Friday, July 14, 2017
Special thanks to the Folk DJs who have been playing the The Malvinas’ new CD, God Bless the Grass. The title cut was the third most played song for the month of May, and the opening song, “Crow,” made it to #7 in June.
This very weekend, we are on tour in the Chicago area. Check the shows section of this website for the latest.
The Malvinas are back at it, but it’s still a rare occurrence to hear us all in the same zip code, so tell your friends! share widely! and thank you ❤️
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Had a busy and productive 2016. Taught Cajun fiddle at Balfa Week, Augusta Cajun and Creole Heritage Week and TradMaD Camp. Played solo at two great folk festivals: Fox Valley Folk and Storytelling Festival and the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, where I was selected as one of three Most Wanted Emerging Artists. Showcased at FARM. Released a new CD of fiddle tunes, Copper Rooster and Other Tunes and Tales, on Waterbug Records, in addition to two recordings released independently in 2015 (The Fiddle EP and Mid-City Aces). Got some great airplay on folk radio—Copper Rooster made the Top 20 on WVPE (Thanks, Al Kniola) and made the Top 50 nationally. Recorded a new CD with the Malvinas (it will be out this spring).
Played Festival International with Bonsoir, Catin, the Blackpot and New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival with Sarah Quintana, French Quarter Fest, Jazzfest, and the Wheatland Folk Festival with Bruce Daigrepont. His new CD, Bienvenu dans le Sud de la Louisiane, came out this past year. Finally, Bruce’s CD, my CD, and the Mid-City Aces, along with a CD I played on, Broken Promised Land, by Barry Ancelet and Sam Broussard, all made it to the first round of the Grammy nominations, in the best Folk and Regional Roots Categories; Broken Promised Land got the nomination for Best Regional Roots.
I am looking forward to another great year of making music, with a couple of solo tours in the Northeast (May and September), a short spring tour in Texas with the Malvinas, Chicago this summer with the Malvinas, more teaching gigs—I will be returning to Balfa Week and TradMaD—and fiddling at festivals. This year, I’ll be touring the US and Canada with Bruce Daigrepont, as well as French Quarter Fest, Jazzfest, the Montana Folk Festival and the National Folk Festival. The Mid-City Aces will be making their French Quarter Festival debut.
All of these dates will be listed on the tour page in the coming weeks…
Thursday, August 25, 2016
The Summer of 2016 has been one to remember: a new CD of fiddle tunes, Copper Rooster and Other Tunes and Tales, was released on Waterbug Records in July; I taught Cajun fiddle at the Augusta Heritage Center, also in July; and I returned to the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival as one of three Most Wanted Emerging Artists. In a few days, I will be touring again, to teach another great camp in Plymouth, MA, called TradMaD; joining me there will be Eliza Carthy, Sally Rogers and Howie Bursen, and many other great artists. I’m also stoked to be playing two upcoming festivals for the first time ever: The Fox Valley Folk Music and Storytelling Festival in Geneva, IL, for Labor Day Weekend (This year is the 40th Annual; also on the bill are Lou and Peter Berryman, Bryan Bowers, Reggie Harris, Joel Mabus, the Freight Hoppers, and much more), and the Wheatland Music Festival, the weekend after, in Remus, MI, with the Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band.
It’s going to be a great fall, too: The Mid-City Aces have been nominated for five Le Cajun Awards; we’ll be appearing at that Award Ceremony and concert in October, along with Festivals Acadiens. There will be more news about these shows as the dates get closer.
Sunday, May 8, 2016
There’s been an unbelievable amount of news, so far this year. New CD coming out in the next few weeks, and one of this year’s Falcon Ridge Most Wanted. And that ain’t all…
Thursday, November 26, 2015
This is to wish one and all a Happy Thanksgiving! On this day, I’m thankful for so much: for life, for still being able to play music after all these years, and to get to come to where you are and play it.
This is also to let everyone know that I will be playing in Louisiana (New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and even a foray into Morgan City) in December. A few great friends will be joining me for all of those shows. And I’ve got a new Cajun CD coming to you in time for Christmas–namely, with 18-year-old Cameron Dupuy on accordion, and his dad, Michael Dupuy on guitar. Together, we are the Mid-City Aces, and we’ll be doing our first gig as the Mid-City Aces…in Mid-City–at the Banks St. Bar (Dec. 10).
But before that, I’ll be playing with BOTH The Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band and the Wasted Lives on the same night, Tuesday, Dec. 1: with Bruce at the St. Louis Cathedral from 6-7, and with the Wasted Lives at Mags (10 PM); at the Neutral Ground for First Thursday, Dec. 3, right before Mark Fernandez; and the night after, Friday, December 4, I’ll be at the Red Dragon in Baton Rouge, opening for Greg Trooper, a great songwriter from NYC who I got to sit in with way back in the 90s. With any luck, I’ll get to do that again.
Speaking of the Red Dragon, this coming Sunday, November 29, my friend from Houston, Matt Harlan, will be playing there. Like me, Matt Harlan was an Emerging Artist at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival this year. I love his writing and his understated style. Steve Judice will be opening for him. I can’t recommend this show highly enough.
There is much more to report: I’m still mixing the fiddle CD. That will be out early next year. And there’ll be more news about holiday shows in the coming weeks. With that will be another newsletter or two. If you hear a lot from me this month, that will be why. And this schedule:
December
Tues. 1 St. Louis Cathedral w/ Bruce Daigrepont 6-7 pm
Tues. 1 Mags (N. Rampart at Elysian Fields) w/ The Wasted Lives 10 pm
Thurs. 3 Neutral Ground, 8 pm (First Thursday w/ Mark Fernandez and friends)
Fri. 4 Red Dragon Listening Room, Baton Rouge, opening for Greg Trooper 8 pm
Sat. 5 Dutch Alley w/ David Roe and friends, 10 am
Sat. 5 Morgan City Municipal Auditorium, w/ Tommy G. and friends 8 pm
Sun. 6 Tipitina’s w/ Bruce Daigrepont, 5:30 pm
Thurs. 10 Banks St. Bar ABC Night, w/ the Mid-City Aces 9 pm
Sat. 19 Neutral Ground 8 pm, with special guest Melissa Greener (from Nashville)
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With that, I’ll say that I’m thankful for all of you reading this. Thanks again for listening!
