Joyous Spring!
Easter was glorious as I again joined the All Saints Canterbury Choir for a joyful singing marathon during Holy Week, including some solo a capella on Saturday night's Great Vigil of Easter. Picture it if you will: in the dark, candlelit church, hundreds of people droning on a C...while I pour out an old Appalachian lament from the balcony........it was as always a most transcendent moment, and deeply gratifying to say the least.
"Oh, Father, won't you come and go along with me
For Heaven is my aim
Jesus is gone, but he's coming back again
To take his Children home.
Look the way, look the way, look the long lonesome way
You can see the promised land
Look the way, look the way, look the long lonesome way
You can see the promised land."
Some of you might remember that my dear friend and mentor Jean Ritchie (from whom the Appalachian sacred ballads spring) had suffered a stroke on December 4th, and many of you have asked about her condition as the weeks and months have gone by. I'm thrilled and amazed to tell you about an almost unbelievable Easter resurrection miracle.
As I prepared Jean's songs for the Vigil service, I had not heard lately of her condition which had been at many points during the last four months extremely grave and I had often been so worried. As I was getting ready to share her songs and her legacy with All Saints, I received an email out of the blue, partially written by Jean herself and the rest by her son Jon, stating that she had gotten all of our letters and that they loved us all. Her son wrote that she had typed this short note with very little help and that Steve and I had been the first mail that she had sent since the beginning of her illness.
Now to s
ee Jean's words again and to hear her voice was a gift I could not believe. I send this story to you with gratitude and joy, and feel the Easter presence is alive again in our world. To quote a great leader of mine, Ed Bacon: "Love will always rise!" Alleluia!
March Adventures
Our return to the Coffee Gallery Backstage in mid-March was an amazing night! The place was packed and we had a great time, especially as we got to introduce the wonderful Shaun Cromwell who opened for us. Later in the month we headed down to San Diego for a couple of new and interesting dates, scooping up our friend Dan Sankey to play fiddle with us. The San Diego Indiefest was a rollicking and wild bunch of fun, and the show up at the beautiful Wynola Springs that evening was also great. It was wonderful to see Spring popping up in the beautiful Julian Valley. We hope to get down there again later in the year, hopefully around September.
Great American Song Contest Finalist
Just got the news that Rob's song "Albuquerque" (from our "Green Kentucky Blues" CD) was a finalist in the Great American Song Contest (Country category)! Congratulations, Rob!
April Coming Up
We have two good ones coming up for this month: we'll share the stage at Boulevard Music in Culver City with the Ray Doyle Band on April 10th. Ray is the guitarist with famed Wylie & The Wild West (the "Yahoo!" yodeler), and will be serving up songs from his critically-acclaimed album "The Emigrant Trail" with classic songs of the heritage of the west. Then the next week we'll be at Concerts in the Library in El Segundo (Saturday, April 17th), presenting our "Appalachia to Bluegrass" show. The Hilonesome Band traces the roots of modern bluegrass music and its evolution from Appalachian ballads and story songs--featuring the work of American folk music legend Jean Ritchie, along with contemporary songs from the Hilonesome Band's lead guitarist, Rob Carlson. We welcome our guest Mark Indictor on fiddle. All concerts are free and light refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Library. All show details are below.
Radio Airplay
"Green Kentucky Blues" as well as our earlier title "Blue Eyed Darlin'" have picked up airplay on roots radio in the U.S. and Canada:
KGLT/Americana B
ackroads - Bozeman MT
WMMT/Art Menius - Whitesburg KY
KVMR/Four Strong Winds - Nevada City CA
WNEC/Out of the Woods - Henniker NH
WYEP/An American Sampler
WRFL/Hard Travelin' Revue - Lexington KY
WEFT - From the Joshua Tree Inn - Champaign IL
WVGN - Virgin Islands
CIUT - Radio Boogie - Toronto
KBOO - Saturday Morning Gumbo
KCSN - Bluegrass Etc., Northridge, CA
"Children, now our meeting is over, and surely we must part,
And if I never any more see you, I will love you in my heart.
The Lord will land on the sea, the Lord will land on the shore,
The Lord will land on the sea, and we'll shout forever more!"
Blessings and love to all of you, and Happy Easter!
Visit the Susie Glaze Website and click on "Upcoming Shows"
