Lots and lots of great festivals in the north Texas and southern Oklahoma area this summer make for some great venues to catch your favorite bands. Concert listings for the Dallas small venues make for some interesting concerts as well.

I'm working again with Curtis Box in a duo configuration on August 6 in McKinney. Chestnut Square is at it's peak attendance for the next few weeks so check it out. Lots of fare and sights and sounds. Pick on!

I've been slipping on the posts. My days are long as I'm working for a new television facility that needs lots of attention in many areas.

The performance side of things is as busy as it's been in quite some time. I just finished a two gig weekend and am headed for another with appearances at McKinney's Chestnut Square on Saturday June 4th with Curtis Box. We'll be doing a duo performance that morning and probably adding in some uncharacteristic covers of Neil Young, America, The Eagles etc. On the bluegrass front I'll be appearing the night before with the Upper Grassmen at the Chrystal Opry House during the 5th annual Melody Ranch Bluegrass Festival. They actually play at 1 p.m to kick off the show but I'll be unable to join them. It should be a good show and a good festival all three days, so check it out at MelodyRanchBluegrassFestival.com.

Between the Upper Grassmen and the Santa Fe Line the schedule is filling up. April 8th takes me back to Pop's Place in Denison, TX to sit in with the Upper Grassmen. That job starts at around 6 p.m. On Saturday May 7th I'll be double duty as Curtis Box and I will be teaming up again for the Chestnut Square market in McKinney. The music starts off early a 9 a.m. (great time to sing) and wraps up around noon. Then that same evening I'll be back with the Grassmen at the Chrystal Opry house as we play the Saturday night opry show as one of the two featured bands. On the 28th of May, I can be found at the Bonham Lake Hoedown in Bonham, TX. That show should be fun and kicks off around 7 p.m. You had better get there early as it's a little out of the way and sometimes hard to find if you are a first timer to that venue. I'll end up on the 3rd of June performing at the Melody Ranch Bluegrass Festival. That's a Friday evening, and I'm sure the folks at this years festival would love to see you.

There's much more where that came from, but that's all we'll list for this post. Hope you catch some good music this spring, there is quite a bit of it out there. Pick on!

Saturday is the very first Chestnut Square farmers market in McKinney. We'll be performing in the vendor area. We've asked Randy to join us on dobro, which is a great fit to a lot of the songs. We're also very proud of our electric bassist as he's got a great ear and gives the band the "punch" that we really need. If you get a chance, drop by and support the market and the band. There's lots of fresh produce, breads, etc. Downbeat is at 9 a.m. with three sets up until noon. I should be a great time. See you there!

Curtis Box, myself and the band are playing Chestnut Square April 2nd beginning at 9 a.m. Chestnut Square is a great place to take the kids or just a stroll on a spring day. It's located just off of Hwy. 5 near the downtown square in McKinney. Beginning in April you'll get 7 full months of Saturday morning farmers markets' with some of the finest produce, baked goods, honey and herbs in the state of Texas. Come out, support the farmers and the band. See you there!

Boy, a good bass player is so hard to find. I always thought of them like a keyboardist. A bass player can carry an entire band at times when you need it.

I've been on the hunt for about 3 years now for the right person. I'm not settled on having an upright or an electric player. I'd be happy with either if they are good and looking to expand their horizons a little from traditional bluegrass styles. Anywhere within the Dallas or Fort Worth area would probably be the most convenient. Drop me an line if you are interested, and pick on!

The weather is great and so is the bluegrass! I've filled my weekend with banjo and song, a great getaway from the television business that's been so demanding for the last few weeks. I was also fortunate to meet up with some great Texas talent who has also has a hot new album, and he's got a great voice to go along with his song writing ability. You can check out his CD at Curtis Box dot com . If you are in to bluegrass music you'll also appreciate some of the musicians on the album, including Adam Steffey and members of Kentucky Thunder. Curtis has a very soothing style that can also be energetic. Is that possible? Yep, I think so and you will too.

It is surely turning into a long winter. My workload is pretty intense. I am working back in broadcast television and that means when the roads are slick, someone has to tell you to stay at home. That happens to be us TV guys. Kinda like the post office. Also for those who don't know it, ratings periods come four times each year. February is one of the most important for us, so I'm in overtime mode to try and entice viewers to our newscasts. I had forgotten how much work it is!

My performance schedule has been altered by the weather as well. I was due to perform with the Grassmen again before the weather deemed another cancellation. From what I am told I'll be working with them again this year at the Spring Break in Bonham bluegrass festival on Friday March 18th. Performance times are not set but I'm told that we are on stage sometime late in the day. I'll post details when I get them.

It will be good to see the springtime come this year. I'm all about winter weather but as for right now, I've had enough. I've got a plan for what goes in the garden, and with a little luck I'll get those plants in the ground earlier this year. Stay warm!

I'm hanging out with the Upper Grassmen these next couple of months with three shows scheduled. First is Friday night January 14th at Pop's Place in Denison. We frequent this establishment because of the crowd appreciation and it's just a good place to get a show/practice in without bothering a lot of people (That's supposed to be a joke). The second performance will be The first Saturday night in February as we take the stage (after a 3 month hiatus) at the Chrystal Opry House in Tom Bean. Then around the third weekend in March we perform at the Spring Break in Bonham bluegrass festival. It's held indoors and looks like we may be booked for a Friday evening performance.

Another year has just shown up in the rear view mirror and 2011 is still brand new. No, I don't really have any wise thoughts concerning what to expect or how I'm going to do this or that differently or even that I'm sure the economy will turn around. What I do feel confident that many things will continue as they have been and some will change. My family had a pleasant and blessed Christmas season and are looking forward to the winter days that will hopefully bring us a full blown season of cold weather.

Although still not completely employed full time I'm staying busy most every day of the week. A long career in television seems to continue for now, and for the most part I can see why I've missed it.

I'll be live with the Upper Grassmen again in Denison, TX on January 14th. Downbeat is around 6 p.m. with two sets planned. Join us, listen to the music and order up a chicken fried steak and iced tea. It's comfort food and traditional music at it's local best.