Sunday, April 13, 2014

A Perfect NY Sunday

 
Went to a reading by my good friend Sari Botton today at Housing Works on Crosby Street.  Sari is an extremely gifted writer and I do whatever I can to support her.  It’s a breath of fresh air to attend an event that involves a friend that isn’t music related (although I love going to see my friends play music as well). The topic was essentially NY apartment nightmare stories.

I tried my hand at film making!  Well, I am exaggerating, but I did film her reading with an app on my phone called 8 millimeter and it has a lot of fun filters to play with.   I heard that part of “Searching for Sugarman” was filmed on a phone using this app, but admittedly I can’t verify that.  Anyway, I used the “70s” filter.  It was a great reading:  here it is: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ch55zffr6karpxx/IMG_2251.MOV

In other news, all the artwork for the new cd is done and promotion for the tour in Europe has started.  One of the venues, Kulturforum Weissenbach, posts a picture of me almost every day and tags me in the post.  I must seem EXTREMELY narcissistic.  But it’s not me posting…  Really, it’s not!

I feel like I’ve been given a 2nd chance with this tour/new cd.  The cd was made possible by a grant from the Chengzong Foundation.  Look it up, pretty cool (http://www.czfoundation.org/)  This foundation has given support mostly to schools but is now branching out to artists.  In addition to the grant, the founder of the Chengzong Foundation took a film class and made a documentary about me for his class, which is pretty good!  I’ll post that soon.  I can’t believe how lucky I am to have received these gifts.  When I was half way through finishing the cd, I called my European agent (Peter Walser) and said it was time to do another tour.  It had been seven years since I was last there.  And he agreed. 

We have about 15 shows booked plus a few workshops.  Peter and the label over there (Sowiesound) want to record a blues cd with me and the two guys I’ll be touring with, Klaus Kircher (bass) and Robert Kainar (drums).  I can’t express how lucky I feel to have these opportunities.  I’ve been playing guitar and mandolin for a lot of other folks and subbing on Broadway. I love doing that and hope to be able to continue.  But it is quite an honor for someone to say, “we like your tunes, we want to market you as a guitarist, etc.”  After seven years, it’s a huge honor.

In preparation for the tour, I’ve purchased “throat coat”.  The minute I land we start rehearsing and the tour/recording schedule is pretty intense.  I might have a day off in three weeks…I have to really take care of myself, particularly my voice.

Ok, that’s enough for now.  Time to walk the dog.


1 comment:

  1. Ann, it's alway a great pleasure for us having you here in Europa.
    We are all grateful working for an artist like you!
    (MUSIC ART CONSULTING)

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