"Give Us a Song," New CD, Available Online

Yes. This blog post is a commercial.

Give Us a Song, my latest CD is now available in two online outlets: CD Baby and Amazon.com. You can also purchase the CD directly from my web site using PayPal.

Both on my site and at CD Baby, you can also listen to samples from each track.

If you're a bricks-and-mortar shopper and are in the Indianapolis area, Give Us a Song is also available at Indy CD and Vinyl in Broad Ripple, Arthur's Music Store in Fountain Square, and both Luna Music locations.

To learn more about Give Us a Song, click here for a promotional description (PDF, 2MB).

I Didn't Take Pictures

So I'm going to be dependent on the kindness of my friends, but the memories of the release celebration for Give Us a Song are indelibly stamped on my mind. The new CD certainly got a most fitting launch. I've been promised some pictures and video, so there will be more to come later. For now, I just need to express my deep gratitude.

It all went so well. The weather was fabulous. So many of our best friends were there. Center Stage was rockin'. Looked like the reuben was a happening thing. Cold drinks, coffee, ice cream, cookies. It was all good. A friend showed up that I didn't expect because he and his wife saw the event posted on the Indy.com calendar.

Patchwork played as well as I think I've heard them. Rick had his new hammered dulcimer in fine tune, along with his new Morgan Monroe guitar. Holly's fiddle and voice were prime. And one of the many highlights for me was when they let me sit in on iron pipe on a cover of Tony Orlando and Dawn's "Knock Three Times." Yes. Iron pipe. You can get a lot of music out of plumbing.

Eli Beth was her lovely and charming self. She played a beautiful set of originals and covers. "Blue Bayou" brought me to the stage, then Holly, and we had a dandy three-part harmony happening.

I don't think I've enjoyed a set more than the one I played. There's something special in the connection between performer and audience, and it was certainly there. Energy flowed back and forth. We laughed and sang together. A few tears fell. Holly and I sang the rendition of Angel Band that appears on Patchwork's new CD.

Of course, I hope this disc sells well. I hope people enjoy it. I'll be working to get it out there, but I am extremely grateful for the many friends who came out to celebrate with me. That, right there, makes it all worthwhile.

Release Celebration: So Many Wonderful People

It's going to be a large time this Saturday at Center Stage Cafe.  Patchwork and Eli Beth will share the stage with me to celebrate the release of my third CD, Give Us a Song.  The music will be going from 8:00 until 10:00.

It's hard to believe how blessed I am to work with so many wonderful people.  First of all, Catrice and Dana, the owners of Center Stage Cafe, are just the greatest.  They have a great downtown venue and run a fabulous business.  If you haven't been down to 970 Fort Wayne Avenue in Indy, drop in for good food and non-alcoholic drinks.  Catch Spoke-N-Heard, the open mic hosted by TonyWHOA and Simple', on Tueday nights and Friday Night Jamz on Friday.

You also owe it to yourself to hear Rick Garrett and Holly Smith, Patchwork.  Their new CD is now available at CD Baby, and they'll be having their release celebration at Center Stage on July 12.  Patchwork's music has a simple charm that draws you in, and before you know it, you're tapping your foot, singing along, and enjoying good music performed by great people.

Eli Beth, in addition to being a lovely, charming and talented singer-songwriter, is one of the people that made Indianapolis feel like home to me.  I stumbled onto her open mic at Corner Coffee shortly after moving here, and it was the beginning of coming out of the artistic and musical black hole I had been in.  When she let me do harmony vocals with her on Karla Bonoff's "Home," I was hooked.  Eli is an extremely gifted songwriter, a talented guitarist, and this woman has a silky smooth voice.  I could listen to her for days.

Patchwork leads off the evening at 8:00.  Eli takes the stage at 8:30, and I go on at 9:00.  It's going to be an evening of acoustic merry-making, and I am so extremely pumped!

Back on Schedule

Didn't it rain! Our neighborhood saw 10 inches in about 12 hours. I haven't seen anything like it before and would be most grateful not to see it again! Still, all in all, we have a lot to be thankful for. We had all the carpet pulled out of the basement today, but at least we have a home to pull carpet out of.

Meanwhile, the storm rained out the Woodruff Place Flea Market, and the work at our house forced me to cancel the show at Beanzie's on Saturday. We've got another busy day on Monday, but then things should settle back in. So this week's shows are still on, including the release celebration for Give Us a Song this Saturday at Center Stage Cafe.

If you can't make the release party, or if you're looking for something to do on Thursday, hit the downstairs at the Corner Wine Bar in Broad Ripple. I'll be there with Eli Beth and Greg O'Haver, together again as Ye Olde Folk Trio. We'll be playing from 7:00 until 10:00. Corner Wine Bar is at 6331 Guilford. Click here for a map.

Our prayers are with lots of folks, some not far from us, who had to
leave their homes as a result of the weekend storms.

Blessings,
Dean