Hello gang-
Nice to know you guys are always still here. Welcome back Rosalita
(altho you never really left me!!!!) Happy Birthday to Ric and Colin and
Garrett and everyone else I have missed by being absent lately.
New Orleans has been crazy the past few weeks and we have had our share
of JMDL Folk sightings. It was great to see Les, who came down for Jack's CD
release party and hung for a few days. The CD release party was a gas and
thanks to everyone who tuned in and wrote us about the performance. Jack
sold over 135 CD's that night and the numbers keep growing. He has started
putting together a short tour starting at Tips New Orleans on the 3 of Jan
and then up to Illinois and he is working on getting some more dates right
in that area. Giselle positively killed again opening at the CD release
party. People just love this woman! And why not she is so fecking good. We
are threatening to work together on her CD so she too can get out there and
get it on. The party continued thru the weekend at my friend Kurt's house on
Saturday Night and Les and Gisele and Christina came although Jack was
sorely absent. Nevertheless we played music from around 8pm till 5am
alternating between acoustic music outside by the fire and electric music
inside in his sound stage/studio. Once again Gisele kicked everyone's ass as
did Christina who continues to WOW New Orleans all on her own. She has
participated in 2 Christmas concerts with Theresa Andersson, David Doucet
(of Beausoliel), and John Fohl (current lead guitarist for Dr. John). The
first one was at the Norwegian Seaman's Church and the second in none other
than St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square of the French Quarter in front of
about 1000 people. The supportive applause for these magnificent artists was
strong, but went thru the roof after our girl sang her 2 songs. She
continues to meet with various songwriters accumulating material for her
project and has been writing some amazing songs BY HER OWN PEN AND IN HER
OWN BLOOD!!!!!!! I have waited for a post from her and Jack on these issues
but they have been too busy being creative I guess so I am banging the drum
for them. Did I mention the night that we went to hear Dave Easley's (pedal
steel player with Brian Blade Fellowship) band Heartifacts??? She went up to
Dave during a break and taught him Michael From Mountains and then Dave
wrote a chart for the keyboard player and bass player and the fecking nailed
it. I was so moved by this version and it was kinda rockin' and the pedal
steel was so cool.
Mary Pitassi is in the Big Easy (where the Saints SUCK!!!) but we have
not managed to hook up yet I am hoping to see her tomorrow. I did a radio
show last week on WWOZ (which you can hear online and request songs from
PazFest, Jack Neilson's "Here I Go Again" and Christina's "Big Yellow Taxi"
if you are so inclined. It was a lot of fun and ended up selling quite a few
more copies of Pazfest from people who were listening in. Which just goes to
show you that all you have to do is get DJ's to play the music so people can
hear it (but I digress).
Anyways I hope this gets everyone caught up with all of us. Count me in
on the LOVE T'Log group. I love it more everyday and listen to it a lot esp.
at work. There is so much to love about this recording, these versions, and
her voice (which I don't hear this whole deterioration conspiracy thing).
Nothing can compare with the way those songs sounded to me on the original
records and they will probably always be my faves, BUT they have new life in
this format and I love them too.
If I don't get back before Christmas I want to wish everyone a very
Happy Christmas and may you blessed with the comfort of family, song, and
spirit. And If you have noone with you in the flesh during this holiday, be
comforted to know that you have people from this community that will be
lighting candles, saying prayers, singing songs, breaking bread, and sending
light out to you in the spirit that IS the JMDL. To all of you who are
ailing from physical pain I send you healing beams and pray that it will
soon pass. And to all of you who have lost someone special, may their spirit
fill you with that happiness you once had with them and you not dwell on the
loss that you may feel now and know that someday we will ALL be together
again.
Many hugs and kisses to you all (even you baldys)
Love
Paz
