwarted by a layer of dense fog. I mean seriously??? We could not even see the guard rails...I had my eyes glues to the road. This was some serious fog. We took like 1 picture before it was just too dense to see anything. We drove for 10 miles then just hit the interstate. West Virginia was very beautiful, but the drive was insane...18.5 hours from Roanoke to Pittsburg. We decided not to stop and just forge on to get home. We arrived shortly after 1:30 am. We took out only what needed brought in and hit the hay. We slept in till about noon today...whew...what a trip. We had a great time, made lasting friendships and had several chances to play music and blessed some people in the process. I was very well received and blessed my self with many compliments. Back to the grind tomorrow. Working 96 hours this week starting tomorrow. I am playing at the "Love Bubble" here in Pittsburg on Friday night at 7pm. It is a local radio station with a retail shop in the mall. Thanks for following the blog and checking in. Jamison

Heading for home

Last night was our last night in New England. We were very sad to say good by to our new friends there. We have made great connections to several families in the area. The Webers hosted us sight unseen the first several nights. We made fast friends with them and will miss them greatly. The Beenes hosted us the remainder of our visit in their home in Bristol, CT. We were treated very well and have made good friends with them as well. We made connections with many people there and were welcomed with open arms. Thanks very much CLC for all of your sacrifice. I truly hope to return the favor some day.

We spent the evening last night in Springfield, Mass playing at "The Underground Cafe" there it is a cool little place where on Friday nights a local church there hosts an open forum style coffee shop, music venue and radio station. It was pretty cool. I met some new friends there and hope to return sometime in the future.

After an amazing trip to the northeast, meeting new friends, playing music in big cities, visiting several new states and seeing the beautiful countryside, we are once again on the road. We have decided to take the scenic route going home instead of the suicidal pace I had originally planned. We took a detour and are currently in Roanoke, VA. We drove about 10 hours and arrived about an hour ago. I have long desired to drive the blue ridge parkway up from Roanoke. So tomorrow we will get up early and head out to enjoy the artistry of Gods hand in Virginia. We will then cut over and travel through West Virginia, Kentucky and finally end up in Missouri late tomorrow evening. I will post pictures of the trip on my face book page as we travel Verizon network permitting....thanks for reading and keeping up. Jamison

and on the 8th day...

Even God made a day for rest...We have been traveling since the 19th. We arrived in Connecticut on the evening of the 21st and have been non stop ever since. Today was spent having a great lunch with the Pastor of Christian Life Church in Berlin, CT and his family followed by some shopping and general running around town with Keith. Then we went to the church for service. We have decided to just veg out here in Bristol tomorrow. Maybe a little shopping, but not much else. We just need to rest. Tomorrow night we are having a get together with some new friends from the area here in Bristol. Looking forward to some pork chops and Maine lobsters. Yum! Yeah, I know you are envious. Seriously though, we have made some real connections here and cannot wait to continue building relationships with the people here in CT for years to come. -DJ

Updates

Ok...A good nights rest will do wonders for you...We traveled all over the east coast of Mass, New Hampshire and Maine for the past 2 days before driving a very scenic back road through the mountain country of New Hampshire, into Vermont and then south back to Connecticut. Whew...that was a nice drive. Got in late last night and passed out. Slept in and are just relaxing in the home of the Beenes, our host family in Bristol, CT. They have graciously allowed us to stay in their home on a mountain overlooking the city of Bristol and surrounding areas. I will be posting photos later of our trip. Today we will be having lunch with the pastor of the Christian Life Church and his family. They have asked me to lead worship again tonight at the church. That will be fun as they told me it is fairly free and up to me how to take the praise and worship for the meeting. If any of you know me, you know that means it will be a little louder than normal....The church worship team is a great bunch of people who learn very quickly and have fun playing music for the Lord.

Tomorrow is pretty free for us so we will just have to figure out what we will do, or we will just hang out and do nothing. Sounds like a plan to me...Looking forward to the rest of the week and then heading back to Kansas on Saturday and Sunday. Please leave comments to let me know if you are keeping up with the blog. Thanks! DJ