Filmmaker and fellow Mobilian Margaret Brown has released the followup to her excellent Townes Van Zandt bio-documentary film “Be Here To Love Me” with another documentary, this time about the oldest carnival in America: Mobile, Alabama’s Mardi Gras. I have not seen the film, but I know it’s been selected for the Sundance, SXSW and Ediinburgh Film Festivals, and it’s getting tons of reviews. Here is the review from the New York Times:

http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/07/25/movies/25orde.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

I’m dying to see it, but it is not showing yet in Nashville.

I spent my week recording with Bob Evans, over at Alex the Great, with Brad Jones producing and playing bass, Ken Coomer on drums. I was playing mostly guitar. But you knew that.

Happy Weekend.

I had a great weekend in my hometown of Mobile, Alabama. Went to a party for my cousin and her new husband. Saw all sorts of family and friends. The folks you only see at weddings and funerals. What a bunch of cool people. While we were gone, my oldest daughter placed fourth overall in her age group and division in the City Swim Meet in Nashville. Wow.

Played Callaghan’s in Mobile Sunday night, and it was a great show. I haven’t had as many shows as I’m used to this Summer and so I really blew out the pipes. Played some new songs, and songs from all my bands and records. A good night.

I’m notifying the list of this post. I have not been notifying lately. It seemed that a lot of folks who signed up for notification didn’t really want to be notified. I got a lot of snarky emails. Anyway, if you haven’t read the blog recently, you may want to scroll down and catch up on what’s been happening.

I loved this Rob Trucks interview with Aimee Mann:

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/archives/2008/07/interview_aimee.php

And this piece on Dick Cheney’s security demands to a group of disabled veterans:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2008/07/27/2008-07-27_injured_vets_tell_pull_dick_cheney_invit.html

That stands for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I drove over there yesterday with Jessica and we took a short hike up and over a hill to a mossy, bouldery creek and set up camp. We played in the creek, sat around and talked, sat around and did nothing, cooked, ate, made a fire, sat around some more, slept. Got up this morning, packed it all up, hiked out, and picked up our eldest daughter from camp right across the road from our trail head. It was a sweet reunion.

I’ll be playing Callaghan’s in Mobile this Sunday. It’s probably sold out by now, so sorry if we’ll miss you this time.

Neil Young fans, music fans, take a look: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25821379/

I’m back from a guerrilla recording session in Jackson, Mississippi. I took my laptop and my mics and junk to a downtown Jackson deli (!) and we set up a makeshift studio and recorded Eric Stracener and the Frustrations for two days, getting a little closer to being finished with the new CD. It sounds great. Everyone played and sounded good.

I have a session with Kim Richey today, a session with Paul Burch tomorrow. Then we’re going to pick our eldest daughter up from camp in the Smokies. Then I have a gig in Mobile at Callaghan’s on Sunday.

Plans have been made for more Daddy sessions, with the whole band involved. And plans for sessions to work on my next CD are set, as well. I’m really excited to get new songs recorded with my friends.

Peace.

Richard and Linda Thompson’s “Shoot Out The Lights” was big album for me. I bought it used in 1983 at Record Ron’s on Magazine St in New Orleans and it changed the way I play guitar, write songs, and think about music in general. Fellow Mobilian (now Austinite) Hayden Childs has written “Shoot Out the Lights” for 33 1/3 Books. Hayden will be reading from his book on Aug 14th at Grimey’s Records in Nashville. I have been asked to play a few of Mr Thompson’s songs at the soiree. It’s free and starts at 6 PM. All Ages. See you there.

Hayden’s blog: http://shootoutthelights.blogspot.com/

It’s been a busy Summer without even being on tour. Mastered Dave Zobl’s record yesterday, after timing the 10 and unders at my daughter’s swim meet. Wrote a song today, while keeping up with two 7 year old girls at the house. My eldest child is at camp in the Smoky Mountains National Park. Pretty awesome. Our neighbor Keith graduated from high school this year, and he’s about to fly to Maine to hike the Appalachian Trail before he goes off to college. Amazing.

I am looking forward to a creative August, writing and working on both the new Daddy record and a new solo record of my own.

I have some more work to do on the Kim Richey songs we started last week. Little Feat, Todd Snider and Gretchen Peters all have records coming out in the near future with songs I co-wrote on them.

It’s an exciting time, to have the opportunity to reimagine my life and my work, while in the flurry of the work and life itself. Is that just a goofy definition of adulthood? Yikes. If so, I like my grown up life just fine. Bring that shit on.

Keep your heads up and don’t be afraid of the New Yorker cover art.
Peace. Listen to more reggae.

I have been in the studio with Kim Richey this week, over at David Henry’s Truetone Recording. Not only that, but we’ve had Frank Swart on bass (from Patty Griffin’s band, from American Astronaut, from Funkwrench), and Mickey Grimm (Over the Rhine, Swan Dive, etc) on drums and percussion. Very much fun.

On another note, I had been working on a Europe/Ireland/UK tour for the past six months, but this week it came unraveled and I suppose we’ll spend the next six months seeing if I can book a Europe/Ireland/UK tour in the future. I will miss seeing all my friends over there and miss doing the gigs I enjoy so much. But we’re looking to the future and hopes are high.

In short, it’s cancelled!

Rodney Crowell’s new album, “Sex and Gasoline” is slated for an early Fall release.

I am planning on spending as much of August as I can on my new projects: the new Daddy record and my next solo record.

Cheers y’all.

Peace.