Glenna Bell: News

I am proud to announce that I'm a finalist in the BW Stevenson Songwriting Competition at Poor David's Pub in Dallas. Last Thursday night, eleven other talented singer-songwriters and I played two original songs each at Poor David's, and the judges selected six of us to return again next Thursday evening (May 1) to perform four songs a piece for a chance to win $500 and an appearance at Tommy Alverson's Picnic!

Poor David's is one of the state's premier music venues, and I am quite honored to be a finalist. The proprietor (Poor David himself!) emailed today to congratulate and remind us of how important it is for each of us to get our audience over to Poor David's on Thursday. I'm copying his note and sending it to everybody on my email list in great hopes that those in and near Dallas will come out to support us and that those who aren't in the area will forward this announcement to people who are. The goal is to fill the place up on May 1! Y'all come!!

From Poor David:

"Congratulations to all for having advanced to the finals. In 20 years of conducting this event, we have a finals that rivals all preceding contests.

Please promote your performance diligently. Lean upon your family and friends and friends of family of friends and their friends as well. This is a great show for only $5. Every year those in attendance proclaim its quality. We will have the audience we promote so hop on it! There were several who didn't make the semi's that thought they should have (happens every year) so it is up to us to demonstrate that the judges' choices were wise and just.

Everyone does 4 original songs, including the two that were originally entered. We are looking for the next big thing, so play your music with passion and the conviction with which you wrote the songs.

There can be only one winner, but to make it to the finals means you have made it thru two levels of scrutiny by those in the business.

Be here at 7pm. We start at 8 promptly.

Jase, alternate, if no one drops out, you will be asked to do one song to start it all off.

Everybody, please promote the gig!" -- pd (http://www.poordavidspub.com)

Good news, good news! I had SUCH A GREAT TIME recording the new Art Guys' song at Sugar Hill Studios with John Evans here in Houston the other day (can hardly wait for you to hear it!) and came home to find an email from a thoughtful fan of mine in Canada who was writing to let me know that he had seen a "favourable, albeit brief" review of The Road Less Traveled by famed music critic Robert Christgau on the MSN.com music page! The link is at
http://music.msn.com/music/consumerguide/honorablemention. And I am just beaming to know that such an illustrious figure in music cared to listen to my new songs and to even write something for publication on such a HUGE site!

(Mr. Christgau has been named "The Dean of American Rock Critics," and has written reviews since 1967 for such prestigious music sources as Esquire, The Village Voice, and Rolling Stone. His biography is posted on the Internet at http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/web/bio.php)

So many wonderful things are happening in music. Sometimes I think I might be dreaming . . . Thank you for taking the time to read and to share this moment with me. Y'all come!

I'm back from SXSW and getting ready for another run of shows in
Houston and a very special one next weekend (March 29) at the Double J Hacienda and Art Ranch in Mineral Wells, Texas, with the inimitable Jimmy Baldwin (http://www.jimmybmusic.com) and Nancy Apple
(http://www.nancyapple.com)! What an amazing place--a veritable "ranch to the stars" where the likes of John Wayne, Bette Davis, and President and Nancy Reagan vacationed back in the days of wine and roses . . . It is well worth checking out the Web site at
http://www.djartranch.com/About_Us.html for a fascinating pictorial history of the ranch from its inception in the early 1940s to its current transformation by Jimmy and his accomplished wife, Jane Baldwin.

In the meantime, I received a request to appear on an NBC-affiliate station, KETK, in Tyler, Texas tomorrow morning. I'll be in the studio at 8:30 to record some songs, which will be edited-in during a live interview at 11 a.m. on "East Texas Live." The producer informed me that tomorrow afternoon there will be a link to the show at http://www.ketknbc.com/ so that those outside of the broadcasting
range can tune in online. And I hope that you will! I think it will
be a lot of fun.

And now it's time to hit the road (less traveled) . . . I'll write
again soon. Don't be a stranger, now. Y'all come!

Today, March 7 from 7:30-9:30 p.m.: Waldo's Coffee House at 1030
Heights Boulevard near 10th Street (acoustic evening with Jody Pate)
-- http://www.myspace.com/waldoscoffee
Saturday, March 8 from 8-midnight: Waterloo Ice House at 600 North
Lamar in Austin right next to Waterloo Record Store (with Bob King) --
http://www.waterlooicehouse.com/
Sunday, March 9-Saturday, March 15: SXSW

Saturday, March 15 from 9:30-10:15 p.m.: Art House Party at 5217
Scott Street in Houston's Old Third Ward (with Kristi Rae, Austin;
Annabella, Austin; Clock Hands Strangle, Florida; and Jimmy Pizzitola,
Houston)

I'm back from the International Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis and the fabulous Johnny Cash Bash at the Continental Club in Austin, and gearing up for a few Houston shows before SXSW.

Tomorrow night (Saturday, March 1) from 9-11:30, I'll be at Bohemeos on Telephone Road (http://www.bohemeos.com), and there will be a feature story by Music Editor, Joey Guerra, in the Houston Chronicle first thing tomorrow morning. In the meantime, this exciting and
beautifully-written piece is already posted online at
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/music/local/5579727.html along with a podcast of a whimsical interview with Joey Guerra at http://blogs.chron.com/handstamp/.

I really hope that you will take a few minutes to read the article
and listen to the podcast (just click under the picture of my album cover)--and leave comments, too. The Chronicle is aiming to make it interactive (like my set at the Continental Club the other night!), and of course we want to hear what you have to say . . .


And there's even more good news today--a splendid review of my new release, The Road Less Traveled, by Mike Jurkovic for the Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange--Fame (http://www.acousticmusic.com/fame/p04689.htm). Here's what Mr. Jurkovic has to say:


"The road less traveled, indeed.

I say that simply because any number of singer/songwriters sound like some guitar wielding predecessor. Glenna Bell goes beyond a list of influences. She doesn't sound like the usual suspects--Lucinda, Gillian, Iris, Mary Gauthier, etc. She sounds older than that. Way older. Like Texas is old.

The Road Less Traveled plays like an old field recording. You're
listening to songs like the gritty prison ballad Outside The Bars and the mournful, yet redemptive Johnny Bush duet The East Side expecting to hear the pops and skips of old vinyl.

With her arrangements raw, production back-porch sparse, and a haunting, halting vocal style, Bell fixes your attention on her songs and not the tired who-does-she-sound-like guessing game that gets in the way of a good listen far too often. It takes a strong will to sing about trying to win a father's love and respect without sounding
maudlin and weepy, but The Texas Aggies Win Again accomplishes just that. Another bold move is covering the Carter-Cash standard Jackson a song recorded too many times by all the wrong people for all the wrong reasons. And lest you conclude that Glenna Bell is all backwoods hard time and misery, check out her kick-up-the-dust ode to married life How I Found Out I'm Insane.

Though mistrust for politicians is at an all time high in our broken
land, the 2007 Texas House of Representatives honored Bell's music with a House Resolution, read in a ceremony at the Capitol in Austin. The House Speaker personally congratulated her for her musical contributions to the Lone Star State. She has opened for likes of Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez, Hayes Carll, Two Tons of Steel and other prominent Texas performers. People are listening. You should too."


Well, I certainly feel lucky to have had two such talented writers work so hard to represent my music with so much insight and grace. I appreciate their time and yours, and I thank you for joining me again today for a few minutes here on "the road less traveled." Until next time, y'all come!



http://cdbaby.com/all/glennabell (Listen & BUY the music of Glenna
Bell.)


Check out latest news, show dates, and brand new songs:

http://www.glennabell.com http://www.myspace.com/glennabell http://www.sonicbids.com/glennabell

Life seems to be moving faster these days, and there is never enough time . . . I'm off to Memphis early Friday morning to play the biggest acoustic music event in the nation--the North American Folk Alliance Conference at the downtown Marriot--along with about 2,000 kindred spirits who'll be making music in every nook and cranny of the big hotel. Imagine "A Mighty Wind" magnified by tenfold, at least. It will be a great character study. I will do some writing.

I'll be back in Houston on Sunday and will drive out to Austin Tuesday afternoon to appear that evening (February 26 from 12:30-1
a.m.) at the world-famous Continental Club with my childhood friend, Bob King, of San Marcos, Texas. The event is sponsored by KOOP radio's "Rowdy Show" in Austin (Fridays from 11-noon), and it's called "The Johnny Cash Birthday Bash," or "Cash Bash" for short. Radio show host, Martin Tijmes, has been playing my music on Fridays and says the
phone lines lit up when he debuted "Shiner Bock & ZZ Top" off my new album. Martin and his staff at KOOP have been working hard to put together a first-class line up of Texas talent, including Dale Watson and Rosie Flores, and we will all be performing our favorite Johnny Cash songs to celebrate the birthday of "the man in black." In keeping with this theme, the cover is fifteen dollars. Ten if you wear black.

I'll be in the studio on Friday (February 29) to record the new song I've written to commemorate the Art Guys' twenty-fifth anniversary and am looking forward to working again with producer, John Evans, and for
the first time with engineer, John Griffin, at Sugar Hill Studios.

I'm also looking forward to several Houston shows that are coming up
in March. On Saturday, March 1 from 9-11:30 p.m., I'll be sharing the Bohemeo's stage with Mr. Red Eye Carl, a Gulf Coast gentleman-rambler of the immediate descent of the line of the infamous privateer-pirate, Jean Lafitte himself! Bohemeo's, on Houston's legendary Telephone Road, is a new venue, and the first coffee house on the "East End," where I live. I am pro-coffee, but b.y.o.b. is okay at Bohemeo's.

On Saturday, March 7, from 7:30-10:30 p.m., I'll be at another new
coffee house--Waldo's on Heights Boulevard near 10th Street (1030
Heights)--with best-kept secret roots sensation, Jody Pate, who's on his way to Oregon and will be famous one day.

And there's a house party in Houston on Saturday, March 15 in the old Third Ward--a bunch of artists and some musicians from Austin. I'll be in my element there. Thanks to Austin singer-songwriter, Kristi Rae, for inviting me to play.

Of course, there's always more, but these are the highlights on this rainy day, February 20, 2008. I will keep you posted. Until next
time . . . Y'all come!



http://cdbaby.com/all/glennabell (Listen & BUY the music of Glenna
Bell.)

Due to extenuating circumstances, the Last Concert Cafe show in Houston on Fridays is cancelled. I will be playing a string of out-of-town gigs, including one of Texas' premier venues for Americana music, Sons of Hermann Hall in Dallas! (http://www.sonsofhermann.com/) I'm very excited about this big opportunity, and will keep you
posted, as always.

In the meantime, here's another informal "review" from deejay Bente Kyed in Denmark that came in the form of an email and really made my day:

"I am a dj from Denmark, playing for 17 years on Radio Vejlefjord & Radio HLR (two different stations in different areas). Today, I was listening to a bunch of country music, deciding what I want to play next week, and one of the songs must be "How I Found Out I'm Insane" - WHAT A SONG - may I give you my best compliments for your voice, music and sound. You are really a great artist, and I hope it will be possible for me to hear more from you in the future . . . It will be a pleasure for me to let my listeners enjoy your music too. I always try to give my listeners THE BEST, you know, and you are absolutely one of the best artists in my country music world . . . you are a PEARL or a DIAMOND - whatever you want to be . . . "How I Found Out I'm Insane" will be known here in my area!"

And here are some links to a variety of music blogs that have featured me recently:

http://www.songsillinois.net/?p=3124
http://dogsorwhoever.blogspot.com/2007/12/little-blue-for-you.html
http://youcrazydreamers.com/category/acoustic/
http://rnrnonsense.toomanyvoices.com/2008/01/review-glenna-bell-road-less-traveled.html
http://thecelebritycafe.com/cd/full_review/12119.html

2008 will be a crucial year in music, and I'm looking forward to
telling you so much more as things unfold. But for now, I will simply
say thank you for sharing this life experience with me. Please write
when you can. Please forward this email. And y'all come!




http://www.cdbaby.com/all/glennabell (CD sales)

http://www.glennabell.com http://www.myspace.com/glennabell http://www.sonicbids.com/glennabell

If you're near a computer today (Monday, January 21) at 5 pm, you
ought to take a fifteen minute break and listen to http://www.knon.org for Texas History Lee Powell's ten fascinating minutes celebrating
Janis Joplin's birthday--which was last Saturday, January 19 in 1943--followed by my song, "Shiner Bock & ZZ Top" from my new album, The Road Less Traveled.

Yesterday afternoon, Lee and I were talking about tomorrow's show with deejay Trevor Fought when Lee pointed out that Janis and I are both from the Golden Triangle. And I've been surprised at how often I'm compared to her, both in live performance and in the reviews. My curiosity finally got the best of me about a year ago, and I decided I had to learn more about the alienated, enigmatic girl from Port Arthur who managed to leave her imprint on this world forever in a fleeting twenty-seven years. So I read the biography by Myra Friedman. Truth is, it is an amazing and inspirational story of what the great Martin Luther King, Jr. called "making a way out of no way," and there was so much more to this American hero than what most people realize. I can hardly wait to hear what Lee will bring to the table this evening at 5!

Lee is a captivating, gifted storyteller, and I guarantee that you will be both entertained and enlightened every time you tune in to his show on KNON's Texas Renegade Radio with Trevor Fought on Mondays from 5-5:10 and from 5:10-5:15 for a different Glenna Bell song each week! Y'all come!!


http://www.cdbaby.com/all/glennabell (CD sales)

http://www.glennabell.com (news, show dates, and more)
http://www.myspace.com/glennabell http://www.sonicbids.com/glennabell

I'm here at the house today, organizing all of my records, tapes, and CD's. It's like an archeological dig through my life, and it's funny how hearing some of those old songs again after so long gives me a feeling of inspiration for the future. I feel lucky to be able to travel this road that so many other reaching souls have traveled before, and it will be the greatest mystery unraveled to see where I will find myself at the end of my journey. In the meantime, I'm having the best of times along the way!

I'm looking forward to tonight's supper show at the Last Concert Cafe in Houston (http://www.lastconcert.com). Last Friday was our first time out as an acoustic group, with David O'Dea on mandolin and banjo and Michael Farber on bass. It was a hoot that turned into a bonafide
hootenanny by the end of the night, with several talented "guest stars" setting the intimate stage on fire with spontaneous, impromptu appearances--lots of roots showing and contagious energy, plus mouth-watering Mexican food, Houston style. This is going to be a weekly event, and I intend to work up a strong, regular audience for it. There's no cover charge, and the Last Concert Cafe is a Houston
landmark on the edge of the burgeoning downtown warehouse district. "Build it, and they will come" is my motto, and I would surely appreciate it if you would lend a hand and forward this email to anyone you might know in the Houston area who would be interested in having fun.

In the meantime, The Road Less Traveled is selling like hot cakes at http://www.cdbaby.com/all/glennabell and the reviews are rolling in! When you get a few minutes, I hope that you will read this thoughtful piece by Francois Braeken at Rootsville, Belgium (with English translation by Cora Haverkamp). I'm particularly proud of it, as Mr. Braeken is a true conessuire of roots music and has placed me alongside some of the "greats" in the genre:


The album, Face This World (http://cdbaby.com/cd/glennabell) by singer-songwriter Glenna Bell, was one of the musical highpoints of 2005 in my modest opinion--a masterpiece, which almost got my number one spot in my personal top 25. Richard Stooksbury's debut album beat
her, but she was in the respectable company of Sam Baker, Jimmy Lafave, and Colin Brooks.

It is a bit of a pity that the subsequent album, The Road Less
Traveled, took such a long time (strike the iron while it is hot)
because this pretty lady from Beaumont, Texas was in the neighborhood of Gillian Welch, Iris Dement, and Mary Gauthier and will need some luck to regain her place again.

But will she succeed with The Road Less Traveled?... We believe so!

"Never change a winning team" is also a saying that works well for
Glenna Bell because the perfect collaboration with producer &
multi-instrumentalist John Evans (vocals, guitar, piano, electric
bass) was renewed on the opening track "Outside the Bars," and on the magnificent duet "The East Side" with Texas Country Music Hall of Fame member Johnny Bush, as well as "The Texas Aggies Win Again" and "La Casa Qua Yo Amo."

The sober acoustic accompaniment (guitar, bass, and drums), which was so characteristic on Face This World, also goes very well with the
folky/americana/roots voice of our Glenna and lifts The Road Less
Traveled high. Glenna's cover of Willie Nelson's "The Family Bible on the Table" could be considered as a (nice) leftover from "the
influences of a cappella songs in the local church" where she grew up.


But all of this gives way (to our surprise) to a somewhat more lively Glenna Bell on "Can't Get My Mind Off You," and on Glenna's cover of J. Cash's classic duet "Jackson" [with John Evans]. She is even a bit naughty and funny with "How I Found Out I'm Insane" and "Shiner Bock & ZZ Top." Little girls grow big, throw away what they were once taught, and feel more and more at home in the musical scene . . . the result is amazing!

The appeal on "Be My Valentine on Chistmas" will create some
overheated situations in Texas. We will stay calm in "Limburg" and
enjoy fully the pearl which is Glenna Bell's The Road Less Traveled.

Good Luck, Glenna . . . You did it again!!!!!
SWA, http://www.rootsville.be
Thank you, Francois--and everybody who has supported me in my passion for music. Oh, happy, happy day. Y'all come!

http://www.glennabell.com http://www.myspace.com/glennabell http://www.sonicbids.com/glennabell

Happy New Year! I hope yours is off to a good start. I got the tree
taken down and everything put away, and was happy to have the day today to focus on music again.

Tomorrow, I'll be driving to San Marcos, Texas, outside of Austin,
for a couple more shows with local musician, Bob King, on the scenic
old square with its antique stores and cozy cafe. What a quaint little river town! I was there just before Christmas and visited the historic Cheatham Street Warehouse (http://www.cheathamstreet.com), where I saw Gurf Morlix in concert, and what an enchanting experience it was! I realized that one of my "resolutions" for '08 will be to play San Marcos every chance I get, so I'm glad to be going back so soon and to be in such good musical company as Bob King, who never fails to keep me entertained (and everybody else, too).

I'm also excited that in '08 I'll be doing the early evening show on
Fridays at the fabulous Last Concert Cafe "supper club"
(http://www.lastconcert.com), accompanied by David O'Dea on banjo and mandolin and Michael Farber on bass. I've been playing off and on with these two "gypsy spirits," and we're quite a cast of characters if I do say so myself. This will be a lot of fun, so I'm glad we're going to make it a regular thing!

Songs from The Road Less Traveled continue to make their way across the airwaves of stations 'round the globe. Over the holiday, "Be My Valentine (On Christmas)" was featured on the New Hampshire Public Radio Christmas show, "New Traditions," hosted by Andrew Walsh
(http://www.nhpr.org/node/14407). I was pleased to be in the company of the well-known artists on this special program, which has been described as "a Christmas music collection focusing on all the great Christmas songs we don't usually get to hear on the radio."

I'll be performing at the North American Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis in February (http://www.folkalliance.org). And The Art Guys (http://www.theartguys.com) have asked me to write a song for a compilation honoring their twenty-fifth anniversary. The New York Times says, "[they are] a cross between Dada and David Letterman, John Cage and the Smothers Brothers. Add a touch of Claes Oldenburg and Groucho Marx, and you've got a fair idea of the performance/conceptual
art of The Art Guys." So, you see, I've got my work cut out for me!

This letter is getting long, yet there's so much more that I'd like
to tell you. At least I was able to highlight some of the things that
I'm feeling passionate about this year, though I wanted to include the recent music reviews because the critics have put a good deal of
thought and time into them, and I appreciate their insights. But I'll
send those out in another email soon. And in the meantime, I will
wish you and yours whatever kind of year you would most like to have.

And I will hope that our paths will cross somewhere down "the road
less traveled." Y'all come!

It is a chilly, but bright, Christmas Eve afternoon here in Houston,
and I've been enjoying the day spent in my hundred year old white wood
frame house at the edge of the big city. There is nothing like being
surrounded by these solid walls that have seen so many Christmases
passed as the musical strains of my family's '40s and '50s records
drift across the now-extinct hardwoods and meander through the snug
old rooms, intermingled with the laughter of children playing in the
crisp streets of this humble Second Ward neighborhood that I
love--thrilled with the anticipation that Christmas Eve has always
evoked in those who are young at heart.

I'm writing today to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a happy
and safe holiday season. I will write more as we ring in another
exciting year full of adventure and discovery, but in the meantime I
will leave you with a link to the AmericanaOK Christmas radio show,
based in Edinburgh, Scotland and syndicated to CMR Nashville, KYOU
Radio-San Francisco, and Radio Six International. Host, Tom Fahey,
has put together an eclectic mix of original Christmas songs that goes
beyond the standard holiday selections we normally hear at this time
of the year. "Be My Valentine (On Christmas)" is the third song on
the show, and one couldn't ask for a nicer introduction to it than Mr.
Fahey's:

http://www.myspace.com/americanaok
Just click and enjoy.

And, most of all, cherish this time with friends and family, for life
is mysterious, wond'rous, and unpredictable.

Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. Y'all come!

Happy Holidays!

I'm writing today to let everybody know that The Road Less Traveled
is now available through CD Baby, just in time for Christmas. People
have been asking about buying copies for stocking stuffers, and I am happy to be able to say that it will be possible at http://cdbaby.com/cd/glennabell2
I hope that you will take a minute to check out this link. I have
had good luck with CD Baby in the past. It is a reputable company,
and online music sales is quickly becoming the wave of the future.

The Road Less Traveled will also be available at 2,400 stores by
customer request through a deal that CD Baby has with a one-stop
wholesaler called Super D, and the songs are up for digital download through iTunes and the other major digital sources. These links will be posted at http://www.glennabell.com/products.html
I'm beginning to feel the impending excitement of a big new year. The Road Less Traveled is already getting airplay on stations from East to West coast and in Europe, and some good reviews are coming in, too. Here's a link to one from an eclectic, and very popular, indie music blog called SongsIllinois: http://www.songsillinois.net/?p=3124 that has included "Be My Valentine (On Christmas)" from The Road Less Traveled in their Christmas mix.

I'll write more over the holidays. I have some very interesting projects in the works for 2008, and I'm looking forward to telling you
about them. In the meantime, I hope that you are getting a chance to relax and enjoy the season. If you have time, I would love to hear from you. Y'all come!

Halloween has come and gone, and the holidays are just around the corner. I'm busy getting ready for a November line-up of shows to support the upcoming release of my new album, The Road Less Traveled, which arrived at Sugar Hill Studios here in Houston the day before yesterday, and looks and sounds FANTASTIC if I do say so myself!

The official release date is January 2008, but my goal was to have the CD's by November 1 since so many people have been asking about buying copies for Christmas presents. In fact, the last track is "Be My Valentine (On Christmas)," which I wrote a couple of years ago and released as a single in 2006. Robert K. Oermann, "The Dean of Nashville Entertainment Journalists" at Music Row, Nashville, gave "Valentine" a very positive review: "Christmas Eve will be here before you know it. So I'm giving you all a heads-up on what's new from Music City for your holiday soundtrack . . . There's no escaping the audio charm of this simple, affecting song and its sweet, tinkling, acoustic instrumental bed. Recorded in Houston by a producer [John Evans] who seems to understand exactly how to play to Glenna's musical strengths."

I'll follow up with information about where The Road Less Traveled will be available, both online and in stores, but in the meantime I want to announce the November dates, which include November 3 (this evening from 6:30-7 pm) at the Last Concert Cafe in Houston: the Go-Girls Music Festival of female-fronted acts supporting Friends for Life, a no-kill animal shelter here in town. Unfortunately, I can't play every benefit, but this cause is one that is near and dear to me since I've waged a personal crusade over the last few years to save a number of very grateful homeless pets in the Second Ward neighborhood that I call home. I will be giving away copies of The Road Less Traveled to everyone who attends this event!

And on November 8, I will be honored to provide the entertainment for the movers and shakers of the Houston political scene at State Representative Jessica Farrar's VIP event at the Historic Houston Heights Fire House. This one is not open to the public, but I am certainly looking forward to it.

And on November 13 from 6-8 pm, I will be in beautiful San Marcos,
Texas, to appear for the first time at a place I've always wanted to
play: The Triple Crown, with Bob King, who is a well-established
musician on the San Marcos/Austin area circuit. Bob is certainly a
one-of-a-kind artist, which is a rare quality in this world of trends
and copy cats, and we always have a great time on stage together. This show will be a lot of fun and IS open to the public, so please help me spread the word!

And finally, on November 15 from 6-8, I will be the featured act at
the inauguration of the Houston Community College Northeast Cafe, a Fine Arts program that will be a milestone in the history of the biggest community college in the nation, thanks to the efforts of Linda and Paul Griffin who have so generously backed this new program for the college!

There is more information about all of these shows and more on my Web sites at www.glennabell.com, www.myspace.com/glennabell, and www.sonicbids.com/glennabell. Y'all come!

I'm gearing up for another great time at the Hard Rock Cafe in
downtown Houston tomorrow evening (Thursday, October 11) from 7-8 pm CT, and am sending this reminder to everyone on my email list to please help me spread the word. I aim to get another big crowd of Houstonians out to this fabulous "Think Pink" event:

Houston Chronicle music critic, Joey Guerra, says, "October -- means Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Department stores from Target to Neiman Marcus are hawking all things pink. The Think Pink Dinner Acoustic Series at the Hard Rock Cafe is an inspired addition to the list. It
should draw fans of local music and patrons dedicated to supporting the cause. The benefit for you? Genuinely good music -- besides the warm-and-fuzzy feeling from supporting breast-cancer research and
awareness. The event showcases talent every Thursday in October, and proceeds benefit the Susan G. Komen Houston Affiliate. And we're not talking cheesy cover bands!"

(Of course not. No cheesy cover music. It will be the original
songs of yours truly, accompanied by the amazing Steve Oddo on his
handmade washtub bass. A one-time only, live event.)

Also, I was pleasantly surprised to see some of my lovely Houston
Community College students at the Hard Rock last week, managing to find time to support both their writing professor and a very worthy cause despite the extremely busy lives they lead, going to school and working full time. Wow. They are such an inspiration to me, and I am lucky to know them.

What's more, yesterday I was informed that Houston Community College featured me and my guitar this week in full color on the front page of the school's District 2 newsletter that was mailed out to thousands of Houston households! (And it was even a pretty good picture, too--taken during a performance in Austin at the North American Folk
Alliance Conference.)

So, all is well (in fact, better than ever) in the world of Glenna Bell Music. Thank you for taking the time to read this much. And please write me when you get a chance--even just a few words from you would mean a lot to me.

In the meantime, I wish you all the best. Y'all come!

Last night's show at the Hard Rock Cafe was an exceptionally good one with lots of audience interaction and a great atmoshpere, in the heart
of downtown Houston right next to the Verizon Theater. I performed
for the first time with Steve Oddo on the washtub bass, and lots of
people remarked on how well his playing and his instrument suit my
style of roots music. The Hard Rock invited us back next week, so we'll be there again from 6-7 pm CT on Thursday, October 11. Please help me spread the word, as I'd like to have another strong turn out, especially because this Think Pink Acoustic Music Series benefits the Susan Komen Foundation and October is breast cancer awareness month. (The Hard Rock even rolls out the Pink Carpet at the front door,
serves pink theme-drinks, and is raffling off an Ovation guitar. It
is a lot of fun for a worthy cause, and you can't beat that!)

Also, I wanted to let you know I recently got word that my picture
receiving the House Resolution at the Texas State Capitol last May
will appear in State Representative Jessica Farrar's Legislative Newsletter that will be hitting the mailboxes of every registered voter in House District 148 at any time. About 140,000 people reside in HD148, so households from Spring Branch to the west and the East End to the east will see me celebrating a great honor and a very happy
moment in music with my lovely family and with Representative Farrar, for whom I have great respect as a champion of "the underdogs" of the world. If you would like to read the House Resolution, it is posted at www.glennabell.com and at www.sonicbids.com/glennabell. Y'all come!

It's been about a month since I last wrote, and so many wonderful
things have been happening in music.

I'm in the midst of adding a round of shows to my calendars at
www.glennabell.com and at www.myspace.com/glennabell and
www.sonicbids.com/glennabell. This Thursday (October 4) from 6-8 pm
CT, I'll be at the Hard Rock Cafe in Downtown Houston, as the first
artist to kick off The Pink Carpet Acoustic Music Series. This one
looks to be a lot of fun. The Hard Rock will be rolling out the Pink
Carpet (literally!) and raffling off an Ovation acoustic guitar. I
aim to get a good crowd of Houstonians out to hear some live acoustic
music in a venue known for rock 'n' roll--so please help me spread the
word.

I'll write more about the other shows as those dates draw nearer, but
in the meantime I want to mention that my new album, The Road Less
Traveled, is now ready to be manufactured and released in January '08.
I have posted some songs on my Web sites, as well as the beautiful
cover photo by Amy Morris at www.glennabell.com (design by Hank Schyma
of The Southern Backtones). I hope that you will take a few minutes
to check it all out because I'm certainly proud of the array of talent
that has gone into this record. It is, in my opinion, my best work to
date, so I can hardly wait for you to hear it.

The Road Less Traveled is already getting regular air play on KNON
89.3 FM Dallas, Americana OK in Edinburgh, Scotland (which is being
syndicated to 140+ radio stations worldwide), and at WOJB FM 88.9 in
Hayward, Wisconsin, whose Music Director, Jeffrey Jones, says, "I find
your music some of the most intriguing coming out of Texas these days.
Your songwriting, voice and the way you deliver a song is haunting,
and your songs resonate long after they are played."

So much news, so little time. I'm about to pack up and head over to
a studio across town to record tonight with a new talent on the rise,
Carrie Ann Buchanan.

And I got a call yesterday from Andy Bradley at Sugar Hill Studios,
Houston, letting me know that the new book he's co-writing with Roger
Wood is scheduled for publication in 2009 by UT Press, and it's time
to sign contracts since I will be mentioned in the book and will be
featured on the accompanying CD compilation, which will include hit
songs that were originally recorded at the studio. (My rendition of
Willie Nelson's "The Family Bible" is also on The Road Less Traveled
and available for listening at glennabell.com.)

And last but not least, I am very happy to announce that I have been
invited to perform with one of my biggest music heroes, Shake Russell,
who has written some of the best songs in the world, one of which
became a #2 country hit by Ricky Skaggs ("You've Got a Lover") and
another that was recorded as a duet by Waylon Jennings and his wife,
Jessi Colter ("Deep in the West"), not even to mention the great ones
recorded by Clint Black and many others. I have so enjoyed the music
and videos on Shake's myspace page at
www.myspace.com/shakerussellband, which is like a little time capsule
of Texas music history . . . I will keep you posted on our upcoming
performance and everything else--as always. Y'all come!

After I emailed the newsletter last week, several friends in music contacted me to say that they'd tried to reply and were wondering if my email address has changed because their messages were bounced back to them. The problem should be fixed now, and I'm glad because I always look forward to hearing from everyone who takes a few minutes to write. My email address is still glenna@glennabell.com and if you choose to reply to this newsletter, I should receive it happily.

I'm busy gearing up for the show at Design Within Reach (200 West 2nd Street) in Austin from 6-9 Thursday evening (August 16). It looks to be an interesting event, including not only my performance, but an artist's exhibition as well. There's a good write-up and photos at http://www.dwr.com/studios/austin.

I also received word this morning that AmericanaOK is playing one of my new songs in Edinburgh, Scotland and New Zealand: "The East Side" with Texas Country Music Hall of Famer, Johnny Bush. If you'd like to hear it, the link is at http://americanaok.libsyn.com/ and it should be accessible for a few days. I listened earlier today and enjoyed this Americana radio show very much. "The East Side" plays a few minutes into the program, and it is something else to be sitting here in Houston in my hundred year old house, hearing me and Johnny Bush just crooning our hearts out from such a distant land. I must say I'm flattered by the very kind words of deejay Tom Fahey, and to hear them uttered with such old-world charm is a real novelty.

Oh, and I can't forget. Speaking of radio, I hope that you will tune in to KNON FM 89.3 in Dallas (www.knon.org) each Monday at 5 pm for Texas History Lee Powell's entertaining and enlightening ten minutes of Texas lore with deejay Trevor Fought on the Texas Renegade show. For most of the summer, KNON has debuted a song from my forthcoming album, The Road Less Traveled, in a featured spot following Lee's, and I will be there at the station on Labor Day to perform live on the airwaves between 4 and 6 pm in a special holiday program. Y'all come!

On May 15, 2007, State Representative Jessica Farrar and the Texas House of Representatives honored the music of Texas-born singer-songwriter Glenna Bell with the following House Resolution, which was read in a ceremony at the Capitol on the Floor of the House. House Speaker Craddick was in attendance, and personally congratulated Miss Bell for her musical contributions to the Lone Star State:


H.R. No. 1304

R E S O L U T ION
WHEREAS, A talented singer and songwriter, Beaumont native Glenna Bell is drawing attention for her stark yet beautiful songs that conjure up the heartfelt essence of traditional country music while expressing a fresh, contemporary perspective; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Bell has recorded three albums to date, Nobody's Girl, which appeared in 1998, Face This World, from 2006, and The Road Less Traveled, which is scheduled to appear in 2008; each features her haunting songs that present tales of heartache, love, and loss in a stripped down and powerful style; and

WHEREAS, Glenna Bell's music is colored by the sounds that she grew up with in East Texas: a cappella hymns sung in her family's church and old-school country music that she discovered in her relatives' record collections; with the help of veteran Texas musicians such as John Evans, who has produced Ms. Bell's last two albums, and Johnny Bush, who sings on The Road Less Traveled, Glenna Bell has distilled her influences into moving songs that are receiving airplay on country and Americana radio stations across the country; and

WHEREAS, Carrying forward the classic, unembellished style that has graced so much great music from Texas, Glenna Bell has emerged as a musician and storyteller of great promise and stands as an exciting addition to the musical tradition of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas Legislature hereby honor Glenna Bell for her musical accomplishments and extend to her best wishes for continued success; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Ms. Bell as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
Farrar

______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1304 was adopted by the House on April 13, 2007, by a non-record vote.

__________________________Chief Clerk of the House

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(HOUSTON, TEXAS)— April 21, 2007—State Representative Jessica Farrar and the Texas House of Representatives will recognize the music of Texas singer-songwriter Glenna Bell on May 15, 2007 with the presentation of a House Resolution written to honor her for “all of her dynamic work through musical expression.”

Glenna’s music has been aired locally, nationally, and internationally on CNBC, Fox TV, and numerous radio programs, as well as through live performances at venues all over Texas, including the Cactus Café in Austin, McGonigel’s Mucky Duck in Houston, The Gypsy Tea Room and Bill’s Records and Tapes in Dallas, amongst many others. Her last CD, Face This World, gained critical acclaim from top-tier music critics such as Robert K. Oermann at Music Row, Nashville, and Francois Braeken at RootsTime, Belgium, and deejays such as the late Dave Avery of KHYI FM 95.3, Dallas.

Glenna is preparing to release her third full-length CD, The Road Less Traveled, which features Texas Country Music Hall of Famer Johnny Bush, as well as John Pickering of the vocal group The Picks, who backed Buddy Holly on several major hits.

Glenna records at Sugar Hill Studios in Houston and will be included in Andy Bradley and Roger Wood’s forthcoming book on the history of the studio (UT Press) and the accompanying compilation disc, singing Willie Nelson’s “The Family Bible,” which was first taped at Sugar Hill in the 1950’s.

Glenna Bell is a Beaumont native, a Daughter of the Republic of Texas, and a graduate of Texas A&M University and the University of Houston’s renowned Creative Writing Program, where she studied with Pulitzer-winning playwright Edward Albee. She teaches writing at Houston Community College and at a young age has already composed a lasting body of music to represent the diversity of Texas. Glenna Bell's sound is modern Americana in the truest sense. It is a unique blend of country roots music, romantic urban culture lyrics, and Texas folk rock; all sung in a voice that is powerful yet somehow vulnerable
For more information on Glenna Bell, please visit: <http://www.myspace.com/glennabell> and <http://www.sonicbids.com/glennabell>

My new album, The Road Less Traveled, is all mixed, and I have some
exciting plans for 2007 that I'll write about more next time. It was
an experience I'll never forget--recording these ten songs over the
last year at historic Sugar Hill Studios here in Houston. The
ever-amazing John Evans produced and backed me up vocally and on
guitar, bass, and percussion, while guest stars included Shawn Supra
on upright bass, Jake Marchese on upright bass, Mike Lewis on drums,
Mike Ferrara on drums, and Herb Remington of Bob Wills and His Texas
Playboys on steel guitar, while John Pickering of The Picks (the
vocal group who backed Buddy Holly on most of his hit recordings)
sang three-part harmony behind me on one song and the legendary Texas
Hall of Famer Johnny Bush sang a duet with me on another. Needless to
say, I am very proud of this collection of originals whose themes are
reflected by titles ranging from "The Aggies Win Again" to "La Casa
Que Yo Amo" to "How I Found Out I'm Insane," plus Willie Nelson's
"The Family Bible" (which will also appear on the forthcoming Sugar
Hill Studios compilation) and "Jackson" with John Evans as Johnny
Cash and yours truly as June Carter.

As always, I will keep you posted on the progress of my journey down
The Road Less Traveled, which will be taking me to distant
destinations this year. In the meantime, here is the press release
from Sugar Hill Studios. Y'all come!

(HOUSTON, TEXAS)-- February 14, 2007 --Texas Americana songstress
Glenna Bell just completed tracking ten songs for an upcoming album
entitled "The Road Less Traveled" at SugarHill Recording Studios.
The project was tracked in SugarHill's Studio B and mixed in Studio C
by Chief Engineer Andy Bradley and Senior Staff Engineer Steve
Christensen.

Bell grew up influenced by hymns sung a cappella at church and by the
'50s, '60s, and '70s country music that she found in her relatives'
record collections. Often compared stylistically to 'Johnny Cash with
a gothic twist', her debut release, "Nobody's Girl" and sophomore cd
"Face This World" has received acclaim from fans and music critics
alike.

In addition to a duet with Houston's favorite male vocalist John
Evans, Bell sings with Texas honky-tonk legend Johnny Bush and former
Buddy Holly backing vocalist, John Pickering -- the critically
acclaimed but un-credited backing vocalist on many recordings by
Holly and The Crickets.

Rounding out the backing musicians on the "Road Less Traveled" are
Evans (guitar), Mike Ferrara II (drums) and Shawn Supra (upright
bass).

John Evans who recorded Bell's last album, returned as producer of
the project. Evans is best known as the leader of the John Evans Band
and winner of five consecutive Houston Press Music Awards for Best
Male Vocalist and is also currently nominated for Texas Music's
Musician of the Year Award in 2007. Additionally, he and Steve
Christensen are nominated Producer(s) of the Year for their work on
Evans' 2006 "Ramblin' Boy." John Evans has also produced two albums
for country rock band, F.Co.

For more information on Glenna Bell, please visit: www.glennabell.com <http://www.glennabell.com>
For more on SugarHill Recording Studios, visit:
www.sugarhillrecordingstudios.com

As the first day of winter arrives, I'm busy here at home getting
ready for Christmas. There's nothing like a century-old white wood
frame house all warm and decorated for the holidays as the strains of
traditional standards echo from an old record player while the last
leaves fall and the cold winds begin to blow outside. I'm thinking
tonight about so many wonderful moments that have made this year like
no other.

Playing the gallery opening for New York artist Mel Chin at The
Station with Shawn Supra on upright bass, Hank Schyma on lead guitar,
and Chris Cook on washboard. Touring with Texas Angels Sarah Sharp
and Kristy Kruger, performing at the legendary Cactus Cafe and
getting to meet Cactus Griff--who made that beloved venue all that it
is today. Collaborating with producer, arranger, and keyboard player
Ronnie King, who was recently nominated for an Oscar for his work
with Tupac. A successful national radio campaign spearheaded by the
tireless Bill Wence of Tennessee, which resulted in a second very
positive review from "the dean of Nashville entertainment
journalists" Robert K. Oermann of Music Row.

Performing at the first-annual Radio Mike Fest in Austin. South By
Southwest. The North American and Regional Folk Alliance
Conferences. The "Kinky for Texas Governor" benefit at McGonigel's
Mucky Duck. The charming Bugle Boy in La Grange and The Stardust
Room on Huntsville's quaint town square. And I can't forget the
shows in Dallas at Bill's--featured in the movie, "The Last Record
Store"--and with the ever-so-much fun Jimmy Baldwin at Standard &
Pours and the Gypsy Tea Room in Deep Ellum.

There were the live performances, the radio appearances, and the
great times in the studio. (My new album will be ready for release
early in 2007 thanks to the talent and effort of producer John Evans
and engineer Steve Christensen at Sugar Hill Studios. I'm confident
that it is my best work to date, and I can hardly wait for you to
hear the songs.)

But as I write to you this evening, contemplating 2006, I'm most
reminded that it is the people who've made it a year of memories I'll
cherish. I'll always remember opening for Chip Taylor, who wrote
"Wild Thing" and "Try" for Janis Joplin, at Courvilles in my hometown
of Beaumont, Texas. Enjoying an afternoon at Sugar Hill with Herb
Remington of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys when he recorded steel
guitar on my new song "How I Found Out I'm Insane." Hearing all
about the history of my neighborhood while hanging out at the studio
with Houstonian and Texas Music Hall of Famer Johnny Bush ("Whiskey
River") when he recorded the male vocal on my song "The East Side."


Not to mention all of the time shared with my dear friends and peers
in music, too numerous to mention here--and of course the fans whose
encouragement has meant so much to me at the shows and in their email
and letters:

" . . . You can never understand the feeling I get when playing 'Face
This World.' I lost my wife of 45 years about 10 months ago ..... we
were extremely close and I think of her 1,000 times a day. I will
play this song forever and she will be in my heart forever. Thank
you, thank you so much ..... you are very talented."

"I was driving back home from the shooting range on this beautiful
December afternoon, turned on the radio and arrived in the middle of
this haunting song . . . The voice, the melody, wow. The song knocked
the wind out of me . . . As soon as my wife gets home tonight I will
play her "Be My Valentine on Christmas." I've been listening to this
song over and over and over after I bought the download late this
afternoon. It is so beautiful, so simple, so well sung with that
very special voice. It's one of the most beautiful songs I have ever
heard."

Yes, in the end I believe it's been a year well-spent. But it's not
over yet: I hope you'll tune in on December 22 at 2 pm to KPFT
90.1 FM (Houston) or listen online at www.kpft.org for the second
annual live RadioActive Christmas program featuring Hank Schyma of
the Southern Backtones as "the little drummer boy," John Evans of the
John Evans Band delivering an original tune about Christmas and beer
that he co-wrote with photographer/actress Amy Morris, and a riveting
performance of "Silver Bells" by yours truly. This will be
guaranteed, bonified, good old Christmas fun.

May you have a magical Christmas and a blessed New Year filled with
adventure, pleasant surprises, and dreams come true. Write when you
can. I'd love to hear from you. And I'll keep you posted on all of
the shows and music news this fabulous new year--2007. Y'all come!

It's been a couple of months since I've had time to post news here on the Glenna Bell Homepage because I've been very busy and many good things have been happening with my music. A highlight is that I just got word from my excellent radio promoter, Bill Wence in Nashville, that "Hoping I Could Be Wrong" from my album Face This World was recently added on heavy rotation to Shane Wilder's Best of Country Show, which is based in Hollywood and is syndicated on 78 stations across the nation.

That was such good news, coming along as I'm preparing for another adventure this evening (Friday, September 15)--a trip to the infamous Huntsville, Texas, former home of the Prison Rodeo and where many years ago Johnny Cash once entertained a captive audience--literally. I won't be playing the prison like J.C. did, but a new venue called The Stardust Room on Huntsville's historic town square.

When he contacted me about booking, the owner and talent buyer, Ben Bell (no relation), described The Stardust Room at 1115 Universtiy Avenue as having a "Cactus Cafe atmosphere," and I was immediately sold on the idea of putting on a show at this new listening room. Last summer my appearance at The Cactus, Austin's premier folk club rated in the top ten music venues in the nation by Billboard Magazine, was all that I'd imagined and more--and the proprieter, Griff Luneberg who's made The Cactus all that it is today, has promised me another gig there in the near future--so I'll keep you posted on that and everything else with another update very soon.

In the meantime, I'd better get ready to hit the road from Houston to Huntsville with Gary Blaine Clark who will accompany me on Dobro and lap steel guitar tonight at The Stardust. I can't think of a better way to spend a Friday night in Texas, so if, by chance, you find yourself in the area, we'd love to see you out on the square. If not, I wish you and yours a lovely mid-September weekend wherever you may be. Until next time, y'all come!

Nationally-recognized radio personality, Mitchell Keller of the popular syndicated program, "The Back Porch Show" based in Portland, Oregon (www.backporchshow.com), has invited me to perform in a very exciting event in Waxahachie, Texas--the most historic town in the state, where KBEC AM radio hosts deejay Gary Barton's acclaimed Texas Music Theater, playing only the best in Texas! I'm looking forward to getting back out to Waxahachie, where I appeared live on AWA winner Mark "The Cobbler" Miller's radio show last summer on my way to perform at the legendary Bill's music store in Dallas, which is the subject of a new film called "The Last Record Store," making its debut at Disney Studios in Los Angeles this month. Mitchell is flying in to Texas from Portland for this great event, which will include live music by some of Texas' most prominent recording artists. Representing Houston will be myself and my good friend, KrissAnn, one of the finest songwriters I know. Others on the bill will be up-and-coming Maren Morris, whom I've shared stages with several times in her hometown of Dallas, as well as Miranda Lambert, Jolie Holliday, Deryl Dodd, Todd Fritsch, Larry Joe Taylor, Lisa Dames, Stephen Pointer, Allie Danielle, and many more. From Waxahachie, I'll be heading out to the world-famous Cactus Cafe in Austin on the University of Texas campus, where I played last month on the Texas Angels Tour with Sarah Sharp and Ginger Leigh of Austin. It's going to be a BIG music week!

In the meantime, producer John Evans and I will be back at historic Sugar Hill Studios here in Houston to mix my version of Willie Nelson's "The Family Bible," originally recorded at Sugar Hill by Claude Gray back in 1958. The song will be included on my next album and on the new Sugar Hill compilation of hits originally taped at the studio during its decades as the oldest continuously operating recording facility in the region.

My appearance on the Great Day morning show on Houston's CBS affiliate, Channel 11, has been postponed due to the station's decision to air a fundraiser instead. I'll keep you posted on the new date and everything else that's in the works, but for now I want to wish you all the best this 4th of July holiday. I imagine it's going to be "hot as a firecracker" here in Houston. More summer fun . . . more memories in the making. Y'all come!

I'm back from the "heavenly" Texas Angels Tour for a few days, here in Houston to record a very special song for the new Sugar Hill Studios compilation, which will feature cover versions of music originally taped at this historic studio where The Big Bopper and George Jones recorded in the early days, as well as Freddy Fender, Destiny's Child, and many others. I'll be cutting a very old Willie Nelson tune called "The Family Bible," which has such a haunting melody and lyrics. It's one of those simple, classic songs that you can't get out of your head, and its spiritual message certainly makes it seem beautifully anachronistic amidst today's sociopolitical climate.

On Wednesday evening (June 7), I'll be appearing at romantic Courville's restaurant in my hometown of Beaumont, Texas, and am very much looking forward to getting back to my roots in the Golden Triangle. Every time I travel that lonely road, I think of Janis Joplin and George Jones--and I know I'm in good company.

I'll be on stage from 7:20-8 pm, opening for the internationally acclaimed Americana artists, Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez. Chip Taylor's credits are vast, but a few of his songwriting highlights are "Wild Thing" and "Angel of the Morning." He also discovered and produced James Taylor, as well as Neil Diamond's "Brooklyn Roads."

Carrie Rodriguez has been playing the violin since she was five years old, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Berklee School of Music in 2000. According to Train Wreck Records (www.trainwreckrecords.com), "when Chip first saw Carrie play at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas in 2001, he was not only wowed by the brilliance he heard in her playing, but also sensed a magical presence. He invited her to join him on some subsequent shows in Texas and then a tour of Europe... and the rest is history."

Courville's (409-860-9811) is located at 1744 Rose Lane off Hwy 90 in Beaumont . . . more history in the making. Y'all come!

The Texas Angels Tour continues, and I'll be in Austin tomorrow (Monday, May 22) for a radio appearance at 8:20 a.m. on the morning show at KLBJ 93.7--"Austin's Rock Classic." The program has been called "the Howard Stern show of Austin" and is one of the top-rated morning shows in the nation, so it should be pretty interesting, I'll bet.

Sarah Sharp, Kristy Kruger, and I kicked off The Angels tour on Friday in Dallas at Bill's Tapes and Records before playing the All Good Cafe that evening in Deep Ellum. The Bill's show was actually caught on tape by Cindy Chaffin who runs the fabulous www.texasgigs.com. Cindy is so on the ball that our performance is already posted at http://www.texasgigs.com/news/2006/may/19/another-friday-afternoon-bills-records/ so I hope you'll take a few minutes to listen when you get a chance. I think you'll enjoy it. The recording really has that "live" feel and conveys the down-home atmosphere of Bill's free Friday lunch hour gatherings . . . only in Texas.

It's going to be a busy music week, with two Austin shows coming up. On Tuesday night (May 23) I'll play Melissa Mullins' critically-acclaimed Writers Who Rock showcase series at El Mercado Music Lounge (1302 South First Street), and on Wednesday night The Angels will take the stage at Ruta Maya (3601 South Congress).

Thursday (May 25) I'll be back in Houston for The Angels show at Cosmos Cafe from 8-10 p.m. (69 Heights Blvd at Washington Ave) before we head west again for a house concert in San Antonio on Friday night and an appearance at The Bugle Boy in La Grange on Saturday evening. All of the details are available on the calendar page of this site.

The shows just keep lining up, and I got word today that the Austin American-Statesman will be doing a write-up soon, so I'll keep you posted on that and everything else as always.

Y'all come!