3-20-02
Hi Everybody,
We did it! We made it through the warmest winter that the Northeast has ever recorded! * The first day of spring seemed a good time to hit the keyboard and bring you up on some of the stuff that’s been going on.
We had a great trip to Jacksonville a few weeks ago. Took the "Folk Train" down the eastern seaboard and sang the night away in the club car. (See the story: Citypaper ) It turns out that the great Steve Goodman song "City of New Orleans" is the "Kumbaya" of train songs.
I did several shows down in Florida and made a lot of new friends. It looks like I'll be getting to play down there again in the not too distant future.
Wrote a couple new songs since I wrote last. One, "Minnie Lou" is posted for downloading on our front page. [see lyrics: "Minnie Lou (What the Justice Department did to the 'Spirit of Liberty' " ] I know in this time of national mission we’re a little less inclined to poke fun at our government officials but, to me, the story of Mr. Ashcroft and the $8000 drape he had made for "The Spirit of Liberty" statue at the Justice Department was just too hard to resist. No matter what side of the political aisle you plant it in, I hope you’ll agree that (to paraphrase Forest Gump -) silly is as silly does. Some folks have really seemed to enjoy the song. The wonderful folk singer, Anne Hills, heard me do "Minnie" down in Florida and told the folks at Sing Out Magazine about it. As a result, Sing Out will include the words and music in their upcoming summer issue. (I’ve gone from being published in Country Song Round Up to Sing Out Magazine. What a strange journey it’s been!)
We’re getting set to do our annual Camp Dreamcatcher benefit. It’ll take place on April 29th at The Point and feature, along with me, Phil Roy and Antye. My friends know about Dreamcatcher and the work they do. This summer camp for children whose lives have been assaulted by AIDS/HIV is a beautiful, healing place in an all to often indifferent world. It is a cause that is very close to my heart. I ran into Phil Roy in Jacksonville and when I told him about the show and our need, he volunteered on the spot. (Pretty soon performers are gonna start running when they see me coming!) Antye was at The Point with Mr. Roy and me (and a host of others) for the big 9/11 show back in the fall. I’ve been aware of her talent practically since she was a little kid and I’m very excited that she and Phil will be sharing their astonishing gifts with us. The ticket price is a little steep for a show that I’m singing in but please know that it ALL goes to this wonderful cause. I hope you’ll be there if you can.
Usually, feeling guilty about not writing in so long, I kind of dash this note off and slap it up on the page. Then as the first few days go by, I make some changes. (Much like my songs…) Anyway, Beth is waiting for me to go to BJs with her (where else can you buy 45 pound bags of frozen succotash?) so I’ll close now (and edit later). I hope you’re doing well.
Pray for some more rain (and a roof that doesn't leak).
John
* The front page of the New York Times today showed satellite images of an ice shelf the size of Rhode Island that completely disintegrated during the last few weeks on the Antarctic Peninsula. Scientists called the speed of the event stunning.