Newsletter 20/10/2010

Ah the bedazzling year that has been!
The Chilean miners see the sky again and my last daughter goes independant.
Dramatic times and places! You and your friends need a break!
VERY SOON!!!

Thu 21 Oct 8pm – Totally Gourdgeous will be at the Cat’n Fiddle, Balmain, Sydney followed by
Fri 22 – Sun 24 @ Kangaroo Valley Music Festival, south of Sydney.
Our 4th CD is imminent …. and our appearance in Sydney is quite rare! Plenty to show & tell.

It’s also high time to get your nominations in for the Golden Fiddle Awards – who’s been doing/ helping/ forging ahead in fiddledom? http://www.goldenfiddleawards.org.au/
or write back to me
or send to Golden Fiddle Awards PO Box 10582 SOUTHPORT BC QLD 4215

AND

BluGuru New Album now available on iTunes
NOV – BluGuru – Sydney & down the coast CD launching all the way in exotic places http://www.bluguru.net

Tue 2nd
7pm House Concert 13 Edgeware road, Elmore, Sydney contact brom@pad.com.au or ring 9519 4809
Wed 3
7pm Nov House Concert Kirribilli, Nth Sydney Ring Jilly on 02 9956 7839 see you tube

Thu 4

8pm – Petersham Bowling Club House Concert series call Mark Lucas 0412 646 288 or smith@songsmith.com.au
Fri 5
House Concert @ Harv’s Place, Tomerong (NSW South Coast) call hbf@shoal.net.au or 02 4443 4985
Sat 6
House Concert Nerrigundah Hall Concert (NSW South Coast) call Trevor kincaid bodallampe@hotkey.net.au
Sun 7
chillin’ in the Congo !
Sun14th
House Garden Concert Geelong @ Annie’s contact anniemac@geelong.hotkey.net.au

The Supper Club
I’ve been mixing down the recordings from last January’s Supper Club – could be a triple CD!!
Next Jan will be ever bold & adventurous
Sat 15 – Sat 22 Jan 2011

Andrew Clermont’s Supper Club – Fringe Fest – Tamworth featuring BluGuru, Tamarisque, WhiteTop Mountaineers, The Lawnmowers, Brooke Schiemer , Parris Macleod, Montz Matsumoto and tons more
See you or your friends, all some how soon, Andrew

Newsletter 30/07/2010

Hi All, Ragas2BlueRiches&Beyond Tour 2010 Part 2 is here (see details of where, below)
“Jeff Beck meets Ravi Shankar on the set of ‘Oh! Brother Where Art Thou’ while dancing in Rio!”

my own last gig was opening the latest Open Air Cinema in Berlin (SommerKino) by 40 degree heat, now heading north from Melbourne for a contrast of temperature, Concerts & workshops.

Berlin visit
In Berlin this time I’d had a great mixture of adventures with folk like Heta the Finnish fiddler, Yves the French Banjoist, Gero the Deutch Bassist (joined the Pigs on their recent Euro Tour), Kevin with his mid American voice of the heart, and Chris from Scotland who wander by drawn by the jam developing under the trees in Lausitzer Platz, Berlin and asked if we could use some rhythm guitar (turned out to be a dream player & coincidentally very handy sorting out computer problems!). Amazing Katharina Gade & the Songwriters of the Hubertus Lounge, with the Narnia cupboard of Kreuzberg. See the street gig I briefly filmed at http://www.youtube.com/user/andrewclermont She may well turn up next Tamworth Supper Club too! Also a must is Roland Satterwhite, violinist extraordinaire with whom I played Clarchen’s Ballhaus in Mitte, Berlin. He has a dynamite gypsy band called Django Lassi (found easy on the web).

One Monday night at Bassy Club, one of the many remarkable tiny clubs of Berlin, and featuring mainly pre ’67 music, were Roland (ex-New York), myself & eventually, Aron (a rocking, big bearded, USA player).
I rolled in early through the door hearing the shout of
“Hey!”
to which the standard response is
“It’s alright, I’m with/in the Band”
and head to the bar after dropping the Fiddle & Gourdolin off at the stage. Bar-lady says
“So you’d be Aron?”
I says
“Close enough, pretty sure I’m fiddling here tonight”.
It seemed to be the correct response as she replied
“Can I buy you a Beer then” Always a welcome development in gig processes. (I was actually just dropping in to a friends birthday party there but he did ask me to bring the fiddle). A few tall Wheat Beers later and a few very theatrical, dressed to kill (in the nicest way) lady performers later and it’s getting time to do some serious fiddling. I’m outside with members of The Beez (2 Oz tours under their belt). A fella screams to a halt on his deadly treadly bycycle and jumps off, fiddle strapped to his back. I yell towards him “So you’d be Aron?” as by now I had made a bit of realisation.
He said a tad cautiously
“Yes”.
I reply,
“I don’t know you, but I like you a lot already! Thanks for your Beers!”
He was in a hurry and only used a split second to raise his eyebrows in confusion as he dashed in (conveniently, just as they were calling his name from stage). We met properly a little later, on stage, as is the usual way, and between the 3 of us played my once a year version of Orange Blossom Special to pieces, a rip-roaring treat. No holding the reins back here, Roland & Aron are truly scary players and was a great chance to play unrestrained. Roland also played pure acoustic, from the dance floor and was equally loud as we plugged in ! A symphony violinist had seen him play not long back in Berlin and approached him saying,
“I have something for you”
She could see his own violin was not matching his his skill, and arranged a loan of her violin with stupendous projection. A definite compliment to his skill & soul in performance.
SO that was the extreme night of Peter, from The Beez, birthday party (his words “The Best I’ve ever had!”)

The night gave me a heap of presentation ideas for The Supper Club. Perhaps 2 chandeliers and a velvet pelmet above the stage for starters, hmmmmm!

ART

ere’s 2/3s of it !
Bettina sold her largest recent painting (4 x 2 metres) after being spotted hung in an Austrian Restaurant around the corner from her Lausitzer Platz 12a Studio – we rolled it up and delivered it to Oostende, Belgium. And I have brought home the cover to my next solo CD (1.8 x 1.5 metre) – more inspiration from Bettina to get it happening!! See Newsletter 22/11/2008 below. My “Being There” Big Pics are growing with many having bought http://www.panoramio.com/photo/14748004 just click on the pic to see it bigger. Was a gig with legend Lulo Reinhardt & Oz Golden Fiddle Award winner Daniel Weltlinger in midwest – Germany – but what a setting ! Made from about 8 photos!

Well I’m back in Oz and Ragas2blueRiches (part 2) Tour is underway.
Andrew Clermont & Josh Bennett + Parvyn Kaur Singh plus CD Launch for Bennett “Echoes of You”

“Jeff Beck meets Ravi Shankar on the set of ‘Oh! Brother Where Art Thou’ while dancing in Rio!”

do join us or at least tell your friends!
Gigguide

July

Wed 28 July Newcastle Uni Bar On The Hill lawn stage 12.30pm til 1.30pm

Thu 29 July Royal Exchange, 32-34 Bolton St, a wonderful secret of Newcastle http://www.royalexchangenewcastle.com.au/comingshows/

Fri 30 Surprise ‘nearly secret’ acoustic session at Sleepy Monkey Cafe (Special monthly food night) TAMWORTH

August

Sun 1 Aug Barraba Playhouse – Only Gig near Tamworth this time !! With wonderful extras – Theatre star Brooke Schiemer & Jess Stocker from Turkish Delight

Thu 5 Aug Greenhill on Tweed – 131 River Street Murwullumbah $37 with exceptional 2 course diiner by Chef Thel Hillis . Multimedia drinks @ 6 Show@7 Dinner@8 Sweets @9 Dance feature@9.30 though to finale with surprise guest/s

Fri 6 Aug House Concert @ Donna Reynolds Home below Tambourine Mt QLD Gold Coast contact Ron Dymick & Donna Reynolds <leapinglizards@reachnet.com.au>

Sat 7th 5 pm Powerhouse Brisbane BEMAC World Music program 119 Lamington Street New Farm

Sun 8th 5pm Turntable Falls Hall (near Nimbin) Bollywood Dance Session & Concert $10with Curry Dinner School Fundraiser

Wed 11th Aug in the Shortland Union Newcastle Uni 12.30pm til 1.30pm

Wed 11th Aug evening House Concert Kirribilli via Jilly Robinson jillybeans@ozemail.com.au

Fri 13th House Concert @ Jock & Paula’s, Congo, South NSW coast howejp@bigpond.com

Sun 15th 2- 5pm Local Fundraiser @ Yackandadah

Wed 18 Beechworth Bluegrass arrive – andrew teaching till fri, jamming between with a Mini Mowers gig Fri night

Fri 27 Aug House Concert Castlemaine TBC

Sunday 29th House Concert @ Annies Nth Geelong

September

Dya Singh @ Woodford Folk Alliance Conference QLD 2-4 Sept

back to Ragas2blue Riches Tour
Thu 16th Settlers Gig Mildura

Fri 17th Ouyen RSL Club

Sat 18th Wentworth Art Gallery

Sun 19th TBA

24th – 30th Josh Bennett in Adelaide www.myspace.com/joshbennettmusic

Thu 30th Prometheon Adelaide with Josh, Chris Finnen & Paddy Montgomery

October

Sun Oct 10 Trinity Sessions – Church of the Trinity, Goodwood, just north of Cross Road, SA. A treat of a performance space.

15-16 Oct Jim Golding’s 60th Bday weekend Jam Melbourne

22 Oct Totally Gourdgeous recording new CD & appearing at Kangaroo Valley Folk Fest NSW south coast

29 Oct Maldon Folk Fest with Dya Singh VIC

November
early Nov – South Coast NSW
Nov 23 AC soaring to Berlin till late Dec
December

26 Dec – 2 Jan Woodford Folk Fest with Dya Singh & The Supper Club

Jan 15 – 22 15 shows!!! 6pm & 9pm The Supper Club – North Tamworth Bowlo

18- 20 th Feb Blackwood Fiddlers

Happy Endeavours All
Andrew , Josh & Parvyn

Newsletter 21/3/2010

Ragas2BlueRiches&Beyond Tour 2010 – for your Diary

Hi Folks, exciting months ahead for us in the SE quarter of Oz. Confirming that Parvyn Kaur (Dya Singh, Singh Sisters) will be along for most of the tour ie. Geelong round to Brisbane in a mixture of blends from Pure CD Launch for Josh Bennett to Festival shows as The Lawnmowers near Newcastle, with Totally Gourdgeous in Melbourne, to the first Supper Club in Brisbane with Clermont, Kristina Olsen & Martin Pearson and otherwise as duo/ trio – Clermont/ Bennett/ Parvyn Kaur – see details further below

There are still a few openings for Gigs/ House Concerts – particularly during the weekdays.
And we are usually available for Tuition in ‘anything we do collectively or individually’ around the gigs mentioned below, let alone my Tuition series http://www.andrewclermont.com.au/sounds.htm#tuition

Ragas2BlueRiches&Beyond Tour 2010
(firstly without Parvyn Kaur)
1 – 4 April Thu till Mon National Folk Festival. CD Launch and Supper Club form gatherings @ The Troubadour (see listings at venue). Otherwise appearing/ jamming ‘randomly’ about the weekend.

9 April Friday – Evening House Concert with the Howe Family <howejp@bigpond.com> at Congo, near Moruya (NSW south Coast)
10 April Sat 8pm NOWA NOWA Bike track Opening Weekend Bikers Ball more info Peter Cook & Kay Bristow <mountainbiketrackservices@yahoo.com> Door Charge
12/13 Mon/Tue Mallacoota , TBC Workshops – School & Open @ The Mudbrick Hall
interested folk call Lisa Broom 0428 586357 broome.lisa.l@edumail.vic.gov.au

(With Parvyn Kaur)
15th April Thursday – Burrinja Café , 351 Glenfern Rd, Upwey 03 9754 5707 6pm Dinner Available 8pm Show – cheryl.guenther@gmail.com Door Charge
16th April Friday – 303 – 303 High Street, Northcote, Victoria, 3070 Supporting TOTALLY GOURDGEOUS Door Charge
17th THE BOITE – Box Hill Community Arts Centre 470 Station Street, Box Hill VIC 3128, Phone: 9895 8888, Email: bhcac@whitehorse.vic.gov.au Supporting TOTALLY GOURDGEOUS Door Charge

Sun 18th April Appearing @ PanInternational ARTS Events round Melbourne – Details closer to date

Thu 22 APRIL – 8pm THE LOMMOND 225 Nicholson St East Brunswick 3054
Fri 23 April – Maldon Hotel , 58 Main St, Maldon VIC 3463 (03) 5475 2231 Door Charge
24th Liz Frencham & Steve Vella Wedding !! We wish them the very best!
Sat 24th April HouseConcert Geelong Annie McGlade anniemac@geelong.hotkey.net.au (Without Parvyn Kaur)
Sun 25th Hickinbotham Wines RMB 4347 Wallaces Rd, Dromana 3936 (With Parvyn Kaur)

Fri – April 30 – May 2 – Yarra Junction Fiddlers Convention – Camp Eureka, just north of Yarra Junction – Convention Fee

8 May Sat twilight – NSW (Blue Mts) Oberon House Concert TBC Bill & Mary Long <mandblong@bigpond.com>

Clermont – Monday 10th – Fri 14th Gold Coast /Brisbane (Tuition availability)
Fri 14th 8pm – Special Supper Club Concert – Andrew Clermont with Kristian Olsen & Martin Pearson The Power House, Brisbane Door Charge

Thu 13th Royal Exchange, Newcastle, Bolton St, CD Launch Josh Bennett & Parvyn Kaur $10 Door

Sat 15-16 May Karuah Bluegrass Festival (just off highway to Taree nth of Newcastle) in/as The Lawnmowers including Christian Marsh (Harmonica Wksp), Dave Hellens (Banjo Wksp) with Bennett (Guitar Wksp) & Clermont (Guitar/Mandoli/ Fiddle workshops) and young powerhouse Elsen Price on Double Bass plus Opening/ Closing Concerts through the weekend

Tue 18 May – Royal Exchange Newcastle Andrew Clermont’s Supper Club – Parris Macleod (Keyboards) , Wu PuYu (Flute)& Christian Marsh with Bennett, Kaur & Clermont Door $20

Back to pure Ragas2BlueRiches&Beyond Tour
20 May Thu Workshops at Dorrigo TBC more info Bridget Sommers 0428 415 078
21 Fri 8pm Dorrigo Theatre Hall with Wonderful Indian Food by John from Woolgoolga! more info Bridget Sommers 0428 415 078 bridgetsommers@yahoo.com.au Door Charge
22 Sat 8pm Wauchope Arts Hall info krissaw@bigpond.net.au Door Charge
23 Sun arvo/evening SW Rocks Gaol Arts Event more info Teaine 0419 932 671 Door Charge

27 Thu Armidale Schools TBA
28th Fri 8pm Uralla McCrossin’s Mill – more info andrew.parker6@bigpond.com Door Charge
Sat 29th 1pm Gunnedah Concert TBA roryandbec@bigpond.com
Sat 29th 8pm PlayHouse Hotel, Barraba , sharpandrew@mac.com Door Charge
Sun 30th 4 pm The Supper Club @ North Tamworth Bowling Club andrewclermont@optusnet.com.au Door Charge

Andrew Clermont & Josh Bennett
Ragas2BlueRiches&Beyond Tour 2010
& CD Launch for Bennett “Echoes of You”

Finally free from their bands (briefly), they’ve come to tell it all…..
A twisted taunt of Celtic Blues Swing Bluegrass Jazz Indian adventure.
The roads and flights between Kenya and Calcutta, London, Vancouver, LA & Oz weave a soaring night of music, song and story between Josh Bennett & Andrew Clermont
– Both in Dya Singh World Music Group (twice World Music Group of Australia), The Supper Club & The Lawnmowers (at the cutting ‘hedge’ of Bluegrass!)
Andrew Clermont – http://www.myspace.com/andrewclermont
has finally settled down, nestled in 6 (or so) bands / 5 or 6 instruments appearing in Austria/ Kenya/ USA/ Canada/UK/ Germany/ Taiwan/ Malaysia/ Hong Kong/ Singapore/New Zealand/ and Australia wide! Pumpkin powered in Totally Gourdgeous (Voted Best Live Folk Band ’08); 3 time Bluegrass National Guitar Champ; flying with the Fiddlers Feast; very Australian as Terra Australis (Heritage Award & BushBand winners); and Celtic Conundrums – to be sure, to be sure!
Andrew initiated the NoHoldsBarred Fiddle Contest and is a Director to the Golden Fiddle Awards. These are both sponsored by Epoch Violins with Andrew touring the unique 5-string models while also sponsored/ assisted by Maton Guitars, Gilchrist Mandolins and White Swallow Banjos.
Josh Bennett www.myspace.com/joshbennettmusic
Fresh from a rocking opening act for Jeff Beck in Adelaide and a sitar concert for Ravi Shankar at his home in Delhi, India, Josh is back on tour in Australia, crossing genres faster than you can say “but weren’t you playing tabla yesterday on stage 2?”

Whether picking up a storm with The Lawnmowers, exploring Indian raga with Dya Singh and The Silk Road Project, or taking music to the edge with Guitar Safari, Jaib Mai and the Supper Club, Josh has a unique musical story to tell. Key ingredients in this melting pot are Blues, Jazz, Celtic, Bluegrass, African, and classical training on Sitar in India (Josh is a disciple of Smt. Manju Mehta, who in turn is a senior disciple of Pt. Ravi Shankar).

Josh has toured Australia-wide, and extensively in the USA, Canada, UK and India, plus shows in Kenya, Malaysia and Thailand. The “Big’uns” are the California World Music Festival, Chicago World Music Festival, Womadelaide, Adelaide International Guitar Festival (invited back this year), Saptak Indian Classical Music Festival (invited back in Jan 2010), and opening acts for Jeff Beck, Anoushka Shankar, and Bob Brozman.

Parvyn Kaur www.myspace.com/parvynmusic
combines her rich heritage from ancestral Punjab with elements of jazz, blues, folk and country to perform in her own unique style. On stage since she was five, singing with her father Dya Singh in his World Music Group, Parvyn’s stunning, pure and soulful voice has captured the hearts of audiences around the world. She performs traditional, contemporary and original songs sung in Punjabi, Arabic, Hindi, Malay, English and Portuguese, and also performs many styles of Indian dance, including Kathak, Bhangra and Bollywood.

Yours in the Magic of Music, Andrew Clermont

Newsletter 11/2/2010

Well, well, recovering from info lost , pinched or however vanished, can take some time so here be a perhaps renewed introduction from this touring chameleon player’s realm.
Sent to the various folk met along the way through music & chance.
For anyone near Tamworth this weekend, come down to The Vault on Peel St for Sunday’s St Valentines Day lunch. I’ll be sharing music time with the notorious Matt Scullion.
And I’ll likely drop in on Matt Zarb at The Diggers tomorrow (Friday) as well.
Otherwise in the deep South are a few festivals coming up where I’ll be.
19-21 Feb Yarra Junction Fiddlers Convention (the Blackwood version Nth of Melbourne! as the Yarra Junction version has moved to the first days of May)
26-28 Feb is the France Folk Gathering, just south of Bordertown on VIC/SA border.
5-8 March is Pt Fairy Folk Fest at the end of The Great Ocean Road, Victoria passed Warnambool.
I didn’t write for Xmas, didn’t write the usual year summary. I was too deep in life’s running too succeed in telling about it as I sometimes do!
Extra-ordinary the year was for sure, soared higher than ever before experienced and sat quiet with quite a few friends through difficult times as well.
eg Leaving Pauline was a sudden moment after so many years and gravitation to that point. Understanding that I had reached a point of no return in my own path.
And I thank a quiet behind the scenes group of friends who were uniquely formative in strengthening my path, wittingly and unwittingly!

However, within the year of 2009 came the tour with Josh Bennett (opened for Jeff Beck in Adelaide and was the only left handed Sitarist in the1000 Sitar concert in India last year!), solid partner in the last years of Dya Singh world tours and now we combine climbing Australia’s outcrops and performing in the many and out-of-the-way spots. Adelaide around the coast to Coffs at least if not to Hervey Bay & beyond this year. But do be in touch, if you would like to attend/ have us at a House Party/ inspire a local show or want to show us a really funky rocky outcrop to climb! We’ll be touring his first (and absolutely must have) Solo CD, launched this year.
April to June and then to near Sept is being sorted as you read! Let us know your possibilities.

I also spent 3 months residing in Berlin in the latter half of last year with more taking place as can be organised. Table-tennis rules in Berlin, where the last month has seen temperatures down to -22 degrees!! And it’s now back to being ‘warm’ enough to snow! Performance time featured with powerful Rob Longstaff and The (ever creative) Beez . Even managed to stun Michael Fix by appearing at a last show for both of us in central Germany !!
‘My’ group Totally Gourdgeous spent 2 months in 2008 across Europe on the wings of being named ‘Best Live FOlk Band’ by our peers in the Folk Alliance of Australia. Planning a fine return in 2011.

However and meanwhile, check out the portraits in http://www.bettinaduesberg.de/ out of Berlin, and the plot thickens!

Many of you managed to make it to Tamworth last month for the festive time there, and many made it that one step further to this year’s Supper Club.
www.myspace.com/andrewclermontssupperclub . Check out the slide show – over 200 photos (truly a best of from the near 2000 taken by Ross Waldron!!) Just click on them to see them bigger & /or quicker!

So 2009, the year of defining new Love, Touring, Arts and…… tolerance of shifty fingered mankind.
Ah so thankful that my precious Terada Guitar of over 30 years was returned after 2 months sojourn last year from a southern festival with someone who was ‘sorted locally’ ! And have finally recovered from last August’s Laptop, Phone & Video pinch in Europe. Man that did mess things up for a while – chasing down files & email addresses lost & such! But good things grow from adversity, and adventure is well ahoy, including the star filled nights that transpired @ The Supper Club and the end of Moore Ck Valley in the spangled heavens each night as & lay in my beloved swag on the trampoline ‘bed’!

Around 70 individuals shone at the Supper Club this year!!
Chris & Stephanie Rogers & Jess Curran (Mildura), Pot’nKettle – Carl Pannuzzo & Penny Larkin (Melb), Megan Cooper QLD, Brooke Schiemer, Wu PuYu (Taiwan), Coolgrass (Melb) , Jay Scott Berry, Susanna Carman, Sara Tindley, Jess Stocker, Pete Fidler, Peter Denahey &Liz Frencham (VIC), Tami Neilson (Nth America), Mark Mazengarb & Marian Burns, NZ, Montz Matsumoto (Japan), Parris Macleod, Clermont & Robbie Long, Bushfire (Gold Coast), Matt Zarb, Mark Oats, Clare O’Meara, Andrew Toner, Ronnie Rindo, Ross Waldron (Photography), Adam Bodkin, Mark Atkins, Lawrie Minson, Tony Eyers, Chloe, Blackbirds, Brent Larkham (Spain), Karen Lynne, Nigel Lever, Kat, Martin Louis, Steve O’Hern, Tallara Conner, Lana Kress, Bronnie Ware, Kerry Hayward, Hiroko (Japan), Minnie Marks, Connie Krisanderson, Rory Ellis & Tim Hackett, The Texettes, Catherine Fraser & Duncan Smith (SA), George Jackson (QLD) The Wishing Well & Willow (VIC), Karin Schmidt (CDs) &Rosemary Herd (SA), Jenny Burke & Val Wood (on the Door)

“It’s an Oasis of creative music-making in a sea of country music cliches” Lisa Shea – Mackenzie Theory
“Thankyou for lighting up my life/soul! ” Jacquie Ross & Dianne Goldsmith
“It’s always Food to attend” John White
“A place where ‘blue humour’ is not tried to be passed off as wit!!” Carolyn Salvog
“Just keep doing what you are doing!” most of attendees

We thankyou all for sharing in the Fellowship of The Supper Club

4 ! count them – Parris, Carl, Duncan & Wu Pu Yu (also on flute) ! 4 pianos  plus percussion Jess, Cathy fiddle, Pete Dobro and myself on Gourdalin ! The La Bottine Overture – well a part of it !