Catching up

September 18, 2007 - Man has it been a long time since I have had a chance to update this website! One of the great difficulties of being an independent musician is maintaining the website, the MySpace, the Sonic Bids, the schedule, oh and life itself (almost like a Monty Python sketch, that last).  I usually take the summer off to enjoy Alaska at its best, but this one was full of turmoil and change - -house reconstruction, best friends moving out of state, way too much travel and some great music gigs throughout! Since the last entry been to LA, New York, Pennsylvania, DC, Puerto Rico, Oregon, Northern California, Washington state, and Montana (as well as here).  Continuing to do work with youth and helping communities develop strategies to prevent crime when I'm not playing music (a strange but oddly satisfying life). Also continuing to write sonnets for the February book... edits are being done by one of the finest poets I know (and, yes, I know a few) Keith Liles (he has a book ready for publication, so go to his MySpace and check him out and either publish him or pass it on!).  Really, not quite the relaxing summer I'd hoped for (ergo the lack of entries).  Musically, it was cool having som eof the folks from FAR-West up here for music at OutNorth -- a great venue here in Anchorage.  Still hoping to continue to develop that venue.  More importantly I and my friends the Holders are heading to Northern California and a series of gigs next week and the following week.  Terry and Jerry Holdermoved to Olympia last month and she has moved forward tremendously on her new CD (untitled as yet) with the guiding hands of Freebo, Joel Tepp and Kurt Rieman of Surreal Studios.  Our tour next week begins with Terry at the Rose Street House of Music on September 27th. I join up with them on the 28th and we head to Placerville to a perform at the Cozmic Cafe that night.  On the 29th we are at a House concert back in San Francisco (e mail for more information and to reserve a seat: ninajo@redwoodrivermusic.com) and then we close out Northern California in Cotati at Ordinary Miracles on Sunday (for more information e mial: matt@atmattsplace.com).  The following week (after a long-delayed visit to my Mom in Carson City) we end our tour in Las Vegas at Garage Mahall.  I'll get a little respite after that -- some time to work on my own CD -- before heading for a couple of gigs and some other work in Denver and then FAR -West at the begining of the month.  More on that later!  Now I'm off for a break and a glass of wine. : - )


Sitka

April 26, 2007 - Returned from another great "Grind" in Sitka on April 21 (my Mom's Birthday!  Happy Birthday Mom!)  Got to love those events -- was able to stay at the "Clarke B & B" (not really a B & B, just the home of my good friends Tom and Gretchen Clarke), meet up with many old freinds like Jeff Budd, and even get Gary to come up on stage with me (thanks man -- great harmonica work!).  I just LOVE that town.  If you haven't been to Sitka, you need to go, but respect the folks there : - ) .  Tom and Gretchen got me out for a walk at  Mosquito Cove (luckily too early for those critters) and I was able to just relax and enjoy the beauty of Southeast Alaska.  Following a couple of days in Juneau (visiting old friends) I was back at home and preparing for this Saturday's 7:00 pm House Concert at the home of Jose Salas and Claudia Rivera (see gigs) and a sneak preview of the event at my Side Street Espresso haunt tomorrow! (11:30 am for those who read this). California coming in early May and Pennsylvania and other haunts later that month!


My Father

April 6, 2007 - Today my Father would have been 75 had he lived.  But instead I am older than he ever was now by 6  -- nearly 7 -- years.  I find that odd, in a way.  Its a day of reflection... Usually the Fund would announce winners of the scholarships named in his honor, but those have been delayed for a month or so.

I have finally slowed down a bit, trying to catch up on the world of recreation, though building a great number of sonnets in anticipation of my book of sonnets (to be released in Feb. '08) !  Though normally reflective of love or adventure, some have slipped political lately.  Following is Ozymandias (2007)- a remake of a great sonnet with W as the protagonist ...

Ozymandias 2007

Armed with the ammunition of story

I blaze forth, retell my past, and create

              the heroic pattern of history

Where myth becomes truth, reality debate

I stand as democracy’s lone sentry

I dictate and decide who is with us

               and who lies against freedom’s destiny

Or denies to history my purpose

I treat the future with abandon, for

My name is Ozymandias, arisen!

              I determine all and then command when war

Is to be forgotten and rewritten.

Legacy? It is left to my judgment

I am but God’s vessel, his instrument

By the way, "Eddie's Song" continues to hover around 100 out of 1200 plus for the "Living With War" site.  If you want a chance to help move that song along, just click on the site and when you get there, do a "find" on "Begich".  That will take you to the song (then just click to listen!)

Superior and Bear Lake

March 7, 2007 - Waited TOO long to make this update but much has - and continues to - happen! I spent the second week on February heading down to Juneau, Alaska then over to Minnesota where Bill Isles invited me to join him and his wife Kate for two gigs - one in Superior Wisconsin, the other down in White Bear Lake near Minneapolis.  While the crowd was small in Superior, it was an amazing evening.  Bill's audience knows him well and I was warmly welcomed.  I was also pleased to see my cousin Jeff's daughter Bri show up - popping over from Duluth and making me feel pretty good about music that transcends age : - )    The big suprise came in White Bear Lake where 16 members of my extended family and a number of their friends showed up making for a verrry friendly crowd. These were folks from both sides of my family, some who had never met and some I hadn't seen for over 25 years!  Very cool and a great evening too.  With a fond farewell to Bill and Kate, I stayed with my cousin Anna and her husband Gary and just caught up for a missed quarter century.  Though much of the following weeks were also quite full, one highlight was in Hawaii where my friend Laura Nissan asked me to play after a conference for Reclaiming Futures (another of my many lives - you might have heard the tag on NPR "...and by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation which is sponsoring Reclaiming Futures...").  Laura and a small group of friends from New Hampshire to Oregon and beyond gathered around an umbrella and I was able to play a number of the new songs for them for about an hour and a half.  Magical - and for all of us a good evening.  Enough for now except one last thing - just found out that I'll be at Out North Theatre next Saturday (17th) opening for Samarabalouf - amazing French jazz trio!  I saw them first on Paris TV when I was overseas this last year - mesmerizing. Life really is too cool sometimes!


The Burren

February 13, 2007 - Back in Alaska for a moment -- The Burren gig went well -- folks from Providence, RI and up in Maine showed up, as well as folks from Boston.  Just a great time had by all.  Loved Host Danielle Miraglia's music and the music of the Drew Hickman Band, and the crowd, though loud, seemed to like the sounds.  Drove my friend Riley back to Providence that night before returning to Boston in time to catch my early morning plane!  Very tired now....


Club Passim

February 9, 2007 - Played at Club Passim on Wednesday opened for the Santa Cruz River Band, and had a great time!  Really loved listening to the Band, and just felt lucky being surrounded by all the music -- very, very cool.  Also got to see lots of friend: Liz Spinney brought a friend of hers, Jen, Lael and her husband Charlie stopped by.  College friend Victoria and her Husband Wayne made it.  Valerie (friend who also worked for me in Alaska) left hubby at home and brought her friend Eve and Leo Carroll came in from Concord. Leo loved the SCR Band and, when I left, he was offering to help carry their gear!  What a great group and engaged crowd it was.  Tonight Leo and I poppoed over to the Colonial Inn in Concord to catch John Fitzsimmons.  It ended up another cool night of music as John asked me (thanks to a discreet request from songwriter Jim Shaw) to play a few songs and the folks there seemed to appreciate the music.  Its the kind of thing you just love (I was the last customer out of the bar as Jim Shaw slipped out right in front of me.  Getting ready to play the Burren on Sunday (8) then home Monday for a day or two! "Eddie's Song" was at #53 this week.


"Eddie's Song"

January 31, 2007 - "Eddie's Song", one of the pieces I am most proud of, has made it to number 70 on Neil Young's "Living With War" site.  I was stunned to see it move at all and then those of you on the list have helped it move into the top 100.  So many thanks for that -- I played it for the Anchorage Folk Festival crowd this past Sunday and was struck by a Viet Nam Vet, (14 months in) Mike, who came up to me and thanked me for writing it.  That, and the overwhelming emotion of the e mails I have received, are truly humbling.  Thanks gang....