April 2017: An Instrument to Grow Into
It’s a chilly day in Brooklyn, NY. I set out to find an internet + coffee joint and found one with coffee and no internet, shocking. But way more productive, oh...
I'm on the final days of a month long tour with Odell Fox. Outside the cafe, middle schoolers line up for the bus. Some strangle each other, some twiddle, others hide behind lamp posts. We weave in and out of lives and cities, staying for a meal, observing, sometimes partaking, leaving in the dark. Nearly every night for the last two weeks we've gotten to share moments of quiet and full blown howls in living rooms and small venues alike. It’s been extraordinary. Thank you to those who were there.
However, touring is not always the three part harmony and high fives it appears to be. We don't drive to gigs talking about our favorite moments and playing I Spy. Nearly 5,000 miles in a van is a long time.
But we had special moments, and I'd like to highlight one story in particular. After a house concert in Stamford, CT a middle aged woman approached us, complimented our music, but seemed sad. She invited us down the street to her house to play her antique Martin guitar, and we said, "Duh!" We pulled up just before midnight, and she turned out to be a wonderful folk singer, guitar player, and painter. Sadly, her guitar had sat in its case for years, arthritis had made it hard for her to play. Her house was a treasure trove of art, instruments, and music history. She came to our concert expecting to support a neighborly gathering, briefly showing her face, but found a group of musicians she believed in. We inspired her. She considered parting with an instrument that had been a long-time friend. She wanted it to be played again. Though, we couldn't make such a big decision at that late hour, I drove back to her house two days later and purchased it along with blessings and a case full of good will. We shared tunes, stories, and an emotional parting. The guitar sits beside me and I can't stop strumming it. It's exciting, and feels like an instrument to grow into. And for those who "nerd out" over such things it's a 1953 Martin 000-21.
I will be playing several Bay Area shows in May and June - info below.
And a new song demo: Mom and Dad Song
Love,
Jenner
Shows in May and June
May 24 - The Lost Church - San Francisco, CA
June 4 - House Concert, Palo Alto, CA - details TBA
June 6 - Freight and Salvage - Berkeley, CA
June 20 - House Concert - Truckee, CA - details TBA
Fox Recommends
OverDrive audio books. Get a library card, download the Overdrive app, follow the directions, and get access to tons of free audiobooks.
Telling someone something you appreciate about them. It’s very hard to fake an appreciation out loud to someone’s face. And when you genuinely tell someone why you appreciate them, it's hard to hold onto any previous resentments or annoyances. This was a daily ritual for Odell Fox on tour.
The Tuolumne River. Located just outside of Yosemite National Park in CA. I will be playing music and guiding trips on the T in May and June with ARTA. There’s high water in CA. It's going to be ridiculous fun. Just saying. (800) 323-2782 - ask for Jenner.
PS. "Only two things money can't buy, that's true love and homegrown tomatoes." - Guy Clark