Delivered-To: mbaya@svaha.com From: TsunamiInc@aol.com Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 15:33:36 EDT Subject: The Jamie Anderson Newsletter To: DakotaAZ@aol.com Here's another edition of the somewhat normal and occasionally charming Jamie Anderson newsletter! You are getting this because you signed my mailing list at a concert or wrote to me and asked to be added. If you'd like to be deleted or if your address will change soon, please let us know at tsunamiinc@aol.com. Be kind and keep in mind that a real, feeling person answers your email. Please don't forward jokes, news items, virus warnings or petitions. I love personal notes from fans, though, and try to answer every email. Feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends, especially if I'm going to be performing in their area. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Table of Contents ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. General stuff - Michigan and recording and fun, oh my 2. Listen 3. I could be in your living room 4. LGBT youth organization 5. MP3 6. Need help for western MA gig 7. Laptop advice 8. Tour, Tour, Tour 9. The Ending Quote ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. General stuff - Michigan and recording and fun, oh my ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I don't think I've ever had a more intense month. A great time but whew! I started August out at the Michigan Women's Music Festival. I taught three half day intensive workshops - a songwriting workshop where 20+ songwriters mashed through a bunch of exercises and other groovy stuff, a beginning bellydance class with over a hundred enthusiastic women and a fun bellydance class for disabled women. I think everyone enjoyed learning dance routines, in spite of it being the hottest day that Michigan has had in over a hundred years. I'm proud to say that I reached my goal of having no one die during any workshop. The classes I taught at the community center had the advantage of being near a water spigot where dancers could get hosed off periodically. A few student bellydancers and me danced with Ubaka Hill's Drumsong Orchestra on Sunday. You haven't lived until you've heard 100+ drummers all together. I think I levitated. I crawled up on stage a couple of times at the festival, once for the Thursday day stage round robin with Laura Love, Nedra Johnson, Mimi Fox and others. Damn was that fun. My apologies to anyone trying to eat their lunch as I did cat hairballs. Thanks to everyone who showed up to cheer me on. Every time my name was mentioned from stage, a big cheer would go up. Mimi Fox leaned over and said, "You sure have your fans." Yep, I sure do. I also sang "A Family of Friends" in the Sunday Night Candlelight Concert. What a joy that was! It was so pleasing to hear everyone sing with me. I only sang at the triangle fire once, in an unplanned song circle with Trish Williams and Stephanie Hope. I decided not to do anything else since I was so busy with other things. For the last several days of the festival, you could find me in the Goldenrod booth, turning women on to new music. I really love that job. Supporting indie music is one of the most important things I do and there are some wonderful new releases out. Check out www.goldenrod.com. I missed a lot of the stages because I was working so much but I managed to hear some great live performances. I was most moved by Alix Olson, an awesome performance poet, and Vicki Randle's work with Nedra Johnson's band. Whoowee! When is that woman going to put out her own album?! (Alix has her own release and it sold big at Michigan. No wonder.) I think I confused several Michigan workers when I told them at the front gate that I had Ladyslipper's merchandise and booth but I was working for Goldenrod. Hey, that's how women's culture works, we support each other. Ladyslipper is in my hometown and they needed someone to carry stuff. BTW, if you're looking for that great CD I was using to teach bellydance, you can find it through Ladyslipper: www.ladyslipper.org. The group is Sazlar and the CD is "Unveiled." It's an excellent CD of Egyptian and Turkish music by an all women ensemble. For great coverage of both the National Women's Music Festival and Michigan, check out www.windchimewalker.com/festivals.html. It's put together by Patricia Lay-Dorsey, a wonderful woman I met at Michigan. She's a fan of women's music festivals and she keeps an extensive journal of her life, including photos. Reading the site makes me feel like I'm back at a festival, one of my favorite places to be. I would love, love, love to perform at Michigan next year. I've sent them audition material for many years now and while they've hired me to teach workshops, they've never booked me for a stage. I'm a tenacious woman, though, and I have great fans, so I have faith that they'll book me. With a new album and an awesome all women band behind me, I'd be a good choice, doncha think? It helps if you request me. Include me on your evaluation forms or simply write or call them: PO Box 7430, Berkeley, CA, 94701, 510-652-5441. National has been very generous in booking me over the years and I'm hoping they'll book me for next year too. After a day and a half drive home, I dived right into album rehearsals and recording. Two days of rehearsals were followed by several days in the studio. First, we laid down the basic tracks - drums, bass, my guitar and my vocal. For previous albums, I've always considered my tracks on this day to be "scratch," something I could redo later. They were mostly there for the drummer and bass player to have as a guide. We did it differently this time and recorded several instruments at the same time so I didn't have to redo my parts later. I made for a very cool live feel that sounds more like me than earlier releases. You can feel the energy and the emotion in each song. I love it! We overdubbed the vocals over two days. What a pleasure it was to see and hear my friends from all over the country singing on my songs. Kia and Miriam (Wishing Chair) are from Kentucky, Martie from Arizona and Susanne from California. In addition to singing, Miriam recorded some killer Hammond B3 organ tracks and some real pretty accordion. Kara (who's from Indiana) played all the lead guitar parts and mandolin, as well as producing the project. I can't say enough good things about her. One of the delightful things about recording is that the musicians take my songs and create something new and exciting. I thought "A Love This True" (a song about queer marriage) was going to be a country song but it morphed into this cool 60's Mersey beat thing. (Think surf guitar only not as corny.) "Listen" and "Fourteen" are rock numbers - and I thought I was a folk musician. In fact, several of the songs rock. I play electric guitar on "Potato Chips" and "Her Problem Now." I'm a folkie at heart, though, so we recorded "A Family of Friends" with just a guitar and five voices. "I Miss the Dog" is almost too pretty, with sweet accordion and mandolin parts, especially considering the lyrics. "I miss the dog more than I miss you / She's glad to see me, for you that's not true / Oh how I wish that dog was still mine / She could drink out of my toilet anytime." All of the musicians on the recording are women. Cool, eh? I can't wait for y'all to hear this album! It'll be out in November. You'll be able to get it from Ladyslipper, Goldenrod and other places. More about that in later newsletters. I'll post photos of the studio sessions at my website sometime soon. In September I'll be at Sisterspace (Darlington, MD) with Kara Barnard and Leigh Peterson, two of the musicians who helped me make the album. I'll start my east coast tour on September 21 and continue through the end of October. I'll be in NY, CT, MA, NH, ME and PA. More details at the end of the newsletter. ~~~~~~~~ 2. Listen ~~~~~~~~ Thanks so much to everyone who's lending me money and purchasing items to help me make this album. Two of my investors sent me their tax rebates. I should write to Bush and thank him for supporting a lesbian singer-songwriter. I'm still looking for funding for the album. You can help by cutting and pasting the form below, and sending us a check. It's too late to thank you in the album credits but you can get other groovy merchandise for helping me out. ************************************* Help make "Listen" a reality! Check the level you'd like ____$50 Signed first edition of "Listen" CD ____$100 Signed first edition of "Listen" CD Signed photo Your name on the CD liner notes (optional) ____$500 Signed first edition of "Listen" CD Signed photo Your name on the CD liner notes (optional) Complete Jamie Anderson catalogue (still in print): Drive All Night CD Never Assume CD Bad Hair Day tape A Family of Friends CD Center of Balance CD ____$1000 Signed first edition of "Listen" CD Signed photo Your name on the CD liner notes (optional) Complete Jamie Anderson catalogue (still in print) Drive All Night CD Never Assume CD Bad Hair Day tape Family of Friends CD Center of Balance CD Songwriting and the Guitar book (Jamie has a chapter) "Listen" t-shirt (size _____) One concert, songwriting lesson or guitar lesson in your home (you must be in or near a city where Jamie is already scheduled to perform - day to be chosen by you and Jamie, it will probably be on a weeknight) Name ____________________________________________________________ Address __________________________________________________________ City ______________________________________ State/Province ________ Zip _____________ Email address _____________________________________________________ Make the check payable to Tsunami Recordings, include it with this this form and mail to 4201 University Dr., Suite 102, Box 417, Durham, NC, 27707. Everything will be mailed after Listen is released. Thanks for your support! ********************************** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3. I could be in your living room! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I'm looking for house concert opportunities for the following places and dates. A couple of these dates are penciled in for other folks but in case they can't do it, I'd like something else waiting: 9/23 - 27 CT, MA, VT, NH, RI 10/1 - 5 New England 10/14 NY (near NYC - Long Island? NJ?) If you have a room that fits 20 or more and an address book of friends who'd attend, we can set something up. A house concert is easy. We agree on a date, you contact your friends, then I show up to do a concert. It's like giving a party only there's live music. For more about house concerts, see www.darrylpurpose.com/etc/house.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 4. LGBT youth organization ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ True Colors is a wonderful organization for sexual minority youth. They do advocacy types of work including a conference in March (the largest conference of it's kind in the US). I found out about them because they asked if they could use one of my songs in a promotional video. Of course I said yes. For more information, you can reach them at www.OurTrueColors.org., 860-649-7386 or 888-565-5551 (toll free). ~~~~~~ 5. MP3 ~~~~~~ You can email my songs to your friends from my MP3 page. After a certain amount of hits, MP3 pays me. Right now "When Cats Take Over the World" is very popular. I'll have a couple of songs from my new album up there soon, hopefully in the next month. www.mp3.com/jamieanderson.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6. Need help for Western MA gig ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Do you live in or near Northampton? I'm doing a gig at the Montague Book Mill and I'm looking for a fan to post flyers in the area. You'd get a free ticket to the event for your trouble. I'll send you flyers. If you can help out, email me at tsunamiinc@aol.com. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 7. Laptop advice ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Okay all you computer geeks, I need some advice. My trusty laptop bit the dust earlier this year and I really need a new one so I can work when I'm on tour. (Most of my concerts are booked via email.) I'm not a 'puter head, for sure, so I'm kinda lost in this sea of gadgetry. I really liked the Toshiba Sattelite I had for five years. Are the new ones as good? Where can I get a good price on a new laptop AND not have trouble getting it fixed or returning it, should the need arise? I don't want to buy from the internet or some other mysterious source where customer service is unavailable. I need a laptop without a lot of bells and whistles since I'll just be using it for email and a little word processing. I'm a PC gal, Macs confuse me. I can't spend a lot of money and I don't want a purchase deal where I also get new internet service. Any advice would surely be appreciated: tsunamiinc@aol.com. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8. Tour, tour, tour ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As always, check with the venue to confirm details before heading out to a show. 9/7 - 9 Darlington, MD, Sisterspace, with Kara Barnard and Leigh Peterson, 215-546-4890, www.sisterspace.org 9/22 Hartford, CT, Pride Festival, Bushnell Park, with others, www.connecticutpride.com, ctpride@dmhwebs.com, 860-524-8114 9/28 Lincoln, MA, benefit for Silent Spring, loriemichaels@email.msn.com, 781-259-0508 9/29 Montague, MA, 8 pm, Montague Book Mill, Greenfield Rd., with Bernice Lewis, bookmill@the-spa.com, www.montaguebookmill.com, 413-367-9206 9/30 Bridgeport, CT, 7 pm, Acoustic Cafˇ, 2926 Fairfield Ave., 203-335-FOLK, akoostix@aol.com 10/6 Ellsworth, ME, 7:30 pm, house concert, 207-667-4892, http://downeastmusic.org, info@downeastmusic.org 10/7 Ashland, MA, 7 pm, house concert, lisa@gigahurts.com, 508-881-9447 10/10 Kingston, NY, 7:30 pm, West Strand Grill, 50 Abeel St., Great Dames Productions, gr8dame@msn.com, with Angela Motter 10/11 Philadelphia, PA, 8:30 pm, Tin Angel, 20 S. 2nd St, with SheWho, richmach@tinangel.com, www.tinangel.com, 215-928-0978 10/12 Binghamton, NY, 8pm, Centenary Chanango St UMC, 438 Chenango St., amiracle@pronetisp.net, 607-728-4091, 607-724-3546 10/13 New York City, NY, 8 pm, Sun Music Company, 340 E. 71st (between 1st and 2nd Ave.), with Robert Urban and Martin Swinger, 212-396-9521, info@sunmusicompany.com, www.sunmusicompany.com 10/16 Rochester, NY, 7 pm, Rochester Institute of Technology, waveswngr1@aol.com, www.rit.edu/~ritga 10/17 Buffalo, NY, 9 pm, Nietzsches, 716-886-8539, www.nietzsches.com, with Leah Zicari 10/18 Troy, NY, 7:30 pm, Russell Sage College, 518-244-2207 10/19 Syracuse, NY, 8 pm, Happy Endings Cafe, 317 S. Clinton, www.folkus.org, 315-475-1853 10/20 Rockland County, NY, 7:30 pm, The Link, Unitarian Society in Pomona, 845-364-LINK, LINK4Women@yahoo.com, women only please 10/21 private engagement 10/27 (tentative) Washington, DC, womankindproductions@yahoo.com 11/10 Cary, NC, 9 pm, Six String Cafˇ, 107 Edinburgh South (MacGregor Village Shopping Center), 919-469-3667, www.sixstringcafe.com 11/17 Fuquay-Varina, NC, 8:30 pm, The Hyphen Coffeehouse, 135 S. Main St., 919-567-0303, davidthecat@worldnet.att.net, www.home.att.net/~davidthecat 2002: March West Coast April/May Midwest ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 9. The ending quote ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I often choose something inspiring about other folks or just funny stuff for the closing quote but this time, I'd like to let you know what Holly Near is saying about my work. I'm honored because she is a performer I greatly respect. "For me, folk music tells a story about folks, simple truth-telling and magical mythology that invites the listener to lean in to the larger circle of life. Jamie Anderson is in that circle and she is singing some wonderful songs." -- Holly Near Thank you Holly. And thanks to all of you who continue to support my music. You mean a lot to me. -- Jamie Jamie Anderson Singer - Songwriter - Parking Lot Attendant *** Touring nationally for over a decade *** http://www.jamieanderson.com http://www.mp3.com/jamieanderson 4201 University Dr., Ste. 102, Durham, NC, 27707 tsunamiinc@aol.com Order Jamie's recordings! Goldenrod: www.goldenrod.com Ladyslipper: 800-634-6044, or www.ladyslipper.org Harmony Ridge: www.hrmusic.com