Already the month is off and running. Tonight I join the great players who host the Acoustic JAMbalaya at Mo Daddys on Biltmore. This weekend promises more with Taylor Martin's Engine there at Mo Daddys agian this Friday. We will also play live on 880 the Revolution this Friday at 3 pm. Yee Haw for local radio! Saturday and Sunday brings music for a cause at White Horse Black Mountain with their Haiti Benifit. Check out Taylor, myself and some of the other boys there Sunday at 4 pm. Oh yea and SUPER BOWL!

In the depths of winter when the day job drags on and gigs and jams are usually replaced by woodshedding, sometimes you have to liven it up with the occasional side gig and side project. Hey, let's start yet another band in Asheville! The result of this has been the formation of the side project, Carolina Call Time. This go-around includes the talents of Grace Van't Hof, putting the Earl in girl and Ricky "Coop" Cooper the rhythm master. Both formally of the band Silver Dagger. It also includes Asheville newcomer Sav Sankaran the bass killer. He needed a gig and boy can he sing and play. I am running the mandolin as usual. Got the name off of a certain machine in the back of a certain establishment that serves a certain purpose for a certain kind of person. Sounds mysterious I know.
We play at the ole Wild Wing next Tuesday the 9th and we need you to come pay a visit after work about 6. We are worried they may discontinue the rich variety of local Grass bands at the place. Check back here for our Hickory and Black Mountain postings coming soon. We don't have any thing recorded yet but think drive, slam, nailed it, and big ole G-runs!

This weekend was fun filled with a variety of music activities. Friday night brought a great performance from Darin and Booke Aldridge at the newly opened Don Gibson Theater in Shelby, N.C. It was a CD release show for the couple and their amazing band and they sold the place out. They did about 1/2 Grass and 1/2 Gospel. My good friend and partner in crime Sav Sankaran went with me. We talked Bluegrass there and back. Saturday brought a breif rehearsal with Taylor Martin and a high energy show at the French Broad Brewing Co. All they guys really rocked.
Sunday I took Sav, Coop and myself over to Helen Fredricks house. She dated the late Hot Rise guitar player Charles Sawtelle. We had the opportunity to tour her house of mad collections including Charle's pink Caddie and his 1936 Martin guitars. We even got to pick on these vintage intruments. What a treat. Monday eve brought the long awaited return of Queen Banjo girl Grace Van't Hof. Whew!

I had a great time last night playing and discovering early to mid century period jazz and swing. I got called to play a gig with Leo Johnson and his Space Heaters. The Heaters that night were a trio, me, Leo and bassist Ian Harrod. Man it was swingin'! If you follow the links, you can imagine how inviting to dancing the music is. The crowd picked up and couldn't help but to dance. The nuances of it were over my head a bit but once I got some of the changes, I was hooked and still am. Hmmmm, It has the same appeal as bluegrass did when I was 20 in the sense that it is a niche genre that few young people are revitilizing. Way to go Leo! Tonight I'm off to  Shelby, NC for the CD release party of Darin and Brooke Aldridge. Looks like they sold out the show! Can't wait to hear the great playing and harmonies. Wish I could take Grace but she is off rocking it with Della Mae.

Had a great rehearsal with Taylor Martin last night. All the boys sounded fine. Coop on bass, Brian on drums and Zeb on fiddle.
After that i was happy to see Ralph Roddenbery at the ole Mo Daddy's. He did not suck at all! Back at work with my friend Lefty Frizzel the Dog Van't Hof. His friends call him Diggle. Tonight it's off to never, never swing land with Leo Johnson at the Town Pump Tavern in Black Mountain. One, six, two, five. One, six, two, five......

I thought I would put together a site for family and friends to keep up with my world. Bandzoogle is a great tool for getting info out about showdates, artist interests and general promotion. I thought I would have a one-stop site for anyone to see my performance dates, twitter and facebook updates and this new blog. Find out more about my world in the About Us page of the site. Thanks for the visit!