Do As The Romans Do

Okay, I FINALLY get it. Or I will get it. Because I will FINALLY be visitng Rome after all these years and trips to Italy, I had never ventured farther down the boot after Pisa. And lately, both Jimbo and I have been reading and viewing a lot of Roman stuff. We recently watched BBC's "I, Claudius"...excellent production BTW. Also been reading Claudius' book, "Claudius the God". Then there is the HBO version of the rise and fall of Julius Caeser, which I was already aquianted with, having performed in Shakespeare's "Julius Caeser" as Cassisus and the tender age of 11. I have been reading up on Roman history so as to be in the know of what to check out when I go. Now, for some people the Vatican would be the first stop. In my case, I am heading straight to the Forum. I am just so facinated with old stuff and ruins. I like to imagine what is was like and how I would live my life then.
According the the most recent book I finished, Deepak Chopra's "Life After Death", I could have very well been alive several times before. Would that explain my love for beautiful things, opera and espresso?

I head over now for a mini tour in Italy, perfomring at a few festivals, one in Rome. Glad to have some days off in the Eternal City as well. This week, I have been listening to "In Flight Italian", working on some key phrases like, "La liste de vino, perfavore" and "uno bottiglia di whiskey". Now, I must finish my cappucchino and start packing. A piu tardi!

Jessie Mae Hemphill Headstone Update

Yesterday, I was finally able to order Jessie's headstone. With many thanks to the Rodgers Funeral Home in Coldwater, MS, we are getting a large, grey, slate stone (4 feet hight 3 feet wide, base is 5 feet long) with a color photograph and two vases on each end. The back of the stone will have Hemphill etched on it, facing Highway 51, along with an eagle flying with the rising sun. The front of the stone, will have Jessie's full name, dates, and a verse from her song "Lord Help the Poor and Needy". It will take about 6-8 weeks, at which time we will organize an unveiling celebration. Timing wise, it looks like it will be early July before the stone is installed, marking the 1st anniversary since Jessie's passing.

We are especially grateful to Shonda Warner, who paid for the remaining balance of the stone and the Rodgers Funeral Home, who donated about $1500 worth so that we could get a larger stone with the little money we had. Thank you also to everyone who donated to Jessie's funeral fund last summer.

More news will follow soon...

Pumpkins!

This may sound silly, but I have incredible joy at looking at my little plants and watching them grow. Even more special, are the new pumpkin plants that sprouted up from the rotting cracases of last year. Today, they actually began flowering. I have no idea what pimpkin plants actually do, so this will be a learning experience for me. I only know them as jack-o-lanterns, who suddenly appear on the patches, where you can wander around and find the one who speaks to you. And maybe this year, with good fortune, I will have my own little patch to pick from. Hehehehehehehe!

2nd annual North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic

Last July’s inaugural North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic was a resounding success, drawing over 1,000 people to a rural site in Potts Camp in Marshall County. The festival demonstrated the vitality of the contemporary blues scene in North Mississippi, and in light of the tremendous public response this year’s event has been extended to two days. Potts Camp is located off of Route 78, about halfway between Memphis and Tupelo.

The festival celebrates the legacies of departed North Mississippi blues legends including R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, and Othar Turner, and the festival will once again feature many of their children and grandchildren. These include Duwayne Burnside, and his band the Mississippi Mafia; the Burnside Exploration, featuring Cedric and Garry Burnside; David Kimbrough; the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band, led by Othar Turner’s 17-year-old granddaughter Sharde Thomas.

Other “second generation” acts returning to the event include Kenny Brown, R.L. Burnside’s longtime guitarist and “adopted son;” and the Reverend John Wilkins, son of pre-WWII recording artist Robert Wilkins, whose song “Prodigal Son” was covered by the Rolling Stones. Also returning to the festival are soul-blues legend Bobby Rush, Jimbo Mathus and Knockdown South, T-Model Ford, Cary Hudson with Blue Mountain, Jocco Rushing with Fried Chicken & Gasoline, and John Barnett.

Additions this year include the North Mississippi Allstars, whose leader Luther Dickinson grew up listening to R.L. Burnside and attending Othar Turner’s fife and drum picnics; the Oxford-based Taylor Grocery Band, which features Junior Kimbrough’s son Kinney Kimbrough on drums and vocals; and Alvin Youngblood Hart, Danny Lancaster, and Olga Wilhelmine Mathus.

Potts Camp resident Kenny Brown, who has been playing Hill Country blues since he was a young boy with artists including Mississippi Joe Callicott and Johnny Woods, conceived the festival. “The original idea for this thing was to get all the Hill Country acts we could together at one time here in North Mississippi,” says Brown. “I know from first hand experience how popular the music is all over the world, but we previously didn’t have an opportunity to celebrate our shared heritage here on our home turf. Last year we had a better turn out than we expected and it was wonderful for the performers to be able to hang out together and see the audience having such a great time. Sara Davis and the other organizers did a great job of getting everything together. This year we’re adding another day and some more acts, and we’re looking forward to an even greater turnout. Last year we had people from seventeen states and three foreign countries and I’m sure it will be even better this year. We’ll have plenty of food and a camping area.”

The festival is run by the non –profit organization North MS Hill Country Picnic, Inc., and enjoys great support and sponsorship from North Mississippi communities. Camping will be allowed both nights, coolers are permitted, and vendors will sell local delicacies including barbeque and fried catfish. A portion of each ticket will be donated to MusiCares©, a charity run by the Recording Academy that provides free health care for musicians in need. Sponsors to-date include Flick’s Country Restaurant, R & B Feder Charitable Foundation, Paragon Casino, Freeland & Freeland, One Day Signs, Holly Springs Tourism, Oxford Tourism, and Budweiser.

For more information visit the website www.nmshillcountrypicnic.com

wet one

daaaaaaamn! it's a wet one today in NOLA! we are pretty much washed away in uptown. every street is flooded in some parts a foot and a half. i walked, no, waded my way to the coffee shop to check email and was pretty astounded at how much water there is! the good news is that our street is dry (don't worry mom). at times like these, you can really see the difference in ground levels, which are hardly noticeable in dry times.

as i sit, another storm cell is cutting loose....

...the good part, is that i won't have to wash my hair today!

219 Records Juke Joint Showcase 5/1 Jazzfest

New Orleans Jazz Fest 2007

219 RECORDS JUKE JOINT SHOWCASE
Tuesday, May 1, Cafe Brasil, Frenchman Street, New Orleans

9:00 'til you can't stand up no 'mo

LIVE! funky rump-shakin' boogie down blues and groove...

Jimbo Mathus & Knockdown South
John Lisi & Delta Funk
Lynn Drury
Olga
Cashman
Davis Coen
Tate Moore

come out and see all your lovely 219 artists...for one night only, all together, all in one place!

click on the following link for more info, links and pics!

http://www.219records.com/showcase.htm

or go to www.219records.com and click on the "219 Records Juke Joint Showcase" button

FREE ENTRANCE with RSVP
email touchbase@219records.com
(subject "put me on the list")

beware, Cafe Brasil is a cash-only bar, leave those credit cards at home...

Hope to see you there!


As Always,

Olga

myspace.com/laolga

www.laolga.com

G'morning!

I've been up since 5. Another night of insomnia. I think I get one decent night's sleep a week. Maybe it's the wine. HA!

It usualy is my mind. I do quite a bit of yoga to try and tame it, but it seems to be the most challenging, more challenging than standing on my head or warrior 3. I keep thinking things will get easier and settle down, but the reality is, the more you do, the more challenges you are faced with... almost as if God keeps putting them out there for you, harder, higher, farther away...I do not know or understand why, I just know that I have to keep going.

This week, we finished the lobby of the studio for the JMH Foundation. It was a real relief for me. There are still details to do, but overall, it's ready to see. But the reprieve is only momentary, as next I must rework the foundation website, create goals and language for visitors to understand what we are trying to do, among other things. I didn't set out to do this, but it is what evolved out of my time in north MS and with Jessie Mae. Now that she is gone, it seems more important to continue...I just am overwhelmed sometimes. Maybe that's also God's way of saying, "take a break, take a breather...do nothing for a minute and collect yourself". It's like hiking and getting to the top only to find you are staring at an entire mountain range that goes on for miles and miles...well, it's a good thing that I like to hike! As long as I have sunscreen and a bottle of water!

"Paula Abdul of the Blues"

Yup that's me! The last three nights I've been a judge for the International Blues Challenege that is held every year on Beale street in various clubs. I actually liked the gig, though they were certainly looong nights, but the perfomrances were much better this year than in years past. Don't ask me who won though, by that time I was at large on Beale with my friend Nat getting into shenanigans. Well, Paula is supposed to be "lovable and loopy" right? So I was just fullfilling that portion of the comparison!

Blues Today Symposium Feb. 15-17 to Focus on Blues Women

OXFORD, Miss. - Women were the first recorded blues singers, and the first decade of recorded music featured females almost exclusively. It is therefore fitting that Living Blues magazine's Blues Today Symposium, Feb. 15-17 at the University of Mississippi, focuses on blues women.

The fifth annual event, titled "Blueswomen Today," brings to the forefront women who sing the blues, play the blues, write poems about the blues and engage in scholarly investigations of women's blues.

This year's symposium is scheduled in conjunction with two other conferences held on campus at the same time: the Southern American Studies Association meeting, which focuses on blues tunes and blues texts, and the Southern Anthropological Society meeting, with a foodways theme.

"Our keynote speaker, whom we're sharing with a concurrent meeting of the Southern American Studies Association, is Farah Jasmine Griffin, a professor at Columbia University and author of an innovative study of Billie Holiday," said Blues Today chair and co-founder Adam Gussow, a UM professor of English and Southern studies. "Wanda Coleman, a brilliant blues performance poet, will also be making her Mississippi debut."

Griffin's book "If You Can't Be Free, Be a Mystery: In Search of Billie Holiday" (Free Press, 2001) is not so much a straightforward biography of the eminent jazz singer, but instead, according to Library Journal, examines "how Holiday's music spoke to listeners and celebrated and reflected their lives." At Columbia, Griffin is an English and comparative literature professor who received her B.A. from Harvard and her Ph.D. from Yale.

Programming for the symposium kicks off at 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, at the Powerhouse in Oxford, with "The Mississippi Blues Trail: A Public Introduction" featuring Scott Barretta and Alan Hammons. Following at 3 p.m. is a screening of Robert Mugge's "Blues Divas," a documentary film of some of the world's most soulful female performers, filmed at Ground Zero in Clarksdale, Miss., and narrated by actor Morgan Freeman.

At 6:30 p.m., Blues Today, SASA and SAS participants can enjoy a tamales and champagne reception at the Longshot Bar and Grill in Oxford.

The symposium also includes a tribute to the late Jessie Mae Hemphill, a hill country blues guitarist from Como, Miss., who died in July. Hemphill was a blues music legend and her music was an inspiration to music players and lovers around the world.

"David Evans, scholar and folklorist, will be here to talk about Jessie Mae and play a few of her songs, as will young blues woman Olga Wilhelmine," Gussow said. "Paul Garon, a founder of Living Blues magazine and co-author of a biography of Memphis Minnie, will also share his thoughts. We'll have several workshops with the performers and, of course, our annual jam session, open to members of the audience."

Mark Camarigg, publications manager for Living Blues magazine, said that the major role women have played in the development of blues music may not be well known.
"Fortunately, writers participating in our Blueswomen Today symposium, such as Gayle Wald and Farah Griffin, should provide enlightening and timely discussion about topics in blues music sometimes neglected by the mainstream press," Camarigg said.

Coinciding with the symposium, Thacker Mountain Radio is to host its annual blues show at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Off Square Books in downtown Oxford. The show will feature scholar Gayle Wald, author of a forthcoming biography of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and others to be announced.

On Friday, symposium lectures and panel discussions, held in the Tupelo Room of Barnard Observatory, include UM assistant professor of journalism Mark Dolan's noon Brown Bag Lecture "Selling Women's Blues in the Chicago Defender," and W.C. Handy Award-winner and teacher Gaye Adegbalola's 4:30 p.m. multimedia presentation "Wild Women Do Get the Blues."

Also at noon Friday, in the Triplett Alumni Center's Butler Auditorium, blues musician and poet Wanda Coleman presents "Between Sisters: Poetry and Dialogue About Soulful Women."

Other lectures, tours of the Blues Archive, and a poem and song swap are also planned.

Just as important as discussions of the blues are live performances, including a concert Friday night at the Big Truck Theater in Taylor, Miss., featuring Di Anne Price and Venessia Young, a pair of acts that represent two generations of Southern-born blues women. Catfish dinners will be available for sale from Taylor Grocery across the street.

"Di Anne Price, singer and piano player, is sometimes called Memphis' best-kept musical secret," Gussow said. "She combines the soulful vocal stylings of Ernestine Anderson and Carmen McCrae with the barrelhouse power of Katie Webster. In concert with her juke-lounge quartet, The Boyfriends, she is the most amazing blueswoman you've ever heard.
"Opening for Price is another prodigy, Clarksdale native Venessia Young, a fiery electric guitar-slinger. She'll be rocking the house with her band, Pure Blues Express, which features her sister Fazenda on bass."
Saturday night the symposium concludes with Blues on the Square in Oxford, featuring different artists at local venues, including the Bill Abel Band with Adam Gussow at Two Stick.
"All in all, Blueswomen Today promises to be a fantastic and enlightening experience," Gussow said.

Symposium sponsors include UM's Center for the Study of Southern Culture, Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and departments of English and African-American Studies, as well as Living Blues magazine, the Mississippi Arts Council and the Mississippi Humanities Council.

Registration for the Blues Today Symposium is $50. UM faculty, staff and students can attend the symposium lectures at no charge but pre-registration is advised due to limited space.

For more information, including a complete schedule of events, or to register, visit http://www.bluestodayonline.com. For assistance related to a disability, call 662-915-5993.

Blues Cruise

Well, we are off next week onto a boat full of blues people to the carribean. I am quite excited because neither Jimbo nor I have ever been on a cruise before, and certainly never to the virgin islands. The only thing that concerns me some is this whole "charge card" thing on the boat, that everything is overly priced and must be purchased. That pretty much tossed my plan to pack my own mini-bar for the trip, which sucks. But we will try and not rack up too much...yeah right!

I was talking to my friend Necha last night, and she and her husband have been on a few cruises for the Jamband Cruise. She said they had racked up a 500 dollar bar bill on the last one (about a week ago)! Well for a week, I guess that's not too bad...haha! Anyhow, I'm sure well have fun. Now all we have to do is pack!! It's raining in Memphis today.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Jimbo Mathus
Delta Recording Service
662-526-9997
jimbo@jimbomathus.net


PRODUCER, INSTRUMENTALIST AND RECORDING STAR JIMBO MATHUS
RE-OPENS DELTA RECORDING SERVICE IN COMO, MISSISSIPPI

Full-service studio is home to Grammy® and Handy award-award winning artists.

Lobby houses new, unique archive of Mississippi hill country blues artists.

COMO, MISSISSIPPI—Jimbo Mathus, producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has re-opened his popular Delta Recording Service in Como, Mississippi.

The studio, previously located in Clarksdale, Mississippi, produced over 70 projects in just over a year, including Grammy and Handy award-winners and nominees Elvis Costello, Big George Brock, and Duwayne Burnside.

The facility brings together top-tier Mississippi and Memphis producers, engineers, writers and session men and women in a dynamic, energetic environment. The result is a recording studio that enables artists to create fully-realized recordings that are affordable and high-quality.

“It’s a one-stop studio for clients,” Mathus says, noting that the facility can supply musicians from genres as varied as “south Memphis rappers to North Mississippi fife and drums to old-school rhythm sections.”

Mathus says that the Delta staff specializes in roots music of all kinds and bring insight and skill to projects.

“When clients walk through the door and need it, we’ve got it,” he said. “And they have a ball working with the staff here, too!”

Established in conjunction with Olga Wilhelmine and 219 Records, Delta Recording Service also offers a full spectrum of services for do-it-yourself artists, including CD art, manufacturing and national distribution via 219 Records.

Unique Mississippi hills country blues archive graces lobby

The facility houses a new exhibition, sponsored by the JMH Foundation, in the lobby area that features an archive of photographs, recordings and memorabilia honoring traditional musician families from Northern Mississippi: Hemphills, McDowells, Burnside, Kimbroughs, Stricklands, Pratchers, Youngs and Turners.

The collection also includes face casts of local musical legend Jessie Mae Hemphill (after whom the JMH Foundation is named), Othar Turner, RL Burnside and T Model Ford.

CDs by local artists are on sale, with proceeds going to the JMH Foundation for the preservation and archiving of the music of North Mississippi. For more information on the JMH Foundation, visit www.jmhemphill.org.

About Delta Recording Service

Delta Recording Service provides a full range of talent and services to musicians seeking to produce cost-effective, high-quality recordings. Located in downtown Como, Mississippi, Delta Recording Service brings a unique, Southern sensibility and creativity to every client’s project. Visit Delta Recording Service on the Web at www.deltarecordingservice.com.

The Coffee Club

As I sit on my bed, slightly hungover (I emphasize slightly because I would never drink too much on a Saturday night, sheesh!) on a Sunday afternoon just poodleing around on my laptop, I had some sudden flashes of a time long ago. LONG ago it seems, all the way back to 1994ish. I was thinking about a job I has, as assistant manager for a coffee house called "Coffee Club". There was actually 5 stores in SF bay area, and this was before Starbucks hit big.

My boss was a man named Jim Chelossi, from San Carlos, CA (which is where I lived and worked at the time). We would have lines out the door for hours with people waiting to get their java fix. I would litterally be headfirst in the espresso machine slinging lattes and whatnot from 6am until noon before there was any real break in customer flow. Naturally, the drinks would be hot and customers would ask to "double cup" their beverage as to not burn their hands. This mean of course, that we would go through twice as many cups as was needed and Jim Chelossi was not too happy about the added expense. So he came up with an idea. He created a "sleeve" for the cups, that was just like having a second cup wrapped around the first, but only a portion of one. This would cut down on waste, storage, and expense of using extra cups. He invented and patened (in 1995) the sleeves used in every Starbucks shop and otherwise out there known to man, who imbibes in hot beverages. So, even though Starbucks basically ran him out of the coffee business by taking all the customers away, I'm sure he is having a laugh on a yacht somehwere in St. Tropez.

Next time you're at Starbucks and they hand you your latte, you'll know that my former boss is the guy who invented that sleeve around your cup!

String of thoughts and where they go...

Don't know really how this popped up in my mind, but I was just on hold now with my bank, and they were playing a Mozart piece as the hold music. After I hung up, the melody lingered in my mind and I thought "how nice to have that as hold music...much better than being on hold with United Airlines and having that annoyingly redundant UA theme playing." Then I thought "well they use their theme so that they don't have to pay royalties...." THEN I thought, "wait a minute, who pays Mozart HIS royaties? More importantly, where do they go? Who gets it? Does he have any relatives? I mean the guy is 250 years old and died in poverty, buried in an unmarked grave...how DO they track these things down? Is he with ASCAP or BMI? Or is he just a special case? And further, what about Schubert, Brahams, Chopin, Hayden and Beethoven and all the other guys? Do they have living relatives? If so, where are they and do they have a myspace page??"

Anyhow, a rather long string of thoughts that I have no answer for, only speculations and provocations for further inquiries this early morning...

Studio News, JMH Foundation

The studio is open and already recorded two bands: Bakealite 78's and now Sugarfarm last week. We still have finishing touches to do, namely the lobby, office and breakroom. I feel really blessed, as the Alan Lomax archive granted the JMH Foundation rights to use photos in their archive, which will be hung in the studio lobby. The photos can also be used to promote the JMH Foundation. In addition, we discussed using some of the field recordings to make a new compilation CD to benefit the foundation. I consider this one of the highest honors, and thank Anna Lomax Wood and archive director Don Fleming for their graciousness and support.

In addition to lomax photos, we will have some incredible artwork from an artist from Sante Fe, Sharon McConnell (www.sharonmcconnell.net) who is giving on permanent loan to the foundation, several of her face masks, which include Jessie Mae Hemphill, RL Burnside, Othar Turner and T Model Ford. Sharon is also a dear firend of mine. She loved Como so much that she is moving from Sante Fe to be part of the north MS experience, and I am seriously happy to hear about it!

Long time friends of the hill country, Yancey Allison and Bill Steber will also donate some of their wonderful prints to showcase our local musicmakers and life in and around Como, MS. All in all, this will be an impressive lobby to say the least! I hope and plan to eventually create a musem downtown for the JMHF at some point, to house the archive.

There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony in January, date still to be set. A press release will come out shortly. See you in MS!!

Delta Recording Service
PO Box 12
Como, MS 38619
www.deltarecordingservice.com

Jessie Mae Hemphill Foundation
(same address)
www.jmhemphill.org

Hammertime

Yes, indeed, we are still hammering, drilling, gluing, moving, painting, flooring, sanding, carpeting, sheetrocking, sweeping, door-ing (is that a real term?) freaking, drinking, praying and then more all over again. Never thought this would take a so long to do, but it has and really, we have been working every day. We will be done with the big stuff soon, but the datils of the studio will take more time. There is still much much to do and we are all beat. This has really been the most challenging and most stressful experience I have ever had, and I think it's been for Jimbo too. We have put much sweat equity and monetary equity into this, and I believe that the outcome will be all that much more sweeter for it. If it was too easy, I don't think we would believe in it as much and enjoy it as much when all the struggles are over.

Jim Dickinson and Mary Lindsey came by last Thursday to check out our operation. Big Jim was quite enthhused and declared he would be bringing in bands to prodcue and record out of our place! There is nothing better than to get the stamp of approval from our local Guru ("World Boogie is Coming!") and yesterday, Jimbo decided we had to find a zebra pattered carpet for the control room for Big Jim...to be sure we " don't think about the zebra", as he says.

Great news too, the major of Como wants to have a ribbon cutting ceremony! So that was some fun news and additional encouragement to keep going, no matter how tired you are, nor how discouraged at times. I have really begun to fully understand the phrase "blood, sweat and tears" because I have experienced all of the above, litterally. But I am really excited about the prosperity it will bring to everyone around it, and that joy is waht both Jimbo and I look forward to. It also gives us something to really believe in and get up every day.

We got most of the website ready, thanks to Little Miss Strange, who has been hosting and building the North MS Allstars fansite as well as Jimbo's site. I also have to send love to Will Dawson, who is/will be the studio manager and has been here every step of the way. We have many people in Como and Senatobia who have really stepped in and been there for us and helped. It is a great feeling to see people brought together, and a beauty all within itself to behold.

www.deltarecordingservice.com

Construction Junction

Whoowee, we are heavy in construction for the new studio in Como. But for the first time, it has suddenly become a reality for us and everyone is very excited. Aside from the obvious historical value and draw of Como, we are really liking the people in the community, who all seem very helpful and also excited that something new and different is coming in. The fun part for me is I'll get to decorate (eventually). For now it's mostly painting, runs to Home Depot or Lowes, drinkin beer...oh wait, that's nothing new there...uh, let's see...we got a cool fridge yesterday which is compact and cute! I was very excited about that (cold beer!!)... it's the delight in the little accomplishments that are creating the bigger picture...everything that gets done and installed just brings the dream so much closer to reality.

My friend Sherman Cooper was by all afternoon yesterday. He cooked us greens and cornbread, which was absolutely delightful. The weather has turned strangely warm again, as if the fall is trying to squueze out the last bit of summer weather it can before it freezes us to death (and it does get quite cold down here, you wouldn't believe it). Sherman showed me some back roads (to the beer stores) and we discussed ideas for the back patio area, which will really be cool. Shame the winter is coming, so we won't be able to really finish and use it... it will be a process anyway, but by the spring it will be a project to play with.

As for indoors, well, pearlings, blackboard, 2x10s, 2x4s, SDS drills, self drilling hex screws, roofing nails, shop vac...I don't know much about this stuff, but I am learning. Maybe I can ad carpentry to my list of skills someday...

...but things are moving along and bringing about curious vistors and oddities....ha!

(visit www.deltarecordingservice.com for more studio info)

Telluride Blues & Brews, OnlineRock.com

What a week! Maybe I should have read my horoscope or something, as things have really been looking up for me, musically speaking...

First, the Chris Isaak show was kick ass! Sold out at the House of Blues and the crowd was digging my music. I played by myself and amazingly, I was not really nervous at all. It was strange! I get more nervous thinking back about now than I did the moment of. Anyhow, Chris and his band really loved the show. He said I better return the favor to him and let him open for me, which I laughed at and he was like, "no, I'm serious!". Anyhow, his show was fabulous. I have always been a big fan of his music (which I had on cassettes mind you) so I need to get some itunes stuff now on him. With any luck, we'll pair up again sometime. In the meantime, everyone got Olga lipbalm (always a hit) for the road.

Found out the same day of the show, that I was selected as 1 of 6 finalists for the Telluride Blues & Brews Blues Competition, which means I get to go to Telluride next week! Never thought that would happen, but it did. Lucky for me, my man will be out there too, as he's playing the actual festival. And, I am psyched to see Bruce Hornsby who I have not seen in about 6 years. I met him a long time ago in SF and always enjoyed hearing him play, especially solo. He's truly anointed with musical abilities.

And this monring, I find out that I am a featured artist this month on www.OnlineRock.com Take a moment to check it out!

Opening for Chris Isaak!

Got a call today to come open Chris Isaak's show at the House of Blues in NOLA in September...sheesh, I loooove him!

Olga's Music Video Here At Last

Here is is! The music video for the song "Now Is The Time" drirected by J. Michael McCarthy

Saying Goodbye

These past two weeks have been the most difficult for me, I think in my life. Someone close to me passed, and I had helped organize the funeral with the family...which I was glad to be part of, honored really, that her relatives asked me to do that... Only later, have I been able to grieve. My sadness is great... I miss her so much...

The service was beautiful, on a hot sunny day... Jessie was wearing her white mink fur coat...we laughed at the thought of how hot it was...and that she would be ready for the winter with her coat on. She looked good...I know she would be pleased. She had many flowers. I had suggested we use all colors, every hue possible, because Jessie was a colorful woman. She liked to paint, and her paintings reflected the rainbows in her heart. She had painted a chirstmans tree once, and gave it to me for christmas. It has all kinds of shapes and colors...I can look at it for a long time, and find monkeys and birds, trees and of course, flowers lurking somewhere in there...I told her, I could see them, and she laughed and said, "yeah, yeah theys in there".

B.B. King and Bonnie Raitt were among the ones who had sent flowers. The Rising Star Fife & Drum Corp. played as she was carried to her final resting place... "Glory glory, Hallelujah...since I lay my burden down..." ...and we laid our final flowers on Jessie and said goodbye...

I am so happy she is at peace. I know she is happy and free. I am weeping because I miss her and I won't be able to see or talk to her anymore...but when I close my eyes, I can see her laughing that big ole cackle of hers... I know she will always be there.