Sunflare Songs/Records

06/14/2026

BACK TO MY SOUL - impromptu rendition by Garry
Sunup's fully produced version: https://www.submithub.com/link/sunup-back-to-my-soul
No one was home last night except yours truly. After the thrilling win by the Knicks, after trailing for all but 3 1/2 minutes of the game, I pulled out my guitar and with the fading power of my phone, decided to hammer out this version of Back To My Soul. I had no idea what I was going to do for the solo section, so I made it up on the fly. It's just a rockin' fun song. I hope it brings a smile to you face☺️

06/13/2026

My guess is that Bernie and I hadn't played together since around the early 1990's, but it could have been just before that. We just played for about an hour one day swapping songs one day last week. Bernie has a cool little recording device he runs through his phone. So, he took a couple minutes to set it up and off we went on playing this Dylan cover, which will be my new release next week! It was a lot of fun, so I hope you enjoy our impromptu version of "It Ain't Me Babe" to kick off your weekend!

06/11/2026

IT AIN'T ME BABE - Garry Manuel - Sunflare Songs
Friday, June 19th = the release of the Dylan cover, It Ain't Me Babe

Garry: A short time ago I was messing around with alternate tunings and just randomly slid into playing the first verse and chorus of Dylan's, "It Ain't Me Babe". My wife said, "That sounds nice." So, I thought to myself, maybe I should record this tune?! Then...I DID!

06/11/2026

So, you thought being a jockey was a smooth ride?! 😂
Here is a group of photos that I took at Finger Lakes Race Track that show the aftermath of a muddy day or wet day at the track. They are fun to look at, but likely not as much fun getting the kick back riding at 35-40 mph on horseback... ~Garry

06/11/2026

Finger Lakes Race Track - 8th Race - Observer wins with Keiber Coa aboard, trained by John Grabowski. She ran extremely well on a hot and muggy afternoon (6/10/26). It was enjoyable to play around with this photo, creating a painted effect. The effect seemed appropriate for this shot.

There are days I just wander out to the track with my camera. I love being around the horses and keeping my camera revved up, especially with the Saratoga meet coming up. I've been going out to the track for years, mainly because some of my horses (in partnership) could not compete at the NYRA levels. Particularly, in this last year or so, I've met a good number of really nice people and becoming reacquainted with people I had not seen in many years.

Visiting the track is also therapeutic for me, both mentally and physically. I need to walk, so walking from the paddock out to the apron, as well as climbing the stairs is a good, but not boring work out. Being around the horses and horse people is also a joy for me.

Because I'm an incessant dreamer, I can't help wishing for an atmosphere that is more uplifting, as well as an environment that is more worthy of these fine athletes, both jockeys and horses. One of the more gratifying aspects of taking photos at the track is capturing the joy, frustration, as well as the athleticism of the horses and jockeys. My hope is that the backstretch workers will also be able to receive a living wage, and find a complete joy in working with the horses. At some point, I will expound a bit further.

I guess my 19 years with Project URGE and urban ministry has instilled something that I cannot shake. Soon I'll be helping out with the Race Track Chaplaincy. I'm hoping you'll join me in trying to help some folks who are struggling to get by. There are opportunities to lift people up, no matter where you might be, or wherever your passions might lie.

I sincerely hope you enjoy our music, photos, videos, and stories. Thanks for joining us here on planet Sunflare Songs. It's a nice place to be...

Sincerely, ~Garry

06/10/2026

OUTRIDERS - What do they do?
If you have only been to a race track a few times or not at all, you may not know what an outrider's job is. It may seem easy, but you're typically on site all day long. Have you ridden horse for a long period of time? If not, you probably don't realize that it can be uncomfortable after a while. Here I want to give you a little tutorial. What you typically notice at a race track is that there is usually a person on a horse that accompanies the horse that is to race, from the paddock (saddling area) out to the track. Once they're on the track their job is to try and keep the horse calm.

Often they will stay close to the gate when the horses are loading in case they need assistance, or if they have to back the horses out of the gate , and circle about. They often have to try and settle high-strung horses.

If there is an emergency on the track, they typically are the first to arrive and assess. Occasionally a jockey may get dumped, or once in a while, a horse will break free and their job is to catch that horse before it does harm to itself, or to another person, or property in its proximity. Of course, this demands that they have excellent riding skills. On top of that, at the drop of a hat they have to make quick decisions and stay calm, should some chaos ensue on the track. So you see, there is much more to it than your average track visitor or viewer of a TV broadcast of a horse race might imagine .

Often, they often entertain guests at the track, but letting them pet their horse or chatting, or maybe answering a question. Great ambassadors!

Let's take a look....

06/09/2026

FINGER LAKES JOCKEYS & ACTION for 6/8/26
It was a GORGEOUS DAY in the Rochester Area and particularly at Finger Lakes Race Track. Check out these featured athletes. Not all the excitement is in Saratoga! Have a GREAT day! ~Garry

06/08/2026

We love the entire Davis family. Katie got in a bit of trouble in the gate the other day. Hear her tell the story!

06/07/2026

RAY! This IS so good! Even before my high school years I had received a gift from my Aunt Edie, that was Ray Charles, "In Person" album. If you had me name a few albums that were the top influences early on in my musical journey, without thinking about it I'd have to say they were: Ray Charles (In Person) and the song Georgia On My Mind, Meet the Beatles, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jeff Beck, Blow By Blow, and Narada Michael Walden 's first album, Garden of Lovelight. So, this morning I stumbled across this video of Ray Charles performing, "I've Got News for You", with Jeff Pevar playing guitar. I'm gonna post it, and make sure you check it out. For those of you that don't know, Jeff Pevar played guitar for YEARS with David Crosby. He is one of the tastiest guitarists out there, and you'll see that it began a LONG time ago. Besides Pevar playing with so much soul, you'll see and hear Ray in his absolute, top form!. This is outstanding! ~Garry

I am thrilled that this video surfaced from the Lugano Jazz Festival in Lugano Switzerland in 1986 on tour with Ray Charles. To my surprise we played our set...