Winter on the West Coast...

Greetings friends,

As I write to you from the warmth of my cozy chair I can clearly see snow covering the ground outside my window here in Nashville, TN. However, less than one week ago I was enduring the harsh climate of the California coastline. That's right, folks. I was suffering daily through temperatures in the mid 70's. Scary, I know, but true.

As most of you know, I embarked upon another tour of the West Coast last week, which began in sunny Los Angeles, and continued up the coast as far as San Francisco. To say that I merely enjoyed myself would be like saying Cookie Crisp cereal is just 'okay' (come on, it's chocolate chip cookies that you put in milk, and eat with a spoon...what more could you possibly want???). No, I had more than just a bit of fun on this tour. In San Luis Obispo I shared the stage with the wonderful Ida Gard from Denmark, and the soulful John Schmitt from New York at The Steynberg Gallery. In Ventura I had a blast swapping songs with Parker Ainsworth, Emily Elbert, and Joel Eckels at Zoey's. In San Francisco I bore my soul in the same room that Billie Holiday, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Tina Turner, and so many more bore theirs before me. And, the tour was capped off by another triumphant show at the magnificent Roost House in Carmel, CA. Not only did Monterey Peninsula native, Rick Chelew sit in with me once more on upright bass, but we were also blessed by the sweet Echoplex tones of Mark Roth on electric guitar. Yes, this tour was indeed a good one.

I feel I would be passing over it too quickly if I did not say a few more words about the show at Roost House, but to put it into perspective I must first tell you about the venue itself. Roost House is a house concert in Carmel, CA run by the mother and son team of Audrey Morris and Adam Zerbe, but it is not your typical house concert. The Roost is set in a beautiful room with a 20-foot open truss ceiling, a permanent stage, great sound system, and professional lighting. The natural acoustics of this room are pristine, and the overall atmosphere is ideal for sharing music. Audrey and Adam open up their home a few times each month to host wonderful concerts which are attended by some of the most music-loving fans you could ever hope to find. People come to this room to truly listen to the music being played, which is often times difficult to find.

This was my second trip to The Roost House. The first visit resulted in the spur-of-the-moment live recording which became my latest release, "Live at Roost House". Upon taking the stage this go around, I was greeted by a crowd of 60+ people who were eager and willing to listen to me tell my stories. Then to make things even sweeter, I had the aforementioned Rick Chelew and Mark Roth joining me on stage, and lending their talents. I am still overwhelmed by the kind folks who came out to see me play. I can't thank everyone enough for such a wonderful evening of music. You have set the bar very high for 2011! I can't wait to see you all again. Thank you.

Here are a few videos from that night. Enjoy!












See you on the road!
JD