Vancouver. July 2, 2016. Just when I thought I was out? They pull me back in again. Again. Trains are healthier than planes. Is a one show tour really a tour? Solo arrangements.
Roger CortonYou’re going back on the road!
JCHLike you said last week. I keep getting pulled back…
RCJust like Al Pacino…
JCHLet’s not start that again. But yes, we’re doing a show. English majors will note the use of the singular article.
RCWe’ll get to that, but it’s great to see you getting back on the horse. Let’s get some details.
JCHIt’s a solo show at a private home. There are one hundred seats available so it will be intimate but still have enough bodies to make it feel like a real ‘show’, if you take my meaning. Now if readers have an account on this here site…
RCAnd everyone should.
JCH…they’ve already been notified. If not, they should contact me immediately as it’s filling up fast.
RCThank you Jesus.
JCHNo doubt. No doubt. Any tickets left will be available next Wednesday. I expect there to be prox. twenty open seats left.
RCThat’s great. It’s also unfortunate. I wish there was more space for more new people. To broaden the audience.
JCHI hear ya. Like that old song, “There’s just never enough time…”
RCOh that song (laughs). You do get a lot of mileage out of that song. In any case, inquiring minds will want to know, “Why Vancouver? Why only one show?”
JCHThe elephant in the room is my health. I had to cancel that show in February and I still haven’t figured out exactly what went wrong. But I do know that flying was what caused the problem. So I figured I’d start by taking the train.
RCIt’s as simple as that?
JCHIt’s as simple as that. Vancouver is a two hour train ride.
RCSo are you saying you’re in a no-fly zone for a while?
JCHNo. I’m saying that I’m starting small. Get the bank account pumped up a bit. See some old friends. After all, it’s been two years since I’ve been in BC. So it’s about time. Assuming this goes well, we’ll then schedule some shows with the full band at end of the summer. But the main purpose of this show is to get back on the horse.
RCSo tell me about the horse. Any highlights to report?
JCHThis show will harken back to the days of yore. I’ll be playing solo arrangements of various sections off of Epic. Although these are ‘old’ songs, the arrangements are new and they really stretch my technique in a way it ain’t been stretched in a good while. So there’s a certain high-wire quality to this.
RCCool.
JCHI’ll also be previewing a couple of things from the upcoming record.
RCBecause we talked about it last time?
JCHOf course.
RCI thought you spent literally months working out arrangements. These pieces aren’t exactly three chords from the Mel Bay Easy Strumming Song Book.
JCH(laughs) Well, I used to spend months, for sure. But a funny thing is that I seem to have gotten better at putting together arrangements. Something to do with working on this shit for fifteen years.
RCPractice helps? Go figure. OK, so let’s wrap it up. Solo show in Vancouver over Independence Day Weekend. Only a few tickets left so go get ’em…
JCHHey, that’s my line!
RCIf all goes as we expect, better health, more shows in the fall with full band and happiness returns to Middle Earth.
JCHWell, let’s take it one step at a time, Glorfindel. I don’t want to be a killjoy, but honestly, I still have no clear idea as to what happened back in February. So as seems to be the norm now, I once again wish to thank everyone who has stuck by me. And by that, I mean, who still buy the records and show up for the concerts. Even with all my ups and downs.
RCAmen, brother.
