I am SO far behind in my blog, gentle reader, that I resolve to do a ‘double blog’ to catch up! Last time…fabulous New York City…now – after a couple of quick last minute gigs in the US - it was off to Canada for a flying visit!
Edmonton Labatt’s International Blues Festival is a wonderful festival – great organization (thanks Cam & Carol!), great line-up, and really great audience. These folks pride themselves on a high quality ‘no repeat’ programming style, so I was thrilled to be back on the bill – this time with my band-mates from the ‘Live From Bluesville’ album: Rich DelGrosso (mandolin) and Mookie Brill (bass & harp). Although, as I said, it was a flying visit, we had a BALL and it was lots of fun seeing the guys again and playing in this laid-back acoustic blues trio format.
Check out some pix here!
Speaking of catching up with mates, I then flew straight to the first of the Australian Summer season festivals and fell into the open arms of my long-lost Aussie band. Reunion photos! The Gympie Muster, held in a state forest in Queensland, has a particular out-back flavour and we had an absolute hoot playing to enthusiastic and rowdy crowds. I’ll include the local Bundy rum campsite photos for Mookie, who became quite a fan during our Boyes, Brill, DelGrosso Down-Under Tour! After 10 weeks in America, there was a sweet waft of nostalgia to be ‘home’ - along with the scent of gum trees, Bundy rum and bull-dust.
Well, when I say ‘home’, things prove to be trickier than that…
During my long stint on the road, my lovely husband Steve ‘The Preacher’ Clarke got a new job, necessitating yet another shift of residence. His job is in the countryside a couple of hours north of Adelaide, so – suddenly & unexpectedly – I have become a ‘city-born country gal’. The song on the new album says: ‘I’ve never lived in the country and maybe I never will!’ Life imitates art, eh? Anyway, my three and a bit weeks of ‘relaxing’ between tours are spent packing boxes, shifting furniture, scrubbing houses and attempting to unpack again.
The good part? Our new place is in a lovely little town on the ‘Reisling Trail’, Clare Valley, a famous and pretty wine-producing area. It’s got an inviting wide porch, heaps of fruit trees and a swimming pool. I’m looking forward to some holiday-style living when I get a bit of time off in Summer!
With some of the boxes unpacked, I am just beginning to feel ‘at home’ when it is time to leave… The siren call of the road. The Preacher is going to join me on the next US jaunt. Who could miss an opportunity to get on the ship for the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise?! But, first, I have a real out back Aussie show.
Back at the Gympie Muster, a couple of years ago, I met David Blackett from Riversands Winery. He and his marketing manager Dana were taking a break from their festival booth and dancing up a storm at the Blues Venue. These country people really know how to have a good time! He’d been after me ever since to do the annual ‘Jazz & Boots’ show at his winery in St George, but I had always been out of the country.
I think I’ve established that I am a city girl, so I'd always assumed that St George was ‘not far out of Brisbane’. It turns out to be closer to 7 or 8 hours drive west into the wilds of outback Queensland. With little time and a rather long drive on my hands, I needed youth and enthusiasm on my side. Luckily, I found some local lads who are game enough to jump into a vehicle with a strange blueswoman for a 48 hour adventure. Aaron and Mick Luciow: drummer & bass-player, also happen to be twins and good-natured company. Thank goodness! The boys really did a great job at the gig and happily shared the driving - although there was that little issue of heading North instead of East for an hour or so on the return journey… Anyway, I did make my flight out of Brisbane – hooray!
And…in my suitcase…is a little treasure that I bought at a tourist haunt in the outback. Something ‘special’ for the Silent Auction on the Blues Cruise. Something that I KNOW the folks won’t get anyplace else! So you better read the next blog…
Edmonton Labatt’s International Blues Festival is a wonderful festival – great organization (thanks Cam & Carol!), great line-up, and really great audience. These folks pride themselves on a high quality ‘no repeat’ programming style, so I was thrilled to be back on the bill – this time with my band-mates from the ‘Live From Bluesville’ album: Rich DelGrosso (mandolin) and Mookie Brill (bass & harp). Although, as I said, it was a flying visit, we had a BALL and it was lots of fun seeing the guys again and playing in this laid-back acoustic blues trio format.
Check out some pix here!
Speaking of catching up with mates, I then flew straight to the first of the Australian Summer season festivals and fell into the open arms of my long-lost Aussie band. Reunion photos! The Gympie Muster, held in a state forest in Queensland, has a particular out-back flavour and we had an absolute hoot playing to enthusiastic and rowdy crowds. I’ll include the local Bundy rum campsite photos for Mookie, who became quite a fan during our Boyes, Brill, DelGrosso Down-Under Tour! After 10 weeks in America, there was a sweet waft of nostalgia to be ‘home’ - along with the scent of gum trees, Bundy rum and bull-dust.
Well, when I say ‘home’, things prove to be trickier than that…
During my long stint on the road, my lovely husband Steve ‘The Preacher’ Clarke got a new job, necessitating yet another shift of residence. His job is in the countryside a couple of hours north of Adelaide, so – suddenly & unexpectedly – I have become a ‘city-born country gal’. The song on the new album says: ‘I’ve never lived in the country and maybe I never will!’ Life imitates art, eh? Anyway, my three and a bit weeks of ‘relaxing’ between tours are spent packing boxes, shifting furniture, scrubbing houses and attempting to unpack again.
The good part? Our new place is in a lovely little town on the ‘Reisling Trail’, Clare Valley, a famous and pretty wine-producing area. It’s got an inviting wide porch, heaps of fruit trees and a swimming pool. I’m looking forward to some holiday-style living when I get a bit of time off in Summer!
With some of the boxes unpacked, I am just beginning to feel ‘at home’ when it is time to leave… The siren call of the road. The Preacher is going to join me on the next US jaunt. Who could miss an opportunity to get on the ship for the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise?! But, first, I have a real out back Aussie show.
Back at the Gympie Muster, a couple of years ago, I met David Blackett from Riversands Winery. He and his marketing manager Dana were taking a break from their festival booth and dancing up a storm at the Blues Venue. These country people really know how to have a good time! He’d been after me ever since to do the annual ‘Jazz & Boots’ show at his winery in St George, but I had always been out of the country.
I think I’ve established that I am a city girl, so I'd always assumed that St George was ‘not far out of Brisbane’. It turns out to be closer to 7 or 8 hours drive west into the wilds of outback Queensland. With little time and a rather long drive on my hands, I needed youth and enthusiasm on my side. Luckily, I found some local lads who are game enough to jump into a vehicle with a strange blueswoman for a 48 hour adventure. Aaron and Mick Luciow: drummer & bass-player, also happen to be twins and good-natured company. Thank goodness! The boys really did a great job at the gig and happily shared the driving - although there was that little issue of heading North instead of East for an hour or so on the return journey… Anyway, I did make my flight out of Brisbane – hooray!
And…in my suitcase…is a little treasure that I bought at a tourist haunt in the outback. Something ‘special’ for the Silent Auction on the Blues Cruise. Something that I KNOW the folks won’t get anyplace else! So you better read the next blog…