The Cd is supposedly in stores now and I've got a few launch parties
happening starting this week-end. I think every gig from now to February is
going to be a CD launch party. Since Monday I've been trying to have a
serious rehearsal schedule. Yesterday Michelle and Victor came over and
today, even though there was no-one but me, I managed to go over the tunes.
The big CD release batch is Friday Night at the Silver Dollar and the big
rehearsal is on Thursday. I shouldn't worry with musicians of this caliber
- they couldn't sound bad if they tried. I'm the weak link in this chain,
and as long as I am confident they will fit in just fine.
On Saturday I helped Julian Fauth celebrate his CD launch in Waterloo. Did
a few tunes and a couple with Julian. It was strange getting to the venue,
though. The Boathouse is located in the park in the middle of Kitchener and
when we went to drive into the park there were security guys keeping people
out because the park was set up for a big festival the next day. They had
their orders and they were unaware that there was something happening in
The Boahouse that evening. After driving around the park looking for
another entrance we came back to the gate and by then, the security guards
had been alerted. Makes you wonder how many people they turned away before
they figured out what was going on.
And this exciting news: I sold my first CD! I didn't want to sell it
because it's a promo and I'm not supposed to sell them but it was Julian's
mom and she wanted one real bad so I let her have it for a "special price".
I did three live radio shows in the last couple of weeks, playing guitar on
the air. Last night is was "Acoustic Workshop" and I played guitar most of
the hour.
Last week I went to a media showcase for a group from California, Nickel
Creek. The label rep asks me if I want to meet the band...and what do I do?
I rush off to catch the tail end of a board meeting that was getting along
perfectly alright without me. There was nothing preventing me from hanging
in there for a while longer, and yes, meeting the band. We just don't
change very much, do we? Reminds me of a phrase that still echoes in my
mind like it was yesterday, "...but don't you want to came back to the
green room and meet Joni Mitchell?" Of course not! Who would want to meet
Joni Mitchell? I'm sure the fact that I'm beginning to recognize and
acknowledge this dysfunctional behaviour means maybe I'm having another
growth spurt (at age 60).
I'm in total work avoidance mode and it seems like everytime I've got lots
of work, that's when I feel like writing a song or playing guitar. Now I
think I'll cut this blog short, but what have I left out: I sat in with Rod
Phillips and the Pie Guys last Sunday - played Hi-Tech blues with a new
groove that I was diggin on a Duke Robillard CD. I did a couple of tunes at
a Hurricane Relief Fundraiser and I started writing a song for the next
Katrina concert I get invited to. I went to see Pinetop Perkins playing
with a bunch of local blues guys and Prakash John, who is a phenomenal bass
player, not particularly known as a blues player, but he can do it all and
he did. The show was a bit of a Canadian debut for Yossi Piamenta, the
"Hassidic Hendrix" and he sat in with most of Pinetop's set. He also can do
it all, I bet. Everybody was thrilled to be playing with "Pine" and they
all had smiles pasted on their faces. Rod Phillips was playing organ and he
told me he was quite surprised that they played straight through for an
hour and a half. "Pine" has been known to give some pretty short shows.
Anyway, with a pick-up band like this, you tend to keep things simple and
he stretched the tunes out with a lot of rounds of solos. And the day
before that I was at my only Film Festival event - the "Gala" premiere on
"Walk The Line" the new Johnny cash biopic. The stars were in the house -
having arrived in 50's Caddilac limousines. An I loved the movie - I even
cried in one spot.
So what does any of this have to do with playin blues. Well I'm going to
stop typing now and get back to playing my guitar. Trying to make it a
daily habit. Stay well, B