Back into the swing of posting

Sorry, gang, haven't been posting much lately. It's been a busy time here, but theres some interesting changes coming. First, we're adding an extra player to the band. Specific details later so I don't spoil the surprise, but I want to bring another cat on board to play guitar so I can play more harp and pedal steel. Also, most of my original songs really need a second guitar player to fill them out. If all goes well, our first gig as a 4 piece will be in late April at the Blue Lamp on a Sunday afternoon.

In other news I'm picking up the live CD master next week, so it'll be off to be manufactured when I get back.

Fnally, Lisa Monroe will be here in July, and I'm working to set up a few gigs with her. She's a great singer in the Lou-Ann Barton school. Stay tuned for more details.

See some of you in a day or so, the rest I hope to cross paths with at a gig real soon!

Blues Central, Anchorage Alaska on Monday!

See some of you in Alaska next week! 24 hours in the air and then it's time for a CD Release party. Details:

Blues Central
Anchorage, AK
8pm

We're quitting by 3am so I can get to the airport to come home!

Hookum Hotshots

I had a chance to sit in a smoke-free pub on Sunday afternoon and listen to the Hookum Hotshots play everything from country blues to gypsy jazz. I'd last seen Jim Murray up in Orkney last year for the blues festival where he was playing solo. This was the first time I had ever seen the duo, and what a great pair they are. I'm hard-pressed to tell you what I liked best, but I think it was either Jim's lap acoustic playing or their version of "France Blues".

Double thumbs up for these two. If you've got a chance don't be silly and stay home. Plus, the pubs are smoke-free too! Yipee!

New website is up!

Hey gang, there's a new website up: http://www.sonhenry.com

Nice to see some bright colours for a change!

The Paddock last night

Big fun at the Paddock in Portlethen last night. Great crowd, nice room and great beer. And close to home for me too, how good is that?

It's always fun to walk into a room for the first time and know people are scratching their heads, wondering exactly what they are in for. By the end of the evening the make-shift dance floor was packed with screaming happy people diggng the blues. So, what can I say, we're looking forward to going back.

Thanks Doc for setting that gig up! See you next time...

Italy in July, France in November

Hey- I've got a couple of short tours planned this summer and fall. I've got a few open dates in July while I'll be in Italy, some open dates in France (or near-by) in November. If by chance you're reading this and have an idea or a contact, please email me at info@sonhenry.com!

I'll post the tour schedule in the next couple of weeks once all the ink is dry...

For our next trick....

I've got all the final mixes for the NEXT cd, a live release that was recorded at the Homless Shelter benefit last November. It's a great colletion of live tracks featuring some really great players (people like Melissa Bledsoe-Fischer and Stu Schulman), some familiar faces (lke John Clark and Joel Lockman) and a couple of special guests (like Lisa Monroe and Otto Lenz).

I think by the time the artwork is done and we're back from mastering and duplication it shouldbe ready to go in June. We'll be having a release party at the Dundee Blues Bonanza. So mark your calendars for that first weekend in July so you can join us for the fun.

OK, back to work on the artwork....

Driving test on Sunday.....

Well, ok, the only blues content here is that taking the drivingt test is really giving me the blues.

I take my road test on Sunday morning, there's a song in here somewhere I'm sure. I've been living in the car practicing for the test. So far I've passed all the theory tests, and I've only been driving for 30 years, so really- what's the big deal? It's easy, everything is backwards, the references and signs are in different places and it takes a huge amount of concentration to keep track of all the information that streams at you when you drive.

Anchorage CD Release Party details

Man, I can't wait!

Monday, April 3rd I'll be at Blues Central in Anchorage for a CD release party. Liz Dahl has graciously allowed us to bring the band in for one night only to celebrate the release of our new disk. It's the one and only one gig in Alaska for a long time. We'll start at 8 and go till late. Send me an email if you can make it and would like to sit in!

It's especially cool because John Clark, my long time drummer and best friend, is getting married that weekend. Bob Parsons is playing the music and yours truly is performing the ceremony. John's future wife is a wonderful woman, and is kind enough to let me borrow him for a few hours to play music. So all the stars have aligned for this one, how could anyone have an excuse to stay home? If you can get there we really hope to see you, so we can catch up!

Peace all. Life is good.

It's raining in Aberdeen

It's raining in Aberdeen
Don't the streets look cold and gray?
It's raining in Aberdeen
Don't the streets look cold and gray?
Hope it rains hard enough
to wash the snow away.

Early in the morning here, and a lonely bird was tapping on my bedroom window, like he was asking to get out of the rain. But I've read enough Edgar Allen Poe to understand that you just don't let black birds in at night. So, rather than listen to his cold, wet song I'm awake and hiding in this room with my guitar and a web connection. If I get an email from someone named Lenore I'm going to get real freaked out......

A little snow and some beer and it's like being in Talkeetna!

Wow! Take about 12 inches of heavy snowfall, bad road conditions, good beer and a room ful of great people that can walk to a pub and you've got the makings of a great party. It was, by about midnight, just like those late-night gigs at the Fairview Inn in little Talkeetna (as a reference for my Alaskan readers).

Otherwise, it was a party- Granite City Style!

We played the bulk of the show straight. Lots of groving blues, some shuffles and a bunch of stuff from the new CD. And then something clicked around midnight. Might have been that completely over the top version of "I want you to love me", with extra funk and greese. Or "Cross Cut Saw", but the room just exploded with dancers on the tables. It was too bad we had to quit at 1 a.m., we were good to go for a couple hours more. Especially with an energetic room like that. Shoot, I'd play all night for folks having that good a time. Hope you all made it home safely!

The puzzled looks on the bar tenders was worth it all, I don't think they see unbridled mayhem like that very often.

Next gig is the Paddock in Portlethen. Hope to see some of you there, because we're moving the party

Globe gig is still on

As far as I know. I'll be there at least, and if you can make it safely I hope to see you there too!

Saturday I'm going to find a big hill and go sledding though...

Early feedback on the new CD

Eric Scott wrote us a great review for the new CD, andd he's posted it on the Blues Matters Reviews site. You can read it by click here




Thanks Eric! Glad you liked the disk!