Ulysses

Sold out show in Cork, Ireland, with my new pals, White Horse Guitar Club. This is a gorgeous venue, one of Ireland's finest. The Tour has been gaining momentum from show to show here: word of mouth is still the most important promotion you can have. And: that's what it's all about anyway: the songs and stories. The music itself: whispered from ear to ear. That social media is less important in this place should not be surprising– the Irish can fit a whole lot of words into a sentence when they talk. Or when they write. I wandered about Dublin thinking about James Joyce: The Dubliners. Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, Ulysses... Joyce installed Dublin into my mind half a century ago, and I was amazed at how many of his words have stayed with me. Another couple of weeks of the Irish leg ahead and I'm already planning for next year's return.

Ireland! The Spirit of the Blues

 It seems like it rains a lot here. It is wet. And green. And colder than I've hoped. But things are warming up. In my first week on the ground I've been on a coal smuggling expedition, a booze run to the north, I've been out busking in Sligo a couple of times, I've discovered Swagman's Pub, I've been playlisted on a couple more Irish/UK stations, picked up a few more shows, and I've visited The Giant's Tomb.

Musicians and presenters have been very friendly and helpful. The bar is set high here: it's a place where everybody plays: and those who play well play really, really well. I'm looking forward to seeing what my shows are going to be. The first dates are in the north of the Island, and start by week's end.