The Reverend Double J: News

Today is the day. If you don't vote you have no right to
complain. Will your vote be counted? I don't know, it's hard to be
optimistic after the last two elections, but it's better to have an
uncounted vote than to not vote at all. At least then you still have a
right to complain, knowing that you did your part.

On Satur​day night​ at 10:​30 pm Nappy Brown​ died peace​fully​ in his sleep.​ Durin​g his heyda​y,​ in the mid to late 50s, Nappy​ was a proli​fic recor​ding artis​t for Savoy​ Recor​ds.​ He trave​led and perfo​rmed with Jacki​e Wilso​n,​ Ray Charl​es,​ Muddy​ Water​s,​ Littl​e Walte​r,​ Howli​n'​ Wolf,​ Littl​e Richa​rd,​ Screa​min'​ Jay Hawki​ns,​ Eddie​ Clean​head Vinso​n,​ and T-​Bone Walke​r.​ He provi​ded groun​d-​break​ing hit songs​ for other​ artis​ts,​ one of his bigge​st being​ NIGHT TIME IS THE RIGHT TIME​ made famou​s by Ray Charl​es in 1958.​ He​ was activ​e as a perfo​rmer until​ the end, perfo​rming​ until​ his illne​ss was too much.​

The fabulous Earl Palmer passed away yesterday. Palmer played with anybody and everybody in Blues and R&B, from Little Richard to Lightnin' Hopkins. A "legendary sideman", much like bassist James jamerson with Motown, Palmer helped define American music. www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-palmer21-2008sep21,0,78
Here's a pic of Earl at a Deke Dickerson session.

I was traveling through the urban jungle I call Coruscant -but others call Shibuya, Tokyo- when I found a flock of cell phones poised in the air taking snapshots of this little guy. Contrary to what those fuckwads at ABC News and CNN reported the trains were NOT shut down or delayed, and neither was the station. I keep telling you good folks back home not to believe shit just because "they said so on TV" but nobody listens. No wonder the economy is in the toilet. Coincidentally, I took the 10:15 Limited Express (see pic @ bottom). Here's the story from local English-language news with a couple pics- one of the monkey and one of Shibuya, out on the street, Enjoy, my friends. --J.J.V.

TOKYO (Reuters) - A rogue monkey holed up at a Tokyo train station for more than two hours on Wednesday before giving dozens of net-wielding police officers the slip among crowds of excited children and passersby.

"It's a monkey - it's not like it did anything bad," a police spokesman said, adding that the animal was still on the loose.

The monkey was spotted hopping around by the automatic ticket gates at a train line in Shibuya Station in central Tokyo at about 9:40 a.m. .

It then ran downstairs to the entrance to another line, climbed up and down a pillar and ran around the ticketing machines before taking refuge on top of a train information board for two hours, a spokeswoman for railway operator Tokyu Corp said.

Television footage showed the 60-cm-tall brown monkey sitting calmly on top of the board, blinking and looking down at the crowd.

Around 30 police officers and other officials cleared the area and surrounded the animal with green netting, but at noon it jumped off the information board and escaped through the crowd.

"I've heard of mice before, but nothing like this," said Jiro Umegaki, a spokesman for Tokyo Metro Co Ltd.

(Reporting by Yoko Kubota; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

Jerry Wexler, famed record producer, dies at 91

By HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer

NEW YORK - Legendary record producer Jerry Wexler, who helped shape R&B music with influential recordings of Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and other greats, and later made key recordings with the likes of Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, has died, says his co-author, David Ritz. He was 91.


Ritz, co-author of Wexler's 1993 memoir, "Rhythm and the Blues," said he died at his Sarasota, Fla., home at about 3:45 a.m. Friday. He had been ill for a couple of years with congenital heart disease.

Wexler earned his reputation as a music industry giant while a partner at Atlantic Records. Atlantic provided an outlet for the groundbreaking work of African-American performers in the 1950s and '60s. Later, it was a home to rock icons like Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones. He later helped Dylan win his first Grammy by producing his 1979 "Slow Train Coming" album. Wexler was also instrumental in Duane Allman's transition from studio guitarist at Muscle Shoals to forming the Allman Brothers Band.

Wexler helped boost the careers of both the "King of Soul," Charles, and the "Queen of Soul," Franklin. Wilson Pickett, Solomon Burke and Percy Sledge were among the other R&B greats who benefited from Wexler's deft recording touch. He also produced Dusty Springfield's classic "Dusty in Memphis," considered a masterpiece of "blue-eyed" soul.

Among the standards produced by Wexler: Franklin's "Respect," a dazzling, feminist reworking of an Otis Redding song; Sledge's deep ballad "When A Man Loves A Woman" and Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour," with a horn vamp inspired by Wexler's admittedly rhythmless dancing.

Wexler was named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Soul singer Isaac Hayes died this past weekend in Memphis, TN. He was 65. Go to http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gsCUwiqAHCNIbxD6oePjCg1RToZQD92FOTRO0 for details.

July was an interesting month. On the 4th I played Atsugi with Max Blues backing me after their set. Tara Tinsley kicked off her 2008 Japan Tour on this bill so I brought her up for two numbers at the end of my set. She had sent me a demo of a new song SWEET MUSIC and I was making all kinds of suggestions about what would sound good when I decided to just overdub it myself. Now we got to play it live together. Next was Ike & Tina Turner's BABY GET IT ON, my usual when duetting with a female vocalist. Her guitarist Dan Quigg took over her acoustic for the sake of bringing him onstage but I would have liked to have had him play more. Keep your ears and eyes open, you'll be hearing his name in guitar circles real soon.

All that happened after an eventful evening bringing them in from the airport. The first part was smooth but getting them on a train from Yokohama with all their luggage was something else. When we arrived at Atsugi dripping sweat and exhausted we found out our rooms were someplace else, another event. After checking in and trying to get what little sleep I could everybody and their mother decided to call me. Sometimes I really hate cell phones.

They did their tour up around Sendai -clubs, radio shows, TV and a couple baseball games- and we stayed in touch the whole time. It was interesting seeing all the pictures on MySpace, a couple American kids fresh off the boat getting taste of hardcore Japan. This ex-pat got a few chuckles out of it. The idea of musicians sitting in with the other bands on the bill seemed to pick up, Tara and Dan each made guest appearances. That's always been one of my favorite things about being a musician, jamming with friends.

They came back to Tokyo a couple days early to do some sightseeing before flying home. I picked them up in Shinjuku on Friday evening and we had a very late dinner like only musicians can do. On Saturday Suzi and I took them to Jindaiji, one of the oldest temples in Japan on some very sacred ground. Ate some soba, saw the Botanical Garden and generally enjoyed the scenery. Fortunately the monkeys stayed home that day so nobody got any bony elbows in their ribs. In the evening we went to the hemp restaurant in Shimokitazawa www.new-age-trading.com/EN/for_foreign_visitors.html www.asanomi.jp and then had coffee at Segefredo's. I think that was the first time Dan had real espresso!

The next day we all went out to breakfast and then it was time to put them on the Limousine Bus to the Narita and say 'goodbye'. Our time together was short but well spent, I hope to do a double headline tour with them someday. They're good kids... and excellent musicians. You'll be hearing a lot more about them in the future... but you heard it here first!

www.cdbaby.com/cd/taratinsley2

Pre-production on LONG WAY FROM HOME began today at drummer Bill Concello's Sunshine Studio. Mark "Pookie Bear" Schwarz was on bass. Today we cut pre-production tracks for MAYBE I'LL KNOW YOU, CUTIE PIE, SOLITUDE and JOHN HARDY. The three of us are collectively arranging and producing the album and their input kicked the songs into gear. Bill engineered (with a little help from Mark). Pre-production recordings will be posted to the site as they become available.

While sitting in with Pamela MacCarthy tonight I heard the sad news from Les Coles that George Carlin died. Carlin is one of my three favorite comedians, the other two being Redd Foxx and Tommy Chong, and unfortunately I never got to see him. While everybody has been quoting SEVEN DIRTY WORDS on various blogs my favorites are THE 10 COMMANDMENTS (why 10, why not 9 or 11?) and THE INVISIBLE MAN IN THE SKY. Then again, just about anything from the last 15 years of HBO specials is a favorite.

Carlin tore apart the absurdities of modern life like no one else. He was funny as hell AND he made people think (a seemingly lost art). Why are there ten Commandments? I use to wonder that too!

"Because ten sounds _official_! It's the basis of the decimal system, it's a decade, the Top Ten, the Ten Most Wanted. So that means that having ten commandments was basically a _marketing_ decision!"

I've quoted and parphrased him in many theological debates. I'm sort of an existentialist (no where near an atheist, BTW). When religious folks start flapping their jaws and I tell them I believe in the Force they consider that childish. "That's from STAR WARS!!!" Yes, and it's based on Einstein's work as well, which has been further developed in recent years. There IS an electromagnetic field that binds all of the physical universe together and atoms exist beyond what we know of as Time and Space.

So when the Bible-thumpers start thumping at me that believing in the Force is childish I dip into my Carlin bag and remind them that believing in "an invisible man who lives in the sky, watches you all the time and has a list of ten things he doesn't want you to do" is childish, and furthermore the notion that "if you do any of these things he's going to cast you down into a fiery burning full of pain and misery to suffer for all eternity... but he loves you" is "just plain fuckin' stupid". So what if people are offended? What about me? I'm offended that "organized religion rakes in billions of dollars a year and pays NO TAX" yet they love to get involved with politics. You wanna get into politics? "Pay the entrance fee like everybody else!"

George Carlin was an enormous influence on my own life and work. I would have like to have seen him, and especailly to have met him, but his work lives on. And as long as civilization as we know it exists his work will be there waiting to be discovered by generations to come. Just like Oscar Wilde, Jack Kerouac, Charles Bukowski, Douglas Adams, Lightnin' Hopkins, Howlin' Wolk, Freddie King, Albert Collins, T-Bone Walker, etc...

Tippy the tipped-up cow has permanently tipped. Tippy, whom the instrumental COW TIPPING was named for, passed away at 6:30 this morning, aged 12. Tippy got her nickname by being an overly large Golden Retriever in an overly small house. She would collapse straight down on the floor blocking all traffic and forcing residents to climb over her. This was especially funny when the residents in question were under 5' with short, stubby legs. When she rolled over on her side she resembled a tipped cow. Any hillbilly who has gone cow-tipping will know what that means. She was preceded by Stinky, whom the instrumental STINKY TWINKY was named for, a year and a half ago.

Bo Diddley died today age 79. Another one of the greats, and of the the real originators, has passed on. I saw him back in '96 (?) in Indianapolis. He just had back surgery and had to sit for the entire performance but nobody cared, they were there to see one of the real Rock'n'Roll legends and he gave 'em everything he had. It was a helluva show. He even played a little drums during the last song. Rock on Bo, and thanks for all the music...

Got a few photos from my trip back home to Houston/Austin posted on the site. All the usual suspects that I played with before- Kenny Palyola, Todd Moore, J.J. Barrera and Don Leady. Former FCCJ entertainment director Glen Davis who moved back home last year also makes an appearance. The whole week I felt like Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz, "...there's no place like home..."

I can't believe it was seven years since I had been back to Texas. It was surreal, most things were exactly the same as I remembered as if it had been sitting there just waiting for me to show up again. One of the highlights was recording a little guitar boogie with Don Leady. I've been listening to the Tailgators since I was 15 and greasing back my hair. Don has been one of my favorite guitarists for as long as I've been playing and I made it a point to look him up when I lived in Austin and stay in touch when I moved away. I originally went to see him for a guitar lesson and he wanted to record together. All I could think was, "this is the coolest." The next evening I caught my old friend Joe Slezak -a Jazz drummer my age that I grew up with- playing at Ovation's with his dad Larry Slezak and Clayton Dyess. Larry still burns something fierce, there ain't another sax player on Earth like him. Clayton, who cut an Ep with my dad back in '84, still sounds as good as ever.

Another high point was sitting in with Kenny Palyola's trio on a gig at Iron Cactus BBQ in Sargeant, TX. www.theironcactusonline.com When I lived in Austin I spent time in Kenny's group and really honed my Blues chops. Most of the material from SCI-FI DINER got its stage-legs while gigging with Kenny & The Bluesmen. We parted ways, and I moved away, but eventually got back in touch. He's got a smokin' trio now, drummer Andy Rogers reminds me of Bill Concello and I swear to God (and three other white men) guitarist Eric Dane is Tom Wait's offspring -he's got the voice and the character. He also _burns_ on the six-string. I played a few tunes with them as a trio until he jumped back on the stage and we finished out the night as a 4-piece. It was like therapy for me. I've played with some good musicians over the years but with Houston Blues cats there's an ethos, an unspoken understanding of how things are done and it's real easy for me to just fall in with those cats and groove. And while the band played the girls partied, which is a whole other story!

I'll be out of town from this weekend until next so if'n ya'll got
anything I need to know tell me right quick. This Saturday we rock the
Barge Inn to its very foundation and after a shower and breakfast I
hop a plane to New Dehli, India. I don't know how often I'll be able
to check my e-mail while I'm there or if my cellphone mail will be
working.

On Saturday the 5th I get back into town and the next day we show
up at Atsugi bright early for soundcheck before playing their Cherry
Blossom Festival. On Monday there will be a huge Do Not Disturb sign
hanging on the door right above Violators Will Be Drawn, Hung,
Quartered & Shot. I'll be catching up on my beauty sleep

First Buddy Miles passed a way in Austin,TX last week then Jeff Healy passed away in Canada this past Sunday. The first time I met Albert Collins, August '88, his bassist Johnny B. Gayden told me about a jam session with him, Albert, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and this blind kid from Canada. Johnny B. plays a little, Albert plays a little, Stevie plays a little, then Jeff plays a little and Stevie throws his hands up in the air hollering,"I give up!"

The Spring 2008 Midwest tour has been cancelled due to slow response from the venues. Having contacted venues throughout Ohio, Indiana and Michigan most did not reply and those that did only sporadically. E-mails were rarely replied to and when they were it was incomplete information at long intervals. Chasing people down on the phone proved equally fruitless. Some venues said they weren't using entertainment anymore and that information had to be dragged out of them after several calls. There were also plans, not discussed publicly, to do some dates with other artists/bands from the region but they ran into the same footdragging headaches.

Only three venues came through in a timely manner; Court Street Grill in Pomeroy, Mudflats in Galena near Columbus, and Fat Fish Blue in Cleveland. The whole experience has put a severe damper on future plans to tour the area - it's impossible to deal with people who cannot or will not respond in a timely and professional manner, especially when setting up a large scale tour from afar. The risk is simply not worth it. Above all else their footdragging response lacked courtesy and professionalism.

There will be one more attempt at touring the region later in the year. If enough venues/dates can be added to the ones already booked then 2-3 weeks up North is possible. If that attempt doesn't work there won't be a third.

Many thanks to all the people who did their best to make the tour happen - Jackie at Court Street Grill; Steve at Fat Fish Blue; Howard Glazer and Pat Jaynes, the hottest guitarists in Detroit; Tara Tinsley for contacting her connections before and after a much needed vacation; and Shanti, Tawnja and Candy for gathering information and delivering packages. It's because of their efforts that a second attempt is being made. Without all that they have done the idea would be scratched altogether.

Click here for pics.
http://picasaweb.google.co.jp/yoshikosfilm/JJBirthdayLiveBenSCafe?authkey=BDUD0TvOSSA

I spent today being the bass player in the video for EVER CHANGING TIMES, the title track for the upcoming Steve Lukather album. On drums was Christian Muhr from Sweden. You can check him out at www.christianmuhr.com
We arrived at 1:00 and by 3:00 we were on the soundstage shooting. Most of our parts were done without Steve. In the video our parts are done in "negative" (like a film negative) with Steve superimposed over us in full color. We did get to shoot one scene with him that will probably be in color when the video is finished. We would have had a quick jam but the amps weren't plugged in! We did a few wide-screen shots and then all the close-ups. Lee Sklar played on the album and if I had know that I would have practiced harder!

As with most movie and video shoots there was a lot of waiting around so we got to hang out with Steve and his manager a bit. They were real cool and everybody was cutting up, cracking jokes and generally enjoying themselves. There were also several people shooting "the making of" type stuff and a few photographers including Jun Sato of WireImage Japan. His photos of the shoot can be seen at http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=gls====299709 Maybe some shots will appear in the Japanese music magazines in the next few months. The video is supposed to be going out to MTV, VH-1, and every place else. After 25 years I'm finally gonna be on MTV! LOL!

This was the second time I met Lukather. The first time was at a club in Roppongi (Tokyo) around '91 or '92. It was well into the evening and we were both lit up like Christmas trees. This time we were both sober so chances are we'll remember it. After the shoot I wanted to get a picture with him for the site so we hung around while they did some close-ups of him and then we all jumped up on the set as every photographer in the room closed in snapping away.

Big thanks to everybody I was on the shoot with today for making it such a memorable shoot and especially to Steve Lukather for being so much fun to work with. www.stevelukather.net/Album.aspx?id=380

Happy New Year to all you good folks out there. 2007 was a special
year. Most of what happened was 'behind the scenes' so there wasn't
much to report. Among other things HEARTLAND was finally released
after HI-TECH HILLBILLY (2006). With all the back catalogue out of
the way the road is now clear to work on the next three albums
starting with LONG WAY FROM HOME, the follow-up to SCI-FI DINER. A
half-live/half-studio album will follow that capped off by an
all-instrumental album.

Plans for 2008 include the recording and release of LONG WAY FROM
HOME, new videos on YouTube, several tours and some collaborations
with other artists. Look for several guest appearances on the upcoming
albums. Continuing a tradition started in 2007 at the end of January
will be The Second Annual J.J. Vicars Birthday Jam, venue to be
announced.

Many thanks to all of you who made 2007 a special year, including
some old aquaintences renewed. You know who you are. Here's to 2008!

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year was one of the best ever for me. As we get closer to New Year's a big 'thank you' to everyone that made 2007 a special year. You know who you are!

Legend Ike Turner Dies at 76
Contributions to Music Were Often Overshadowed By Claims of Abuse

AP Posted: 2007-12-12 17:41:01

SAN DIEGO (Dec. 12) - Ike Turner, whose role as one of rock's critical architects was overshadowed by his ogrelike image as the man who brutally abused former wife Tina Turner, died Wednesday at his home in suburban San Diego. He was 76.
Turner died at his San Marcos home, Scott M. Hanover of Thrill Entertainment Group, which managed Turner's career, told The Associated Press.

###

For those of you who are unfamilair with his work, Ike Turner was one of the founding fathers of Rock'n'Roll and modern guitar playing. In 1951 Ike Turner and his Kings Of Rhythm laid down the rollicking ROCKET 88, which was credited to songer Jackie Brenston and hailed as _the_ first Rock'n'Roll record. He was also a talent scout for Sun Records around that time bringing a certain Chester Burnette, later known as Howlin' Wolf, to the attention of Sam Phillips. Phillips later sold Wolf's contract to the the Chess Brothers in Chicago.
Starting out on piano, which he played on ROCKET 88, he switched to guitar so that he could lead the band easier than from behind the keys and in the proccess discovered the joys of whammy bar abuse. He was and always will be the original whammy bar king, and was a significant influence on a young Jimi Hendrix.

Like Tommy Bolin, Ike's biggest commercial success that brought his name to the masses was not his biggest aristic success. The Ike & Tina Turner Revue made him a household name, but not for musical reasons and the public has been so obsessed with tabloid-like stories that his extremely significant contributions to American music have been forgotten by all but a handful of guitarists and music historians. In his defense I have to say that he wasn't the only one, that sort of thing was common during the time and place he came from, Mississppi, and even Tina herself has stated publicly that Hollywood, as usual, overdid it in the movie. On a side note, Revue drummer Soko Richardson, who came up with their arrangement of PROUD MARY which was their biggest hit, later played with Albert Collins.

In 2001 Ike returned to his roots and released Ike Turner & His Kings Of Rhythm HERE AND NOW which includes a remake of ROCKET 88. Ike is in fine form on this album playing the music he started out on, on both guitar and piano, and generally enjoying himself. Anybody who likes to boogie is advised to pick up this CD. In 2006 he topped himself with RISIN' WITH THE BLUES, one of the best albums of his long career. His St. Louis style lowdown and Jump Blues is highlighted by Funk and Jazz and features lots of instrumentals along side the raspiest, nastiest vocals since Howlin' Wolf. This is also a must-have album and no fan of Blues, guitar, R&B or music in general should be without it.

Music is the purest art form, it needs no explanation other than itself. This is one of the reasons why I play a lot of instrumentals. Many of the guitarists whose styles became bedrock foundations of my own style are known for their instrumental peices; Albert Collins, Freddie King, Lonnie Mack and of course Ike Turner. My introduction to Ike was on a compilation album called BLUES GUITAR BLASTERS. Among Jimmy Nolen, Pee Wee Crayton and Johnny 'Guitar' Watson Ike's TWISTIN' THE STRINGS jumps out of the speakers like a hot rod busting through the garage door. More than a decade before Jimi Hendrix's fuzzed-out experience and Tommy Bolin's burning solo on Billy Cobham's QUADRANT 4 Ike is turning Leo Fender's vibrato arm into a rocket to Mars.

While The Ike & Tina Turner revue continues to be his household-name work his artistic triumphs are the bookends of his career. His early-50's recordings with The Kings Of Rhythm both define the R&B of his era while being timelessly beyond it. His last two albums with a new Kings Of Rhythm lineup are both old school back-to-roots, and fresh modern Blues records that defy the current Blues cliche's. What the public sadly overlooks with their soap-opera clebrity obsession us musicians, Blues lovers, R&B fans, and music historians celebrate as the work of a true master. Thank you Ike, for all the rockin' R&B, the catchy instrumentals, the whammy bar abuse, and in general all the contributions you made and the music you left us with. I'm sorry I didn't get to meet you.

Must-have Ike Turner Discography:

TRAILBLAZER- A collection of his early recordings. Songs are creited to various artists -Bily Gayles, Jackie Brenston, Kings Of Rhythm - but all are Ike Turner on guitar or piano leading the band.

BLUES KINGPINS - A series put otu by Capitol Records that includes Lightnin' Hopkins, John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Elmore James, Fats Domino and Ike Turner. Another collection of early recordings. Being extremely prolific, this one doesn't repeat ay of the same numbers as TRAILBLAZER and features some Latin touches o several tunes.

BLUES GUITAR BLASTERS, Various Artists - The only record I know of that contains Ike's instrumental TWISTIN THE STRINGS. If you've ever wondered why Jimi Hendrix, Jimmie Vaughan, Don Leady, J.J. Vicars, and a million other guitarists reverd him this will answer in aprroximately 2 minutes and 30 seconds. An you'll never be the same again! The tracks from the other artists are also standout.

*I'm skipping over the Ike & Tina stuff, since most folks are already familair with it and any Greatest Hits package will do.

HERE AND NOW - His 2001 reurn to his roots. This album is just plain fun. Rock'n'Roll/R&B the way it was meant to be played. It jumps, it swings, it boogies, it shuffles and Ike is tearin' it up throughout.

RISIN' WITH THE BLUES - 2006 and he expands on his last album adding more Jazz and Funk to his palette. His vocals on this one have to be geard to be believed and the Jazz-influenced instrumentals are downright smokin'!

www.iketurner.com

Happy birthday to my niece Courtney. Coincidentally, she was born in Houston the same week as my first concert- Johnny Winter at Stage 1 in Houston. Look for her in the upcoming movie SPINNING INTO BUTTER, the kid's a star already.

Former Johnny Winter drummer Uncle John Turner passed away last night. He was suffering from Hepatitus C and in need of a liver transplant.

His discography with JW includes THE PROGRESSIVE BLUES EXPERIMENT,JOHNNY WINTER,SECOND WINTER and the three song reunion of the original trio on Winter's third Alligator release 3RD DEGREE (the Alligator house band with Albert Collins bassist Johnny B. Gayden plays on the rest),all albums I cut my teeth on. He also performed with him at Woodstock. There's some videos on YouTube.

For complete info go to www.uncathon.com and www.unclejohnturner.com

Photos from the J.J.V. archives of Albert Collins & The Icebreakers have been posted. These are personal shots taken backstage hanging out with Albert,the Icebreakers,and Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials. It was their guitarist Michael Garrett who took mebackstage to meet Albert in the first place. More pics to come!

The HEARTLAND album has been released on Annie Gator records and is being distributed through CD Baby. Like HI-TECH HILLBILLY before it this album is the product of a 'musical phase' I went through many years ago. Since this material is outside of the usual fare there will be no promotion done on it and it will only be available as digital downloads for the time being. After LONG WAY FROM HOME and a couple other albums similair to it and SCI-FI DINER,i.e. what I usually do,are released then I'll go back and spend the time and money to press copies. The jackets for both albums have been designed already,however,and anybody who bought the downloads and wants to print out the jacket should e-mail me.

Five of the ten songs on the HEARTLAND album have been added to the music page complete with lyrics and background info. The background info tells of the people and events that inspired each song and also has some notes for guitar nuts like which guitars were used for what parts and other recording details. The songs can be downloaded in MP3 format until the album is released this summer.

Pre-production has begun for the LONG WAY FROM HOME ALBUM. With 2-3 albums worth of material the big dilema is what to include on this one and what to put on the follow up.

After recording by back catalogue,HI-TECH HILLBILLY & HEARTLAND,as a one man band it's back to the Blues,Boogie & Rock 'n' Roll trio format. That means a live trio like on SCI-FI DINER. There will also be a few guests on some songs.