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PHILOSOPHY

“I have been most fortunate to have a life filled with music-making opportunities. Especially now, as a “survivor,” with a second chance at making a contribution and staying current, I created MusicCreationService.com connecting on The Bluefield Bandwidth- as THE Hole to your soul PATROL – music crusaders from Cyberspace -to feed the Nourishment Portals of everyone out there who loves and adores music as much as we do. In fact, I also created HOW HAS MUSIC GOT YOUR BACK as a contest/campaign/participation for young and old to share and describe their personal experience with music (MusicGotYourBack.com)”.
Can anyone truly comprehend and describe the creative process? Not really -the description IS the thing created and its effect, well, it speaks for itself. I suspect we are these spiritual beings having this physical experience that we unconsciously use to get back to spirituality, all it took for me was the discovery of Music – the antidote to “noise” and a bonafide connection to peace and balance between the two (spiritual and physical).
I believe that music comes from a stream outside of us and we shape it and encourage it to move in certain patterns. There is no other force in the world that can make better outward sense out of what we internally “sense” -how we comprehend the vast range of feelings comprising the human condition. The best of both worlds is to perform AND produce true music creation and be in the “service” of all music lovers everywhere, in other words, “MUSIC HAS YOUR BACK”.
When we say Bring MUSIC to YOUR ears we mean OUR SAVVY + YOUR IDEAS = RELEVANCE . The Bandwidth is merely a Collective that can grow and expand and make meaningful music creations. A day with music-making is a daywith wings – Prepare for take-off.”
“The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives” (Einstein) I say yes to that!
If you are interested in what Dave is doing these days please link to EXTRAS for Videos of Family jams from Los Angeles to Jerusalem, Blogs, Works in Progress, Pic Gallery including priceless one of a kind “Jump for Joy Collection” of jubilant kids enjoying the mighty Pacific Ocean for the very first time . These pics pretty much sum up how one feels when they are given a second chance (Dave beat Cancer in part by moving to Venice Beach and nurturing a great attitude).

In the “you get what you need” dept, during a “leaf in the wind” period – Dave found paper-mache Trapeze Boy at a swap meet at his old high-school and knew he found the perfect place for him to swing in the breeze – his apt overlooking the Boardwalk on Venice Beach – a “second-chance* all the way around.

Magic - David Bluefield

“You’ll thank me Later”

(Dave’s mom after she bought the piano)

Born David Bluefield Pearlstein in Los Angeles to Leo and Helen Pearlstein who made sure there was plenty of music in the house and bought a grand piano when Dave was 13. The music creation gene was strong coming from his namesake maternal-grandfather, David Bluefield (scholar/musician), dad Leo a former drummer in Big Band days, and his paternal Great Grand-father, Lipa Pearlstein -leader of the Pearlstein Family Orchestra (7 musical grand-children that played mandolin and balalaikas in 1920’s Eastern Europe movie houses before the advent of “Talkies”). Amazingly, Dave hooked up with a long-lost cousin with the same great-granddad in Jerusalem (Shmulik Kovalski) who is a world-renowned jazz instrumentalist to create The Pearlstein Family Orchestra version 2.0 almost 100 years later!

 

At 13 Dave’s mom asked him if she bought a piano would he make time to practice ( and not give up his love of sports) and he said yes. So in comes a baby-grand and a tired old lady piano teacher who taught him a very uninspired “Down by the old mill stream”. Dave then heard the kid next door playing “12st Rag” and insisted mom hire Craig Safan’s (who would go on to compose the theme song for the hit TV sitcom “Cheers”) teacher Helene Mirich (R.I.P.) and the rest is history. Ms Mirich taught a mixture of theory and improvisation that led Dave to his first bandmates “The Fabulous Unknowns” (kids from his Carthay Circle neighborhood in WLA). The bass player Ron Friedman’s dad Sam Friedman (aka Sunny Forest) was a pharmacist by day and songwriter/jazz pianist at night and it was Sam who taught Dave the Boogie-Woogie. The “Unknowns” played at parties and dances through Junior High and Fairfax High and would close their sets with “12 st Rag” and their shows with the “Boogie Woogie”.

INFLUENCES

Then on Oct 28, 1964, everything would suddenly change for the better. That was the day when a friend took Dave to the now-famous T.A.M.I. Show at the Santa Monic Civic Auditorium This show included performances from music legends Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, The Beach Boys, James Brown, and the Famous Flames and closing with the Rolling Stones! For years afterward, the Stones would remember their horror of following the great James Brown. After witnessing this once-in-a-lifetime collection of talent, Dave knew that music would be an important part of his life forever, and this crystalized when he heard John Lennon singing the lyrics to “All you need is Love” on the radio in his room. “There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done” and Dave thought why not copy the Beatles?

tami-show-new

By the time he entered UCLA ཽ, Dave was a regular on the Sunset Strip and all of its nightclubs, including the world-famous Whiskey A Go Go – where, as luck would have it, he witnessed “The Jimi Hendrix Experience.” Not only did Dave get truly “experienced” that night, but this Baptism would continue to the very next day when Jimi Hendrix appeared at a noon concert at UCLA and lit his guitar on fire not five feet from where Dave and his new band – “Pot Luck ” were sitting in the front row. The very next week, at the same UCLA Student Union and from the same front row seat, Mike Bloomfield of the legendary “Electric Flag” with Buddy Miles on drums, parted the curtains 10 minutes late into the scheduled start of their noon concert, and asked the crowd of 2000 if there “was an organ player in the house”! Dave ran on stage (he was actually “pushed” by his bandmates) and, once more, the rest is history. Dave soon thereafter signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records as the main writer of “Kindred” and toured the United States opening for “Three Dog Night” whose song “Joy to the World” was a worldwide sensation.

Then the band had a fateful gig in Aspen CO for New Year’s Eve 1971. The band fell in love with CO and eventually 4 of the members would move there. It took Dave nearly 20 years to figure out how to move his Clio award-winning Bluefield Music Design music production company there, but in Aug 1991 -He did and was still doing local music production while pursuing his main love – playing the grand piano. He became centrally entrenched in the vibrant Destination Resort music scene playing the Grand in up-scale Hotel lobbies and parties with his band The Uptown Strutters. – featuring a unique blend of jazz standards (thanks to mom) / blues and rock that has created a wide variety niche all its own -and they usually wrap up a set with “12th Rag.”

CURRENT

At present, Dave is still deeply involved with music by launching Music Creation Service with members of the Bluefield Band-width. Taking advantage of the online community, Dave can spend summers in Aspen, gigging at night with “The Strutters” , playing Big Bash Weddings and attending the world famous Aspen Music Festival classical music concerts with his wife, Karen, and spend the winters in Redondo Beach, CA. where Dave actively writes, produces and directs the “Band-width”.

THE UPTOWN STRUTTERS

L-R Billy Harmon drums/vocals, Steve Cole Sax/Clarinet/Vocals, Roberta Lewis vocals, Dave Bluefield LH Key Bass, RH Piano- arrangements)

Baby Dave

PERSONAL

In David Bluefield’s own words “It is all about sharing with me – always was, always will be” – “I have been a player in bands and teams my entire life and now as director of The Bandwidth, let the sharing begin, and… MUSIC GOT YOUR BACK.com”

After losing his stepson, Jasper Mountain, to cancer (2004), Dave had to deal with cancer himself. He returned from Aspen Colorado to Los Angeles (2009) to be with brothers Howard, Frank, Mom and Dad, Helen and Leo – where he ended up living on Venice Beach and defeating “C” with a great attitude and good fortune. He met his wife Karen shortly there after and moved to Redondo Beach, where he lives now, remaining relevant with his Music Got Your Back project.

PERSONAL

In David Bluefield’s own words : “It is all about sharing with me – always was always will be” – “I have been in a player in bands and teams my entire life and now as director of The Band-width -let the sharing begin”
After losing his step son, Jasper Mountain, to cancer (2004), Dave had to deal with cancer himself. He returned to Los Angeles (2009) to be with brothers Howard, Frank, mom and dad, Helen and Leo – where he ended up living on Venice Beach and defeating “C” with a great attitude and good fortune. He has continued to stay relevant with the digital-revolution as MUSIC CREATION SERVICE from his home-based work station.

FUN FACTS:

Dave’s Bands 

  • THE MUSICAL GEMS – The Pearlstein’s (Bar Mitzvah) 
  • ELECTRAS – KC AND THE VIOLATION – POT LUCK – UNKNOWNS (Garage/FratHouse Bands) 
  • KINDRED -Warner Bros • THREE DOG NIGHT -Dunhill  (Record Labels)
  • PAUL WILLIAMS and PAUL ANKA BANDS – (Las Vegas Showrooms)
  • PLATTERS (Pacific Northwest concerts)
  • ROBIN WILLIAMS BAND – (Mork and Mindy TV Show)
  • PAUL and RESPONSE w Rick Braun (Concerts)
  • HOLLYWOOD DODGERS – NETWORK -BROADBAND -UPTOWN STRUTTERS (Aspen)

 

DATING GAME:

Dave and his brother Howard worked for Chuck Barris -the creator of the Dating Game, The Newlywed Game, and the Gong Show. It was Dave’s enviable “job” to “guard” the 3 females that would pick the date- He made sure they did not wander around backstage and accidentally run into the guys. He also stood in front of the monitor to block the female contestants’ view so they would not catch a glance of the guy who would be asking them the questions. Lastly -remember the 2 losing contestants? it was Dave who led them off stage into the famous “green room” at ABC Studios where they would receive their consolation prize. When the ultra-famous Groucho Marx’s daughter was on the show as the female contestant picking the guys- Dave kept Groucho company in the green room when it was his daughter’s turn – As she walked onto the stage -Groucho said to Dave “I’d bet you’d like to have sex with her” – Dave did not reply and Groucho used slightly different er uh more graphic language.

NICK NOLTE:

Way back in the late ’70s Dave bought his first house in the Hollywood Hills and it was currently being rented by Nick Nolte Dave had to “ask” Nick to vacate (so he could move in) – this house became a pretty well-known Hollywood Hills recording studio for the likes of Lou Rawls, Don Henley and even Paul Anka, and yes, even Nick Nolte who came back years later to his former pad to record a P.S.A.

WALLY HEIDER RECORDING STUDIO:

It was Dave and partner Marty Rodgers’ songwriting demo band that came to meet then-engineer Sherman Keene at world-famous Wally Heider Recording studio in Hollywood. They had planned to record their latest songs and Sherman tested out this brand new technology that was called “digital” recording. These 10 songs by the Hollywood Dodgers were among the first ever digitally recorded music. Since the tech was new – one of the things that could happen was sound would completely disappear – which did happen but here we are today and the possibilities are endless.

SPINAL TAP STORIES:

One favorite story was about a flight to Lake Tahoe from LA for a Mary Macgregor (“Torn between two Lovers”) gig at Harrah’s at Tahoe. Most of the band (actually all of the band) lived in the SF Valley or Hollywood at the time and the Burbank Airport was much closer and far easier to get to than LAX. So the band requested to fly out of Burbank to have a couple of extra hours to sleep instead of the 7 AM flight out of LAX. We were told that the 7 AM flight was the most convenient and we all showed up an hour early and boarded the plane only to find out that it was not a direct flight to Tahoe but it had a scheduled stop at Burbank airport for a 9:30 departure. OOPs!

IN MEMORIAM

Jasper Mountain graduated from Aspen High School in 2000 and is remembered as a spirited, optimistic, energetic, caring, and creative person. He had a knack for ideas and inventions that were typically fun or meant to change the world! This award will be given to a student who demonstrates his/her own inventiveness and creativity.

“a big, quiet nap in the sky”

(beautiful words from an enlightened 24 yr old )

“As for my mind in all this, I would have to say I am less scared than concerned and interested. It is stressful to see how all this affects you -definitely more scary for you guys. For me, it’s surreal but not terrifying. I wake up every day feeling like ass, half glad that I woke up again but not thrilled about the constant pain. So for my take on treatment, I want to eliminate some of the pain, and see if I can squeeze in some extra time in which to actually live. After that, it’s an adventure. It is “THE” conversation point and speculated event of all time. No one knows what happens and it might be that I get to see what the fuss is about. That is a little scary, like a big water slide or taking off with the paraglider, but big and deep and amazing I am sure. So sadness aside this whole thing takes on a new light. I am more scared for the rest of you; the mess of emotion left behind in the wake of events like these is harder than being the person actually doing the dying. But there is another part that scares me more and keeps me fighting even though it hurts. It’s that I Love all of you. I don’t want to miss any of those things checking out early, as nice as a big, quiet nap in the sky might sound, it is a lot to give up with all the loved ones who are still here. In one way or another, I will be different, and life will be different but the world is not ending no matter what. Remember that old open palm thing, not holding on too tight to anything. Sadness is fine of course but strictly holding that the world will be one way or it will not be ok only brings more pain. To see that any outcome is ok. Maybe this experimental stuff will work and I’ll be around in person. Maybe I’ll be visiting in the wind or some more poetic way. (maybe just a good old-fashioned haunting… Kidding!) Ok, love ya Dave, I will talk to you soon.”

Jasper Mountain

PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT

Dave’s proudest achievement was being selected to be the Musical Director of the American Music Project – funded by Herb Alpert of A&M Records, through the humanitarianism of the great Don Drowty of Project Touch – producing rock and roll versions of children’s Nursery Rhymes to promote music for over 21 million children in 70 thousand schools. The musicians included members of “Earth Wind and Fire,” “Willie Nelson” and “Rita Coolidge” bands. This project included taking their music live on the road to play for Native Americans (Hopi, Zuni, Navaho Indian tribes in Arizona and New Mexico) with Iron-Eyes Cody (“The Crying Indian” from the popular anti-litter campaign), and which garnered Dave two Special Presidential Achievement Awards from the Administrations of United States President Carter and President Reagan.

David Bluefield
David Bluefield

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

It was Dave’s “hands” that played the synthesizer in communicating with the Mother Ship in the Stephen Spielberg classic “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Other career highlights include receiving a coveted Clio Award for a PSA for MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) starring Teri Garr, and two Special Presidential Achievement Awards from Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter for work with “The American Music Project”, and winning the Grand Prize at the Yamaha sponsored World Popular Song Fest held in Japan (with co-writer Marty Rodgers) beating 2000 entries from 72 countries (including the hit songs “Pina Colada” by Rupert Holmes and “Sailing” by Christopher Cross, in the process). Dave and Marty spent their prize money from the World Popular Song Fest to start Bluefield Music Design Production Company and quickly signed young artists such as the all boy-band “NewTriants”, Punk band “Jon Deer and the Headlice” and Latino-group “La Ti Do” to production deals with Motown Records.

 

Dave produced and arranged drum and synth strings for Stevie Nicks and Prince in recording “Wild Heart Album” and the hit song “Standback” working with Jimmy Iovine. Dave also recorded, toured, or performed with/for The Platters, Tim Buckley, Cheech and Chong, Don Henley, John Oates, Steve Martin , Robin Williams, Jimmy Buffet, Paul Anka, Paul Williams, Ringo Starr,and The Beach Boys.

INFLUENCES

At 13 Dave’s mom asked him if she bought a piano would he make time to practice ( and not give up his love of sports) and he said yes. So in comes a baby-grand and a tired old lady piano teacher who taught him a very uninspired “Down by the old mill stream”. Dave then heard the kid next door playing “12st Rag” and insisted mom hire Craig Safan’s (who would go on to compose the theme song for  the hit TV sitcom “Cheers”) teacher Helene Mirich and the rest is history. Ms Mirich taught a mixture of theory and improvisation that led Dave to his first bandmates “The Fabulous Unknowns” (kids from his Carthay Circle neighborhood in WLA). The bass player Ron Friedman’s dad Sam Friedman (aka Sunny Forest)  was a pharmacist by day and songwriter/jazz pianist at night and it was Sam who taught Dave the Boogie-Woogie. The “Unknowns” played at parties and dances through Junior High and Fairfax High and would close their sets with “12 st Rag” and their shows with the “Boogie Woogie”.

Then on Oct 28, 1964 everything would suddenly change for the better. That was the day when a friend took Dave to the now famous T.A.M.I. Show at the Santa Monic Civic Auditorium This show included performances from music legends Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, The Beach Boys, James Brown and the Famous Flames and closing with the Rolling Stones! For years afterwards the Stones would remember their horror at having the great James Brown. After witnessing this once in a lifetime collection of talent, Dave knew that music would be an important part of his life forever, and this crystalized when he heard John Lennon singing the lyrics to “All you need is Love” on the radio in his room. “There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done” and Dave thought why not copy the Beatles?

By the time he entered UCLA ཽ, Dave was a regular on the Sunset Strip and all of it’s night clubs, including the world famous Whiskey A Go Go – where, as luck would have it, he witnessed “The Jimi Hendrix Experience.” Not only did Dave get truly “experienced” that night, but this Baptism would continue to the very next day, when Jimi Hendrix appeared at a noon concert at UCLA and lit his guitar on fire not five feet from where Dave and his new band – “Pot Luck ” were sitting in the front row. The very next week, at the same UCLA Student Union and from the same front row seat, Mike Bloomfield of the legendary “Electric Flag” with Buddy Miles on drums, parted the curtains 10 minutes late into the scheduled start of their noon concert, and asked the crowd of 2000 if there “was an organ player in the house”! Dave ran on stage (he was actually “pushed” by his bandmates) and, once more, the rest is history. Dave soon thereafter signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records as the main writer of “Kindred” and toured the United States opening for “Three Dog Night” whose song “Joy to the World” was a worldwide sensation.

 

Then the band had a fateful gig in Aspen CO for New Years Eve. The band fell in love with CO and eventually 4 of the members would move there. Even though Dave had this Clio award-winning Bluefield Music Design music production company he upped and moved lock stock and barrel to Aspen,CO. in Aug 1991 -He was still doing music production but he was now ready to pursue his main love – playing the grand piano. He became centrally entrenched in the vibrant Destination Resort music scene playing the Grand in up-scale Hotel lobbies and parties with his band The Uptown Strutters. – featuring a unique blend of jazz standards (thanks to mom) / blues and rock that has created a wide variety niche all it’s own.

David Bluefield