Catch Up

Hey guys, a lot has been going on lately - so much, in fact, that I haven't had time to update this page!

Greg Maroney and I performed together on November 12th, a benefit for the York College School of Nursing's Managed Care Program. Jan and I had a great time on that trip, and were happy to have some time with Greg and Linda Maroney.

Another highlight of this trip was a buggy ride and a tour of an Amish farm outside of Lancaster. As usual, I asked the Amish driver too many questions, and Jan kept punching me in the ribs...

On November 18th, Joseph Akins and I performed together in Jackson, Mississippi, in a benefit for the Millsaps College Music Program. This concert was underwritten by Lester and Ellen Hailey of Beemon Drugs. So if you live in Jackson, please buy your meds from Beemon Drugs, at 1220 E. Northside Drive.

Joseph spent the night at our house Wednesday night, then we drove to Jackson on Thursday for the concert. Around 4 PM, while we were at the hall trying out the pianos, Joseph got a call informing him that his father-in-law had just died in Chattanooga. Joseph was a real trooper, and decided to go on with the performance, and he played great! My playing was also some of my best, and our dueling Steinways improv at the end of the program really smoked!

Please pray for Joseph, his mom, and their family during this difficult time.

Jan and I are celebrated Thanksgiving at the beach this year. We walked 4 miles on the beach every day that we were there. I know this thanks to the Nike GPS app on my iPhone.

The weather was absolutely perfect. We saw dolphins playing and pelicans diving for food, had great meals and a lot of relaxation.

This week I finish THE LAST SONG for the new Timeless II CD. Then it will be off to the duplicator. I can't wait for you to hear it.

Hope you and yours had a great Thanksgiving. Even with whatever bad is happening in our lives, we have a lot to be thankful for.

Take care...

On the Road

Jan and I are leaving in the morning for Pennsylvania. We are driving, because we want to take Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway on the way back. Great views, 5 days alone with my beautiful wife, a concert, and the chance to visit with our friends Greg and Linda Maroney! Who could ask for anything more?

Real Life

Fall is in full swing here in the deep South. We have a lot of hardwoods in our neighborhood, and the leaves are falling in massive quantities. Most of my neighbors obsessively try to remove all traces of autumn from their lawns, driveways and decks. I, however, am a little less diligent, to their dismay, I'm sure.

I'll miss my German lessons for the next few weeks. Next week Jan and I will be in Pennsylvania for the York benefit concert. The week after that I will be playing in Jackson, MS. The week after THAT Jan and I will be celebrating Thanksgiving at the beach. That's the story of my German studies; two steps forward, one step back. Or in my case, probably one step forward and two steps back!

Did you know that I play the cello? Not really, but as a keyboard player, I can play ANYTHING! I finished one of the last songs for the Timeless II album yesterday - an arrangement of "The Swan" by Saint-Saens. I added a solo cello to the piano part, and it sounds like the real thing. I'm thinking about creating an imaginary cellist and giving him credit on the CD for this solo. Maybe I'll name him "Alexei Volkov" or perhaps a good ol' southern name like Billy Joe McCabe. Then I'll sit back and see if anyone calls me on it.

I practiced the piano a lot today. I'm adding a few new tunes for the upcoming concerts, and relearning some of the songs from "Christmas at Our House" for the December concert in Nashville. Today is Thursday; most Thursdays I practice 4 or 5 hours at home before going into the studio around 2 PM.

Jan and I bought a new Vita-Mix blender last week, and I love it so much that I have almost stopped eating solid food! I am now living on smoothies. We were at Costco, and there was a guy there demonstrating the Vita-Mix. I was like a pesky kid who wouldn't go away. I kept asking him to make a coffee drink, then soup, then a sorbet, and before you know it I had eaten a full meal's worth of samples. Today's smoothie was red grapes, a few almonds, strawberries, blueberries, a whole apple (minus two slices for Riley) and an orange, with a little vanilla yoghurt and some orange juice. Oh, and a few baby carrots. Pretty soon I will be so healthy that I'll be absolutely unbearable!