Lots of neat stuff on the near horizon.

• Tomorrow night I go see Robben Ford play at the Marin Civic Auditorium in a show called Guitar Blues, co-billed with Jorma Kaukonen and Ruthie Foster.
• Saturday I hope to sit in with Dave Workman‘s group at the Saloon in San Francisco.
• Tuesday Chris Cobb is standing in as jam host for Stan Erhart at the 23 Club blues jam in Brisbane.
• Next Saturday is my birthday.
• Friday, March 20, at the Zellerbach Auditorium in Berkeley, I’m seeing the Five Peace Band – John McLaughlin: guitar; Chick Corea: keyboards; Kenny Garrett: saxophone; Christian McBride: bass; and Vinnie Colaiuta: drums
• Thursday, April 23, at the Fox Theater in Oakland, I’m seeing Jeff Beck, with David Sancious on keys, Tal Wilkenfeld on bass, and Vinnie Colaiuta on drums (Vinnie again!)
• The DVDs of Jeff Beck’s 2007 performances at Ronnie Scott’s in London, and of Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood’s 2008 performances at Madison Square Garden in New York, are coming out soon…

Well, we’re well into 2009 now… I’m no longer accidentally dating things with the old year.

This is just a quick note to keep too much dust from settling here. I’ve continued to spend time at the two blues jams I’ve been frequenting for a while. Tonight a new one starts up, this one also run by Stan Erhart, who does the Sunday night one at the Old Princeton Landing, so I’m going to drag my little fire-breathing amp and one of my guitars and check it out.

There was also the 3rd Anniversary Celebration of the Redwood City Blues Jam, held in the “big” Fox next door to the usual Little Fox. I volunteered to help with stuff backstage, passed the tip bucket a few times, and helped load a Hammond C-3 organ into a van in the rain in the early morning. It was an interesting and enjoyable way to spend an evening, but not the best way to enjoy the performers. That theater is really a remarkable place, one of those old movie palaces from the 1920’s that’s been restored to something like its former glory.

I also saw Rod Piazza and the Mighty Fliers at the Little Fox, first time I’ve been there for a regular show. Vince Caminiti’s band Bluestate was the opening act. Two terrific bands – lots of fun. The week before, I saw Dave Workman play at The Saloon in San Francisco.

Oh, and January also saw the release of a great new CD by the Derek Trucks Band, Already Free. More about this later, but for now — highly recommended.