Blues Blast magazine says...

Steel guitars come in many forms – six string, eight string and ten-string – some with double necks, some with pedals and electronic gizmos (pedal steel guitars are the core of 20th century country music). There are some ace players around: Robert Randolph and Darrick Campbell of course; Aubrey Ghent and Sonny Treadway; the winner of this year’s Blues Foundation Award for the Instrumentalist (other) Sonny Rhodes; and the winner of last year’s British Blues Award also for Instrumentalist, Alaskan born Son Henry. All these musicians bring a special, and very welcome sound to the blues, for the instrument is capable of great subtlety and in skilful hands, much “Make-the-hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck-stand-up” passion and emotionality.

Cool. People are paying attention!

And so it ends...

Well, with Nina off on maternity leave and me packing to move it's the end of the first incarnation of the Malpaso Gang. We won a few awards and played some great gigs. But, beyond that, this band gave me a good reason to strap on a guitar and play. Play for the love of it, and not worry about other people expectations or demands. Play for the joy working out some new runs in a strange tuning. Rekindling my love of old country and rockabilly, and playing again.

Truth be told, with everything going on over the last year, this was a refuge for an old soul to eddy out and heal, shaking off the years of frustration of working with a parade of players that have no connection to their roots. It's been a thing of joy to go back to square one.

Once again everything fits. Time to start over.

This could be it....

With Nina due any day now, this could be the last Malpaso Gang gig with the whole band. Friday November 18 at the Globe Inn in downtown Aberdeen. We kick off at 9:30 and go till we drop! It'll be old country and rockabilly, lots of originals. And the most fun you can have in Aberdeen on a Friday... It's also my last performance there for the year and what may be a very long time. So, it's a great chance to say goodbye and catch one of the final performances of this award winning band before the first phase passes into the history books!

Last solo gig in Aberdeen tonight...

Well, we're counting down pretty quickly. Tonight is my last solo gig in Aberdeen before I pack up and move. It's a solo gig opening for the Lyndon Anderson Band, one of my favorites. Lyndon is a great harp player and the band is rock solid. Like I said, a favorite.

The big leaving-blast is December 9th at the Moorings. It's a double header with the Malpaso Gang opening the show- both my bands on one bill, I don't think that's ever happened before!

So, sad to go, but a few parties along the way.....