Michael MacDonald walked out on the stage at 7pm on the dot, sat down at the piano, and before I knew it his soulful, sultry, smooth voice coupled with the rich notes of the keyboard, his back up singers and band had moved me to tears. He belted out “Yah Mo Be There”, a song I used to play over and over and I was instantly transported back in time, I saw myself sitting in my dining room in Seattle, headphones on as I sang to the CD turning round in the disc player. Mark looked at me as I was wiping tears from my eyes. I was completely overwhelmed with feelings. Music is truly transcendent, I thought as I stood there allowing the vibration and energy of the music to move me. I couldn’t find the words to tell Mark why tears were running down my cheeks. I just kept wiping my eyes grateful for music that moves me.   I first became aware of Michael’s distinctive voice in the 70’s when he was lead singer for the Doobie Bros. Then would hear his voice on various Steely Dan songs as well. His set included many of the old favorites and new songs as he has a new album available September 15^th. As I listened to the lyrics of this new song titled, “Find It In Your Heart” I was struck with how his message was the same as my Chapter 5 titled “Let Your Heart Lead You” in my book that was published 3 years ago. http://amzn.to/2uTo4Ic The message being, just as he sang “find it in your heart; get out of your head”! I laughed as I thought of my favorite quote from that chapter: “I believe the heart whispers, where the head isn’t shy about yelling its demands”.   I think it is challenging to get out of our heads. I continue to work on listening to the whispers of the heart!

We were at Maryhill Winery, located in Goldendale, WA (about 1 hour 45 minuets east of Portland) last night watching the concert. When the schedule was released earlier this year, I saw that Michael MacDonald and Boz Scaggs were performing on August 12^th. “Let’s Go!” Mark replied to my inquiry of “What do you think?”. We both thought that they would be sharing the stage but that wasn’t the case. Michael performed for an hour + 15 minutes or so and then there was an intermission of a ½ hour while the roadies changed up the stage and prepared it for Boz.

The grand piano for Michael was replaced with a number of guitars all lined up. Boz played each and every one. I was transported again but this time way back to Purdue days when the Silk Degrees album was the staple of parties/turntables. Listening to Boz, the term “Distinctive Voices” came to me. That’s It! I thought, both Boz and Michael have signature sounds with their respective voices. I can write a blog post with that title! Yeah!! Boz looks and sings as if he is ageless. He sang “Some Change” from his 1994 album of the same title. I knew all the words as I had purchased the CD in 2002. I remembered so many details of why I bought the album (I was at Tower Records in Queen Anne and heard it playing) and the guy I’d been dating at the time that had broke my heart. Like Michael, Boz has a sultry, soulful, smooth voice but yet it is also completely different. When the instrumental from Harbor Lights began you could hear the cheer from the audience. Boz captivated us all with many of the old hits but his close was a nearly 15 minute classic called “somebody loan me a dime”. The blues influenced his work, no doubt, and this tune showcased Boz at his best. The crowd was standing and clapping after another hour and 15 minutes in the company of Genius!

It made me think of the fact, as well, that we all have our own distinctive voices. What’s yours? It can be the spoken word, the written word, or not a word or voice at all but  how your present yourself to the world?!?  We are all as individual as our fingerprints.  And that’s a good thing!