Late Summer Greetings!
It’s been brutally hot here in Memphis, as it has in so many places, but it’s cooler today, with a soft breeze, and I like to think there’s a soft breeze cooling off this crazy hot country of ours. May it be so.
Hey, this month I'm happy to share a VERY surprising piece of news with you. Shocking, actually, for me anyway. So that, a brief update on my upcoming guided tours, the song-of-the-month, poem-of-the-month, and a bit of wisdom from a Nobel Prize winner.
Read on!
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Contents of This Newsletter
1. My very first album, 5 to 1, which has been out of print for over 30 years, isbnow streaming on all platforms!
2. Two (2) seats available for my November 4-13 tour exploring the real deal music, culture and food of my rich & soulful neck of the woods
3. My Ireland 2025 tour (August 12-21, 2025) filling up fast.
4. Song of the Month: Nobody's Business
5. Poem of the Month: About Shame
6. Wisdom for our time from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
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1. "5 to 1," my very first album--and yes, it's an 80's rock-n-roll record--is now streaming everywhere.
I was shocked to discover yesterday that 5 to 1, released in 1987 on Mercury records (and out of print for over 30 years), is now streaming on Apple Music, Spotify et al.
5 to 1 was produced by legendary producer Bill Szymczyk (B.B. King, Eagles, James Gang, J. Geils, the Who, and dozens more) and mixed by another legend, Bob Clearmountain (Springsteen, Rolling Stones, David Bowie and many many more great artists).
And, get this, Apple Music is also streaming the video for That's Freedom, my first single and rock radio hit.
If you are a Folk/Americana fan of mine, this may not be to your taste, but for all who want to hear it, go to Spotify, Apple Music (or wherever you stream music), and search for my name. It should pop up.
Last, but not least, I'd never have had the opportunity to make this record without the support and encouragement of Dick Wingate (A&R head at PolyGram Records, who signed me) and dear friend, the late Bo Goldsen (my longtime publisher).
—BTW, I'm sporting a mullet in the video, and my on-screen love is Daryl Hannah's sister, Paige.
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2. My first November roots-food-culture tour of the cradles of American music is coming up fast, and we have 2 seats open.
We'll be a small, flexible group of 14 good-hearted souls, and I'd love to have you join us.
If you feel the tug, email my co-host Shauna Jamison, and she'll send you the key info, including our planned itinerary.
Dates: Monday November 4, through Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Note: Tuesday, November 5 is Election Day, so that evening will be free time for all who want to watch the returns.
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3. My Ireland 2025 tour (August 12-21, 2025) is filling up fast
These tours fill up far in advance, so if you're inclined, now is a good time to check it out.
What: My annual Ireland Tour for Inishfree Tours, which I've been hosting since 2011.
When: Tuesday, August 12 - Thursday, 21, 2025
Where: Counties Sligo, Mayo and Galway
For More: Click HERE for lots of info at my website's Ireland page, and click HERE to visit the tour company's page.
Note: To fine my tour on the Inishfree schedule, click HERE for 2025, then scroll down to my tour and click ENQUIRE. A very nice (and dear friend) named Vicki will reply and can give you whatever info you need.
*Inishfree's slogan is “Tours for people who hate tours.
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4. Song of the Month: Nobody's Business
I had a call this morning from Michael Lille, my longtime soul brother, Sherpas partner and collaborator. I wrote this song with Michael about small town love – something we both know a little about!
To stream for free (or download for 99¢) visit my website HERE and scroll down.
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5. About Shame
I know something
About self-shaming
And even of self-shaming
For self-shaming
(Ha ha, but not that funny)
I can imagine the two
In a never ending
Circle of dominoes,
A child gleefully
Tipping one,
which tips the next
And the next and the next.
But can't I pray
That somehow, someday,
However improbable,
There'll come a miracle,
And they'll be more like
Trains on parallel tracks
That link and twist
And spiral into something
Good? Even something real
And transcendent.
Something beautiful.
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6. Wisdom for our time
“It's a universal law—intolerance is the first sign of an inadequate education.”
—Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008), novelist
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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.
Pen & Ink drawing by James Polk (Thanks James!)
