Great gigs, with great folks

'53 Swingbillies trio

I’ve had a very exciting couple of weeks! This photo was taken at a National Night Out event in Minneapolis. I was joined by Tom Schaefer on fiddle and Dean Harrington on guitar. We played some swing, some gypsy jazz, some bebop and some Western Swing, and about 10 minutes after we finished, the skies opened up! With some help, all the PA and band equipment got safely stowed, but it was quite exciting!! I also played with the Daddy Squeeze band in River Falls, WI. It was a gorgeous night, right by the riverwalk.

I’ve been really lucky to meet some of the world’s finest players, and guitarist extraordinaire Richard Smith is one of them. If he’s not the best Chet Atkins/Jerry Reed style player in the world, he’s far ahead of the guy in second place! I got to join him, along with my good friend Jon Garon (of My Favorite Guitars) at a house concert, then again with Jarrod, Tyler and David Walker from Florida – also fabulous pickers, and great guys. We’re going to repeat tonight, then it’s on to Larryfest in WI tomorrow and Friday, where I also get to play with the one and only Clay Hess! What a ride!