Posted by bevans on Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Howdy Banjo Hangout Friends,
I hope that everyone is having a great summer. It's been kind of a weird one here in the San Francisco Bay Area. I'm sure that most of you have heard about the many fires that are burning all up and down our state. We've never seen anything like this in the fifteen or so summers we've lived here in northern California. Luckily, our family is more than 150 miles from any immediate fire danger but the smoke has really been overwhelming here as well as all over northern California. We're on day 8 now of very low visibility, grey, ashen skies and the acrid smell of smoke in the air. Nevertheless, our family considers ourselves lucky and we send out our thoughts and prayers to those whose lives have been seriously disrupted this summer season.
Many of you also know that I've spent a lot of June under the weather. I was so busy working that it was hard to find any time to get better. I found myself lurching from one flu-like illness to another over three to four weeks. I was really down for the count at the Midwest Banjo Camp and the California Bluegrass Association Camp and I want to thank all of the participants and staff at both of these events for going out of their way to help me. I'm happy to say that I'm finally feeling better, thanks to some antibiotics and some time to catch up on rest. I'm close to 100% now! Thanks to all who sent emails of concern - I greatly appreciate this! It was a bummer there for a while, for sure!
We're midway through the summer concert and music camp season and I hope you've had the chance to attend your favorite festival or camps. You can check out my complete itinerary at my homepage at http://www.nativeandfine.com. Of special note are two upcoming concerts in southern California with fiddler Megan Lynch (Paso Robles on July 16 and Altadena on July 17) and three music camps: Camp Bluegrass in Levelland, TX (July 20-25); NashCamp in Cumberland Furnace, TN (July 27 to August 1) and the British Columbia Bluegrass Workshop in Sorrento, British Columbia, Canada (August 17-22). There are still openings in my banjo class at NashCamp - which is just about the best camp there is in terms of setting, accommodations, food AND instruction. Check out www.nashcamp.com and contact Cindy Sinclair if you're interested in making a relatively last minute decision to attend! It's a great one!
In late August, I'll be teaching two workshop sessions at the Idaho Sawtooth Bluegrass Association's Fall Festival in Round Valley, Idaho. Again, check out my schedule page at www.nativeandfine.com for all of the details.
Thanks to all of the Hangout members who have sent congratulations and words of support on my recent guardianship of Gibson Granada 9522-25. My mentor Sonny Osborne has always said that a great Granada is in a class by itself and now I know exactly what he means by this statement. This instrument is just completely in a class of its own. I'll be bringing with me as much as possible to my shows and workshops, depending upon the airline I'm taking, my flight schedule, etc. (Travelers hint: Southwest Airlines is the best for traveling with instruments and they also have a great frequent flyer program; I try to take them whenever I can).
I'm excited to relate that I'm halfway through a new recording project with Megan Lynch. We're recording in Nashville with producer Steve Mougin, the guitarist and singer with Sam Bush's band. It's been a fantastic experience working with both Steve and Megan. You can hear some preview tracks from this release by visiting our MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/billevansandmeganlynch. Be sure to send us a friends' request while you're visiting. This is a different kind of project for me - very folk oriented with an emphasis on singing and harmonies. Megan and I will be recording more in the month of August and we're hoping to have this release available by October, if we're lucky.
Thanks again to all for your continued interest and support. I hope to either see you or talk to you in cyberspace again real soon!
Sincerely,
Bill Evans
bevans@nativeandfine.com
5 comments
on “Banjo Fun in the Summertime!”
fisher Says:
Wednesday, July 9, 2008 @4:56:57 PM
Glad to hear your feeling better Bill,keep smilin! }:~))
FiddlerFaddler Says:
Wednesday, July 9, 2008 @8:46:44 PM
For somebody who was under the weather, your sure sounded good when you jammed with Cathy Fink in the hallway Saturday afternoon. It was nice to see and hear a three-picker of renown and a frailer of renown sound so nice together.
bevans Says:
Wednesday, July 9, 2008 @8:50:07 PM
Thanks Fiddler! My flight out of Lansing on Sunday night was cancelled because of the tornado threat. By the time I arrived in California late Monday night, I was really hurting. After teaching at another camp in California for two days and then performing for two days at the Father's Day Festival in Grass Valley, I arrived back home on Friday night sick as a dog - a fever of 101.7, couldn't speak a word, totally exhausted. But I'm on the mend!
jpoulette Says:
Friday, July 11, 2008 @9:58:44 AM
Bill - really glad to hear your feeling better man!! Hopefully, we'll see you up here in the northeast again somewhere before Banjo Camp North hits. Looking forward to the new CD!
Woolpersteve Says:
Monday, July 28, 2008 @3:12:39 PM
Hello Bill,
Just had a chance to check the tunes on the myspace for you and Megan.
Really beautiful music!
You have opened up your singing for the world to hear ,very cool.Megan has blown me away everytime I hear her play and sing .
Continue to be diligent about this project.
Its working .
Steve Martin
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