Hi everybody! I’m back home in San Francisco after nearly five weeks on the road. That may or may not sound like much, but it was a trip, forty-five hundred miles in my pal Paul Luc’s Jeep, also plane flights, and an additional five hundred miles on the roads down in Louisiana for the South Louisiana Songwriter’s Festival, which was a blast. Let’s see,first, the gigs: Saint Louis at the new Stage at KDHX, a fun gig, a fresh venue, a good audience and a recently tuned piano. I ended the set with an instrumental, a version of John Coltrane’s Naima, which became a fixture of the show as the tour progressed. It’s the first time ever for me to feature an instrumental. It’s a beautiful tune, and reminded some listeners of of Jimi Hendrix’s more lyrical jams. Coltrane, people, “Listen to more Coltrane!”

Paul Luc was opening the show with a set of his own songs, and went down great everywhere. Check out his new album if you can, he’s a strong writer with a unique voice, he’s really got it, if you know what I mean. I enjoyed the chance to hear him on this tour and began to go out front every night to listen to his set…

From St Louis, to Chicago, playing a concert at the Old Town School of Folk Music, then on to Princeton, Illinois, a great enthusiastic full house in a little town where you would never expect it, then on the next day to Omaha, Nebraska and a sold out show at the Roadhouse, sharing a bill with our friend Malcolm Holcombe. Next,a long drive,and another sold-out show, at the Bluebird in Nashville, in the round, swapping songs and stories with Robyn Hitchcock and Kevn Kinney, and seeing a bunch of old friends, then another nearly sold out show in Georgia, in the round, trading songs with Shawn Mullins, as well as with members of the Zach Brown Band.

I can’t describe the whole tour now, but it continued North, with shows in Charlotte, Harrisburg, Philadelphia (at the oldest church in the city, Old Swedes Church,a beautiful venue and a great night, with my pals John Train and Slo-Mo, then on to Boston,  for a sold out show at the Stubblebine Lutherie. From there we trekked into Canada.

Canada was a little more difficult. I need to get my records out up there again!  My friend Chris Houston (of legendary Canadian punks the Forgotten Rebels) came out to a couple of the shows, and brought keyboardist Michael Fonfara with him, who sat in a and rocked the B-3 in Toronto. Mike is musical hero of mine. He was in Rhinoceros (I had the album, played it every day before school in 1968 or 9) also he was in the Electric Flag with Bloomfield, playing on the first album. Oh yeah, then Mr. Fonfara was Lou Reed’s band leader for many years and albums in the 70’s. Anyhow it was an honor to play with him,  and we did six or seven songs together, including covers of Mose Allison’s I Don’t Worry About A Thing, and Bob Dylan’s groove from the Basement Tapes, Down In The Flood. A good time…

Next it was down to Bufalo for the biggest and craziest show of the tour. I’ll tell you about it.

(Part 2 coming soon, but I have to dash out of here now, I just got home, many things to take care of and do!) (And I just found a Hammond organ on the sidewalk down the street, sheesh! So many gifts!)