From 1958-1963 "THE INSOMNIAC" was a very happening coffeehouse in Hermosa Beach, California. Just up from the pier and across the street from the already legendary Lighthouse jazz club, The Insomniac presented folk music of all sorts, blues, world music (that term was probably nonexistent), 'poetry and silent films. Here's a picture taken 1961 from the roof of The Lighthouse. 'Gotta love the cars.

In the years since The Insomniac closed, Bob has been busy with many adventures, including: becoming a minister; working as a bartender; owning and running "The Colonial Inn," an old, wooden, two-story "rooming house" in Huntington Beach; operating a fresh orange and carrot juice business (1960's); becoming an authority on the "I-Ching," the ancient Chinese book of synchroncity and wisdom; and, all the while, writing savory, funny, challenging poetry.

The liner notes that come with the CD tell many stories about Bob, his coffehouse and his poetry. The following pictures and commentary are supplementary to the CD notes and are intended to introduce the players and creative people who made this project happen.

Click here to hear a 5-minute audio sample

POEM 1-"A Man's Face Is His Flag"

The music accompanying this poem is myself playing a folksy rendition of the Largo from Dvorak's "New World" Symphony.

POEM 2-"Springborn Song In My Wife's Garden"

Steve Wood played accordian on this track. He produces many projects at his studio, including soundtracks for IMAX films. He and I were in a popular Orange County band, "Honk," in the 70's and still play the occasional gig.

POEM 3-"The Yellow Castle"

The "Yellow Castle" was a nickname for The Insomniac. This track was actually recorded in 1996 as part of the "Caveman Brain" project. I had written an "out" blues line and had Bob reciting this poem over the phone. That CD went a different direction, but this track got us going on the poetry project.

This is Jimmy Cruce on drums. He's not wearing any shoes. He never wears shoes while he plays. Nevertheless he has drummed with many notorious people including J. J. Cale and John Hammond.

POEM 4-"New Mexico Sunrise"

This is Sarah Miller, my sweetheart, who sang the wonderfully angelic voices on this track. The poem describes an ancient Navajo ritual of greeting the rising sun.

POEM 5-"The Cauldron"
This poem seemed to cry out for bubbling, churning sounds. I first recorded some simmering spaghetti sauce (Karen Hare, Bob's wife, had given me a big bag of tomatoes from her garden) but it just didn't sound right. Karen suggested boiling mud, as her uncle had done on the sound effects for "King Kong" (1936). I finally blew bubbles with a straw into a glass of water and with my newly learned digital editing skills, monkeyed with it until ZIP! ZAP! ZOP!…a cauldron! I felt like George Lucas, I kid you not.

POEM 6-"For I Shall Consider My Bicycle, Lord"

POEM 7-"Zen Poem"

This delightful mini-melodrama was an opportunity to experiment with some unusual sounds. Sara Shallcross played digeridoo, Randy Rusk played buffalo drum and I played cat toy shaker. No melody, no chord changes, just mood.

Randy Rusk

POEM 8-"To Bukowski With Love And Squalor"

In the mid-1970's Bob produced a few Bukowski readings, one of which was at the Golden Bear and featured Mark Turnbull as the opening act. Mark has written many wonderful songs (including Honk's "Buckeyed Jim") and plays his own composition on this ode to Bukowski.

POEM 9-"The Lord's Bartender"

Poems 10-15 "The Revolutionary Suite"

POEM 16-Mytho

Poem 17-"Lord Of The Foot"

POEM 18-"The Biker

John Eberly and Bob recorded this "live" at my studio. From the "timing" of the stanzas I made an "instruction" tape, put the cassette player in a backpack, with headphones for Mike Malone to listen to while riding the bike, responding from start-up to shut-down, all the while recording with a portable DAT machine (also in the backpack).

Here's Mike with his Harley with the "evil pipes."

POEM 19-"Hudsonliness"

Speaking of vehicles, here's Bob's 1951 Hudson. It's his third.

Aiming at a "stately" setting, the cello was a natural. Fortunately some friends of mine son, Jay Michael Tilton, had, coincidentally, developed into a wonderful cellist…Oh, wonderous good fortune!

POEM 20"The Barn Poet"

When Bob was managing "The Colonial Inn," he lived out back in the loft of a vine covered barn. We all loved hangin' out there, playing music, discussing lyrics and poetry, just loitering and having fun.

Here's Jim Schubert, a very fine mandolin player who often sits in with me, playing his 1965 Gibson A-5. I played Sarah's home-made dulcimer.

POEM 21-"Oracular Spectacular"
Bob called this a "sound poem." I played synth and "water bowls" on this impressionistic track. The "changes" are modeled after "So What" by Miles Davis. A 32 bar AABA form with the B section up a half-step. I used the Lydian major instead of Dorian minor.

POEM 22-"Lovebirds"

Here's Craig Buhler playing with Honk at "The Coachhouse," San Juan Capistrano, California, 2001. He lives near Seattle. I sent a tape of the poem "Lovebirds" to him, with Bob reciting on one track, a metronome click on another and a blank "chart" with the sections marked off in measures. The instructions were…"Go nuts!" The music that came back was all Craig: good natured, soulful and original.

POEM 23-"U.S."

Here's a picture of Karen Hammack, a marvelous keyboard player who played an impressionistic, reharmonized "America" on this track.

Also contributing to this project was graphic artist, Earl Newman, pictured above with Bob. We reproduced his 1958 Insomniac poster inside the CD cover. He has done the "Monterey Jazz Festival" posters for 25 years and has several pieces in the Smithsonian collection of "American Poster Art."

Visit Earl Newman's Jazz Posters

"The Insomniac" lettering was done by a gal named Tweakie in 1958, when the club first opened. She later designed the "Teacups" and the "Magic Castle" in Disneyland and "The Smurfs" cartoon characters.

This is is Lori Yost, who put all the graphics and a ton of liner notes into a great looking package. Lori also did the cool graphics on "Boxwork."

Jim Gordon is a "webmaster" (he put this site together), a wonderful composer (check his website http://www.JimsJazz.com), a terrific keyboard player and saxophone player (he played tenor on "Caveman Brain" and "The Insomniac"), my techno-mentor and pal. Here we are at a party at my house. That Challah looks good.

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