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When not busking in Amsterdam's famous Leidseplein Square or playing in various local pubs, Robin tours internationally - check the list below to see when he will be performing in a town near you!
DATE |
VENUE |
LOCATION |
| Dec. 30, 2007 | Duende Dos 10 pm |
Amsterdam, NL |
| Dec. 9, 2007 | Duende Dos 10 pm |
Amsterdam, NL |
| Nov. 17, 2007 | Theatre Het Perron 8 pm |
Amsterdam, NL |
| Nov. 8, 2007 | Jazz Cafe Alto 10 pm |
Amsterdam, NL |
| Nov. 4, 2007 | Duende Dos 10 pm |
Amsterdam, NL |
| Oct. 19, 2007 | Woodcote Village Hall (w/ Ian Cruickshank) 8 pm |
Woodcote (near Reading) GB |
| Oct. 14, 2007 | Jazz Club 8 pm |
Bad Waldsee, DE |
| Oct. 13, 2007 | Odeon - 8 pm www.hotclubnews.de |
Augsburg, DE |
| Oct. 12, 2007 | Frankfurt Book Fair (private) | Frankfurt, DE |
| Sept. 30, 2007 | Duende Dos 9 pm |
Amsterdam, NL |
| Sept. 19-23, 2007 | Djangofest Northwest | Whidbey Island Center for Arts, Langley WA |
| Sept. 16, 2007 | 51st Mill Valley Arts Festival 4:30 pm |
Old Mill Park Mill Valley, CA 415-381-8090 |
| Sept. 15, 2007 | Nevada City Odd Fellows Hall w/ Junkyard Gypsies 8:00 pm |
212 Spring St, Nevada City, CA 95959 (530) 477-0929 |
| Sept. 14, 2007 | The Throckmorton Theatre 8:00 PM - with Fishtank Ensemble Tix: 415 383-9600 or Ticketweb.com |
142 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley CA 94941 |
| Aug. 15, 2007 | Wrexham Jazz Guitar Night | U.K. |
| Aug. 3 , 2007 | German Djangofest | Germany |
| July 28, 2007 | Denmark Djangofestival | Denmark |
| July 26, 2007 | Bimhuis (Jimmy Rosenberg DVD realease concert)
|
Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| July 15, 2007 | Blissfest | Petoskey, MI |
| July 14, 2007 | Rail House | Menonominee, WI |
| July 2, 2007 | Festival International de Jazz de Montréal | Montréal, Quebec, Canada |
| June 29-30, 2007 | TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Fest | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| June 25-28, 2007 | SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Fest | Saskatchewan, Canada |
| June 24, 2007 | TD Canada Trust Vancouver International Jazz Fest | Vancouver, BC, Canada |
| June 22-23, 2007 | Victoria Jazzfest International | Victoria, BC, Canada |
| June 16, 2007 | Chocolate Church | 798 Washington St. Bath, ME |
| June 15, 2007 | Mill Pond Center for the Arts | Durham, New Hampshire |
| June 14, 2007 - 7 PM | deLightningPluck! RNT w/ Ameranouche $25/15 advance, $28/18 door |
Wellesley Congregational Church, 2 Central St, Wellesley, MA |
| June 12, 2007 | Don Quixotes | Felton CA |
| June 9, 2007 | Gypsy Jazz Guitar Night! Odd Fellows Hall |
212 Spring St. Nevada City |
| June 8, 2007 | Mission City Coffee Roasting Company www.fiddlingcricket.com |
2221 The Alameda, Santa Clara |
| June 6, 2007 | Amnesia - 8:00 pm | San Francisco, USA |
| Nov. 8-11, 2006 | Cafe Rosenberg | Reykjavik, Iceland |
| Nov. 5, 2006 | Gypsy Festival (w/ the Basily Family) |
Rijswijk, Holland |
| Oct 18, 2006 | Amnesia | San Francisco, USA |
| Sept. 1, 2006 | Copenhagen, Denmark (w/ Walter Clerici) |
Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Mar. 16, 2006 | The Elephant Room - 8:45 PM | 315 Congress Ave, Austin, Texas |
| Mar. 16, 2006 | South by Southwest (with Brandi Shearer) |
Austin, Texas |
| Feb. 1-2, 2006 | Bimbos 365 Club - 8:00 PM | 1025 Columbus Ave, San Francisco CA |
| Jan. 29, 2006 | The Rio Theatre - 8:00 PM | 1205 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz CA |
| Jan. 27, 2006 | The Throckmorton Theatre 8:00 PM | 142 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley CA |
| Jan. 26, 2006 | The Mystic Theatre - 8:00 PM | 23 Petaluma Ave. No, Petaluma CA |
| Jan. 20-21, 2006 | The Music Box - 8:00 PM | 6126 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood CA |
| Nov. 26, 2005 | KaamosJazz Festival - "Music Under Northern Lights" (performing as "Hot Club de Finlande") Tankavaara, Gold Village - 22.00 Tunturihotelli Lutto, Saariselkä - 23.00 |
Lappland, Finland |
| Nov. 25, 2005 | Annivers, concert, Saariselkä - 16.00 Tankavaara, Gold Village - 22.00 Saariselkä, Guksi-club - 24.00 |
Lappland, Finland |
| Nov. 12, 2005 | Cafe Rosenberg | Reykjavik, Iceland |
| Nov. 11, 2005 | Cafe Rosenberg | Reykjavik, Iceland |
| Nov. 10, 2005 | Cafe Rosenberg | Reykjavik, Iceland |
| Oct. 31, 2005 | The Blue Haven, Kinsale - 4:00 PM (w/ Ian Date) |
County Cork, Ireland |
| Oct. 30, 2005 | The Blue Haven, Kinsale - 4:00 PM The Moonduster, Crosshaven - 7:00 PM The Long Valley, Cork - 10:30 PM (w/ Ian Date) |
County Cork, Ireland |
| Oct. 29, 2005 | Farmer's Market, Midleton - 10:00 AM The Blue Haven, Kinsale - 4:00 PM Acton's Hotel, Kinsale - 7:30 PM The Long Valley, Cork - 10:30 PM (w/ Ian Date) |
County Cork, Ireland |
| Oct. 27, 2005 | Mahon Point, 11:00 AM The Long Valley, Cork - 9:30 PM (w/ Ian Date) |
County Cork, Ireland |
| Oct. 9, 2005 | Djangofest Chicago | Chicago, IL, USA |
| Oct. 8, 2005 | Leg's Inn, 9:00 pm | Cross Village, MI |
| Oct. 7, 2005 | The Rail House, 8:00 pm | Marinette, WI |
| Sept. 27-Oct. 2, 2005 | Djangofest
Northwest (w/ Brandi Shearer) |
Whidbey Island Center for Arts, Langley WA |
| Sept. 27, 2005 | Enrico's - Gypsy Djam, 7-11 pm (w/ Brandi Shearer) | 504 Broadway, San Francisco CA |
| Sept. 24, 2005 | Amoeba Music - In store performance, 3-5 pm (w/ Brandi Shearer) | 855 Haight St, San Francisco CA |
| Sept. 22, 2005 | Savanna Jazz - Django Night, 8:00 pm (w/ Brandi Shearer) | 2937 Mission Street, San Francisco |
| Sept. 17 & 18, 2005 | Austin Django Festival - Workshops | Austin, TX, USA |
| Sept. 16-18, 2005 | Austin Django Festival - Cactus Café | Austin, TX, USA |
| June 26, 2005 | California
Vintage Guitar & Amp Workshop, 2:00-4:00 pm |
5244 Van Nuys Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA |
| June 24, 2005 | Acoustic
Music San Diego 7:30-10:00 pm |
4650 Mansfield St, San Diego, CA |
| June 22, 2005 | Monroe's
Bar 8:00-11:00 pm |
8623 Melrose Ave, Hollywood, CA |
| June 21, 2005 | Spazio
Restaurant & Jazz Club John Pisano's Guitar Night, 8:00-11:00 pm |
14755 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA |
| June 19, 2005 | Amoeba
Music Instore Perfomance, 2:00-4:00 pm |
6400 Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, CA |
| June 14 & 16, 2005 | Coffee
Gallery Backstage 8:00 pm |
2029 N. Lake Ave, Altadena, CA |
| June 12, 2005 | DjangoFest
San Francisco Workshop, 12:00-2:00 pm Performance, 8:00 pm |
Little Fox, Redwood City, CA |
| June 11, 2005 | DjangoFest
San Francisco Performance, 3:00 pm |
Little Fox, Redwood City, CA |
| June 10, 2005 | DjangoFest
San Francisco Workshop, 4:00-6:00 pm |
Little Fox, Redwood City, CA |
| June 9, 2005 - 4-6 pm | Amoeba
Music Perfomance & Recording Session |
6400 Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, CA |
| June 8, 2005 | Enrico's - DFSF Gypsy Jam Night | Redwood City, CA |
| June 6, 2005 - 8:00-11:30 pm | Cooper
Saloon (with Howard Alden) |
235 Commercial St, Nevada City, CA |
| June 5, 2005 - 8:00-11:00 pm | Iron
Door Saloon (with Howard Alden) |
18761 Main Street, Groveland, CA |
| June 2-3, 2005 - 8:00-11:00 pm | Monterey Live (with Howard Alden) |
401 Pearl, Monterey CA |
| June 1, 2005 - 8:00-11:00 pm | Don Quixotes (with Howard Alden) |
6275 Highway 9, Felton, CA |
| March 26, 2005 | Gainesville Jazz Festival | Savannah Grand, Gainesville, FL |
| March 25, 2005 | Heidi's Jazz Club | 7 N. Orlando Ave, Cocoa Beach, FL |
| March 21, 2005 | Leonardo's | 706 West University Ave, Gainesville, FL |
| March 18, 2005 | Clinic & Performance | Sante Fe Community College, FL |
| March 14, 2005 | Leonardo's | 706 West University Ave, Gainesville, FL |
| March 13, 2005 | Cafe Montmartre | 127 East Mifflin St, Madison, WI |
| March 12, 2005 | Cafe Montmartre | 127 East Mifflin St, Madison, WI |
| March 11, 2005 | Clark Place | 1009 Clark St, Stevens Point, WI |
| March 6, 2005 | The Coffee Gallery Backstage (626) 398-7917 |
2029 N. Lake, Altadena, CA |
| March 4, 2005 | AcousticMusicSanDiego.com (619) 303-8176 |
4650 Mansfield Street, San Diego, CA |
| Feb. 26-27, 2005 | DjangoFest Los Angeles | Laguna Beach, CA |
| Feb. 02, 2005 | Cafe Rosenberg | Reykjavik, Iceland |
| Feb. 01, 2005 | Cafe Rosenberg - w/ Daniel Lapp | Reykjavik, Iceland |
| Feb. 01, 2005 | Workshop (Cafe Rosenberg - 1:00 PM) | Reykjavik, Iceland |
| Jan. 30, 2005 | Vestmannaeyjar (where they had the volcano in '76!) - w/ Daniel Lapp | Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland |
| Jan. 29, 2005 | Cafe Rosenberg - w/ Daniel Lapp | Reykjavik, Iceland |
| Jan. 28, 2005 | Akureyri - w/ Daniel Lapp | Akureyri, Iceland |
| Jan. 27, 2005 | Isafjordur - w/ Daniel Lapp | Isafjordur, Iceland |
| Jan. 5, 2005 | Jam Session Sabadell | Barcelona, Spain |
| Dec. 28, 29, 30, 2004 | Limon Negro | Barcelona, Spain |
| Dec. 22, 2004 | Little Italy | Barcelona, Spain |
| Oct. 17-18, 2004 | Le Quecumbar | London, England |
| Oct. 9, 2004 | Argon-Lounge | Augsburg,Germany |
| Oct. 1-3, 2004 | DjangoFest Northwest | Langley WA, USA |
| Sept. 1-13, 2004 | Sapporo and Osaka, Japan | Sapporo and Osaka, Japan |
| Aug, 2004 | Busker's Festival | Ferrara, Italy |
| Aug, 2004 | Cafe Rosenberg - w/ Daniel Lapp | Reykjavik, Iceland |
| July 8, 2004 | Montreal Jazz Festival, Carrefour/Stage General Motors | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| July 2, 2004 | Laclu (outside Kenora), Ontario, Canada | Laclu (outside Kenora), Ontario, Canada |
| June 28, 2004 | Bushwakker Brewpub | Regina, Saskatoon, Canada |
| June 27, 2004 | Chapel Gallery | North Battleford, Saskatoon, Canada |
| June 26, 2004 | Saskatoon Jazz Festival (Supporting Jesse Cook) | Saskatoon, Canada |
| June 24-25, 2004 | Winnipeg Jazz Festival - Pockets Bar & Grill, Main Floor | Winnipeg, Canada |
| June 20, 2004 | Acoustic Guitar Network | Northampton, MA, USA |
| June 18, 2004 | Chocolate Church Arts Centre | Bath, ME, USA |
| June 14, 2004 | Alberta Street Public House | Portland, OR, USA |
| June 11-13, 2004 | DjangoFest San Francisco | Redwood City, USA |
| June 8-9, 2004 | Jazz Alley | Seattle, USA |
| Feb. 14, 2004 | Le Quecumbar | London, England |
| Feb. 14, 2004 - 1-4 PM | Le Quecumbar Guitar Workshop | London, England |
| Feb. 13, 2004 | Le Quecumbar | London, England |
| Feb. 11, 2004 | Beaufort Hotel | Ormskirk, England |
| Feb. 10, 2004 | Guitar Workshop (evening) | Ormskirk, England |
| Feb. 7, 2004 | Kettlehuis | Akureyri, Iceland |
| Feb. 6, 2004 | Cafe Rosenberg | Reykjavik, Iceland |
| Feb. 5, 2004 | Cafe Rosenberg | Reykjavik, Iceland |
| Jan. 3, 5/2004 - 10.30 PM | Harlem Jazz Club Tel: 93 726 1030 |
C/Comtessa De Sobradiel 8, BARCELONA, Spain |
| Dec. 29, 2003 - 10.30 PM | Harlem Jazz Club Tel: 93 726 1030 |
C/Comtessa De Sobradiel 8, BARCELONA, Spain |
| Dec. 28, 2003 - 9 PM | Sala Mozart | C/Esglesia 91, CALELLA, Spain |
| Dec. 27, 2003 - 10.30 PM | Harlem Jazz Club Tel: 93 726 1030 |
C/Comtessa De Sobradiel 8, BARCELONA, Spain |
| Dec. 26, 2003 | Jam Session
Sabadell Tel: 93 726 1030 |
Raval De Dins 12, SABADELL, Spain |
| Dec. 23, 2003 - 10.30 PM | Harlem Jazz Club Tel: 93 726 1030 |
C/Comtessa De Sobradiel 8, BARCELONA, Spain |
| Nov. 29, 2003 | Music Academy- Duo guitar concert with Tcha Limberger | Kortrijk, Belgium |
| Oct. 11, 2003 | Augsburg, Germany | Augsburg, Germany |
| Oct. 2-5, 2003 | DjangoFest Northwest | Langley WA, USA |
| July, 2003 | Lincoln Center | New York City, NY, USA |
| June 27, 2003 | 24th Annual Django Reinhardt Festival | Samois-sur-Seine, France |
| May, 2003 | 11th Annual Django Memorial Concert | Augsburg, Germany |
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Camp Nolan - Sept. 19-21, DjangoFest Northwest
Join the Robin Nolan Trio for a three-day immersion into Gypsy Jazz techniques as taught by the master, Robin Nolan. Drawing on their experience of doing hundreds of workshops around the world for the last ten years, Robin, Kevin and Simon will break it down and make it accessible to all. No matter what your level you will benefit from these sessions and come away playing actual songs, learning the way the Gypsies do, by showing and doing, no complicated ‘technique’ or theory needed.
Absolute Beginners - Wed. Sept. 19, 12-4:00pm
The first day will be especially geared for players new to the style. Emphasis will be placed on the chord structures, basic rhythms, intros, outros, heads and the other necessary elements to start playing songs. All levels are welcome and the class will be tailored to meet everyone’s needs. This is an opportunity for any player to check their fundamentals and make sure their basics are in order.
Beginning Intermediate - Thurs. Sept. 20, 12-4:00pm
The next day will focus on the basics of improvisation, taught the way Robin has made famous in his ‘Licks’ series, by learning actual interchangeable licks that will enable the player to start ‘soloing’ immediately. Those who want to stick with the rhythm are encouraged to do so as Kevin will be there to assist those who want to refine and perfect their ‘pompe’.
Intermediate Advanced - Fri. Sept. 21, 10-12 pm
The final session will be the chance for the players who have a few tricks down to learn a few more and get warmed up for the weekend Djam sessions ahead. Latin Rhythms, rhythm accents, tricky breaks and endings will be some of the areas covered. And of course, the players from the previous sessions will have an opportunity to demonstrate what they’ve learned.
Take them all or take the one that most appeals to you. Here is a unique opportunity to get warmed up before the weekend starts and spend some time playing and hanging out with some of the stars of the genre. Robin literally wrote the book(s) on this style (The Gypsy Jazz Songbook and Play Along CD volumes 1-6 and Licks vol 1) and Kevin and Simon are considered among the best. As always, Robin’s workshops are guaranteed to improve your playing or your money back. Robin, Kevin and Simon will also be available for private lessons or sessions on these days.
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USA TOUR - Fall 2003
Monday 15th September - Chicago, Illinois
Arrived
at Chicago's O'Hare airport after a pretty long 9 hour flight from Amsterdam with
John Friedrichs and Simon Planting who are making up my trio for this Stateside
tour.
We took a taxi to John's house who is the rhythm guitarist with Swing
Gitan, Chicago's most prominent Gypsy Jazz band.
It always feels weird after
a long flight and the jet lag makes you feel totally strange but Alfonso Ponticelli
and his gang made us feel most welcome, and we had a really nice time hangin'
out as late as we could before going down hard. We jammed and the guys whipped
up a great BBQ with Polish sausages and local corn being on the menu.... we particularly
liked the delicious corn on the cobs which tasted so fresh and good.
My great
buddy Henri Falconi had also arrived from N.Y. and was set to be our camera man
and driver for this mid-western leg of the tour.
Tuesday 16th September
Had
lunch at a great Mexican joint 'Mi Lindo Pueblo' and it was so nice to be eating
authentic Mexican food again in a real Mexican joint where even the waitress asked
us if we could speak Spanish!
That afternoon we sound checked for our gig
that evening which would feature a double-bill consisting of Alfonso's band 'Swing
Gitan' and my trio.
Afterwards another restaurant! This time a great Italian
place where we all had a wonderful meal which definitely set us up for a great
night!
'Swing Gitan' opened and had a great response from the healthy crowd
which had gathered at 'Martrys' which is a really cool venue with lots of space
and a listening audience. Meanwhile we were definitely still jet lagged and hung
upstairs in the green room to catch up on some sleep.... Simon borrowed my Ozzy
t-Shirt for the gig and he definitely looked like he was in a coffin lying there
on the couch!
The gig went well and it was a buzz to play at last and we got
a standing ovation and came back and did the 'Summertime' samba special with the
tune down jam at the end. It was great to actually play in Chicago for the 1st
time and the audience made us feel most welcome.
We finished the night with
all of us on stage together for a jam and the crowd ate it up...video cameras
and digital cameras flashing away to the crazy rhythm!
Later on Alfonso took
us out to the 'Green Door' one of Chicago's hippest jazz clubs and I was fascinated
with the district where it was situated with lots of old derelict and desolate
theatres really conjuring up a ghostly feel of glamorous nights in old Chicago
gone by. We walked in to be cooled down by a superb guitarist, Mr. Brown and Co.
who were playing some cool groove tunes which reminded me of the power of the
Blues, groove and simplicity. The club was as it had been when first built and
I would love to return one night.
Alfonso drove me home via some Korean take-out
food which was actually real disappointing! However I had met a true character
and friend in Alfonso who is just like some movie character tearing around his
film-set.... Chicago!!
Wednesday 17th September - Minominee, Michegan
So
today we had a road trip ahead of us and I was surprised when Henri arrived back
from the rental car place with big powerful sporty Pontiac!! Wow!! I'd never thought
that we'd be cruising on tour in such a car.... this was going to be some fun.
Couldn't resist it and had yet another Mexican fix at Mi Lido Pueblo so we were
set up and ready to go.
Our destination was Minominee, a small town situated
on the north shores of lake Michigan and home to my good friends Mike Kettu his
wife Chris and Bruce and Maria Braggonier. It took us about 5 hours and we kept
ourselves amused by listening to various Country music stations cracking up in
hysterics at the unbelievable lyrics.... like "It's OK to be a red-neck,
keep sippin' on your Bud" or "If God had a front porch.... he'd be crackin'
a beer or two..."
We arrived around 6pm and the guys were blown away
with Mike Kettu's place.... Situated in the middle of some forests it really is
a piece of paradise.... so far from anywhere. Mike and his wife welcomed us into
their cozy little cottage and it really did feel like coming home.
We all
went for a walk and we ended up spotting a Black Bear, a Hawk and perhaps a river
Otter.... (I didn't see it).
We were treated to some delicious B.B.Q. and
fine wine so needless to say we had a wonderful sleep (Henri and I in the old
Chicken Shack!)
Thursday 18th September
Woke to a glorious
day and had coffee in the wonderful Gazebo amazed at where we found ourselves,
right in the middle of nature.
We didn't have to play tonight so we just 'hung'
and took a trip into town and generally relaxed.
Henri made killer spicy Lentils
for dinner again washed down with superb red wine. I must add that Mike and Chris
certainly enjoy the good things in life to the max.... we were in good hands!!
Friday 19th September
I shot some pool with Henri in the games room today and
I must say he had the 'run of the balls' so I was frustrated and looked forward
to what I do best.... play the guitar!
The gig is run by the Wild Rice Concerts
organisation and it is definitely one of my favourite stops during the touring
year. We performed in Bruce and Maria's splendid mansion situated right on the
lake to an enthusiastic audience of local people where the atmosphere is really
special and unique. We had a great gig and met a lot of new fans who really appreciated
us coming out to perform for them. It really is a mutually gratifying gig and
everyone had a great time.
Saturday 20th September
The big
event of the day was the launching of a new ferry which was destined for the Staten
Island crossing in New York. Crowds gathered in expectation of the launch and
of New York city Mayor Bloomberg who was to ingratiate himself upon the proceedings.
I was waiting on a smelly mud bank with dead fish and in fact missed the photo
op. As the boat without warning slid and splashed into the water, and as i fumbled
with my digital camera, the crowds were already dispersing, all probably mumbling
under their breathes what a waste of time it had all been!
The concert that
night was just as great and we all played well.... I introduced the 'Wild Rice
Blues' song back into the repertoire with hilarity in ecclesia! To encourage the
audience to really give it a good yeeeehaaaa!!! I promised a free 'Live in Samois'
CD for the loudest 'Yeehaaa' and that's where the fun began! There were some almighty
stentorian cries from the animated folk and I really had a hard job deciding the
winner.... Luckily I spotted a young 9 year old girl who I had noticed during
the set and I walked over and raised her hand.... the winner had been found!
Later after the gig Mike had prepared a bon-fire back at his place which provided
the focal point for a great party.
Sunday 21st September - Madison, Wisconsin
Everyone
was slightly blurry eyed in the morning to say the least but the show had to go
on. Today was another road trip, this time down to Madison WI to play the 1st
DjangoFest Mid-West. It's always hard to leave our friends after sharing so much
together but the promise of a return trip certainly makes it easier.
I caught
a ride with Bruce Bragonnier and the boys rode in the Pontiac with the Falcon
at the wheel. It was real nice chatting with Bruce for the 3 hour trip and we
discussed many things from guitars and music to health care systems and married
life! Bruce is a special person who certainly gives a lot to this world.
The
venue for the festival is a barn situated in the middle of Madison's famous corn-fields
where a regular concert series 'Art in the Barn' is held. The line up included
Alfonso's 'Swing Gitan' and the 'Harmonious Wail', Sims and Maggie's band from
Madison. There are some horse stables situated close by where our green room was
so I took the opportunity to say hello to the horses and they made me most welcome!
It was a buzz to see the Fonz (Alfonso) and his crew again and by this time we
were all old friends.
The gig was wild with all the audience sitting on straw
bails and needless to say the 'Yeeeehaaaaa!' song went down a treat with another
lucky winner of the CD! The concert was recorded and may come out on CD so stay
tuned to Sims' website.
Afterwards we all went down to a great Mexican restaurant in Madison and had a
fantastic feast and a great time. Again it was time for a goodbye to Bruce who
had to drive back home to Minonmonee.... so until next time my friend!
We
all went back a Sims and Maggies' house and we had a night cap before bed.
Monday 22nd September
Today was a shopping day down in Madison which has a
really cute downtown all situated around the Capital Hill. Simon and John both
bought some Converse All Stars and we just wandered up and down the High Street
and checked out the wonderful University campus. I gave a lesson to a young guitarist
later on who had a Delle 'Arte Jimmy Rosenberg guitar and then it was time for
yet another delicious B.B.Q. I must add that Sims really is a master of the B.B.Q.
so I knew we were in for a treat.
Of course we needed refreshments for such
a feast and Sims took us to a huge supermarket which sold everything under the
sun in abundance.... including beer. That's where the tempers started flaring
as the R.N.T. and Henri argued over the choices. Simon and John had certainly
had enough of the American beers and were in search of something more familiar....
namely Heineken! Henri was appalled that they could ignore the range of local
Micro-Breweries in favour of a nasty mass produced product such as Heineken.
We went our separate ways and individually selected what we wanted for the evening
(I went for the Japanese beer 'Sapporo').
There was only one way to find out
who was right and that was a beer-tasting test. Each beer was presented in a wooden
cup and each contestant had to determine which beer was in which cup and also
highlight their favourite.... I won't bore you with the results but check
out the photos!
Tuesday 23rd September
The guys had decided
to head down to Chicago to check out the down town scene but I wanted to spend
another day with my good friends Sims and Maggie. I gave a guitar lesson to their
son Henry and it was good fun.... it's nice to teach young minds and he picked
up a lot. Then a lesson to Tom who plays guitar in Harmonious Wail who had recently
acquired a Robert Aylward guitar and we had some fun. It's a conducive household
to teach and play music in and I love the sound of Maggie giving her singing lessons....
really comforting and soothing.
That night we went to check out my friend
Bob Westafall's band who do the Grisman thing which I really enjoy. I got to play
a couple of numbers with them and so did Sims and I really enjoyed the good company
and good music.
Wednesday 24th September - Bolder, Colorado
Again
another good-bye and I had tears in my eyes as I boarded the trusty Van Gaalen
bus, destination Chicago's O-Hare airport. I met Simon and John at the check-in
counter and we went to catch our flight to Denver.
Flying into Denver you
really noticed the huge change in terrain and landscape and the thing that strikes
you most as you peer out of your little window is how dry and parched everything
is. It's a special place where the great plains of America meet the awesome Rocky
Mountains.
My good friend Professor Jerry Rudy greeted us at arrivals and
drove us back to his place which is situated in the foothills of the Rockies just
outside Boulder. He gave us a whole house to stay in and it really was an amazing
place with views out onto the plains and in the distance the skyline of Denver.
Before we new it there were guitarists and mandolin players arriving and after
a great meal (guess what.... B.B.Q.!!) had a jam session with Jerry who has recently
started playing Django style guitar and his friends. We were real tired and hit
the hay well before mid-night.
Thursday 25th September
I awoke
at dawn to an incredible red sky and just lay there taking in the spectacular
sunrise. Boulder rarely has rain and the altitude is 1 mile above sea level making
the air thinner and also very dry with zero humidity. After breakfast Jerry took
us down to his faculty at the University of Boulder where he is a Professor of
Psychology. He is a real guitar fan and it was great to see his office decorated
with so many pictures of guitars and Django. The campus is really beautiful and
I really couldn't imagine a better location to study.
The Buffalo is the University
symbol and it sadly reminded me of the fact that the Buffalo used to graze these
pastures in abundance, but along with the Native people of this land had been
eradicated in the name of progress.
Later on Jerry introduced us to a friend
of his, Barrone, who after a great Louisiana style lunch in a House of Blues took
us for a short tour up in the Rockies. I really wanted to see the hotel in Ester
Park where the film starring Jack Nicholson 'The Shining' had been shot. It really
is a spectacular hotel with incredible views and I somehow didn't feel as scared
as I had been when watching the movie!!
This part of the world is truly beautiful
and I feel so privileged to get to have experiences like these.
Jerry's neighbour
Dan had invited us up to his place for dinner and we arrived just as the sun was
setting and I managed to take a couple of pics. His wife had prepared a curried
salmon dish which was out of this world.... yum! I can still taste it!
Of
course a jam followed dinner and Dan impressed me with his nice mandolin playing.
I was getting a taste for the Grisman sound and he generously gave me two of Grisman's
CDs to check out.
It's funny how after the day being so hot you need to wrap
up at night as a chill descends upon the foothils of the great Rocky Mountains.
28, 29, 30th September - Austin, Texas
Arriving in lush Austin is always
an amazing feeling and after the desert of Colorado it was great to see an abundance
of green and a healthy flowing river.
Larry my good friend picked us up from
the airport and took us straight to the gig where we were to play that night.
I had played the Continental Club the year before so knew what was in store. It's
been a music venue since the 50's and has the feel and vibe of a million Honky
Tonks gone by.
The gig was fine and we met Luke Hill who has a Gypsy Jazz
band in town. Later on in the same club we were blown away with a guitarist named
'Redd Volkert' who is a telecaster picker and was the best thing I'd seen in a
long time. It was one of the best nights of my life soaking up the music in the
Austin atmosphere (and a few Coronas!).
We gave a workshop the next day and
had a lot of fun with the guitarists who came along. Also jammed with Luke Hill
and a great young guitarist from Buenos Aires, Gonzales, who totally blew us away
with his mastery of the 'Rosenberg' style!
We went out on the town to 6th
Street with our fantastic hosts Larry and Robin who took us around a few of the
amazing live music clubs, where there are great players playing every night of
the week.... what a scene!
The Austin experience wouldn't have been the same
without picking up a pair of 'boots' so we all chose a pair and I must say I've
hardly taken them off since!
Wednesday 1st October - Seattle, Washington
Simon
Planting had left back to Amsterdam from Austin and John and I had continued on
to the last part of our American adventure flying up to Seattle.
We were greeted
at the airport by my good friend Doug McKenna whom we had actually first met in
Iceland a couple of years ago when he attended our Icelandic workshop. We also
met back up with the Falcon who had just flown in from New York.
As Simon
had gone I had invited Ari Munk up from San Francisco who plays bass with Paul
Mehling's band H.C.S.F. and we met back at Doug's place where we rehearsed and
enjoyed yet another delicious BBQ. We were also joined by Neil Andersson from
the group 'Pearl Django' who is a good friend and fine guitar player.
Thursday 2nd October
After a hearty breakfast we all drove (I with Neil) to catch
the ferry to Whidbey Island for DjangoFest
Northwest meeting a few festival goers on the ferry. The festival itself is
held in Langley and is a 20 minute drive once you land on Whidbey Island (a 15
minute ferry ride).
We were scheduled to play the Friday night, Sat night
and Sunday afternoon as well as 3 workshops so we had the night off to enjoy the
start of the festival.
Friday 3rd October
Today I gave a 'Licks'
workshop at the Country Cottages (the best places to stay for the fest) and it
was a challenge with so many guitarists (22) packed into a little room, but after
a while we were all learning the new licks and having fun. I really enjoy these
workshops and it's a nice opportunity to meet everyone.
That afternoon I met
with Alain Cola from Delle 'Arte instruments and he gave me a choice of 2 brand
new D.A. 'Robin Nolan' signature models to choose from. They were both beautiful
so hard to pick!
Later we played our very 1st concert with Ari and I really
really enjoyed it feeling quite proud of the trio.
As is customary at this
festival (which is actually organised by an old friend of mine Nick Lehr) everyone
heads down to the 'Dog House' for some serious jammin' and serious drinkin' after
the official bands have finished. Needless to say a late night was had and many
new friends made!
Saturday 4th October
At noon I gave my 2nd
workshop which again was a lot of fun and it was nice as my good friend Ira sat
in on the proceedings.
That afternoon was spent wandering around the beautiful
little village bumping into characters like Patrick Saussois, Archtop Eddy, Pat
C, Angelo Debarre, Ted G, etc etc and it really was a wonderful day.
There
was something special in the feel of Saturday night and before we played I new
it would be fantastic.... after the 1st note we played we all grinned at one another
and just let the music flow! We were joined on fiddle by the young and talented
Michael Fraser for a number and he brought the house down. We finished with our
samba rendition of 'Summertime' which turned into a great jam at the end and wrapped
up one of the most enjoyable sets I'd ever done.
It was really fantastic that
Angelo Debarre was present at the festival and to listen to him conjure his sublime
magic on the guitar was pure bliss.... what a player!
Well it was another
Dog House mission and it seems impossible to have too much fun!
Sunday 5th October
I forgot to add that Alfonz and his crew from Chicago were
representing for the festival and needless to say they had a lot of deserved success
and we had some truly great times together.... go Alfonso! Also to see Patrick
Saussois play with Pearl Django was a highlight especially as my friend Dudley
Hill was also representing.... nice one Dudley!
I taught my final workshop
then straight over to play our last performance at the matinee. It was impossible
to recreate the magic of the last night but we sailed through a great set with
John rippin' it up on the rhythm!
What a great festival it is and I think
it will just get better and better. Hats off to you Nick for doing such a great
job. Also to W.I.C.A. for hosting and making everything run so smoothly.... c.u.
next year!
Monday 6th October
We had our last night of the tour free in Seattle where we had amazing Thai food and went down to Michael H's Monday Night jam session. It was a great way to finish a tour and play and relax with friends. Ed Cotton was also there as were many festival goers and we had a great time.
Tuesday 7th October
4.30am wake up call and the beginning of a grueling journey back to Amsterdam for John and I. We flew from Seattle to Washington D.C. then on to Amsterdam, arriving back home 18 hours later.
Till
the next time!
-Robin