All I can say is "give 'er hell and lay it on 'em,Unc." Right on.
-Paul Custer,KY --- On Thu, 9/23/10, mistertaterbug <[email protected]> wrote: > From: mistertaterbug <[email protected]> > Subject: Whoa Nellie > To: "Taterbugmando" <[email protected]> > Date: Thursday, September 23, 2010, 8:11 PM > Okay. Here's what happens when a > person stays open-minded and follows > wherever the road leads... > > This year so far, I've had more work than I've had in a > long time. The > webcam lesson schedule fluctuates depending on the economy, > babies > being born, new marriages, new divorces, new jobs, lost > jobs, families > moving, illness, lost interest, etc. Sort of my own > private > abbreviated view of the 'big picture' we all deal with. But > so far the > last few months there's been at least a dozen new folks > coming on and > a number of old friends threatening to come back on board > in a month > or so. > > There's been a number of things on my plate this year, some > old, some > new. > > Still working with the NBB, though sparsely booked. A great > band to > work with and a smart bunch of guys. I always enjoy our > gigs and being > around those guys. The duet stuff with Joe Newberry and > David Grier is > a lot different from each other, but both fill a gap that > I'd miss if > I didn't have them. Plus, it's good to have the time to > hang out with > one's friends and I'm fortunate to count both of them as > such. The > Elvis Costello tour was a whirlwind and a hoot and an > experience that > I'll not forget. I had three months to get ready for the > initial blast > last year and I worked my ass off to memorize 40+ songs and > it paid > off. I am way better now at writing charts (partially in > part to > assistance from Matt Combs and Jeff Taylor's help and > endurance of my > many dumbass questions) and playing chord changes that > aren't found in > country stringband styles of music. Plus, I had to buy > electric gear; > amp, pedal board, pickups, a Randy Wood acoustic/electric > mando, etc. > and start figuring out what that's all about. It's like > learning > another language to me. But as Jerry Douglas says, "There's > money > there". Enough said, Flux. Count me in. > > The year's count on workshops/seminars has been about half > a dozen, > most of which were week-long endeavors. This year's Monroe > Mando Camp > went over great. So improvements being made. Looks like > next year is > starting to shape up some for more camps and a better > Monroe camp > expected. Planning on it, at least. > > Now, more TBone work. On my doorstep appears less than one > week ago 3 > CD's of material to chart and learn. Plus, two files > with 'greatest > hits' material...you know, stuff we've all heard on the > radio since > high school. Heavily-orchestrated material. Now, here's the > band > situation for this hillbilly mandolin player: two drummers, > two > electric guitar players, one bass player, background > singers, a horn > section, and a mandolin player. Lord knows what else. > Rehearsals for > the material start Oct. 5 and last for two weeks. Then, > about half a > dozen concerts, some TV, etc. The lineup for the show is: > Elton John, > Leon Russell, Elvis Costello, John Mellencamp, Gregg > Allman, Jeff > Bridges, The Secret Sisters, Ralph Stanley, Karen Elson, > Mark Ribo, > Neko Case, Punch Brothers. Knowing what you know about me, > figure > where Bill Monroe's mandolin style figures into this mix. > Or better > yet, figure in where a derivative of Bill Monroe's mandolin > style > figures into this mix. Also take into consideration that > I'm treading > water fast as I can with just my eyeballs above water. > > Next year looks promising too. More duet work with Joe > Newberry and > Grier already on the books, solo work in Australia for > about two > months thanks to Paul Duff and associates. Will get to play > with > Bluegrass Parkway there and make a visit to the Gilchrist > mansion on > Lake Gnotuk. Also will get to play with two more of my > oldtime heros > down under, Bruce Molsky, Rafe Stefanini. Some NBB work > booked for > 2011 and some work with Charlie Cushman and Dave Peterson > playing some > straight-forward bluegrass. Looking at probably getting > some Hartford > String Band stuff on the books. Also, it looks like there's > probably a > TBone production coming too. We'll see. > > Sure, it seems rosey and all that, and I'm glad, grateful > to have it > all. Still, with all this going on, it's hard to keep the > car running, > the mortgage paid, the groceries bought and always a chore > to keep the > middle-aged spread from spreading. But it could be a whole > lot more > uncomfortable. And maybe one of these days I won't be > living from > paycheck to paycheck. > > Keeping my mind open and doing the next thing that comes > down the > road... > > Tbug > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the > Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en. > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en.
