Valerie June, New Homa and you…

  • Posted By: jmason on August 20th, 2011

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Last night felt really good.  Played Solo without the drums for the first time in a while.  I have a new amp from Don Ritter at Category 5 and have finally been able to get the tones about perfect.  I like playing solo electric.  There is something about being able to push that tube tone with voice only.  I love the acoustic tone too but now, for now, the tone of this little Tsunami amp and my guitars plugged straight in sounds just right to me.

Valerie June, the amazing and wonderful, was on the bill last night as well.  I first heard Val trying out guitars at the now gone Memphis Guitar Store on Madison in Mid-town Memphis.  I do love me some eBay but I would much rather pay a bit more to be able to plug the guitar in first, turn the amp up first, you know look the thing in the eye before you take it home.  And for all that, on eBay I have yet to bump into anything or anyone as worth discovering as Valerie June.  As I headed home I was hearing the Carter Family and Junior Kimbrough in my head and when she sings the trad stuff she catches so well that is a fair description, a modern day cross of Jessie Mae Hemphill and June Carter.  But her originals, especially the ones she has found in dreams, open a whole new sun-drenched valley to Val.  It is like traveling familiar roads through old familiar land and rounding a corner to never seen before sights.  A sunset that transforms the land, a glimpse of a deer or bear that suddenly unfolds the wild, the new the vivid in front of you.  I think I could listen to Raindance for a day or two.  If you haven’t heard Valerie June, go now to her website and order her music.  http://www.valeriejune.com

We had dinner with Terry Hayden, the man behind the New Homa music festival in Woodland Park that is going off today.  We talked a little about what it would take to bring a festival culture to the West Side.  More to come on this one I hope, I hope.  If you are looking for something to do today… head up the pass to New Homa fest… Valerie June will be playing…

So this morning it was yeasty waffles with Ruth, playing guitar on the porch and watching the folks run by to run up the mountain.  Tomorrow a big show with BB King at the Denver Botanic Gardens.  Most of all I am looking forward to playing again.

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