Truckin

We are on the road again!

Before we even left LA we had a VERY IMPORTANT errand to run- We picked up my new Dirndl from Cocoe Voci’s studio. I am thrilled to have a new uniform, so beautifully constructed and lovingly designed by my sweet friend.  THANK YOU, Cocoe!

Our first stops in NM were fun and chili filled.  Great start in Gallup, NM with a school show and uke workshop at Nizhoi Music, the studio of our  lovely hostess, Antoinette Neff.

 Then on to Albuquerque where we had the BEST DAY EVER!  First, we finished mastering MY CUP OF TEA.  Celebration dinner at Cervantes (hotttest red chili in the Q) and then on to the new Star Trek movie!  Woo HOO!

We brought music to the ACSL family and then on to Santa Fe, where we enjoyed making music for a private party.  The night started with John and Daniel playing flamenco and ended with leading a campfire style sing along.  

The next morning we took the OhanaMobile to Jeff at Lucky Saab, where we did a ghetto fix on the AC with bread ties and zip ties.

Master mechanic and apprentice

We were tipped off to the storms blowing in and delayed our departure.  We were driving straight towards Oklahoma City as the storms ripped through Moore. The skies were ominous and filled with fear and pain.  We sang the song “Little Birdie” as a prayer for the people in the path, and are going to share that song in our Kickstarter update this week.

We arrived in Tulsa with heavy hearts at 2 am, but the children who greeted us the next morning at Connors Cove were as audatious and ebulent as children ever are.  We had two bopping shows and look forward to 4 more shows at 4 other libraries in the next two days before we ship off for Kansas City.

We are telling everyone we meet about the new CD and the Kickstarter campaign which has two more weeks to go.  We are getting close to our goal and hope to exceed it handsomly so we can both pay musicians and move forward with PR for the album.  If you have not had a chance please pledge now!  Click here (MY CUP OF TEA) to go to the page where you will be able to hear songs, see art, read about the process and become part of the fun! 

Guilty.

Wanted: John Bartlit, serial killer.

This notorious musician has just KILLED on 13 tracks with innumerable instruments.

I am listening to fresh mixes of the songs for My Cup Of Tea and my mind is being blown.

John on drums, african percussion, latin percussion, vocals, jaw harp, stand-up bass, electric funk bass, banjo, Spike Lee bells and whistles, log drum, glockenspiel, xylophone… oh my.

For instance: on Little Birdie- a simple mountain song he lays down this banjo part.  I hadn’t  realized it before, but tonight I heard it.  It embodies the meaning of the song. On the first and final verse the banjo twitters;  it’s the little Birdie’s voice.   (Then I hear his bass  bowing an Amazing Grace reference I hadn’t heard before.) Finally,  on the verse “I’ve a short time for to be here and a long while to be gone” I hear  a mi-fa ostanato, like the ticking of a clock.  That’s it.  That is the point of the whole thing.   I was there when everything was recorded, but I could not hear it yet.  He knew it all along, and played it without comment, patiently waiting for my ears to catch up.  Sneaky bastard.

Killer.

I am so blessed to be working with this man.

Thank you, John.  I love you.

Frontieer green on an In-N-Out double-double. That’s livin’!

You know your friends love you when they bring you the XL tub of roasted frozen green chili from the Frontieer!  John flew in for the show at McCabes Sunday morning with 56 oz. of love packed in his suitcase. And a special treat for my girls- Cow Patties!

The final Frontier Rolls, aka “Cow Patties”!

Our hero, Richard Fultineer had drums to loan John for the show!  Thank you Richard!!!  He needed to drop them off at 9 am, which is  before McCabes opens and right when John’s plane was arriving.  I dropped Daniel off with coffee, a cajon to sit on and his coronet, so he could practice his licks while awaiting hand-off .  Revilee for the neighborhood.

Alley Cat

We had a great show, and are happy to report that the Kickstarter campaign is now in full swing!  You can pre-order the CD or book us for a kid’s party with your pledge… even download a single song!  Check it out HERE!  I am touched by the first donors who have jumped in.  So many folks from the Kindie world are showing support, and it means the world to me.  Every  pledge brings me a smile of gratitude and gets us that much closer to getting this baby pressed.

We had some crazy rehearsals for the tour (FYI- the canjo will be in heavy rotation this spring) and ate through the whole tub of chili in under 4 days.  We visited preschools, saw the ocean, walked the Venice canals, visited LACMA, drank beer and cooked amazing meals.  Now I can’t wait till the tour starts in 2 weeks!

But first I will be taking a detour up to Northern Cal for the West Coast Ukulele retreat, teaching and playing for a week at Asilomar State Beach.  Lots of work, but also kind of a vacation.

I’ll tell you all about it, stay tuned.

Help us kick “My Cup of Tea” in gear!

Come out to the happiest place on earth (for music), we are gonna have a HECK of a show!  Two original Sukey Jump Band members from New Mexico, Daniel Ward and John Bartlit,  will be playing, plus Danny Moynahan and his fantastic singing saw and OTHER SPECIAL SURPRISE GUESTS!

We will be playing songs from the new CD, and as always, bring your ukulele!  Join us on stage for a few numbers.

There will be a RAFFLE and PRIZES, too!

All this to kick off our KICKSTARTER campaign.  If you haven’t heard of Kickstarter, allow me to introduce you to a great way to pre-order our new album, “My Cup Of Tea” while helping us get it made.  Kickstarter is a tool to help artists self produce.  Fans and friends can be part of the process, getting great rewards like a download of an unreleased song for only $2!!!!  CLICK HERE to check out our project.  You can hear a few of the songs from the CD, see some pictures of the process, get an idea of what the amazing cover art is going to look like.

I am so proud of this project.  We are mixing songs and getting everything ready for duplication.  Every day when I listen to the new cuts I am flooded with joy.  The music is far bigger, richer and wilder then I ever had hoped. There are out-of-control dance party songs,  There are simple songs which help in processing our big emotions.   There are songs to make you laugh and songs which give us a way to connect with other cultures.  Pop and Funk and Folk and World and Latin.

The instrumentation is huge- horn sections, marimba, tuba, children’s choir…

We would love to see you at McCabes- grab a posse and come on down!

(I am doing a exclamation point count…  looks like I am excited.  I can’t bring myself to remove a one of ‘em.)

Nice house! Let’s fill it!

Once again, Oklahoma is way more then OK.  We have added 6 shows in libraries to the spring tour, including TWO shows at Connor’s Cove, a delicious theatre at the Hardesty Branch

TULSA

Tuesday, May 21

Connor’s Cove, 11 am and 2:30 pm

Hardesty Regional Library

8316 E. 93^rd St Tulsa, OK 74133

Wednesday, May 22

10:30 am  Charles Page Library

551 E. 4^th St  Tulsa  OK   74063

2:00 pm    Kishner Library

10150 N Cincinnati Ave Tulsa OK   74073

Thursday, May 23

11:00 am Central Library

400 Civic Center Tulsa OK   74103

2:00 pm Schusterman-Benson Library

3333 E 32^nd Pl

Tulsa OK   74135

Girls just want to have fun

A One-Day workshop for so-called “grown-ups” on Sunday, April 14

and TWO series for families, on opposite sides of LA, both beginning on Saturday the 13th!

“C” you there!

First, I return to McCabes to teach another fun-filled-four-week session of the UKUlear Family, four consecutive Saturdays, starting on April 13th at 10:30 am. (There will be a kid’s concert at McCabes on April 28th, and I would love if my students would bring their ukes and join the band ON STAGE AT MCCABES for a number or two!)

Then…  the same day, April 13th, all the way out in EAGLE ROCK we’ll commence a three-week series at the Green Bean. After the third and final class on April 27th there will be a CONCERT, and students will be asked to join me playing and singing on a few numbers, the delight and amazement of their friends and relatives and a roaring crowd.

BUT WAIT, there’s more:

Sunday, April 14… THIS SUNDAY from 3 to 5 pm – a one day workshop at The Audition Studio in Brentwood.   This class is skewed towards actors and other life-of-the-party sorts.  We will learn uke basics and then play with musical improvisation formats.  These are great party games to play with friends and are easier then you might think.

If you aren’t laughing, I ain’t doing my job!

Grab your hatchet and hit one of these classes.  Is yours missing strings? kinda messed up? I’ll fix it for you if I can!  Send me a message letting me know what’s up and come early.  Don’t have your own ukulele yet?   I will lend you one. (concert, not tenor) First come-first served.

COME ON OUT AND PLAY!

Suck it up!

We will be hitting the road and launching a Kickstarter campaign concurrently . Our new CD “My Cup of Tea” is in the works, and there will be updates next week from NM on the final vocal tracks we will be laying down at Third Eye Studio in Tijeras.

But we wanted to give you a HEADS UP about the dates we will be playing because we would LOVE to see you! (and bring your ukulele, while your at it!)

We will be in 5 states, from California to Missouri, starting in LA and ending in the Kansas City area.

Craig and his tuba will be joining us at Jiggle Jam!

The Kickstarter campaign is to raise funds for the duplication and production of the new CD.  Pre-ordering the CD through the campaign is a great way to reserve your  autographed copy and show your support for independantly produced music.  There will be some amazing premiums offered, so make sure you check out the really cool and unique rewards we will be offering.

CALIFORNIA

Saturday, April 27

The Green Bean

5060 Eagle Rock Blvd

Los Angeles, CA   90041

Sunday, April  28

McCabes Guitar Shop

3101 W Pico Blvd

Los Angeles, CA  90405

NEW MEXICO

GALLUP, NM

El Morro Theatre

207 W Coal Ave, Gallup NM 87301

Friday, May 17 School Show

Saturday, May 18 1pm Public Show

Albuquerque, NM

Sunday, May 19

Albuquerque Center for Spiritual Living

2801 Louisiana Blvd NE  Albuquerque, NM 87106

OKLAHOMA

(Tulsa/OK City May 20-23)

Dates/TBA

MISSOURI/KANSAS

KANSAS CITY, MO

Friday, May 24 10:30 am

Wonderscope Children’s Museum of Kansas City

5700 King, Shawnee, KS 66203

JIGGLE JAM  Kansas City, MO

Saturday, May 25

Garage Tent   9:30-10a.

Jiggle stage  10:15-11am

Sunday, May 26

Club JJ  WORKSHOP 11:45-12:15

Garage Tent 3:30-4

Wednesday, May 29 12 noon

Emporia Public Library

110 E. 6th Ave. Emporia, KS 66801

Thursday, May 30  10 am and 2 pm

Derby Library

1600 E. Walnut Grove -Derby, KS 67037

Thursday, May 30th at 7:00 p.m.

Rose Hill Public Library,

306 N Rose Hill Rd.

Friday, May 31, 11 am

McPherson Library

214 W Marlin St McPherson, KS 67460

Friday, May 31, 6:30 pm

The Plaza Library Truman Forum Auditorium

4801 Main Street Kansas City, MO 64112

Welcome to my on-line uke salon!

I have started posting short ukulele lessons geared towards beginners of all ages on YouTube.  How to hold the uke, your first chords, all of which feature simple and interesting songs.  Check them out and give me some feedback!

Our new CD “My Cup of Tea” is brewing nicely, and we will add final vocal tracks over spring break in Tijeras NM.  It is growing into a wild, genre bending project, and I can’t wait to share it with you.  The photoshoot with ROCKSTAR photographer Joseph Cultice was amazing.  Here are some of the characters who will be featured in the songs and on the packaging

Nobody’s business but the Turks…

Lastly we are set to announce our SPRING KICKSTARTER TOUR SCHEDULE!

(but that will have to wait for the next post!)