Socrates Thalassos
(formerly jay dancing bear)
the adventure continues!
Guitar Mentoring [lessons]
Music for Parties and Events
Private and House Concerts
Personal Growth Teacher
rock-folk-blues-slide-R+B-open tuning-Blue Raga-meditational-and more
written over 750 songs and guitar instrumentals
playing since 1976
played in the US and Europe, solo and in bands, both electric and acoustic
teaching since 1980
have taught at music stores (Haight Ashbury Music, San Francisco), now primarily give private lessons
played everywhere from big Hamburg concerts [i just opened, but everyone said i stole the show] to Paris restaurants to SF punk clubs to Kirtans and Dances of Universal Peace with lots of coffeeshops, bars, parties, gatherings, events, streetcorners and Farmer’s Markets along the way.
Longtime busker [street musician}-it’s easy, just show up and play, no booking, no promotion
I love playing my songs for people.
I want to play my songs for you!
as a performer i always give 150%, as a teacher i am committed to giving you the best guidance possible, helping you to bring out the music that is in you and have a deeper and richer experience of life!
When i travel i like to stay in a place for a while and really get the feel of it.
Some places i’ve lived for at least a month or two
US——New York-Boston-Seattle-Denver-Omaha-Santa Fe-Champaign Urbana Illinois-Key West-Ft. Lauderdale [used to play on the beach, they called me “guitarman”-and a few others
California-SF Bay Area [all over]-San Diego [mostly hanging at my friend Tom’s in his guest cabin. Thanks dude, wrote a lot of songs there]-Monterey-Big Sur-Mt. Shasta-Harbin Hot Springs-Santa Rosa-San Luis Obispo-San Jose-Santa Cruz [thanks Sola for your guest cabin]-and a few others
Europe-Milan-Hamburg-Paris-Athens-Crete [mostly iraklion and Xania]-Koln-Frankfurt-Flensburg-Saarland-Villeneuve Loubet Plage [French riviera near nice]-Lignano [near Venice]-etc
now i’m a solid citizen [ha!] in Eugene Oregon, very much enjoying the stability.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Around 1988 i got some therapy from a shamanic rebirther. In the course of the sessions, in a light trance, a bear came to me and gave me the name Jay Dancing Bear. I thought it was the stupidist fucking name i ever heard, and for the first few years felt ridiculous saying that was my name, but it felt right, so i had to go with it. It really was truthful to who I was, but for the past couple of years it hasn’t really felt accurate anymore.
In the past few years a new name has been percolating up from my subconscious, Socrates Thalassos. i didn’t pick it, or try to think up a name, it’s just been coming through, so after a couple of years of sitting with it i am going with it. It does feel like who i am now. If nothing else anybody who knows me knows that i think a lot, looking as deeply as i can into whatever i am contemplating.
in greek thalassa means ocean: thalassos is not, to my knowledge, a word in current greek, although it would not surprise me to find out it is a word in ancient greek.
i grew up in Athens from age six months to 3 1/2 years old. i am told Greek was my first language, but long since forgotten. When i spent 4 1/2 months on Crete and Athens in 1991 i learned a few words of greek, and as long as i didn’t say too much, people thought i was greek.
So, Socrates Thalassos.
DONATIONS WELCOME
KEEP THE MUSIC PLAYING and
THE POEMS AND WRITINGS GETTING WRITTEN!
As you know, poets can always use money.
I am putting all my poems and other work up here for free so that everyone can benefit, i have no qualms about soliciting donations to keep that work going.
Below is a paypal button which you can use to send me money to pay for the necessities of life, guitar strings and equipment, and maybe a few luxuries.
Thank you.
click on this to hear Socrates Thalassos Speaks podcast on itunes. Also on other platforms!
Here’s a poem i wrote many years ago, still one of my favorites
Beautiful Path
I walk this path
every day
watching my breath and
hearing my mind race
it’s a beautiful path
often i don’t see it
but when i do
it’s a beautiful path
Socrates Thalassos 
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