Wednesday, December 26, 2007

You stumble across some strange stuff..

But this is kinda cool.

There's a playlist of 'current and timeless masters of the instrument' a steel guitar playlist on FIQL.com, a library of playlists. It's got all the people you'd expect- David Lindley, Speedy West, Black Ace, Santo and Johnny, Jerry Douglas. And 2, count em, two tunes from my first CD! Man, not sure I belong there, but I'm flattered that someone thinks those songs belong on that list.

Click hear to see the play list


Wow....

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Sunday, December 16, 2007

~ that's all the gigs for 2007 ~

This time I mean it, one last show for an important cause.

The LemonAid benefit yesterday was one last blast for good cause that we shouldn't need to be fighting. Sad that there is even a need to assemble a bunch of musicians for a benefit to protest the closing of an arts center like the Lemon Tree. Especially over a small amount of money, in comparison to the money spent by the government on other things. But, there we were, if only to show support to a place that was really supportive of our music, and the music and theater and art of all our friends.

Thanks to all of you that joined us at the Tunnels yesterday to show support. I have no idea if we even registered on the City Council radar, but we did demonstrate that support for the arts is alive and well in Aberdeen.

The Lemon Tree was one of the first places to put me on the bill as a solo act in Scotland, one of the first places to book my band. I took my kids there for theater performances, my kids were involved in student productions there, and my wife and I sat there on a regular basis to soak up the music on friday at lunch for the Friday Live series, and the regular folk and blues offerings there in the evenings. We'll miss it! Thanks to the staff for all you've done over the years to make the place what it is/was.

"You don't miss your water, till your well runs dry"

The Perfect Guitar tone...

Monday, December 10, 2007

Help the Lemon Tree benefit gig!

OK, I thought the year was over, but this is important.

There's a benefit gig at the Tunnels on Saturday afternoon. Lots of Aberdeen bands, all styles. We're there around 3. Details to follow.

You can do some christmas shopping, stumble in for a pint and help the Lemon Tree as well. Great way to kill a Saturday!

Check this space, as soon as I have details I'll post em-

Sunday, December 09, 2007

More unconstructed ramblings.....

Yeah, some interesting processing for 2008 going on here. More solo gigs? Sure did play some great places this year, packing only a guitar or two. Music is good fun, more personal. Less crazy and sweaty.

the Ipod collection of 2007

If you're interested, this is what had the most air-time on my Ipod this year-

Seasick Steve
Ray Bonneville (Rough Luck)
R L Burnside
T Model Ford
Southern Culture on the skids
Kelly Joe Phelps
Blind Willie Johnson
Bukka White
Mississippi Fred McDowell
Lightnin Hopkins

Not what I expected, if I'd guessed the top 10 would have been more electric players, but the stats on the computer don't lie I guess.

Friday, December 07, 2007

and that's a wrap......

That's it, last gig of 2007 has now been played and I can get on with my Christmas shopping. Phew.

It was a great year with some great places to play and lots of fantastic people along the way. Ireland, Orkney and Shetland by ferry, Burnley by train, Alaska by plane, the Moorings by bus, the Lemon Tree on foot and lots of places by car. We got hopelessly lost on the way to Fetternear, and stuck in Customs in Seattle.

And last night was a great way to wrap up the year, sitting on a bar stool at Drummonds with Dino and Angus blasting out the Mississippi hill county slide and lap steel tunes in a 2-hour set till 1 am, to a club jammed to the rafters with happy dancers and drinkers. Great to see lots of you last night, regulars and semi-regulars all in one place.

I'm walking in my sleep, my finger tips are sore and I have no voice left. Sure signs of an extremely over the top gig.

Cheers all, see you next year in Germany, the US, the UK.....