Hello, “Neighbors in October”

Hello, “Neighbors in October”

 “… Down the block we bend with the season:
shoes to polish for a big game,
storm windows to batten or patch.
And how like a field is the whole sky now
that the maples have shed their leaves, too.
It makes us believers—stationed in groups,
leaning on rakes, looking into space …” (David Baker)

“Oooh, October nights, Orion aims his sights.
A harvest moon is rising, a golden pumpkin in the sky,
Venus hugs the horizon and wispy clouds drift by.
This is the month when saints and sinners,
Wear masks of losers and winners.” (October Nights by Chappell Holt)

This last month has been busy with preparations for the 10th Anniversary FAR-West Music Conference, where we are featuring a Private Guerilla Showcase (PGS) room for the first time. We will be providing a performance space for 28 musicians playing their songs for venues looking to book acts, and other performers who might like to do their songs. Most of these rooms on the hotel’s third floor are booked. It is going to be a music-filled PGS hallway this year! Jammin’ all night long!

Just last week, we released four songs from the Chappell & Dave Holt album Stone & Fire, full release scheduled for the holiday season. You can hear and download them at www.chappellanddaveholt.com. Mayne Smith  starts us off with an exciting reso guitar performance on Toronto Tonto and his Cowboy Guitar. On Bad Girl’s Blues, Chappell‘s brother Tom Ekkens is featured on harmonica, a dialogue of blues harp improvisatin’ along with Dave on keyboard. There are Miles Davis inspired vocalized horn lines and scat singing from Chappell and Dave on this tune. Malcolm Hunter plays a gorgeous tenor sax on Bohemian Moon that reminded us of old Coleman Hawkins recordings (Coleman had a hit record on the juke box with his solo sax version of Body and Soul). John Roy Zat added his ragin’ Cajun fire to our title cut, Stone & Fire. Karl Hartmann helps make it all swing together with acoustic upright bass, and electric bass on Stone and Fire.

As we wrote in the September newsletter, Chappell designed and sewed a vest for violinist Carlos Reyes. It was specially made to be worn at the Latina concert scheduled for September 16th at the White House and also for PBS broadcast.  Sadly the concert was cancelled due to the Naval Yard shooting that happened the same day just down the street.  Carlos did get to play for “El Senor Presidente Obama” and the first lady at the dress rehearsal.  There is hope the show will be rescheduled for January 2014.

 

 

 

We are performing live in Palmdale at Butler’s Coffee – Sat., Oct. 5^th, at 7 pm with

John M. Butler's Coffee is located at 40125 10th St. West, Suite I, Palmdale, CA. Tel: (661) 272-9530. 

 

 

 

 

 

Butler’s wrote, “These veteran performers have been traveling

separately but will be teaming up for a special evening of live music at Butlers Coffee before hitting the road again for Irvine, CA, and the Far-West Conference! The Holts (Chappell & Dave) and John M met each other at a FAR-West conference, so what better place to share a gig than at Butlers Coffee, one week before returning to this revered music industry conference!”

Just before the conference begins, we’ll also showcase at Firefly Bistro in Pasadena, sharing the stage with John Roy Zat on violin.  See Facebook page: Pre-Conference FAR-West Fest @ Firefly Bistro, October 9th!

Hope to see you at the Folk Alliance Region West (FAR-West) Music Conference next week!