I just enjoyed a week at home in the Berkshires which was just enough to recover from the previous three weeks on the road and get ready to head back out (though I was nearly stuck at home due to the Northeast flooding!). It was lovely to be in Vancouver Island, BC, and Rotterdam, NE, last month with some peak NYC times in between. The above illustration by Joan Chiverton depicts my quintet show in Bryant Park (midtown Manhattan) with Tony Trischka, Alex Hargreaves, Jacob Jolliff, Erik Alvar, and special guests Duncan Wickel and Lily Henley. You can watch the whole show here (starting at 1 hr 54 min), appreciate the city skyline at night, and hopefully also the music! Thanks to the folks at Jalopy Theatre for curating a great night in a wonderful setting.
Chris Thile and I got our duo back together for a special show benefiting the Rockwood Music Hall on July 1. It’s always a fun challenge trying to keep up with that guy, especially since we hadn’t played in a few years. We mostly remembered what we were supposed to do (and when we don’t, we just make stuff up!). Here’s some cell phone video:
Performing Loneliness and Deperation with Chris Thile on July 1 to Benefit the Rockwood Music Hall.
Tonight (July 12) Tony Trischka and I take the stage at the Rockwood for my monthly residency show. We haven’t performed as a duo in a good while and always look forward to the musical conversation with this legend who is always full of fresh ideas the joy of music. We’ll play some original material (including a brand new tune Tony just wrote for his buddy Bela Fleck’s birthday), standards, and pay tribute to both Jesse McReynolds and Bobby Osborne, bluegrass legends who passed away recently. Just announced: next month my special guest is the great Andy Statman, on Aug. 9. Those tickets are now on sale. Join us if you’re in the area - both shows start at 8:30pm.
Jacob Jolliff and I are in the midst of a busy summer. Cowichan Valley and Rotterdam bluegrass festivals were a blast and this weekend we’re heading back over the pond for the Crossover Festival in Nottingham, UK. Here’s a portrait by Paul Vanderblom taken at Rotterdam.
Traveling around has allowed me to collect some great new content for my school of bluegrass vocals on ArtistWorks. The interview library will get two new additions soon: The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys broke down several of their show-stopping three- and four- part harmony numbers in Vancouver. And in Rotterdam I sat down with Celia Woodsmith and Vicky Vaughan from Della Mae for a great discussion about vocal health & technique, creative process and their band’s mission of showcasing women with incredible musical prowess. Then they bowled me over with a duet version of House of Gold.
Each month I produce a new welcome video for the school - I use these to explore special topics and teach songs that aren’t in the curriculum proper. For the last year I’ve been highlighting the music of Jim & Jesse and the Virginia Boys, bringing in a bunch of great special guests to discuss their music including Andy Statman, Sierra Hull, Tony Trischka, Mike Bub, Frank Solivan, and Brittany Haas. At Cowichan Valley I filmed one with John Reischman and Jacob Jolliff which included a spectacular twin mandolin version of Dixie Hoedown. And the current (and final) video in the series I shot with Chris Thile backstage at the Rockwood. We performed Sweet Little Miss Blue Eyes and Stoney Creek and talked about Chris meeting Jesse McReynolds when he was eight, Jesse’s split-string technique, and more. If you're interested in joining, ArtistWorks is currently offering 30% off 3-month plans.
Thanks for all you do to support live music - independent venues like the Rockwood and Jalopy, homegrown festivals like Cowichan and Crossover, and the bands/artists you love. We couldn’t do what we do without you! Have a great summer and stay in touch.
