ACOUSTIC ECLECTIC

WILLIE NELSON: Willie Nelson will be performing at the Puyallup Fair this year! Show date is September 16. The Puyallup Fair is always a good & happy time. I looove the Fair and it's one of the things I really miss about living in the Seattle area. Farm Animals and Vegetable Displays galore -and, of course, every year there is a GIant Pumpkin! A day with Arts & Crafts, Cinnamon Sugar Elephant Ears, Vintage Rides, The Rodeo, Grilled Onion Burgers [There's a Veggie version!], and the music of Country Legend - Poet - Wanderer & Activist Willie Nelson can't be beat. Wish I could be there! Hope he plays Beer For Horses & Always On My Mind. Willie Nelson & Puyallup Fair

CHARLOTTE THISTLE: Charlotte is releasing her new CD Wild Wind in April and I'm anxiously awaiting an advance copy for review! Wild Wind will be Charlotte's first release since her 2005 effort A Girl With A Guitar. The CD release party will be held on Friday, April 2nd at Conor Byrne. [Conor Byrne is a lively pub in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle that features a decent musical line-up] In the mean time you can catch Charlotte live when she tours the beautiful Oregon Coast. She'll be performing at Artichoke Music in Portland on Friday, March 19 - 7:30 pm and Cafe Mundo in Newport on Friday, April 30 - 8 pm. See what's happening in between: Charlotte Thistle

JOAN BAEZ: I will always love Joan Baez. She is my birthday sister - both of us born on January 9; myself in 1967 and Joan in 1941 - and has been my ideal since I was a young girl. While I was living in New York City I was lucky enough to see a live interview with Joan at the 92nd Street Y. She was interviewed by the esteemed Anthony De Curtis and played several songs; one of which was the Phil Ochs classic There But For Fortune. A few months later I saw Joan perform live at New York's historic Town Hall. Her performance was unbelievably fine and the encore of Diamonds & Rust brought tears to my eyes. Joan is truly a timeless and classic artist and I can only hope I look that good and have that much energy and grace when I reach her age. Currently, Joan Baez is touring Europe and has concert dates in Germany, Spain, and Portugal - Oh you lucky Europeans!. For more information on the tour dates check the website: Joan Baez For those of us Stateside I highly recommend viewing How Sweet The Sound the PBS American Masters biography which spans Joan's career and highlights her wonderful and courageous political activism. She truly is, and should be, an inspiration to us all.

PK DWYER: It's been ten years since PK Dwyer began what he calls his "Blues Odyssey" and he hasn't looked back since. After being inspired by a vision of Jimmy Reed, Dwyer penned - the now classic tune - Up To My Balls In The Blues which became the title track to his 2001 rock-a-billy styled blues release. All of you die-hard PK fans should take note: Up To My Balls . . . is soon to be out of print, so pick up a copy while you still can. PK's whirlwind blues decade produced two more CD's - Blues Guy Now, considered by some to be "a modern blues masterpiece" and the raw & raucous Healed, his best selling CD to date [also almost of of print]. He also criss-crossed the United States and Europe several times on festival and busking tours and has relocated with a trajectory that has taken him from Seattle, Washington to Black Mountain, North Carolina, onto New York City, and currently, Albuquerque, New Mexico. The past year has been tough on Dwyer with the loss of his beloved companion Frankie The Dog, changing Busking Laws forcing a move from NY, and a recent hand injury that, unfortunately, has caused him to cancel the first leg of his Folk Someone You Love tour. Hopefully, some good will come from the adversity with more witty and inspired Dwyer blues tunes. Keep up with The Dwyer Family Circus here: PK Dwyer

RAMBLIN' JACK ELLIOT: Quite a few years ago now there were a few events that happened in quick succession and had a profound effect on me; cementing my feet forever in what I call "My World of Folkdom" . . . #1. I met the man who is now my beloved husband, PK Dwyer, and learned all he had to teach me regarding music history & folk music in particular. #2. I had the great honor and privilege to share a meal with the late, great Dave Van Ronk - and see one of his last concerts at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle. And #3. I discovered another musical treasure and inspiration: Ramblin' Jack Elliot. I came to know of Ramblin' Jack via a documentary that was made by his daughter entitled The Balld of Ramblin Jack. One of the original roving troubadours, Ramblin' Jack has been an influence on many a great artist. Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, and The Rolling Stones are to name just a few. He is with out question the real deal; running away from home as teenager to join a circus rodeo and learning to play guitar from cowboys around the campfire. He later met, traveled, lived with, and performed with Woody Guthrie and in the 1970's was part of The Rolling Thunder Revue with Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. Now approaching 80 Jack is still out on the road performing and he was awarded a 2010 Grammy forA Stranger Here - Best Traditional Blues Recording. His life of travel and music is a testament to the American Troubadour, making the most of what life has to offer, whether it may be hard times or good fortune.