Gigs Again!

So, there’s this!

• 

Blessed to be joining Bill Brink at our UU in Vermont for two hours of original music and covers!

Yes, the pandemic has inhibited sharing songs the way we’re all used to. Yet, yes, the pandemic has inspired some new material, practice and performance and sharing in online outlets and an increased appreciation of what it means to gather in concert (outdoors, of course, with Covid-restrictions still in place).

I want to publicly thank Bill Brink, whom I met back when the Putney Inn existed, and we spontaneously shared our music with a small crowd and each other. He has continued to hook me up to musical opportunities and for that, I am beyond grateful.

Hope to see you on the 22nd of May!

Hanging with the Locals

It’s only taken me eight months to investigate the Vermont music scene. Moved here, lost a job here, got back on my feet here — and I’m ready to play.

Happy to report it is a great way to stay in touch with my musical side, and witness the small but mighty community of songwriters and performers that are keeping the spirit alive here.

 The Millhouse Heaters — including Jan  and Mike Sheehy and a harmonica player I did not get to meet — rocked the Pizza Stone in Chester last Tuesday night. With longtime friend Bill Brink on hand, a few of us performed as well.

Paden Kalinen, guitarist and host, welcomed open mic’ers to two hours of fun.  

And a few short weeks ago, I got to play, again courtesy of an invite from Bill, at the Vermont Apple Festival in Springfield, with a handful of talented performers.

Part of my inspiration? A neighbor named Chris Kleeman, who has his own jazz band and lives a stone’s throw up the road. As summer trailed off, I and a friend got to see them perform in the Chester Summer Music series on the Green.

Also inspiring: another neighbor, Scott MacDonald, who repairs guitars and shapes custom models to a player’s soul. He adjusted the action on my dear old Yamaha — just because. It still has a sound better than some expensive guitars, and now I can play it without losing all sensation in my left hand.

What else can I say except: It’s time to get back in the saddle as a singer/songwriter, and as a blogger, too. I hope to have more to share in coming weeks and months, including an original or two.

Please stay tuned.

 

2013: Year of Collaboration

This   is what I’m talking about!

Sailfest 2013, like open mics run by Bernadette Golden and Larry Kern and a fabulous fall Hoot organized by Sherry Stidfole and Hugh Birdsall, turned out to be platforms to play with Joe Cavanaugh, Mike Ball and Dana Takaki.

I also had the pleasure of playing with some rocking guitarists, vocalists, drummers and keyboard players at the Common Ground Open Mic in New London on more than one occasion and at the Barn in East Lyme.

I learned a lot by practicing and performing with these gifted musicians.

Rhythm is something to be respected.

Violin can accent anything — up-tempo tunes as well as the more melancholy ballad.

Bass builds a base that elevates.

Instrumental solos by backup guitarists, particularly Mike, stitch the whole song together and make it memorable.

As luck would have it I’ve moved to Pawtucket, and Mike and moved to Oklahoma. This particular collaboration probably can’t happen quite the way it did this past year.

But if I learned anything — as Joe so lovingly told me and my first producer Ron Gletherow always reminded me — the songs I write lend themselves to other instruments and voices. Call for it.

As I look back on 2013 and these posts I am filled with joy, wonder and gratitude.

As I look toward 2014 I can only hope to meet new collaborators, and maybe, with some luck, reunite with Mike, Dana and Joe as time and geography permit. I had even come up with a name for us, though all of these musicians perform actively with other people. I called us Side Effects.

For now, performing solo at open mics will be the way I roll. But if it is meant to be, building a band that approximates the respectful, dynamic, jelled connections made with the three pictured here is what I’ll be up to in 2014! Collaboration has turned out to be a side effect with good indications.

“Borderline” Video with 3 special people!

Here is video of “Borderline” with Dana Takaki on violin, Mike Ball on guitar and Joe Cavanagh on bass at the Shoreline Acoustic Music Festival at Sailfest! Please click the link and give a listen!

Hope you like it!

Sailfest!

Come on down all weekend to hear Shoreline Acoustic musicians from Friday through Sunday! While you’re there, carve out some time Saturday, July 13, to hear Pat Daddona at noon at the Hygienic Art Park with Dana Takaki, Mike Ball and Joe Cavanagh! Then it’s Arlene Garcia-Wow! at 1 p.m.

These performances are part of Shoreline Acoustic Music Festival and Sailfest, but dedicated to outCT!