Kassidy Dawn, Daughter of Dr BLT, age 4

What do you get when you bring together Merle-Haggard-and-Buck-Owens-era-Bakersfield-Sound-pioneers and 2nd and 3rd and even 4th generation Bakersfield-sound-grounded solo artists and bands?  What do you get when you take an original Dr BLT Christmas medley composition about the homeless, add Mark Yeary's (formerly of Merle Haggard and the Strangers) arrangement and production skills, solo artists like Mark McKinney, Kassidy Dawn (pictured above) Patrick Jarret, Kaman Ruby, and representatives from bands like Fatt Katt and the Vonzippers, The Buckaroos, Soulajar, and the Councilmen?  What do you get when the best studios in town donate recording studio time for an CD track/mp3 that, along with the entire Christmas album (tentatively entitled The Bakersfield Sound of Christmas) will be used to raise money for Bethany's Bakersfield Homeless Shelter? 

Well, you get a creative community social psychology intervention that will raise awareness about the needs of our homeless, and (hopefully) lots of money to give homeless residents of Bakersfield a merrier Christmas.  Bakersfield and Oildale's beloved own Merle Haggard inspired this project, with the passion and music he has directed towards this issue over the years.  We want to keep his tradition alive through this recording project. 

Local artists are lining up behind this project, but if you've got talent, we can still find a way to squeeze you in.  Email me, Dr BLT, if you're interested in participating in this.  If you're a business that wants to sponsor the project in any way, or provide raw materials, marketing, or whatever you may bring to the table, your passion and your generousity will also be greatly appreciated. 

drblt@drblt.net

In other news, Hot Rod, bass player for Fatt Katt and the Vonzippers represented the band last night on I am Schizophrenia, a recording of a brand new psychobilly song that actually serves as an educational tool on the subject of schizophrenia and is part of a music-drama production that includes National University graduate students from the Clinical Assessment class I teach.  Check that project out here:

I am Schizophrenia