Here’s a spot of catching up on my recent activities:
After a lightning visit to London for the premiere of the new Nicky Hopkins film (The Session Man) at the end of October, I played my last solo show of 2023 in Rodgau and it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable. My guitarist friend Ali Neander (a local hero as a member of the well-known Rodgau Monotones) paid a surprise visit and we played an impromptu five song set together…Big fun!
On December 2nd I joined the brilliant (and world famous) caricaturist and portrait artist Sebastian Krueger for a mixed evening of music and painting, to launch his latest gallery show in Bad Rehburg. We had a full house and both really enjoyed the mixed media experiment. I had recently attended Sebastian’s annual week-long painting workshop, to reconnect with my younger art school self, (when music came second to drawing and painting). I really enjoyed rediscovering the visual arts side of my life and look forward to doing much more. Sebastian and I are also planning more events together.
Two days later I was on a plane to Nashville, to record once more with my producer friend Dan Penn and a band of brilliant local musicians in Dan’s basement studio. I was especially pleased to have the legendary Spooner Oldham joining us on piano for a day. The finished songs from the session will appear some time in the future.
Meanwhile, I am in the middle of a new album project to be released to tie in with my 70th (!!!) birthday next summer.
In January I recorded for a week in Hannover’s Magic Mile studio, with an international band line-up and came out with eight songs!
On February 20th I was honoured to be asked to contribute on harmonica, as part of an 11 piece group playing Robbie Robertson’s music from ‘Killers Of The Flower Moon’ live, as a surprise for director Martin Scorsese, who was visibly moved. He was receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the Berlinale Film Festival.
After an hour’s sleep, I jet-setted off the same night (!!) to New York, for a session with my producer friend Stewart Lerman and ace guitarist Steuart Smith in Stewart’s studio in Hoboken, New Jersey: three more songs for ‘the project’.
It’s gearing up to be a really special album, with many close friends from the past guesting on various tracks and a mix of old songs, new songs and cover versions. Watch this space!
