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Cesar Chavez Park
Event organizer and local music booster extraordinaire Jerry Perry told me after the show this evening at the park in downtown Sacramento that he had only ever seen that many people in that space before when CAKE played there once. An estimated crowd of 7000 helped us have a superb time. I had so much fun... lately I've been having a lot of what I call Just Shoot Me Now moments. You know, when things are so good that you feel as though you could die happy right now? So, in the unlikely event that I get hit by a bus tomorrow you can rest assured that I was good to go.
Listened to the new CD by our friend Richard March who leads the band that opened tonight. The disc was engineered and co-produced by David Houston who also twisted the knobs for the new Jackie Greene record. I think Richard's album is excellent and love the way his band plays. Here's a guy to watch. And while I'm at it, I want to mention that David is also a fine singer/songwriter with a number of CDs out that are well worth listening to.
7/31/04
The Ride through The Fillmore
Last night we finished our first double header gig at the hallowed Fillmore in San Francisco. We were opening for Los Lobos who were shooting both nights for a forthcoming live DVD and touring in support of their latest album, The Ride. I highly recommend this record. Track number 2, "Rita", just really does it for me... It's a little hard for me to be objective about what the Jackie Greene Band does, of course, but I think it's a fair assessment to say we did quite well both nights. We got an exceedingly sweet compliment from one of the Lobos fellas, Steve Berlin, who was heard to say we were the best opening band they've ever had. The experience was extra good for me due to the fact that I treated my family to a pair of nights at the St. Francis Hotel so I was able to go climb into my love nest at dark thirty in the morning instead of facing another empty rented room after work.
Los Lobos had some technical trouble the first night but I think it's not overstating the case to say last night was a grand slam. After coming out to encore with Marvin Gaye's timeless classic, "What's Goin On", they were joined onstage by the Jimi Hendrix of the "sacred steel" guitar, Robert Randolph. Robert had just come from playing in San Jose with Eric Clapton who he has been touring in support of since March. His playing with The Wolves was simply wonderful; joy, finesse, musicality, showmanship - what else could you want? Turns out his guitar tech is our old buddy Tyler Sweet who was with Susan Tedeschi last year when we did several shows around the country opening for her. Great to see Ty again, however briefly. It is a small - and very beautiful - world from where I sit today.
One more thing... I asked Robert after the show what it was like working with Clapton. He said he was amazed that out of about 50 shows together there were only 2 where EC was not just completely stunning. Glad to hear the news that one of my favorite musicians is over 60 and still at the top of his game.
7/18/04
"Can you feel it?"
Got back yesterday from our trip to Snowmass Village, CO and Moscow, ID. It was quite an adventure. Both shows were outdoor, free community concerts.(Free to the public - we still get paid, thank you very much)Several times during the trip Jackie asked Ben and me the question posed above. Not sure where he got it, exactly...sounds like it could be James Brown.
Anyway, at Snowmass rain fell during our first set at the bottom of the Fanny Hill ski slope where the stage sits near the base of the lift. Although the stage was covered rain blew onto me and Jackie making us both a little nervous as performers have been electrocuted on occasion in the past. At one point I went back behind the amps and up on the drum riser to get away from it when I didn't have any vocal parts to sing but seeing J get soaked during "The Lord Mistreats Me" I decided to go stand with him. As I walked over next him I said, "If you're gonna die I guess I will too." He shot back, "As your employer I order you to get out of the rain." I think he mentioned something about his lack of insurance too but I could still feel the love.
Because of the nasty weather there were only a few hundred people in the audience instead of the 3000 that could be expected on a nice Thursday evening there.As we took a break beneath the stage J said he thought this was the worst gig we'd ever had. I felt that we had seen several that were considerably worse but I wasn't as wet as him and also had no idea how uncomfortable he must've been physically yet either. Besides, it was our first trip to the Aspen area and I was determined to appreciate being in such a gorgeous place no matter what.
As you may have read on Jackie's website, J was taken ill with altitude sickness in the middle of that show and I was left to play the remaining 45 or 50 minutes solo acoustic. About 15 minutes after I started filling in I noticed between songs that an ambulance with lights flashing had pulled up behind the stage. It gave me a chance to really practice what most showbiz folks preach - that the show must go on. So, with very mixed feelings about the situation, I got to "enjoy" playing for a (small) crowd on a big stage as a solo act for the first time in my life. I've been wishing for such an opportunity for a long time and now I realize that I should be more specific with my wishes in the future. : - / It felt pretty good though and the audience was kind to me. One guy came up front and yelled, "Way to step up, Hence!" At the end there were some shouts for an encore but the scheduled showing of the movie "The Blues Brothers" had to proceed. At first I was a bit put off by the idea that a movie most folks have seen on network TV at least once had to have priority but I think I had already gone over time. Also, as I got back together with Jackie and Ben at The Brothers Grill later on the 5th floor of the Silvertree Hotel (which had kindly remained open for us) I looked out the window from our table down at Cab Calloway on the big screen several hundred yards away and realized what a great thing it must be on a nice evening there to sit on the grass and watch a movie after a concert in that sweet place.
Special thanks to Brad and Joe. You guys rock.
Impromptu setlist at Snowmass:
Beautiful Reward (Springsteen)
Annalee (Phillips)
Placerville (Phillips/Warner)
Old Man (Young)
Cinnamon Girl (Young)
Look at Little Sister (Ballard)
Share Your Love (Phillips)
Art of Leaving (Phillips)
Piano Rag (Rev. Gary Davis Jr.)
Tangled Up In Blue (Dylan)
Drunk on a Mexican Bus (Phillips)
Gone Wanderin (Greene)
Stone Free (Hendrix)
The next day we flew to Spokane, WA and were picked up by a young guy named Kalen who drove us east for about 90 minutes to Moscow. Kalen and his dad, Jim, were the nicest things about the gig for me. Great guys and Jim makes about the best beef jerky I've ever tasted. Their hospitality, and the friendliness of the folks at the show, was memorable. Thanks, y'all.
Last but not least a word about our show at "The Big Room" at the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, CA few nights earlier. That was our first time there and I hope it won't be our last. It's a fine venue, not far from home, and we were well recieved. Also, I have family and friends up there which makes it extra sweet.
Yes, Jackie... I can feel it, my brother.
6/21/04
Jackie Greene to produce next Hence album
My friend and sometime musical boss has agreed to get to work helping me to record for my next CD in late July.
Things have been going really well lately and this is just about as sweet a development as I could hope for.
It seems quite obvious that either God is good to me or I'm a very lucky guy... or both.
6/4/04
I've decided to start sharing more of my songs, in demo form, for free on this website.
Someday I'd like to make more records and maybe sell some but, in the meantime, I will share just because
I like to and I can.
Here's a tune I wrote a few years back. You can download the .mp3
of it here: Hence - Annalee (4.2MB)
In order to save this to your machine, Windows users Right click and Save Target As.
This one features my friend Jackie Greene on rhythm guitar and background vocals.
Annalee
I hit the road runnin' and I stumbled right away
And fell into a life that ain't worth livin' for
I should have seen it comin' 'cause it was plain as day
Someday I'd be sorry I walked out your door
Now I'm half a world away from you
Wonderin' what the right thing is to do
Annalee what's wrong with me
I'm about as lonesome as a man could be
Save me won't you Annalee
I'm drowning in this sea of despair
It came to me the hard way but now I've finally learned
The facts of life can sober you so well
Been careless with the fire of love you know I have been burned
I think I even caught a glimpse of hell
words & music Hence Phillips
copyright Get Thee Hence Music 2004
5/24/04
Love
Yes, that's right, Folks...love is big news here in this corner of the universe.
Kimi & I have been showered by an amazing storm of love from family and friends from
church, school, and work. I don't feel that I have adequate words...so just...wow!
Thank You so much!
5/19/04
Ladies and Gentleman,
Please help me welcome to the planet
child number three,
little sister to Zoe & Dylan,
six pounds and zero ounces of pure love,
our new daughter,
Melody Josephine Phillips!
And I think to myself...
what a wonderful world.
5/7/04
Last night at The Fillmore in San Francisco was awesome. I had been a little concerned that it would
be hard to have a better night than our first time there opening for Susan Tedeschi in December 2002.Well, we played fine, the sold out crowd dug us and then Los Lonely Boys kicked it up a notch with their
outstanding music and showmanship. I love the fact that the video of their song "Heaven" is shot in a church, shows them praying, and is still not
being relegated to the Gospel or Christian categories but offered for all to enjoy. The power and love of brotherhood make them a very special act.
During their show they invited Carlos Santana onstage and the place went nuts.
I ended up getting to chat with Carlos at length and he was as genuine and charming as I would've expected
after having followed and admired his work for so long.
He caught the last two songs in our set and said our band sounded good. He shared with me what he considers the 5 essentials for a performer.
"You gotta use all five, Man : Head, heart, soul, body, and cojones. Otherwise, I don't believe you."
| Peace, | ||
| Hence |
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