January 2010 Newsletter
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
With some of my friends (l-r): Sam Kassirer, Neil Cleary, Charlie Rose, me, Zack Hickman and Jake Armerding.
DO YOU NEED ANYBODY?
At the end of each year, and particularly the end of a decade, we are deluged with lists. Check out the top ten this or that! However, social networking websites aside, prioritization is not easily applied to this month's topic: friends.
If I were to make a list of my most meaningful musical experiences, I am certain that every one would involve a friend. I love making music, and most of the time I do it standing alone onstage. Every night I try to get to that place of transcendence or, as Dylan put it, time out of mind. My first conscious thought after such moments is often "I wish I could have shared that with another musician."
From Satchmo to Willie Nelson, Hank (Sr.) to Roy Orbison, I will always appreciate the works of the masters. However, lately I find my most immediate source of inspiration to be my friends. I love Bob Dylan (who practically invented my job), but functionally we don't have much in common. He's a force of nature, a cultural icon, and something beyond anything to which I can aspire. Conversely, I see myself in my friends. When one reaches a creative milestone (e.g. selling-out a big room, a masterpiece of an album, etc), I root them on. Likewise, our struggles and burdens are hopefully never endured alone.
When it comes to friendly inspiration, 2009 was a good year. Where to start? Jeffrey Foucault's inspired re-imagining of John Prine's tunes. Rani Arbo and Alastair Moock's fun and extremely creative family records. Another collection of great songs featuring Chris Smither being...Chris Smither. Peter Mulvey weaving in some of his trademark wit and wisdom in spoken word pieces on his latest cd. Caroline Herring's rich southern imagery. Catie Curtis's song after catchy song. Lori McKenna giving me goosebumps every time she sings anything. Playing with Josh Ritter and getting under the hood of his majestic and joyful songs. And I could go on and on. Such things make me recommit to my own practice and compel me to dig deeper.
In these times, where connectivity is so valued, I am amazed that so many music fans who might know my music may not be familiar with Caroline Herring. Or that Jeff Foucault fans might not be hip to Alastair Moock. I see all of us as parts of a whole, a larger community whose members can be enjoyed separately, but taken as a whole, we are a much more powerful thing. I will be doing lots of shows with friends in the coming month(s), though I would encourage you to see some of the folks I mention above even if I'm not on the bill. Who knows...maybe I'll be there anyway, playing in the band!
INNOCENT ONLINE: It took me a couple years, but my collection of lullabies and love songs, "Innocent When You Dream," is finally available digitally. The timing couldn't be better, as I have exactly 36 physical copies of the cd left. Once those are gone, this album will only be available as a digital download via iTunes, etc. If you had your heart set on a hard copy of this release, I'd suggest ordering from my website sooner than later.
COMPILATION ALERT: 1% For The Planet has assembled a pretty amazing compilation featuring rare/previously unreleased tracks from the likes of Jack Johnson, Josh Ritter, Brandi Carlisle, Jackson Browne and...me! My contribution, Here & Now (from my 2006 cd "Hope & Other Casualties"), has been boldy re-imagined and re-mixed by NYC producer/engineer Shane Koss for this release. I am also proud that this collection features my first-ever solo production credit for Lori McKenna's cover of the Mary Gauthier classic "Mercy Now." I am not often a fan of compilations, but this is a great one for a great cause. It will only be available as a digital download (due out Jan 5) or as a download card sold at shows.
NEW VIDEOS: Be on the lookout for a slew of new videos on my YouTube channel. This month I will debut the "The Naptime Tapes, with your friend Mark Erelli," the first of an occasional series of acoustic performances done in my home while my son naps. If you ever wanted to learn how to play my songs or watch my hands to see what I'm doing on the guitar, The Naptime Tapes is for you. I am also nearly done with a 6 minute mini-movie documenting the recording of my upcoming record "Little Vigils." It features mandolin, pedal steel, fiddle, bb guns, chainsaws, Judas Priest cover bands and whiskey. To find the videos that I post personally, simply subscribe to my YouTube channel.
MP3 of the MONTH: In keeping with this month's focus on friends, January's track features myself and friends Lori McKenna, Jake Armerding and Zack Hickman playing a song written by our friend Kris Delmhorst. That's a lotta friends. It's available for free for the month of January on the Downloads page of markerelli.com. Check it out!
THE SHOWS:
Sat Jan 9th - House Concert, Summit NJ - 8 pm
It doesn't get much more up close and personal than playing in someone's living room. It's been awhile since I've played anywhere in this area of New Jersey, so don't be shy, come out and say hi. All are welcome, make your reservations today by calling 908-468-6251.
Sun Jan 10th - Uptown Coffeehouse, Bronx NY - 5 pm
Aside from appearances at WFUV, I don't believe I've ever played in the Bronx. I believe this is the home borough of "The Baseball Team That Shall No Be Named"? I'll try studiously to avoid any inflammatory baseball rhetoric, but no promises. The venue is located at the Riverdale Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture. Visit the venue website for all the details.
Sat Jan 16th - New Moon Coffeehouse, Haverhill MA - 8 pm
My grandfather used to own a house in Haverhill on the banks of the Merrimac River. I still remember the smell of the old barn, with the makeshift backboard and net nailed to the side, and the long, green lawn sloping down to the river. Back then I was rocking the archetypal bowl cut, and I'm excited to come back to Haverhill with a better haircut, as well as bassist extraordinaire Zack Hickman. Check out the venue website to reserve your tickets.
Sat Jan 23rd - Passim, Cambridge MA - 3:30 pm
I've done a lot of different shows at Passim over the years, but never an entire show of songs for kids and parents of all ages. My interpretation of kids' music means I'll be singing lots of tunes about bugs, octopi and foxes. I'll be performing as a special guest of Alastair Moock, who recently released a fantastic cd for the whole family called "A Cow Says Moock." Kids under two get in free, so call 617-492-7679 or go online to reserve your seats today.
Sat Jan 30th - Vanilla Bean, Pomfret, CT - 8 pm
I always love coming back to the Bean. Good food, good wine and good sound. All anybody could ask for. For all the details, check out their website.
SIDEMAN SECTION:
Jan 22 - Ipswich MA (with Jake Armerding Band)
ON THE HORIZON:
Feb 13 - Stone Soup Coffeehouse, Pawtucket RI
Feb 18 - Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton MA
Feb 19 - Cafe Veritas, Rochester NY
Feb 20 - Westville Arts Center, Westville NY
Feb 21 - Bound For Glory, Ithaca NY
peace,
mark
