| 7/7/2010
Just finished a tour with Zac & Rod in the Seattle area. I'm heading to Knoxville to continue mixing with Jay and play a gig in Asheville this weekend.
April 29, 2010
Billy Jonas, Asheville's beloved singer/entertainer, contacted me last year and asked if I would compose orchestra scores to accompany some of his songs. This turned out to be one of the most enjoyable projects of the year. Billy came over every couple of days to brainstorm and hear how the charts were coming along. I can't even count the number of times I worked straight through the night until I heard the morning wrens. Because his material is so strong, it was a labor of love.
At the performance I got to sit back in the audience (for a change!) and enjoy hearing the scores unfold. Fun, but a little nerve-wracking!
Among the most appreciated compliments given out afterward came from the orchestra players who reported how much fun their own parts had been to play.
I look forward to the prospect of developing future projects in orchestration. It's an art that suits me particularly well.
Mar. 17, 2010
I was blessed to be asked to perform again with Danny Ellis in his dramatic song cycle 800-Voices. The work is a masterpiece in evocative storytelling and heartbreakingly beautiful melodic content. The tradgedy inflicted upon thousands of Ireland's youth by a staff of Christian Brothers through physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, and how Danny was able to find reconcilliation in his adulthood, vividly drew me and the tear-filled audience into empathy and participation. I don't know why, exactly, but I find the story surprisingly relevant even though I was not an orphan as Danny was. Simply put, the story inspires. This show was a gift for which I will be ever grateful. Click here to read more about [Artane Industrial School] and to hear samples by [Danny Ellis].
Mar. 13, 2010
If a standing ovation, an encore, and lots of grinning people are any indication, you could say that the inaugural performance with percussive dancer Emolyn Liden was a success. One thing's for sure: Emolyn certainly fills a fiddler with smiles! The biggest applause seemed to be for the hot Appalachian number, but I liked the jig set best. It was delightful to bear witness to the metamorphosis that took place as Emolyn found a way to incorporate clogging steps into Irish 6/8 time.
Nevertheless, I confess that for my part the evening felt rather like a dress rehearsal for the more polished shows yet to come. Luckily the audience was comprised of very generous friends, family, and fans who have attended my concerts in the past and everyone seemed to have a nice evening.
A sobering reality about performance arts is that one may practice his/her craft for years, train with the best teachers, rehearse for days or weeks with other performers...yet when it comes down to the moment of truth, when one steps onto stage and has but a single chance to deliver on command, there is no guarantee of a 'perfect' result. Performance is a living entity subject to the same elations and upset tummies that affect other living things. Distractions of all kinds can conspire against one. The stage may feel strange or the monitoring of the sound system might be bad. Perhaps the audience is unusually stoic or some unhappy news was reported backstage just before the show. Did one's fingers get cold or one's ankles become tight? What if one's mind were to wander briefly just at the exact moment when one needed to make a critical switch of keys? All performers know these sensations.
Inextricably, good or not-so-good, the show comes to an end, the the
lights go down, the people go home. Whether or not one achieved his/her personal best becomes almost inconsequential. The artist returns work, delving further and ever further, because that's what an artist does. One has faith that at least some of what is being hewn and polished in the practice room will eventually come to fruition in front of a live audience. But one must also accept the likelihood that the so-called 'perfect performance' may be an unachievable ideal which serves only as a Platonic benchmark against which we measure ourselves.
I am reminded of the Buddist idea of detaching oneself from the Result; it is the Work that is important.
Mar. 10, 2010
Earlier in the week it had snowed in Georgia. I embarked from Atlanta to arrive in sunny
spring at the Oregon Coast! Now that's confusing!
In Corvallis I discovered that
besides being the name of Jack Lemmon's character in 'Some Like It Hot',
the name "Daphne" belongs to a sweet little pink blossom with
an intoxicating aroma.
The first to notice us as we stepped out of the car were a couple
of sweet little girls who screamed, "Hi Jamie, Hi Zac!".
This set off a crescendo of squealing youngsters bidding us "hello,
nice to have you back!" and swarming around us as we made our entrance
into Shorewood Elementary School in Enumclaw, WA. The nine-month hiatus
since last Spring's assembly performance apparently served to elevate
our initial popularity to the status of rock super stars. Students presented us with greeting cards they had made and were much
transfixed during our talk about Celtic music and the possibility of accomplishing
almost any goal if one will simply apply oneself diligently.
Afterward we were met with a tidal wave of autograph seekers. One boy apparently had no paper and asked if I would sign his arm. This set off a scramble
of envious copy-cats requiring that Zac and I pen our names
onto what must have been 100 rail-thin arms before the bell rang and the kids were dragged off.
I haven't seen the equal to this school's string program, and it is all thanks to the imagination and energy from teachers, parents, local businesses, and a pro-arts principal. Magic Strings, as the group is called, is a remarkable
achievement by any standard --
not just because the program has been built in school district where there is no budget for music. It demonstrates how inspired kids can become when given the opportunity.
Despite best intentions it sometimes happens that preparation
for a tour gets short-changed. During the month leading up to this tour I allowed myself to be pulled in too many different directions
at once. Hence, I had to show up to the first engagement in Oregon playing catch-up (or ketchup, depending on how you look at it). "Behind the eight ball...?", is that what they call it? Although for the most part the performances were solid at
all eight engagements, the price to be paid was consternation, over-busy-ness, and what I call "private experience" whereby one knows, deep down, that one could have done better even if the audience doesn't know.
To lighten the mood during the long drives between gigs, Zac earned his
stripes as a wonderful reader bringing to life Bill Bryson's wonderful
book, "A Walk In the Woods." Zac even animates the voices of
characters to perfection. What hilarity, what poignancy, what a gift. Thanks, Zac.
Each stop of the tour was greeted with much hugging and back slapping, none more than during the Seattle "homecoming" concert. We were graced by the attendance of
venerable musicians Kip & Stanley Greenthal and many beloved friends and acquaintances from waaay back when.
Rod Weeks came out of retirement to play his Scottish small
pipes during the final three concerts. What a superb artist he is! All
of us musicians should learn a lesson from his model work ethic. He practices
like a demon and it sure pays off. Rod took the stage with calm assurance
and delivered flawless performances that rocked the house. I'm delighted to have Rod featured on my upcoming album. [hear sample]
The memorable musical moment of this season was stumbled upon quite by accident. I was rehearsing a couple of gentle hornpipes with Zac and conveyed the story about when I was asked to play background music for a solemn gathering to meet a very high-up Tibetan spiritual leader. No one at the hushed gathering was speaking above a whisper, and each would approach the Lama with prayerful deference. Doing my best to play as intropectively as humanly possible I put a mute on my violin and barely touched one hair of the bow on the string. Even that in some way seemed too loud!
I asked Zac for just such an intimate backing style on his guitar. After a number of different experiments I heard him play two particular chords in succession, immediately giving way to some subsequent idea. I stopped and asked, "Can you show me what you did there, just a moment ago?" Upon repeating what he had done, inspiration kicked in. "Can you play just those and ONLY those two chords for the whole piece?", I asked.
Well, it was magic. The arrangement became our mutual favorite and we found ourselves singing the tune to ourselves the whole week.
Oct. 12, 2009
I've just finished a short run of performances with master guitarist Robin
Bullock. The concerts were outstandingly inspirational from a music-making
point of view. Driving from city to city, Robin and I spent many hours
discussing our artistic goals to which we aspire, and the numerous practical
issues of being on the road in order to bring our music to the public.
During the middle of the week we spent two days with my best friend and
recording engineer Jay Manneschmidt in Knoxville, laying down three wonderful
tracks which will appear on my upcoming CD release. I'm extremely pleased
with the results we acheived and I can hardly wait to finish the album.
Of course, nowadays one must be realistic about recording projects: CDs
are quickly becoming a thing of the past. The carefully-crafted, story-like
shape which I'm endeavoring to create in this album may largely be lost
on an industry which sells 99-cent sound bites to be shuffled in random
play in iPods. And it's likely that sales will never recoup the cost of
making the album, which in my case is now soaring in the 5-figures and
continues to rack up costs even as I write this.
My favorite part of the week was the concert in the barrel room of Stonefield
Cellars winery near Winston-Salem, where the sweet aroma of grape juice
laced the air as we play to an intimate and devoted group.
In the concerts recently I have come face-to-face with unmistakable signs
that a profound change is taking place in the way people chose to spend
their leisure time and entertainment dollars. Countless forms of entertainment
compete for people's attention, and many of these are cheap and conveniently
obtained within the comforts of home. In this tough economy, people seem
to be more reticent to go out to hear a less-known performer; if they
go out to live music at all, it seems to be to hear the more familiar,
bigger-name acts.
I've come home realizing that in order to keep traditional music alive
and viable, I'm going to have to adopt some profound changes of my own.
The last thing I would want to do, however, is to compromise my art form.
To cheapify my art would be to destroy it altogether.
Right off there is one change that is both doable and desireable: to start
playing more unaccompanied violin concerts. This thought has been rattling
around in my head from time-to-time lately, often during periods when
earnings from concerts are slim and the cost-saving measure of omitting
a payrolled accompanist seems appealing. I took it with some degree of
flattery that both Robin Bullock and Al Petteway independantly suggested
I consider this idea in earnest. Imagine! Two guitar players simulatneously
suggesting that I play without a guitar player!
A few years ago I played quite a number of unaccompanied concerts and
I always enjoyed them. Moreover, it always pleased me to find that had
not the least concern over the lack of an accomanying player.
Beyond any doubt, playing solo is a big responsibility and requires an
exquisite command of the musical content. But I feel energized by this
challenging prospect.
May 28, 2009
"Never Tire of the Road" is the autobiographical lyric to Andy
Irvine's song about the life of a touring musician that wafted through
my head as I made the weary journey home from my 2.5-week Northwest tour.
The final leg of the trip was a midnight drive from the Charlotte airport
to Asheville, during which my mind replayed each day of the crammed schedule:
scintillating new friendships, rehearsals, high-energy performances, long
drives from one gig to another, sleeping on a different surface (usually
soft!) every night, heart-stopping scenic beauty, difficult financial
decisions, and faces, faces, faces.
Road hiss filled my ears as I passed Rhodhiss, NC at 1:00 am. The darkness,
solitude, and distance invited a larger perspective. As exhausted as I
was, I felt resigned to the inextricably weather-worn lifestyle of my
chosen career as a "wandering minstrel."
Tour bookings had begun back in December during Seattle's mighty snowstorm
in which my concerts with Stanley Greenthal were cancelled and subsequently
re-booked for May. Two months later I became acquainted with Irish musician
Zac Leger while I was in "Guitarless in Los Angeles", and I
had asked him if he would play guitar for me in Seattle.
Meanwhile, a zealous and effective arts organizer and long-standing fan
of mine named Celia Bender contacted me asking if I could come to the
small town of Enumclaw, WA to work with kids in the schools, teaching
them about history and culture of the Celtic peoples and demonstrating
the music.
The first gig of the tour was a school assembly at the ungodly hour of
8:00 am. (Musicians don't do mornings well.) Right away it was clear that
a massive buzz had preceded us. With me fiddling away in my kilt and Zac
demonstrating Uillean pipes, whistle, and bouzouki, the kids gobbled up
our presentations with excitement and genuine interest.
The most amazing thing I've seen in years was the Magical Strings program.
This class of over 100 young string players was the brain child of two
visionary music teachers and is a testimonial for how a thriving music
program can be built with sheer determination and zeal in spite of having
almost no funding.
The Enumclaw experience culminated in a final concert with demonstrations
from several young orchestras, an instrument auction, and a memorable
performance by Zac and me that was strikingly well-attended. I can't remember
when I've signed so many autographs for beaming-faced youngsters. We were
treated like rock stars!
The next few concerts of the tour found us on the San Juan islands of
Vashon, Lopez, and Bainbridge enjoying some of the most superlative, crystalline
blue skied weather one could ask for.
In Portland, OR we gave a small concert in the arts-and-crafts-style
home of my charming friend Abbie Weisenbloom. This was a long-anticipated
inaugural event for Abbie and I was humbled to find that she had spent
most of her savings on a custom built stage which she installed at one
end of her living room. In a dashingly brilliant final number, Zac and
I were joined by the brilliant Quebecois fiddler Lisa Ornstein (that's
pronounced "Orn-stine" with a long "I" sound). Thanks,
Lisa, for the 6-minute fiddling fireworks!
Back in Seattle, Zac took the night off while I met up with some of my
favorite contra dance musicians in the country--Sue Songer, David Kaynor,
Jeff Kerssen-Griep, and Erik Wieberg--to play the pre-Folklife dance.
It turned out to be a miracle concoction. We were all so pleased with
the "Dream Team", as it came to be called, that we've committed
to reassembling the group next year for round two. Notwithstanding, there
will forever be one or two contra dancers who insist on stepping up afterward
and making known their irritation over this tune or that which was not
to their liking. I've come to regard this behavior as the major difference
between playing concerts and dances, and have learned to put these occasional
criticisms in their rightful perspective.
Of the seven consecutive years I've played the Folklife festival, I don't
remember a single performance that was less than ideal. Yet, I think this
year's may have hit the jackpot. As I gazed into the crowd my eye caught
sight of countless loyal fans, friends, and supporters who have followed
my progress all these years. The show came off with perfection. Many afterward
commented that this duo was as strong as anything I've yet presented.
A big surprise to me was the number of new (to me) folks who came up
afterward to meet me and mention all the various shows of mine they've
attended over the years...or the multiple hits they've made to my website.
Who knew?! How many others are out there whom I have not YET met? It gives
me pause.
For more photos from this tour, click [HERE]
Mar. 28, 2009
I didn't know quite what to expect when my GPS directed me along winding
appalachian mountain roads and let me out in Mountain City, TN. Way out
there, I wondered if there would even be an audience to play to!
But the concert at Heritage Hall turned out to be one of the sweetest
duo engagements of the season. Owen joined me in what had, in its day,
been a high school auditorium from the early 1900s. The space had been
lovingly restored by a committee of devoted citizens and was perfect for
acoustic music.
The audience blew me away, both for attendance and for verve! The whole
thing reminds me of what guitarist Finn McGinty once told me: "I
make my living by playing in small towns."
Mar. 22, 2009
Everyone, inluding myself, was completely suprised and delighted with
how well the symphony gig turned out. The orchestra rallied to a performance
that was rhythmically sound and effortless to play with. Several of the
group's members stepped up to play solos, and everone did beautifully.
Two splendid dancers graced our stage: Rodney Sutton, the darling of the
Applachian flat-foot clogging scene; and Alice Jamison, a young, red-haired
beauty who is brilliantly poised in Cape Breton and Irish hard-shoe dancing.
And everyone's favorite guitarist, Owen Morrison, did a bang-up job locking
the whole thing together.
Afterward in the backstage area, everyone was slapping each other on the
back and giving each other high-five. The sense of community that was
created during this show was a beautful thing.
On a personal note, it gave me the greatest satisfaction to hear the new
scores I had written come to fruition.
Feb. 28, 2009
A two-week tour in California encompassed highs and lows in guitar accompanists,
requiring me to reprogram concerts on the fly. Although not good for one's
blood pressure, the programs nevertheless turned out well.
Working with legendary guitarist Scott Nygaard was sublime, his gorgeous,
buttery sound providing a rich backdrop to my arrangements of pipe tunes.
With great jubilation, I discovered a prodigious guitar talent in Los
Angeles. Zac not only understands the approach I'm looking for, but has
free space in his schedule which will allow us to begin touring together
in May. The beginnings are auspicious.
Of great interest was my visit with the zany genius of Joe Craven, with
whom I hope to record an album later this year (after the present album
is finished!).
Finally, I returned to Appalachia for several lovely gigs with the wonderful
Owen Morrison.
1/20/09
Mary Scammell, my dear friend and poet in Scotland, wrote and published
this piece to commemorate Obama's inauguration. Enjoy!
January 20, 2009
Today is the day of marvels;
this is the day to start a new age.
Today is the day of celebrations.
The memory wanders to the pit of joy –
she who celebrated the dying of hope's hero.*
Today is the day of marvels.
The people wake from the deep sleep of lies
to silence hypocracy's principles.
Today is the day of celebrations.
The country is rejecting the false religion
which demands supremacy, the end of hope.
Today is the day of marvels.
Black and white are embracing each other
to listen, discuss guard against preaching.
Today is the day of celebrations.
Today the mist of our shame has dissipated,
and in its place are the tears of joy.
Today is the day of marvels.
Today is the day of celebrations.
* death of Martin Luther King in 1968
12/20/08
Record snows in Seattle forced the cancellation of both my Solstice concerts
with Stanley Greenthal. We had already rehearsed for 5 days when on the
morning of the first concert the plug was pulled--bad news at a time when
the loss of income and time was felt severely. I had a measure of fortune,
though. As thousands slept for days on the floor of the SeaTac airport
and dangerous driving conditions caused tumult in the city, I was lucky
enough to be camped out in the Greenthal's lovely home and enjoyed taking
snowy walks around old Seattle neighborhoods which were transformed into
a magical fairy land. We also did some musical R&D with some new tunes
from Bretagne.
11/17/08
I've just finished a tour of house concerts and non-commercial venues
with the wonderful young guitarist Owen Morrison from Charlottesville,
VA. The gigs were booked close to home to cut down on travel costs, and
gave us an opportunity to get better acquainted with each other's playing.
Although our audiences were mostly small, we were met with huge adulation
which has subsequently led to plans for increasing our bookings together.
Owen is a true virtuoso who not only knows Celtic music inside and out,
but is also a trained classical guitarist and consumate all-around musician.
He's very popular with audiences and a delight to travel with.
11/4/08
I have never been more proud to be an American than on this day, Nov.
4, 2008. Today America made a choice based on wisdom, intelligence, and
global vision. I pledge to help our new president and our country in every
way I can to rebuild and reunite.
11/1/08
It's been quite awhile since I was a side man for someone else's gig.
Irish singer and composer Danny Ellis created a song cycle masterpiece
recounting his despicable upbringing by the Catholic brothers of the Artane
orphanage in Dublin, and I was asked to play backing fiddle parts.
Rehearsing his show was very challenging, as the format was a veritable
operetic epic which was outside my area of experience. But the show was
magnificent, and it inspired me and many others to persevere in the face
of adversity. Check out Danny's superb CD "800
Voices" (accompanied brilliantly by John Doyle and Duncan Wickel).
10/2/08
The Journey Home: 7 planes and 14 hours' driving.
Just as I was preparing to return from Scotland I was offered a performance
on the popular radio program "West Coast Live." Accepting the
opportunity neccesitated landing in Charlotte, NC, flying immediately
to San Francisco, and then driving to northern California. In order to
help pay for the trip, Jim French of Trinity Alps Performing Arts in Weaverville,
and Tom O'Hara of The Stage Door Cabaret in Mt. Shasta, were kind enough
to book concerts for me on short notice.
In the end, it was the concerts, not the radio show, that proved memorable.
I invited a local guitarist Kevin Andras to join me to accompany 4 selections,
and he did a great job. The audience was adoring and even the newspapers
stepped up to the plate with very nice articles.
...then there was the radio show...sigh. All I can say is that one could
only put the bow on the string, saw away, and hope that it would turn
out satisfactorily! No opportunity to tune up, a completely soup-y PA
mix, a gregarious audience that clapped along (out of time!) with the
music, producers running around giving instructions from the side of the
stage, and a set list that was necessarily changed on the fly. Any of
you hear the show?...how did it sound?
9/30/08
I am returning from Scotland with a renewed optimism about the future
of the U.S., thanks to reading Barack Obama’s wonderful book, "The
Audacity of Hope."
One of my prime motivations for embarking on this month-long tour was
to strengthen my ties with the U.K. as a possible future home, as I have
been very frustrated with the political situation in the U.S. during the
past 8 years. Thanks to Obama’s book, I now see how it might be
possible to heal the devastating intolerance that has ripped the country
into two halves.
Now it comes down to whether or not the American voters can bring to office
such a facilitator!
9/30/08
My month-long Scotland tour began with fast-and-furious rehearsals. Ashley
had decided to take a break from performing, so I took on the task of
connecting with as many new musicians as I could throughout Scotland.
First up to the plate was a delightful young female guitarist Anna Massie.
Anna was an amazingly quick study and had no difficulty accompanying my
two Fringe Festival performances with boisterous rhythmic energy. Average
attendance at the Fringe shows is a reported 6 people; we apparently tripled
the average by drawing 18 to both shows. I was delighted to have step
dancer John Sikorski on stage with us!
Next stop, Peebles in the Scottish Borders district. My guitarist for
this show was Ross Martin. Ross not only learned my material with incredible
speed (he told me that one challenge he enjoys is to put his iPod on random
and learn everything that comes up!), but even more importantly he contributed
some of the most tantalizing and appropriate backing of any guitarist
I've yet heard. Ross' supreme musicianship is not a secret: he plays regularly
with Karen Casey's band and the Scottish super group Daimh. www.daimh.net
What happened next was quite charming and unexpected. I befriended a wonderful
pair of Peebles residents, Arthur and Gusia, who took me under their wing
of hospitality, showed me the historic sights of Traquair and Roslyn Chapel,
and ultimately hosted what might arguably have been the first EVER house
concert in Scotland! Thus began a friendship that is likely to last a
lifetime.
The most insanely beautiful concert venue of my career was in Glasgow
at the Star Folk Club. Guitarist Mike Bryan joined me in this restored,
grand old church (pictured on right). The sound was spectacular as well,
and Mike's very imaginative playing melded perfectly with mine in the
lovely, reverberant acoustic.
I've always heard people say, "oh you've got to go to the Hebrides--it's
beautiful." But until one actually gazes out across the miles of
pristine, wind-blown beaches, or walks among the haunting standing stones
of 5,000-year old Callinish, or hikes atop a Benbecula bluff for views
of vast heather meadows extending to a rugged coast line, one couldn't
possible imagine how special a place these islands are.
My concert in the microvillage of Lochmaddy on North Uist was a true community
effort. The village hall was rented by local music enthusiast Lorna McLeod,
who raised the North Carolina flag in my honor. Anna-Wendy Stevenson,
one of Scotland's most respected masters of traditional music, brought
her young local group, the "Flying Fiddles" to perform an opening
set. Anna-Wendy's playing at the pub session later that night was particularly
astonishing. www.annawendy.com
New venues are always fun and exciting, but I think my favorite is to
return to familiar places I've played in the past. The breathtaking drive
up-and-over the mountain to the idyllic village of Applecross was such
a place. Judy's invitation to perform again at the Applecross Inn turned
out to be one of the sweetest engagements of all, with the audience being
extraordinarily attentive and appreciative. Thanks, Sean, for giving up
your gig that night so we could have an opportunity to play!
To end the tour, Céol Béo offered another warm and familiar
environment in the crystal-clean city of Inverness. Mike and I played
our best show together there at St. Michael's church, with Mike's ultra-cool
mother in attendance! Warmest thanks to Keith and Mary Scammell for their
enthusiastic hospitality, and for treating me to tickets for the fabulous
concert of Scotland's answer to the Flecktones, "Lau." www.lau-music.co.uk
7/31/08
The Swannanoa Gathering was brilliant and inspiring as expected. Many
thanks to all the students and staff who helped to create such a great
vibe! We all had a blast -- and I even got to find out what it's like
to be Joe Craven for a day. (Wish I could play like him, though!)
6/1/08
I first heard Rod Weeks play his Scottish small pipes last year and was
mesmerized by the lyrical, expressive music. Pipe tunes dominate my upcoming
CD (currently in progress), so it seemed a natural addition to include
Rod on the album. Thanks to his great work ethic (and lots of Ben Gay)
Rod put down wonderful renditions of "Sound of Sleat", "The
Glasgow Caithness Centenary Gathering", and my own composition "Bridge
of Cally." Stay tuned for the album's release date!
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mixing CD with engineer Jay Manneschmidt
orchestra scores for Billy Jonas
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Concert promoters Phil Kavanaugh & Doris Dare, Ashland, OR
