almost a week in the making

Well, some things have happened since the last post - good and bad. :-)

Today is Thursday, so I'm going to try and catch you up since the last post last Wednesday... (and catch myself up - this is a journal for me as well, I'm just sharing it with you too :-) ).

First, let me fill you in on some details... Friday night the 21st of February, I'm booked for a singer/songwriter "round" the other side of Nashville. It's a pretty good drive, but it's also Vanessa's birthday weekend, so we're going to make it a full weekend in the area.

Travis Bowlin books for this. It's held at Jim Oliver's Steakhouse and I'll be sharing the stage with my buddy Steve Rempis - founder and host of the Commercial Suicide Songwriting Podcast - at 9 PM. This is supposed to be more than the typical "3 songs in a round" like at other places. My understanding is that three of us will have the stage for over 90 minutes, so there's more time to get to know the crowd, let them get to know us, etc. Also looking forward to Vanessa and I having supper with Steve and his wife before the show and getting a taste of their great food first hand!

And of course no trip to Nashville would be complete without a visit to Demos' and Wild Horse. Hoping to make it a memorable birthday weekend for my soul mate!

Now, back to local stuff...

Last I told you, I played lead guitar with Larry Frye. I was asked to come back on January 31st for his next show there. The day after my blog post, I received word that Larry's band was being hired to play on Saturday nights. So - that gig has played out. I wish the owner luck and Larry is a good musician, so people will still have a good time. That did free us up to pursue something else we had been talking about...

There's a place in Cayce, KY - just north of Union City - where they apparently have two bands every Saturday night. I've never been, but my understanding is they cater to "listeners" as well as "dancers." We have been booked to play there on March 1st to see how it goes. Here's a link to their Facebook page - Cayce Junction Jamboree. I would love to see YOU there!

Had another writing session with Dustin Hamlin on Thursday night. We worked more on a song he had brought to the "re-write table" last week. Still not finished, but getting there.

Friday I received a text that the lead player at Halls was not going to be there and I was asked to sit in. Of course I jumped on the chance, taking my Gretsch and my Peavey Classic Amp. Below is a head shot of the guitar - and the amp pic is one I found on the Internet. I realized I don't have a pic of mine...

At the bottom of the blog you'll find some pics that Vanessa took, but the main thing I want to say here is that I had the best time making music that I have had in a long while! I always have a good time, so this is really saying something. The guy on steel is one of my favorite musicians of all time and an old family friend (his brother Bobby and my dad were best friends) - Max Winchester. It's ALWAYS a joy to get to make music with him, but to sit in all night on lead and swap licks and accents with him was just downright magical.

At the end of the night I realized something... The night had FLOWN by. We started about 7 and it literally seemed like three or four songs later it was pushing 8 o'clock and time for a break. We went back and again three songs later it was 9 o'clock. We took a very short break then two songs later it was 10 o'clock and time to stop. Yes, it really seemed like it went that fast to me.

I also realized after the fact that I needed this... Having been "fired" from our Saturday night gig made me think "no music" this weekend, so I was pleasantly surprised to get to play and it was good therapy. :-)

Saturday night we had supper with Deb & Tracy and Royce & Linda - great steaks! After supper Royce and I did a little picking (me on guitar & him on banjo).

Sunday James asked me after church if I would play bass Saturday at the Alamo Retirement Home, and following the "resolution" of my buddy Steve Rempis, I said yes. :-) As you know, gentle reader, I prefer to play guitar, but they already have several guitars in the group and no bass, so you play what is needed. Besides, I'd rather play bass as not play at all, and I like being versatile. :-)

Sunday I finally got What Went Wrong recorded. This was another co-write with Jedediah Inlow. Here's the YouTube link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDFJymuENzI

Tuesday night James and I did some picking & practicing and we worked on some new songs. No videos to post yet - still working out some arrangements and we hope to have at least one more guitar player there next week for some more "rhythm section" - and a bass soon too...

Last night Jimmy Skiles (the keyboard player in the pics) emailed me some lyrics for a song idea he had. Looking forward to working on that with him as well.

That's it! That catches you up, gentle reader, and catches me up too... :-)

The full band above - Jimmy Skiles on keyboard, Hugh "Sigmund" Ellington on bass, Jason (don't remember his last name) on drums, me & Max Winchester on steel

Love the feel of that guitar... And the history... And the tone... And what it represents. :-) It was almost playing itself when Sig sang Blue Suede Shoes. It's as if I could feel Carl leading me...