Music Report for May 13, 2005

Hi Friends, sorry to hit you twice in one week but here's stuff you gotta know right now.

Congrats to Ken & Elena at The North End Pub. They have been named among the Top Ten in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's A-List competition - not once, but in THREE categories! But whether they come out on top depends upon how YOU vote. Friday is the LAST day you can vote, so please do! I quote Ken:

We just found out THE NORTH END made it into the top ten on AJC's A-LIST competition in 3 categories!!!

Unfortunately voting for the best in each category began on May 2nd and it ends on May 13th. You can vote once each day so we are behind in the voting. We could really use the publicity so we are asking all of you to vote as often as you can over the next few days.
When you vote it will ask for your basic info as part of their contest but you can select not to be contacted by them.

Here is the link-
http://www.accessatlanta.com/bestof/content/bestof/2005/index.html

These are the categories we are TOP 10 in -
• Live music club
• Neighborhood bar
• New club

THANKS! THANKS! THANKS!
Ken and Elena

============================================
Well now, that's impressive! Those of you who've been out already know, the rest of you should come see & hear for yourselves. If only we'd known sooner that the voting began on May 2nd.

NEXT ITEM: I'm scheduled to play Rexx & Harry's BBQ Blues Party this Saturday, May 14th (I understand I misquoted the date in my previous email) with Larry Griffith, in the 3:30 PM timeslot. I've already sent you all the directions & such, but if you need them again I'll be happy to resend to you. Remember to bring your outdoor stuff - blanket, sunscreen, bugspray, and maybe a chair, favorite drinking mug, camera and binoculars might be handy. We will be recording for a live CD, and we want lots of you to be part of the joyous crowd noise. Previous years' CDs will be there for sale (along with various other good stuff). You don't need to pack food or drink, it's all you can eat & drink for $20 (proceeds go to WRFG Radio).

Of course, I want you to save just enough energy to come party with us at Kennesaw Billiards on Sunday night, and I'll also see you at The North End on Tuesday.

Finally, a bit about Geoff Achison, who delivered every bit of the astonishing show I promised you before. First he played a solo acoustic set that contained all the percussion, bass, rhythm and melody you could want - alone. Folks, I've been doing this for 40 years and I am still amazed at what I saw him doing. Some of you were there, you know what I mean. Then the band came up and they did two more long sets. How he kept up that much energy for one set let alone nearly 4 hours is beyond me. Barry Richman joined him for the last two songs, and that combination was beyond description. Too bad if you missed it.

That's all for now, REMEMBER TO VOTE NOW! LAST DAY!
Here is the link-
http://www.accessatlanta.com/bestof/content/bestof/2005/index.html

Best wishes,
George Price

(PS, although I'm rarely up early enough or late enough to hear it, the Good Morning Blues show on WRFG 89.3 FM from 6AM to 10AM is MOST excellent! It'd be just lovely if you call them at 404-523-8989 during the show and tell them how much you enjoyed the Saturday party. While you're at it, request some Larry Griffith music. If you get Blackjack, AJ, or Bill or Pat Hudson tell 'em I said hi. Thanx!)

Music Report for Mar. 21, 2005

Well, it's been a quiet week at Lake Wobegon... no, wait, that's a different report.

First, my congratulations to Kid Brothers, an excellent Atlanta corporate band, on the occasion of their 20th Anniversary. The official date was last Saturday, and in celebration they put on an excellent rare public appearance at Poor Richard's in Norcross. The music was great, the house was packed and responsive. Videos and a slide show between sets covered the years of world travels. I had the honor of playing a couple songs with them too. Best wishes for your next 20 years, guys!

Sunday night at the North End Pub & Grill was fun too. How could it not be with Greg High, Andrew Black, Tommy Vickery, Keith Barnhart, Mike Hinton, Brad Jeter and other great players? This time we wound up doing fun old covers from Zep, Sabbath, Edgar Winter, Steely Dan and more. I highly recommend the Sunday jams at the North End, directions will be included later in this message.

TONIGHT (3/21) I will be filling in with Larry Griffith, Jon Schwenke and Ricky Fargo at the Monday jams at Crystal's in Marietta. That's a great crew that always makes great music. I also play with them regularly at Kennesaw Billiards on Wednesday nights (listed below).


Now, the list of weekly Jams I'm involved in:

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!

Wednesdays:
The Club at Kennesaw Billiards 770-514-9900
Kennesaw Promenade on Cherokee St. (Wade Green Rd.)
3600 Cherokee Street NW Suite 107
Kennesaw, GA 30144
9PM-1AM

Music Report for Feb. 15, 2005

Well, it's been an interesting weekend. I wound up with two sudden-notice gigs that I greatly enjoyed. Friday night I played at Eyedrum with Ken Lockie's band, Cowboys International. Ken is a quiet pleasant guy, which gives you no clue he used to be Johnny Rotton's roomie - but more importantly, he's widely credited as being one of the founding fathers of the "New Romantic" movement that influenced much of the music we remember from the 80's. Ken was also an early member of PiL and The Clash. A quick Google on his name will turn up lots of stuff.

Then on Saturday I served as sole accompanist for Marlyn Campbell, a vocalist I worked with in South River Band. (Imagine Julia Roberts, only prettier, with a voice) That experiment went quite well, and will be much better in the future. I'll notify you as soon as we get something else booked.

Now the regular Jam Report:
Last night at Crystal's On The Square went well, even if it was a bit thin - after all, Crystal's is fun but not what most folks would consider a Valentine's Day destination. Ms. Michael Broderick performed beautifully on "My Funny Valentine", a duet that let me go crazy with some of those big chords and substitutions that can rarely be used with a band. Directions to Crystal's later in this message.

Tonight I'll be hosting at The North End Pub & Grill, a nice venue in north Alpharetta. The North End always draws talented jammers. If you haven't been, c'mon out! Directions follow.

Wednesday night I'll be back with Larry Griffith, Ricky Fargo, Jon Schwenke and Pete Battista at Kennesaw Billiards. That's a nice venue, please come on out and jam &/or party with us.

And finally, in the Helpful Hint category, I've learned about two very good websites for roadmaps. Forget Mapquest, MapBlaster and the rest, these are the next generation and very cool. Best is http://www.map24.com which is an active Java-based map system. Second-best is the beta version of http://maps.google.com Try them out, using the addresses below!

Music Report for Jan. 19, 2005 - Elena's Birthday

Hi Friends, just a note to keep you in touch. Remember that tonight (Wednesday) is jam night at Kennesaw Billiards. That's a nice, roomy venue that treats us well and we want to make it as successful as possible. The band is hot, even if the weather isn't. Directions are at the bottom of this email.

Last night at The North End turned into another epic showcloser, in keeping with owner Elena's birthday. Greg High, Keith Barnhart, Mike Hinton, Gates Nichols, Theron Peterson and I spent the last half hour (overtime) going hawg-wild on stuff ranging from Joe Walsh to Deep Purple (closing with "Highway Star", if you can believe that!). The electricity, the skill, the sheer telepathic connection between the players was incredible! Stuff we never imagined we could do was pouring out of us. My sympathies to our friends who left too soon. I hope Tweek got it all recorded - he's been recording in preparation for making CDs of the live performances at The North End. Ask for current status of that project next time you visit.

Mike "Cathead" Nunn has put together a beautiful full-color poster for The North End jams, featuring photos of various performers. We'd love to have you take one and hang it in your office or other public place. Please ask. Mike's company does graphic arts for advertising agencies and other clients, and they do fabulous work!

-------------------------------------
Here's a note from another friend of mine, Pat Dennis, who I highly recommend you check out. A true master musician, Pat plays a multi-instrument solo act. If you're anywhere near one of his shows, check him out.

Hi ya'll, I'm still at DeGrouchy's Main Street Cafe in Canton, across from the theatre, every Wednesday from 6:00 - 9:00. the food is excellent and they have a full bar.

I'm playing piano, guitar and alto sax to all your favorite songs. We have been slow, as most places have been, so I'd really like to see there.

Bring your wife or girlfriend, but not both.

See you at the Main St. Cafe.

Pat

After the restaurant I recommend Kennesaw Billiards where my friends George Price, and Larry Griffin will be playing. We were there a couple of weeks ago and they were great. The Club at Kennesaw Billiards Kennesaw Promenade on Cherokee St. (Wade Green Rd.) 9PM-1AM
--------------------------------------------
And finally, here's a list of the weekly jams I'm involved with:

Mondays: Crystal's On The Square
southeast corner of the old square, Marietta http://www.crystalsonthesquare.com/bandschedule.html
9PM-1AM

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!

Wednesdays: The Club at Kennesaw Billiards 770-514-9900
Kennesaw Promenade on Cherokee St. (Wade Green Rd.)
3600 Cherokee Street Northwest Suite 107 Kennesaw, GA 30144
9PM-1AM

Music Report for Jan. 5, 2005

This is another year, and we're having another series of great jams at the North End Pub & Grill. Last night was a great one, in that we had a sudden surplus of THREE hot keyboard players who kept things smokin' all evening. Add to all that the talents of recording artists Barry Richman, Andrew Black, Jon Schwenke, Greg High, and more than a dozen other performers and you know we had an explosive mixture! Also, at Andrew's suggestion we sent the tip bucket around to collect donations for the tsunami relief fund. The house band also agreed to throw in all of our tips, for a total of $92 that will go to charity (probably UNICEF, I'll be researching the best choice later today).

Missed that one? Too bad, see you next Tuesday. But wait, there's also a hot Wednesday night jam we're building up at The Club in Kennesaw Billiards. That one features Larry Griffith, Jon Schwenke, Ricky Fargo and myself, in a nice big room with a dance floor and not too much smoke.

If you miss the Wednesday jam, Monday will be rolling back around far too soon anyway, but at least we can boogie your blues away at Crystal's in Marietta (also featuring Larry, Jon & Ricky).

So, we've got ya pretty much covered - come see us to get rid of those pesky early-week blahs. See you soon!

Mondays:
Crystal's On The Square
southeast corner of the old square, Marietta
9PM-1AM

Tuesdays:
The North End Pub & Grill
Hwy 9 & McFarland, Alpharetta
9PM-1AM

Wednesdays:
The Club at Kennesaw Billiards
Kennesaw Promenade on Cherokee St. (Wade Green Rd.)
9PM-1AM

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

Best New Year Wishes,
George Price

Music Report for Dec. 17, 2004 - Holiday Superjam

Hi Friends, if you've been to any of the Tuesday jams at The North End you know how good they have been. Well, they're about to get better! We have a special event coming this Tuesday, Dec. 21st, as our old friend Jimmy Dormire of Confederate Railroad will be back in town. If you don't know Confederate Railroad, you haven't been paying attention to country music - they've earned lots of awards and nominations (including Grammy) and multi-platinum album sales. Jimmy is a scorching guitarist in all styles, and we'll be havin' a big time. Don't miss out!

More about Confederate Railroad: http://www.confederaterailroad.net (read the "About" section) or just Google 'em and see how many hits you get...

Add this talent to the fine house band I'm privileged to work with (drummer Theron Peterson and bassist/keyboardist Gates Nichols, also of Confederate Railroad) and all the talented guests who've become regulars there (Andrew Black and Barry Richman, among many others) and you can see it's gonna be spectacular!

Our soundmeister, Tweak (also of Confederate Railroad) has gotten the stage and the room to sound really good, and has been experimenting with digital recording of the music there. He tells me he has fancy new recording gear on the way. If it arrives in time, this evening may just turn into a live CD, and it'll be a good one.

Now, to my guitar and bass students - I know most of you are still under 21, but I've checked and it's OK for you to come out with your parents and enjoy the show. Some of you may even get a chance to play with us. We're starting this special evening at 8PM, and there's no school the next day. C'mon out, I want you to see this up close, meet the players, and see how we do things.

OH, and be sure to try the food! I'm not kidding, it is WAY above average, and the kitchen stays open late.

The North End Pub & Grill
5970 Atlanta Hwy (Hwy 9 at McFarland Rd.)
Alpharetta, GA 30004 678-867-6750
http://www.thenorthendga.com

Super Easy Directions: From the south, come up 400 to McFarland Rd (exit 12). Turn 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. Here's a map: http://tinyurl.com/555vg

That's enough for now - I have another very cool jam to tell you about at Kennesaw Billiards on Wednesday nights, but I'll save that for another post.

best holiday wishes,
George Price

Mike Martin goes Bigtime!

Hello Friends,
This is a note about my friend and sometimes mentor Mike Martin. If you haven't heard him, you're about to. Mike is an amazing player in every genre - jazz, classical, rock, whatever - but has somehow been overlooked and underutilized. That appears to be about to change. He's been picked up by some bigtime rockers, and will be getting a lot more exposure for his formidable skills. You'll even have a chance to catch him on TV, so get your blank tape ready. Please check this note out from one of my true guitar heroes.

-------------------------
Mike's Notes December 2nd, 2004

Hello everyone! There has been much activity going on around here. I apologize for the delay in sending out the newsletter but things have really been just that busy! So without further ado, here's the news:

FOZZY
Over the past couple of months I have been offered the lead guitar post with the heavy metal group known as FOZZY. For those of you who know about the group, not much is needed to be said. For those of you scratching your heads wondering about the words "heavy metal" in a Mike Martin email, let me explain....

FOZZY is a great rock band that is basically comprised of members from Salem Ash and Stuck Mojo. Both groups are old friends of mine from years ago when I first moved to the fair city of Atlanta. The lead singer for the group is the internationally famous wrestler Chris Jericho. (this is about the time I expect many of you to really be wondering if I have lost my mind!)

Fear Not! I actually started my career as a shredder from back in the day. I was a little too young to get a chance to take advantage of the post 80's rock debauchery but my love for all things Jazz, Classical and Jimi Hendrix kept me busy!

For those of you not familiar with heavy rock, Stuck Mojo was, in my humble opinion, one of the BEST modern heavy bands to come out of the
90's. It is my absolute pleasure to get to play guitar with Rich Ward and the guys in this project. I have been blessed to play with some of the finest musicians in my career. No matter what style of music I have been called to perform, I have lucked into playing with the best. FOZZY is no exception to that.

For more info on all things FOZZY and Rich Ward please check out these links:

www.fozzyrock.com
www.thedukerocks.com

Both sites have full bios and pictures so you can get a sense of the history that is here.

The Big News
Playing for FOZZY means some pretty cool stuff
1. MTV music video shot in San Diego a couple of weeks ago soon to be in rotation.
2. World Tour. We will be playing all over the US, Europe, Japan and Australia in 2005 to support the release of "all that remains" due in stores January 18th, 2005
3. Performing on national television

That's right. Live on TV.

This monday, december 6th, on the SPIKE channel, we will be appearing live on the WWE RAW program. The show starts at 9:00pm so tune in and check me out with the FOZ!

We are also doing a run of the southeast over the next two weeks:

"The Fall That Remains Tour 2004"

Monday, November 29
Baltimore, MD
Thunder Dome
3612 Hanover Street
410-354-4700
All Ages
$9.98
Doors - 8:00PM

Friday, December 3
Playground Bar
873 Broad St
Augusta, GA 30901
706-951-6924
$10 - 21+
Support Act - American Devils

Saturday, December 4
The Jinx Nightclub
127 W Congress
Savannah, GA 31401
912-236-2281
10 Adv / 12DOS 21+
Support - Murder Junkies

Monday, December 6
Amos' Southend
1423 South Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28203
704-377-6874
$10
Support - American Devils

Friday, December 10
Soho
5751 Milgen Road
Columbus, GA 31907
706-568-3316
$10 - 21+
Support Act - American Devils

Saturday, December 11
Rivalry's
3986 Northside Drive
Macon, GA 31210
478-474-6684
$12, $10 w/WWE ticket stub
18+
Support - Camelspur

Sunday, December 12
Rhythm and Brews
221 Market Street
Chattanooga, TN 37402
423-267-4644
$10 18+
Support - A


If we are coming to a town near you please stop in for a great show!

The Mike Martin Trio will still be performing around Atlanta and the southeast as my schedule permits. We will be recording a cd this winter with a scheduled release for spring of 2005. In between tour responsibilities for FOZZY and Rich Ward I will be touring to support my cd.

www.mikemartin.net will be getting a facelift in the coming weeks too so please check back for updates! In the meantime, here are some sound clips for your enjoyment:
http://www.allrightnow.com/fws/news.htm#Mike_Martin_091904

I hope to see you at the shows and that you enjoy the RAW performance on monday. You can send any and all feedback or comments to me by replying to this email and I promise I will read them all!

Thank you for you continued support!

Peace and Love,
Mike Martin
www.mikemartin.net

Music Report for Dec. 1, 2004 - New Jam Venue: Kennesaw Billiards

Hi Friends, I told you Larry Griffith would get us a Wednesday gig soon, and sure enough he did. The new venue is Kennesaw Billiards (a.k.a. KBs) and it's located logically enough in Kennesaw.

Kennesaw Billiards 770-514-9900
3600 Cherokee Street Northwest Suite 107
Kennesaw, GA 30144

Take I-75 to Wade Green Rd, exit 273. Turn west (probably your left, unless you're coming from north of there). Go until Wade Green becomes Cherokee St. NW. You should see Kennesaw Billiards at the corner of Cherokee and McCollum Pkwy NW. (This is unverified, I'm using MapQuest.com, but should be OK.)

Also, we still have the jams on Monday nights at Crystal's On The Square in Marietta, and Tuesdays at The North End (Hwy 9 & McFarland Rd.) and both of those jams are drawing major talent and good crowds. The Tuesday jam was EPIC last night, and soundmeister Tweak has begun experimenting with multi-track recordings of the jams. What he got last night was great, I think with a bit of mixdown it could go right to CD. Many thanks to Andrew Black, Barry Richman, Steve Mays, Mike Hinton, and other guests for a stellar show!

Gotta run, more updates later. I've just returned from a great trip to Memphis with the Elvis trio (Harold Shulz & Franklin Bunn) and have cool stories to tell. I also have 21 shows in the next 31 days to tell you about, but I still have a few nights unused so book me while you can.

Remember, the last thing I want to do is burden you with unwanted spam, so if you don't want to hear from me I promise I will remove you from my mass mailing list upon request.

best wishes,
George Price

FLASH: New Jam Venue - Crystal's

Hello friends,
Larry Griffith just called with two more jam nights, to replace the one we lost when Fee-Lay Gumbo closed.

Mondays at 9PM at Crystal's On The Square in Marietta. Crystal's is very easy to find, it is on the main square as the name implies. No, they don't serve teensy hamburgers on yeasty buns. They do serve up a good time. We start there tonight, I hope to see you there.

Crystal's
150 Roswell St NE Marietta (770) 792-8840
For map & directions: http://tinyurl.com/6wxt3

He also has one in the works for Wednesdays, but nothing final yet. This being a holiday week we don't know quite yet whether it would start this week anyway. I'll keep you informed.

I mentioned in my previous email, which about 75% of you received, that my trip with Lola to play at Buddy Guy's Legends in Chicago resulted in her getting a record deal with Alligator Records. If you're interested, and didn't get that story, let me know and I'll send you a copy. I also mentioned that I'm beginning a new method of sending out emails - the method works, but the first program I tried was not so good. I'm now trying WorldCast, let me know if you have any troubles with it, or if you just want to be removed from the email lists (which I'm in the process of refining).

best wishes,
George Price

Music Report for Nov. 22, 2004 - YES! We got a record deal!

Hello Friends, Before the big news, this disclaimer: This is the first time I'm using a new method of emailing. It is supposed to help me consolidate & clean up my email lists, and I will of course remove anyone who tells me they don't want to hear from me. If you get multiple emails (you shouldn't) or see any other rough edges on the process, please let me know so I can make everything right. Thanks!

As many of you know, I went up to Chicago this weekend to play with Lola at Buddy Guy's Legends club on Friday. This was to be a showcase for Legends, for Alligator Records, and for a few other invited dignitaries. Unfortunately, we didn't actually get to play with Buddy as he had an early flight out to Florida for a show there on Saturday, but he was very nice to us and was kind enough to sign our guitars and a couple Legends t-shirts. We were told, however, that he did something very unusual when we played; he left his usual perch at the end of the bar and came around to the showroom to watch, and that we should take that as a great compliment. So, I do. The show felt good, but it was all over much too soon. After we played, we got lots of nice compliments from the patrons & staff, and Bruce Iglauer, president of Alligator Records, asked Lola for a meeting the next day. The next day, we dropped her off and waited. And waited. The tension was thick. When she came back, she told us she had The Deal!

What all this means for Lola and the rest of the band isn't certain yet, and Lola has been reluctant to give us much detail, but I do know I'll be lit up for a week. As new information comes to me, I'll keep you informed. Meanwhile, you better come to our shows while you can still get up close! *chuckle*

Links:
http://www.alligator.com
http://www.lolagulley.biz
http://www.buddyguys.com

Also, a couple reminders about the Atlanta jam scene: our beloved Wednesday nights at Fee-Lay Gumbo are no more, the restaurant closed its doors last week. If you were one of our Wednesday friends, please don't waste a trip out there. I haven't heard from Larry Griffith yet if he has something else in the works for Wednesday, but if he does get another gig lined up I'll sure let you know.

Meanwhile, there is a HOT NEW JAM at The North End in north Alpharetta, at the corner of McFarland Rd and Hwy 9. It's supposed to be a bluesy jam, but as you know, "things happen" when musicians follow their muse. The host band consists of me, Theron Peterson on drums, vocals and harmonica, and Gates Nichols (of Confederate Railroad) on bass and keys. The sound is kept sweet by Tweek (also of Confederate Railroad) who makes the stage a joy to play on, and to listen to.

Recent guests have included Andrew Black, Barry Richman, Greg High, John McKnight, Terry Bradford, Mike Hinton, Brad Jeter, Lara Polangco, Leszek Wawer and more. The performances have been epic! They will be back, and more players are coming out as word spreads.

Oh, and the FOOD! Everything I've tried so far has been way too good, and quite filling. Come hungry and enjoy. Lots of nice beverages too.

Players, bring your instrument (except drums, of course). We have a couple amps, but you can bring your own if you like. Listeners, just relax and have fun with us. No cover charge. We start playing about 8:30, and bringing the guest artists up after the first set.

Super Easy Directions: From the south, come up 400 to McFarland Rd (exit 12 I think). Turn left across 400 and go until the road Ts into Highway 9. 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. Here's a map: http://tinyurl.com/6nxtc

That's all the news for now. Please feel free to forward this to anyone who might enjoy a good time.

best wishes,
George Price

Music Report for Nov. 17, 2004 - Fee-Lay Gumbo CLOSED

It is my sad duty to report that Fee-Lay Gumbo has closed, so no jams there tonight. To all those who came out and played with us, or just hung out with us there, thanks for the good times. Now stay tuned, I'll be letting you know about any new jam gigs.

I'm still doing the Tuesday jams at The North End (corner of Hwy 9 and McFarland Rd in north Alpharetta), and those jams have been EPIC! Just ask Andrew Black, Barry Richman or Greg High what we did after midnight last night.
*chuckle*

I look forward to seeing you all again soon.

George Price

PS, please forward this to other jamgoers promptly to save them a trip tonight.

Music Report for Nov. 15, 2004 - New Venue

Hi Friends,

There's finally something cool going on in the Alpharetta-Cumming area.

I'm hosting a new jam at The North End in north Alpharetta, at the corner of McFarland Rd and Atlanta Hwy (Hwy 9). It's supposed to be a bluesy jam, but as you know, "things happen" when musicians follow their muse. The host band consists of me, Theron Peterson on drums, vocals and harmonica, and Gates Nichols (of Confederate Railroad) on bass. The sound is kept sweet by Tweek (also of Confederate Railroad) who makes the stage a joy to play on, and to listen to.

Recent guests have included Andrew Black, Barry Richman, Greg High, Terry Bradford, Mike Hinton, Brad Jeter, Lara Polangco, Leszek Wawer and more. The performances have been epic! They will be back, and more players are coming out as word spreads.

Oh, and the FOOD! Everything I've tried so far has been way too good, and quite filling. Come hungry and enjoy. Lots of nice beverages too.

Players, bring your instrument (except drums, of course). We have a couple amps, but you can bring your own if you like. Listeners, just relax and have fun with us. No cover charge. We start playing about 8:30, and bringing the guest artists up after the first set.

Super Easy Directions: From the south, come up 400 to McFarland Rd (exit 12 I think). Turn left across 400 and go until the road Ts into Highway 9. You're there. From Gwinett, come in on Hwy 20, turn south on 400, and go two exits to McFarland. From other directions, adapt what I just said. Here's a map:
http://tinyurl.com/6nxtc

Please feel free to forward this to anyone who might enjoy a good time.

best wishes,
George Price

PS, as for my other gigs, I'm still also playing Wednesday jams with Larry Griffith at Fee-Lay Gumbo (near Town Center Mall on I-75, see http://www.feelaygumbo.com). This weekend I'll be doing some Chicago gigs with Lola, including opening for (and possibly playing with) Buddy Guy. Last night we (Lola) took 2nd in the Atlanta qualifiers for the International Blues Challenge. So close! Next weekend, I'll be with the Elvis trio (http://www.webspawner.com/users/convertible) doing a few shows in Memphis on the Memphis Queen riverboat. Other gigs come & go, I'll keep you notified if something extra cool comes up. I hope to see you all soon!

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"Force without wisdom falls of its own weight."
-- Horace, Roman poet and satirist
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Amazing fact: CNN reported on 7/27/04 that the "peaceful transition" in Iraq is going so well that the USA is running out of bullets, and is buying them from Britain and Israel.
=============================================
Remember, the 9/11 attackers weren't Afghani, nor Iraqi. They were Saudi. If you want to fight terror, buy less petroleum.

New Jam Venue: Blackjack Grill

Dear Friends, I'll be opening a new open mic jam night with Larry Griffith at Blackjack Grill on Thursdays at 8PM, starting this week on April Fool's day. We'd love to have you come out and enjoy the evening with us. The Blackjack Grill is between Roswell and Marietta on East Piedmont Road at Hwy 120 (Roswell Rd. NE), in the Publix shopping center.

Blackjack Grill
1050 E. Piedmont Rd. Marietta 30062
770-971-4222

So, I'm hosting jams at Blue Moon Pizza on Mondays with Larry Griffith, Wednesdays at Darwin's with Lola, and Thursdays with Larry again at Blackjack. I also have various weekend bookings, usually with South River Band. Plenty of chances to come out & party. The Monday and Thursday jams are in restaurants, so they're family friendly, relatively smokeless and early.

After the April 1st show, I'll be taking a week off for spring break. You may see me frolic on the beach in the upcoming video, "Grumpy Old Men Gone Wild" (not sold to minors). No lessons or shows that week.

Best wishes, George

(Please feel free to forward this to anyone who might enjoy a good time. And about that video... April Fool!)

Cool Links & General Update

Here are a few diverse and interesting links, taken from the W2K techie news. Enjoy!
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This Week's Links We Like. Tips, Hints And Fun Stuff.

Homeland Protection: Bomb Vest and Briefcase Bomb Training http://www.sftt.org/article12092002b.html

Change the face of this lady with this face filter. You'll question photos from now on.
http://www.reallusion.com/facefilter/reference.asp

What is ID Theft and how to file a complaint. US Govt Site: http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/consumertopics_bk.html

In Search of the Perfect Pork Martini. Repulsive and funny. http://www.echonyc.com/~jkarpf/home/martini.html

"Haiku is all about nature. True haiku all contain a "seasoning word" indicating the time of year, to put the reader in the proper frame of mind. It's not just the number of syllables per line that makes a poem haiku." Here are a bunch of true haiku which all seem to support that idea. http://www.takase.com/Haiku/Haiku.htm

Good-Bye Old-fashioned Mouse Pads... get the GopherCentral Mouse Pad. http://www2.pulsetv.com/st/prodinfo.asp?number=1833

Aerial Photos From World War II Online. Taken from the air, often at low altitude now available on the Net. 5,000,000 shots are being posted, covering every facet of the war. Give it a try at: http://www.evidenceincamera.co.uk/

For Techies. Cool network calculators! http://www.telusplanet.net/public/sparkman/netcalc.htm

Here is a list of known but unpatched IE holes. http://www.safecenter.net/UMBRELLAWEBV4/ie_unpatched/index.html

The latest, unique addition to your cubicle warfare arsenal: http://www.thinkgeek.com/cubegoodies/toys/681f/?cpg=edm6T

And finally, last night I went to see my friend Sarasota Slim at Darwin's. The article in Creative Loafing was right; as promised, he delivered a really enjoyable show as usual. The special bonus treat this time was that his Hammond B3 player couldn't make it, so Slim brought a phenomenal 16-year-old guitarist named Rick Lollar from Tallahassee. This kid knocked my socks off! His playing was perfect in every way - perfect tone, dynamics, phrasing, articulation and taste, with amazing speed when sparingly and artfully used. With my eyes closed I'd have sworn he was Larry Carlton. Then he started singing, and that was pretty good too. Keep an eye on this one!
http://www.sarasotaslim.com
http://www.ricklollar.com

Best wishes, I hope to see you all again soon.

This week's schedule:

Monday - Open Jam at Blue Moon Pizza with Larry Griffith
8PM-12 2359 Windy Hill Rd Se Marietta, GA 770-446-5219

Wednesday - Blues Jam at Darwin's with Lola Gulley
9PM-1AM 1598 Roswell Rd. Marietta, GA (770) 578-6872 Voted 2003 "Best Of Atlanta" - Creative Loafing On Hwy 120, 1 mile east of The Big Chicken.
http://www.darwinsblues.com

Friday & Saturday - Country & rock with South River Band
(includes former members of Barry Richman Band) Mickey Dee's, Covington GA 770-385-9880 Just off I-20 exit 90, in Save-Rite shopping center, behind Waffle House

Remember to vote, see you soon! George

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I notice that "rights management" never favors MY rights.
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One easy page to validate virus & chain-letter hoaxes:
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html
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Support our troops. Bring them home alive.
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General Update - Patrick Vining, Jerome Jackson, Hotlanta Horns, Platters & Coasters

Hi friends, I've been getting reminders that I've been too quiet out here lately, so here's the news.

I've been working with a new project, the Patrick Vining Band. Our fearless leader is an established blues artist with two CDs out so far, and more to come. We're currently working 2 nights a week at Crawdaddy's Cajun Station, a great new venue in Austell (see links below). I really like that place, it's a good big room, practically smokeless, with a nice stage and an award-winning chef. I hope you'll come out and help us get the place rolling. We're there on Saturdays and Wednesdays (Open Jam Night!) starting at 8PM. All my musician friends are URGED to come out ASAP so we can get the ball rollin' for this great new venue. We also will be playing at Blue Note West in Douglasville on Friday April 25th, and at the Big Damn Jam
(a backporch party with 8 bands) on May 17th, an event I believe is in support of WRFG Radio. Let me know if you're interested in attending that one, I'll get you details - it's near South Cobb High School.
http://www.patrickvining.com

Crawdaddy's Cajun Station
5000 Austell Powder Springs Rd. Austell, GA 30106 678-574-2377

Blue Note West
3931 Longview Dr. Douglasville, GA 30135 770-949-0038 http://www.westgabowling.com/html/kids.html

I recently did a charity extravaganza with Jerome Jackson, lead singer of The Drifters, one of the most popular vocal groups of all time. My job was to build a team of great players, and get them coordinated and rehearsed for the show. I couldn't have chosen much better - Steve Mays on bass, Art Thompson on drums (Jeff Macko was originally chosen but got jury duty - urg!) Rod Kelley and Darryl Rouse on dueling keys, Seanna Turner and Taj En'phiniti on backup vocals, and Jerome up front. It was a special show.

I had a great time hearing and sitting in with the Hotlanta Horns at Diamond Dave's in Kennesaw. They're a new fun act just getting started, I suggest you go see them some time soon. I'm told they're at Diamond Dave's on Thursdays and at The Frontier Room (not sure, I think at I-75 and Hwy 92?) on Sundays.

I did an impromptu jazz trio gig with Larry Griffith and Mike LeVasseur at Fee-lay Gumbo on Easter morning brunch. The food was great, the audience was very receptive, and we all loved playing as a trio, a refreshing change from all our other various gigs. I hope to do that again soon!

Rocky Buldo, board member of the Atlanta Blues Society, has asked to release my recording of "Tech Support Blues" on their 24-hour Internet bluescast. That's in the works, so you should be hearing me there sometime soon. I'll be in great company, there's a lot of good music there. Go to http://www.atlantabluessociety.com and click the flaming words "ABS BLUESCAST" to listen.

And finally, I'll be playing a double-header with both The Platters and The Coasters on May 3rd in Albany, GA. I was really excited to work with The Platters for the first time last year, but it's even better to be called back again. Many thanks to my bass-bro (and that's both bass playin' and bass fishin') Andy Martin for introducing me to the Oldies market and helping me prepare to play with the big boys.

Best wishes and hope to see you SOON,
George

PS, my stunningly beautiful and intelligent granddaughter Lauren Schnakenberg turned 18 recently, and will soon graduate from high school and move on to college. Her parents Todd & Tina are becoming fans of the blues. Coincidence? Hmmm...

General update for April 23, 2002

Howdy family & friends, I've been getting "where are you" emails so I guess it's time to write. This is just a general update on what I've been doing, and a couple good public performances coming up.

I'm a grandguy again. Terry & Jennifer Mabry had twins, Cooper & Jillian, in early February. Over 12 pounds of babies! They're both gorgeous, of course. Jillian has had problems holding down her formula, but she's getting better; doctors say this isn't unusual, and is usually outgrown soon.

It seems I'm a full-time musician now. It wasn't what I had in mind when I took all those computer certification exams, but the way the market has been... what can I say? You know the old saying about "don't quit your day job" but when your day job quits you, what else to do? The shocking part is that the pay is at least double what I was looking at in the computer industry. I actually saw ads requesting certified computer technicians for $7 an hour, helpdesk $9.50, LAN admin $12. Pitiful. Even as a Microsoft Certified Trainer, the only offer I was getting was less than half of what I was used to.

I have taken over Mike Martin's guitar students at Ken Stanton Music in Roswell (a 1.5 mile commute, gotta love that!) while he goes on tour with the band Janah. I've also gained a few more students there, and have also opened two other days at Do-Re-Mi music school in northern Norcross. I'm now teaching 6 days a week, but my schedule isn't fully condensed so there are still some slots available in both locations. Please tell your family & friends that I'm available.
Ken Stanton Music: 770-993-8343
Do-Re-Mi Music: 770-729-9882

I'm still playing in the Bridgepoint Church Band on Saturday mornings, and I'm starting to get calls from other churches too. Daddy-o-Strut is still playing private parties, but some of my other band opportunities have dried up temporarily. Straight Up has folded (after eight successful years), as has The Hybrids. I haven't heard from Karen Newell or Octavia Jones in ages. My best wishes to the good folks in these bands, and I hope to play with you again soon. Changes bring opportunities. I haven't done anything with the George Price Band project in a while, I'm going to get back on that and will let you know.

Also, my six-month stint as jamleader at Darwin's came to a close a while back - that was a great gig! Not much money, but playing there with my friends and getting even a little money at the end of the evening was like being paid twice. The quality of the music and the general vibe was... indescribable. Thanks to all who were a part of it. I still go on most Wednesday nights, after rehearsal with the Big Band.

Speaking of which, the Kennesaw State University Jazz Ensemble (the Big Band) has 3 shows coming up, 2 of which are public. The first is tomorrow, Wednesday the 24th, at KSU's Stillwell Theater. Time is 8PM, but I'd suggest being early as this will involve another band and their families too; seating and parking may be an issue.

We'll also be performing in the KSU Legacy Gazebo on Sunday May 5th (Cinco de Mayo!), a free outdoor show that is always wonderful if the weather cooperates. The gazebo show is like a mini Chastain Park, so bring a lawn chair and picnic supplies. (I'm pretty sure no alcohol is allowed, so don't bring obvious-looking bottles). I'll have details for you on that show soon.

To get to KSU: Go out I-75 to Chastain Road, turn left, then take the first right on Frey Rd. For campus maps, see http://www.kennesaw.edu/maps/

And finally, the sad news that my mother, Nina Price, passed away on March 17th, St. Patrick's Day. I was back in Oregon for most of March tending to her, and then her household, along with my brothers and sister. Those of you who met her know how sweet and special she was, but I assure you it was only the tip of the iceberg. In going through her things I found evidence of nearly 90 years of passionate learning and extraordinary accomplishment. For many of you, she actually had filed clippings saved under your name, of subjects she knew you were interested in and wanted to send to you or discuss with you next time she had the chance. Too bad this is the only way you hear about it now. Her funeral was filled to overflowing. To say she'll be missed is a pathetic understatement.

While in Klamath Falls, however, I did meet up with old friends (a little TOO old, maybe? heheh) and had some good therapeutic musical sessions. Shouts out to my friends & mentors Dave & Bev Clawson, and thanks for the use of your guitar & amp. I found, and jammed with, the Klamath Blues Society. And if you're ever looking for something to do in Klamath Falls (and who isn't) you should definitely visit Mood Swing, The Club. My bassist buddy Ron Houck survived our high school big-hair rock & roll days, found singer Pam Jones, and put together a great little intimate supper jazz club. I played a whole evening with them and Trevor McConnell (hope I remember his name right - an amazing guitarist I truly admire) the night before I left, and Ron recorded it and says he will be making CDs soon. That and the epic after-hours jam (until nearly 4AM!)we had a few nights earlier were the high points of my year so far, and the perfect therapy for such a dreadful month. My biggest sincerest gratefulest thanks.

Well, this was a lot more than I intended to write. All the best to you, and I hope you'll stay in touch.

your friend, George Price

I'm Hosting the Wednesday Jams at Darwin's!

Well, this is something! Forrest McDonald, the acclaimed guitarist who has been hosting the Tuesday night jams at Darwin's, has decided to retire as a musician. He's asked me to take over his Tuesday night spot at Darwin's. (Note: shortly after I sent this email, Forrest called to tell me that despite what I thought I remembered him saying, he did not want to retire, and wanted me to send out a retraction, which I did. Indeed he has played many shows since then - GP)

So, I'll be the regular host at a well-run, friendly little club that has rapidly risen to become one of the best big-city blues clubs in the USA, according to a national blues publication. And you don't even have to go to a congested, expensive, or seedy part of town. Darwin's is in Marietta, on 120, 1 mile east of El Pollo Grande (the Big Chicken).

If you haven't been to Darwin's, I highly recommend you give it a try. Especially on Tuesdays. I'll be bringing in some of the best talent in Atlanta (and visiting talent too) and we're gonna have a great time making great music.

I can't tell you how great I feel about this honor and opportunity. I've got a great band to work with (Jon Schwenke, John McKnight, Dynamite Dave Parnell, and Lola), and special guests, and a great venue, with good location and good beers and good food, and... it's all good! Please come on out and party with us! We start at 9, and after the first set we begin bringing up the guest artists. If you're a musician, bring your instrument! (Forrest, this means YOU too buddy!)

More info on Darwin's is available at this site:
http://www.darwinsblues.com

Music & Life In General for Mar. 26, 2001

Hi friends, since I've gotten three "are you OK?" messages now I guess it's time to speak up and let folks know what I've been up to.

Thanks for your concern, but I'm totally fine, honest. I've just been really busy with multiple jobs, mostly jobs I love.

Musically, I'm more in demand than ever these days. I'm playing with my old band, Daddy-O-Strut, playing with the Bridgepoint Church band every Saturday morning and special events, playing at Darwin's open jam every Wednesday night, and doing any pickup gigs I can get, which are getting more numerous. I'm also in discussions about future collaborations. The biggest challenge is that I was recently accepted into the Kennesaw State University Jazz Ensemble, a true Big Band (around 20 players); their material is the toughest I've ever played, and will take a lot of practice and personal growth. I'd love to do more playing though, so if you know of any opportunities to work or even sit in, please mention my name and let me know.

On the computer front, I'm doing independant contracts as a trainer. I'm a Microsoft Certified Trainer, but have been mostly teaching Network+ and A+ classes. I've also taught classes such as Windows 2000 For Support Personnel, Cisco Certification Overview and TCP/IP Beyond The Basics. I'm currently in a contract teaching Network+ at AT&T two days a week, but negotiating other contracts too. Also, I'm taking as many classes as I can fit in, to diversify what I can teach and do; the most recent was MacroMedia Director, a content animation package suitable for web content or educational software. Please keep me in mind if you know of anyone with training needs.

All this has been working around my day job, working in the CompUSA Technical Services shop. I just resigned from that job, which is why I have the time to write this.

It's great to be able to find things you love to do, and then get paid to do them. Now if only someone would pay me to ride my motorcycle through the mountains on pretty spring days! Short of that, though, I would appreciate hearing about any job opportunities, full or part time, that you think I might fit into. I'd especially welcome network-related work. And I look forward to hearing about what you've been doing, and would like to do; perhaps I can help arrange it.

Best Wishes and Keep Moving! George

Random Thoughts:

It looks like we gotta face the fact that Jimmy Carter was right about our needing to conserve energy. I just read that California will start imposing random power outages at noon hour, to save power. Think I'm kidding? Here's the news story: http://my.aol.com/news/news_story.psp?type=1&cat=0100&id=0103191547335802
(the above address should be all on one line)

Would you like a raise? Is your power bill too high? Consider that replacing just one light bulb with a new micro-flourescent bulb is like stuffing $65 in your pocket. (actual energy savings based on $0.10 per Kilowatt/Hour, the national average. Triple that for some parts of the country.) And that's not even counting the expense and time of replacing the equivalent old-style bulbs. I have been using these bulbs for years, and love them. I have never had one burn out, ever. They run 4 to
5 times more efficiently than a regular bulb, and outlast them by 16 times! There are many brands of these bulbs, but you can see a Savings Calculator at http://www.lightsofamerica.com/calculator.htm They are cheapest at Sam's, Costco or Home Depot, especially in the twinpacks. Just don't put them on a circuit with a dimmer, unless you get the fancy lights (or have the fancy flourescent dimmer) that can handle that. Highly Recommended!

Here's one from my bud, The Markster: This is a link to a very slick and cool Java applet that shows where the International Space Station is in orbit: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/tracking/ It'll take a minute or two to load the first time, much faster after that.

If I were to choose a computer career right now, I'd study programming. People who can write Java, XML, or even Visual Basic are not only in high demand, they can choose where they work. Get a good reputation as a programmer and you can work from anywhere with an Internet connection, such as a ski lodge or tropical condo. Lots of technology companies are helping to prepare for this shift in the mass market, but it's entirely possible right now for a select few such as programmers or technical writers. Tell your kids, it's better to work from a beach than a cubicle. Dude!

That's enough for now. See you at Darwin's!

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One easy page to validate virus & chain-letter hoaxes: http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html
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Where's George?

Some of you have asked why you haven't been seeing my humor emails lately, asking if I'm OK.

Well, it's been busy out at Rancho de Porge.

My division of GE (and other divisions too) will shut down their operations here and move up to new central quarters in Cincinatti. Actually, they'll be south of there, in Erlanger, Kentucky. I chose not to pack up and go with them; my benefits would be reduced, the working conditions wouldn't see much improvement, and it just isn't worth the hassle for less of the same. So I've been training newbies, shipped down South to study the ways of the Ancient Ones.

I've been pushing hard to get my Microsoft certifications finished up before then. I've been going at this kinda half-hearted since last summer, and passed one of the NT exams, but I still have 5 exams to go. I'm taking night classes (and Saturdays) and I'll be finishing the exams in a few more weeks. Just in time, too, as it turns out my last day at GE is October 8th. I don't have my next job lined up yet, so if you know of something appropriate please let me know.

I'm going one step beyond Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (specializing in NT). I will also become a Certified Trainer. I feel strongly that is what I was always intended to be, especially when I look and see that I've been teaching at some level all my life.

I've submitted an article for publication on TechRepublic, a very good website at http://www.techrepublic.com and they say they're running it on Thursday. It'll be about tech support, and how to work with a caller's subconscious mind. I hope you'll look for it. The site requires a subscription to get to most of the goodies, but it's FREE requiring only that you register. I won't get rich from what they're paying, but it's nice that they took it at
all. I've meant to try authorhood for ages, now I wish I'd done it sooner. Who knows, might amount to something someday.

My band has been rehearsing for our big music video shoot coming up this weekend. It'll be a big deal, a professionally lit & produced 3-camera shoot. This will cap a lot of pressure and preparation, but will be very useful in getting more work. The market we play for demands this kind of high-budget approach. We hope to find a web host big enough to post the video as well as
our audio samples.

Of course there's the usual stuff that keeps life busy too; my car quit (EGR valve, now fixed), my motorcycle is now fixed (thanks to Larry & Birney) and just in time for great riding weather that I won't get a chance to enjoy, there's all that leaf-raking and deck-staining and general stuff to do about now, as well as finishing my exams and getting employed. I'm literally gone from 07:30 to 22:30 six days a week when my band is playing. But things will settle down again soon, and I can breathe some relief with new circumstances and prepare for the next batch of challenges.

Oh, and my Mom's coming to visit from Oregon. Those of you who know her might want to call or stop by.

That's most of the news for now. Thanks for asking, and I'll try to get some grins out to you again soon.

Beware the barrenness of a busy life.
-- Socrates