Well - It's happening, folks! I am recording a new studio album in September, again joining forces with Memphis label, Yellow Dog Records. Following the success of the ‘Lucky 13’ album, I plan to continue the fruitful collaboration with my mates Mark ‘Kaz’ Kazanoff (producer) and Stuart Sullivan (engineer) at Wire Recordings in Austin, TX.
The recording session has been brought forward to fit around a busy touring schedule in the later part of the year. With several major festivals booked in Australia, I've decided to focus on Southern Hemisphere commitments from October to early 2009. There will still be opportunities for the odd showcase US performance during this time - and I'll still be maintaining my 'home away from home' in Portland, Oregon USA. Portland is a great town, filled with talented musicians - and the blues community here has been very welcoming and supportive. Thank you PDX!
Steve ‘The Preacher’ Clarke is going to continue my personal management (of course!) and I have a new booking agent - the lovely Sara Negri-Whitmer of Washboard Productions, Memphis, who will be looking after my USA/Canada and European bookings. You'll find her on my contact page.
I'll be back for the Northern Spring/Summer and looking forward to seeing friends and making new ones everywhere they let me loose during 2009!
As well as performing solo acoustic, and electric with The Fortune Tellers band, I'll also be performing in an acoustic trio format with ‘Boyes, Brill and DelGrosso’. Blues mandolin-master Rich DelGrosso and BMA-winning bassist Mookie Brill, (who is also a fabulous vocalist and harmonica player) joined me on the recently released BlueEmpress/VizzTone album ‘Live From Bluesville’, recorded last July at XM Satellite Radio in Washington DC - see photo at the top of the page. The album is now #15 on the Living Blues charts.
So - that's the latest news - and my first blog! Now, it's time to keep writing material for the studio next month and pack up my house for a long stretch on the road....
*Also - for my students there is a new page behind this blog called Teaching which will give you info on material we covered in class - enjoy & happy playing!
The recording session has been brought forward to fit around a busy touring schedule in the later part of the year. With several major festivals booked in Australia, I've decided to focus on Southern Hemisphere commitments from October to early 2009. There will still be opportunities for the odd showcase US performance during this time - and I'll still be maintaining my 'home away from home' in Portland, Oregon USA. Portland is a great town, filled with talented musicians - and the blues community here has been very welcoming and supportive. Thank you PDX!
Steve ‘The Preacher’ Clarke is going to continue my personal management (of course!) and I have a new booking agent - the lovely Sara Negri-Whitmer of Washboard Productions, Memphis, who will be looking after my USA/Canada and European bookings. You'll find her on my contact page.
I'll be back for the Northern Spring/Summer and looking forward to seeing friends and making new ones everywhere they let me loose during 2009!
As well as performing solo acoustic, and electric with The Fortune Tellers band, I'll also be performing in an acoustic trio format with ‘Boyes, Brill and DelGrosso’. Blues mandolin-master Rich DelGrosso and BMA-winning bassist Mookie Brill, (who is also a fabulous vocalist and harmonica player) joined me on the recently released BlueEmpress/VizzTone album ‘Live From Bluesville’, recorded last July at XM Satellite Radio in Washington DC - see photo at the top of the page. The album is now #15 on the Living Blues charts.
So - that's the latest news - and my first blog! Now, it's time to keep writing material for the studio next month and pack up my house for a long stretch on the road....
*Also - for my students there is a new page behind this blog called Teaching which will give you info on material we covered in class - enjoy & happy playing!