Here Comes June !!

Here Comes June !!

In the San Francisco Bay Area, we say "June gloom" because the cold foggy summer is coming, but it is still pretty lovely these days.

This Saturday, June 2nd, should be a very fun night at Chester's with JRZ and Friends. I will playing the first set starting at 7:30, with Randy Rood on guitar and Reed Cooper on bass. Randy is a very fine guitar picker (toured/played with Tex Williams, Merle Haggard, Tiny Moore and many others); and with Reed's solid foundation there will be some good music made. The second set will feature Michael Hanna and his new band, Sonic Boomerang playing blues and roots rock. (Bring your dancing shoes!!) As if that weren't enough, Dorcas Moulton and Chappell and Dave Holt may sit in for a song or two. And, please put June 21st on your calendars also, when I'll be back at Chester's with Don't Look Back.

I got some very nice news about internet radio airplay in May. My CD "Solo" hit # 1 on the Roots Music Report Top 50 Internet Radio Airplay Folk chart, and "Collaborations" hit #39 on their Roots Country chart. I also charted at #35 on the Roots 66 report. I had an interview on KC Cafe Radio in Kansas City and a nice feature on their website (here). I love the internet !!

School is out, and my animation class with Pam Stalker is over. It was so excellent, I may sign up for another next Fall. In the meantime, I am continuing to work on video and put up several on Youtube recently: two from the Donkey & Goat Winery show (here and here), a couple from a Chester's gig (here and here), and one with the band Who's On Top (here). I have a back log of video editing to do and will let you know when I put more up on Youtube. I would love to hear any feed back you have - likes, dislikes, suggestions.

I have started working on a new CD too, which I want to have ready in time for the FARWest conference in October. I have ten songs to record and just completed words to one of my favorite fiddle waltzes, My Old Home. It is such a pretty tune and I had been fooling around with ideas for a long time and not quite getting there. But finally, I got something that fits the feeling of the melody well. Getting a new song to come together is such a thrill !! Maybe we'll do a sneak preview at Chester's this Saturday.

The Razzberry festival over Memorial Day was sure a ton of fun, and I know the Kate Wolf Festival at the end of June is going to be too. Oh boy !!

The sun is shining on my front door, and I hope on yours too.

John