A Slightly Tardy New Year’s Greeting to All!
I can hardly imagine that it’s a New Year, but here we are 19 days in. Time, what a concept! I’m reading a fascinating book called When We Cease to Understand the World, by Benjamin Labatut. It's comprised of stories about physicists and scientists who made game changing, brain melting discoveries. One of them, Karl Schwarzschild, predicted black holes—areas in the universe where space "crumples like paper" and time is "extinguished like a candle"—and he made the prediction by challenging Einstein's theory of relativity... mathematically, no less... 20 years(!) before black holes were named and accepted as scientific fact.
OK then. Very good news this month…
—
CONTENTS of This Newsletter
1. New Dana Cooper single & Johnsmith album…
…featuring songs we wrote.
2. Sherpas and Waymores: ’22 forecasts
3. Solo rumblings for ’22
4. Ireland and Crete in 2022 (and 2023)
5. TK Poem of the Month: “Happy”
6. Food for Thought: Wisdom for writers from Elizabeth Stout & E.L. Doctorow
—
1. New Dana Cooper single & Johnsmith LP
a. “Bluebird” is the new single from Dana Cooper’s forthcoming album I Can Face the Truth, and it ROCKS! I’ve loved this song ever since we wrote it, and Dana has nailed it. Plus he had me share vocals with him on the recording, which was a blast. The album drops February 18, and there’s a cool video coming soon to accompany the single. And as of TODAY you can click HERE to play or download Bluebird. (I'm pretty sure you’ll love it.)
—You can visit Dana’s website, sign up for his newsletter etc. HERE.
b. Johnsmith’s got a brand new album called Backroads, and it’s one of his best. Produced by my extraordinarily talented Sherpas partner Tom Prasada-Rao, the record includes a cool retro-Johnny-Cash-style version of our song “Rattle My Bones” plus a dozen others.
My favs: Middle Time, Across the Openness, and Los Alamos.
—To stream, download etc. visit John’s Bandcamp page HERE.
…and to visit John's website’s, click HERE.
—
2. Sherpas and Waymores: what’s on tap for '22
a. Sherpas
Michael Lille, Tom Prasada-Rao and I recorded 10 new songs in November, and first chance we get we'll be adding final bits and mixing. We’re excited—it’ll be really special for us so share new music.
—
b. Waymores
On December 30 we had a ball of a Waymores reunion show at Nashville’s fabled Bluebird Cafe for partner Don Henry’s annual birthday concert, and we all (Don, me and Sally Barris ) hope to play in the area a bit more in ’22 as the pandemic lightens up.
—
3. Solo dreams
I well know the story of the boy who cried wolf till no one listened to him anymore… but I promise in ’22 you’ll get a solo EP from me, as well as an EP I’ve produced for Nashville duo Kenneth Robinson and Ed Hunsberger. I’ve dawdled forever in finishing them up, but I’m still very excited about these projects.
—
4. Ireland and Crete in 2022 (and 2023)
a. Ireland
I LOVE hosting these small scenic musical tours for Inishfree Tours.
My 2022 tour will explore Counties Mayo, Galway and Clare and will run along the Wild Atlantic Way from Friday, July 22 to Monday, August 1 (2022).
And… my 2023 tour will visit Counties Dublin, Waterford and Clare—a taste of city color and a long drink of country beauty, with great music at all stops.
For more info, including how to reserve seats, visit Inishfree Tours HERE, and click HERE to inquire about my tours on Inishfree's "Schedule" page.
—
b. Writing retreat on Crete (Greece) July 11-18, 2022
Again I’ll be teaching songwriting with talented Swedish singer-writer-teacher Eva Hillered in Lendas, Crete. The little town of Lendas is a magical setting over the Mediterranean, and the community of writers that the retreats attract are the brightest of spirits.
Details coming soon..
For inquiries now:
Email Eva from her artist site HERE. (See “Kontakt” and “E-Post” at lower left on her web page to email her).
—
5. TK Poem of the Month
Happy
My old partner said if you ever find yourself
in a happy relationship I won’t
write with you anymore (implying only
misery inspires me), and as with all
attempts at humor, his was grounded
in truth—no matter I’d wish otherwise.
Still there’s no denying fresh words
don’t come as fast and often
as in times past. And though I could not
insist there’s a constancy to happiness
or that tragedy doesn't stalk contentment,
there’s always that fleeting sweetness
I’ll take over misery any day.
I do confess I miss the creative pulse
erupting though the maddening impossibilities
that populate the landscape of blank pages
and abandoned recordings,
bit I’ll never miss them enough to seek
the heart crushers and soul robbers
that flesh out a body of work.
For Jeff Franzel
—
6. Food for Thought: Wisdom for writers from Elizabeth Stout & E.L. Doctorow
“I write pieces, and move them around. And the fun of it is watching the truthful parts slide together. What is false won’t fit.”
—Elizabeth Strout (b. 1956), author
“Writing is like driving a car at night: you never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”
—E.L. Doctorow (1931-2015), author
—
Till next month, Maximum Peace, Love and Understanding,
TK