the infancy of 2015 continues

I've been late as usual in posting new dates but the few I have through February are now up. For those too lazy to move their eyes slightly to the right, I'll be in Lafayette IN and Nashville this weekend with a hot quartet composed of Don Stiernberg, Shad Cobb, and Chris "Stop Calling Me Earl" Scruggs. Next weekend I'll be in St. Paul for A Prairie Home Companion as well as a post-show concert; I believe the radio broadcast is sold out, not sure what the status is with the afterward thing or how to force your way in -- readers of robust constitutions, please investigate. For those shows my quartet will include Robbie Gjersoe, Aaron Till, and Chris "I Play Everything But Banjo" Scruggs. Also the usual array of creatively curated Hideouts. But I'm performing very little until mid-March, not a choice exactly, but it works out that way most years and it's a good time to write music.

Thanks for the couple of comments on my recent post about various projects. By way of reply, the large digital album I'm working on, a la 50-vc. Doberman, will be close to as many songs (50) as the older album contained. Could be exactly 50, or 49, or 52, we'll have to see. I guess my first thought was to go one higher or lower so I could retain the fabulous and widely beloved brand-name and just change the number. The duo dates with Redd Volkaert are summer through mid-September. There's plenty of dates either contracted or held -- I think over 20 at this point -- but sorry, Nick, none in the U.K. Come to think of it, none in Chicago either; maybe that'll change. The travel takes us midwest, east coast, and Texas.

The Blue Note re-mastered reissue series on vinyl that Don Was is helming is life-enhancing, to say the least. Not having the disposable wealth to buy them all, or the scholarly knowledge to give me a consistent basis for preferring some over others, it's exciting to look at the covers and personnel and take some small gambles. I must say that I'm still very much in love with the audacious style of Mr. Eric Dolphy. Out to Lunch sounds killer no matter what, but played back to back with Sonny Clark's Cool Struttin', both sound better. I think the avant-garde and the rooted are excellent companions, and in fact would bore quickly of one without the other.

The writing seems to be going very well for me -- definitely going well quantitatively, the quality is more vividly exposed over time -- so I'm going to get back to it now, check in soon...