Week One

So the kid arrived.  And we like him.  He came pre-loaded with all our material as played on the record, so in theory all we have to do is cover the directions things are likely to go once we get to Showtime.  This shouldn't pose too much of a problem - it seems that against all odds, and in addition to his ninja skills, Vaughn Stokes is a bit of a badboy on the bass.

At some point we're going to have to turn our attention to his need for a job and somewhere to live, but for now he seems happy to potter around Hotheadquarters humming Jaco Pastorius licks (a habit I'll soon beat out of him) and scoring gigs - the kid must have emailed 50 promoters in his first two days.  Hard as I try to break him down with dirt and disillusionment, he continues to splurge smiles and enthusiasm all over every challenge in his path - at 18 years of age, he is an unstoppable torrent of Yes.