Pter Mayer is Coming to Eden, North Carolina!

Join the American Red Cross in welcoming the return of Peter Mayer to First Presbyterian Church of Eden, North Carolina as he brings his world renowned Christmas Story of Stars and Promises on Friday, December 12, 2008 at 7:30 in the evening.
There are limited sponsorship opportunities available as well as limited seating in an intimate setting.
All proceeds benefit the Rockingham County Red Cross and the Red Cross Food Pantry.

Want to know more about Peter Mayer?
You can scroll though my web log for pictures and stories of all of these musicians at various venues.
Or you can look through the links below.

http://www.petermayer.com/

http://www.myspace.com/petermayergroup

http://www.margaritaville.com/mayerp.mv

Here is a link to a very good current interview in Premier Guitar Magazine:


http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2008/Dec/Peter_Mayer_Interview.aspx

Guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, Peter Mayer has been quietly and steadily building a fervent following across the country, stepping outside his role as one of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefers to front his own band, The Peter Mayer Group. Melding a unique and eclectic writing style, a distinctive voice, and virtuoso musicianship, Peter and his band create compelling and accessible music that is electrifying in live performance. Joining Peter on stage are:

Scott Bryan, a talented vocalist, percussionist and multi instrumentalist who comes to the band after touring, recording and songwriting with Sheryl Crow for the last five years. Scott has shared the stage with an impressive array of performers from Sting to the Rolling Stones.

Maggie Estes, an eighteen year old violin virtuoso who began playing at the age of four and touring at the age of sixteen. She has played on the Grand Old Opry stage and traveled the country touring with the Peter Mayer Group.

New Orleans born pianist Chris Walters has resided in Nashville since 1989, serving as music director for country music legend Barbara Mandrell until her retirement in 1997. When not touring with his own group, Chris performs and records as the keyboardist with various artists, including the Jeff Coffin Mu'tet, Peter Mayer, and the country group Alabama.

Marc Torlina has played professionally since the age of 12 and has traveled all over the world performing with such artists as Chuck Berry, Neil Sedaka, Treme Terra, The Sessions Big Band and of course, Peter Mayer. Mark studied music at the University of Southern Illinois and when not touring performs regularly around the St. Louis area. He remains a highly sought after studio session player.

Mark Holland is considered by many authorities on the Native American flute to be among the top flutists performing and recording today. Leader and founder of the band “Autumns Child” Mark Holland has been called the “Jimi Hendrix of the Native American Flute.”

Peter Mayer Group boasts between them an extensive performing and songwriting portfolio with experience in any number of styles from jazz to country rock to classical. Recording under the name PM, Peter released his debut album for Warner Brothers Records (WB no. 25751) in 1988. Working with Elliot Scheiner (Steely Dan, Aretha Franklin, Bruce Hornsby) - this album produced the single "Piece of Paradise," charting to number eight on Billboard.

When Scheiner was hired to produce Jimmy Buffett's Off to See the Lizard album, he suggested that Jimmy use PM for the recording sessions. Buffett was so impressed with their unique versatility as musicians and performers that he quickly hired them as part of his own Coral Reefer Band, a successful relationship that continues to date.

Peter's life began in Tamilnadu, the far southern region of India, where his parents served as missionaries for 17 years before returning to their Missouri roots. Musical influences from that period of his life can be heard in his playing. Peter recalls, "I can remember Indian musicians giving Christmas concerts in my parents' house. Wildly playing drums and flutes, shakers and bells, they would go on for hours and hours." He went on to study formal theory and composition, and to teach jazz guitar as a faculty member of Webster University.

The Warren Haynes Xmas Jam is Coming!

Warren Haynes and Peter Frampton jamming in Asheville, North Carolina December 2007.

Here is a press release from Warren Haynes concerning the 20th anniversary Christmas Jam.

http://www.xmasjam.com/index.php


WARREN HAYNES PRESENTS: THE TWENTIETH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS JAM

(Asheville, NC) --For the past 20 years, Warren Haynes has coordinated his annual Christmas Jam. Like a family reunion, the annual, one-of-a-kind, semi-structured marathon of music brings together old friends on stage and in the audience at the Civic Center Arena in Asheville, N.C. for one of the countries greatest live events. The London Times has rated it "One of the top ten concerts in the USA."

"Christmas Jam started 20 years ago as an opportunity for local musicians to jam at the one time of year they were all in town at the same time. Back then, we gave the money to whatever charity we felt like. As the event grew and we became aware of Habitat For Humanity, we settled on them because we believe in the organization and know the money goes where its supposed to."

The show thrives on the generous support of volunteer talent and behind-the-scenes personnel, with post-production proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity. In 2002, Haynes received the Key to the City from Asheville Mayor Charles Worley. In 2003, Mayor Worley proclaimed December 18th "Warren Haynes Day." Over the last five years alone the event has donated close to a million dollars to Habitat For Humanity. Each year the concert continues to donate more than the year before. The main goal continues to be providing housing for families who are in need.

This year, for the first time, in recognition of this very special anniversary, the event will expand to 2 nights at the Asheville Civic Center Arena, Friday and Saturday, December 12 & 13 at 7:00PM. In addition The Annual Pre-Jam at the Orange Peel will take place on Thursday, December 11th. The Prejam show will be broadcast live on WNCW and at a later date on National Public Radio, select AAA and Rock stations across the country.

http://www.wncw.org/

In addition to these nighttime concerts, The Christmas Jam By Day series includes daytime concerts, art exhibits, movie screenings and more taking place Downtown. Also, for those who want to actually be a part of the good that The Christmas Jam does for The Asheville Community, there is the "Before The Jam, Lend A Hand" volunteer week in which volunteers can work on the houses that have been made possible by the funds raised by The Christmas Jam concerts.

Past performers include The Allman Brothers Band, Blues Traveler, Jackson Browne, The Drive-By Truckers, DJ Logic, Peter Frampton, Gov't Mule, John Hiatt, Bruce Hornsby, Hot Tuna, Ray LaMontagne, Phil Lesh & Friends, Little Feat, Living Colour, Branford Marsalis, Dave Matthews, Neville Brothers, New Orleans Social Club, North Mississippi Allstars, Phish's Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, John Scofield, Dr. Ralph Stanley, Marty Stuart, Taj Mahal Trio, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks Band, Bob Weir, Widespread Panic's John Bell, Dave Schools, John (Jo Jo) Herman & Todd Nance.

"When your work is music, its easy and fun to give back." - Warren Haynes

The Explorers Club

The Explorers Club.

http://www.myspace.com/explorersclub

http://explorersclub.wordpress.com/

I have been listening to these guys since Steve Huntington told me about them. Yeah I listen to http://www.radiomargaritaville.com/index.htm way too much whether in my car or online. They are AWESOME. I am loving the sound of this band. They sound like the new Beach Boys to me. About now we need that....

Look for an in-person report as I plan to get these guys on my concert calendar ASAP.

Time to Go Home

So long Conch Republic. This is the image that I love. That is when I arrive at the Key West airport.

Time to go home Norman
Time to go home Norman
Hey Mistuh Papuh-mon
Time to go home
Chasin’ illusions can get quite confusin’
Hey Mr. Papuh-mon time to go home

Parrot Heads in Paradise...Doing Great Things.

Pictured above is my pal Officer Frank Lalama of the Key West Police Department and some of his kids.
Frank is the Vice-President of the Police Athletic League. If you want to support them by buying any of the merchandise
pictured you can contact him at flalama@keywestcity.com

I wanted to report on just how much money was given away this year by all the people
involved with the PHIP group. I am proud to be a member of this organization.

The links below will outline some of the cool stuff that this group does...

Over $13 million dollars and 2 million volunteer hours since 2002!!

http://www.phip.com/

http://www.paradisefoundation.org/

This link has an article that tells all of the great work of the parrothead nation. It was written by my friend
Bob Heffelfinger.

http://www.phip.com/State.asp

2008 National Donations...

Alzheimer's Association $5,000.00
Canine Assistant $5,000.00
Dolphin Research $5,000.00
Florida Keys SPCA, Inc. $2,000.00
Key West Police Athletic League $7,500.00
Save The Manatee Club $7,500.00
The Mary Loraine Peets Buffett Scholarship $10,000.00
Wesley House Family Services $7,500.00
All total $49,500.00

Also this year Zonta's ABC Walk raised over $33,000.00 to provide
uninsured and underinsured women with much needed mammograms.
Several of the visiting people from Meeting of the Minds participated as
"Team Parrot Head." How is that for stamina on your "vacation?"

Not to mention over 75 pints of blood collected in Key West this year.
The mobile bus stayed in front of the Casa Marina until the event was over.
http://www.casamarinaresort.com/

Howie, Jim, and James on the water tower at the Blue Heaven. Very cool stuff.


http://www.boatdrunks.com/

http://www.jimhoehn.com/

http://www.sunnyjim.com/

Notice the Art?

Tall Paul's newest cd release called "Three Day Weekend." I picked it up in Key West.
http://www.tallpaul.com/
Have a look at that cover art. Recognize anything familiar about it? Have you ever watched Sponge Bob Squarepants? http://www.nick.com/shows/spongebob_squarepants/index.jhtml Well yes I have watched my share of this animated crazyness....Anyhow...Todd White did the art for this cd cover. He is the same guy who pens all the Sponge Bob stuff...I thought this was very cool....What an awesome artist!

As for the music on the cd? OK I will tell the truth. This is a live cd that captures the essence of an intimate evening with Tall Paul. Frankly of all the cds I brought back from my Key West trip...well the cd has lived in my MINI over-priced disc player and I just can't hit the eject button! Dude this competes with satellite radio! Paul has original material but I love this one...

There are stars
In the southern sky
Southward as you go
There is moonlight
And moss in the trees
Down the seven bridges road

Now I have loved you like a baby
Like some lonesome child
And I have loved you in a tame way
And I have loved you wild

Sometimes there's a part of me
Has to turn from here and go
Running like a child from these warm stars
Down the seven bridges road

There are stars in the southern sky
And if ever you decide
You should go
There is a taste of time sweetened honey
Down the seven bridges road

While I am at it let me give a shout out to some fine web development. David Gibson is one awesome web dude. If you have a site that needs help he is your man. He has updated Tall Paul's site and works on the Buffett family web work. Do you need a better recommendation that that? Great stuff. We have had some great fun in Key West together in the past years. I will leave that story for a first person discussion!
http://www.zeekeeinteractive.com/

Blue Heaven on Sunday

Three characters. Andrew Talbert...yeah that's me, Tall Paul, and Jimmy Jeffreys.

There is a tradition at meeting of the minds each year. Sunny Jim started this gig many years ago. Everyone shows up at Blue Heaven on Sunday and all the musicians in town come by to jam. It is very cool and always a packed house. It is like the last party before everyone goes home. Generally it goes on most of the afternoon and always the drinks are flowing and people are shaking hands and hugging all the women. What a cool tradition.
Here is a picture of me and Tall Paul with my chief photographer pal Jimmy Jeffreys. Jimmy and I travel well together and our war stories go back many years. I cannot tell you how many concerts we have attended or even how many times we have been to Key West. Not to mention I know both his daughters and his life history. It is all a blur but there is one constant. Life is short and we know how to have a good time.
Any picture on this trip taken of me and someone as well as a few others was either taken by Jimmy or a musician, so thanks to Jimmy for helping me document the trip. We will be back again - soon.

Here is a link to more of Jimmy's photos. I think last month he had hundreds of thousands of hits to his picture site:

http://www.jbfan.smugmug.com/Parrot%20Head%20Events

Hugo and Friends at the Hog

Hugo Duarte and his band. He always has friends sitting in. In this case he has two Coral Reefer Band alumni. Greg "Fingers" Taylor and Amy Lee. THis band will jam until the wee hours of the morning.

http://www.hugoduarte.com/

http://www.fingerstaylor.net/

http://www.amyleesax.com/

The Chart Room.

A stop at the legendary Chart Room bar is needed for any Key West night. It is very cool to see the 'stuff" on the walls. This place reeks of history and the ghosts of past celebrity visits from many years ago. No need for names...just google the Chart Room in Key West. Did I mention the ashes of people being 'buried" in the bar? There are endless stories about this place. Let's make some more.

Oh and contrary to popular rumor, the Chart Room is NOT closing. Me? I will return, this is one cool place.

Meanwhile back on the beach...

Doyle Grisham, John Frinzi, and James "Sunny Jim" White are entertaining the crowd as the breeze comes off the water.

http://www.johnfrinzi.com/

http://www.coconutbeach.com/sunnyjim.html

The Moped Gang

It is now a tradition. The Key West moped gang. Steve and Chris Huntington and me. The photographer is the fourth member. That would be Jimmy. Too bad we didn't get a shot of all four of us! We ditched the mopeds in the foreground to take a picture on the side of A1A. We had just terrorized downtown Key West and ran A1A along the water for a few miles. There is nothing like another day in paradise with your friends.

http://www.radiomargaritaville.com/staff.htm

JL

Jl Jamison. Studio manager, drum technician, in this case he is quietly running the stage. I thought this was a cool picture that captures JL in action at the back of the stage and all the Keys electrical wires in the background. If you listen to enough Buffett music you will heard Jimmy mentioning JL. If you go back though my blog you will see my numerous pictures of him. In fact if you go to a Buffett concert keep an eye open for him. You will probably see him help keep things going on stage. JL is a cool dude and he is good at what he does.

http://margaritawill.com/albums/license_to_chill.html

Did I Mention...

The Sauce Boss was playing the Green Parrot Bar?

I shot this picture right before the show.
The crowd was so large they were on the sidewalk and spilling into the street. I have never seen such a crowd for a show in this bar.

This is my favorite bar in Key West. No snivelling dude.


http://www.sauceboss.com/

http://www.greenparrot.com/

Scott Bryan.

Scott Bryan on percussion. Scott was all over town on so many stages you could hardly track his schedule with a gps. He can play guitar, drums, sing, you name it. He is very good at what he does. I can't wait to see him here in town playing at the Peter Mayer Christmas show on December 12.

http://www.rscottbryan.com/

Doyle Grisham and his wife Debbie.

Doyle Grisham can play the strings off a pedal steel and he never tires of playing on stage. He amazes me with his stamina. He just loves to play. He and his wife Debbie are great people and it is always good to see them in Key West. For the one or two of you who don't know, Doyle has played pedal steel for JB for so long no one can remember how many years it has been.

http://www.margaritaville.com/index.php?page=grisham

http://www.gulfsteelmusic.com/

Mike Utley!!

Photo by Jimmy Jeffreys.

Mr. Utley. The other half of the Club Trini Band. What can you say that hasn't already been said about Mike? Super nice guy, awesome musician, band leader, back in 1988 he was in "Black & White Night" with Roy Orbison and everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Jackson Browne. Since the 1970's he has been the quiet band leader of the Coral Reefer Band.
i remember a conversation I had with him a few years back in Key West. I had the opportunity to talk to him for quite some time by a palm tree on the beach. I asked him about playing on the Duane Allman Anthology album all those years ago. He was a session player on several tracks of this double lp. Mike told me the story of how he traveled to Miami and went in to record his tracks. As he was working one day in the studio a door flew open and a fully-dressed in tuxedo Jackie Gleason strutted into the room with martini in hand and someone yelled out "Here's Jackie!" He spun around and said "This is not my studio!" He turned and quickly left.

Ah the war stories of a traveling musician.

Bobby G

Robert Greenidge. The master of the pans in the Coral Reefer Band. He cannot be topped. Club Trini rocks. http://www.clubtrini.com/
Robert came to the stage after walking the sidewalk unnoticed in an orange "MOTM Security" shirt. He is very funny to hang out with. He literally ran from the stage to catch a plane home to Trinidad for a few days. Within the week he joined Jimmy on stage again.

The Streetfest on Duval....

When you see the shrimp bus on Duval and the streets blocked off you know it is party time. I guess I should plug JB's food empire. http://www.margaritavillefoods.com/

When I was a teenager listening to "A1A" I never dreamed I would ever see anything like this. What a long strange trip it's been. No regrets, I would do it all again. As I have said before "the best thing that ever came from being a fan of Jimmy Buffett's music was the friends I made and the times we shared." "Nuff said.

Susie

I am not trying to bore you with pictures of me and other people but...this is:

Susie from Key West Key. http://keywestkey.com/
This lady is your contact for booking a place to stay in Key West. Me? I love the Casa Marina and their staff. If you want to stay anywhere else in Key West this lady will not steer you wrong. She will take care of you. I remember a year she helped me right after a hurricane when there was no where to stay on the island... I ended up delivering some micro brew to her house via my moped for all her help. She is that good at what she does.

TC

TC Mitchell and me at the Casa Loco party. TC is a great player and a nice guy. It is always good to see him.


http://tcmitchellmusic.com/

http://www.buffettnews.com/resources/coralreeferband/?bid=188

A Really Nice Party

Party? At the Casa Loco located behind the iron gates of the Truman Annex. The day started young as this was the first of four functions for the day. This is one beautiful property.

This was a party given by my friends Lydia and Susan from Florida and Chicago. The guys playing here are Jim Hoehn, John Reno, and Rob Mehl. This was a great show. I should mention that our Coral Reefer sax buddy Tom Mitchell was also hanging out with us prior to his performance on the stage at the streetfest on Duval.


http://www.jimhoehn.com/

http://www.johnreno.com/home.html

http://www.robmehl.com/

Anna's

Anna. She is in charge at Anna's Cuban place not so far from the Casa Marina. This woman is a treasure. They have the best breakfast and cafe con leche on the whole island. She is a special person on my special person list.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caf%C3%A9_con_leche

A Memory

The site of one of the best cups of cafe au lait in Key West. Man I miss the Dennis Pharmacy.

Russ Kunkle on Drums....

Russ is a master on the drums. Note the label on the music stand. This one came from Jimmy's studio across town. Shrimpboat Sound.

Russ Kunkle.

Here is a picture taken after the show by my pal Jimmy Jeffreys. Jimmy is a great photographer who I have called a friend since the early 1990's. He makes for a good traveling pal too. It was getting late when this photo was taken and you can tell it was dark....

Out of all the people in Key West this trip Russ was the one person I just had to talk to. He is such a legend and I have been listening to him perform since the 1970's. Not to mention all the recordings he has produced. Wow. It was a real thrill just to share a brief time with him. Later that evening I had a few glasses of wine and some conversation with him and a long list of musicians until about 3:30 AM. What a nice person he is! That was a very cool night.

While I am thinking about it. Go get the new Russ Kunkle cd. You can get it here:
http://www.mailboatstore.com/index.php?cPath=25

I can't mention Russ without mentioning Nicolette Larson.

Without diving into a long story about Nicolette Larson I just want to say that her music played for hours and hours in my house via vinyl lp and cassette tape way back so many decades ago. She was always one of my favorites. She took Jesse Winchester's "Rumba man" and made it "Rumba Girl." She took Neil Young's "Lotta Love" and made it her song. It seems like 1978 was just yesterday.

In the links below you will find a very nice tribute cd which I bought the day it came out. This disc is full of awesome performances from all the top shelf artists that were friends of the couple. Go check it out.

http://www.russellkunkel.com/main/photos.html

http://www.nicolettelarson.com/

http://www.nicolettelarson.com/cause.html

http://www.nicolettelarson.com/index4.html

I'm still doin' the Rhumba baby
I can't seem to quit
If my mama catches us doin' the Rhumba
My mama would just a-pitch a fit
But I can't help myself
It's much bigger than me
If I were you, I would hang onto
A Rhumba girl like me

Peter Mayer

Peter Mayer on stage at the Scott Kirby show. That is seventeen year old Maggie Estes behind him.

The combination of all the players on stage made the music even better.

http://www.maggieestes.com/

http://www.petermayer.com/

Scott Kirby

Day turns into night. Here is a view from the Casa Marina balcony where I joined several friends sharing a mag of wine. http://www.scottkirby.com/ This was a very good show. The night was perfectly warm and the palm trees were swaying in the breeze coming off the water. There was a huge crowd on hand and they were having a blast. This was my first glimpse of Russ Kunkle playing on drums. Man he sounded great. http://www.russellkunkel.com/main/photos.html
I spent some time with Russ later that night and I asked him about the music stand on the stage next to his drums. He told me that he was reading the music as he had charted over twenty songs for the show with Scott that night. Wow what a musician.

Tall Paul and Crawdaddy on the beach

These guys are great. And being on the beach listening to them makes it only better.
http://www.tallpaul.com/

Shrimp and Grits at Blue Heaven

After a very late night there is nothing better than a morning meal at Blue Heaven in Key West. http://blueheavenkw.homestead.com/Blue_Heaven_Restaurant_Key_West.html Many people like the lobster. I am a shrimp and grits fan. The banana nut bread is very good too. Did I mention the mimosas? Nothing better than a mimosa to give you the energy to start a new day after a late night.

Jimmy Buffett Visits the Outer Banks of North Carolina......

Yes, I know I still have stories to tell about Key West and I have just been so busy I haven't gotten back to the computer this week. In the meantime, I am posting a picture of my beach buggy tag - (Life member 6872) on my Jeep while I was chilling on the beach in Hatteras, North Carolina. There is just nothing like driving on the beach on the OBX. http://www.ncbba.org/ I have to get Jimmy one of these beach buggy tags for his new beach buggy. Seems he just dropped by the outer banks in the past few days to surf and paddle a bit in his brand new "Green Tomato." This is a cool name for his oil powered van that is rigged to the hilt with surfing goodies...
I guess I should have steered him by Greensboro to fill up with bio-diesel or veggie oil at my brother's new start-up in Greensboro. http://patriotbiodiesel.com/
Here is a link to the story about Jimmy in Cape Hatteras, NC via Highway 12 last week. It is a very cool story with pictures and a video. Go check it out.
http://www.realkiteboarding.com/index.cfm?page=newsitem&id=1503
If you want to check out his new truck, here is a link to the people who built it:
http://www.sportsmobile.com/

Also here is a link to some great pictures and JB's diary from the trip:

http://www.margaritaville.com/index.php?page=obx

Be sure to read the part about Andy Zimmerman from Greensboro, North Carolina. He owns Heritage Kayak and Pro Canoe, now called Get:Outdoors in Greensboro. Not only did I buy my last carbon fiber kayak paddle from Andy, I have a new Heritage solo canoe on order from his company too. Andy is one nice guy and he has employed many people from this area for years building some awesome kayaks and canoes. It is very cool to see this prototype boat he took to Jimmy on this trip! I too own a prototype from the old days...that is one long story but the kevlar tandem boat still hangs in my boat house.

http://www.heritagekayaks.com/

About Jimbo Meador:

http://www.heritagekayaks.com/jimboscast.htm

And Andy Zimmerman's local store for kayaks:

http://www.shopgetoutdoors.com/

We interrupt this MOTM Posting for....

I was just listening to radiomargaritaville and I heard Kirsten http://www.radiomargaritaville.com/staff.htmplay Jimmy B. covering Johnny Cash. (Live from Auburn, Washington) What a great song. Nice cover Bubba. Thanks.

At my door the leaves are falling
A cold wild wind Will come
Sweethearts walk by together
And I still miss someone

I go out on a party
And look for a little fun
But I find a darkened corner
'Cause I still miss someone

Oh, no I never got over those blues eyes
I see them every where
I miss those arms that held me
When all the love was there

I wonder if she's sorry
For leavin' what we'd begun
There's someone for me somewhere
And I still miss someone

Oh, no I never got over those blues eyes
I see them every where
I miss those arms that held me
When all the love was there

I wonder if she's sorry
For leavin' what we'd begun
There's someone for me somewhere
And I still miss someone

and i still miss someone

Three Friends in the Night

In my last post I mentioned Shelia Chimento. You can listen to Shelia on the New Orleans Happy Hour each Friday on Radiomargaritaville. Here is a cool picture I captured after the Sunny Jim show on the Pier. Most of you know, this is Tom Corcoran, Sheila, and James "Sunny Jim" White.

http://www.tomcorcoran.net/
http://www.sunnyjim.com/

At Dante's...

The Jim Morris Band was playing to a packed house. I had just ditched my moped at the Casa Marina and jumped into a Taxi with Sheila Chimento who had tipped me off to the show in a conversation that afternoon. There is literally so much happening it takes a tour guide to stay focused on what you want to see at MOTM. The crowd was so large at Dante's I made my way over to the plasma TV to watch the end of the World Series and take in the wild show to my right...

I admit it...

I just can't miss a photo opportunity. Especially with my friend Amy, also known as the co-author of the 1994 Jimmy Buffett song "Fruitcakes." Too bad I didn't pack my Amy Lee purple tie dyed shirt. She still has an old picture and me and my daughter on her web site from many years ago wearing the shirts she hand-made. They are still very cool even now.

http://www.amyleesax.com/

We're seven years from the millenium
That's a science fiction fact
Stanley Kubrick and his buddy Hal
Now don't look that abstract
So I'll put on my Bob Marley tape
And practice what I preach
Get jah lost in the reggae mon
As I walk along the beach
Stay in touch with my insanity
really is the only way
Its a jungle out there kiddies
Have a very fruitful day

Meanwhile over at Cowboy Bills...

I had to stop in just down Duval Street to see My old friend Amy Lee. http://www.amyleesax.com/
On this night she was playing with another pal, Greg 'Fingers" Taylor http://www.fingerstaylor.net/and K.D. Moore.
http://www.kdmoorejr.com/

Jim says time for the last song...

Everyone on the stage had a gig across town in three directions. Jim played the last song and I have never seen so many wires and amps flying into trucks and cars...I managed to help John get his stuff down to the Hog's Breath just in time to start another set there...the music never seems to stop in Key West at Meeting of the Minds.

Jamming in the afternoon breeze...

The picture tells it all. You had to be there.

Meanwhile at the Conch Farm...

John Frinzi, Jim Morris, and Sunny Jim are entertaining a large crowd just a few feet from the water not too far from Jimmy Buffett's Shrimpboat sound studio.
This was the second show being recorded by Alex Leist for the Paradise Charitable Foundation as a fund raiser. http://www.paradisefoundation.org/
You can go back a few pages and see a picture from the Annapolis show I missed but managed to listen to via cell phone mounted in a flip flop near the stage.

Playing some Coastal & Western Music...

(You can click on the images to make them larger)

You just have to be here to know how good one of these shows really are. I kidded with Keith about his Todd Snider shirt. I told him we both managed to pack Todd Snider t-shirts in our 50 pounds of luggage. He said 'well somebody needs to carry the torch." I am with ya on that one. If you have a chance to see these guys play you should walk, not run. Just do it.

Smiling Faces on the Beach

Smiles all around. Left to Right. Larry Joe Taylor, his wife Sherry, me, and Jerene Sykes. What a great day on the beach in Key West.

If you want to book Keith for a show Jerene is your contact. She was the lady cooking Thanksgiving dinner while Keith wrote the song "Coast of Marseilles" back in 1977. What a great song that one is, a real masterpiece.

I sat there on the coast of Marseilles
My thoughts came by like wind through my hand
How good it'd be to feel you again
How good it'd be to feel that way again

Here is a link to a very nice article on Larry Joe:
http://www.larryjoetaylor.com/texas_music_and_ljt.htm

I got a brand new Chevrolet out in the drive.
I got a thirty-year fixed-rate mortgage that I live inside.
I don’t think I like what I got,
Cause I think it’s got me.
I guess I just woke up from my American dream.

I guess my wife she’ll work for the state
for the rest of her life
When all she ever wanted to be was a mom and a wife
She tells me I don’t look like the guys in Cosmopolitan magazine
I guess she just woke up from her American dream.

John he loved to teach the kids in the public school
Said it’s seems a whole lot harder
since they changed the rules
Gunshots echo through the halls
Another one falls
The last bell rings
And it woke him up from his American dream.

At the Bottle Cap in Key West

Keith Sykes and larry Joe Taylor playing at the Bottle Cap. http://www.bottlecaplounge.com/
What a great place. I love the beverage selection and the soft couches!
Keith and Larry Joe always rock.

Keith Sykes and Larry Joe Taylor.

Also in the parking lot of the Hogs Breath there were several more musicians in the shadows of the fall early evening. My pals Larry Joe and Keith were taking in the show and having some fun telling stories as they always do. I must have seen them play four times on this trip and I never tire of their songs and music. Go check them out, they are great.

http://www.keithsykes.com/
http://www.larryjoetaylor.com/

Peter and Gabriel at the Hogs Breath

Peter Mayer http://www.petermayer.com/ and Gabriel Donahue in front of the stage at the Hogs Breath in Key West.
Gabriel http://www.gabrieldonohue.com/ had just finished playing with Scott Kirby on stage. Let me just say that not only are these two musicians very good at what they do but they are also extremely nice people.
The crowd in front of this stage was huge that night and the shows were great fun. There is nothing like good music and being in warm weather in November.

Here is a link to a cd recorded in Key West a couple of years ago. I was standing there as this one happened. Gabriel was on this one....

http://www.littleflockmusic.com/product.asp?ID=SK-ANOTB-CD

Faulkner.

"All of us failed to match our dreams of perfection. So I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to do the impossible"--William Faulkner

A musician friend sent this to me in email tonight....I started thinking about the past...My girl friend back in the 1970's in Mississippi was the grand-daughter of William Faulkner. Now that is a long story and I am not going to tell that one right now...

Captain Tony.

I have just returned from Key West. While in town and riding around on a moped, Steve Huntington from Radiomargaritaville and I stopped in at the lighthouse to hear the likes of John Reno http://www.johnreno.com/home.html and Kelly McGuire http://www.redfishisland.com/ for a few minutes. There was a rather large crowd on hand enjoying the show. As soon as the first song ended I heard "Ladies and Gentlemen, we just heard that Captain Tony has died. The entire audience hushed and an erie silence fell over the crowd. Wow.

Just days before when I landed in Key West I headed over to Captain Tony's bar http://www.capttonyssaloon.com/ to see if he was signing books. We were told he was in the hospital over at the Lower Keys Medical Center. I was disappointed as I really wanted a signed book. Worse yet the man was in the hospital and we would not able to see him. I had gotten used to seeing him around town each year during my visits. 92 years old and quite the Key West legend, he was always cool to be around.
On Sunday afternoon as I enjoyed my annual ritual of the Sunny Jim jamfest at Blue Heaven http://blueheavenkw.homestead.com/Blue_Heaven_Restaurant_Key_West.html I saw the author of the new Tony Tarracino book "Life Lessons of a Legend." Brad Menard. http://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Legend-Bradley-Manard/dp/1439202222 I got my copy of the book signed and took the picture above in front of an old campaign board for Captain Tony for mayor. That's Brad in the tropical shirt on the front porch of Blue Heaven.

Sunday morning I talked with Mike Utley and Tina Gulickson just as they caught a taxi for the airport. We were the only three in the lobby of the hotel so I asked Mike if they were headed for Tampa to join Jimmy on stage for the Obama rally. He said yes.
There would be about 45 minutes or so of music at the rally. Here is a link to a video of Jimmy's tribute to Captain Tony last Sunday afternoon in Tampa. It's the song he wrote with Mike Utley and Marshall Chapman for him quite a few years ago, 1985 in fact, "Last Mango in Paris."

Hats off for Captain Tony. I'll return later this week with a long list of pictures and stories from my trip. Until then, I'll see you down the road.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGimjHcOq-U


A public viewing for Captain Tony is scheduled from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Dean Lopez Funeral Home on Simonton Street in Key West.

On Saturday, an 11 a.m. funeral Mass at St. Mary Star of the Sea church will be followed by a 1 p.m. reception for family members and his many friends at Captain Tony's Saloon.

I went down to Captain Tony's
To get out of the heat
Then I heard a voice call out to me
"Son come have a seat"
I had to search my memory
As I looked into those eyes
Our lives change like the weather
But a legend never dies

He said I ate the last mango in Paris
Took the last plane out of Saigon
Took the first fast boat to China
And Jimmy there's still so much to be done.