Blues Traveller in Idaho Falls, July 20 2009
I saw Blues Traveller perform last night at the Idaho Falls Civic Auditorium. Following are a few of my impressions. John Popper, almost 20 years after his arrival on the scene, remains a terrifically innovative and technically accomplished harmonica player and a compelling singer and…
My latest video on Youtube: Pull of the Moon
I’ve just put a new video up on Youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cZyns2uHgQ This is a live recording of a solo harmonica electronica performance of my piece “Pull of the Moon.” The original used multiple layers of harmonica chords pitch-shifted down 1 and two octaves. This version…
Sam Hinton is required listening for harp players
A friend sent me a copy of Sam Hinton’s double CD set “Master of the Solo Diatonic Harmonica”recently, and I’ve been working my way through it. The set contains a massive amount of material, both spoken and played on the harmonica, and it takes time…
How long does it take to write a song?
I’m working right now on a song titled “The Road Out of Here”, whose lyrics are based on a book I wrote in 2002 called “World Without Secrets” (Wiley & Sons, NYC). The thing is, I wrote the lyrics–the first version, anyway–in 2005. It’s taking…
New lullaby up on Taxi.com
Hi all, I’ve posted two versions of the new lullaby I wrote and recorded with Jerome Harris. You can find it at my site at Taxi. Just scroll down the page until you see “I love your sweet smile.” There are two versions–short and long. …
How we solve problems with our recordings in rural Idaho
Last night I was working on the mix for one of my original lullabies when I realized that the harp part I’d recorded with Jerome Harris in the studio just wasn’t good enough for anyone else to listen to. Bummer. Fortunately, we’d recorded the guitar…
Practice, practice, practice
I’ve been on the road for the last couple of weeks, first driving to Idaho, then flying around the west coast, and so haven’t had time to do much recording. What I have been doing a lot of is practicing. In particular, I’ve been playing…
Playing for Dancers redux
I did the World Dance Festival show in Cambridge, MA today with Kathy Hassinger’s Dance Currents group. The only piece the group performed was “Songbird and Soldiers,” which is based on my recordings of “Winter Sun at Nobska”, “When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” and “Peppermint…
Reunion
Last night I performed at my 35th college reunion. I opened the show with “New Country Stomp”, a solo piece that took me three years to write, and has become a fan favorite. You can hear my recording of it at my site at Taxi. …
Why I love "So You Think You Can Dance"
I’m not particularly into dance. I don’t go to a lot of recitals. But I am really into “So You Think You Can Dance.” The thing I love about it is the absolute respect with which the young artists on this show are treated–even the…
