The Adobe Bar Taos, New Mexico

I have just rebooked the Adobe Bar in Taos, New Mexico for Tuesday, 29th, May. This is my favourite venue in Taos and is always filled with visitors as well as locals. It is located at the Taos Inn, just one block from the Plaza.

www.taosinn.com

Start time is 7:00pm

Waterfall Country Club, Lake Burton, Georgia.

I am standing on my new stage at the Waterfall Country Club. Although it's not quite completed, I can already imagine how exciting it will be to perform here. Lake Burton is in the background. Thank you to Chef John Deatcher for taking the photograph. My house is on the lake about nine miles south of here.

2007 Fine Art and Wine Festival, Red River, N.M.

I have booked the Fine Art & Wine Festival in Red River for 2007. It will be on Father's day weekend once again. It is always a lot of fun and the art seems to get better with each year. The festival is organized by The Red River Chamber of Commerce. www.redrivernewmex.com

For more information call them at 1-800-348-6444. See you there......

Moreno Valley, Cimarron Canyon, elk and bison.

These photos were taken today. Even with all the snow in Red River it was still "almost warm". Later as we exited Cimarron Canyon the snow dissappeared. Just look at the elk, bison and the sunset looking back towards Cimarron and Philmont. Somehow I always seem to get the photographs in the reverse order. Even so, they are still spectacular this time. I hope you enjoy. These were all taken within the space of an hour. The bison might belong to Ted Turner. I'm not sure where his ranch ends, that's if it does.

Pimentel Guitar (Coyote)

I visited Pimentel in Albuquerque today and saw the new guitar. This is the same one I ordered last June and I'm excited to know it will be ready next month. The colour has been decided on. It will be a muted red/orange. As you can see, there is turquoise around the coyote and there will be turquoise steps up the neck. The neck is 1 7/8" and should be very easy to play with it's nylon strings. The guitar is being held by Robert who is building the instrument. www.pimentelguitars.com Check out their website.

It's Thursday night and we are back in Santa Fe. Hopefully the Bill Hearne trio will be at the La Fonda tonight.

Snow shoes on Goose Creek Trail

We've been snow shoeing on the trails around Red River. I tried this for the first time last year and really enjoyed it so we bought our own equipment and have been checking out all the trails and forest roads close to town.

Goose Creek is the trail where Mike's dogs found the porcupine. Ray from Dallas joined us on Middle Fork Road the other day. Today was spent in Cimarron and tomorrow we are off to Albuquerque before meeting up with Paige and Leslie in Santa Fe.

Mardi Gras in the Mountains

Sometimes it's nice to come to Red River and not work so hard. At Mardi Gras in the mountains, it's great to watch and sometimes join in with the festivities. This photo was taken from the balcony of the Lodge looking across Main Street to the "Bull". Here is the "Dancing Bares" float. This year has been a very busy and successful Mardi Gras for Red River with many participants from around the globe. On Fat Tuesday I performed with Fritz at the Ski area. We decided we should call ourselves "Friti and Briti".

Red River, Altitudes Restaurant

Valentines day in Red River. Thanks to John at Altitudes for making Valentine's day such a special day in Red River. Some of my closest friends were here this night, including Paula and Ben. There was a nice, roaring fire to keep us warm and plenty of good company. If you find yourself in Red River don't forget to check out this fine restaurant.

Vespa ET-2 scooter

I wish I could actually go to work on one of these.

This is the way to get around during warm weather. With no gears to change and better fuel economy than a Prius, it's the perfect mode of transportation. The top speed (if you're lucky) is around 45mph. In most states no tag is required due to the small 49.4cc. engine. There is storage under the seat and a hook on the front of the seat for hanging a plastic grocery bag.

Don't forget to wear a helmet, and look out for drivers of other vehicles.

If you want to see some vintage Vespas look for the movie "Quadraphenia". I think the spelling is correct, or at least close.

Coming up..... Sugarmill Creek, Georgia.

After the snow it stayed cold here in Northeast Georgia. A couple of days the high has been below freezing. It just serves to remind me how quickly the weather can change here . In about a month it will be a getting warm enough to consider performing outside again so keep an eye on the website to see when I will be back at Sugarmill Creek. Sugarmill is located near lake Burton and is a favourite campsite for families from all over the Southeast. Come and enjoy the music, bar and the hospitality of Rita and Melissa.

Early morning snow.

Yesterday morning we awoke to find between two and three inches of snow. By lunchtime time today virtually all traces were gone. That's how the weather is here in Georgia. Anyway, it put me in the right frame of mind for the trip to Red River in about ten days. I shall be performing at Altitudes on St Valentines day. I will only be doing but a couple of bookings this trip but will work on putting together the summer schedule whilst I'm there..

Stepp dg1... More information.

I promised to post some more about the stepp dg1. There have been quite a few hits from interested people from as far away as Japan. If you have never seen one up close I hope you find these photo's of interest. Initially, it could only be played with a metal pick but that problem was soon solved with a software update. It has two sets of strings, both made of stainless steel. I still have the original strings from the late eighties.
On the second photo I have removed the cover to expose the sensors on the "body" strings. These sensors help determine which strings have been plucked, and at what velocity. The strings are of all the same thickness and tension is adjusted to suit the individual player. I had a problem of "phantom triggering" caused probably, by static electricity. I was able to overcome most of this by holding strings I wasn't playing. There is an allen key under the head cover for adjusting string tension.
The body is quite thin, similar to a Fender Telecaster. It does generate some heat but it's not uncomfortable.
The guitar plugs into the stand which they refer to as the life support system. This is a really cool instrument and I'm looking forward to playing it once again, especially in the studio. As I think of more features etc. I'll post more on this. I hope you find it useful.

Savannah, Georgia.

Today we went to Savannah. It was cool, around 50deg and a little breezy. Still it was comfortable walking weather. Hopefully this visit will help with the song. The port seemed busy with a few large ships heading out into the Atlantic. Also a quick trip to Tybee Island, then to Fort Jackson right before it closed for the day. About 15 years ago I drove down to Savannah with my bagpiper friend Mark to attend the Highland Games at Fort Jackson. It's located right on the banks of the river. While I was watching the Highland dancers, I happened to turn around and see an old fashioned paddleboat go up the river. "An interesting combination", I remember thinking.

Here we are in Hilton Head. This is the view from my window.
A side trip is planned to Savannah for the purpose of completing the song that has been bugging me since I started it in 1999. This will be on the new album as well as the song Harbor Town. On the way down here I noticed the temperature is 30deg. warmer than home. Today is overcast but still very nice. More later...

Here is the Beef Baron after everyone went home. Last week was my last weekend there. This past week has been my first week off in, well I don't remember, but it felt good. My next booking is on Valentine's day. I intend to do less "one nighters" this year and more of the specialty type bookings. Tomorrow I'm going to the coast for a vacation. I'm still working on the new album and hope to complete the words to the rest of the songs while I'm gone. I will try to periodically update the blog, but it won't be at the same rate as in the past.
I did notice that the posting about the Stepp dg1 created some interest and I'll try to post more about that soon. Thanks everyone for your interest. More soon...

Brody and the Porcupine.

The Porcupine Quill Blues is coming along. This is a song I wrote about a hike up Goose Creek trail. As you can see, Brody was the unfortunate recipient of a gift from the porcupine.
I'm encouraged by the progress I'm making. These songs are about England, the coast of South Carolina and Georgia, and also of New Mexico and certain famous visitors there.
I would also like some more songs about Colorado, and there's still time to do that..... Who knows where this third cd will lead.

Philip John Brooks - Solo album #3

Here we are in 2007. I sense this will be a very good year. After having relaxed for the last couple of weeks, I'm back in the studio and doing a bunch of tedious technical reading plus some recording. Actually the "2480" is quite amazing in it's depth and scope. Unfortunately this requires a lot of non artistic work. The Neumann U87 is incredible in it's clarity. I'm recording these new songs three at a time and hoping to have most of this album done by the end of the month. There's still some writing to be completed and two of these new songs I find particularly interesting. So far "Dodging the Waves, Deep Peace and Country Girl" are coming along nicely.

31st, December 2006

Well 2006 is almost over and for me it's been a very good year. I've appeared in new venues, and states. Up here on Lake Burton in the beautiful mountains of Northeast Georgia, it has rained all day and sometimes quite hard. This county, so I'm told, receives more rainfall than any other in the U.S. At around 85" per year I can believe it.
I have two more weeks at the Beef Baron in Baldwin then I'll knuckle down to some concentrated recording time. In February I head out (via Dallas)to Red River and hopefully to Pimentels to pick up the new instrument. R.R. seems to be getting a good bit of snow right now and I hope it lasts for I'm looking forward to doing some snow shoeing and maybe another try at cross country skiing.
I wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year.

My new years resolution.... To get two new albums out in the new year.....

Recording

This past week I have spent most of my time recording. After learning much about the workings of the Roland 2480, I think I'm ready for some serious work. Today I arranged to have a Neumann U-87 delivered. Hopefully this will enable me to get a better vocal sound. The SM-81's do a good job of recording acoustic guitar. I'm also learning my way around the Cort fretless bass. So far I have not cheated by taping markers on the neck. After starting work it became obvious that this album would be in the folk vein and 99% acoustic. I like that. Almost time to start thinking about a title...

Third Solo Album

I've spent nearly all week writing and attempting to arrange new songs. I hope to start recording on Monday. Once again this next one will be nothing like it's predecessors. I don't know if that's good or bad. We shall soon see.
Tomorrow I'm at the Beef Baron and Saturday at Chickasaw Point, South Carolina, on Lake Hartwell.

cdbaby.com

I have been in the music business for a long time, and I mean a long time........ So much has changed, some for better and some for worse. Let's just talk about the better stuff. Today digital recording has put the creativity back in the hands of the artist, which is where it should have been all along. Monster record labels do not hold all the aces, and they can see their sales slumping. They seem to think it's due to piracy and maybe some is, but I happen to think it's mostly due to the fact that they are driven almost entirely by dollars and originality has slipped by the wayside. My twenty two year old son agrees. Today almost anyone can make an album, and if they write their own music the large record companies are left out of the loop. No royalties for them to collect. When it comes to marketing, once again technology and entrepreneurship have left the big companies high and dry. This is where sites like cdbaby.com come into the equation. They don't discriminate against anyone. All a musician or vocalist has to do is produce the music and send it to them. It's almost immediately available worldwide. This lets the public decide where they want to spend their hard earned money. When artistic endeavors are considered, success is not measured by the amount of sales but by personal satisfaction and accomplishment. Once again this makes these independent products quite different. cdbaby.com is just one company, and I'm sure there are others but you owe it to yourself to lend an ear to these hardworking independent musicians.

Sam and the squirrel.

I just came across this picture and thought you would enjoy it. We had collected pecan nuts from the garden in this little white basket. It was discovered by a cheeky squirrel and he is seen checking out his haul. All this activity is being observed very intently by my very best friend Sam the cat. After seventeen years Sam is no longer with us, but the squirrel and his many offspring still reside in the yard.

Stepp DG1 digital guitar.

I understand that this is quite a rare instrument. I flew to the NAMM show in Chicago about 15 years ago to check out the Synthaxe digital guitar and while there met a gentleman called Glenn Thomas. He was the agent for the Stepp dg1. We arranged for him to ship one to me on approval, which he did. It is a very interesting instrument and there are two different sets of strings on it. The ones that are strummed are not connected to the ones that are used to define notes and chords etc. The digital synth is built into the stand to which it is connected by a thick cord.
I still have it, although the synthesiser part has not worked for a long time. Recently I located a place in England that provides service and has spare parts. Of course I will have it repaired and hope to use it once more. When in tune mode, lights flash up and down the neck. This always caused a quite a stir.

Pimentel Guitars, Albuquerque, N.M.

The weekend is here once more. I can't believe it's December and almost Christmas. This year seems to have evaporated...
The Pimentel guitar I ordered last June should be ready in the next couple of months. I'm trying to coincide my winter visit to Red River with a trip to pick up the guitar. It's my third handmade Pimentel and they are all so different. The latest one is a nylon strung jazz guitar with a one and 3/4" fretboard. It has two offset sound holes, and in the middle of the rosette will be a Coyote with a yellow moon in the background. I'm still trying to decide on the colour of the body but I'm leaning towards an orange. Pimentels are my favourite guitars and many years ago at Philmont Scout Ranch someone loaned me a Pimentel student model. I was so taken with the tone I decided I must have one. Well, one thing leads to another and so on...and so on.
It's 3:00pm and time to sort out equipment for the Beef Baron. Have a great weekend.

Fritz and Fagan, and Philip

I'm hoping I have finally managed to upload this cutting from the Red River Miner.
The photo shows me at the Aspencade Festival, 2006. (Thank you Fritz and Kerry for allowing me to reproduce this article)
In one ear is Fritz Davis and in the other, Jeff Fagan. Yes they surprised me. I had no idea they were there until that fuzzy beard appeared to my right. So here we are, Fritz, Philip and Fagan in action once again. The article was written by Fritz and the photo was taken by Ray Seibert of Dallas, Texas. Aspencade is a very nice festival celebrating the turning of the Aspen leaves to their beautiful yellow. At this time of year it can be a little cool, especially at 10:00am., the time I started. This year the weather was quite nice and Red River is such a great place to be during the fall.

Thanksgiving 2006

We had thanksgiving at the lake. There were fourteen of us and we had a great time.
Philip and Nora stayed over through Sunday and we managed to hike one trail and part of another. Friday and Saturday at the Beef Baron went well even though there must have been quite a few people out of town. On the way back to Athens we listened to Georgia Public Radio as Dr Barbara Brown Taylor talked about her new book.

Salida, Colorado.

Well, I sold my little house in Red River but still have the other one. My plans were to purchase a place in Salida, Colorado but that hasn't happened. I was looking for a little Victorian on E. through G. street but they seem to be in short supply right now. As you must already know, Salida is my favourite Colorado town. I'm taken with the number of cyclists, the local tolerance for them and the totally flat area the town is located upon, plus all the opportunities that exist for recreation.
I'll miss the little house in Red River but I know the new owners will enjoy it as much as I. I'm still looking in Salida. If you have never been there you need to take a look.
Today I talked with my friend Ray Seibert in Dallas. He makes incence sticks using the resin from pinion pines collected after it has fallen to the ground. It is collected by the inhabitants of Taos Pueblo. The sticks smell great and take me right back to Red River. I ordered some to see me through until January.

At the lake

I'm at the lake and have been here since Tuesday, except for going to Atlanta for one day and work at the Beef Baron. It is so peaceful here and I sleep well. Cornelia has got to be so noisy lately with trains, sirens, lawnmowers and leaf blowers, neighbours dragging out their trashcans at 6:30am and car alarms that fire off for no particular reason. I had forgotten how peaceful the countryside is and how we have all taken noise pollution for granted. It would be nice to move back to sanity and a simpler, quieter life.

Saturday at the Beef Baron

Saturday was a really nice, busy night at the Beef Baron. I got to see a lot of friends I hadn't seen in a lot of years. It was also the busiest night they'd had since the re-opening. When I arrived at 6:45pm every parking place was taken. I'm pleased for Fred things are going so well. If you're in the area, stop and say "hello". I'm there almost every Friday and Saturday through the end of the year and start at 7:00pm. I'll try to remember to take some more photographs.

Schaefer westernwear

Here I am about to leave the studio and head over to the Beef Baron.
Something that concerns me is the loss of manufacturing jobs here in the U.S.A. The shirt I'm wearing was made in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, by Schaefer Ranchwear.
It seems that if they can make a profit with American labor then so should the other companies who have shipped their jobs overseas. Thanks Schaefer for quality, American made products.

The Beef Baron, Baldwin, Georgia.

Here I am at the Beef Baron in Baldwin. I shall be here every Friday and Saturday for a while. My thanks to the folks from Toccoa and Six Mile, S.C. for making the effort in driving over to see me. Last night was quite busy and the weather was so awful. Rain and thick fog, not a nice combination. Today is sunny and breezy. That's an improvement and it's appreciated.

Breakfast at the Basket Peddler.

There's no better way to start the day than Breakfast at the Basket Peddler. I can catch up on the news in the Journal and contemplate what the day may hold. Today is sunny once more. We seem to be alternating between summer and winter here in Georgia. Well, time to sort out equipment for the Beef Baron.

The mountains of Northeast Georgia.

It seems as though the leaves turned overnight. They even seemed to get more vivid as the day progressed. It was a rainy day and the perfect one to be in the mountains of Northeast Georgia. The first photo is of the river on the way to Tate City. The second is looking towards the cabin from Lake Burton.

Well it's back to Cornelia to prepare for Friday evening at the Beef Baron. I start around 7:00PM. It's been around 12 years since I last played there. I'm sure a lot has changed in that time.
Join me if you can make it.

Autumn, twice in one year.

I get to experience the fall twice this year. I have already watched the aspens in Colorado and New Mexico and now I'm back in time to witness the oaks and maples etc. in Georgia. Yesterday there appeared to be quite a heavy frost around Lake Burton. Still as late as it is, most trees are only just beginning to change. Tonight it's raining. Something that was needed back in the summer.

Back to Sugarmill Creek

I just completed my first engagement since arriving back in Georgia. The people are so nice at Sugarmill and I'd like to thank Melissa and Rita for being so understanding of my wandering nature. It was unusually cool for this time of year but there was still a good crowd of dedicated attendees. I played through about 10:30 then Robert, Linda, Mary and Lou and I retired to the lakehouse for coffee and to warm up. We talked til around midnight.
This morning I went for breakfast at the Bateville store, as usual. As I walked out of the cabin I noticed the temperature was 38. The fields on the way, where the sun had not yet reached, were white from frost. When I returned I lit a fire and had a lazy day just working on new songs. Now, if every weekend could be like this.....

Riding home to Georgia

From Bobcat Pass I dropped down into the Moreno Valley. The mountains, including Baldy are obscured by the low cloud. In some of the minor breaks I noticed there was snow up there.
From here I carried on driving through Amarillo, Texas and spent the night in Memphis, Texas. I went throught Ft. Worth around 2:00pm the next day and spent Tuesday night in Louisiana, arriving home wednesday around 9:00pm. The trip was a total of 1566 miles.
Today I talked with Fred Schlagel who is re-opening the Beef Baron next week. I shall be playing there most Fridays until the end of the year. Fred, I wish you well with the "New Beef Baron". The Beef Baron is located on old 441, just south of Baldwin.

Bongo Billy's Salida Cafe.

The booking Bongo Billy's Salida cafe went well. What a pleasure it is to perform in Colorado. I stayed in Salida from Thursday til Saturday. Performing Friday afternoon, Friday Night and Saturday lunch. Thanks to all the folks who listened and also bought cd's. Saturday evening I set out for my house in Red River. Monday lunch I left for Cimarron and then on to Georgia. That's a 1566 mile journey.The photo shows the view on highway 50, east of Salida. The Arkansas River flows along by the road.

The D.H. Lawrence Ranch.

The road to the Lawrence Ranch. I'm fascinated with this place. There seems to be something magic here like the shadows on the mountains and the clouds on that clear blue sky. I have visited several times and look forward to going back. The ranch is about five miles up this dirt road.
This photo shows the tiny cabin that Dorothy Brett stayed in when she was visiting with D.H. and his wife. The famous Lawrence tree is off to my right and right in front of the cabin where D.H. spent his time writing.

Aspencade.. Red River, 2006

This was a three day event and a great success. The weather was perfect with blue skies and warm temperatures. I met lots of people and sold many cd's. None of the speakers in the foreground were mine. I relied on the Bose system and it did an exceptional job. I hope to be able to locate some more photo's a little later. I'll post them when I do.

The Adobe Bar, Taos, New Mexico.

The Adobe Bar is located at the Taos Inn and has quite a history.
Thanks to Nic Knight for booking me and the rest of the folks for making me feel at home and selling the cd's. Thanks to Ray and Jeane for taking the photographs.
Taos is a really cool place with interesting museums and art galleries. J.D. Challenger has his gallery about a hundred yards from the Adobe Bar.

It is called the "living room of Taos" and I can believe it. I met people from England who were familiar with the old Dolphin Bar in Cleveleys. There were folks from all over the country plus locals. The night went very well.
I really enjoyed the Adobe Bar and look forward to going back.

Red River

I arrived in Red River on Wednesday th 20th, September. The next morning it snowed and also the day after. Then it was back to Santa Fe to play at the Tin Star.
The next day I was at Ronnie Lee's in Taos and also for Sunday brunch. The shows went well and on Sunday brunch I set up outside. This is a very nice restaurant and well worth a visit.

Dallas, Texas

This was my first ever booking in Texas. Everything went so well. I want to thank Ray and Jeane for all they did. Also thank you to Betty, Berts and Tommy, my friends from Philmont, for coming. It was wonderful to see you all after quite a number of years. Thank you also to the Dallas folks who came, some whom I had previously met in Red River. Also, thanks to our Russian friend Dennis, who was singing in both Russian and English during the intermission. It was very hot this evening, but the huge fan we had running helped to keep us cool and also keep the bugs at bay.
The next day it was off to the lakehouse in Lago Vista near Austin, about 200 miles south.

Lago Vista

The photo was taken at Largo Music Hall. Dallas and Austin both went well and I hope to go back to both. Rancho Lago is a sanctuary for the deer who seem to know hunting season is almost upon them. I observed that kind of behaviour once before at the Philmont villa.
After Leaving Austin, I drove through the Texas hill country and spent the night in Littlefield,Texas, the hometown of Waylon Jennings. It's about 250 miles from Littlefield to Santa Fe.

Texas, New Mexico, Colorado tour.

This afternoon I'm Checking and packing equipment ready for my departure, hopefully early in the morning. I thought I was travelling light until I saw what was actually there. I have to carry spares of everything. Nothing can be replaced once I reach Red River. I have to be in Dallas for Friday evening so I have a fairly easy drive of about 900 miles in two days.
Look at the stickers on my case. They do serve a purpose. I used to travel with an old black Gretsch Duo Jet,the case was a mess and the many bumper stickers were the only thing that kept it from completely falling apart.
The bookings in Austin and Lago Vista will be interesting. On this tour I have 15 bookings in 22 days and decided that was enough. I want to have free time to enjoy the fall in the mountains of New Mexico. The mountain bike is going along. Just as with other tours, I'll post as the opportunity arises. Hello Mountain Treasures... Get the coffee pot on!!! Wake up Red River, don't go to sleep just yet.

Texas

The fall tour is starting to fill out and I just added some dates in Texas. There are two "End of the summer" parties, (one in Dallas and one in Austin) plus a night at Lago Music Hall. This a new area and state for me, and that's exciting!!! Thanks to my friend Ray for your help. This puts me on track for continuing on to Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos and then Red River. There is also another trip scheduled to "The Salida Cafe" in Salida, Colorado. My favourite town in Colorado..... That's on the 6th, October. I'll post more as it becomes available.

Sugarmill Creek, Lake Burton and South Carolina.

It's has cooled off a little here in Georgia.
I shall be playing at Sugarmill Creek most Saturdays until 16th, September, then I leave for the Tin Star Saloon in Santa Fe, N.M. (22nd) followed by Ronnie Lee's in Taos (23-24) and then to Red River for the Aspencade Festival. Aspencade is from 29th, September through 1st, October. More dates are coming in and they will be posted on the "upcoming" section of my website. Thanks for your help John.. Have a great weekend. I hope to see you all tomorrow on the deck......

At the Alvarado

Last night I was on the deck at Sugarmill Creek. It was a good night. I enjoyed being back with my friends from Georgia and South Carolina. Thanks to Linda and Robert for the gift of the spoon. If you click on the photo it will enlarge and you'll be able to see all the details. This has a very special meaning for me as "At The Alvarado" is my favourite song on the album. When I wrote this song I was trying to create a mood and sound similar to the music I imagined would have been played there during it's heyday.

There was a heavy rain last night that cut short the show but it was much needed and appreciated. It seems this summer, that the rain followed me wherever I went. Maybe I can hire myself out as a "rain maker" The "Pied Piper" of rain clouds.

Back home.

I left Red River on Monday just before lunch and drove to Cimarron. There I stopped to see Vallerie from The Buffalo Nickel and also talked with the (soon to be) new owner of what used to be Kit Carsons bar and restaurant. I will be performing there once all the renovations are completed. Leaving Cimarron around 2:00pm, I headed for Texas and spent the night in Memphis Texas. Tuesday night I stayed in Mississippi, arriving home Wednesday at 6:00pm. That's a distance of almost exactly 1550 miles.

Tonight I'll be at Sugarmill Creek once more. I'll stay at the lake and tomorrow attempt to complete some of the songs I started in Red River.