Hi, everybody! Finally dipping down below 90, so must be fall in Florida! It’s so good to be home after another successful Summer Tour. Liz & I returned to St. Pete in mid-September after hitting five states (Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky & Virginia) over our seven-week tour.
On our way northward, we visited our son Drew, his wife Kristen, and our grandtwins Jackson & Julie (they’ll be one year old on Oct. 21st!) in Huntsville, Alabama for a few days before heading up to Cincinnati for the Cincy Blues Festival (our 19th year there). Great to see old friends and all the musicians at the Arches Boogie Woogie Piano Stage. We also enjoyed playing DOC’S PLACE in Lebanon, OH the next week & seeing Liz’s three sisters & nieces there.
Another highlight was performing in Indianapolis at TASTINGS and at THE SLIPPERY NOODLE. At “The Noodle,” we were pleased to see pianist KEVIN WILDER from St. Pete (now relocated to Indy), and also ANDRA FAYE (from Saffire: The Uppity Blues Women) with her guitarist Scott Ballantine. All three musicians sat in there, and Andra Faye sang Liz’s song “Take It Slow” with us. A very cool evening!
The CANAL HOUSE in Tuscarawas, OH was a fun gig with so many relatives it seemed like a family reunion! So good to see Mama Blues there, too, still going out at 94. We helped her sort & pack up her Ohio apartment & on Labor Day weekend, my 2 brothers were there to help also. Though bittersweet, it was good to have everyone together in New Philly one last time. She’s now living in Nebraska with brother Charlie, so we’ll be looking for gigs there next year.
After playing the ADELPHIA MUSIC HALL in Marietta, Ohio (Liz’s hometown area), we headed southward to Glade Spring, Virginia where we performed at LOUIE’S ITALIAN BISTRO for the first time, thanks to our friend Theresa “T-Bird” Priest who now lives there & helped us book this gig. It was great seeing T-Bird again after almost two years!
Liz was featured on WEDU’s “ARTSPLUS” show on PBS, which aired on Tuesday, July 11th. Watch your local listings for this show, & let us know if you see it in your area. See our LINKS page under “News & Reviews” to view.
Liz & I celebrated our 30th Anniversary on June 18th, 2013. That’s thirty years of marriage AND performing together. Lots of great memories, fun times, and, by my estimate, over 3,000 gigs!
2013 also marks 20 years since “Walking Mary’s Blues” was released, 10 years since “Live in St. Pete” was released & 5 years since “Boogie Woogie Staircase” was released. Time flies! We sincerely appreciate each of you who has bought these albums over the years & keep us going with your support. With the Holidays fast approaching, please consider our STORE for gift-giving.
Thanks to Sam Johnston for the new promo photos…taken at the Side Door in St. Pete in June.
We’ve been invited back to Paris, France to perform at the INTERNATIONAL BOOGIE ET BLUES FESTIVAL on January 17th & 18th, 2014. See our SHOWS page for more details & sign up for our email list to be reminded about all gigs.
Our 5th Annual BOOGIE WOOGIE/BLUES PIANO STOMP is slated for Saturday, February 22nd at the Palladium Theatre in St. Pete. The amazing Bob Seeley will be returning for his fifth appearance at the Stomp, along with two other piano players TBA and us. Last year’s Piano Stomp was SOLD OUT; watch this site & your email for ticket info soon.
Meanwhile, we’ve been enjoying great crowds at JAXSON’S ON THE BOULEVARD in St. Pete Beach, & other local spots. Look forward to seeing you Florida fans, tourists & snowbirds in the crowd again soon.
Thanks for listening,
Dr. Blues
