upBEAT DOWNbeat is a book of poems penned by a working musician who is also a world champion performance poet. It examines the drudgery of wedding receptions, the art of soothing childhood traumas with soulful classics, and the mixed emotions of watching a daughter get bitten by the same bug that makes a people stumble out onto stages for gas money. If you play several instruments or only pretend to play one when alone in your bedroom, this book was written for you.