RESOURCES...

So now I know two standup bass players (and have played with both), two lead guitarists (played with one), two harmonica players (haven’t played with either), a flute player (have played with her), the guy with the congas (no), and somebody who can play just about anything but prefers mandolin (yes). Makings of a band? Probably. Next step, I think, is to get ‘em familiar with all the material that’s going to go on the album.

Potential inclusions for the album:

Armadillo on the Interstate
Milepost 43
Dirty Deeds Done to Sheep (could be the title cut)
Naked Space Hamsters in Love
Twenty-four Seven
The Frog Next Door
The Termite Song
Even Roadkill Gets the Blues (needs a Christmassy title, though)
Rotten Candy
Dead Things in the Shower
When I Jump Off the Cliff, I’ll Think of You
Oil in the Cornfield

That’s 12. Not a bad mix—one waltz, one serious song, one blues, one rock ‘n’ roll, one straight-up country. Possible to play around with the instrumentation, depending on what’s available; we know from experience that bluegrass songs can be played on electric instruments, and that rock ‘n’ roll can be performed just fine with a bluegrass band.

And the collabs? There’s almost an album’s worth of those, too:

Dead Things in the Shower (with Bobbie Gallup—recorded at Pineyfest)
Alabama Blues (Diane Ewing—recorded at Pineyfest)
So Far (Marge McKinnis—recorded at Pineyfest)
Distraction (Diane Ewing—recorded at Pineyfest)
About Love (Marge McKinnis—recorded at Pineyfest)
Born Again Barbie (with Scott Rose—and recorded by Scott, too)
Global Warming Sandwich (Gem Watson—recorded with & by Gem)
The Six-Legged Polka (recorded with & by Gem Watson)
She Ain’t Starvin’ Herself (recorded with & by The Collaborators)
Oil in the Cornfield (recorded with & by Vikki Flawith & Mississippi Spud)
Cat with the Strat (recorded with & by The Collaborators)

“Dirty Deeds Done to Sheep” is pretty much down. Didn’t play it at the Wild Goose, though—it needs more practice (I still stumble over some of the lines). I did get handed a nice title for a song—“Naked Plants.”

And this week, I get to play music Tuesday night (for the dance), Friday (as opening act for another band), Saturday night (for the Lions Club variety show) and Sunday night (at the Goose again).