The Musashi Trio Live at The 4th St Tavern San Rafael

20 minutes away from the epicenter of the bay area in San Rafael, on the south end of 4th St, people come out to see live music...at The 4th Street Tavern

They dance, drink, hoot and holler. In between sets they come up and tell us that they are enjoying themselves. They laugh and smile. They always tip. What more could a local band ask for in a venue? Not much more. That is why we love playing there so much. With a crowd already doing their part from the get go, all we have to do is basically...rock out some jams until they close the bar. And the wonderful thing about that is that we love to rock out some jams, anyway. That's why we do this. On top of that, the crowd keeps us pumped up and in turn we reignite the crowd.

It's that simple...

 So here is a clip of one of those nights. Footage taken by Cory DeGregorio. I like the fact that it pays homage to our "Sideways" cd at the beginning.

Anyway, next time you hear that we are playing near you...this is what you can expect.
From the end of our first set, out of three

Mary Had A Little Lamb by Buddy Guy (ala SRV)
Enjoy...








The Musashi Trio

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The Musashi Trio: Kens B day and Chop Bar Pig Roast review

The weather was perfect. The location was great. An amazing crowd showed up right on time and filled the Linden Street Brewery grounds. Chris from the Chop Bar knows about party planning. Ken, our bassist knows everybody. Add 4 roasted pigs, beer, wine and live music and it's a REAL LIVE party.

We started our first set at 5pm and some where in there we all sang Happy Birthday to Ken. The crowd was in a festive mood. Parents who brought their children were seen milling around the giant Bounce House. Kids hopping and bopping inside. At some point during our first set break, it started deflating. I don't know why, but all kids were removed from the Bounce House safely thank goodness. Someone must have unplugged it. Or maybe it was done intentionally. I don't really know. Luckily The Oakland Soft-Rock Choir was on stage doing their thing entertaining the masses.

Our second set included all songs form upcoming album "Sideways" and it turned out to be a crowd pleaser. You can always tell by how many people start pulling out their camera and video phones. It makes the band feel appreciated and even more juiced to perform. And everybody got in to it, man. And the women. (pause) Oh bless the women that come see us play. The fine assortment of women dancing was an amazing show in itself. I saw a couple of dudes snappin pics of just them. Don't blame them either. Good times. The sun started setting and I could feel its warmth like a spotlight in the sky as if to say, you have just torn the roof off the suckah. It was good times, I tell ya...

And we can't wait to do it again...soon!

Thank you everybody!

Yours truly

The Musashi Trio

What Music Means To The Musashi Trio

When the show starts I feel the crowds anticipation in my heart. I think about all the worlds problems and issues and the endless questions that people have. I wonder for a moment if music is indeed the one true remedy for all of this. Then I begin to feel it all surge through my fingertips. And into my voice that I am allowed vent my ideas with. The many hours spent brooding, pining and searching for all and any answers that people can accept in one continuous moment of music. Yes. The music. And in this particular case, my music.

Our music. A true sword in a victimless battle of musicianship where everyone wins. And we The Musashi Trio are on stage in the heart of it. I look to my left and see The Rev. Ken Roussell with bass in hand. He looks up and acknowledges me with a subtle nod of his head.




We both feel the steady rhythm of the kick drum as we begin to play. Jim Richards lays down the beat as solid and fluid as the ocean waves pounding a beach. Yet the song is like a ship that carries us out and beyond, relying on the timing of each surge. The rhythm is so essential. It is the line between utter chaos and comprehension of sound. Without the rhythm, the music would be a cluster of melodies, scattered in the wind. It would be as empty as a movie with no music or soundtrack. Void of depth. Linear and flat.

And as we play into the night, each song is a journey. A spiritual trip in and out of the moment. An escape from the woes of reality. A temporary relief from the daily stress of life itself. We mean to take each and everyone in the room with us out and back again until the show is over. Sometimes I finish a song and I feel my spirit floating back down to the stage the way a leaf floats from limb to earth. 

And at the end of the night I am satisfied. Everything makes sense to me when I have made people enjoy music. There is no amount of fame that will ever be worth more than just that. Making people happy with music has been a long tradition in all cultures since the dawn of time. If you have time to think about it, all culture relies so heavily on its music, that when ever it become a lesser priority to money...society begins to decline. It may not collapse, but it starts to slide away from its root. And that is why I feel it so necessary to do what I do. We are part of large organization of souls who continue to provide music for the masses. It's 2012 and we have just begun here in America. And because there is such a world wide connection of people on line, there seems to be no limit in the direction music travels and speaks. Always to our hearts when in need. To our minds when in doubt. And forever in our souls... is the music. And we, The Musashi Trio are going to play our part.

See ya at the next show and be well until then.

The Musashi Trio

Photography: Amelia Kennedy

Artwork: Les Toil