Hello from Santa Fe, NM!

This is day 25 of our 35 day tour!! Wow.

What a whirlwind time this tour has been. I can't believe we've already driven 6000 miles around the US. My tour partner, Jerin Falkner, and I both keep marveling at the diverse beauty, terrain and incredible experiences we are having along the way.

A few of the highlights  since MI. As we drove away from the lovely village of Franklin, stopped to see the cider mill:






After this sweet stop, we went to seeing the wrenchingly beautiful, indescribable street-art-story exhibit in Detroit "the Heidelberg Project"












These pics don't really show the scope, so look it up...;

Drove through Canada to get back to US and enter NY state!! Upstate NY was spectacular. We were lucky to be there during the changing of the seasons, and the trees apparently had received the memo. Bursting with color before our eyes!






 Took a side trip to Saratoga Springs, home of the famous racetrack. Off season, but what a great town.  


Horse covered with bottle caps!
One funny part on that outing: sunny got kicked out of his first coffeehouse!! Not bad, considering we’d been on the road 2 weeks and many coffeehouses later!
Our concert at SkyHeart studio in Gloversville was great. Nice crowd and nice to reconnect with old friends. The hosts, Michael and Hannah, were so generous to offer us our own loft space apt to roost in for the week, as we had some downtime tween shows. This was also Micheal's cooking kitchen for the delectable baking goods he would present to all who attened the concert. Sweet time for sure!!! These pics of Gloversville, including a famous glovemaker's shop...the town was once the glovemaking capitol of world.








the loft was gorgeous- wood floors, exposed brick, the classic space. This was also where we would have the concert end o week, so we got to work on new songs together. Jerin kicked it nicely on shaker and backing vocals on “side by side!” So, with the MP3 elec. guitar and drums (thanks Bill!) it was closest thing to a full band sound I’ve had on this solo road!





Sunny had his first girl crush... a little lady named lilly.

Off to NYC, where we’d spend a total of 20 very kickin' hrs in the city!
Got a parking spot right in front of the apt where we’d stay with my old band mate, Beau. Great pad! So funny, Jerin documented the squeezing in of the car to the spot. Literally an inch between front and back bumpers to the cars next to it.
Gizzi's gig was great. My old pal Beau joined us for this one. He played with me through the release of Seasons, my 2nd album. So good to reconnect...and he didn't miss a beat! 




Sunny got wet in the rain while I went in to get bagels on our way out of town. Jerin held him, and all these NYC women would walk by, saying, "where's his sweatah?!, to jerin's chagrin!  He was a tad miserable when we got to the car, but nothing that a nice towel rub, dry sweater and lap ride wouldn't cure!! Plus the bagels were the best EVER!!! Essa Bagel...
 
playing in Austin, TX at a Cafe overlooking a lake with dramatic pink sunset, followed by crazy 3 hr heat-lightening show (no sound, no rain!); playing at a hotsprings in Truth or Consequences, NM, amid the glow of the happy crowd, (some soaking in natural rock tubs nearby) a full moon sparkling over the Rio Grande...and on and on...
Pictures and more text to come as I land...

How lucky I feel for the experiences I could not have imagined as Jerin and I toiled away for months to plan this ambitious, crazy road tour. Joy abounds.

After we left NY, we headed for GA, via New Jersey, for a rare glimpse of my sweet brother, Hunter.
 He was showcasing artcars for ARTCARWORLD.ORG...fun!! Sunny got to experience his first car parade!

Had a fun time over the 4 day trip to Austin, TX where we continue our fun shows. Both thrilled to play in this musical burb, for sure.

Hello from Athens, GA! In a coffeehouse pub in this ultra cool college town, and home of REM, B 52's and more...

Here are some highlights of 18 days on the road, around the beautiful (mostly) US! Mind you, I am in a fog from driving 2 days from NYC to GA, so bear in mind the memory of a sleepy lass...

9/12
Sunny and I drove to Greenacres, outside Spokane, really hot day, had a little downtime at Jerin's folks place, toured the garden, ate plums!!!, then played our show in Coeur d'Alene.


Later had tour kick off raspberry pie, courtesy of Jolene Falkner's talented pie hands...

9/13
We picked many #'s of said plums, and in production line with Jerin's folks, processed them for the freezer. These they are sending me home with at tour's end!!
Packed the car....grimaced at the load...took a stick of butter and a shoehorn, and wedged it all in, packed the dog, and took off!!!



Hope, ID show was fun!!!





Yummy pizza and sunny got to sneak in for the show...


I will make this place an annual stop...


besides being smack dab next to Lake Pend Oreille, incredible organic pizza, and really good beer, the owner Bear, housed us at his very cool handmade hippee home, complete with the best dang view I've ever seen from an outhouse...YES, there is indoor plumbing Virginia...butt...how could one resist:



Next morning I was set loose in the pizza kitchen, where I whipped us up some tasty eggs with "pizza" toppings:basil, pepperoncini's, 3 cheeses, roasted peppers, etc.


9/14
Next stop, Bozeman, a tad on the hurried side, due to an inconvenient 1 hr time change!! Still a nice show, and Jerin got to catch up with old pals!

9/15- MT to MN!! We had a great time in this little vacation lake home. stunning weather, sunny ran and ran!!








9/16
Off to WI! We stayed with our pals Teresa and Wendy at their lovely horse ranch, and sunny met his first horses, and dog pals. 

this is "still life with horse ranch and BUTT apple". enjoy.


Next show was a live web radio show in Falcon Heights MN. Fun, and a tad nervewracking....





9/18 Off to Oshkoch (WI) b'gosh! We had a nice gig in a great coffeehouse NEW MOON, had a tasty vegie burrito. Nice crowd of locals made us feel WI welcome.





9/19
Off to E Lansing MI...what can I say...a long-ass day of 9 hr road hustle, (lost another hour!) did a bizarrely FUN gig for 2...we sold CD's to 100% of the audience, and had a giddy time in our road daze. Even made a vid during the show. live from the aquarium...


9/21
Another world away was only 1 hr drive... house concert for 63+ adoring, hear-a-pin-drop listening crowd. We had a great time, and our hosts were lovely.





9/21 off to upstate NY....to be continued.

I can't believe I actually pulled it off...but it did involve a bit of the "maam, maam, please read the sign. What does it say?"

I was delivering my totally cool glass lights to one of my local stores. Okay, I WAS in the Truck load/unload only spot, how many of us have done this!!!? (this is what he asked me to read out loud to him!!) I was in my Subaru wagon, however, it IS my delivery veHICKle!! :) (I actually played that card!!!)
whew... actually couldn't believe he let it go, since he was so snippy-a** from the get go. We bid each other a "have a good day", which would have come out a tad less sincere on my part if i'd been nailed....I thanked him for his "leniency on this gorgeous sunny day"...OH! and sunny the dog wagged his tail cutely. 
I think my incentive not to get a ticket was more GAS money for the tour.

Print collage" mce_href="/>Print collage" mce_href=" />Print collage" border="0" width="325" />

Hello! I want to be better about blogging, really...i dunno...actually living life (and sitting at this computer toooooo much lately) isn't much of an excuse, but I'll try to be more ON it!

Been working really hard on an upcoming tour, this my biggest ever.
Circling the US!

Taking to the road in Sept, coming back in October.

Joining me is another fabulous singer songwriter, Jerin Falkner http://www.jerinfalkner.com

Take a gander at the dates we have lined up so far at http://www.jeanmann.com/gigs.html.

More to come, I promise ya that!

jean

I'm on the ca coast, tween gigs. the trip so far has been an adventure! phoenix house concert was incredible. reminds me that I'm doing the right thing...played a fun gig with 2 guys from the band, west tx millionaires.super sweet and talented. check em out. they're out of bisbee, az. westtexasmillionaieew.com
this tour should be sponsored by tj's, as the bulk of my tour meals have been from there. fungo get creative for refrigeration on the road. I bought frozen mango chunks, which keep the food cool and are divine as they thaw out. nature's popsicles!! also, in the creative cooking realm on the road..made a salad with tons of stuff: butter lettuce, carrots, turkey, apples, bell peppers, avocado (which are so plentiful and cheap round here!) and part of a jar of marinated artichoke hearts, which provided the salad dressing as well...mmmmm. til next muse, thanks for reading. ps: this is the first tour I've done where I left the laptop home and opting for the I-phone instead....a little too finger typey for
my taste, but sure saves space. xoxo jean

This recent post was sent my way. my thoughts below it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html

A man stood at a metro station in Washington, DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk. A few minutes later, a man leaned against the wall to listen to him, but then looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother pulled him along,hurrying, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally, the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, pressed them to move on.

In the 45minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and listened for awhile. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace.He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew that the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played some of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston at an average price of $100 per seat.

 Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception,taste and priorities. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context? One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

powerful....
I was tuned in to the kids, they being the only ones with "time to
spare"...and always the lack of inhibition to stare at what fascinates
them. I see this from the stage all the time, the child who bops right up
in front and stands there, usually a little bounce in the wee legs...
love the power of this message! have a good day.
 :)
jean

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WbGMZAn7hM

So we played the musiquarium last night, our first time! What a great place, lots of folks out post-vp debate...and even the two super-drunk girls who requested, " Van Morrison, it's Amy's birthday!!!", added uh...color to the night! Bill and Matt rocked it pretty swell to. A fun time had by all, and we can't wait to go back...excellent pad Thai too!

hello! This is the road report, from my recent foray to Oregon and California with my music partner and sweet one, Bill Corral. Bill took a bunch of great pics, and as soon as I figure out how to add them, I will...wanted to get this out, before the memories fade....never!

Fun facts:
miles traveled: 3000 (within WA, OR, CA!) yow...

lowest price gas: $3.49 gal (near Waldport, OR)
highest gas price: $4.92 gal!!! (French Glen, OR) the gen.store/gas station WAS the town...and a cute hotel...

most extreme weather day:
9am Ft Bragg, CA 57f
11am Ukiah, CA 102f!!!!

On to the road...
This is the first tour in 3 years where Bill has been able to take time away from his corporate job, to come with me...happy me!! So, in fairness, this trip was meant to be 1/2 tour + 1/2 vacation. On the other side of the trip, I have to say it's a great way to tour...! With the exception of a few too many back to back shows, but lots of free time afterwards...read on!

We took off Sept 6, headed straight for the Oregon coast, ahh the foggy, dramatic beach...
Played our first road show in Newport, at a great spot called Nana's Irish Pub you must check it out when you're at the coast. Tell them hello for us!
Traditional Irish fare, I had a wee chicken pot pie before our set, and that kept me happy all night! Bill leaned in the direction of the Guinness! Met a couple guys from Finland, who were enthralled with our show, and begged us to come to Finland...alrighty!!
Our good friends Susan and Jaye took us in for the weekend, Jaye coming to our show right on the heels of her Burning Man adventure! Next morning, I made a batch of my special cocoa...I brought along my "kit" to make for our hosts along the road!

As a fun aside, you know about my lights? see jean's recycled glass lights here!, well, one of my broken art glass sources, Bob Meyers, of ocean beaches glass came to our show with his wife and said, "I have lots of glass saved up for you!" So, we arrived at his shop on the way out of town, made space for the huge bags of glass in the roof bag, and carried them all the way to CA and back!! (gas mileage be damned!) haha! Let the fun begin when I get back, going through the yummy colors...you really should see this stuff...amazing! Like glass candy!

Sept 8: Happy 29th Sarah and Mike!
Awoke to foggy fog, kissed our pals goodbye, and drove down the wily coast into CA, in and out of fog into glorious dappled sun as we hit the redwoods!! Camped among the gentle giants, and took it all in with nary a sound.

Sept 9: the 9th anniversary of my mama's passing...thought about her a lot today....Seeing the trees surrounding the original giant redwood stumps (mama trees) made me feel so close to my siblings, as we symbolically stood together through her last days.

Sept 10-11: We stopped by Bill's sissy's home in Ft Bragg, CA. There, we went to the beach, a farmer's market, picking up our next day's road trip food: gravenstein apples, fresh goat cheese with basil, baguette, avocado, and cookies!)
We also lounged around his sister's garden, a haven indeed...building up rest for the tour blitz that lay ahead...) I made a peach cream pie, my granny, Maw Maw's recipe...totally old world flavor and cozy good. Everyone loved it. We sat out in the "pond house", an incredible open sky-ceiling hut (two of the four walls were floor to ceiling curtains!!), which looked out at fountains, pond and garden, where we had a little campfire and toasted the eve. Their own shared bit of heaven. Thanks Josh and Mae!

Sept 11...on the road. Heading for Ukiah (that's Haiku backwards!) after stopping in Mendocino proper, for sweets and coffee, and a stop in at "Lark in the Morning", a great guitar etc shop. Didn't buy anything, but oohed over a cittern! ooh lala...
The weather....okay, here's the thing...left the coast at a cool 57 f, to come into the valley to 102 f less than 2 hrs later!!! oy, this NW girl is sagging...water water, please!

Our next tour stop was the Ukiah home of Laura, who hosted us for a lovely garden concert. The sun setting just before the concert began, brought the temp down to a nice balmy, low 80's, with a breeze, and we were delighted.
A great time in the huge lot garden, which she created with mosaic pathways, recycled material art, lush plantings and, oh yeah, her summer BED!!! She is a gal after my own heart! Picture a scrolly frame with cushy bed, waiting to jump into, right in the heart of the garden....that is living!
We stayed in the bed house, which was nearly as divine, all open windows, breezes a blowin'. Slept with no blankets...I could get used to this...

Next morning we leisurely made our way out, before it got too hot, but stopped in at the local fave Schott's bakery and deli. Tasty breakfast (our first restaurant on the road, happy to say!) You know how when you wait a long time to go out for breakfast, and it's really good, so that it's REALLY good???! Well, this was like that. I had a breakfast sandwich bomb: ciabatta bread, avocado, bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato, a little cheese....totally filled me for the day, as we were to head to our next CA stop, Guerneville!

Sept 12: Bob and Gail, the parent's of a local pal, Sadie, hosted us for a house party, where we set up on their deck atop the Russian River creek. (dry bed at the time, which thankfully cut down on bugs) I can't really describe this setting, except to say, picture a tree house, on stilts, with three or four huge, tall redwoods coming up through the deck (which was built around them!) and that was our closest audience for the concert. Incredible. The party was packed, and their good pal Bridgette, cooked up a feast for all...including a peasant stew, made with kielbasa sausage, sour cream, spuds, hard-boiled eggs!! and more...a hearty fill to be sure...lots of good cheeses and breads etc, and TEA was my drink of choice!
The evening was cool, we started off on the deck, and later played next to the cozy campfire sans PA. A true campside concert. They housed us in the "hippie house", you know, with it's own entrance "around back"! Perfect. Really great neighborhood of quaint abodes, all surrounded by river and redwoods. Not bad!

Sept 13-15: We're off to Marin county and Mill Valley, to stay with our friends, Dale and Philip, two of the sweetest, funniest folks you could ever know, who live in a house of such aesthetic, I never want to leave when I come to visit!
Bill and I stayed there almost 5 years ago, as near-strangers to one another, along the way on a road trip to a music conference. This was long before we were...you know, sweet on each other! (but Dale says she predicted we would land in each other's love path!) The trip that would change my life!

We played a house concert in Alameda, at the Victorian era home of Jazz vocalist, singer songwriter, Natasha Miller. She sang some wonderful songs! Also on tap was Anna Laube, a wonderful, irreverent songwriter with kick ass harmonica chops! (she was headed for LA the next day, to make it big...! You go girl!) Bill and I wrapped up the show, then drove back to Mill Valley.

In the morning, we headed to breakfast at my MUST STOP when in CA restaurant, Lighthouse Coffee Shop. An unassuming little dive goldmine in Sausilito, CA, where the pancakes are the thing...and that coming from a gal who NEVER eats pancakes otherwise. They call it the fruit pancake..It is a mix of blueberries, raspberries, and bananas, dancing delicately atop light, fluffy, but not too cakey, flapjacks... I can't get enough...a little sprinkle of powdered sugar, and a dab o butter, and heaven awaits. Okay, so I mentioned to our waiter, "I come here every time I'm in town, which is never often enough"... and ask for the recipe wink winking as I ask....little do I know, this will turn into a complete divulging of the "recipe" and their technique...but, I want you to go there, so I won't spoil it. Suffice it to say, I can make these at home now...still not the same as sitting there, watching them cook on the grill, but a close second...Oh, and did I mention they're the size of a dinner plate!!? Mine can't touch that!! But come over anyway, and I'll cook up a batch...and some cocoa!

Next show was local, with a commute of 5 minutes, we likey!!! A lovely eve had by all...Caffe DiVino is a wonderful low key Italian fare gem in Sausilito. Elizabeth and the staff took good care of us. The crowd stuck around through the whole eve, long after they'd finished their meals so that made us feel good, like we're doing something right...
Another aside: Dale came for this show, with another pal, Marie, and had not seen us perform as a duo since our first go round 5 years ago (when we'd been playing together about a week!) and was astounded at our current collective sound. Thanks Dale! Great to have the barometer.

Sept 15: Sadly leaving our friends and N CA behind, we hit the road pronto for a 7 hr drive to our gig in Klamath Falls, OR! This was a day of spectacular scenery along the highways, laden with ponderosa pines and aspens, still green, lush and lovely. Arrived with time to spare, so took a little nap and set up to play on the patio of a wonderful venue, Klamath Basin Brewpub and Creamery. The peeps were digging our tunes, even though when they saw Bill's mandolin, one man from Delaware almost demanded we play bluegrass...I told him our bluegrass is greener on the other side...! (not really sure what that means, but it was fun to say...) We also met folks from Austin (who offered housing when we come to play there!) and even a Lopez Island, WA gal on her own road trip!

So, this is essentially where the official tour ended and the vacation began. I won't go into all that EXCEPT to share a few highlights... you HAVE to go to the Steens Mountains in SE Oregon, the guidebook says:
Oregon Outback--the place for you if you love quiet, abundant wild life, history, ecology and getting away from it all. This is ranch country with one of the most valued wild life refuges in the west.
True dat!

We wandered around by some incredible craters, ecological wonders, the Malheur Wild Life Refuge and a round barn...really cool. Go check out Round House Barnand tell Dick Jenkins hello from us! We can't wait to come back!
Joy, oh joy, the aspens were in full blazing-color majesty, quaking their dance, as they love to do so nice...

We stayed at Hotel Diamond in Diamond, OR (population 5! we thought it was a typo!) is the best place in the world. They feed you meals that will make you cry for home, and run by the nicest folks you could ever run across.
We held spontaneous mini concerts for hotel guests on the screened in porch (see website pic) and made new friends from Milwaukee, OR and Phoenix, OR! I thought they were looking at the wrong map at first!

I landed a new venue for my eco-groovy lights in Burns, OR, the sprawling metropolis 52 miles away (pop 3000!!) check out Ranch Art Gallery next time you are in the area.

Last overnight stop was Walla Walla, WA where my good pal Barbara holds down the fort of the world famous Dunham Cellars Winery. Visit them at their sprawling vineyard and say hi for us.

Was great to see red head boy Finn, and Jason too!

We loved meeting so many nice new friends, and reconnecting with dear old pals. Thank you all, for opening your homes and venues to us.

A toast to the road, so dear and pretty.

til next time,

jean and bill