We just returned from Fredericksburg, Virginia where my son Drew’s wedding to Kristen Baumbach took place on October 10th. Liz & I played for the Cocktail Hour at the reception, and it was a beautiful wedding; it was also a great time for a family reunion, with Doc’s mother, brothers, and others in town. Congrats to Drew and Kristen! Also, we did a show at the COLONIAL TAVERN in Fredericksburg on October 16th before leaving for Florida.
Since our last News Report, Liz & I played at the COTEE RIVER SEAFOOD FESTIVAL in New Port Richey on May 9th. This was a nice (and HOT!) festival where we enjoyed hanging out with the other musicians, including SEAN CARNEY and his band from Ohio. Then, on May 23rd & 24th, we performed once again at the FLORIDA FOLK FESTIVAL in White Springs- unfortunately, the pouring and driving rain put a damper on half of the weekend, but at least it was cooler than usual.
We were saddened at the passing of our dear friend and fan OPAL COLDIRON on June 26th. Over the past few years, Opal had been coming to many of our gigs and, despite her declining health, Opal was always fun & feisty. We miss you, Opal & will think of you whenever we play “Layla” or “Throw Me a Line.”
Our six-week Summer Tour took us to Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and West Virginia from late July to early September. Kicking off the tour was the CINCY BLUES FESTIVAL (Cincinnati), our 15th year at this fantastic festival and the Arches Boogie Woogie Piano Stage. Other noteworthy shows included DOC’S PLACE (Lebanon, Ohio) on August 14th, where our good friend ROY BOOK BINDER came to the gig. Roy just happened to be in Lebanon in between his tour gigs. Great to see him!
We also shared a show with the SEAN CARNEY BAND at CANAL HOUSE in Tuscarawas, Ohio on August 22nd. It was a great evening and fun to visit with Sean and his band after last seeing them in Florida in May.
Near the end of the tour, we played the FOOTHILLS BLUES AND ART FESTIVAL near Pomeroy, Ohio. This is a fantastic annual festival (our first time here) on a 500-acre farm with a Woodstock appeal and a fine lineup of musicians. Liz & I met ALBERT CASTIGLIA here and fell in love with his award-winning song “Bad Year Blues.” We’re learning it now.
In addition to our regular gigs (please see DATES page), Liz and I have two special upcoming shows worth noting. On Friday, November 20th, we’ll be playing with the ST. PETE BLUES ALLSTARS at the PALLADIUM in St. Pete. This seven-piece jump blues band is comprised of KIM HARPO (harps & vocals), JON PUHL (guitar & vocals), MIKE DELANEY (sax & vocals), LIZ (piano & vocals), DOC (guitar & vocals), DON COX (bass), and JUNGLE DENNY McCARTHY (drums). We’ll be playing in the Side Door Room- please see our DATES page for details.
Also at the PALLADIUM, we will be hosting and performing at the BOOGIE WOOGIE BLUES/ PIANO STOMP on Saturday, January 30th. This show will also feature RICKY NYE (Cincinnati), BARRY CUDA (Key West), and BOB SEELEY (Detroit) on dual grand pianos in this fine venue. You can check out the Palladium on our DATES page.
Many musicians and venues are suffering through this ongoing recession. You can really help by putting your face in the place, tips in the jar, & buying their CD’s! Hope to see you soon at a gig near you- as always, thanks for your continued support.
