Music report for 2-8-2006

Hello Friends, it's been a while since I updated you.

The George Price Trio shows at Nik's Place and Woodstock Live (aka Firehouse) went very well, thank you. And thanks for all the kind words from those of you who came out and made the show better by being there.

Last Saturday with Heaven Davis at Jake's was interesting. It was a four-band show, headlined by Randall Bramblett (formerly of Sea Level, Greg Allman, Steve Winwood, Traffic reunion tour, and much more). The first band was a competent acoustic (bluegrass?) group that reminded some of us of "O Brother Where Art Thou" (in a good way). The second band, Goddess Rocks, was also competent in general but most memorable (also in a good way) for its inclusion of a striking 6-foot redhead ballerina, wearing a tutu with tall boots, and playing flute. Turns out she's a ballet instructor too. Then came our set, which we were all pleased with, and then Randall's. Let me make this real simple: if you learn that Randall Bramblett is playing somewhere, GO! I bought the latest CD, and it hasn't left my player since (except briefly, when I needed it while interviewing him on my radio show). Randall did great keyboard work (mostly juicy Hammond/Leslie tones) as well as electronified sax and guitar, and all the vocals. There were technical troubles galore, but the only thing that was obvious to the crowd was a bad mic cable that kept making huge pops, making the band jump as if shot - they were wearing in-ear monitors, and the pops were about like a shotgun blast to them. The band carried on like troopers through the smaller problems (most of us didn't even notice) and delivered a fascinating show. Randall will be opening for Bonnie Raitt later this month and doing one leg of the tour with her.
Check em' out: http://www.randallbramblett.com

Those who read my blog, or are members of the Musicians Meetup Group, already know I have a new radio show. It's called The Music Scene, and it's Tuesdays at 1PM on Radio Sandy Springs, 1620 AM. Chances are you won't be able to pick it up, unless you live in Sandy Springs, because they transmit on a matrix of 1-watt transmitters scattered around the town (in order to be a micropower station so they don't have to deal with the FCC). However, the station streams on the web at http://www.RadioSandySprings.com I play music and interview interesting musicians such as Randall Bramblett, Keith Barnhart (of Chaka Khan, Quincy Jones, Janet Jackson), and Heaven Davis so far. Upcoming guests will include Davy Hewitt (Peter Frampton, Humble Pie), Beau Hall, and more as I can get them lined up. Fun! The shows are being recorded for future podcasts, as we get that service organized.

The Musicians Meetup Group is doing very well - in fact, just a few members away from being among the top five such groups in the WORLD. You know I've recommended this group, mostly on optomism and faith at first, but it really has become a powerful force for good. Last night's jam at Nik's got two "industrial" musicians (heavyweight film/TV production composers/producers) together. One of the jammers was an actual bigtime Hollywood guy (former producer of Hollywood Squares, among other projects). Working pros, basement studio musicians, fun-loving amateurs, all getting together, having fun and making valuable connections. Check it out at: http://musicians.meetup.com/266

Speaking of last night's jam, it was VERY active and well-attended. I don't know what made everyone decide to come out at once, but it was great. Every Tuesday, Nik's Place is THE place.

Tonight, Wednesday, is your chance to come hear Andrew Black & The Believers (Andrew, me, Jon Schwenke, Ricky Fargo). Very nice spacious venue, nice sound (professionally run by the fabulous Tweak), excellent food & drink. We'll also be there Saturday, which will be a very busy night, so if you prefer good music in a less crowded scene you should come tonight.

I got a radio show!

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Wilson Pickett dead at 64

Dear Friends,
Just as I was about to send this out, I got word that Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Wilson Pickett passed away. We have him to thank for great old songs like "In The Midnight Hour", "Mustang Sally", "Land Of 1000 Dances" and many more. Just consider how many calories have been burned to his music, how many dollars (or yen, or pounds) have changed hands for his undying hits - not just in record sales, but every musician who's ever been paid or tipped to play them. It's safe to say he's bought me dinner many times. No performer can take his place, but I sure wish someone would come close. He'll be missed.
News: http://tinyurl.com/92epp
Profile: http://tinyurl.com/awabc
Discography: http://tinyurl.com/dyasn
ArtistDirect: http://tinyurl.com/7fqah

The Tuesday jam nights at Nik's Place have been drawing fine talent, too much to list, on average 20 participating players per night. I highly recommend you come out for this, there's always something interesting to see & hear. The magic of music being created from scratch, on the spot, by artists who may never have met... I lack the eloquence. Ya just gotta be there. Here's a few photos: http://musicians.meetup.com/266/photos/
Come on out, and bring friends.

I continue to be impressed by the Tavern On The Bridge gig in general. Andrew Black & The Believers consist of Andrew, Jon Schwenke, Ricky Fargo and myself. The level of musicianship & harmony, the venue itself, and the pro sound management by Tweak make this gig a treat. Last night at TOTB, we were visited by singer Doug Easterly, who sat in for a couple songs and did a great job. Doug is half of the duo Cover To Cover, who I highly recommend. Barry Richman and Kelly Thomas stopped in too, always nice. But here's the discovery: Richard Porter and Ellen Hamby came by and shot video of the last set. Ellen has been taking videos of various musicians around town for quite some time, and has posted about 150 of them online on a new service I didn't know about, Video Google. This is something I've always wanted to do, to archive some of the brilliant talent we have in this area before it either gets too big for us (like John Mayer) or gets away entirely (like Tim "Kokomo" Gunther). I wish more people would do it. You can see Ellen's works here: http://tinyurl.com/9mgp3

I've been getting more calls from Heaven Davis, a great entertainer I heartily recommend. Did a fine show with her at Chip's recently. There was some early, preliminary, vague possibility of overseas gigs. I've done my homework (having seen both "European Vacation" and "Eurotrip"), and I'm ready to go. I can say "where's the bathroom?" in 5 languages. And just this evening I got word that I've also been recommended to Mitch Ryder (yes, the famous one) for a slot in his band too; there again, nothing but the vaguest preliminary possibility at this point but cool to imagine anyway. (back in my computer days, this is what we called "vaporware")

The North Atlanta Musicians Meetup group is up to 60 members now. 80 will make us one of the five largest in the world. I invite you to come by the website, check us out, and if it looks like fun join up. No dues, no hassles, nothing but fun and maybe some profitable connections. We're using the Tuesday jams at Nik's Place as our weekly meetup and jam. http://musicians.meetup.com/266

My shows for this weekend are:

Friday, Jan. 20, 10PM-2AM
The George Price Band
Nik's Place Restaurant and Bar (aka The Back Porch)
645 Whitlock Ave. (aka Hwy GA-120)
Marietta, GA 30064 770-792-6666
about 1 mile west of Marietta Square
across the street from Waffle House
Free Wi-Fi, GREAT food!
web: http://www.niksplace.com
map: http://tinyurl.com/dhdek

Sunday, Jan. 22, 7PM-??
The George Price Band OPEN JAM
Woodstock Live (formerly The Fire House)
12195 Hwy 92
Woodstock, GA 30188 770-924-5594
In the Publix Shopping Center at Hwy 92 and Trickum Rd.
web: http://www.firehouselive.com/sunday.htm
map: http://tinyurl.com/ann4f

Regular shows:

Tuesdays:
George Price Band open jam & Meetup
Nik's Place
645 Whitlock Av. (aka Hwy GA-120)
about 1 mile west of Marietta Square
Marietta GA 30064 770-792-6666
web: http://www.niksplace.com/
map: http://tinyurl.com/b3gql

Wednesdays:
Andrew Black & The Believers
Tavern On The Bridge
9775 Medlock Bridge Rd., Suite A.
Duluth, 30097 770-232-1210
Nice room, big floor & stage, pro sound, good food.
Southeast corner of State Bridge Rd. and Medlock Bridge (Hwy 141)
One door south of Stony River.
web: http://www.tavernonthebridge.com
map: http://tinyurl.com/8lp8g

I'm Flying!

(click photos for bigger images)
When I was a child, my big brother Gary J was flying a submarine hunter (the Grumman S2F Tracker) from the carrier USS Kearsarge (which was also plucking Mercury 7 astronauts out of the water). He went on to become a pilot for Northwest Orient. This alone was more than enough, in my eyes, to make him the coolest big brother ever. It's probably the reason why I've always wanted to fly. When I was 10, he made good on a promise to take me up in a small plane if I got good grades. I haven't been up since. Until today.

My friend, bassist Rich Tomanio, recently mentioned in conversation that he has a pilot license. I said "that's so cool, I've always dreamed of flying", and we talked about all the flight simulators I've played with (everything from the basic Cessna to Eurofighter). Right around Christmas, he asked me what I'd be doing on the 29th, and when I told him I had that day off, he said "Let's go flying". Hell yeah! He had picked that day from the 7-day weather forecast as looking favorable for flying.

The day arrived, and it was not such a great day for flying, but was acceptable, with about a 3000' ceiling and some patches of blue. Rich picked me up just before noon and we drove to McCollum Field in Kennesaw. On the way, I talked about my flight some 40 years earlier, and how I had longed to hold the "stick" (it really was a stick in that plane) but was afraid to ask my brother. Rich said I'd get to find out about that today. Huh?!? "Oh, you'll be flying. Left seat. Go where you want to go." Imagine my face!

We found the terminal a bit early, and waited for our instructor. Our instructor has great credentials, having taught at the Air Force Academy in Denver. Our instructor also, as it turns out, is an attractive female. Shades of "Top Gun"... (Rich assures me that was just because she was the one who answered the phone when he called). She (Sarah Elkendier) took us out to the plane (Cessna 172 Skyhawk, a favorite trainer plane) and showed me how to do a preflight check - the tires, the fuel, the oil, the flaps, etc. We finally got in - Rich in back, me in the pilot seat, as promised. The cockpit was simple and standard on my side, with the newer digital stuff on her side. We started the plane, and taxied out to the runup ramp, a little pullout off one side of the taxiway, and warmed up the engine a bit, testing the dual magnetos, adjusting the instruments, etc. Finally we radioed for final clearances and pulled up to the runway.

Once I got lined up straight, taking off is mostly a matter of revving the engine and hanging on. Anyone who can drive straight can do it. Today, however, I had a 16-knot crosswind from the north, which made things a bit more interesting. Still, once we reached 75 knots the plane did what planes do, and off we went, rising into the west.

First we flew northwest around Lake Allatoona, but it was mostly drained and ugly. Sarah gave me various instructions & exercises on making turns, holding altitude, taking a heading, slow flying, etc. while we went. We turned east and followed Hwy 92 to Roswell, where we circled around my house several times while Barbara waved up from our deck. Then back to the airfield to practice touch-&-go landings.

Here's a shot of what we were seeing as we land. At this point I'm over and slightly south of Town Center Mall. My goal is to make it past the high-voltage wires at the front of the runway, and not drift into the huge quarry on the right. This was not a smooth day to be attempting this. Fortunately my hours of geeking out with various flight games helped a lot (and I'm not sure how much Sarah secretly helped) and we landed safely several times. Finally we stopped briefly, I traded places with Rich, and he flew for a while.

All told, we were only in the air for a bit under two hours, but it was still the biggest day I can recall in quite a while. Thanks Rich!

Road Trip: Barber Motorsport Museum

The Friday after Thanksgiving, I rode with my buddies Larry Ferrell and Birney Montcalm over to Birmingham, Alabama to see the Barber Motorsport Museum. LOTS of great old bikes! The day started with a spirited ride over Cheaha Mountain into the Talladega area. Lots of twisty mountain roads. Birney is a very competitive driver and rider, and pushed his Lumina way harder than most people could without losing it. I rode with Larry, who is also a competitive driver, but in his Miata it was like being glued to the road - we had no problem keeping up with Birney. Eventually we arrived at the museum, and lemme tell you it was amazing. You know those model racks that boys have in their bedrooms that display 25 or so Hotwheels cars? The walls of this place were like that, but with real bikes. 5 floors of them. And the central elevator shaft is surrounded by four vertical racks of bikes, 15 bikes high!


There was the first bike I ever rode, the venerable Honda 50 (over 27 million sold at $250 MSRP, that's one for every other family in the USA in the 60s!). My gradeschool buddy Wesley Kilgore had one, or at least access to one - we were in about 7th grade I think.





There was the first bike I rode with a clutch, the Triumph 200 Tiger Cub. This was when I had started hanging with Mike & Don Rhodes, whose Dad owned the local Honda shop. They always had bikes around, plus a couple nice bikes of their own (Honda 350 and 450 Scramblers). One night we snuck the Cub onto the local dirt racetrack and buzzed it around. There were pits dug in the hill near my house, to excavate clay for the local brickyard. This left us a set of hills, canyons, bumps and jumps that everyone in town came to for motor abuse. We called it Thrill Hill, and pretty much everything in town with a motor had been run through it, from golf carts to full-size late-60s station wagons. The Cub got plenty of air time there.



And even the bike my Dad used to ride, the Indian Scout. He had a bad wreck on it, which is why he didn't want me riding any damn motorcycle. (yeah, he didn't exactly get his way on that one)


But the bike I really wanted, what we ALL wanted, was the radical new superbike that changed everything - the Honda CB750. 4 cylinders of power that would eat up any bike ever built. The coolest sound we'd ever heard. A beautiful teal & gold color scheme. Too bad it cost a jaw-dropping $1,400.

All in all, a wonderful day I'd recommend to anyone who loves wheels.

I've started a Meetup.com group

I've been watching the people at Meetup.com who were interested in a musician's group for the Atlanta area, but nobody was stepping up to the plate to lead the group. So, I finally signed up to do so. It's called, for lack of a better name, the North Atlanta Musician Meetup Group, and you can visit us by clicking here: http://musicians.meetup.com/266/

I hope that after you visit, and see that you can join the Meetup group for free, you'll join the family. And then, once you're confident in our group, you'll invite your musician friends, and so on.

Meetup.com suggested that the meetings be on the second Wednesday of the month at 8PM, I don't know why. Wednesdays are the nights I play at Tavern On The Bridge with Andrew Black & The Believers. While that is definitely a kickass show, it is not a jam which I think would be a lot more fun for musicians. Your call, I hope you join us at both.

Music Report for Nov. 15, 2005

Hi Friends,
What a long strange trip it's been! This past weekend was packed with crispy goodness.

First, the monthly weekend at Doc's with Larry Griffith Band was even more hootin' hollerin' fun than ever. Friday was Veteran's Day, and some of America's Finest were celebrating there, flags & all. My buddy Clint, a 23-year veteran, always calls Doc's to find out when we're there and make a 30 mile drive to come see us.

Semi-interesting note here: Veteran's Day used to be Armistice Day, to mark the anniversary of the ending of WW1 (the "war to end all wars"... too bad that isn't working out). During the tense cold war years, it was changed to Veteran's Day, points out Steven Colbert, because celebrating peace wasn't exactly a high priority at the time. The end of the war was chosen to be the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, for symbolic reasons. The very last casualty of the war, mere minutes before peace, was killed by a sniper bullet. His name was George Price. True fact, use Google to look it up.

Anyway, Saturday night got much hotter. To start with, it was Doc's 24th Anniversary party. Then the full court of Fried Flamingo Queens (a local chapter of the Sweet Potato Queens) appeared in wigs, tiaras, and feather boas with some serious party attitude. Many of you know Shakin' Sherri and her loyal follower Robert, who has played bass with us at many jams. All that was going well enough until we played "Leave Your Hat On". One of the queens (codename Lulu) started doing an appropriate dance that would normally cost good money to watch. The dance floor cleared off as people watched, amazed. This was great stuff, clearly Lulu has a brass pole in her basement to practice with. Then a spiky-haired young woman from elsewhere in the crowd jumped in and joined the dance, and the two of them moved with such talent and gusto it'd make your hairs stand up. At least. So of course, the party is now officially jumpstarted and went straight up from there, until...

About 1:30 AM, a concerned-looking police officer walks swiftly in the door and straight towards the bar. Moments later, we're all advised that there's a bomb threat and we all must peacefully but quickly move outside while they investigate. This isn't my first bomb scare so I take my jacket and car keys out with me, but didn't take time to unplug my instruments. The crowd mills about for a while, and sure enough after maybe 45 minutes we're told they won't be reopening tonight, if you have a tab please come back later in the week and settle it. We had our big International Blues Challenge competition the next day, and all our gear's inside. Oh well, we'll just have to make another trip. The next day, nothing had exploded - it was all a hoax of course, real bombers don't call. The threat had been phoned in from a payphone in Gwinett County someplace where there aren't cameras watching everyone.

So, on to the IBC. We (Larry Griffith Band) played our set, and it felt good, but since I heard great music before and after us my hopes weren't too high. Sometimes I'm glad to be mistaken. After a great set from The Breeze Kings, the results were announced and WE WON the People's Choice ballot! The judges reached a slightly different conclusion, and by a few tenths of a point we were narrowly defeated by Big Robert T and his band. Congrats to guitarist Rick Ware - by coincidence we both teach guitar at Do-Re-Mi in Norcross - have a good time at the international finals in Memphis.

So, on to the current week. Tuesday will be a great night for music, as usual, at The North End Pub. Wednesday, come out to Tavern On The Bridge for a rockin' good time with Andrew Black & The Believers. Thursday and Friday, I'm not playing for some reason. But Saturday, it's gonna be a party at Chip's in Winder with the fabulous Heaven Davis. C'mon out and enjoy the show, buy a CD, have a good ol' roadhouse experience.

Saturday, Nov. 19
Chip's Bar & Grill
w/ Heaven Davis & The Aggrivatin' Papas
655 Patrick Mill RD SW
Winder GA 30680 770-307-2840
web: http://www.chipsbarandgrill.com/main.php4
map: http://www.chipsbarandgrill.com/directions.php4

Tuesdays:
The North End Pub & Grill
5970 Atlanta Hwy (Hwy 9 at McFarland Rd.)
Alpharetta, GA 30004 678-867-6750
8:30-1:00 (but sometimes jams on until closing)
GOOD food, kitchen open until 2AM!
web: http://www.thenorthendga.com
map: http://tinyurl.com/555vg

Super Easy Directions: From the south, come up 400 to McFarland Rd (exit 12B). Loop left across 400 and go until the road Ts into Highway 9 (Atlanta Hwy). You're there. From Gwinnett, come in on Hwy 20, turn south on 400, and go two exits to McFarland and turn right. From other directions, adapt what I just said.

Wednesdays:
Tavern On The Bridge
9775 Medlock Bridge Rd., Suite A.
Duluth, 30097 770-232-1210
Nice room, big floor & stage, pro sound, good food.
Southeast corner of State Bridge Rd. and Medlock Bridge (Hwy 141)
One door south of Stony River.
web: http://www.tavernonthebridge.com
map: http://tinyurl.com/8lp8g

Music Report. for Nov. 11, 2005

Hello Friends,

This weekend I'll be playing with Larry Griffith at Doc's in Marietta on Friday and Saturday night, then Sunday at the International Blues Challenge (we're scheduled for 4PM). See links below. This will be my second pass at the IBC, I competed last year as a sideman in another act. I hope you'll all come out to root, hoot & holler; there will be many great acts there, so anytime you come is gonna be a good time just so long as you don't miss us. My compliments to the Atlanta Blues Society for organizing this event, it can't be easy for them. See links below.

The weekly jams at The North End just keep getting better. Carlos Capote of The Breeze Kings (5-time winner of Creative Loafing's annual polls, top-10 finalists at International Blues Challenge, and more) came out 2 weeks ago for the anniversary party, and this week he brought his guitarist Jim Ransone with him. Those guys ripped the roof off the joint! Looking around that night, I realized I had Carlos & Jim, as well as Jon Schwenke (another IBC winner with Delta Moon), a multi-platinum keyboard player (Gates Nichols of Confederate Railroad), another multi-platinum keyboard player (Keith Barnhart, who did Chaka Khan's "I Feel For You" and much more), and many others. People, ya just gotta BE there!

Also getting better is the Wednesday night show with Andrew Black & The Believers at Tavern On The Bridge. Our old friend Tweek has been coming out to perfect the sound, and he does make that big system sound amazing! Come see what four top-notch artists in a great-sounding room can do.

Last week I did my first show with vocalist Melanie Massell, at Dailey's (downtown Atlanta martini & cigar bar). She called 4 hours before the gig, when I was up to my arms in clorox and deck stain, but I made it through the !@#$! Friday traffic and we had what I consider to be a fine musical evening with Melanie, myself and her regular accompanist Arthur Turner on piano. I'll be doing more shows with her in duo and trio format. Melanie is an amazing singer, check her out at http://www.mmmusic.net/index.html (don't miss the sound samples). My first duo shows with her are at Grape (Phipps Plaza) in December, I'll keep you informed.

WARNING! Computer users who play CDs on their computers have been shocked to learn that Sony/BMG CDs install hidden software on their computers. The software is not only spyware that tells Sony what you play, but it uses a clumsy cloaking method that's just good enough to evade anti-virus tools, while allowing other virus writers a free ride into the system. If you're just good enough to find the hidden files and delete them, you'll cripple your system! And, the alterations to your Windows system that allow viruses and other scumware to stay hidden will still be in place. Furthermore, if you want the patch from Sony to remove the spyware, you must fill out forms and give them personal info, and when you get the patch it tends to crash Windows and by some accounts damages the Windows system making it even more unreliable in the future. Be warned! Japanese sneak attack! Major lawsuits are pending.
http://tinyurl.com/auyjl
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/01/sony_rootkit_drm/
http://www.aunty-spam.com/sony-cds-install-rootkit
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/sony.html
A quick Google on "Sony CD software" reveals LOTS of press on this.

And finally, I was surprised and honored to have my "How To Sound Better At Jams" article chosen by OurMedia.org for a front-page feature listing. You can see that and much more of my work at http://www.ourmedia.org/user/40460

That's all I have time to tell you at the moment. Stay tuned and I'll see you at the shows!

best wishes,
George

Good times at the Decatur Wine Festival

The Saturday afternoon gig with Heaven Davis couldn't have been sweeter. The event, as I learned when I got there, was the Decatur Wine Festival. The only problem on an otherwise perfect day was that the event was sold out and my friends weren't allowed in (although they did all find ways in). Many thanks to my several groups of friends who came out and used their ingenuity to enjoy a beautiful autumn afternoon and a bit of good wine tasting. My friend Michael Davis (no relation to Heaven) took this photo (click the photo for a larger version), he says he has more and I'll add them here as I get them. The players were Marty Kearns, keys; Jerry Z, bass; Joey Dukes, drums; myself on guitar, and of course Heaven. The big pink thing is a handrail. It's gotta be tough getting a shot as wide-spread as we were, with columns everywhere. I can tell you that playing inside a gazebo is a lot like being inside a satellite dish, the curved roof focused the drums right down on top of us. Our amps and speakers sent sound directly out the sides, so were not affected by the roof. We're told the sound out front was crisp and well balanced, but inside the gazebo - fugeddaboudit! *shrug & grin*

Music Report for Nov. 4, 2005

Music Report for Nov. 4, 2005

Hi Friends, sorry I neglected to mention this show in my previous emails. I will be performing with Heaven Davis in the gazebo at the Decatur square, this Saturday afternoon Nov. 5th, from 3:00 to 4:30.

I think there is some festival going on, it should be a good time and the weather will be glorious. C'mon out!


The 1 Whole Year Anniversary Party at The North End was a fine success. Lots of good music & fun from lots of people (hats off to Special K), a very nice anniversary cake, and noteworthy performances from Chris Duarte, Carlos Capote and Barry Richman made it a wonderful evening.


I'm going to try and remember all the musicians who don't get mentioned much, my apologies if I (almost certainly) forget someone: Jeffery Baker, Brandon Carney (18-yr-old debut performance!), Bob Baske, Rich Tomanio, Dr. Z, Sean Collins, and Eric Singer also added to the performances Tuesday, as they often do. The jams are all about the semi-pros and hobbyists as well as the pros, and all these players and many more like them make it all work. I've confined my emails to mention of the notable names, in the interest of brevity and focus, but every player matters. I myself came back into the music business through the jam scene after a 17-year "retirement", and I can think of several players I personally know who moved up the ranks from jammer to pro. Theron Peterson and Joel Williams, to name just a couple. My thanks to all of you, whether you're doing it with serious intent or just for cathartic fun. I'm also always eager to help you advance if that's your wish, just ask.

Finally, a word of congratulations to Beau Hall, whose new CD should help bring him the recognition he's long deserved. Beau also writes newsletters at least as quirky as mine. He also provides this quote of the week: "Don't ever take me off your email list. You get around more than my ex-girlfriend." Thanks, Beau, and she says hi too.
http://www.blindslim.com


Upcoming shows:

Saturday, Nov. 5, 3:00 to 4:30
Heaven Davis
The Gazebo on Decatur Square

Friday & Saturday, Nov. 11 & 12
Larry Griffith Band
Doc's 10PM to 3AM (really!)
2750 Cobb Pkwy SE, Smyrna 30080 (770) 953-9354
web: http://www.docsatlanta.com
map: http://tinyurl.com/ey24n

Sunday, Nov. 13
Larry Griffith Band
International Blues Challenge
Music from 1PM to 9PM (not yet sure when we're scheduled)
Knights of Columbus Hall on Buford Hwy
2620 Buford Hwy N.E.
Atlanta 404.636.9237
1/4 mile North of the intersection of Buford Hwy and Lenox Road
(next to Greens Liquor Store)
http://atlantabluessociety.com/staticpage/blueschallenge.html

Tuesdays:
The George Price Band
The North End Pub & Grill
5970 Atlanta Hwy (Hwy 9 at McFarland Rd.)
Alpharetta, GA 30004 678-867-6750
8:30-1:00 (but sometimes jams on until closing)
GOOD food, kitchen open until 2AM!
web: http://www.thenorthendga.com
map: http://tinyurl.com/555vg


Wednesdays:
Andrew Black & The Believers
Tavern On The Bridge
9775 Medlock Bridge Rd., Suite A.
Duluth, 30097 770-232-1210
Nice room, big floor & stage, pro sound, good food.
Southeast corner of State Bridge Rd. and Medlock Bridge (Hwy 141)
One door south of Stony River.
web: http://www.tavernonthebridge.com
map: http://tinyurl.com/8lp8g

Music Report for Nov. 1, 2005

Hi Friends, just to remind you we'll be celebrating my 1 Whole Year Anniversary as host of the Tuesday jams at The North End Pub. It's nothin' but a party, and "all my rowdy friends are comin' over tonight". Don't bother with supper, use that time to take a nap and then come have dinner with us; the food is good enough to make AJC's Top 10 list. Directions below.

Also, things just keep gettin' better with Andrew Black, Jon Schwenke and Jimmy Mouton as we do the Wednesday nights at Tavern On The Bridge. C'mon out and enjoy the nice pro-managed sound, the big dance floor, and the good food & drink.

By popular request, I've posted my "Tech Support Blues" on my media website. My voice is much stronger now, I'm going to re-record it someday soon. http://www.ourmedia.org/user/40460

Man, I had me a great weekend. The neighborhood Halloween party at Bradshaw Farm (hey y'all!) was a ripping success - not only was the band I called together an instant match (as they should be, they've played together in Kid Brother for years) but the crowd was on full throttle party mode. Great gig, great neighbors, hope to see you all again soon. Then Sunday, Rich T & Liz (who you always see at The North End jams) had Barbara and myself out to ride their horses. Rich's horse is named Mr. Big, and he is truly "the Hummer of horses"; nearly big enough for his own zip code, and if recent events are any indication, smart enough to run for public office (though far too honest). A lovely day for a ride through the countryside, leaves just starting to turn colors. After dinner, Rich and I went over to Mike LeVasseur's house to jam with him and his crew of buddies (pals since childhood) visiting from New York. Turns out they're fine players too, we did some fine tunes ranging from Deodato to Stones to Tower Of Power's "What Is Hip". Great cap to a great weekend.


Tuesdays: (ANNIVERSARY PARTY Nov. 1st)
The North End Pub & Grill
5970 Atlanta Hwy (Hwy 9 at McFarland Rd.)
Alpharetta, GA 30004 678-867-6750
8:30-1:00 (but sometimes jams on until closing)
GOOD food, kitchen open until 2AM!
web: http://www.thenorthendga.com
map: http://tinyurl.com/555vg


Wednesdays:
Tavern On The Bridge
9775 Medlock Bridge Rd., Suite A.
Duluth, 30097 770-232-1210
Nice room, big floor & stage, pro sound, good food.
Southeast corner of State Bridge Rd. and Medlock Bridge (Hwy 141)
One door south of Stony River.
web: http://www.tavernonthebridge.com
map: http://tinyurl.com/8lp8g

That's it for now. If you have any questions, please feel free to call or write me.

Oh, and if you noticed my dates were wrong in the previous message, there's a simple explaination - November Fools Day! (yeah, that's the ticket...)

Music Report for Oct. 28, 2005

Hello Friends, this one will be quick. Here we go!

First, the headlines:
My duo show with Marlyn Campbell was quite successful, and the management at Birdi's has asked for more dates. The exact dates are still being negotiated, I'll keep you informed. Big thanks to our old and new friends there!

Larry Griffith has been sponsored to compete in the International Blues Challenge. The local round will be Sunday, November 13th at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Buford Hwy. He says he intends to win; if so, we go to Memphis to compete for the top honors.
See http://www.atlantabluessociety.com for details. While you're there, be sure to try clicking on the "ABS Bluescast" logo (in flaming letters at the top of the page) to hear an excellent 24-hour stream of blues. (big props to Mark Alestra for his work on this project)

Speaking of the Atlanta Blues Society, this just might be the week that they finally add The North End's weekly blues jam to their calendar. We will be celebrating my one year anniversary as host of that fine jam on this Tuesday night, November 2nd. I expect a lot of fine talent out to help us celebrate, so be sure to catch an early evening nap so you don't have to leave before the grand finale. The North End earned several mentions in the Atlanta Journal Constitution's Top 10 list in several categories, including best burgers and best live music. Make sure you and your friends don't miss it! Wanna hear some of what goes on there? Hear us here:
http://www.ourmedia.org/user/40460

Upcoming shows:

Friday, Oct. 29
Smokejack
w/ Larry Griffith Band
29 South Main St
Alpharetta, GA 770.410.7611
web: http://www.smokejackbbq.com
map: http://tinyurl.com/8vybu

Saturday, Oct. 30
private party

Tuesdays: (ANNIVERSARY PARTY Nov. 2nd)
The North End Pub & Grill
w/ George Price Band
5970 Atlanta Hwy (Hwy 9 at McFarland Rd.)
Alpharetta, GA 30004 678-867-6750
8:30-1:00 (but sometimes jams on until closing)
GOOD food, kitchen open until 2AM!
web: http://www.thenorthendga.com
map: http://tinyurl.com/555vg

Wednesdays:
Tavern On The Bridge
w/ Andrew Black & The Believers
9775 Medlock Bridge Rd., Suite A.
Duluth, 30097 770-232-1210
Nice room, big floor & stage, pro sound, good food.
Southeast corner of State Bridge Rd. and Medlock Bridge (Hwy 141)
One door south of Stony River.
web: http://www.tavernonthebridge.com
map: http://tinyurl.com/8lp8g


That's it for now. If you have any questions, please feel free to call or write me.

Music Report for Oct. 16, 2005

Hi Friends,
A few of you who are new to the list this week missed the sad news about the passing of Tim "Kokomo" Gunther. You can catch up on that here:
http://www.breezekings.com

It's been a pretty nice week since my last letter to you. My weekend at The Cellar with Larry Griffith Band worked out well, we had a good Tuesday night with George Price Band at The North End, Wednesday with Andrew Black & The Believers at Tavern On The Bridge continues to kick butt and keeps getting better (special event there next week!), and this weekend at Doc's with Larry Griffith Band was rockin' (big thanks to Shakin' Sheri for bringing out her fellow Fried Flamingo Queens - what a party crowd!)

Bill Hussey has completed a DVD of highlights from Ms. Michael Broderick's jazz show at Nick's (including myself, Mike LeVasseur on keys & key-bass, and New Orleans evacuee Louis Romanos on drums). I just got the DVD and haven't had time to view it yet, but I'll let you know. I've already seen and enjoyed a four-song demo he made from this show. Bill has done good work on previous projects and I expect this to be no exception. I think it's great that he's documenting local performances, and I wish more people would. Atlanta has a wonderful music scene, and with video technology so cheap and easy now we have a golden opportunity to catch these players before they slip away (like Kokomo, Mr. Frank, and too many others).

Coming up:
Sunday, 10/16: 5PM-7PM
Birdi's On The Square with Marlyn Campbell
Many of you have seen Marlyn with South River Band, or at one of her apperances at the North End Pub jams. Imagine Julia Roberts, but with a better smile, a good voice and a great stage presence.
115 Sycamore St. Decatur 30030 404-371-9906
web: http://www.birdisonthesquare.com
map: http://tinyurl.com/dvcg6

Tuesday, 10/18: 9PM-1AM
Open Jam at The North End Pub with George Price Band
We've gotten even better! GPB announces the addition of Jon Schwenke as our regular bassist. Gates Nichols is moving from bass over to keyboard, so we'll have plenty of fine piano, organ, and horn section to make everything sound amazing. Theron Peterson continues to make it all move with his fine drums, vocals and harmonica. All of us sing. C'mon out, the food & drinks are good, the jams are fine, and if you can stay for the Midnight Madness set you'll be glad you did.
The North End Pub & Grill
5970 Atlanta Hwy (Hwy 9 at McFarland Rd.)
Alpharetta, GA 30004 678-867-6750
9PM-1AM (but sometimes jams on until closing)
GOOD food, kitchen stays open until 2AM!
web: http://www.thenorthendga.com
map: http://tinyurl.com/555vg

Wednesday, 10/19: 9PM-1AM
Tavern On The Bridge with Andrew Black & The Believers
CUSTOMER APPRECIATION PARTY! This is normally a great room with pro-run sound and good food, but this week will be extra special. Come out and have a really great time.
Tavern On The Bridge
9775 Medlock Bridge Rd., Suite A.
Duluth, 30097 770-232-1210
Southeast corner of State Bridge Rd. and Medlock Bridge (Hwy 141)
One door south of Stony River.
web: http://www.tavernonthebridge.com
map: http://tinyurl.com/8lp8g

Friday, 10/21: 8PM-12PM
Freeland's Pizza with Larry Griffith Band
Good food, good brews, and a nice early show so you can come for dinner.
Freeland's Pizza & Pub
1090 Alpharetta St.
Roswell, GA 770-594-8765
map: http://tinyurl.com/ddpcv

Saturday, 10/22: Cancelled
Apologies to my Dahlonega friends, the show at Buisson Arts Center has been postponed. I'll inform you when it's back on again.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call or write me.

Farewell Kokomo

Tim "Kokomo" Gunther, the drummer well-known in Atlanta as The Shuffle King, passed away in a van accident the morning of Sunday, October 2nd 2005. He was riding with The Breeze Kings, returning from a show in Florida. Below is a snare drum that I passed around the gathering at Northside Tavern on Oct. 6th. It was signed by many of Atlanta's blues elite. The drum will be presented to Carlos Capote of The Breeze Kings. I spent a few hours at his viewing today. There was no service, he will be cremated. Tim was laying in an open casket with his famous beret hat, a pair of drum sticks in his hands. Attendees included many friends and fans from the Atlanta Blues Society. Big Bill Morganfield hurried back from a show in Mississippi to be here for the viewing. Sean Costello, Chicago Joe Jones, Larry Griffith, Ab the Flagman, Frank Lombardo, Theron Peterson, and many more notables had arrived by the time I left. Tim was a great player, and a great guy. You can tell by the turnout and respect he got from the musical family that he was respected and loved and will be missed greatly.

Music Report for Oct. 6, 2005

First, my apologies to those of you who haven't heard from me for a while - I just realized my email list was missing about a hundred names, and probably has been for some time. Doh! So I typed them all back in, the best I could, and now the first thing you get from me is bad news.

First, this from the BreezeKings.com website:

Charles Timothy Gunther August 29, 1958 - October 2, 2005.

As many of you have heard, a terrible tragedy has befallen not only the Breeze Kings, but the entire Atlanta blues community. On the morning of Sunday October 2 at approximately 9:30am, the Breeze Kings were involved in an auto accident in Lake City FL. Three of us – myself, Jim Ransone, and Matt Sickles, walked away bruised, scraped, and broken hearted. Our friend and drummer, Tim Gunther, was not so lucky and passed away at the scene. We hope that memories of the great gig we played the night before were in Tim’s dreams as he was sleeping in the van at the time the accident occurred. The rest of us: band members, musicians, fans, and friends, will have our memories of Tim to get us through this very difficult time.

All are invited to an informal gathering of friends at the Northside Tavern on Thursday October 6 at 8:00pm. There will be no pre-arranged live music or jamming, however, friends are encouraged to speak their thoughts, share their stories, and sing their songs - no drums or amps please. There will be food, drinks, love, memories, and a celebration of Tim’s life and the impact he had on all of us who knew him.

The formal visitation/viewing services are scheduled for Sunday October 9 from 2:00pm to 6:00pm at Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home in Marietta. They are located near the Marietta Square at 180 Church Street, N.E. Marietta GA 30061 (770)428-1511
Take I-75 north to exit 265 (North Marietta Pkwy). Turn left off the exit and go 6 lights to Church Street. Turn left on Church Street and it is three blocks ahead on the left.

Donations to help cover Tim's final expenses, which are being handled by Tim's fiance, Rene Reno, and the Breeze Kings, will be accepted at the Northside Tavern on Thursday night, as well as many area blues clubs. We are trying to set up a special bank fund, but in the meantime, please make checks out to CARLOS CAPOTE and memo mark them 'Tim Gunther Memorial'. You may also mail checks to us at 1220 Worthington Hills Drive Roswell, GA 30076-1753

You may also make an online credit card donation using PayPal by clicking below (sorry, this button wouldn't paste into my newsletter, you need to go to http://www.BreezeKings.com to click the button there - GP)

There is no way for one person to reach all of Tim’s friends by phone or email. Please forward this information to all who may be interested.

Our most sincere thanks goes out to all of those who have contacted us with love and compassion. Please continue to keep Tim and his loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.

- Carlos
--------------------------------------

I will be at The Northside Tavern tonight to deliver $120 donated by The George Price Band and the patrons of The North End Pub, collected at our weekly gig Tuesday.

In better news, last night I started playing Wednesdays with Andrew Black & The Believers (Andrew, Jimmy Mouton and Jon Schwenke). The venue is Tavern On The Bridge, near the corner of State Bridge and Medlock Bridge. It's a great room, with a big dance floor, decent stage, and a nice sound system (with soundman!). This is gonna be a sweet gig, and you know the band rocks with players like that.

Upcoming shows
Tuesdays - Open Jam at The North End Pub (see below)
Wednesdays - w/ Andrew Black at Tavern On The Bridge (see below)

Fri-Sat Oct. 7-8, The Cellar in Alpharetta
w/ Larry Griffith Band

Fri-Sat Oct. 14-15, Doc's 10PM to 3AM (really!)
w/ Larry Griffith Band
2750 Cobb Pkwy SE, Smyrna 30080 (770) 953-9354
web: http://www.docsatlanta.com
map: http://tinyurl.com/ey24n

Sun Oct. 16, Birdi's On The Square, 5PM - 7PM
w/ Marlyn Campbell
115 Sycamore St. Decatur 30030 404-371-9906
web: http://www.birdisonthesquare.com
map: http://tinyurl.com/dvcg6

Music Report for Sept. 21, 2005

I've got goosebumps as I write this. I'm listening to the recording of last night's amazing, stellar, interstellar performances at The North End pub. Jimmy Dormire (of multi-platinum band Confederate Railroad) was in town, and came to play. Play HARD. Atlanta legend John McKnight was also in the house, with serious intent. The lineup for this set was Jimmy, John, myself, Andrew Black, Rich Tomanio, and Gates Nichols. We had just finished an amazing Allman Brothers medley. Now Andrew Black is singing "People Get Ready", with Gates' big lush keyboard intro, and when the band kicks in it gives me chills. This will definitely go onto my media website when I finish editing the recording tonight or tomorrow morning.
Media site: http://www.ourmedia.org/user/40460

Speaking of my media page, "Leave Your Hat On" scored over 500 downloads in the first couple days! And I didn't even do anything to promote it - someone just 'discovered' it, I guess, and spread the word. Considering how relatively unknown OurMedia.com is so far, that ain't bad. Check it out, forward the link to your friends.
Leave Your Hat On: http://www.ourmedia.org/node/57285

John McKnight would like me to remind you that the Wednesday jam at Darwin's is still going strong. That's where I got back into the music business some 5 or 6 years ago, after 17 years offstage, thanks to encouragement from John (and Jon Schwenke, and Miz Kay the owner). I will always have a fondness for Darwin's, one of the only two blues clubs in Georgia that a major blues magazine found worth noting.

Thursday night I'm heading over to Nik's in Marietta for the jams with John Michael Rose, a favorite player & singer of mine. I'll be auditioning for a gig there. Stop on by, have some liquids, groove on the show, make some noise. (links below)

Friday and Saturday I'll be doing a jazz trio with Larry Griffith and Mike LeVasseur at Silk, 8th & Peachtree downtown. That's a very nice place, I highly recommend it.

Sunday I'll be playing at Nik's again, this time in a jazz combo behind Ms. Michael Broderick.

Monday I'll be back in the studio for some more demo work with Andrew Black.

And that brings us up to my favorite part of the week, Tuesday at The North End. You just gotta be there!

Tuesdays:
The North End Pub & Grill
5970 Atlanta Hwy (Hwy 9 at McFarland Rd.)
Alpharetta, GA 30004 678-867-6750
http://www.thenorthendga.com
8:30-12:30 (but sometimes jams on until closing)
GOOD food, kitchen open until 2AM!

Another great night at The North End

Last night's weekly Tuesday jam at The North End was another winner, though it didn't feel like it to me at first. After a bit of warmup, though, things started to heat up nicely. Andrew Black and Heaven Davis both visited early on, but neither sang this time. Pete Waddell turned in a fine frontman performance, he gets better every week; likewise, newcomer Rich Tomanio has been playing bass with solid authority. A couple guitarist evacuees from New Orleans sat in and did a very nice bluesy set! I wish I had written their names down. They'll be in town another week or so, before they have to return to whatever's left of their lives. Larry Griffith told me we'll get an influx of quality musicians here, it seems he's quite correct. It only makes sense for musicians to choose Atlanta for refuge and possible relocation.

And finally, our Midnight Madness set went a little farther than usual - we had Theron Peterson on drums, Zoom on bass, Terry Bradley on slide and Gates Nichols and Keith Barnhart on dual keyboards. I brought out my redhead (or 'copperhead', depending on mood, just like the real ones) Ibanez hotrod guitar, and that just put me into the Hendrix mood. My pedal system has all the right Hendrix tones, and it was only natural to go into the feedback, spacey sounds and severe whammy-bar abuse that made Jimi famous (think Star-Spangled Foxy Purple Voodoo Banner). We did other things too - a funky, reggae version of "Thrill Is Gone", for instance. And I think I can say with confidence that "Bo Diddley" has never before been morphed into "Smoke On The Water". Another satisfying night.

GP solo show at The Crimson Moon, Dahlonega GA, Sept. 2 2005. Note the rosebud and tabasco bottle. The indian head was hand-carved by someone's husband during a long illness.

Rockin' the North End with Andrew Black

Tonight I had a nice little surprise gig - I had the night off from Larry Griffith Band at Kennesaw Billiards, but got invited instead to play with Andrew Black at the North End Pub, much closer to home. Also onstage were Jimmy Mouton on drums, and Jon Schwenke on bass. (I figure I've played about 200 shows with Jon since 2001, he's a great player and great guy.) We did stuff ranging from "People Get Ready" to Robin Trower's "Day Of The Eagle", plus some of Andrew's originals. I must say this was one of the hardest-hitting shows I've done in a very long time.

Tomorrow evening I'll be going into the studio with Andrew and Jimmy, and several other players to record a demo for our upcoming corporate act, Andrew Black and Sound Foundation. That band is aiming high, playing tight intense music from Earth Wind & Fire, Foreigner, David Bowie, and other high-end artists whose music is rarely attempted by most musicians.

George playing sometime before Nov. 2004 - note that Buddy Guy's autograph has not yet been written below the bridge.