Happy Birthday to All Y'All Bulls Out There!!!

Well my birthday month has been great so far and just keeps blooming bigger and brighter. Thanks to everyone for the cards, calls and e-mails.  You warm the cockles of my heart.

 I’m writing before I take off on my 4th annual Old Station sojourn.  Where is Old Station you ask?  Well it is in Mt. Lassen National Park about 40 miles south of Burney Falls. Kind of near Mt. Shasta.  It’s beyond beautiful wilderness.  I go up there with my friend Charlotte and we stay at our friend Felicia’s house.  It’s pine trees, and fresh air, and quiet and solitude.  It’s reading, walking, talking, giggling, hot-tubbing and stargazing with telescopes every night.  And LOTS of cooking.  Amazing cooking.  Love, love, love it.  My saving grace this year is that I’m in the throws of training for a ½ marathon in August, so I’m going to be up and out every morning, burning off the previous evenings culinary overdraft.  And I’m going fishing!!!  Yes folks, you heard right.  I’m casting my hook as it where.  We’re getting fishing licenses so we can go trout fishing on Hat Creek!!! And shut up with the Zsa Zsa/Green Acres comments already.  I know you think I’m a noodle head but I’m stoked!! And I HAVE done this before.  For your information, I had my own tackel box when I was 10. But that’s another story….. I wanted to go last year but we figured it out too late.  But this year we’re locked and loaded.  And our friend, John, has all the gear, so we just gotta show up with some bait.  And you don’t have to wear waders either…. Thank GOD, because that would be a deal breaker for me I think.  I’m not bold enough yet to make that kind of fashion statement. Unless Cavalli started making them.   EEEGADS….talk about what NOT to wear…

My birthday festivities actually started on May 1st when I went to go see Rachelle Ferrell at Yoshi’s with Lynnie and Mila.  Thank you lovely ladies for asking me to join. This woman totally amazes.  As a singer she TOTALLY inspires.  She has no limits, no inhibitions, and no fear.  She’s every genre and no genre.  I can’t explain other than to say that she is who she is and who she is SO not like anyone else I’ve ever seen or heard.  Original.  And she plays keys and guitar as well as she sings.  She has a totally loyal fan base that comes to all her shows and I can see why.  If you ever get the chance to go experience her talents and gifts, I thoroughly recommend.

One of the favorite things I love about having a birthday is the cool array of messages I get on my phone answering machine.  Mom and Ron of course first thing in the morning, Lynnie singing Steve Wonder’s version of “Happy Birthday”, a beautiful harp version of the traditional “Happy Birthday” from my friend Michael, and a most excellent version of “Blue Eye’s” (that Carey Bros song on the “Golden State” soundtrack) from a cute boy who I shall not name… OK, I was impressed by that one….

Have you seen “Shine A Light” yet?  As anyone who knows me can attest, I was raised by one of THE biggest Rolling Stones fans alive.  And so I am one too by default.  My mom would have had Mick’s love spawn had she been provided with an opportunity.   So needless to say, on opening weekend of this movie, Mommy Dearest and I had our behinds parked in the Theater. I had high expectations because Martin Scorsese… OK, well if you saw “The Last Waltz” then you know what I’m talking about.  Nuff said.  And by and large it did live up to our expectations.  It’s definitely a Mick/Marty 1-2 punch.  Mick had a lot of control over the content.    I love the beginning when Marty is practically hemorroidal as he keeps asking for the set list and Mick keeps saying, “Wait for it..” until the last conceivable second.  And the vintage interview footage super rocks.  Mick wearing a bindi and Keith who was actually HOT!!  I’m used to seeing the beat up old Tom Cat Pirate Keith, ravaged by all the better living through chemistry.  But this movie reveals that Keith Richards really is the heart and soul of The Stones.  This band is everything to him, all the millions & such aside.  You’ll see what I mean when you see the movie. I gotta admit, I’ve always loved Ronnie Wood since he was in Faces with Rod the Mod (also one of my fav bands) and he still spins my beanie… Guitar players… My strongest weakness. Yakadeeyakyak!!!  So the whole time I was sitting there watching the movie, I kept saying to myself, I can’t wait for the DVD.  The extras are gonna kill….

Last weekend my Mom and my sweet friend, Lewis,  took me to go see the Annie Liebovitz exhibit at the Legion of Honor.  I had been waiting with anticipation to go check this out and I really enjoyed it.  I take my time, as always, to take it all in.  There are a lot of pieces that I thought she would have included but didn’t.  But it really didn’t matter because her body of work is so huge, she could do this again 5 more times and still not show it all.  She really opened up and showed a lot of photos of her life with Susan and the kids.  And her Mom, Dad and siblings.  I enjoyed those pix as much or more as the one’s of the celebs. Especially the one's of her Mom.  Cindy Crawford as Eve is majestic as far as the celeb shots go.  And Bush’s 2001 Cabinet shot juxtaposed next to the one of Michael Moore and his film crew made everyone giggle.  Anyway, go see it before it leaves at the end of this month.  I can’t wait for the Woman Impressionist Exhibit coming in the summer, and Freda Kahlo exhibit as well.

I’ve been listening to Vince Gill’s “These Days” that came mout a couple of years ago a lot.  Ain’t he just? I surely do think so.  I just love that he put a four cd package of original material out at the same time, each one a different theme.  There are not many artists, other than maybe Ryan Adams, who are capable of such a feat.  Cause Vince is so much more than just Country. Dude is all that and 5 bags of chips!! And his voice makes me swoon. “The Reason Why”, which is CD number 2 of the set is in heavy rotation at the moment.  He’s got this pantheon of female vocalists singing bv’s on this great, perfect for belly rubbing set of tunes.  The only thing that bugs is that pretty much every one except for Diana Krall is buried too far back in the mix.  Just my opinion and it’s worth what you’ve paid for it but it confounds me.  And I'm NOT just saying that cause I'm a chick singer.  OTAY?  All I'm saying is that why have all this amazing talent and then bury it?  Sheryl Crow (whom I love and adore) peeled me a few years back when she did the same thing on “c’mon,c’mon”.  She had Lenny Kravitz and Doyal Bramhall guest with her on tunes and then they were just little phantom voices way in the back.  It wasn’t as bad with Lenny, but Doyal got robbed.  These two gentlemens who KILL on vocals and I keep straining to hear their parts and I always end up shouting at my stereo saying “why?” like Nancy Kerrigan after her sticking incident.  OK, I’ll “simmer down” as Mom always says….

Speaking of Sheryl, I love her new CD, “Detours”.  It’s her and Bill Botrell again and he’s just who our girl needed.  She’s out of her funk, pissed off and flying her freak flag.  Lots of great protest songs and edgy, sparse production.  And the other “Crow” bands, Black and Counting, have new one’s out too that I like.  Lenny’s kinda new one that came out a few months back ROCKS!!  Can’t seem to put it back in its case. Again, lots of protest songs on that one too. I’m also still LOVING Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.  And Patty Griffin’s latest “Children Running Through”, and of course, my Sheero, Patty Scialfa’s latest “Play it As It Lays” that came out last Summer.  I’ve heard rumors that she’ll tour in the fall and I’m holding that thought. 

Well, I’m totally looking forward to the annual Muir Woods gig on May 25th.  As always, it’s a rockin party, a kick in the butt good time, SA-WEET bbq and a good cause.  I’m looking forward to singing with Eric and Loralee and Andre and the gang, yet again.  It’s a gig I look forward to with pure relish and feel blessed to be asked back by Andre every year.  It’s always a belly laugh and one of the funnest gigs EVER!!! I’ve been getting a lot of calls and emails from friends saying that they’ll be there and I’m looking forward to seeing all you lovely, beautiful party people.  Yaw shore, you bet cher feeshing boat…..!!!

I'm also going to go see Chuck Prophet in Healdsburg on the Plaza on May 27th. That'll be a good one.  Oh, and Kathleen Edwards at The Independent on May 20th.  So maybe I'll see some of you pretty people there.

Until then, I hope you’ll all be bathed in love, blessed in sweat, (hey waita…) rolling in the hay and romping in all the glorious sweet spring clover. Oh, and, as always, thank y’all for supporting live music too.   I sure do love yer biscuits don’t cha know!!!!

Big breasty hugs,

ally

Hello Ladies and Mens Remember Me?

Yes, I was fairly incommunicato for most of 2007 as far as this blogging thing goes.  There were so many happenings and shifts and I found it challenging to find a quiet moment to sit, focus and share.   I apologize and hope I didn't loose too many of you.  2007 was a well rounded year of  transformation, seeking, experimentation, and major purging both on the personal and professional fronts.  I apologize for not being regular with the updates.  I vow to do better in 2008.  Thanks for hanging in with me!!

I've been a busy little bee fer sure.  Right now it's a beautiful spring weekend and I surely am loving it.  Spring is my my favorite season.  The season of rebirth and the "new" year really starts to get off the ground.  It also happens to be the seasonal "bucket"  my birthday falls into.  Maybe that is one of the reasons I have such an affinity for it, What Ev....   The North Bay is one bee-u-tim-ous place to be in the Spring.  Hope you're all feeling it too. 

Got out this past week and checked out a lot of music.  On Sunday, I went and hung with my friends Lynn Asher www.lynnasher.com & Michael LaMaccia, over at the Calistoga Inn.  It's right on the main drag in Calistoga and a perfect place to experience the wine country on a beautiful Spring day.

On Wednesday,  Lynn and I checked out Eric McFadden Trio along with American Drag at The Mystic Theater in Petaluma.  Great double bill and quite a rockin' show fer sure.  Attendance was really up there for a Wednesday night too!  It made the cockles of my heart warm to know that Sonoma County can show up and represent on a week night. 

American Drag www.americandrag.net  opened up the show and got everyone's wheels greased.  I love these guys and am looking forward to their new CD which will be coming out in the next month or two.  These mens are also my buds and a super fun hang and so it was great to be there to root for the home team.

Eric McFadden Trio always blows my mind!!!!  I've been a HUGE FAN for about two years now and they never fail to blow it out of the park, the water and the atmosphere!!!  There were a lot of musicians in the house to check out their set and I must say that they did not dissapoint.  I can't begin to explain what exactly it is that they do but it's unlike anything I've ever experienced and you need to check them out  www.ericmcfadden.com

Friday it was out to the "Rancho" in Nicassio to have din-din and catch The Volker Striffler Band.  I'm so happy that they are super busy out there finally.  They are so much more than a blues band.  Volker writes and arranges really original songs and is also one of the sweetest most humble dudes on the planet.  Ånd then there's cutie patootie Don Bassey.  Anyway, the band was in tight formation and Angela Streili and Elvin Bishop sat in for the last half of the show.  The house was bumping and grooving.  There was this one woman there who I think has been taking pole dancing classes and her "dancing" was a sight to behold.  We were all captivated to say the least, including the band.  Got me to thinking about maybe installing a pole system in my living room..... I've heard it's a great workout.....Naw, maybe not....

I also went to see Heart in late February and was all giddy like a little filly high school rock n roller.  I grew up being a huge fan of these Rock N Roll "She-ros" and was beyond amazed that they have not EVEN slowed down one little bit.  My jaw was in a perpetual state of slack.  TOTALLY GOB SMACKED!!!  Ann sang every song in the original key note for note, lick for lick.  Nancy was still jumping around doing that same combo kick, jump, criss/cross thing she did back in 1985. Kreiky,  I don't know what magic tonic, tantric life style those women are living, but I'm a gonna find out and sign up.  Yesureebob!!!

OK, I'm off to Mom and Pops now to whip up a killer Sunday feast (yes, those of you in the know are hip to the fact that I'm am also a bonafide "foody").  So I'm a gonna run but I'll be back soon. Thanks to ALL (musician and civilian) who walk the path with me on and off the stage.  I am blessed and know it!!

Yall come back now ya hear?

xo

Ally

Come back.....I will write soon.  Promise!!!  Review of various and sundry 2007 happenings and 2008 predictions.