The first jazz album I've done in a while, and my
first real "playing" album. I pushed the racks of synths aside and revisited my first love, the Hammond
Organ. Most of the CD is in the classic organ trio format and
features great performances by guitarists
Joe Beck and
Mike DeMicco,
and drummer
Danny
Gottlieb. My brother Tony is
sitting in on bass, playing lead on a beautiful Jimmy Giuffre ballad. The album has a few originals and several
of my jazz arrangements of classic pieces - Erik Satie's
"1st Gymnopedie", Steely Dan's "Deacon Blues", Ralph Towner's "Icarus"
& the Beachboys’
"Sail On Sailor."
The cover photo was taken by photographer
Sally Anderson-Bruce.
It was supposed to be used for a CD cover but was rejected. I've been using it as my PR image shot for years and finally
got to use
it on a CD cover as I had hoped to. Thanks Sally.
I kept a log of the
making of the CD - now
moved to it's own section.
Back on the road
after a week of rest (which we all spent recovering from colds!)
First up, 3 one-nighters in Canada. We headed out in the
height of Memorial Day weekend traffic. We left plenty of
time - we thought - but not enough. The backup at the
Canadian border cost us at least 3 hours. With no time
left to find our hotel, we went directly to the club in downtown
Montreal, loaded in and soundchecked in an hour and a half, and
hit the show 45 minutes later. We were pretty fried, but a
super enthusiastic Montreal crowd gave us the boost we needed.
Montreal is a great music town, and Cafe Campus is a great music
venue. For sure, without their efficient crew on the case,
we never would have pulled it off.
5/28 Toronto, Ontario at Lee's Palace
5/29 Hamilton, Ontario at The Corktown Tavern
One step inside the
Corktown Tavern and you know you're in a corner bar. It's
more than a little run down at the heels, and the PA system
(soon to be replaced) is a disaster zone - but funky ain't
always bad. A wonderful spirit prevails here, and the
audience knows it. Many firsts for us during this show,
but without question the best sing-along crowd for the whole
tour. The term "sold out" gets thrown around pretty
loosely on these club gigs we're doing, but this one was packed
to the rafters - no question - with an enthusiastic crowd that
waited in a long line in 90 degree heat. The folks at the
club couldn't have been nicer. Every show Tony says
something to the effect of how appreciative we are of the
welcome we get and the energy we get from the crowd. Even
with the technical problems, it was a good show and a nice
wrap-up gig for this short Canadian tour.
No
pictures of me, so it's self-portrait time again.
I routinely
leave the stage for the songs I don't play on. At
Corktown, backstage meant out the side door to the parking
lot. Luckily I had my camera with me
when I discovered a great artsy photo op. One of
the parking
lot lights cast a perfect shadow for a self-portrait.
(left) Then Jesse joined me and contributed his
famous Indian Chief. (Or it might be a rooster ...
or Bart Simpson.
I'll have to ask him.) Shadow of me taking the
picture. But aren't we supposed to be inside
working?
Some friends came to
hang out. On the left, Jesse with Canadian guitarist Bill
Dillon. On the right, before the show Tony chats with old friends Mark and
Lee Swidler and Barry Lonick who had driven up from Detroit to
catch the show. Another first for this show; we sang Happy
Birthday to Mark during the encores.
Happy Birthday Mark!
