July 12, 2009 - Been working on the new tour and spending the last few months working on big transitions. I was in Kerrville for an incredible time in May/June, followed by Boise, Brooklyn, Wyoming, Salt Lake, Brooklyn again and a none stop ride. Since Memphis I had been back east a few times both on the music and justice fronts. Now Tim Mason and I are finalizing the gigs for our Northeast tour set for the 15th through the 25th of August. We have shows in Boston, Saratoga Springs, Burington VT (TV) and out on the Cape set up already (I'll post those soon) and are trying to land just a few more gigs. All and all it should be a great time. I soon will likely be closer to the east as well - looking at a move in the near future for a short time. As a consequence I have fallen behind in all things as I paint my house and prep my life! But not to do anything easy, my good friends Terry and Jerry Holder are coming up later this month (next week in fact) and I will be hosting a house concert for them to get their mid July Alaska tour started (email me if you are interested though as of today we are only taking folks on a waiting list). It should be a great evening and a better tour - her tour dates are linked above - just click on her name.
On a sadder note - I want to mention the passing of my good friend Rob Nauheim this past Friday. Rob was a wonderful friend, Father to his children, and Husband to his wife Beth. He was also a great music producer (the Emeralds) and was producing both my next album (a project we had been working on for a couple of years), and my first joint project with Tim Mason. As a producer, Rob new how to listen and he had an innate sense for how to make a good song better and a great song memorable. Beyond all that though, I will miss him for who he was - the way he fought his cancer (pancreatic), and held on for over three years when doctors said he wouldn't. I ran into him after not seeing him in a number of years (his wife Beth sang on my CD Albuquerque Road, but I really had not seen him since that cd was recorded). I ran into him three months or so after his diagnosis and we agreed to do the project together. Between my schedule and his illness we weren't able to do a whole lot with it, but we did have great conversations and I got to know him again. That - and becoming friends again with his family - were a treat I will always cherish. I'll miss you Rob.
Enough for now - I am off to my good friend (and Harmonica player) Rolfe Buzzell's and his partner Sharon Holland's House warming. No promises as to when I will next write...