May Greetings Everyone!
I’ve discovered you can spend an awful lot of money on teeth—and it’s not that hard to do! Then again, it’s really good having them in working order.
BTW I’m writing you between appointments with a dentist and an oral surgeon—and I'm praying all of you have a set of choppers in excellent working order!
A smidge of news…
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Contents of This Newsletter
1. November Music-Food-Soul from Nashville-to-Memphis-to-the-
2. Next weekend: I'm off to the Mississippi Songwriters Festival (Delta Edition)
3. My Inishfree Ireland 2025 Tour: taking reservations now
4. Song of the Month: The Blue Train (live)
5. Poem of the Month: The Lost Wallet of Doom
6. Wisdom for our time from Choctaw Elder Steven Charleston
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1. Update: Our November Music-Food-Soul Culture Tour...
...from Nashville to Memphis to the Mississippi Delta is running full steam ahead—and you are invited to join us.
I'm partnering with my longtime agent/manager Shauna Jamison for our inaugural tour through the heart of American roots music, soul food, local culture and nation-shaping history.
Dates: Monday November 4, through Wednesday, November 13, 2024.
We've got kindred spirits lining up for our 2025 tour, but we still have 3 seats open in November.
We'll take the pulse of colorful Nashville, make a deep soul dive into roots of soul and rock 'm roll in Memphis, and we'll be steeped in the the Delta, the cradle of of the blues.
We have lots of great stuff planned, but as a small group of 14, we'll be highly mobile and flexible.
—BTW, Tuesday, November 6 is Election Day, so we'll have a free time in Nashville on the 6th so everyone wanting to watch the returns at our hotel (or wherever).
For much more on our tour, email shauna@tomkimmel.com. She can e-you our brochure and FAQ page.
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2. I'm off to the Mississippi Songwriters Festival, Delta Edition
Next weekend I'll be heading down to Cleveland, Mississippi for the annual Mississippi Songwriters Festival. I'll be swapping songs with Kate Campbell, Tricia Walker and Clay Mills and offering feedback to fellow writers. It will be a great treat to be back in musical Mississippi.
For more on the festival, click HERE.
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3. My Inishfree Ireland 2025 Tour: taking reservations now
It's always hard for me to find words about Ireland, how beautiful and rich and heart-hammering it is. I so look forward to hosting these annual tours.
DATES: Tuesday, August 12 - Thursday, 21, 2025
We'll fly into Shannon in County Clare, follow the Wild Atlantic Way north to County Sligo and meander our way south along the coast all the way back to Clare.
For much more, visit my Ireland webpage HERE and the Innisfree site HERE.
To inquire about my tour, click HERE, scroll down to my August tour and click the ENQUIRE button.
(FYI that's how the spell inquire over there. They also drive on the wrong side of the road.)
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4. Song of the Month: The Blue Train
Last month we introduced the "Song of the Month" feature, a chance to share something from my back catalog each month. Some will be from one of my albums, some are unreleased, and some will be demos or raw work tapes.
This month were featuring The Blue Train (from my live album, Bones. I wrote it with Jennifer Kimball, and the recording was taken from a very special night at the Bluebird Café in Nashville—an was an in-the-round show with Jennifer, and the great writers and singers JD Martin and the late Randy VanWarmer. JD adds piano, and the harmonies are so fine. There's something about this version, one of the first times I performed it. It still touches my heart.
ITo listen for free, click HERE. It's on my home page, and the link will take you there.
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5. Poem of the Month: The Lost Wallet of Doom
I am, shall we say, a little forgetful.
The Lost Wallet of Doom
At the movie theater
that one time
returned sans cash and cards.
Found the side of the road,
blown from the roof of the car.
Lost for weeks
deep in a desk mail slot
and in the pocket
of a Sunday suit.
And in the driveway,
under the bed,
in the recycle bin
and ashing machine.
Adrift in the mean world,
and lost, lost, lost.
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6. Wisdom for our time from Steven Charleston
“The centrifugal force of fear pulls us apart. The gravitational force of love brings us together.”
—Steven Charleston (b. 1949), Choctaw elder, clergyman
Till next month, Maximum Peace, Love & Understanding.
TK
PS Thanks always to the folks at Elixir Strings for keeping me playing the world's best strings for over 25 years.