Hangin with Heather

Heather Luttrell's in town, camped out on my couch. We're having a blast. Played our first Missouri show together last night at Stooges, doing another tonight at Hunter Valley Winery in Cape Girardeau, MO. Then another at Indian Hills Winery in Puxico Mo on Saturday. Stayed out LATE after the show, put this little town to bed and lived 2 or 3 lives in conversation until we couldn't stay up any more.
This morning we did a radio interview at KRCU in Cape Girardeau with Jacob McCleland and have since solved the worlds problems over coffee and turkey sandwiches.

Heather and I will be performing live in Columbus, GA on Dec 2 for a 'Live DVD' with another friend, Marshall Ruffin. Looking forward to that now and just whatever else we cook up.

I was startled at how strong Heather is during a solo performance. I had only seen her with a band prior to last night.

Well, take a minute and check her out at heatherluttrell.com or Google the gal. Worth the trip to a show I guarantee and be looking for a new CD around the 1st of the year. Also if you're a Skynard fan, Heather's performing with them on the Skynard cruise departing from Tampa Fla on Jan 21st...could be fun!

Lotsa love
jf

Aunt Gladys

I was lucky enough to spend the afternoon with my Aunt Gladys on Oct 27 before a show at Ciceros in St. Louis. Aunt Gladys is 91, takes care of herself, is as mentally sharp as anyone I've ever met...and she has a life behind her that I'm so intrigued by I just had to tell you...
She and her husband bought a little card shop in St. Louis on Feb 15th, 1940 (it was a Friday, she said). On Feb 18th her husband found out he was leaving to work on the construction of the Pentagon building so Gladys had a new business to run alone. They had paid $600 for the business and merchandise. Two years passed before David came back, Gladys paid the business off and had amassed $2,000 in the bank. They never looked back.
In 1960 after much delay and debate the two added records to their store because Gladys loved music and REALLY loved those little vinyl discs. Their legacy began. They owned three record stores during their career, sold two off in the late 70's and just ran their home store until retirement. When they sold the last store the new owner declined the purchase of all those 'old' records so Gladys packed them up and took them to their house where they got reorganized in her basement. A short time looking at them led Gladys to form 'Encore Records'. She started selling vinyl through national magazine ads, the paper and word of mouth among collectors. As local record stores folded and national chains gave up the vinyl industry Gladys bought them out. All of them. Dillards, Penneys, the mom and pops...if they wanted rid of their records Gladys was their gal.
She can't read the labels anymore and has a hard time filling orders taken online but when she needs help her daughters sort Michael Jackson red-vinyl or whatever the call is for and she gets the job done.
Aunt Gladys spent the day with me...the kid in the candy store...sifting through amazingly cool discs and photos from her past. I sang her a couple of songs as loud as I could sing them to accommodate her hearing loss, we drank a beer together, laughed a lot and had a fantastic time. She showed me some old St. Louis papers she and her husband had saved. Even a few from when she was a child. I got to read the story that was written about Charles Lindbergh's flight across the Atlantic, the Cardinals 1936 World Series victory, D-day...it was incredible.
Our afternoon ended with Gladys giving me the Tom Waits 45 single of 'Somewhere' from Westside Story, a rare Asylum Records release that I'd been eyeing and a promise to bring my daughters back next week. She said I had better not let her find out I was paying for a room in St. Louis as she had plenty of room and asked me a third time if I needed anything to eat before my show. She noted a couple of times that she was so happy to know that a Fox could actually sing. She said there hadn't been another in her lifetime and she could only play those record players and dream of it. We had another good laugh.
I'm so happy to have gotten to know Aunt Gladys a little better, since I've learned to appreciate the elders of my Fox heritage and look forward to our next visit. I'll tell you all about it. Enjoy your people while you can.

lotsa love
jf

Come see me and Heather Luttrell 11/6/09

How's it going gang?

I'm writing to invite you to a private show on November 6th. It will be at Hunter Valley Winey's new upstairs venue at 6pm and last until we're all tuckered out. I'll be joined that evening by HEATHER LUTTRELL of Atlanta, Ga. If you watched 'Rockstar INXS' when it was going on you'll remember Heather as the wild child with all the Butterfly tattoos (27, I think). She was in the final 4 before she got sent away and is an amazingly talented artist. Since 'Rockstar' she's launched a solo career that has drawn a lot of attention in the South because of her amazing voice, great songs and in part because of her frequent appearances with the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Leo Kottke etc.

There are 50 seats for the event and they are FREE! But you need a reservation.

So here's how: email me at talk@jeffersonfox.com and tell me you would like to reserve a seat for Nov 6th or

If we're close personal friends, just give me a call.

That's it. Be sure and act fast as these will go quickly and I don't know how soon we'll get little Heather back in the neighborhood.

See you soon, Lotsa love
jf

Here's Heather's site: www.heatherluttrell.com

and Hunter Valley Winery is at www.huntervalleywinery.biz/

I'd been wondering lately if there's a point when playing music all the time gets old, not that it's getting old to me but I wondered if it would. I don't think playing will, perhaps the way one plays might...

Tonight I remembered vividly why I started playing.

I got a guitar when I was 6 and learned a few simple songs and chords and when I figured out how to sing and play at the same time I had an overwhelming feeling of freedom. Free to scream or whisper my fears or hopes in any key I decided, any way I saw fit. Free to string together words to make me feel however I wanted to and perhaps make others feel the same.
I remembered that feeling as I played tonight and it rushed over me like a wave that takes away homes and leaves only the beach in it's path. I wish I could keep it with me all the time and I plan to try. I'm sure it will just come in and out of my life when it needs to.
I'm also sure that we ALL have some source of freedom and that it's not anything anyone gives us. It's a stone you find out of place on a trail and put in your pocket. It's a key to a place only you can find. It's the feeling of wind on your face when you were a child on the day that your dog lead you out of the yard. Your children feel it too.

Hold on to it. I'm keeping mine close. And thanks for letting me share my freedom with you. I appreciate it.

lotsa love
jf

Just got back from Georgia and the filming of the Simpleton video. The video turned out wonderfully and will be up for you to see soon (not sure how soon, but soon). Beyond the fact that the project went well, the personal aspect was outstanding also. I got to spend time with Tim Gill again, met some fine folks that he works with regularly and had a great week staying up too late, watching weird movies and, umm, other stuff. ;)
I also got to spend some time with Heather Luttrell in her humble abode in Atlanta. For 3 days and 2 nights Heather, myself and her boyfriend Tom painted the town relentlessly, played a couple of shows, made some plans, installed a sink, cleaned house and forgot to sleep. It was a blast. You should check her out live any time you get a chance.
Another artist that I ran into along the way was Marshall Ruffin from somewhere in Georgia. He was on the road supporting a record called 'Morning Glory' and while the recording was a bit loose the band was not. The trio put on a stellar live show and Marshall's lyrics, vocal, and guitar work kept me on the edge of my seat through the entire show. Check him out.
Well, thanks Chattanooga, Charlotte, Atlanta, Savannah and all the people who put me up, put up with me and made great things happen along the way. Special thanks to the Harmon family in Rock Hill, SC! See you all again soon.

ps. I made a horrible mistake and didn't get a show pulled from the schedule for Sat the 27th of Sept at New Moon of Savannah (the Listening Room). My most sincere apologies to anyone who tried to see me that night. The venue canceled well in advance and my team failed to pull it from my site. I'll make it up to you one day soon.

lotsa love
jf

just funny

I drove to Chattanooga yesterday (Sunday) and then back and tried to listen to the radio along the way. After some endless circles through the available stations I settled for a snake-oil preacher on a Nashville station that sounded like a lot of fun to hear. He was a very well-spoken fellow and made some interesting points...and then...

we as listeners were becoming rather enthralled in some story of contradicting behaviors by biblical characters Peter and Paul and I'm sure we all leaned in toward the radio a little as the intensity in our speakers' voice grew... This preacher was apparently quite frustrated with Paul over something he did or didn't say to the Gentiles...irrelevant to my story...but entertaining because what I heard next made me laugh harder than I have in ages.
The preacher (on the radio) began YELLING at Paul (the deceased apostle) and said (the quote here is the funny part) "He defied the SCRIPTURE!!, Paul DEFIED THE SCRIPTURES!!"

---defied the scripture--- note: he's talking about New Testament Scripture by his own account.

I supposed he was referring to the scripture that the christian churches today are reading...and perhaps Paul had defied it in some way (again irrelevant) but what I found funny was

THE SCRIPTURE HADN'T BEEN WRITTEN at the time of these events. Our hero Paul was living the events from which the scriptures would emerge...the writings this guy on the radio was reading and ranting about 2000+ years later.

I felt bad for Paul, unable to defend himself and having been scolded by Bill the Preacher on public radio for his bad behavior...and for not adhering to a book that he never read. Poor fella.

Don't read any more into this than there is. I'm not getting into the arguments that usually surround Religion, just poking a little fun at my fellow man. (forgive me Lord and fella on the radio)

In other news of the day, the show went great and I met some nice folks, fellow songwriter Brian Ashley Jones of Nashville and his cohort Tish the bass player along with a lot of very hospitable Tennessee..ans. Good times. See you somewhere!


lotsa love
jf

Sept is coming

The days of summer are slipping away. My daughter is turning 4 tomorrow but the big bash is today. :) The weather feels great here in Mo lately. 65-80 is right up my alley.

I played a show last night at Indian Hills Winery. Really great feeling show which is happening more lately. I don't know what's going on but the music just feels better than ever these days. I think everyone had a good time.

I'm really getting unsettled over the Grammy talk. I have NOT been nominated. NOT. I am ENTERED. I love everyones support but I don't think folks understand the process (I don't exactly either) and I don't want anyone thinking that I'm bragging when I say "I have material ENTERED in the Grammy's". Forgive me for the tantrum but it's getting exhausting. Entered, entered, entered.

I'm really excited about the local support I've gotten lately. Annie Lauries in Cape Girardeau is a fabulous antique store where I'm getting a lot of support and doing a show on Sept 4th. That one's going to be VERY cool. Laurie is an interior decorator of sorts and her place is not your run-of-the-mill antique shop. It's extra cool to just be in. Can't wait till Friday. If you come...bring wine. They don't serve but you can drink.

Well, I've gotta go get my Princess Party on.

Lots and lots of love.
jf