Hope you had a happy Thanksgivukkah! Rubina and I stayed in Brooklyn... we're hunkering down and getting ready for the birth of our lil' Bumphreys, due in late December. I have added one solo show to the docket for December 14 – an 8 pm set at my fave neighborhood bar here in DUMBO, 68 Jay St. Bar. Please come if you're in town. Would love to see you.
AL KOOPERGot to visit with legendary musician, producer and songwriter Al Kooper (pictured right) in November. Some of you know Al is a HOBEX fan from way back... he replied to my last newsletter (people actually read these things, who knew?) and let me know he was in town to play organ on some gigs with Ron Wood and Mick Taylor. We had a great hang. Thanks, Al!
HOLIDAY GIFTING
For a special holiday gift, may I suggest a Greg Humphreys CD bundle for your favorite music fan? Visit my store here to purchase CDs directly from me via PayPal. I will be fulfilling these orders myself, and I'd be glad to sign the disc(s) and write a personal note to your giftee, complete with an original cartoon. Running a D.I.Y. operation all the way ovah heah! Of course, all four solo album releases are also available through iTunes and other digital outlets.
2014: TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF MUSIC-MAKING
Thanks again to everyone who came out to one or more of this year's 50 live performances. 2014 will mark my 25th year as a recording and performing artist – Dillon Fence released our self-titled self-released EP in 1989.
I've released over 10 albums' worth of songs and performed well over 2000 times these past 25 years; sometimes it's overwhelming to think about it all. I am forever indebted to the many talented musicians and business people with whom I've been lucky enough to work, as I am indebted to you for your support and encouragement. I'm sorry if I ever let you down.
Special thanks to awesome folks Brad, Val, and Chris at Mongrel Music, who have been booking me over the last ten years, both with HOBEX and as a solo artist.
It's not likely Bohemia will appear on any end-of-year Best-of-2013 lists, but I know in my heart that I am making some of the best music of my 25-year career right now. I also know that those of you who have bought, listened to, and enjoyed my solo releases will vouch for their quality and integrity.
Super-excited for you to hear the tracks I've been working on with Matt Brandau here in NYC. We have half an album's worth of songs completed so far – yet another genre adventure. More soon! The next time you hear from me, there will likely be a lil' Bumphreys in the house.
xo,
Greg
LATEST ALBUM: BOHEMIA.
"...a perennial pleasure, an ever-blooming example of what dedication to one’s art and a fierce resistance to abandoning exposed heart and simple, sincere emotion can produce." – Dennis Cook, Dirty Impound
Available on iTunes. Hard copies available via PayPal and at live shows.
Check out the music video for the song "Across The Ocean, Mama," the third track on BOHEMIA. Buy BOHEMIA on iTunes here. Purchase a hard copy via PayPal here. Have a listen online here or here.
Bohemia is a 9 song puzzle. Some tunes are newer; some were written during a couple of summers spent in Prague, CZ and the EU. They fit together just so.
It's about leaving, and arriving. You could consider it a love letter (or goodbye note) to my home state of North Carolina. You could also consider this LP a musical warm-up, setting the stage for new adventures in New York City and beyond.
Bohemia features musical turns from very talented guests Matt Brandau, Phil Cook, and Lizzy Ross. There's a song co-written in Nashville, TN (and on Interstate 40) with Lizzy Ross, and a song co-written drunk on a roof in Prague with Montana singer-songwriter Jessica Kilroy.
It's of a piece with my previous three solo albums Trunk Songs, Realign Your Mind, and People You May Know; mostly acoustic. Mostly recorded at my studio in Durham NC with help from friends.
STREAM THE ALBUM HERE - GO TO THE MUSIC PLAYER AND PRESS 'PLAY ALL'.
BOHEMIA
1. Someday, I’ll Have My Due
2. Sayin’ What You Mean
3. Across The Ocean, Mama
4. While You’re Away
5. Jubble On, Jubbly
6. Shelby, I Told You
7. Hush
8. Sweet La Rue
9. Railroad Bill