Here`s the low-down on the groups with whom I`m playing:

HARDSCRABBLE: My jugless jug band. Members: Lawrence Peters - washboard, kazoo, vocals; Josh Piet - upright bass; myself - guitar, kazoo, vocals.

THE LAWRENCE PETERS OUTFIT: Hardscrabble`s Honky Tonk alter-ego, fronted by Lawrence, who sings lead and plays snare drum and washboard. Other members: Steve Doyle - lead guitar; Josh Piet - upright bass; myself - rhythm guitar and background vocals.

CRACKLIN MOTH: Alt-country brainchild of songwriter Matt Ammerman, who plays guitar and sings lead. Other members: Rocco Labriola - lead guitar and pedal steel; Shawn Rios - drums and vocals; Drew Lindsey - keyboards, accordian and vocals; myself - electric bass and vocals on at least one song.

THE NORTHSIDE SOUTHPAWS: My mandolin/guitar duet with songwriter Matt Gandurski. In this duet we both play left-handed, wood-body National Reso-Phonic instruments - Matt on guitar and me on mando - which is a combination that is, to the best of my knowledge, unprecedented in the history of the world. We both sing.

MADDOX & HASBROUCK: I can`t call my project with master musician Colby Maddox a mandolin/guitar duet, because sometimes it`s mando/guitar, sometimes it`s 2 guitars, or guitar/violin, or 12-string plus mando, or two mandos, or whatever. In any case, we like to litter the stage with instruments and play whatever we feel like playing at any given moment.

MAJORS JUNCTION: This fine countrified band has been calling me lately to play lead guitar on some gigs that I have enjoyed immensely. Fronted by songwriter Mike Mulcahy, the band is made up of some extremely friendly folks whose names I intend to spell correctly when I update this blog.