Halloween in Bloomington

Had a rowdy night in Bloomington Illinois celebrating Halloween a bit early. The adams family played and the crowd of freaks let it roll. I love music combined with laughing , and we did a lot of that last night . This holiday gives us all permission to bring out our inner weirdos. It’s like the world turns into New Orleans for a few days. We’re driving up through Chicago to Evanston today listening to Joel Paterson play old timey rags on acoustic guitar. Makes me think of Steve Goodman and all of the great Chicago players, like my old bud sugar blue. Man I’ve had some good times in this town. Traveling with these cats is a constant pile of new tunes to listen to, and play. And Halloween has always meant trying some weird stuff you might not know and just let er rip! Looking forward to some wild times tonight.

Photo by Steve Greene

Tulsa

Tulsa is a great music town and we just had a night with some Tulsa legends. The red dirt rangers have been at it for 36 years and sound better than ever as they’re getting ready to hit the studio with another pile of great songs to record . The king of red dirt, Randy Crouch was in the house and brought the vibe only he can bring. It just makes ya glad to be alive when you’re around Randy. He’s so absolutely positive and loving a being that music just flows from him. One of the true red dirt pioneers, he and his wife Liz are still making the world a better place one note at a time. Red dirt ranger John Cooper got us into Caines Ballroom to absorb the vibe in the house Bob Wills built. It’s as important as the ryman in terms of its effect on American music. Bob Wills radio show was beamed all across the west 5 days a week at noon. The sound of the show would fill the town making Tulsa a musical funhouse ! That vibe is still around today. With the Guthrie and Dylan museums in town , it’s a good place to come hang awhile but, on to Wichita …..

Outer Banks

Driving along in the bus this morning , watching the fog burn off the cotton fields. Little farmhouse yards full of old tractors and chicken sheds look like they’re from another time. Maybe the outer banks and coastal Carolina are in a different kind of time. All those vacationers hours of enjoying life to its fullest have made the locals love what they have in a deeper way . They hold onto the old ways. Fishing, farming, music, good food. There’s evidence of these things all around. Last night salmon played the bluegrass island festival in Manteo. Had some good lobster and got to catch 3 acts of good trad bluegrass on Roanoke island. In the 1500’s some brits made a go of trying to settle onto this ”new” continent. I guess it didn’t work out so well , because in a couple years they all disappeared. The lost colony remains a mystery but i’m pretty sure it’s a case of alien abduction . Well that’s the morning report from bear grass North Carolina . Starting off on almost a month of shows with the Vince band on Monday in Tulsa. Playing with my old bud Randy crouch and the red dirt rangers. Life is good. Hope you’re grinning.

My Irish Connection

I’ve been thinking of taking a trip to my ancestral hometown of dromahair Ireland. It’s been calling to me since I read a quote from great Native American writer Vine Deloria who said that until a white man stands on the soil of his ancestors he will never know what  this land means to native Americans.  I’d really like to experience that feeling. 

So I’ve been looking into the town on social media, Wikipedia and even watching YouTube videos of a local trad music session in dromahair. While looking into other videos I found an archeologist speaking of a burial mound on a nearby hill called Sheebeg. It’s thousands of years old and part of a series of mounds in the area associated with fairie queens. One of which was sheebeg.  Across the valley was a similar site called sheemore, home of another fairie queen. He then mentioned that in the 1500’s legendary Irish composer O’carolan wrote his well known tune Sheebeg and Sheemore while standing on this hill.

  I about jumped out of my chair! That tune is one of a handful of Irish tunes I play and I played it as a lullaby for my boys when they were youngsters.  It seems that I have some kind of unseen ancestral connection to that song. Amazing to say the least.  With further digging around I learned it is said that o’carolan was given the gift of music by the fairies on that very hill. 

 The world is a great big mystery of interwoven people and songs and I’m so happy to have found this deep connection surfacing to my ancestral hometown that now I really have to go stand on that  hill and play that song. Here’s to the beauty all around us. I hope y’all are feeling it too.

Airports

Ahhh airports. What a strange thing that we all pile ourselves into flying tubes to do what we do. It’s a world of it’s on in these places. People heading out on vacation, business people, families all existing in this space between places.   

Today I’m moving between salmon gigs and high hawks gigs with a quick stop at home for a writing session in between.  Colorado nashville and Newark in 24 hours time . It’s a bit insane but I’m incredibly happy to have so many fun things on my table. And so many fun friends to do them with.  

I guess I have the best job I could ever imagine for myself.   I’ve wanted to travel since I was a little kid. I was in 8th grade when I went to an old time festival in Pittsburgh and saw 20 people under a big old shade tree all playing tunes together. I realized some were strangers to each other but they all shared this repertoire of tunes to celebrate living with.  It was then and there I really came to know the social aspect of bluegrass and old time music that ties together a community of players.  I realized That I could travel and meet people to play this stuff with and knew what I’d be doing with my life from then on. Traveling and playing tunes. So here I am sitting in an airport between gigs.  I guess my dreams have come true . Now about those airline seats……

Home in Nashville

Man I love living in Nashville. There is so much music going on and I just try to absorb all that I can . Like new orleans, it really fires me up to be in such a creative environment. I’ve been writing, painting, and listening more than ever before, I swear. And that’s what I call fun!

I had a couple writing sessions this week of ice storms and freezing temperatures. Melody Walker’s an old friend from the front country band. We chased down a tune about the crazy things that we believe to our own detriment. She’s been writing with Molly Tuttle and I’m sure she’ll be watching the Grammys tonight with much anticipation., as I will be cheering on my friends also. It kind of amazes me to have friends getting Grammys. So ecstatically happy for them all.

Also had a session with the legendary Chris Gelbuda who has worked with everyone from Meagan Trainor to Greensky Bluegrass . We caught a tune about good times and had a good time doing it. Chris is one of those technical guys that really knows his way around a studio as well as writing great songs . So inspiring to see what he’s capable of doing and really makes me wish I had some of those tech chops.

Last night I went out with renown producer Ferg and ace songwriter Pat McLaughlin to catch Brit Taylor’s album release show. Man she’s good. A classic strong country voice, great songs and great band. It was shoulder to shoulder there and she’s gonna absolutely blow up soon. Check her out.
This morning I’m trying to figure out Chinese spy balloons and learning the workingmans dead album for salmon to play at the skull and roses festival this spring. This album is so good and deceptively simple sounding. It’s not!

Well as I said, I’m so happy to be so musically active in such a great town here in Nashville. I hope y’all are fired up and petting your groundhogs this week. Rock on Beavis!

New Orleans Trip

Howdy folks. I’m gonna use this space here to let you know of some adventures and music I’m loving on an irregular basis. Let’s have some fun.

I took a purely for pleasure trip to New Orleans January 21st to 25th and am back at home contemplating all that I encountered in fun city. It’s a city like no other. Some places remind you of other places. You know, Boulder is kind of like Burlington. But New Orleans stands alone. The history and the people have combined to make something purely original and unlike anywhere else. Here’s some of the highlights from this trip .

Arrived at the new New Orleans airport and heard the first brass band of the trip at the luggage pickup zone before even leaving the airport. Saw the finest piece of airport art ever in the form of a giant photo of big old southern oaks hanging from the ceiling. Spanish moss and morning mist gave me that only in Nola feeling as we headed for the French quarter.

After settling into a room in a compound built in the early 1800’s we caught an early show at the historic preservation hall. It’s an incredibly small room for a venue known around the world. So small that they use no PA system. Traditional New Orleans jazz was served up by some of the best cats in town . Good jokes and great music surrounds you in this most vibey venue ever.

Next up was dinner at Jacques imos. The oak street crew was in full force ! The moms ball newly crowned royalty rolled through, Jack treated us like kings and the party damn near matched the excellence of the food. Alligator cheesecake. Boudin balls, blackened redfish in a crawfish cream sauce. I could go on and on but suffice to say that this is my favorite place ever.

After dinner it was over to my bud Hanks inimitable Maple Leaf lounge. The center of the oak street krewes party . Mike Dillons band was cranking out the goodness and the party went into high gear. I have so many great memories of this place. I’m guessing it was 1994 when I first saw the rebirth brass band ripping it up in a sweaty crowd of Tulane students losing their minds! I treasure the memories and love that it’s still doing it’s thing all these years later. Good work Hank. After a quick visit with Jake Eckert at his nearby studio and hearing his 10 year old son rip up some classic New Orleans style piano it was down to Frenchman street for some Indian funk with The Rumble .

I’ve been a huge fan of the Indian tradition in New Orleans since I first walked around a corner on a Sunday morning in 1983 and ran into 5 full dressed Indians and wondered if I was dreaming. I’ve never seen anything like it and this Pittsburgh boy had nothing to prepare me for what I was seeing. Check out some videos to fill you in if you’re not aware of this stuff. So pretty!

The Rumble features Joseph Boudreaux, the son of big chief Monk Boudreaux on vocals and this night he was in full Indian dress leading a powerful funk band just tearing up the Blue Nile. They played some old classic Indian stuff and really shined with new tunes entrenched in the tradition but looking ahead . Catch these guys if you can folks .

After some coffee and beignets and a stroll through the French market the next morning, it was time for the women of unity second line with Trombone shorty leading the brass band through 4 hours of street parading. Big Freedia was seen with her film crew bouncing along with the flow. BBQ , drinks , 1 float and a damn good time wrapped up around 5. Strutting for hours ain’t easy and I had to take a short nap before heading out to Indian practice at the zony mash brewery .

This was an open Indian practice hosted by the Golden Souix. Indian Red was the first tune up. It’s a bit of an opening prayer and one of the most revered tunes in the tradition . All percussion, tambourines and chanting in this tradition . After a couple tunes Bo Dollis Jr of the wild magnolias rolled into the mix . There’s a certain way that big chiefs greet each other in this tradition and watching it happen always sends shivers through me. As I understand it, sometime in the 70s big chief Tootie Montana brought the tribes together to stop fighting each other and what used to be a conflict when they met became a ritualized way of paying respect to each other as they meet . If only the crips and bloods could make that work out now! So… the chants were strong and more tribes were representing as the night went on . Creole Wild West chief told me I looked like Kenny Rogers! We wrapped up this night exhausted and deeply full of New Orleans soul. Sleeeeep was much needed.

Hung with a friend the next morning who filled us with great stories and art before heading to city park to check out all those beautiful southern oaks and the amazing sculpture garden. It’s so good to fill your eyes along with your ears and belly in Nola and this sculpture garden did it for me. Next up was Stanton Moore James Singleton and David Torkanowski trio at the columns hotel. The Columns is a favorite place to hang over the years and catching a show here is always a rare treat. This one didn’t disappoint. Absolute A list players doing New Orleans compositions at the highest level imaginable . The food and drinks were pretty dang good as well.

Next up was my good buddy Craig Klein and the jazz vipers at the Royal Frenchman hotel. 30s and 40s style jazz and swing from a seven piece ensembles of masters . Molly Reeves on guitar really blew my mind. Swing guitar changes played poetically and an amazing voice. This band and the really good dancers flying around the room were a complete joy . The spotted cat had a great band getting at it as we headed home from another fantastic Nola day .

Checked out a few Anne rice sites the next morning then hit the new location of the backstreet museum. They’re preserving the Mardi Gras Indian tradition for all to see and doing a great job of it . Check it out . Caught up with Dr Bob for some outsider art at his studio. A must see in the bywater if you’re in town. Spent the last night in town crawling around bourbon street where we finished the night catching Lee Floyd’s trad band at the Maison Bourbon as tornado warnings went off on our phones. Whew. I’m getting tired just thinking about it now.

Do yourself a favor and spend some time in New Orleans folks. It’ll revive your soul as it did mine. Bon temps roulet yall