Well, howdy.
Greetings from sunshiny autumnal Nashville! How’s everything in your neck of the woods?
Where We’ve Been
Kieran and I had a beautiful summer up in the Adirondacks, and then immediately upon leaving there we got busier than we’ve been in ages. Our first stop was the Wheatland Music Festival in Michigan, where we got to share our songs with that delightful crowd for the first time. It was a heart-filling reunion with so many folks I hadn’t seen since “the beforetimes”, and we had a blast.
After arriving in Nashville, our next giggage was with Joachim Cooder. He had shows at the Blind Willie McTell Festival in Georgia and at the City Winery in Nashville, and his band for that outing was Mark Fain on bass, KK on guitar and banjo, and me on fiddle and viola. It was another long-awaited reunion, and it felt so good to dive back into Joachim’s gorgeous music.
Those shows were followed by a trip to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in San Francisco. All I can say is: OMG. Every time Kieran and I have played HSB we’ve had amazing audiences… but this was next level. The setting was so comfy, the sound was fantastic, and the crowd oozed so much love at us that we were both getting teary as we walked off the stage. Memorable, indeed.
Then this past weekend the KKRG duo was off to the midwest once more, where we enjoyed two welcoming and vibey venues — The Focal Point in St. Louis and FitzGerald’s in Chicago. What great spots!
And Now…
This weekend we’ll be in Sparta, NC, at Muddy Creek Cafe & Music Hall. We’ve been summoned there by the Allegheny Arts Council as part of their songwriter series, and we’re really looking forward to it.
(That’s the last duo show we have on the calendar this year, but we’re sorting out plans for 2023 — so reach out if you’re interested in booking us!)
Fiddle Time!
I’ve scheduled my next online workshop for Sunday, November 13, at 1pm Central! As usual, you don’t have to watch it live — if you buy a ticket you’ll always have access to the archived stream. The tune for this one is TBA. (Any requests?)
I’m also currently scheduling one-on-one online lessons! (And I’ve got plenty of availability in the coming weeks.) If you’re interested in having a “fiddle coaching” session with me, go check out the FAQ on my site.
Real Life
I’ve been trying to sort out whether and when to make note of deaths in my newsletter. I want to acknowledge the loss of beloved musical friends, but I also don’t want my newsletter to end up having an “obituaries” section… it’s a conundrum.
All that said, I feel moved to note that singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and all-around good-time-facilitator Debra Clifford died in September. I know I’m just one among the throngs of people who felt a special bond with Debra — she was such a warm, easy, inviting presence; friendship with her was instantaneous and effortless. She was not only a joy to play music with, she was infectiously curious and had a gift for building community. An antiques collector and dealer, she started a website called Ancestorville to connect genealogists with lost family photographs (which spawned a corresponding — and enormous! — Facebook group). And you can still browse through (and buy) items she loved from her collection of vintage advertising posters.
I had the great honor of recording an album with The Lonesome Sisters, Debra’s duo with Sarah Hawker. It’s a project I hold dear both because of how much I love the music those two made and also because of my memories of the recording process. I was going through a really hard time just then, and Debra and Sarah scooped me up and brought me into a bubble of music and creativity and kindness. It was so nurturing and generous and I’ll always be grateful. This is a song of Debra’s from that album that has special resonance now.
Other Bits
My fellow Americans: please please please VOTE.
I wish I could attend this event at Brooklyn Folk Fest.
Did you see this cool piece on Alice Gerrard in the New York Times?
Are you missing my tour date announcements? Follow me on Bandsintown!
In Conclusion…
Thanks for sticking with me! I appreciate you sharing your much-demanded attention. I know I often go a long time between newsletters, but you can keep up with more minutiae on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook.
Hope you’re all thriving — please keep in touch!
xo rayna