Kent Duchaine

Kent Duchaine is going to be at Drummonds on the 25th of October. I talked to Nathan at Drummonds last week, and it's actually going to be a double-header with your's truly. There's still a few details to work out, but it looks like the band will follow Kent and play till the early hours of the morning. So stay tuned, things may change a little.

For more about Kent, click here to go to his home page. Kent is a monster player and a great guy who puts on a good solid show. Well worth getting there for this one.

I'll have a few cool surprises up my sleeve as well.....

Dave Amos sent me some photos from the Stromness Hotel show last weekend. Thanks Dave!



What a great time that was, I love the acoustics there- lots of wood, lots of people and lots of beer (the holy trinity of a good gig). So, bags are packed, let's do it again!

Audience Harmonica?

~ Just say no ~

I know, it's a cheap instrument and fun to learn. But, please, when you come to a gig, leave it in your pocket, ok?

Last few gigs, in all kinds of odd places, there has been someone in the room playing a harmonica. Most of the time it's not even the correct key. So, please, a small favor, don't do this? OK? It makes everyone at the tables around you mad. And all I'm going to do is take out my capo and start playing in sharp or flat keys, so the C-major marine band is going to sound bad and embarass you in front of your friends.

Please, work with me on this ok? It's all I ask. After all, there's a reason why it's called a 'solo' show.

If it's a band gig I don't care at all. We're way to freaking loud for anyone to hear you blow, so save it for the band gigs if you absolutely, positively, must treat us like a harp-less karaoke track.....

Sorry Amy-

I got an email from my friend Amy Van Singel. She'd first heard about the plans for the Brother Francis Benefit show through a flyer at the trainstation that she picked up off the counter. Lots's of things you can or should learn about on the street, but this isn't one of them. So, a very public apology, Amy.....

Orkney Blues Festival: End of the ferry tour, 2007

So, the 2007 Ferry Tour is over. Ireland, Shetland, Orkney. Three great festivals, all required ferry trips. Odd how that all came about, but there you go.

As always I had a great time in Orkney. All kidding about seasickness aside, I love getting to the ferry terminal and the natural conversations that happen with people getting set to make the crossing. And once there, it's so much like being home for me that I find myself just relaxing in ways I'd forgotten about.

The festival was a great time. Two gigs, one at the Stromness Hotel and the other at the Ferry Inn. It was a chance to try out all the new material from my solo CD and check reactions. Also had a chance to hang out with Gerry Jablonski and Kate, Dave Amos and the tribe and a raft of other old friends.

Gerry, in particular, was in killer form. I think the gig of his at the Standing Stones was one of the best I've seen. Got a chance to see a couple of other bands as well- BlueBelly, Mean Business. Great weekend of music, sad to leave. Thanks to Walter, Graham and all the organizers for all the hard work in making this happen. If you see them, pat 'em on the back because they sure do deserve it.

Oh, on an odd note- take a couple of aging die-hard guitar players like Gerry and I and put them together over beer, and what do we talk about? Women? Wild Parties? Nope. We talked for a long time about how heavy our PA's are. If that's not a sign of the times, I don't know what is. I'm still laughing......

Joey Fender take 2

Blues for my Brother, Anchorage Alaska November 10, 2007?

Yeah, Joey is up for this. It's a huge party now. Better start banking sleep!


Note added: Man, I woke up laughing this morning. I spent way too much time on the phone with Joey last night getting caught up. It's like talking to my kid brother, with tatoos and profanity. This is really going to be a great gig, you sure don't want to miss this one!

Orkney Blues Weekend

Everything you need to know is right here

So great to see this festival back on-line again! I have a feeling it's going to be fun. Check out the schedule and come by and see me!

3 SONGS A WEEK

That's my goal.


Three songs a week between now and November. I already have a bunch of new stuff for the band to work through (and the problem is time right now), but you can't ever have enough. Plus, there's always these ideas kicking around that need to be put on paper. Is it an arbitrary exercise, or a recognition that this is probably the number of throw-away songs that happen in the course of a day, and what I'm after is capturing at least a little more of it.

Stay tuned. I did write two songs this weekend, and I'm off to write down the 3rd. So it can be done, and it's only Sunday...

re-thinking my pa

OK, I'm tired of all the heavy lifting. Time for the heavy speakers to go, the only thing they ever amplify is my voice and an acoustic guitar. for most of the rooms where I need a PA I can make do with something really tiny. And light, light weight is the key.

So, the agony of not having any place to try this stuff in Aberdeen. It's not like you can just order off the web and be happy. I need to amplify my lap acoustic, but retain all the detail and clarity that I hear in the guitar. It's no small task. Great sound, light weight.

All I know is this- I need to get this worked out because my wife is sick to death of hearing me drone on and on about cabinets and power amps....

Final BFMB Line-Up

It's all settled now, here's who'll be there, the Saturday of Veterans Day Weekend in November:

Headliner: Bob Hall, amazing boogie-woogie keyboard player, one of the best in the business in fact. Played with everyone. It's going to be a great non-stop dance till you drop thing.

Melissa Bledsoe Fisher and the band. What can I say here? She's a favorite of mine, a great blues player and she brings that ultra-hip jazzy edge to things.

Lulu Small and the Aquanets. The best all-grrrl band in the business, killer harmonies, great playing and style baby. Brace yourselves.

Monica Lettner and the band- a partial reprise of the golden days of Killer Rabbit, Moni has grown to be an international headliner on her own, just back from a headline tour of Italy.

Bob Parsons- smooth, cool Bob opens things up with some solo jazzy blues guitar.

There may be a rare appearance by Joey Fender? Will wonders never cease?

Oh, yeah, I'll have my trio there too. All new material you guys haven't heard yet, all solid dance stuff. So, once again, it'll be a great night of dancin, drinkin, and singin.

And, as always, the big monster jam at the end.

Tickets go on sale soon....

As if we didn't have enough wrong in the world...

Southwest Airlines has declared war on attractive women passengers. Here's a picture of Kyla ebbert, dressed EXACTLY the way she was dressed the day Southwest Airlines attempted to get her off a flight because f the way she was dressed. They don't seem too worried about beating the living crap out of my luggage, or on-time departures. They don't seem to care about much these days. But they did make a mess of poor Kyla's trip.

For my money, she doesn't dress any differently than any college girl or young woman travelling on other airlines. Hang your head in shame, Southwest. Worry about getting your planes out of the gate on-time and getting my suitcases to me and having your gate-agents behave like members of the human race.

Until then, I'm not flying with you guys anymore. Take that!

Getting ready for Orkney

Man, do I ever love the Islands here. First Shetland, now back home to Orkney in a couple of weeks.

My friend Chris Simmonds described Orkney as a magical place several years ago, and he couldn't be more correct in my book. From the Stenis Stones to the Historical sites and the Twatt church, I love goin to Orkney.

Expect some new songs, including one or three that I wrote on the Shetland Ferry- really new songs. Some stories to tell, some friends to get caught up with.

Ahhh, what a great life. And the weather? A little rain is great with me. I'm an Alaskan, and if you need some persoective on my definition of bad weather, go read 'To Build a Fire' by Jack London

But I digress- looking forward to seeing some old friends, playing some music and drinking some beer and sitting in at the jam. See y'all soon...

why I love my life.....

I know lots of cool people
I go to great places
I'm from Alaska, so I'm ready for everything.
I can hold my alcohol
Seasick? Me?

And, for some reason, I have an amazing wife that puts up with me.

Some Shetland Jam Photos

These just in from Dave Arcari, Saturday jam action photos.....

Shetland Blues Festival

Man, just off the boat back from Shetland from the blues fetival, what a great time had by all!

Jimmy and Steve met all the travelling bands at the Ferry terminal on Thursday night to escort us on the boat (and make sure none of the sea-sick prone muso's could bail at the last minute). It was a great ride up, about 12 hours on the ferry and a smooth crossing. As you might guess, the bands closed down the bars on the ship.

I didn't get too much of a chance to touch base with the other guys till the ride home, playing 4 gigs in 3 days to crowds of great people in different rooms all over the island. Weather was kicking, just like being back in Alaska again for the summer. I think the others would have described it as cold and wet. I was looking for the sunscreen.

Had a great jam on saturday afternoon with Sandy Tweedale and Dave Arcari in the Lounge in Lerwick, a real relaxed time with beer and tunes. Nice folks there too.

Hmm, the one thing I was glad I had, well, two things? A mobile phone and a GPS to navigate with. Tools of the trade in this day and age. Lots of unmarked roads. Good phone coverage, however.

Couldn't have had a better time. Shoot, one of the organisers even moved back in with his mother so my wife and I could have the run of his house. Is that awesome or what?

Phew. Back to the big city and the crowds and congestion. I can see why people live there. Thanks guys! Let's do it again!