January 25, 2007 - The California trip is complete! Music at the Porch in Santa Margarita (sans sound system) was cool -- great photos from Dusty Davis -- followed by a little after party at Anne's house. The next day was the 10th Anniversary show at Russ and Julie's House concert. The room was packed (at least 100), the company good, the music fabulous. Had a great time and felt honored to be in the company of folks like James Lee Stanley, Severin Browne and James Coberly Smith, Freebo and Jim Photoglo, Laurence Juber, Lowen and Navarro, Berkley/Hart, Wendy Waldman and Penny Nichols as well as many of the friends I've made in the LA area. A great week, though I'm glad to be home again!
It snowed in LA today.....
January 17, 2007 - It snowed in LA today.....
January 17, 2007 - Played at Garret Swayne's Mainstreet Songwriter's Showcase last night and had a great time -- been a great week actually. Finally finished traveling with my old friend Martin Gibbs -- left him in San Francisco as he headed North to Seattle, and I back to LA to play (see below). Capped off the Bay area trip with a visit with Tim Mason's wonderful wife Shannon and her Touchable Stories project in Richmond. She is doing remarkable things there -- worth getting involved with! If you don't know Shannon Flattery or Touchable Stories, go to their web site and learn more -- get involved and contribute! : - )
Before getting up there got to spend a great couple of days with another great friend Anne Bussone in San Luis Obispo (after a quick KCSN radio gig) and no few days on the road in a very, very cold California (they swear I brought it!). Last night's show ended with a great gathering of folks, and promise of more to come. Can't beat good company and great music! The door is open to Alaska, will any walk through it?
A new year dawns
January 7, 2007 - A new year dawns and it is already full of activity -- though the cold up here has got me barely moving -- some kind of prehistoric instinct for survival I am sure.... Just returned from a mad cap trip to DC (and a little beyond) where I spent New Year's Eve with good friends Martin Gibbs and Sarah Morgan. Martin popped over from London with his Dad, David and picked up his friend Jamie McLeod in Boston. Together they met another British friend, Simon Skinner -- (I knew them all in England when I lived there). Martin is heading off on a great trip across America that we cooked up after I did the same last year (he joined me for some of that one last year). I went as far as Chapel Hill, NC with them then had to turn back for dinner with friends in DC (Rob and Karla and Kim) and home... I'll hook up with the journey later this week in Phoenix and together we'll head to San Diego, LA, San Luis Obispo and San Francisco before I take leave and head back down to LA to begin a short week of music!
The show on the 28th on KCSN's "Tied to the Tracks" with Larry Wines went very, very well, should have it up soon. I was even invited to a party in LA (had to e mail that it was pre recorded and I was in a coffee house in Alaska... alas). Larry will have me on for two quick songs this coming Saturday (January 13th) at around 8:00 am Pacific Time -- which will help me promote the Main Street Songwriter's Showcase gig (thanks again Garret!) and mention the Porch in San Luis Obispo and Russ and Julie's 10th Anniversary House Concert on the 20th. A busy week for me ending with a visit to San Diego and then home.
Check out the gigs list -- new updates all the time. There are upcoming January dates in Alaska, February dates in Alaska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Massachusetts, and more after that! If you know of a good venue drop me a line and let me know who to contact. Love to play!
Southern California
December 15, 2006 - Too long between entries, but I suffered from the inevitable hard drive melt down. Left me unable to add to this for three weeks, but all is well now. Big next five weeks coming up. Just finished confirming a great week in mid January in Southern California (check out the gigs link) starting with 1 hour pre-recorded radio show on Woodland Hills/Northridge's own KCSN (88.5 FM) broadcasting as www.kcsn.org. The show airs at 8:45 am Pacific Coast Time as part of Larry Wines' "Tied to the Tracks" show, and should be good. After a few weeks here at home (Mom visiting now!) I head down to Phoenix to meet up with my old British friend Martin Gibbs -- he's on a cross country drive (Boston to Seattle) and I'll join him from Phoenix to San Fran. Then its back south for Cafe Bellissimo on the 16th of January (Main Street Songwriter's Showcase with Garret Swayne), The Porch in Santa Margarita on the 19th and Russ and Julie's House Concerts tenth anniversary concert on the 20th. Just a great week! Don't forget to pop over to the music link and buy a cd or two for a stocking stuffer -- they go out immediately and shipping and handling is my treat for Christmas (okay, its always my treat). See you all down the road!
Folsom Prison
November 18, 2006 - What a week so far! Played at Folsom Prison on Thursday the 16th with good friend Jerry Holder and Buddy Tabor. With help from Buddy, Cheri Snook and especially Jim Carlson (runs the arts program there) we stepped into a bit of history. Folsom's changed -- the old prison where Cash rocked the house is a relic. The new blocks are brighter, less stone more concrete. But the gate checks, the guards and the guys in the yard haven't changed. Each step taking you deeper into a life you can't really know. An odd feeling that. We played in the Chapel -- four concrete block walls -- on a stage where the only adornment were two roughly painted hands reaching up to the sky. Freedom was a theme, and loss, and life. We took turns playing and listened to the poetry of Spoon, the music of Marty and another inmate (who sang "A Cowboy's Confession" -- a song that came to him in a dream) as they and we belted out original creation. Thanks owed to all and those fifty who came to listen. As Buddy Tabor observed, whether your inside or outside those walls, its a limited gig for all of us. Following that we joined Terry Holder and drove up to Grass Vlley for a lightly attended fundraiser and some of the worst jokes I've laughed at in a long time...thanks Buddy!
Last night was our first here at FAR-West in Sacramento (that's the Western end of the Folk Alliance and a conference of music, venues, singers, tips, and talents held annually) -- Susan Mumma and I (she of the Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival) co-hosted an Alaska room featuring artists from Alaska (or born there) and those who have played in her summer festival. What a night, after successful showcases from Buddy, Lauren Sheehan, Dan Lowe, James Lee Stanley, Tim Mason, Terry and Jerry Holder and myself, Terry and Jerry, Tim, Susan and I traded songs (and liquid joy) until the wee hours of the morning finally stopping as the conversation drifted into world saving, life and the hard reality of loss -- bookends for another day of music.
Tired but awake, we begin another day.
Sitka Grind
November 5, 2006 - Well, not so successful at doing the blog thing, but here is another attempt.... Just returned from the Sitka Grind -- a monthly event with a number of artists from the community and beyond held in that marvelous City by the Sea (Paris of the Pacific!). This time it was the "Maritime" Grind -- sea shanties and Ocean themes, though one act put down "Motorcycle Mama" and "The Thrill is Gone"). I played my new song "The Wave" (on the next EP CD "Five Songs, Five Stories" this Summer) and an old one: "The Calling of the Sea" (likely to be on the Winter 2007 "Forgotten Streets and Lost Broadway"), then took my ten words from the audience. In the end, we had the audience singing the new construction of "A Whale of a Tale" to close the show. Ted Howard, local Sitka History teacher and fab guitarist joined me on stage for that last song and a playing of "Fat Moon". He was just great! Sitka was completely clear, the moon full and the air was magic -- like it always seems to be to me when I am there. Friends like Jeff Budd (who hosted the Grind), Tom Clarke and Sheldon Schmitt just add to my always great experiences there. I always seem to leave to soon, but I've been on the road traveling for a while and needed to get home. Can't wait for the next time... Great people, great town, great time.
Also new -- I should be posting a new first cut studio version of "Eddie's Song", which addresses war, on the home page (if I can figure it out). Pass it on if you like, and get it on the air if you think it should be.
Los Angeles
July 24, 2006 - This is my experiment: first blog entry. Just finished a whirlwind week down in Los Angeles, The San Fernando Valley and Las Vegas. Many thanks to Garret Swayne (http://www.garretswayne.com) for hosting a great venue at the Main Street Songwriters Showcase. The crowd was excellent, including a number of old friends. I hadn't seen Bruce Grossman (also a singer/songwriter) since college days (great to connect up again!) and got to see old friends Bob Meadow, Ron Young and Linda Dewar, Gordon DeBoer and many others. After a quick trip to Vegas to meet up with one of my musical compatriots, Terry Holder, and her daughter Erin and granddaughter Jade, and friends Anne Bussone and, Andrea Stats, Mary and others, I headed back to a night of a casual meeting of the music scene with Russ Paris. You should all check out Kulak's Woodshed which is operated on the generosity of both its physical and cyber patrons (www.kulakswoodshed.com/) and the current happenings at Russ and Julie’s House Concerts which can be found on at (http://jrp-graphics.com/houseconcerts.html) to really get into the San Fernando Valley. Finally ended the trip with a stop at KCSN, 88.5 on the dial there (and webcasting at www.kcsn.org) for a live show with Larry Wines host of "Tied to the Tracks" - a great show from 6 am to 10 am every Saturday featuring live interviews and great independent music. Chicago Red and the incredible Wiyos (www.wiyos.com/) were on after me - loved watching that live music in that small studio! Check it out on the web. I recorded a copy of one of my new numbers, "Eddie's Song", which should get some airplay over the next few months there - that's its first recording (though it is copywrited!) That's it for now, gotta catch a flick.
