*JAMS & OPEN MICS - In The Greater Metropolitan Houston Area
*HOW AN IDEA EVOLVES...
*NEW CD FINISHED
*www.Hippies.TV WEBSITE UPDATE
*WEEKEND MUSIC CALENDAR

The best news is that I'm playing more live music again (yay!), because the production schedule has eased up (the newest CD AND season 5 of Hippies.TV are finished). During the next few months leading up to our Winter/Spring events and season 6, I'll be doing a local tour of sorts - visiting and jamming at almost every jam & open mic within a 100 mile radius, creating another film which may help increase interest and participation in this great musical institution of which we in this area seem to be the kings and queens. The story of the continuing organic evolution of this grand master plan follows in this letter!

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JAMS & OPEN MICS
In The Greater Metropolitan Houston Area
How an idea evolves...
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It didn't start out as one of those brilliantly conceived master plans, but it seems to have turned into one!

PREVIOUSLY IN THIS NEWSLETTER
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Feb.12.2003 - I wrote an essay about JAMS & OPEN MICS, basically comparing their structure to the JAMS & OPEN MICS of the jazz era and such (http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/txbluesguy/message/42). It was my second essay on jams. An essay I wrote before the turn of the century, which had discussed the importance of blues jams to the proliferation of the blues, had been published by several publications.

XMAS2006 - Arrive back in Houston after 14 months on the road, in time to work on SOUTH BY DUE EAST 2007 and my Birthday Jam.

April.2007 - After those 2 events in Feb/Mar, the rest of the spring is spent working on video - editing/mixing performances from SXDE2007, putting together season 5 of Hippies.TV, and finishing vocals and mixes for 4 upcoming CDs. By midsummer, I'm ready to infuse myself back into my local music scene. The scene has changed. There are always new, younger musicians and musicians who have come back into it after raising kids or suffering a midlife crisis, but the changes are more serious than that. The revitalization of downtown has added venues and a new entertainment venue center (therefore a new area for musicians to meet up and network during breaktime. Many new musicians have migrated here for two seperate and different reasons. Some came from New Orleans after Katrina, and others came to the legendary music mecca of Texas, somehow bypassing Austin and landing in Houston.

I don't know my local scene like I did a couple years ago.

Aug.14 - I told you about going to a new venue (for me), The Howling Coyote, to record and videotape our friends, TERESA JAMES & THE RHYTHM TRAMPS (short video preview at www.youtube.com/siriushippies). I enjoyed the venue, and decided to come back soon for their Wednesday blues jam.

Aug.24 - I called out for help as I looked to create two more community oriented episodes for Hippies.TV (in a season which featured lots of live music from SOUTH BY DUE EAST 2007 and the travel/touring footage/performances). Specifically, I asked for help locating musicians who were new to our town (for a proposed episode of hippies.TV featuring interviews about their musical relocation), as well as issuing a call for JAMS & OPEN MICS in the greater metropolitan Houston area. My experience at The Howling Coyote jam had started the ball rolling. I had so much fun running into musicians from my past, as well as musicians I had never met before, that I decided to visit all the jams I had never been to before - maybe I'd even take a camera and make an episode of Hippies.TV about the jams...

Sept.28 - I let you know that the episode about JAMS & OPEN MICS in the Greater Metropolitan Houston Area had taken on greater proportions as jammers and open micsters told me about more jams. My list of jams and open mics  ran up to over 100 sessions a week before I began to eliminate those I couldn't verify and those which I could verify as dead and gone.

NOW...

The list stands at 72 now, and I've filmed at 45 of 'em (only staying long enough to turn the camera off and perform at 15). A ruff cut of the Sunday guide to JAMS & OPEN MICS In The Greater Metropolitan Houston Area had been put together and ready for airing as a Hippies.TV episode (www.hippies.tv/season5.html) and use as a demo for anyone who I felt needed to understand the project better by actually 'seeing' a piece of it. Nobody had called or emailed to reccormend musicians who were new Houstonians, so I blew off that idea.

It's been so much fun meeting up, hearing and playing with musicians from my past, musicians I've never met, musicians I've met but never heard or played with...

As I drove around filming from Galveston to Conroe, I spent the early weeks checking out new mixes for the new CDs.

We're halfway (or more) finished with each of the planned CDs. There is a rock album, and acoustic album, a funk album and a blues album. Although we've finished over 40 songs/recordings, there isn't any one of those genre-specific CDs ready yet - another song or four were still unfinished on each.

Still, I really wanted to put out some new songs/recordings. People ask all the time, and I want to please. Besides, I really like a lot of the new stuff & I haven't released a CD of new music since 2004, so we began putting together our favorites from the pool of the 40 finished tracks. As I drove around on week 3 of the filming, I checked the song order, flow, and relative volume of the tracks to each other.

Finally, a week ago, that mastering and remastering process was done, and I had my brain back for creative thinking.

On the way to one jam, I thought about all of the musicians who had asked me to come back with finished 'Guy Schwartz' Guide To JAMS & OPEN MICS In The Greater Metropolitan Houston Area' film on DVD - so they could buy a copy. I figured it might be fun to ride around to these places again, on nights when I had time to actually sign up and jam. The DVD sales might help pay for the time/tape/gas, and I'd be able to tell them all about the new CD as well.

Then I thought about Little Joe Washington, and the many nights I've accompanied Joe to 2-4 live music venues where he/we would sit-in on the band's gear and play three songs followed by Little Joe's ritual passing of the hat. Joe doesn't actually pass the hat in most instances. He holds tightly onto it while walking up to each patron, personally giving each a hard sales pitch for a tip or CD sale. And he makes good money doing so. The stories are legendary. Many musicians enjoy seeing Joe show up. They get an extra break, get to stretch their material, and get to dig Little Joe. Other musicians hate the fact that Joe can walk in, play 15 minutes, and walk out with more cash than they would make having to stay and work (yes - I called it work) for 4-5 hours.

I realized that there was much in common between what Joe does on those nights and what I was considering. Like Little Joe, I was also going to drop into places and perform where I don't actually have a gig booked, and sell stuff to make money.

OK! So, it was an original idea with roots in my community of music and musicians with a needed shout out with props to Little Joe Washington and his metaphorical footsteps (in a manner of speaking). But I could do even more with it. I may not play guitar as well as Little Joe, but I've got a couple things he doesn't...

MArlo's car and a driver's license!

And some pretty good songs.

The internal brainstorming was going fast and furious! I could line out my whole trip and let the jammers who are in the film know when I'm coming, so they could be there and we could jam and hang. Heck - I could let EVERYONE know when I'm coming! Heck - I could make posters to take with me to all of the areas I need to go to to finish filming, put them up, and let eveyone know in advance when and where I'd be jamming and autographing the new film and the new CD! Imagine what the bar owners will think when they notice a poster for an appearance thay never booked! Heck, I could even bring our info about my Birthday Jam #8 in February (2.17.2008 - my birthday is actually on a Sunday this year), and SOUTH BY DUE EAST, too!

HECK - I could even call it a tour... a tour of JAMS & OPEN MICS!

GUY SCHWARTZ'
Tour Of JAMS & OPEN MICS
In The Greater Metropolitan Houston Area

Thank goodness I was driving from Galveston to LaPorte, and had time for all this internal brainstorming. The idea was evolving, and I liked where it was going!

NOW
-----
So I've set out some dates (Dec 2 - Feb 17), made a poster design, put up a website, and will officially announce the weird tour next week and on the radio tonight. You can see the dates & stuff on that new website - jams.guyschwartz.com

I sent out a myspace bulletin and have told a few of the jammers this week.

Lots of response - the most interesting of which concerned who would be driving the tour bus... Pretty funny, huh? He thought that the tour was the type where you get a bus and take a bunch of people to see/hear the jams! <g>

Take people with me?

Wow! Interesting...

Sometimes, the idea just evolves on it's own...

jams.guyschwartz.com



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WEEKEND MUSIC CALENDAR
Courtesy of The BluesHound and Baby Girl and KPFT-FM90.1
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FRIDAY October 19
    * Acadia Sports Bar - Strange Brew
    * Anderson Fair - Tom Kimmell & Vicky Emerson
    * Armadillo Palace - Jamie Richards
    * B. Jiggers (Holiday Inn, Galveston) - Tommy Dardar Band
    * Baker Street Pub (Rice Village) - Shinolah
    * Baker Street Pub (Sugar Land) - Dean Seltzer & the Redneck Mothers
    * Baker Street Pub (Willowbrook) - Bad Boyfriend
    * Baker Street Pub (The Woodlands) - Vertigo
    * Bayview Duck (Bacliff) - Marina (8-11:30 pm)
    * Big Easy (The) - Little Stanley & The Executives
    * Bogart's Club - Al White (9 pm)
    * Bojangle's (Seabrook) - Mambo Jazz Kings
    * Bugle Boy (The) (LaGrange) - Slaid Cleaves
    * Claudio's Piano Bar (Kemah) - Crista, Claudio, Phil Johnson & Daniel Rose
    * Clifton By The Sea (Bacliff) - Tiillman Brothers
    * Cock-Eyed Seagull (Clear Lake) - Billy Bourbon
    * Concert Pub (The) - The Lost Boys
    * Continental Club (The) - Molly & The Ringwalds (7-9:30 pm); The Everyday People (10 pm); Vallejo (11:30 pm)
    * Corner Pub (The) (Conroe) - Amy Hughes (8:30 pm)
    * Cosmos - Zydeco Dots
    * Cruiser's Ice House (Santa Fe) - Soulful Tears
    * Cypress Saloon - Lonely Road
    * Dan Electro's Guitar Bar - Fahl & Folk (7-9 pm); LL Cooper/Tody Castillo/Lisa Novak
    * Einstein's Pub (Katy) - The Chromatics
    * Elegant Hogg - 2nd Wind (9 pm)
    * FBI Rocks #1 - In Your Face/Vertigo Rising
    * Firehouse Saloon - Ryan James & Ryan Turner
    * Fitzgerald's - The Ultra Siberian Pant Factory/The American Masquerade/Snow Plow/The Phlegmatics
    * 518 West Sports Bar (League City) - The Chevys
    * Full Throttle Coffee & Gallery (Spring) - Collective Hallucination (8 pm)
    * Habitat House Concerts - Michael Smith (7:30 pm) (reservations required, call 281-772-7100)
    * Hickory Hollow (Heights) - Rosalee & Ben (7-10 pm)
    * Hideaway (The) - Luther & The Healers
    * Howling Coyote (The) - Steve Krase & the In Crowd (farewell party)/The Blue Threads
    * Jones Hall - Mariza (8 pm)
    * JP Hops House - The Hudsons (CD release party)
    * Katie's Bar & Grill (Bacliff) - 98 in the Shade
    * Kroger (River Oaks) - Sweet Mama Cotton (5-7 pm)
    * Last Concert Café (The) - Jabarvy/Back Beat Fetish
    * Martinis & More #1 (The Woodlands) - Mary Smith & Mystique
    * Martinis & More #2 (FM 249) - Down to Earth
    * McGonigel's Mucky Duck - The Gougers (8 pm)
    * Meridian (The) - Elliot Yamin/Josh Hoge/The Last Goodnight
    * Mo's Place (Katy) - Blackwater
    * My Bar - Not Rite
    * Neon Moon Saloon (LaPorte) - Sean Reefer & the Resin Valley Boys
    * Nutty Bar (The) - Edge of Reason
    * Phil's Place (League City) - Abel Salazar
    * Poor Michael's on The Strand (Galveston) - Al Casey & the BB's
    * Pub Fiction - Cheap Thrill
    * Rudyard's - Luxurata
    * Sambuca Restaurant - Zenteno Band
    * Sammy's - Sammy & The Friends Band w/Faye Robinson
    * Sandbar (The) (Clear Lake Shores) - Snit's Dog & Pony Show
    * Scott Gertner's Sky Bar - The Scott Gertner Band (9:45 pm)
    * Scout Bar (Clear Lake) - Chrome 44/Bless the Broken/Advent Scars/Trancend
    * Seabrook Beach Club - Misfit Toys (9:30 pm)
    * Shakespeare Pub (The) - Dave Nevling & The Blues Kats
    * Sherlock's Pub (Clear Lake) - The Max
    * Sherlock's Pub (Humble) - Cross Check
    * Sherlock's Pub (River Oaks) - A-Rival
    * Sherlock's Pub (Westheimer) - Madigan
    * Spring Tavern (The) (Spring) - Nightshadow Band
    * Super Happy Fun Land - Wicked Poseur/Thousands/Black Black Gold/Florida
    * T-Bone Tom's (Kemah) - The Navigators (7 pm)
    * Tommy's Steakhouse (Clear Lake) - Jackson Truett Trio (7:30-10:30 pm)
    * Tommy's Steakhouse (Westheimer) - Kim Prevost & Matt Lemmler Duo (5-7:30 pm); Matt Lemmler Quartet (8 pm)
    * Verizon Wireless Theater - Peter Frampton (8 pm)
    * Walter's on Washington - QUI
    * Warehouse Live - Fanny Lu/DJ Nelson (Ballroom); Martin Sexton/Ari Hest (The Studio; 9 pm)
    * Wild Wing Café (Galveston) - Hunter McKithan Band (8 pm)
    * Yo Yo's (Katy) - E.P.V.

SATURDAY October 20
    * Acadia Sports Bar - Breed Society/Harem Festival
    * Al's Sports Bar - UFC 76
    * American Legion Hall Post #393 (Cleveland) - 2nd Annual Big Mamou Day Bud & Bud The Hooper Twins (1 pm); Lone Star Revue Band (2:30 pm); Keith Gilley Band (4 pm); Another Round Band (5:30 pm); Cajun Zydeco Band (7 pm); Link Davis Jr & Country Legend Band (8:30 pm)
    * Anderson Fair - Paul Geremia
    * Armadillo Palace - Honky Tonk Heroes
    * Baker Street Pub (Rice Village) - Ashbury Keys
    * Baker Street Pub (Sugar Land) - Loud Love
    * Baker Street Pub (Willowbrook) - Bad Boyfriend
    * Baker Street Pub (The Woodlands) - Stephen Chadwick
    * Big Dog Ice House (Channelview) - 2nd Wind (4 pm); Gary Boehm & The Texas Bluzcatz (5:30 pm); Dave Kirby (6:15 pm); The Snake Charmers (7 pm); Larry Sepulvado & the Sin City Playboys (8 pm); The Phat Fleas (9 pm) (benefit for Phillip Simmons)
    * Big Easy (The) - Tommy Dardar Band
    * Bojangle's (Seabrook) - Next Level Band
    * Bugle Boy (The) (LaGrange) - James Hand
    * Claudio's Piano Bar (Kemah) - Crista, Claudio, Phil Johnson & Daniel Rose
    * Clear Lake Park (Landolt Pavilion) - 10th Annual Clear Lake Celtic Music Festival & Highland Games w/Troy MacGillivray/Needfire/The Cass Academy of Irish Dance (noon-10 pm; proceeds benefit children's education through The International Space School Foundation, KPFT/St. Brendan's Project)
    * Clifton By The Sea (Bacliff) - Big Fatty
    * Cock-Eyed Seagull (Clear Lake) - Shakedown
    * Concert Pub (The) - Bon Jovi & Guns n Roses Tribute Bands
    * Continental Club (The) - Swamp Dogg/Larry Lange & His Lonely Knights
    * Corner Pub (The) (Conroe) - Brian Best Band
    * Cosmos - Romeo Dogs
    * County Line Bar & Grill - Donny Z Band (9 pm)
    * Cruiser's Ice House (Santa Fe) - The Mighty Orq
    * Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion - Wave Day 5 featuring Michael McDonald/Roberta Flack/Fourplay/Boney James (5 pm)
    * Cypress Saloon - Brandon Jenkins
    * Dan Electro's Guitar Bar - Carolyn Wonderland/Plump
    * Einstein's Pub (Katy) - Shinolah
    * Elegant Hogg - Patric Brennan (9 pm)
    * FBI Rocks #1 - Set in Stone
    * FBI Rocks #2 - What Lies Beneath/Virus
    * Fitzgerald's - Sepsis/Prototype 13/Under the Green/Me vs You (down); Eyeagainst/The Critics Hall of Fame/The Last Place You Look/Otenki (up)
    * Full Throttle Coffee & Gallery (Spring) - Live Oak Decline (8 pm)
    * Habitat House Concerts - Emily Kaitz/Mary Catherine Reynolds/Louise Goldberg (7:30 pm) (reservations required, call 281-772-7100)
    * Hickory Hollow (Heights) - The Blenders (6:30-9:30 pm)
    * Hideaway (The) - La Raza Connection
    * Howling Coyote (The) - Mark May Band
    * Jake's Bar - Grim Fate/Poolside at the Flamingo/Prototype 13
    * Joe's Crabshack (Richmond Ave.) - E.P.V.
    * Johnny Arolfo Civic Center (League City) - White Dove (6:30 pm)
    * Jones Plaza - Houston Women's Music Festival w/Ruthie Foster/Ginger Leigh/Trina Hamlin/Susan Gibson/Kellye Gray/Lindsay Mac/Amy Speace & The Tearjerks/Mary Cutrufello/Paige Lewis (12-10 pm)
    * Katie's Bar & Grill (Bacliff) - Dave Nevling & the Blues Kats
    * Last Concert Café (The) - Dirtfoot/Giant Bear
    * Liberty Opry - Oldie But Goodies Show featuring Frankie Pizano
    * Lonestar Club (Pasadena) - Gene Kelton & The Die Hards
    * Martinis & More #2 (FM 249) - Luther & The Healers
    * McGonigel's Mucky Duck - Hayes Carll (7:30 & 10 pm)
    * Meridian (The) - Fallcore
    * Mo's Place (Katy) - Zona Jones
    * Mojo Risin' Coffee House - Mark Zeus/Kristen Jensen
    * Mugz Coffee Bar - acoustic open mic (7-9:30 pm)
    * My Bar - Citizen X
    * Nutty Bar - The Slags
    * Old Brick Tavern - Gumbo
    * Palmer Club (Texas City) - Down to Earth
    * Pappadeaux (Seabrook) - Texas Johnny Brown & the Quality Blues Band (6-10 pm)
    * Pelican's Sports Bar (San Leon) - Undesided (9 pm)
    * Poor Michael's on The Strand (Galveston) - Matt Leddy & the Meatcutters
    * Pub Fiction - John B (patio)
    * Q Sports Bar (Katy) - Flash & Traffic Jam
    * R & R Sports Bar (Friendswood) - Chad Tucker
    * Rowdy Buck's Saloon (Crosby) - Jason Cassidy
    * Sambuca Restaurant - Zenteno Band
    * Sammy's - Sammy & The Friends Band w/Faye Robinson
    * Scott Gertner's Sky Bar - The Scott Gertner Band (9:45 pm)
    * Seabrook Beach Club - Full Moon (9:30 pm)
    * Shady's Lounge (Baytown) - Hamilton Loomis
    * Shakespeare Pub (The) - John McVey & The Stumble
    * Shanahan's - Charles Lucas Band
    * Sherlock's Pub (Clear Lake) - The Max
    * Sherlock's Pub (Humble) - Cross Check
    * Sherlock's Pub (River Oaks) - Adrenaline
    * Sherlock's Pub (Westheimer) - Sonic Amber
    * Spring Tavern (The) (Spring) - Charlie Parker Band
    * Super Happy Fun Land - Professor Gall/Cory Derden/The Hungry Villagers/Dowe Rask
    * T-Bone Tom's (Kemah) - Cruise Control (7 pm)
    * Time Out Sports Bar #1 (Fuqua) - Infinity's Twin
    * Time Out Sports Bar #3 (Spencer Highway) - Drive Train
    * Time Out Sports Bar #4 (North Freeway) - 4Play
    * Tommy's Steakhouse (Clear Lake) - Morgan Bouldin Trio (7:30-10:30 pm)
    * Tommy's Steakhouse (Westheimer) - Matt Lemmler Quartet (8 pm)
    * Tree Loft (Spring) - Brother2Brother (8 pm)
    * Verizon Wireless Theater - Sammy Hagar/The Other Half featuring Michael Anthony/Los Tres Gusanos/Mad Anthony Express (Sammy's 60th birthday tour) (8 pm)
    * Walter's on Washington - Wood & Felt/My Milky Way Arms/The Mayapples
    * Warehouse Live - All In Your Head/Umbrella Man/Lower Life Form/Cuervo/Yoko Mono/Without A Face (The Studio)
    * Woody's (Galveston) - Jo Hell & the Red Roosters (3-7 pm)

SUNDAY October 21
    * Big Easy (The) - Wilfred Chevis
    * Bojangle's (Seabrook) - Big Fatty
    * Bub's Sports Bar (Alvin) - 4-Barrel Ramblers (4-8 pm)
    * Central Market (Westheimer) - Snit's Dog & Pony Show (12-4 pm)
    * Clifton By The Sea (Bacliff) - Dave Nevling & the Blues Kats (5 pm)
    * Continental Club (The) - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band (live recreation)
    * County Line Bar & Grill - open jam w/The Convertibles (4-8 pm)
    * Cruiser's Ice House (Santa Fe) - jam w/Adam Burchfield (4-8 pm)
    * Diallo's - Trudy Lynn (6-10 pm)
    * Ford Arena (Beaumont) - Korn
    * Grand 1894 Opera House (The) (Galveston) - Davide Cabassi (3 pm)
    * Gravity Bar (Galveston) - open mic (8 pm)
    * Hawg Stop (The) (Channelview) - Gene Kelton & The Die Hards (3-7 pm)
    * Jake's Bar - Pinche Gringos/Shrapnel/Synikal/Lights Over Roswell
    * Joe's Crabshack (Richmond Ave.) - Luther & The Healers (4-8 pm)
    * JP Hops House - NSAI open mic hosted by T.C. Smythe (6 pm)
    * Katie's Bar & Grill (Bacliff) - jam w/The Amigos (7-11 pm)
    * Last Concert Café - jam (12-5:30 pm); Fahl & Folk w/Carrie Ann Buchanan & The Apocalyptics (6 pm)
    * McGonigel's Mucky Duck - Songwriters Night w/Connie Mims/Abi Tapia/Chelsea Miller (6 pm)
    * Meridian (The) - Prong/Necrofaith/Saturate/Deus Machina (Red Room; 8 pm); Gregg Allman (8 pm)
    * Miller Outdoor Theater - KPFT Fall Concert Series w/zydeco jam (4-7 pm)
    * Mr. Gino's - I.J. Gosey (5-9 pm)
    * Neon Moon Saloon (LaPorte) - jam w/Chris Elliot & the James Brothers (6 pm)
    * Poor Michael's on The Strand (Galveston) - jam w/Gary Lee & Sneak Preview
    * Prego's (Rice Village) - Mickey Mosley (6-9 pm)
    * Reno's (Webster) - Back Porch Mary
    * Ronnie's Ice House (Dickinson) - jam (4-8 pm)
    * Sambuca Restaurant - Blue Monks
    * Scout Bar (Clear Lake) - Phunk Junkeez/Faceplant/IH5
    * Shakespeare Pub (The) - blues jam w/Spare Time Murray
    * Sherlock's Pub (Clear Lake) - Last Heros
    * Sherlock's Pub (Humble) - Rose & Ben
    * Sherlock's Pub (River Oaks) - The Underground
    * Spot (The) (Galveston) - 98 in the Shade w/Andra Mitrovich (3-7 pm)
    * St. Anne Catholic Church (Westheimer @ Shepherd) - Fall Fiesta w/The Zydeco Dots (5-7 pm); Mark Towns & the Salsa All-Stars (7:30-9 pm)
    * T-Bone Tom's (Kemah) - Tommy Dardar Band
    * Warehouse Live - Matt Wertz/Dave Barnes (The Studio; 8 pm)
    * Woody's (Galveston) - The Captain Legendary Band (3-7 pm)

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