Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Winds of March That Make My Heart a Dancer …

Winds of March That Make My Heart a Dancer …
 
“The winds of March that make my heart a dancer, a telephone that rings but who’s to answer,
Oh, how the ghost of you clings. These foolish things remind me of you.” (Holt, Strachey, Link, 1936, recorded by many – our favorite is Billie Holiday’s)


“The afternoon is bright,
With spring in the air,
A mild March afternoon,
With the breath of April stirring,
I am alone in the quiet patio
Looking for some old untried illusion …” (Antonio Machado)

 

Hello Friends and Family,
 
We had an enjoyable Bread & Roses show in February and received a nice report from Sandee Rosenberg, our host, “While we set up the PA, Dave sat down at the piano & began to play a rollicking boogie woogie; the residents immediately responded … Chappell & Dave performed songs from the American songbook and many of the tunes were familiar to the residents. As some sang along now & then, one woman sang along to just about every song. Most all the current residents are in wheelchairs. Their enjoyment was clear in all the hand & toe tapping and big smiles.” And from Carolyn Gauthier, VP of Programs, “We’re so happy to have you as part of our family of performers. You make a difference!” If you haven’t tried it, providing music as a community service is a rewarding experience.

We are going to get back to recording this month. We’ll do a couple of “holiday” tunes at Oscar Autie’s studio in El Cerrito. We first met Oscar when he’d just arrived from Cuba in the 1990’s and his wife worked with Tom Ekkens, Chappell’s brother. He had his first studio going at the time but we chose to record in Martinez back then. Oscar is the Grammy Award-winning engineer/owner/operator of El Cerrito Productions (see his pic). His wife, also his enthusiastic and highly capable business manager, Kenya said, “Oscar and I are fascinated by you and your music!”
The studio has a Yamaha Grand Piano and three completely isolated recording rooms. We’ve always recorded with electronic keyboards before, never with a true grand piano, so this’ll be a treat.

Next month, Chappell and I will perform three songs with the Unity backup band, Fusion, at the Unity of Walnut Creek in their two services on April 3, 9:30 and the 11:30 am,http://www.unityofwalnutcreek.com/. Click on the “Watch Live” button if you can’t be there in person.

If you’d like to order our new CD, Stone & Fire, directly please send a $17 check (includes $2 shipping) payable to Dave Holt to 1335 Kenwal Rd., #A, Concord, CA 94521. You can also purchase downloads (Wings of the Morning athttp://www.cdbaby.com/cd/chappelldaveholt)and Stone & Fire athttp://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/ChappellDaveHolt

Please contact us if you are interested in having us play a house concert in your area by replying to this newsletter. Don’t forget to like the Chappell & Dave Holt band page, AND the Chappell Rose Holt artist page on Facebook.‎
 
Dave is published in a new anthology of American Indian poets, Red Indian Road West (pictured above with some of the poets). He and Lucille Lang Day, editor/publisher, just recorded a radio interview show to be aired in April. Stay tuned!

Have a wonderful month and we’ll see you in April,
Chappell & Dave