JUNE 20TH--AUSTIN CALLING

JUST ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO KEEP THOSE OF YOU INCYBERSPACE UPDATED ON MY WHEREABOUTS AND WHATNOT.

IT'S BEEN BUSY AND THAT'S ALWAYS GOOD. I'VE BEEN PLAYING AROUND TEXAS EVERY WEEKEND AND HAVING A GOOD TIME SEEING OLD FRIENDS AND PLAYING WITH GREAT PLAYERS WHEREVER WE AREW. TAKE LAST WEEKEND. WE PLAYED THE IRON HORSE PU IN WICHITA FALLS. GREAT CLUB AND A GROWING AUDIENCE THAT REALLLY LISTENS. LEWIS STEPHENS PLAYED KEYBOARDS LAST WEEKEND FOR THE DATES IN NORTH TEXAS AND WAS KILLIN'! SO I CALLED MY OLD FRIEND, MICHAEL O'NEIL IN WICHITA FALLS TO SIT IN ON GUITAR AS WELL/ MICHAEL AND I GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE EARLY DAYS OF DELBERT & GLEN. HE'S ONE OF THE TRUE GREATS ON GUITAR AND IF YOU CHECK OUT HIS WORK ON THE FIRST D&G RECORD YOU'LL KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. THIS GUY DEFINED GUITAR PLAYING ON THAT GROUND BREAKING ALBUM AND SENT ALL OF US BACK TOT HE WOODSHED FOR A LOOOOONG TIME TO GE CLOSE TO WHAT HE WAS DOING. SOME PLAYERS SITE CLAPTON AS THEIR BENCHMARK. O'NEIL WAS MINE AND A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE'S AS WELL. ANYWAY, FAST FORWARD TO A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN HE AND I RECONNECTED. HE CAME TO SIT IN AND DAMN IF HE WASN'T STILL THE GREATEST. SAME FIRE INTENSITY AND EXECUTION. AND DAMN IF IT WASN'T A TRIP BACK TO THE WOODSHED FOR YOURS TRULY... SO NOW WHEN WE PLAY WF HE PLAYS THE WHOLE NIGHT AND LET ME TELL YOU IT'S NOT TO BE MISSED!

THEN THE NEXT NIGHT IN MY HOMETOWN OF FORT WORTH WE PLAYED A LITTLE NEIGHBORHOOD BAR, THE 6TH STREET GRILL. I CALLED UP MY FRIEND, TOM REYNOLDS TO SIT IN AS WELL AND ONCE AGAIN IT WAS GUITAR DAREDEVILRY ALL OVER AGAIN. NOT ONLY TOM SAT IN BUT ALSO MY BROTHER SUMTER WHO ALMOST NEVER MAKES IT TO MY GIG AS HE'S USUALLY PLAYING AS WELL. IT WAS A REAL TREAT FOR EVERYONE. IT LOOKS LIKE I'LL BE SPENDING EVEN MORE TIME IN THE WOODSHED....AND THE FUN DIDN'T STOP THERE. MY OLD FRIEND, BETTY BUCKLEY, WHO I GREW UP WITH AND PLAYED TALENT SHOWS WITH IN HIGH SCHOOL AND WHO LEFT AND BECAME A VERY FAMOUS STAR OF STAGE AND SCREEN, BROADWAY DIVA AND TOO MANY MOVIE AND TELEVISION ROLES TO GO INTO HERE, SHOWS UP AND SANG BACKUP VOCALS FOR THE ENTIRE SECOND SET. IT WAS A TOTAL THROWDOWN IN COWTOWN THAT NIGHT. BETTY'S MOVED BACK AND DIGGING BEING BACK IN TEJAS. SHE STILL DOES A LOT OF VERY COOL GIGS LIKE THE 6 WEEK RUN AT THE CARYLE HOTEL IN NYC RECENTLY AS WELL AS WEEKEND DATES WITH SYMPHONIES AROUND THE STATES SINGING CONTEMPORARY SONGS AND SONGS SHE MADE FAMOUS ON BROADWAY. I PLAYED ONE OF THOSE SHOWS WITH HER IN FORT WORTH 2 YEARS AGO AND IT WAS AMAZING. SO WAS LAST WEEKEND......

WELL, NEXT WEEKEND WE'RE OFF TO PORTLAND, OREGON AND WE PICKED UP A GIG IN CORVALLIS ON THE 2ND. I DON'T EVEN KNOW THE NAME OF THE CLUB BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE TOO HARD TO FIND. PLEASE COME OUT TO SEE US OR SEND FRIENDS, LOTS OF FRIENDS.

WE'LL BE IN PORTLAND FOR THE WATERFRONT BLUES FESTIVAL ON THE 3RD AND 4TH AND WE'LL BE PLAYING A RIVER CRUISE AND AN AMPHITHEATRE SHOW . I'LL ALSO BE DOING A GUITAR CLINIC AS WELL. COME ON DOWN AND ASK QUESTIONS AND LISTEN TO ME LIE...

KEEP CHECKING THE TOUR PAGE FOR ANY TOURING WE MIGHT BE DOING TO PROMOTE THE NEW CD. LATER.......................................................

 

 

MAY 29TH--AUSTIN

 

WELL, IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER UPDATE FROM YOUR ROVING CORRESPONDENT.

THE RESENTMENTS WHIRLWIND EURO-TOUR WAS SUCCESSFUL. 17 SHOWS IN 18 DAYS! THEY TELL ME I HAD A GOOD TIME.. I DIDN'T THINK I HAD JET LAG UNTIL A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO WHEN I NOTICED I WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF GAS. I GUESS I SHOULDNT HAVE BOOKED 5 ONE NIGHTERS THE WEEK I GET HOME FROM EUROPE. AS I SAID THE EURO-TOUR WENT WELL AND I THINK I MAY HAVE SET UP A REURN TOUR WITH MY BAND IN THE FALL. I HOPE TO GET BACK TO SOME OF MY FAVORITE VENUES IN EUROPE WITH MY BAND.

THE CD HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK TO JULY 25TH. I WILL HAVE ALL THE PRE ORDERS FILLED AS SOON AS I GET ANY ADVANCE COPIES WITH ARTWORK. I REALIZE I'VE BEEN PUSHING MY CREDIBILITY WITH THOSE WOULD ORDERED COPIES ON DELBERT'S CRUISE. THERE'S REALLY NOT MUCH I CAN DO. THE MAKING OF THE CD WITH ARTWORK, CREDITS, ETC. TAKES MUCH LONGER THAN THE ACTUAL MAKING OF THE CD ITSELF.BELIEVE ME, NO ONE WANTS THIS CD TO BE OUT MORE THAN ME.

WE'VE GOT A BUNCH OF DATES IN AND AROUND TEXAS BEFORE THE CD RELEASE SO I HOPE YOU ALL CAN COME SEE US. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE RAILROAD BLUES IN ALPINE THIS COMING WEEKEND AND THE KERRVILL FESTIVAL NEXT WEEKEND AS WELL. HOPE TO SEE SOME OF YOU THERE. MORE LATER...S

 

 

APRIL 22ND - AUSTIN

WELL, NOT A LOT TO ADD TO THE LEDGER RIGHT NOW, BUT I AM ATTEMPTING TO BE MORE DILIGENT IN KEEPING IN TOUCH.

I'M PLAYING A LOT DOWN HERE IN TEXAS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. ALSO, THE 3 WEEKS IN EUROPE WITH THE RESENTMENTSWON'THURT THE CHOPS. WE'LL BE SELLING OUR NEW CD, THE CURSE OF DESTINY, WHILE THERE AND THEN ON MAY 22 AND 29TH WE'LL BE HAVING A CD RELEASE PARTY FOR THE NEW CD AT THE SAXON WHEN WE RETURN.

JULY 12 IS THE BIG RELEASE FOR MY NEW CD, FROM THE FIVE. WE'RE PLANNING SOME CD RELEASE PARTIES FOR THAT ONE AS WELL. I'M SURE I'LL HAVE A FEW ADVANCE COPIES WHEN WE PLAY THE PORTLAND BLUES FESTIVAL OVER THE WEEKEND OF JULY 4TH. I THINK WE HAVE SOME OTHER DATES IN THAT AREA AS WELL. I'LL HAVE THOSE DATES ON THE WBSITE AS SOON AS THEY COME IN.

TONIGHT, WE'LL BE AT THE SAXON PLAYING A LOT OF SONGS FROM THE NEW CD AND HAVING A GREAT TIME. PLEASE JOIN US IF YOU CAN.

ADIOS,

STEPHEN

 

 

 

 

APRIL 1 2005

GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS! GLAD TIDINGS TO ALL!

MY NEW CD, FROM THE FIVE, WILL BE RELEASED JULY 12TH!

TO ALL OF YOU WHO BOUGHT ADVANCE COPIES IN DELBERT'S CRUISE, I WILL HAVE YOUR SIGNED COPIES AS SOON AS THEY ARE AVAILABLE TO ME.

GIGS ARE COMING IN AND WE'VE BEEN PLAYING AS MUCH AS WE CAN. SXSW CAME AND WENT AND A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL. I HAD A PARTICULARLY GREAT TIME GETTING TOGETHER FOR SEVERAL NIGHTS IN A ROW WITH TWO OF MY FAVORTIE PEOPLE AND GUITARISTS, MARK GOLDENBERG AND LENI STERN. MARK, AS YOU MAY KNOW, PRODUCED MY LAST CD, SPIRIT WORLD. HE PLAYS WITH JACKSON BROWNE'S TOURING BAND. A GREAT GUITARIST, HE'S JUST RELEASED HIS FIRST SOLO INSTRUMENTAL CD. LENI IS ALSO A GREAT GUITARIST KNOWN PRIMARILY IN THE JAZZ WORLD. A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO SHE BEGAN WRITING SONGS AND HAS RELEASED SEVERAL SOLO CD'S, THE NEWST IS WHEN EVENING FALLS, ALL OF THEM EXCELLENT. ANYWAY, THE THREE OF US GOT TOGETHER FOR THREE NIGHTS AND TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE OTHER TWO WERE DOING ON GUITAR. LET ME RE PHRASE THAT, I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY WERE DOING. MUCH HILARITY AND GOOD MUSIC. I'M STILL BUZZED....

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NOT MUCH ELSE TO ADD EXCEPT IF YOU'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING AROUND JULY 4TH, COME TO PORTLAND, OREGON WHERE WE'LL BE PLAYING THE BLUES FESTIVAL. ACTUALLY, IT SEEMS THAT WE'LL BE PLAYING SEVERAL TIME OVER THAT WEEKEND FOR THE FESTIVAL. A GIG AT THE FESTIVAL, ONE ON THE RIVERBOAT ONE NIGHT AND I THINK A SOLO SHOW OR GUITAR CLINIC ONE DAY. ALSO, WE'LL BE STAYING IN THE AREA FOR SOME ADDITIONAL GIGS IN EUGENE AND SOMEPLACE ELSE. MORE LATER... BY THE WAY, IF ANY OF YOU WANT US TO PLAY IN YOUR AREA PLEASE CONTACT MY AGENT, STEPHEN GORDON AT SAVOY MUSIC AND LET HIM KNOW WHERE YOU ARE AND WHERE'S A GOOD PLACE TO PLAY. CHANCES ARE HE KNOWS THE VENUES BUT IT WOULD HELP HIM TO KNOW WHERE I MIGHT HAVE AN AUDIENCE. REMEMBER, NO GIG TOO SMALL, NO FEE TOO LARGE....

STAY TUNED.

FEBRU SLL

 

 

 

RFEBRUARY 2005

HAPPY NEW YEAR. AS YOU CN TELL, IT'S BEEN A BLUR. BUT HERE ARE A FEW THINGS I REMEMBER,

 

DELBERT'S SBC CRUISE WAS ONCE AGAIN A RIDICULOUS TALENT FEST. I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT MANY GREAT PLAYERS AND WRITER, AND SINGERS AND FANS CAN HAVE THAT MUCH FUN IN A WEEK... I'VE DONE EVERY ONE OF THE CRUISES AND I COULDN'T KEEP UP WITHALL THE OPTIONS. THE SONGWRITER SHOW WAS EVERY NIGHT THIS YEAR AND THEY COULD HAVE HAD IT TWICE A DAY AND IT WOULD STILL BE PACKED. I WENT A FEW NIGHTS IN A ROW AND LEFT SHAKING MY HEAD AND ASKING MYSELF WHY I EVEN BOTHER.

THE SHOWS WERE ALL PRETTY GREAT. THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS THE SCHEDULE SWITCHING DUE TO THE WEATHER WHICH WOULD CHANGE EVERY FEW HOURS OR EVERY FEW MINUTES. ALL IN ALL, AS USUAL, THE CRUISERS TOOK IT ALL IN STRIDE AND EVERYONE HAD THEIR AUDIENCE HOWLING FOR MORE.

THEN, I WENT TO LA FOR A WEEK TO PUT THE ABSOLUTE FINAL TOUCHES ON MY CD AND TURN IT IN TO THE RECORD COMPANY. NOW THE FUN BEGINS WITH ART WORK, PHOTOS, ETC. MY FAVORITE. ANYWAY, IT'S ALL DONE AND TURNED IN AND THECD WILL BE OUT IN JUNE!

THEN, I WENT TO JAMAICA FOR 6 DAYS WITH LITTLE FEAT! YEAH,YEAH, I KNOW, POOR, POOR PITIFALL ME... IWAS ASKED BY THE FEAT TO BE ONE OF TWO SPECIAL GUESTS,(THE OTHER WAS THE AMAZING COCO MONTOYA). THE FEAT HAVE A RETRAT GETAWAY FOR THEIR FAN CLUB AND FRIENDS ON NEGRIL, JAMAICA. IT'S MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THE CRUISE. EVERYONE SHOWS UP AT THE RESORT AND CHECKS IN THEN EVERYTHING AT THE RESORT IS OPEN TO THE GUESTS AND THE FEAT PUT ON VARIOUS FUNCTIONS VARYING FROM ACOUSTIC CONCERTS, DRUM WORKSHOPS AND FULL BLOWN CONCERTS ON THE BEACH AT NIGHT. IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE FRO ME AS THE FEAT HAVE BEEN MY FAVORITE AMERICAN BAND SINCE THEIR FIRST ALBUM. WHEN I HEARD, "SNAKES ON EVERYTHING" I KNEW I HAD FOUND A GROUP OF KINDRED SPIRITS. IT GOT BETTER FROM THERE. AS THE COSMIC EVENTS WOULD HAVE IT, I WOUND UP WORKING ON LOWELL GEORGE'S SOLO ALBUM IN THE LATE 70'S. IT STILL IS A BIG FEATHER IN MY BONNETT. THEN OVER THE YEARS SINCE WE'VE ALL BECOE GOOD FRIENDS. I WROTE A SONG WITH BILL PAYNE FOR THEIR LAST CD AND HE RETURNED THE FAVOR FOR MY NEXT. I HOPE MY COLLABORATION WITH THEM GOES ON FOR A LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG TIME. GREAT BAND, GREAT FRIENDS AND INSPIRATIONAL PLAYING. BY THE WAY, LITTLE FEATS' KEYBOARDIST, BILL PAYNE, HAS RELEASED HIS FIRST CD,CIELO NORTE, AND IT'S A MUST HAVE! HOY,HOY...

 

SO, I'M BACK ON EARTH AND LIVING IN AUSTIN AND DIGGING BEING IN ONE PLACE

I'M CURRENTLY TRYING TO FILL UP THE CALENDAR HERE IN TEXAS UNTIL THE CD IS RELEASED IN JUNE. IF YOU'RE COMING TO TOWN FOR SXSW I'LL BE PLAYING A BUNCH THAT WEEK. I'LL BE WORKING ON MY TOUR DATES LATER TONGHT SO THERE'LL BE NEW DATES VERY SOON. I HOPE ALL YA'LL ARE DOING WELL . KEEP CHECKING IN ...

MARCH 3RD 2005

OK I'M TRYING TO KEEP MY WORD GOOD ON THE UPDATE DEPARTMENT. NOT A LOT TO ADD BUT HERE GOES...

WENT TO LA LAST WEEK AND DID 2 SHOWS WITH THE RESENTMENTS. WHAT A BLAST! WE PLAYED MCCABE'S GUITAR CENTER IN SANTA MONICA AND THE CERRITOS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER IN CERRITOS. PRETTY PRESTIGIOUS GIGS FOR A BAND THAT BASICALLY PLAYS IN ONE BAR IN AUSTIN MOST EVERY SUNDAY. ANYWAY, THE CROWDS WERE GOOD AND THE RECEPTION WAS GREAT SO WE WERE VERY HAPPY. I HAD TO STICK AROUND FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND WOUND UP WORKING ON THE SOUNDTRACK FOR T-BONE BURNETT OF THE UPCOMING SEAN PENN MOVIE, ALL THE KING'S MEN. IT WAS REALLY FUN.

BACK IN AUSTIN, AL ANDERSON IS IN TOWN FOR A WEEK AND WE'RE WRITING EVERYDAY. ONE DAY INTO IT WE'VE ALREADY GOT 1 1/2 SONGS.

OH YEAH, BEFORE LEAVING FOR THE JAMAICA DATES WITH LITTLE FEAT I RECORDED THE NEXT RESENTMENTS CD AT TOP HAT STUDIO IN AUSTIN. I MIXED MY TUNES WITH THE HELP OF CHET HIMES AND THE CD IS GETTING CLOSE TO COMPLETION. ANOTHER 3 DAY WONDER FROM THE RESENTMENTS! IT'LL BE OUT BY MAY WHEN WE GO TO EUROPE.

GOTTA JUMP, KEEP VISITING THE WEBSITE.

J