November Shows

Brooklyn Bluegrass Newsletter

February Album Writing Month is over, and along with almost 300 others, I succeeded in writing 14 songs during the month. They range from an original fiddle tune to a dance track built with preprogrammed loops to a folk song to a children's song to a lovely collaboration inspired by the lunar eclipse. There's even a song about plastic bags. All of my songs are still online , along with everyone else's -- an absolutely amazing collection of original music. 

I'll be playing some of the new songs and a few others at the end of this month at a show featuring the Belles Trio along with several other great acoustic acts. Check out the shows page for details on upcoming shows. 

Come down to Brooklyn's legendary Southpaw for the Third Annual Brooklyn Country Music Festival this Saturday night, September 9. It runs from 4pm until you can't run anymore, and I'll be playing with Graveyard Shift in the downstairs lounge, at 11 p.m. Lots of other great bands including Alex Battles' Whiskey Rebellion, the Demolition String Band, and more.

And on Thursday, September 21, Mike Skliar and I will be back at the Underground Lounge on the Upper West Side, playing our own songs, including my new "Hummer" and an even newer song for election season. Plus a couple of Staten Island shows if you're out that way. Details as always are on the shows page.

Please note: The tribute concert for Louis Giampetruzzi has been postponed. I'll let everyone know when the new date is decided.

I'll be posting some more new songs soon, but in the meantime I have several gigs scheduled in August, all out of town. Two shows as part of a hiking excursion organized by Outdoor Bound, and a Saturday morning and early afternoon at the farmer's market in Montclair, NJ. Check the shows page for details.

Stay tuned for NYC gigs and in the meantime don't forget that you can buy or stream my songs at the iTunes Music Store, Rhapsody, Napster and many other online music services.

For St. Patrick's Day, I'll be playing with Caroline Cutroneo on Staten Island. For Good Friday, I'll be in Toronto, Ontario, with Mike Skliar. And for the the 137th anniversary of the day the transcontinental railroad first crossed the Mississippi, I'll be on the Upper West Side, again with Mike. (That anniversary, by the way, is April 21. Golden Spike Day, when the tracks were linked all the way across the country, was on May 10, 1869.)

On the Island...

Two shows coming up in Staten Island, including one on Saint Patrick's Day. See the shows page for details.

Gigs Coming Up

My show with Tone Johansen on January 21 has been postponed to March -- stay tuned for the exact date. I've been rehearsing with Frank and Nancy Moccaldi for our February 3 gig and I'm very excited. We'll be playing with a bunch of guests including The Fabulous Furry Harmonica Brothers -- this will be an unforgettable evening, and will likely fill up quickly, so get there early. See the shows page for more info.

Strike Song

Just as it was ending, I wrote a song about the New York City transit strike. It's still relevant, though, so listen to and/or download "A Little Bit More." I also have a number of shows coming up in January, so check the calendar.

Back Underground

Our next monthly show at the Underground Lounge will be Friday, December 16. Remember, we're there the third Friday of every month. Details on the shows page.

Regularly Underground

Our shows at the Underground Lounge have been a success, so we're going to be starting a monthly residency there. Beginning Friday, November 18, we'll be there the third Friday of every month. Details on the shows page.

Those vague and scary terror warning blues...

Now available for download: A new song, or more accurately a rewrite of an old one, the "Homeland Security Blues." Stay tuned for more gigs and more new songs.

Radio Play and Shows Coming Up

I was delighted that my song "Remember the Future" was played on WBAI last weekend, as part of an appearance by SF writer and friend Bill Shunn on Jim Freund's show, Hour Of the Wolf. You can hear excerpts on his site.

Meanwhile, I'll be playing another amplified blues show on Staten Island this coming Friday night, and in October, Mike Skliar and I will be back with another show on the Upper West Side. Details about all of these are on the shows page.

Fall Shows

Lots of shows coming up as fall begins. I'll be doing another Connecticut gig with Pat Wictor this coming weekend. The last one was a blast. Then next week, if you can stay up late on a Wednesday night, you'll get to see Tone Johansen's spectacular set of Norwegian jazz and folk tunes. She first did this back in March and it was unbelievable. And in October, Mike Skliar and I will be back with another show on the Upper West Side. Details about all of these are on the shows page.

A Couple Of Far-Flung Shows

I'll be playing Saturday night on Staten Island with James Brennan and a few other local musicians, in my first electric blues-rock show since, I believe, February, 2002. I'll also be playing an acoustic set with Pat Wictor at another Connecticut county fair next weekend. Details on the shows page.

New Song

A new song, "She Loved Me Sometimes," is available for download. Stay tuned for a gig announcement, probably the second week of September.

The gig at the agricultural fair went very well. No other gigs scheduled for August, but I will have some new songs posted later this month.

Tractor Pulls and Good Music

I've sat in with blues songwriter Pat Wictor at a few of his gigs, and I'll be playing the Connecticut Agricultural Fair with him next Friday, the 29th. I'll be joining him on the side stage along with Mara Levine, a vocalist whose harmonies have blown me away at a number of shows recently, and percussionist Cheryl Prashker.

Pat is an extraordinary songwriter who plays beautiful lap slide guitar, doing songs that are firmly rooted in the blues but entirely original. He's also one of the only people (aside from John Cephas) who can cover Skip James, the deepest of the Mississippi blues singers, successfully. Pat is a great musician and a good guy and I'm very happy to be playing with him.

Thanks as always to everyone who came out for our second gig at the Underground. We are hoping to turn that into a regular monthly show in the fall, so stay tuned. Nothing scheduled in NYC at the moment, although various gigs in the tristate area are in the works. I'll also have several new songs to post later this month.

Back at the Underground Lounge

Mike Skliar and I had a great gig at the Underground Lounge on the Upper West Side last month, and we'll be back there on Tuesday, July 12. The Underground Lounge is a downstairs venue at the southwest corner of 107th Street and West End Avenue (where Broadway meets West End). It started as a coffee house in the late 90's, and now features music and comedy events every night. It's a small friendly space with comfortable seating and friendly wait staff, and also has a (small) outdoor terrace, so it's one of the few places in Manhattan where you can drink and smoke. We will be playing in the back room, and there's no cover charge, although there is a two-drink minimum. As usual we'll have some new songs, some old songs, and some surprises, intentional and otherwise.

First NYC show in three months!

Mike Skliar and I have finally scheduled our first New York City gig since March. We'll be playing on the Upper West Side, at the Underground Lounge. Mike started playing there years ago, but this is the first time we'll play there as a duo. It's a friendly bar, with some food as well, on the corner where Broadway meets West End Avenue. It started as a coffee house in the late 90's, and now features music and comedy events every night. It also has a (small) outdoor terrace, so its one of the few places in Manhattan where you can drink and smoke. We will be playing in the back room, and there's no cover charge. Complete details are on the shows page.

Bootlegged!

Another New Song!

New Song Available For Download

"Stupid Is the New Smart" is available for download at last, the first of what I hope will be a half-dozen new songs that I'll be recording and putting up over the next few weeks.

Also please note: The Second Saturday with Kate and Lou for April 9 has been cancelled.

The usual Second Saturday at Sunny's with Kate and Lou is coming up on April 9, but other than that I'll be concentrating on recording some new songs between now and the show in Toronto. "Stupid Is the New Smart" will probably be on the download page in the next week or so, and I'll be working on recording my other new songs as well.

On Wednesday, March 24, I played a short set of Norwegian songs with Tone Johansen at Sunny's. She held a crowded bar spellbound singing songs most people couldn't understand -- beautiful jazzy songs. We'll be doing more of these shows, I hope, so watch for them.

And don't forget, my CD Whiskey, Wisdom and Song is still available for sale.

The Sheriff Sessions show went very well last night, and it's worth pointing out that aside from the annual November spectacular, the Sheriff is now putting shows on once a month at the Baggott Inn, and you can also hear him with the Radio Band (who followed us last night) on WKCR every Tuesday night at 9.30.

I'll be playing again with Kate and Lou for our usual Second Saturday at Sunny's Bar in Red Hook on April 9, but other than that I'll largely be focusing on some recording projects and getting ready for the Toronto gig with Mike.

Thanks to everyone who came down to my show with Mike Skliar at the Parkside -- we had a great time and we hope you did too. If anyone didn't get a CD, you can buy them online. We haven't scheduled any New York City shows between now and our Toronto gig in late April, but we will be in the studio working on a duo CD including all-new songs from both of us.

Saturday night I'll be playing with Kate and Lou again, as part of a special Sheriff Sessions show. This show is in a much more accessible location than Red Hook: the Baggott Inn, on 3rd Street in the Village. If you've never seen Kate and Lou, you have no idea what you're missing, and following us will be the Radio Band, featuring an all-star lineup of NYC roots players. Details and directions on the shows page.

New CD Available Now!

My first solo CD of original material, Whiskey, Wisdom and Song, is now available for purchase. More details are on the music page. Please check it out, buy a few, or just write a review

March gigs are coming up: I'll be at Sunny's in Red Hook for the usual Second Saturday with Kate and Lou on March 12, and then on March 13, Mike and I will make our debut at the historic Parkside Lounge. Details on the shows page.

A Very Special Valentine's Day

The Valentine's Day gig with Kate and Lou was wonderful, with a great crowd in one of New York's best places for live music. The setting and the audience led Lou to call an audible on the set list, opening up with several of his best romantic jazz ballads, rather than kicking things off with a bang by doing a fast Cajun or bluegrass number. Playing with them is always a joy but this was a particularly nice evening.

On to March gigs! I'll be playing with Kate and Lou for our usual Second Saturday at Sunny's, March 12, and then Mike Skliar and I will have our debut gig at the Parkside on Sunday, March 13. Details on the shows page.

Two Shows With Kate and Lou

Several gigs coming up with the Kate and Lou Band in February, which are sure to be great sets. Playing with these folks is an extraordinary experience. Plus, in April, Mike Skliar and I will be doing our first North American Tour, or, at least, doing a gig in Canada. We hope to add a New York City date between now and then, so stay tuned. Details are on the Shows page. Coming soon: my solo CD, for sale right here!