Live Stream and In Person, PLUS Upcoming Gigs, New Videos, Book Reports, and MORE

I have about six weeks left until I embark on the longest retreat I’ve done so far (three months). I am starting to prepare myself and say my goodbyes so this may be my last newsletter until February or later. (Sorry I can’t bring myself to automate newsletters to send while I’m away. You can set reminders for yourself to think about me or you can forget all about me while I’m gone and then it will be a fun surprise when you hear from me again in 2025!)

What a wonderful time of year this is: The last warm days of summer, nights getting longer, the smell of fall in the air. It’s not too late to wear shorts and it’s not too soon to bust out a sweater, I can sleep comfortably with the windows open and my hands and feet aren’t cold yet. I hope you’re enjoying this time as much as I am.

In this newsletter:
– Tuba Bach Festival Kickoff Is Tomorrow
– Upcoming Gigs
– New Videos
– Book Report

Tuba Bach Festival Kickoff Is Tomorrow
This is such a cool thing I get to do — I’m playing ragtime banjo plus fiddle on some early jazz and Mexican string band music with tuba, violin, piano, and xylophone. We had our first rehearsal today and these musicians are fabulous: Alvin Waddles, piano; Alirna Korieva, violin; Ed Mallett, tuba; Noah Mallett, xylophone, percussion, arranger. The main thing you need to know is that it’s live streaming this Sunday for free on YouTube and Facebook at 4pm Eastern.

Ed Mallett, the producer (and tuba player) of this festival was telling me earlier today about the rest of the upcoming festival concerts and they sound amazing. I know I’ll be tuning in to some of these live streams myself because this music is so original, eclectic and adventurous. If you ever find yourself yearning for something fresh and exciting, here it is!

In-person concert is tomorrow, Saturday, Sep 14, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Big Rapids, MI, 7pm, FREE. An encore performance the following day at the same location at 4pm will be live streamed, also FREE. More info about the festival here.

Upcoming Gigs (Three Big Guys in October and Two Little Guys in September)
Who remembers the amazing debut of AJL’s Ragtime Banjo Revival Trio at The Ark back in May? Well, we have TWO shows coming up in October:

Saturday, Oct 12 – Hamburg Township Library in Whitmore Lake, MI, 2-3pm, All Ages, FREE. Register in advance for the event here.

Thursday, Oct 17 – The Robin Theater in Lansing, MI, 7pm doors, 7:30 showtime, $21 advance/$25 at door, All ages, Tickets

and then there’s our last square dance of the year!

Saturday, Oct 19 – Detroit Queer Potluck + Square Dance + Costume Party + Raffle at Vámonos, 7-11pm – DSDS Substack, Instagram and FB event

Also later this month I’m playing with Alex Belhaj (guitar) and Chris Tabaczynski (bass sax), aka Detroit Street Syncopators, at Detroit Street Filling Station in Ann Arbor on Monday, 9/23, 6-8pm (free outdoor show), and on Friday, 9/27 I’m playing at North Star Lounge in Ann Arbor with Pontiac Trail Blazers 7-8:15 & 8:45-10, also free I think?

Lastly, save the date: Sunday, Feb 16, with AJL’s Ragtime Banjo Revival Trio at Cliff Bell’s in Detroit, 5:30-6:45 and 7:30-8:45. Come out and see the new me post-retreat!

New Videos
I’ve continued releasing new videos on my Patreon — Subscribe now for that lovely warm feeling that only comes from knowing you’re enabling me to keep sharing these rare and wonderful musical gems as I discover them. Here is the latest one in the live series from The Ark:

Bonus video: Some time last winter I appeared in the music video for my pal Ronny Tibbs’s new single, Imagine My Eyes. It’s shot in Detroit and beautifully made, check it out!

Book Report
I’ve been reading some really good stuff lately but the only book I’ve finished since the last newsletter has been Night in the Garden of Love, the novella by Yusef Lateef that provides the artistic lineage for one of the projects I’ve recently been blessed to join and create with (and which you’ll hear much more about in 2025) called A Message From White Flowers and featuring original compositions by King Sophia, who you may recognize from the Ragtime Banjo Revival Trio. Whew!

This book was slightly challenging for me in that it’s somewhat different from what I’m used to, but it was very rewarding. I read it on my phone and had to screen shot certain passages and send them to various friends. It deals with themes of love, beauty, creativity and artistic dedication in the face of societal and climate collapse, and the connections between music and dance and sound and life. It’s really quite beautiful and inspiring and I am starting to understand why APPM is so invested in exploring and continuing the late Dr. Lateef’s work. I recommend this book to all of you!

Farewell, for now
This year I’ve been embracing transformation, and I can’t thank you enough for staying with me as I continue to change — the way I look, the pronouns I’m using, the places where I choose to focus my energy — It means so much to me to know I’m not alone and I want you to know that you’re also not alone. Two things I know for sure:

1. Life is change, change is inevitable and there’s no avoiding it, and
2. We need each other.

So please, feel free to reach out to me anytime, reach out to your close and not-so-close friends and relations, take care of yourselves and each other, and I look forward to seeing you again soon.