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FREE NEWS LETTER>
Another year over....
December 21, 2008
Wotcher chums.
I have been asked about my 2008 activities so while I can still remember....
Plenty of family fun in January having three grandchildren and loads of little nephews and nieces, children are the greatest company and I love being told what to do by a two year old also advised on music by a seven year old....love 'em.
Did some playing on the new Chris Jagger project in February down at his place in Somerset. I haven't got a release date for this recording yet, but some fine songs from Chris. I was also delighted to meet up and play with John Etheridge, an old mate who was also a member of 'Whatever'.
Had a short break in Portugal for a swim, I love swimming more than any other sport now I am getting into the Twilight Zone....did a lot of work learning Portuguese which is a bit of a wasted task as on arrival in Portugal I discovered that everyone spoke English...shame really, wherever I go I do try and speak some of the language if only out of courtesy, but even my English needs some work too....bit late for that!
Got back from Portugal and the fab food and beaches to join up with the lovely geezer and singer/songwriter Eric Bibb for a week in Austin Texas for South by South West. Amazin' really, hundreds of bands doing showcases and concerts. Then on to California for a night at McCabes in Santa Monica this is a place where everyone has been featured and from all styles of music...check out the site for McCabes as there is too much for me to comment on....well-run and good people.
At the end of March I did my week at the 'Sore Fingers Summer School' which is a week where musicians young and old gather for instruction on playing, songwriting plus group activities mostly in the 'Bluegrass' style Banjo to Bass, Steel to Slide, Fiddle to Falsetto...it's a great week, although intense and very hard work, but also fun with a fabulous group of players. I had a class of 20 and we still keep in touch 'Thompson Toe Rags'.
Early April after some discussion it was decided to have a go with the old 'Pentangle' again, so we had a get together session and I think we all secretly wanted to see if it could work personally and musically. I am always a bit hesitant to go down 'Memory Lane' because I think it is always dodgy to try and recapture the energy and love of those great years together. The initial reunion was accompanied by smiles and laughter and a remarkable example of memory for the old tunes, and so we agreed that we should give it a go. We appeared on 'Later with Jools Holland' and miscellaneous other broadcasts shortly after during which we announced our first concert at 'The Royal Festival Hall' on June 29th. This was truly an anniversary gig as it was forty years ago to the day that we started our time together and our first gig was at the Royal Festival Hall.
The concert sold out very quickly it was then decided to tour for about two weeks in July. It really was a very emotional time together and the people that came to see us gave us such a generous welcome, which will always be remembered. I didn't want us just to go out together for the sake of nostalgia but to show we still had the enthusiasm to show what we could do ...I think we did it, and I thank all those friends out there for the support, I never realised how much we were liked...phew!
Then a short tour of Belgium and Italy with Richard Thompson followed by a tour of France with Eric Bibb followed immediately with a Milan concert with me old mate Donovan.."Donno and Danno".
After this a break in Liguria and loads of swimmin' ....after the Pentangle tour I got together again with the great Martin Simpson for his July 27th concert at Hatfield House having previously done the Oxford Folk Festival on April 12th. Martin is another man that has been working and writing with the same enthusiasm, energy and honest dedication since I first heard him 45 yrs ago ...great to be with, good geezer!
First week in August is Cambridge Folk Festival and I was invited to be there with Eric Bibb this time with the absolutely wonderful player and man Larry Crockett on drums ...check out his site too a remarkable career and great writer.
After Cambridge it must be Cropredy and I was there again with my entire family tented backstage for our annual festival get-together, I just love Cropredy and the Fairport reunion meeting up with hundreds of old friends...great music, food and I had a share of compering on the Friday with 'Whispering' Bob Harris, what a treasure he is.
On August 17th I did the final concert with Pentangle at 'The Green Man Festival' loads of mud and I also did an interview on stage at the literary tent with Jeb Loy Nichols, . I reckon there must still be cars stuck in the mud down there.
At the end of August I went to the wedding of the fab bassist Jon Thorne to the lovely Jo on the Isle of Wight, This was the greatest wedding I have ever been too, beautiful setting and the rain stopped for the whole day, we picnicked on the lawns, danced in the evening and no fight!! very unusual for a wedding....
During September I was planning to get to Nashville again and hook up with my old mate Darrell Scott for another Motorbike tour having done Nashville to Mississippi last year, this year was to be a ride up the 'Blue Ridge Parkway'....but I had a few probbies with my body and had to get checked out, when we get older things begin to fall off and I am already held together by Velcro...
I went to New York as a surprise for my treasured mate John Martyn. I can't say too much about this, but we ended up having a play at Joe's Pub after he had got a new Prosthesis thanks to the courtesy and dedicated time of Dr.Sander Marxx a truly wonderful man.....Sander, I have no way of telling you how great a person you are and thank you for loving my dear mate as much as I do. John has just done a tour of U.K. with his band getting five star reviews and I am really thrilled at the possibility of getting my curly-haired back and upright...nuff said!
I am writing this having just done a weekend in Canada with Eric. Flew Friday did Calgary on Saturday, Edmonton on Sunday home on Monday...T Cakes and Rock and Roll!!... Working on a new recording for Anne Marie Almedal, great Norwegian singer/songwriter next week, which reminds me I forgot to mention I had worked on Baaba Maals new recording the day after the Pentangle tour. I don't like to go from one project to another straight away but I am a big fan of Baaba and very honoured to be asked.
I was thinking that life would be less hectic as I reach the 'Twilight Zone' but already next year is calling with some incredible projects which I will tell you about later, not to mention my big birthday in April...see you there.
2008 saw a lot of friends move on may God Bless them and reward them, and we've also been rewarded ourselves by the birth of many new friends.
That's all I can remember for now, but it has been a very blessed time with people that are not just great musicians but more importantly....good geezers.!!...if you see me say hello!
Whoppers as ever
Danny, Vickie and Alfie
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