Sitting In
Speaking of community. At the Conservatory we learned of a benefit for a beloved bassist in the community organized by his son. The club was packed with folks pitching in for the cause. LaFrae and I were honored to take part and sat in with the band on “I Feel So Glad” by Hop Wilson […]
Recife Conservatory
On Tuesday, we spent the day at the Recife Conservatory which has been teaching music to generations of Brazilians for many years. As a matter of fact, many of the current teachers were once students at the conservatory which makes the place more then a school. It is a family. We felt right at home. […]
Blues Band Broadcast from Albania
This just in from Albania. It’s an excerpt from our Rhythm Road Tour in June where we appeared on E Diel, the live, weekly, variety show broadcast nationwide. We were knocked out by the multi-generational-over-the-top-enthusiastic reception we received there. Thanks again to our great hosts at the Embassy in Tirane and our wonderful co-sponsors at […]
Blues Band back in the U.S.
We returned to the U.S. on June 2, had a day off, then hopped the train to Washington DC for a concert at the National Geographic Society. The following day we were invited to the U.S. Department of State in Washington to discuss our trip with officials from the Department of Education and Cultural Affairs […]
Blues Band in Tirane, Albania
At this point, we are real close. There’s nothing like making music together on the road and meeting such great people along the way. Here’s the workshop at the High School for Music in Tirane. There’s such curiosity for our music here, and such great talent. The trombone professor thanked us for drawing the power […]
Blues Band in Elbasan, Albania
Our first stop in Albania was the High School for Music and Art in Elbasan. The students were super enthusiastic and supremely soulful. Here they learned the words to Healing Song: “It’s not just a song for me. Take a breath…and you will see. Why the blues has the power to be. A healing song. […]
Blues Band in Drama and Xanthi, Greece
I was struck by how deep culture and aesthetic beauty runs in this country. The town of Drama has a population of 50,000. We visited a municipal music center where 900 students participate in lessons and ensembles. Here’s a clip from our performance there. Check out the serious audience participation! Then we went to a […]
Blues Band in Anatoli and Ioannina, Greece
We arrived in Ioannina just as the sun was setting over the water. My parents honeymooned in Greece in 1965. My whole life, I’ve heard about the physical beauty of this place and it’s all true-the mountains, the sun, the water and wind. My parents portrait of Greece, however soaring, missed the most beautiful part […]
Blues Band in Niksic, Montenegro
In Niksic we realized that John Henry, the American mythical figure we sing about who goes up against the machine, has a lot in common with the men of Montenegro. Strong! Once we realized this, we sang together in harmony. Thanks to Miro for welcoming us to to the Zahumlje music and folk dance center […]
Blues Band in Podgorica, Montenegro
Our first concert in Montenegro was at the Cultural Information Center and filmed for public television. Thanks to the magnificent Maja Popovic for organizing everything. She brings a wide range of great arts programs to her center and we were honored to be a part of it. Here are some highlights from the broadcast. The […]
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