Tom Dews: News

As the weather turns cooler and the leaves change I'm reminded of what a great summer it was - hanging out with guitar greats Mary Flower, Pat Donahue and Craig Fuller at Swannanoa, getting to meet Pat Wictor in Roanoke, and spending time on the road traveling to NC and MA, swimming in Penobscot Bay, doing studio work. My song "Time's Just a River" got some good press at Swannanoa, so I'm ready to get it recorded. What I'm listening to: Bonnie Raitt - Luck of the Draw; Arlo Gutherie - In Times Like These; Pat Wictor - Whiskey Vacation; Greg Trafidlo - "Let Me Break Even"

Jack Bond, after a number of years in Nashville, is back in the area. He co-writes with Dulcie Taylor, and is a crakerjack guitar player. He's got a CD that pushes all the right buttons.

Kevin Dudley, a Texan who once fronted a very successful band in this area, has returned. I heard him play an outstanding set a couple of weeks back.

Randy Newman's HARPS AND ANGELS is a terrific CD.

I opened for PIERCE PETTIS back in April. His new CD,THAT KIND OF LOVE, is absolutely terrific! What a writer!

Tom Dews and Ron Goad did a rousing set at Bankkok Blues last summer which is memorialized on video - a fine job, too, by the company, One note Shy. The reviews are good, folks, and you ought to take a look. You can find them by Googling Tom Dews or by going first to Vimeo or Youtube.

Two great artists were at Jammin Java recently - Kate Campbell was doing songs from her new CD, "Save the Day", and Pierce Pettis was doing stuff from his new one, "That Kind of Love". Wonderful performances, and both of the CDs are terrific.

I've just returned from total immersion in songwriting for 48 hours, led by the inimitable KATE CAMPBELL, at Eric Garrison's Cedar Run Winter Weekend at Seven Oaks near Madison, VA. What a delightful time! Great workshopping, great song circles, great food and conversation.

Part of my performance of "This Long Road" at the Takoma Park Folk Festival is available on YouTube now. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIW1cOwjBok

"Abe Lincoln Blues" was played on Mary Cliff's TRADITIONS November 3rd (WAMU), and the station at U. Mass.-Amherst played a number of cuts from the album recently.

Danielle Miraglia, from Boston, a great player with a distinctive voice, (had the pleasure of doing a show with her in Baltimore a while back).

Alistair Moock, another Bostonian - he's touring Europe and if you hear him you'll know why.

Malcolm Holcombe, recognized as one of the best practiciners of "insurgent country". Nobody plays guitar like this man, and he has more grief in his voice than Greg Allman.

Mickey Nelson - he has a new cd in the works and it's dynamite (w/ harp track by TD).

Kate Campbell - her BLUES AND LAMENTATIONS and THE PORTABLE KATE CAMPBELL are in my car all the time. Had the privilege of playing harp behind her at Cedar Run. She's unbelievable.

Pierce Pettis - GREAT BIG WORLD is a fine, fine album. Pierce is the writer every writer wants to be.

Tom Kimmel - his BONES album is one of my favorites. He is a great artist and a great teacher.

Glenn Fink - His HOT STOVES BURN album is great. Distinctive voice and sophisticated keyboard work.

Jack Bond - Heard him at a SAW Showcase in Falls Church. This man is a terrific writer, guitar player and singer. A veteran of 6 years in Nashville, he cowrites some with Dulcie Taylor.

Cindi Slaughter - Her CINGED BLUES album is wonderful. Great low-range voice with stellar guitar work. Terrific writing.

I've gotten in to the cowriting thing and have two pieces now that look promising - Charisse Kahler (Kansas) and I have a tune that she's doing a demo of, and Mickey Nelson( Roanoke) has a new cd in the works and the first tune on it is one I wrote with him.

I've been hanging out with some great songwriters this summer. The Cedar Run week was fantastic - having teachers like Pierce Pettis, Tom Kimmel, Brooks Williams and Kate Campbell was incomparable. More recently, after a performance at Green Mtn. College in Vermont I was twice down in Roanoke for a meeting of the songwriters association there - some impressive writers, among them Mickey Nelson (I'm cowriting with him) and David Simpkins, who sounds like James McMurtry, but is a true original. Greg Trafidlo showed me around down there (we're cowriting as well).

Tom Dews won the Takoma Park Folk Festival Emerging Artists Showcase in 2005, and fans are still discovering that award winning performance on cable TV broadcasts. You can see a clip of it on You Tube!