Hey everybody, I thought I'd give a little travel log of my trip south with the new Horn. Flying with instruments is like a box of chocolates...you know the rest. My plane out of Anchorage was delayed, but the good thing was at the baggage check in they took my one free bag and recommended I gate check the banjo and dobro. Went throuigh security with both instruments and my backpack carry on w/laptop, cameras etc. without any questions asked. It was a full flight so i was expecting grief about bringing on all my stuff, but when I asked about gate checking the attendant said, oh it will all fit in the overhead just fine. Wow. You never know what you're going to get. Barely made the scheduled departure time of our connection in Seattle after hustling about a half mile with dobro, banjo (both in Caltons) and another 30 lbs on my back! When is my vacation going to start?
Got to SFO, took the train to the rental car area, waited forever while a lovely "couple" haggled over their alleged reservation, finally got the car and off into the night to try to find our friends place in the Presidio. Thank god for the GPS on my iphone or I'd still be circling and backtracking.
Next morning was a rehearsal with my son and the Kathy Kallick band which I was poorly prepared for because of last minute recording sessions I had to finish before I left home and grueling work commitments. It went pretty well though and that evening was a picking party with a bunch of Dan's young musician pals, jamming til 3 am and way too much cheap whiskey!
The first of our 2 gigs was in a pretty spot on the coastal hills north of the bay at Rancho Nicasio. I was pretty stressed and on pins and needles stepping in for Avrum Siegel and Sally V.M. as the banjo and dobro player in Kathy Kallick's great band. I played a generous assortment of clams but the people seemed to like me well enough to clap for my breaks when I managed to get one right. As nervous as I was I had a great time playing Kathy's music in a intimate tavern in front of very quiet, appreciative and attentive KK fans. The best part for me was seeing how well liked my son Dan is and how he has developed as a musician in his own right. He seems to have landed with his feet running down here and found many fans and supporters. Makes a dad proud. Now I'm starting to feel like I'm on vacation!
Tonight I sit in with Dan's band, 49 Special, and tomorrow another show with Kathy as part of the SF Bluegrass and Old Time festival, a pretty big deal I'm told. I'll keep y'all posted on the highlights.
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Sounds like a vacation to me Greg! Glad you're having fun--give us another installment when you are able.
Art Kohnke
I guess Greg had to start his own thread since neither badger or myself have gotten to it so far this week, and I just have minute right now, but I have to tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed the show @ Rancho Nicasio, one of my favorite venues!
More later...
It sounds like a cool trip, Greg! Do you mean to say that your son is a regular member of Kathy Kallick's band? That'd be pretty great...
Gary,
East Snook, TX
Whewww, what a holiday .... good thing the ups are so good as it sounds like a lot of work to get there.... man banjo in calton would not be light ..... I don't know where horns are in the dobro weight scale but gotta be close to 20 lobs in a calton . Did you fly Alaska?
Play it 100 times you know it 1000 times you own it .... Dobropilot the bad luftpostmeister
So after I found out last week that Greg was going to be playing with Kathy, the stars were lined up right for me to go to the show because my wife was gone for the weekend visiting her mom.
So I headed to wilds of west Marin County to Rancho Nicasio. I had my Clinesmith with me as a couple hours earlier I played at this fundraiser sort of thing at a big church in Santa Rosa, where I was pretending I was playing at the Grand Ole Opry...
Kathy's band was playing in the bar at the Rancho, not the main concert room. A couple years ago Mrs. inSonoma and I spent New Years Eve at the Rancho with the Hacienda Brothers before Chris Gaffney was diagnosed with cancer, and the food was good and the music was great and the dancing was fun. And in the warmer months they have outdoor concerts in the back with BBQ.
The bar is nice, wood paneling, Deer and Elk trophys mounted on the wall, and a water buffalo I think. I'm sure Greg felt like he was right back in Alaska, except for these somewhat older Kathy Kallick disciples.
I walk in and the music had apparently just started a few minutes before, so I got a draft and walked to the other end to say hi to Mr. & Mrs. badger. Greg was playing the banjo and I asked badger where the Scheerhorn was, and ever the quick wit, he replied that "he saw you coming and put it away."
At any rate, they sounded great, and Greg's son Dan, who has ably assisted him on a number of the recordings we get to enjoy of Greg's playing, is in fact a regular member of Kath's band on upright bass, and provides a lot of fine vocals. Dan moved to San Francsco about a year ago, and he plays in about five different bands to make ends meet. This ain't Nashville, folks.
A couple songs later Greg strapped on the new 'horn, and I once again felt the tinges of 'horn lust. It is a stunning looking guitar and it sounds great! Even though Tim has made hundreds of these things, and there are many great ones going back to the beginning, it seems like he has taken it up a notch in guitars built over the past 3-5 years. I don't know if it's from checking out ideas from other builders and incorporating them into the mix on the aesthetic end or what, but the newer ones I have come across in the past few years all seem to be just bitchin' guitars.
Greg is being modest, which is of course the only way to be, but he played some beautiful stuff, and for having practiced with this band for a whole hour, and bear in mind that Kathy plays a lot of originals, the clams were few and far between. This wasn't a show loaded with standards like Salt Creek and Blackberry Blossom.
The badgers had to split in the second set, but I stuck around to the end, and went outside and got the Clinesmith out of the car, and we took each other's resos for a run - and I really like that new 'horn, and Greg also got to check out my amazing rose theme Bobby Poff strap.
And I got to talk with Dan, and met Mrs. Booth, Jill - who is a delight, and I finally got to hang a bit with Greg for the first time in person, and he's heckuva nice guy, an outstanding musican, and I'll bet he builds a mean log home!
And I will tell you this - there's no question that Kathy Kallick, who is almost a California legend when it comes to 'grass and acoustic music, made it pretty obvious that she would love to have the elder Booth in the band as a permanent member!
Yes Greg, your gig Friday night is a pretty big deal in itself, never mind the overall festival:
LAURIE & KATHY TOGETHER: Laurie Lewis, Tom Rozum and Friends, The Kathy Kallick Band, Laurie and Kathy sing Vern and Ray: a Tribute. Noe Valley Ministry, 7:30 p.m. $20 advance / $22 door.
You gettin' nervous yet, bro? I hope you're up on your Vern and Ray!
I wish I could get down to San Francisco for this one...
You California folks sure talk funny. And your right Markin, it ain't Nashville, but it sounds as though somebody can play.
pt
aka PLTreso
We think you guys talk funny.
It was a fine show. Greg looked a little nervous when Dobro legend Markinsonoma came in, but quickly recovered his composure and played great - wish he'd played more reso/less banjo, but was stuck with double duty and made the best of it switching back and forth effortlessly. Dan did a great job on vocals, and played some serious flattop during a batch of preshow fiddle tunes. Twenty-two year old Annie Staninec was an absolute knockout on fiddle. Missusbadger, half-tanked on an industrial strength Black Russian, had a great time chatting up some of the local color about his border collie, the Flatlanders, and the Coen brothers - three of her favorite subjects. Had to leave early, as our pup was stuck in the car and getting restless, but we really enjoyed the show
"It's a fine line, really, between clever and stupid." -David St. Hubbins
Greg - Are you fighting off the Bluegrass and Reso paparrazzi? I hope you have your Horn handcuffed to your arm... Say hi to Laurie for me: Years ago when I lived in SF I used to hang out at Paul's Saloon when she had a band called Old Friends and then Grant Street, and Kathy would come in and sing. Dobro player Gene Tortora was in the Old Friends - wonder if he's still around? I wrote an article about Laurie's band for Pickin' magazine before she became more famous, and we've stayed in touch. Saw her at the Joe Val festival in Boston last year; the 2009 festival starts today and I'm heading over there for a Stacy Phillips reso workshop that should be fun. Continue having a great time and enjoying the new axe.
richard
PS, dunno much about border collies, but the Flatlanders and Coen Brothers totally rule!!!
Mark, thanks for your perspective and your generous comments. It was cool to meet you finally and put the person together with the on-line personality. Folks, he's far more likeable in person! Also taller and better looking than I'd pictured! (insert razzy emoticon) This mac laptop with Safari doesn't display the emoticons. My daughter says I can put Firefox on here, I'll have to try that. After the show Mark brought in his Clinesmith and we traded axes for a few songs and licks. That is a gorgeous guitar and the best sounding Smith I've played. I really like the tortoise shell binding with the white stripe purfling on the body and the neck as well. The Poff strap is artwork as well. Check it out in Mark's image gallery.
Also great to meet Mr. and Mrs. Badger. He seemed a bit annoyed with all the banjo playing, but stuck around long enough for Panhandle Rag which Kathy put first on the second set by request. The 24 frets on the Horn come in really handy for PHR.
I sat in with my son's band 49 special last night at Cafe Dunord and played a few songs with them. The place was packed and I had to push my way to the stage. It was fun but the sound pretty much sucked and the dobro mike really sucked. On the last song I figured I had one last chance to be heard so I told Jim the banjo player I was coming over to his mike for my break and I could finally hear it ok.
Tonight is the big show! Mark, it turns out that there are three sets, KK band, LL band, and a combined band set that only Kathy and Dan will join Laurie for. We are all looking forward to playing a condensed list of the best songs from the other night. Glad I don't have to learn a bunch more new stuff.
Kathy is relly cool and her songwriting is exceptional. I get her songs stuck in my head all day! I really like "Wildflowers" which SVM kicks off on the dobro on the album. I get to play the intro, a solo and sing the low tenor part.
I'll check back in with an update after tonight!