The Agony and Ecstasy of Songwriting
"This Dispatch is going to be a deep dive into the creative process. I know most of you are music lovers and hope you find it interesting – raw and unfiltered from the horse’s mouth instead of highly processed in movies like Once or the upcoming A Complete Unknown...."

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Gifts of Music
Katie's Orphans
"Preparing for Katie’s memorial ceremony in the desert, I found a folder of lyrics she’d left with me when we were partners in Terra Incognita, in San Francisco in the 1980s...My mission is to turn them into the songs they deserve."

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Craft of Art
Talking About the Desert
On Monday night, May 27 2024, Los Angeles public radio station KPFK aired an interview with Max. Hear him share his experiences in the desert:

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KPFK Interview
Elders & Mentors: James Sayre
By thinking beyond the cliches of liberalism and patriotism, by opposing war and imperialism and speaking truth to power, James reinforced the lessons Max had gotten from earlier mentors. Unlike many of his well-educated friends, James never stopped thinking critically and questioning authority, and to the end, he resisted the capitalist consumer lifestyle and addiction to technology that they all ultimately accepted.

Learn about James Sayre

James Sayre
Something Different: Spontaneous Music!
Before and after their studio is destroyed by an earthquake, Max's San Francisco band exorcises their demons with exotic grooves and the eerie cries of Mike Elias's lap steel guitar.

Listen and Get It Now!

At picnics and parties in the East Bay, Max and friends explore new musical worlds with African drums, Appalachian banjo, saxophone, flute, and vocal improv.

Listen and Get It Now!

Dispatches

Postcard Canyon

Monday, August 26th, 2024

In Search of the Cool

Monday, August 19th, 2024

The Shape of Things to Come

Monday, August 12th, 2024

More Dispatches...

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