It's been a eventful yet relaxing time in Scandinavia the last month. It started with a gig in Oslo the day after I got here. Halden Fyller Rockefeller was a presentation of artists from the little town (pop. 25,000) where I live in Norway. There are a remarkable number of incredible musicians here considering it's size. Heck, even if it wasn't small it still has a very high percentage of excellence. I refer to it as Nashville North. The main difference with Nashville is that while the entertainment business is competitive by nature there's a strong sense of comraderie in Halden. You really feel everyone is pulling for each other and not necessarily willing to step all over you for the brass ring. (Quite possibly because Nashville is so much larger and somewhat exclusive to many who come there searching fame and fortune that could partially explain for the disparity). The gig was a success and it was a looong night. We didn't get out of there until 3am and I played at 8.

A few nights later most of the top acts in Norway, who had never appeared together on the same stage before, gave tribute to Kai Andersen and Athletic Sound in Halden. Kai has engineered and produced many huge albums in Norway over the last few years and even a few from some American artists such as Tom Russell who also performed. Kai did The Black Country's debut album and I can speak with authority that he is incredible to work with. The mutual love from the plethora of artists that night was palpable. Kai is a very humble man and didn't even give a speech much more than "thanks" when asked. He is a Halden treasure.

The week after the concert for Kai my fellow bandmates in The Black Country gathered at Athletic with Kai to mix the album we finsihed in January. I am extremely proud of it as is the rest of the band and I think it's possibly my best work ever. Hopefully it will be out later this year or early next. Jon Langford just designed a cool logo for us which we seem to agree should probably be the album cover. However we took some amazing photos with reknowned Norwegian photographer Raymond Mosken and one or two of those may make it as well.

I attended my very first Norwegian Independence Day this past Sunday May 17th and it was truly thrilling and I must say my heart swelled with pride. Over 15,000 people swarmed the streets of Halden to watch the local children march in the parade, an annual occurance and a quite charming one. The kids were very cute in their Bunad's (traditional old-Norwegian dress) and most folks were in their Sunday best (except clueless me in my leather jacket and Lou Reed concert shirt). Lots of ice cream and waffles and food was consumed and the parade ended with a rally at the local square near the harbor. At one o'clock the Frederiksten fort overlooking Halden fired off it's cannons in a salute to freedom (Halden used to be called Frederikshald in the old days and is in fact the only town mentioned in the Norwegian national anthem. You can feel the pride of Halden residents in that fact.

Our first gig as The Black Country is this coming Saturday at the favorite pub in Halden called Siste Reis (The Last Voyage-it's an old sailor's bar). I'm looking forward to that since most of our friends in town will be there anyway (you wanna' make money in Norway, open a bar!) but in the mantime I'm on a small island in Sweden called Koster in a beautiful cabin by the shore with some friends making music for another friend. Holy God, is this place beautiful! We're about 50 yards from the water and I haven't heard a car yet. Just the singing of the birds and the lapping of some waves (and a few raindrops yesterday but not for long). Many Norwegians have summer cottages here on Koster and the place we're staying, for free I might add, is a fairly new, deluxe cottage with all the amenities. We had to shop beforehand because to get to the nearest store on the island you have to bike, which is cool, but I reckon you couldn't carry very much back.

Tomorrow I venture off the island to do some publicity for our gig and some radio and then rehearsal tomorrow night and Friday. I wish I could stay on Koster forever though. You gotta' see this place.

Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention I may be getting a cool apartment in the middle of Halden proper overlooking the harbor. I made a bid on the place, which has a closed restaurant/bar downstairs that my friends and I may reopen (remember what I said about making money in Norway? ) but I might not hear about the space until later this week.

That's it for now. Have a great summer and stay safe,
Ed

P.S.-I also got to meet Norwegian folk star Jonas Fjeld recently. I've been a huge fan of his for many years and it was quite a thrill. I highly recommend grabbing one or more of his albums, especially his collaborations with Rick Danko and Eric Andersen if you get the chance.

Adjagas (Another amazing Sami group)

Minor Majority-Best of (Really great Norwegian band. Their lyrics are fantastic. You'd never know English was their second language)

and this amazing Jackson Browne bootleg with David Lindley from the Main Point in PA from 1975. I used to have it on LP as a kid and you can download it here:

in two parts: http://tinylink.com/?jUUOnXnLHB

This show was significant for me in that it was the first time I heard Warren Zevon songs (2), a Little Feat song (Long Distance Love) and You Assshole You all of which Jackson did at this show. Enjoy!

It has been a great past year for me, maybe the best of my musical career. The Song of America is even more highly regarded here in Europe than in the States, naturally, and I have been fortunate enough to have several of my songs cut by artists I greatly admire and respect. From Bettye LaVette's Grammy-nominated reecord with my song "I Guess We Shouldn't Talk About That Now" to another soul legend, Candi Staton, recording "I Don't Want for Anything" to be released in Feb. and Kenzie Wetz' major-label debut with four of my songs (which I also produced) it has been a wonderful year. I am eternally grateful for the support of my friends, family and fans who have stuck with me through 15 crazy, determined years. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you all and I'll never be able to repay you. Every smile and warm word of support has been worth more than all the riches in the world. I look forward to the new year with great anticipation. Next week I will hopefully finish recording the record I started in August with my new Norwegian band The Black Country (named after the region of Norway my grandfather is from) and I finished a new double-CD of what may be my last solo record for a while before I left for Norway and will hopefully be released in the Fall of '09. It will be entitled "The Trip Back Down" and will be dedicated to my mentors Bob Olhsson, recently departed playwright/screenwriter John Bishop who taught me what it really meant to be a writer and my uncle Marty who kept me alive in his own beautiful, passive way the last 20 years. Special mention will also be made for my dear departed friend Gerry Livers who I still miss deeply five years later. They all helped to shape who I am as an artist and I take those bonds very seriously and never forget what they gave me in terms of friendship, time and understanding. I learned a great deal from them. Long may I learn.

I wish you all a safe and prosperous 2009. May the new year bring you everything you ever wanted and dreamed for. Hold on to those you love like it's the last time. Nothing is more important.

Peace and love,

Ed

So there you have it. Two days down and 23 to go. Recording starts Jan. 5th and we rehearse all this coming week. I plan to go into Oslo in between so I'll post if anything exciting happens. P.S.-Go see Slumdog Miliionaire if it's in a theatre near you. Absolutely brilliant. Oh yeah, and the new Kanye West album is actually quite good. TV on the Radio and Fleet Foxes too. Still not crazy about Bon Iver though for some reason.

featuring Tim O'Brien, Hal Ketchum, Matthew Ryan, Chuck Mead, Ed Pettersen

All shows $8 suggested donation, no one will be turned away
All funds from these shows go to Obama for America.
Donate at www.nashvilleobama.com to be instantly be put on the guestlist for all three shows

Music City for Change presented Obama-rama, five shows over three nights in early October. Hal Ketchum, Radney Foster, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Gary Burr, Doyle & Debbie, Mary Gauthier, and many more of Nashville's finest writers and artists performed to help raise funds for Obama for America. Obamarama 2, a second wave of performances, continue the fund-raising and rallying efforts. Two of these shows were booked when artists who couldn't play the first shows due to touring requested that more shows be added so they could help the cause. One of the highlights is sure to be Political Song Night on October 22nd, when a slew of writers comes out to play the political songs that normally are too partisan for public consumption. As with Obamarama 1, expect special guests and surprises.
Music City for Change was formed last July by several musicians and songwriters who were members of the hibernating Music Row Democrats. Members include songwriter/Vanderbilt professor Deanna Walker, singer/songwriter/producer Ed Pettersen, TeaM iLLuMiNaTi frontman Ernest Chapman, and songwriter/vocal coach Susan Anders.

Best,
Ed

www.edpettersen.com
www.myspace.com/edpettersen
www.songofamerica.org
www.myspace.com/theblackcountry

Day 31
Recorded today with my new band, the Black Country, and it went very well. Got four songs done in 5 hours. We'll likely finish the rest during the second week on January when I come back to Norway (yeah, I know it'll be COLD then but I'm kinda' hooked on this music thing--grin-- ). My stay in Norway the past week has been invigorating but I'm ready to get back to Nashville and finish Kenzie Wetz' debut record as the label here wants a single asap. We might even cut a few more songs in early October just to make sure we didn't leave any stone unturned. I really want this record to show the world how great Kenzie is. She's one of the most talented and dedicated artists I've ever had the pleasure of working with. You can check out two songs at her myspace (www.myspace.com/kenziewetz). Many thanks to everyone who put me up on this trip to Europe and played the music on the radio and paid to see me play. It's very humbling and inspiring. I couldn't, and wouldn't, do it without you. Day off tomorrow then off to Oslo Saturday night for a 6:30 am flight back to the States on Sunday morning.

Day 29
Woke up and wrote another new song today. That's three in 3 days. Not bad. I guess I'm inspired by Norway and my bandmates. Really looking forward to this recording on Thursday. I am starting to get a little homesick though. It'll be nice to sleep in my own bed for a change and get back to my regular schedule. Didn't get to go to Oslo today as Tom S. was sick but we'll likely go tomorrow during the day and at night I'm meeting up with my new-found cousin Vegard for dinner and some catching up on my Norwegian family. That should be a trip. Rehearsed with the guys again tonight but Freddy wasn't feeling so great so we cut it short with just me an Espen. Better that Freedy's in as good a shape as possible for Thursday. Another gorgeous day weather-wise. Only a few clouds and about 60 degrees. A lot better than the 100 degrees it was in Nashville when I left a month ago!

Day 27
Nothing big to report today. Wrote a new song from 7am 'till 1pm then rehearsed for recording Thursday with my bandmate Freddy. Had a nice dinner down by the Fjord afterward and was in bed by 11pm. Just about to finish a great book by Donald Miller called Blue Like Jazz. Ruminations on religion. I don't always agree with him but I love to read before I go to bed and I've learned a lot from this book. A lot. I even learned that I don't have to agree with someone to learn a lot from them . I think his book could make anyone less wound up even if you don't believe in God. And it's not a right-wing radical b.s. religion book either which is hard to find. Highly recommended.

Day 25
Fred took me on a loooong bike ride and walk on the beach at Seveningen (I hope I got that name right), which is the port town near the Hauge. I love the ocean so while was tiring it was somewhat exhilerating at the same time. Had a nice traditional Dutch lunch late in the afternoon and headed for the airport to Norway. Sat next to two beautiful young ladies, one Dutch and one Norwegian, both who got their masters degrees in Holland (I'm so undereducated....they were both under 26!) and we three had a nice conversation about Norway and Holland and I learned a lot. Sometimes I feel that while we have a lot to offer in America we are quite isolated about wordly things. I mean, George W. Bush hadn't even ever left the U.S. when he got selected President in 2000! Anyways, got into Norway fine and met my bandmates Glen and Espen at a WILD party in Oslo. This is what I love about Norwegian people: Sure there was lots of drinking but EVERYBODY was having a good time and almost everyone was clapping and dancing to the band and interacting with them. Really amazing. They asked me, "You don't have parties like this at home?" Uh.....NO. Got in late at 3pm and just got up at 10am so today, Saturday, is a writing day. I need to finish some songs. We record on Thursday.

Day 23
Today was perhaps the best day of my trip so far. Fred took me to the utterly charming town of Delft where they make world-reknowned china called Delft Blue. Very distinctive and reflective of Dutch culture with windmils and canals as motifs. Just beautiful. Bought a simple serving bowl as a sounvenir and I was also introduced to a local delicacy: Stroopwaffles. These are thin. wafer-like waffles filled with caramel and they are extremely addictive. I could eat a whole box! Delft is like something from a snow globe stuck in time from around 1500. Miles of cobblestone streets and canals and amazing old buildings that were once inhabited by princes (Prince William the Orange was assaninated here in the 1600's in fact by a madman). Strolled for hours then off to Fred's sister Lenny's house for a home-made Indonesian dinner. Oh man, it was about the best meal I had on this trip and that's really saying something. Lots of flavors I've never had before and all very fresh and beautifully presented. It may sound simple but all in all it was a perfect day. No shows, no obligations, no time schedule to keep. Just great company. I can't think of a better way to spend a day off. Last show in NL tomorrow night before heading back to Norway for one more week then home.

Day 21
Hanging out in Den Haag with my buddy Fred Schmale and his lovely wife. Had a great meal, took a long walk on the beach and now settling in for the night after a nice day off. This town reminds me a lot of my beloved Oyster Bay with the dunes and ocean and quiet little resort-like feel. Too small and quiet to be touristy but just right. Amstersdam tomorrow night at 9:30 at TWSTD. Read a nice write-up in the local music magazine. I have no idea how they knew I was here but I guess that's how much they care about music here. They just find out.

A few words about the DNC convention and Hillary supporters
It seems that all I've been hearing on the International edition of CNN the last few days is how upset Hillary Clinton's supporters are that Barack Obama didn't consider her seriously enough, vetted her as much as other potential VP running mates and disrepected her during the process. Polls suggest that 27% of Hillary supporters will vote for John McCain. Oh really? If so, that it perhaps the most misguided use of the right to vote that I can remember in recent history. Maybe those hard-core supporters have forgotten that Mrs. Clinton's husband was elected primarily the first time in 1992 thanks to the Independent candidtae Ross Perot's 22% of the vote, taken largely from voters who would typically be GOP supporters. Do these Hillary supporters wish for history to repeat itself? Are they saying that they wish to be the deciding factor for John McCaiin in November and against Barack Obama? I pose that if Barack Obama doesn't win in November it will be Hillary Clinton's fault, not just her supporters. She ran the most divisive and mean-spirited campaigns I've ever seen, especially when you consider she and Mr. Obama are in the same party (and please don't tell me, as some of my Democratic friends have suggested, that she was just preparing Obama for the attacks he will recieve from the Republicans leading up to November and so on. She just wanted it so bad she was willing to do anything to win including possibly tainting her own party's ability to win in November if necessary). So it was no surprise to me this week whern I heard that Mr. Obama chose Joe Biden to be his running mate. Mr. Biden is well-respected, tough, considerate, smart and willing to go the distance for his party and running mate. Plus, he adds that crucial foreign policy experience that everyone seems so concerned about (I'm not as concerned; good judgement can be more valuable than experience. Dick Chaney and Donald Rumsfeld had more experience than anybody in Washington and look where that got us). My best guess is that at least half of that 27% who say they will vote for Senator McCain will likely vote for Obama anyway and are only saying they'll vote Republican to be spiteful and vent. In any case if I were Mr. Obama I wouldn't even have considered Senator Clinton, which I'm sure he did, but that's mainly because I'm half-Sicilian and hold a grudge. But I'm sure glad he didn't pick her. She had nothing to add to the ticket and judging from the response from her supporters, only something to take away. If Obama loses the general election in November don't blame racists or lack of experience or even Joe Biden. Blame Hillary.

Day 18-in NL
Today started out on a bad note. Woke up feeling achey and with my head stuffed and had to catch a series of trains to the NL for a gig in a Cafe that was being broadcast live on th radio. Though I normally sleep well on trains for some reason I just couldn't and did my best to endure the six hour trip and changing trains twice. I did my best to keep it together and we got to the gig with about a half-hour to spare. Our host Thomas Kaldijk DJ's a really great show here in the NL called Radio Blueprint and the fortunately the crowd was fantastic and very attentive. I did two sets mixed throughout his show as he spun records and did interviews in between. I think it was a pretty cool and engaging way to run the show and Ed the music fan once again got introduced to more cool music I hadn't heard before. One local group, Taneytown, had a member come by and do an interview during the show and I really dig what I heard from their record. (My good buddy Jeff Talmadge is on the same label as Taneytown, Corazong. Jeff has been on Thomas' show too in the past and I played a song, "Molly", that we wrote in his honor) My guess is Taneytown would do very well in the States. Nice guy too. Somehow my head and sinuses held it together and I got through the gig okay. Actually, I thought it was a pretty fine set. They recorded it as well so maybe I'll get a chance to hear it someday soon. Thomas and his wife were kind enough to put us up at their place until Monday when I travel to Amsterdam for two shows and his wife cooked up quite an unbelieveable meal. All my favorite foods. I'm getting fed way too well on this trip! I MUST be gaining weight . Five courses with desert and all super fresh ingredients which incidentally, none of the food I've eaten in Europe have made my illness flare up whereas in the U.S. I get sick from food all the time with the chemicals and preservatives. Kind of makes you wonder, huh? Anyways, Thomas and his wife are really lovely people who have been together for 32 years and both are schoolteachers. We've been very lucky on this trip to meet such friendly and committed people who really love American roots music. I don't know where we'd be withou them frankly since itseems no-one cares in the U.S. Anyways, woke up feeling much better today (Day 18) and I think we're planning on catching former-Jayhawk Mark Olsen play at a local theater. I'll post more about that later. Need coffee!!!!

Day 15-The Angel of Lyon
Today made up for missing the Louvre big time. Spent the whole day with Jacques Spiry, a radio DJ friend, in Lyon. Lyon is the second-largest city in France after Paris and very beautiful. Jacques took us up to the top of old Lyon on the mountain where the old churches are. Incredible! Fantastic views and the old churches were lovely. We had a brief respite at the bottom of the mountain in a cafe after taking in the Roman ruins amphetheater where they hold big rock concerts (think REM who played there recently) then back to Jacques place where his amazing wife Ann-Marie made us the most incredible traditional five-course French dinner. I am so fat now! I'll have to work out five days straight to work it off but it's worth it. It was by far the best meal we've had so far and that's really saying something after all the restaurants we hit in Paris. Every course was better than the previous and the food was freash as can be from the local farmer's market. Now this is living! Viva la France!!!! I really dig that for desert the French has a variety of fine cheezes. Like I said before, so civilized. The other great thing about hooking up with friends is that most of my pals and I share the same taste in music and we can turn each other on to new music and Jacques is no different. What a great freind. As a DJ he obviously has a tremendous music collection and he played me a live in-studio set from Richard Buckner and a Norwegian (no Swedish!) singer-songwriter named Christian Kjellvander that just blew me away. We also bonded over the new Neil Diamond album and he gave me a live Tom Russell album that he produced from 1989. Very cool. Special props again to Ann-Marie for putting up with us and making such a wonderful, diverse meal. She's an angel. The Angel of Lyon.

Day 13-My adventure in Paris
So I get to Paris really excited to see the city fr the first time and catch a cab from the airport to go directly to this lovely bed and breakfast we found on tripadvisor.com. Guess what? It was an elaborate scam. There was a sign out front advising poor souls to file a police report because someone had been booking the apartments via the internet. Holy Jeebus!!!! So there I am standing on this side street in Paris with all my luggage, I don't know the language (the b&b owner was supposedly American) and I have no place to stay! Luckily, there was a cafe nearby with wi-fi and another hotel was procured quickly somewhat nearby for not too much money (but oh, what a TINY room!!!). Still, I'm out 90 bucks for the reservation fee and had to pay for another cab but whatever, at least I have a place to stay tonight. Pretty amazing, huh? Just more of the perils of being on tour I guess. I did have a lovely meal on Rue Du Vielle Du Temple in the Marais area and took a walk along the Seine afterwards however but what a way to be introduced to Paris. Tomorrow I'm gonna' walk all over the damn place and check out the Louvre and the Cathedral of Notre Dame and just make a go of it. I'm surprised I'm not more upset but I'm just rolling with it. Almost nothing bothers me anymore. Paris is a heck of a lot more civilized than London was. The streets are less crowded, less crazy and much easier to get around in. I mean, I dug London but this is a whole 'nother thing. Post more tomorrow. I'm toast (and not French toast ).

Day 11-I found my family
The second day of the Down on the Farm festival was not only the most fun I've ever had at a gig but also a revelation. It started out as a lazy day since I was scheduled to play until 10pm so we all hiked up to the old Fredericksten Fort at the top of the hill overlooking Halden. In 1718 this is where the people of Halden held off Swedish King Carl the 12th for the second time in 2 years and saved Norway from Swedish rule. Carl was a reportedly crazy kid king who was constantly waging war from the time he was 15 years old and acceded to the throne. The Swedish border is very close to Halden and legend has it that they approached from the back of the fort and two guards who were on duty saw them coming and one fired the single shot to the head that felled Carl th 12th and thus ended the skirmish and saved Norway. Needless to say that guard became a national hero. The fort is amazing and not unlike it was almost three hundred years ago and boy, it's quite a vigorous climb but well worth it. The view from the top is magnificent and you can see for miles across all of Halden to the fjord. I took pics and will download and post them soon. Then after a quick nap it was off to the festival site. I played at 10 with Bob Neuwirth which was a treat and then again at 11pm at the campfire stage which, in my opinion, was the coolest set up of the festival (there were three or four stages troughout the festival grounds). A large group of music lovers all gathered around three bonfires and VERY appreciative. As the host of the evening I had to stick around after my set to introduce the other acts and the best part of the evening was yet to come. As I left the stage a rather tall gent who looked like my brother John (who looks like grandpa Pettersen the most) calls me aside. At first I thought it was Sievert from Madrugada who also looks exactly like my brother too but instead it was a young man named Vegard who introduced himself as my relative. My DIRECT relative. It seems his great-great grandfather was also my great grandfather Anton Pettersen (boy, that guy got around!!! ). Vegard's dad heard me on the radio and told him he had to come down and introduce himself and I'm so glad we did. He was a really cool guy and told me about the family a bit and we made plans to hook up again very soon. Isn't that about the craziest thing you ever heard? Whoda' thunk? I can't believe how inspiring and illuminating this trip has been. I really don't want to leave but I am DEFINITELY coming back very soon to hang with Vegard and all my new Norwegian buddies. This trip is something I will never forget. I bet there's some songs in them thar hills!!!

Day 9
Had a great time on Norwegian NPR radio today (the biggest radio network in Norway) and the town of Fredrickstad is like a slice of history from the 1500's. Too some pics of the town square and the stockade (!). Even got one of Bob Neuwirth hanginging over the stockade. Looks like he's in it. He's a blast. Went to the final rehearsal for the Song of America concert tonight and went to dinner with Bob overlooking the bay inside the fjord. Just beautiful. Everyone else is at the I See Hawks show in town but I think Bob, Sid Griffin and I might just have a late-night guitar pull instead. The next two days are gonna' be non-stop mayhem at the Down on the Farm festival so I need to rest up and recharge my engine a bit spiritually and creatively. Maybe we'll start a song or two. I have to be at the fest site by 3pm tomorrow but the show doesn't start 'till 6pm so I'm gonna' wake up early, go to the gym and chill beforehand. I'll post some pics in the next few days before I leave for France as soon as I get some time where I'm not concentrating on these shows so much. Duty first you know. Did I mention how much I love Norway? I'm coming back in a month to record with my new bandmates. More tomorrow night after the first day of the fest. Night y'all.

Day 7
Tom S. and I got to go into Oslo and visit with a few record labels. From the reaction we got to Kenzie's album we may really have something on our hands. I mean, we were pretty sure we made a great album and we have every faith in Kenzie and her talent but it's nice to hear it from people who are in the position to do something about it. We're back in Oslo today visiting a coupla' more labels then I have a gig in Oslo with Bob Newwirth and Amy Lavere. Since I dig both of their music that will be fun. Last night I rehearsed again with the local musicians Glen, Espen and Fred and we're really coming together as a band. We've even talked about starting a whole new band project together and putting out and album next year here in Scandanavia and the States and doing some touring. Really great guys. Maybe we'll call ourselves "The Black Country" since that's what the area of Norway my grandfather was from is called. Early to bed last night. The next few days are pretty crazy. Talk soon.

Just got to Norway
Oh man, I love this country! I've only been here a few hours and it feels like home (I guess it should since my grandfather was born here). The local pub feels like my hometown bar (even though I quit drinking) and the people are very welcoming and cool. I can't wait to get around and see some sites tomorrow and really dive into the scene. My hotel looks over the water and train station here in Halden and there's an old historic fort overlooking the town on a hill that just has to been seen. Couldn't be better, It's very late now but I'll post more after rehearsal tomorrow night (it's seven hours ahead of U.S. EST).

Day three
I had to change hotels today for my last two days in London and while I was already in a tony neighborhood in Belgravia now I'm at the Grosvenor in Mayfair. If the last place was rich this place is a palace! Wow, what a posh hotel. Really cool room and ameneties and a very comfortable bed (which will be nice since I was awaken at 8am this morning at the last hotel by a woman in the next room shouting on her cell phone after I went to bed at 2am. When will people learn they don't have to shout ..s to be heard?). Anyways, after running a few errands this afternoon there wasn't much time for anything but a quick nap and relaxation. The Grosvenor luckily has free wi-fi but unfortunately the lounge closes at 10pm. Nevertheless I'm gonna' spend the evening working on some new songs in my room. Tomorrow I hear there's a cool open market in the Notting Hill section of town just across Hyde Park (which is a beautiful oasis in the heart on London). I'm gonna' walk across the park and check it out. Even if it's raing it will be sweet to get out and about without anything pressing. I'm LOVING Barney Hoskyns' "Hotel California" book. I must admit that though I dig the Who and Beatles as much as anyone the So. Cal scene was probably the most influential in my musical development. To get the real background on it all from the horses mouths themselves and from such a brilliant rock scribe like Barney is incredibly illuminating and no less inspiring all these years later. HIGHLY reccomended. I've also been listening to wuite a bit of music on my ipod thanks to a portable ihome boombox I picked up for about 50 bucks before I left the states. Regettably when we get busy in the music biz we rarely have time nor the inclination to listen to music outside of what we're working on. This is a real treat (especially since even though the tv is in English none of the programs here really mean anything to me. Especially the sports. I'm not a big soccer or cricket fan I'm afraid). I've listtened to Dan Fogelberg (RIP), Lou Reed live in London (ha!), Bruce Springsteen bootlegs from the Devils and Dust tour, Al Green, Motown stuff, Ella Fitzgerald and Chick Webb, Jackson Browne live acoustic, John Matthias, Michael Jackson Off the Wall, Paul Westerbeg's new download, Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken Ampersand EP, Beck's new one and soon Night Train to Nashville and Spoonie Gee. Gotta' get to work on those songs now. Be safe and stay cool in the heat.

P.S.-I almost forgot that a funny thing happened after I checked in at the hotel. After taking a nap after check in I'm peeling an apple in the bathroom with my buck knife when I hear the key in the door and whoosh here comes a small Japanese man. I turn, he takes one look at me with the knife and BOOKS it out of there. Too funny. The look on his face was priceless. IOt seems there was a little screw up at the front desk. I should have been tipped off when suddenly my tv screen changed and said "Welcome Mr. Teiguchi". Poor guy. He's lucky I wasn't naked. That would have really scared him.

Big Ed in London
I arrived Wed. Aug. 6th (after leaving the U.S. on the 5th). London is a beautiful city. Much brighter than NYC (though MUCH more expensive if you can believe it). It took me a bit to get used t the Heathrow express which is a great service. I only wish some of the denizens of London knew a bit more of how the routes work. I got sent on at least one or two wild goose chases trying to catch th right connection. At one point I got sent to terminal 2 instead of platform 2 which I was already .. a mile there and another back with all my luggage (and a blown-out lower back!) I made it back to the tube and was virtually at my hotel within a half-hour. Very convenient. However, cabs rides are not cheap. A typical $7-8. Cab ride in NYC is about ten to eleven pounds here, about $22.00! The cabs are clean and the drivers are less crazy however (even if they do drive on the wrong side of the road! ). Londoners don't seem to think their city is clean but it sure seems that way to me. Or as I mentioned before it is much brighter than NYC (but not Nashville so much). Actually, nothing is cheap here. Food is ridiculous. I was talking to the woman at the checkout at the local grocery store and she proffered that it's the recent credit crunch that sent it over the top. As Spanky said in the Little Rascals, "Times is hard all over". I asked if I could get a message for my back and they said it would be 90 pounds for a half hour. That's a hundred and eighty bucks! I think I'll suffer. BTW: Wireless service is 10 dollars an hour (5 pounds) at Starbucks and 36 pounds for 24 hours at the hotel. Ouch! Anyways, I have my gig tonight at the Green Note tonight so I'll post more tomorrow.

P.S.-I would be remiss not to mention my gratitude to my buddy JD Souther. He graciously offered to come in the studio on Monday, the day before I left for Europe, to come in and sing on the final track for my next album. Listening to him layer harmonies was ridiculously beautiful. More than a few times Rich Feaster the engineer and I looked at each other like, Whoa! That's that sound!!! Funnily enough I was reading Barney Hoskyns' book Hotel California on the plane where on page 75 he refers to the other singer-songwriters in LA and says "All those guys wanted to be JD". Heard that! I've been trying to cop his style since high school. Thanks JD. You're a real mensch.

The Ed Pettersen Newsletter for May 2008

Ed Pettersen performed in February at Folk Alliance in Memphis. In addition to performing selections from his latest release The New Punk Blues of Ed Pettersen, Ed was there to represent the Song of America. www.songofamerica.org

Ed created the Song of America with former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno (whose brainchild it was) and led studio production for the compilation. A host of respected and Grammy winning indie artists contributed to the unique 50-song, three-CD set including Folk Family Robinson (Black Crowes), the Blind Boys of Alabama, Devendra Banhart, Martha Wainwright, Andrew Bird, Janis Ian, Marah, Old Crow Medicine Show and more. The goal of the compilation was to follow the history of our country through song, from 1492 through modern times, spanning the folk, blues, rock, R&B, country, classical and hip-hop genres while portraying our nation's progress.

As a musician that wears three hats, artist/songwriter/producer, Ed is in demand for his technical expertise, maintains a "Gearheads" section at his website, and contributes to technical publications such as Tape Op. In 2007 Ed's production efforts earned him a feature in Mix Magazine. Gear companies such as Heil microphones look for Ed's input on their latest designs. (Ed's new vocal mic of choice is the Heil PR-35.)

For all Ed's success as a studio producer and audiophile, songwriting is at the heart of Ed's music. Critics praised his 2007 release The New Punk Blues of Ed Pettersen.

"a provocative and literate songwriter"
- John Conquest, 3rd Coast Music

"a subtle genius in his own right"
- Dave Good, CD Reviews NBC San Diego

Later in the year Bettye LaVette recorded Ed's song I Guess We Shouldn't Talk About That Now on her Scene of Crime album. The album went on to be nominated for a 2008 Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

On the heels of the success of Song of America in Europe (critics favorite in the UK, Germany, Italy and Scandinavia), interest in Ed in Europe is riding high. Later in the summer Ed will be heading across the pond to play the Down on the Farm Festival in Norway, as well as dates in London and Amsterdam. And if you're down Texas way, look for Ed around the campfire at Kerrville in May.

SXSW.....Me and Pete

Just got back in from a looooong week.
Freedy Johnston and I flew in separately and met up at the Doubletree for the annual slutfest. They're feeding on us you know.

Anyways, the best part of it is always meeting new people and most of all using music as a collaborative art. Sure, you can make pretty good, maybe even great records by yourself in your basement but there's no replacing the groove and vibe of real musicians chugging and pumping together on all cylinders.

We got in on Tues but my first gig of five wasn't until 12:20 on Wed. at Mother Egan's. The Conqueroo/Guitartown party has become the opening slam of the week and one of the best-run shindigs. I followed Randy Weeks and Michelle Shocked followed me. We also saw David Olney, Pam Tillis and James McMurtry but it all gets a little fuzzy after that. The 30 or so drink tickets they gave us didn't help . Freedy and I stayed put at one table for most of the party and we were able to reconnect with virtually everybody we knew over the last 15 years! The festival seemed larger than ever in numbers this year.

On Thursday I had two gigs so we spent most of the time running back and forth in Austin traffic. We saw some pretty good young talent in-between our running around and passions were really high. That's a good sign. Add passion to a little desperation and you get magic.

Friday was our annual Split Rock Records/Whatever That Is party at the Ginger Man. The Ginger Man is a great, popular, well-run establishment that has been tremendously supportive of the music we put on over the last several years. Michelle Shocked opened up the festivities with my buddy Freedy Johnston knocking them dead right after. I was next and Tommy Ramone's new band Uncle Monk put on a killer set of old-tyme-y music that everyone really dug after me. My dear friend Andy Hersey closed the party and made MANY new friends with his passionate brand of cowboy country-rock. This guy is the real deal and has one song in particular, "Next Time a Diamond Won't Cut It" that's an absolute smash waiting to happen. Freedy and I then closed out the night with a spirited, though extremely under-rehearsed hour of cover songs. Some bar regular asked us if we could play every Friday! Love it. I was flattered.

At that point I thought my night was over even though it was only 8 or 8:30pm. However, fate had another idea.

Freedy gets a call from his former bass player who's now with Martha Wainwright and says get down to the Convention Center. Martha's playing with Pete Townshend and Rachel Fuller and I think I can get you in! Cool! So we hustle on foot about six blocks or so and meet up out side and get ushered in. We're led to a large TV studio/hanger complex where Direct TV is shooting a new series of high def music shows. A trio from Sweden was playing when we got there and they were pretty good. Next up was Rachel Fuller and she brought out Pete for two songs then Martha and Pete for one. Martha was fantastic! That was the first time I'd seen her perform and she knocked me out. Give her the keys and let her drive!!!

Anyways, that would've been cool enough but we were then ushered backstage to hang with Martha. At some point she says, "You wanna' meet Pete and Rachel?" Uhhhh, duh! The first and main reason I got in this whole game was because of Pete and the Who. That's how I learned to play guitar!!! But I never, EVER thought I'd ever get to meet my hero. I mean, I've met almost every major hero of mine and worked with quite a few now but c'mon, Pete's British! He lives in England! Well tonight folks, he was hanging with us in Austin, TX and I still can't freakin' believe it. He and Rachel were very welcoming, unassuming, kind and genuine to us and they had NO entourage. None. Just a guitar tech. Total class. Anyway, we talked gear and about going to England to talk more about recording and techniques but I didn't want to wear him out. This was beyond my wildest dreams and I didn't want to spoil it. We gratefully excused ourselves and went blissfully off into the night four feet above the ground. It's easier to get around Austin that way .

Once we awoke on Sat to realize what happened to us we had to get a move on for Freedy's 11am gig at Cafe Caffeine. This is the gig we knew least about and it may have been the best. Tons of local indie musicians came out and everywhere we went people were coming extremely welcoming and supportive of Freedy and his fantastic songs. He has an amazingly loyal fan base. He just slayed 'em outside this really cool, liberal coffeshop completely off the beaten path. Ya' never know when a great gig can happen. He played some of the tunes we just recorded for his new album of covers as well as some old faves. A lot of new tunes too. He's gonna' be recording them real soon for an album of original stuff for '08. Can't wait.

I played again at 2pm and then it was off to the airport and home. What a whirlwind and what a gas!

The music business may be hell most of the time and it may not have made me a very rich man but it's made all my dreams come true time and time again. I can't tell you how grateful I am that I get to do what I do. The best part of it always is the hang , meeting new people and keeping up with old friends. Without that it wouldn't be any fun.

The Trip Back Down: Bloodbrothers and the closing of CBGB's

Let's get one thing straight right off: CBGB's was a dump. A real scuzz-hole. If the parents of most bands knew what the place looked like and the denizens thereof they would have had instant coronaries (and that doesn't include the bathrooms). I've played there and at CB's Gallery plenty of times over the last 15 years as well as handling tour manager duties for the Dictators on many occasions. But nothing we'd ever experienced there would compare to what we were about to embark on: closing CB's once and for all. It's hard to fathom; we figured it would fall down before it would ever close. 33 years in one place in Manhattan is a miracle anyway. Soon the only people who will live there are stock brokers and real estate agents and their massive debt.

It had been seven years away from NYC for me and I guess I hadn't really thought about the emotional impact and toll a trip like this would take on me. It turned out to be maybe the most illuminating 10 days of my life.

First off, Scott "Top Ten" Kempner, my best buddy, had been staying with me in Nashville for the past few months so we decided to drive up together, 10 hours the first day and 4 ½ the second. This gave us plenty of time to go through every CD Scott had brought with him. He's a regular encyclopedia of rock history if you're into that sort of thing. Me, I'm a sponge, and observer. I'll take all the info I can thank you very much. We arrived in NYC on Sunday the 8th of October and I retired to my Uncle Marty's pad in Hell's Kitchen while Scott moved on to Rich Nesin's pad uptown. Richie used to tour manage the Del Lords, Scott's other band, and is now a big wheel with John Scher's organization. Rich is one of the good ones. This gave Scott and I both a few days to get reacquainted with our old neighborhoods and friends and still get ready for the big show.

This is where things get deep for me. I haven't really kept in touch with anyone from back home at all but a few months before this trip I had reconnected with perhaps one of my closest and dearest friends from high school, Alicia O. She was one of the "cool" girls who dug great music that wasn't what everybody else was listening to. Robots. Alicia wasn't a robot. She was unique. Turns out she's still cool, even prettier than she was in high school (she was pretty cute then) and she also has three wonderful kids under age 13 who don't realize how lucky they are. Anyway, I dig kids and it was quite a trip back down. (Scott says he digs other people's kids!) Alicia had never been to CBGB's so I invited her to Saturday's show. She had no idea what she was in for (I told her to buy ear plugs!!! ).

Staying with my Uncle Marty was amazing too. This was the same apartment I lived in 20 years earlier, in fact my FIRST apartment. The hippie treehouse. If you could see it you'd understand. I think Marty decorated it while on an acid trip in 1968 (he's been there that long). A railroad apartment with think, beautiful, crooked old wood floors, exposed brick and a slight nautical feel (Marty's used to be big on boats and the islands…). In addition, to designate the separate rooms without doors each different section of the apartment is painted a different color. Red, blue, pink, purple(-ish). Hammocks, fans, bean bag chairs…..The perfect place to get lost. And this is where Marty has been hiding since moving in all those years ago.

Marty is more of what we refer to as a "Dutch Uncle", a good, dear old friend of the family who's just been around forever. He had gone to high school with my dad and they had been friends for over 50 years when my dad died. I can tell Marty still misses him. Marty has never been very sentimental around me but he was different this time. I think he sees a lot of his friends going away. But he's been one of the best friends this boy could have and he literally has saved me more than a few times. "Maintain Eddie, maintain". I hear ya' now buddy, loud and clear. He says I'm leaving my sun phase and entering my moon phase. Does this mean I'll sleep better now???

The old neighborhood is changed. How could it not? Maybe not as much as Marty says (he won't let me shop or eat at "any of the silver, shiny, new yuppie places") but enough to notice. It appears a midtown high-rise developer I used to ad work for has discovered Hell's Kitchen. I learned irony in NYC. Maybe we really have come to the end of the line. Which brings me back to CBGB's. Everyone was there. Friday, which sold out in 18 minutes, was for the fans. The same folks we've been seeing at shows for at least the 20 years I've been around the Dictators and the band didn't disappoint. Without fear of hyperbole I can honestly say that they are one of the tightest and most ferocious bands on the plant right now. We welcome all takers. Just have bus fare for the long ride home.

Handsome Dick was as good as he's ever been and no matter how much energy was expended by the 500 die hards in attendance everything went smoothly with no hassles. The band kicked ass!!! Debbie Harry, Chris Stein and Blondie opened the second night and she and the band were in fine stripped-down form and she was very gracious to the throngs backstage (there have never been any doors on the dressing rooms to CB's—just clear shower curtain's at best. That also says something about what we were all going for once). Willie Nile was there, Eric "Roscoe" Ambel from the Del Lords, Lenny Kaye, Little Steven I heard were there too. My high school friend Alicia was there the second night and couldn't freakin' believe it. She couldn't believe the unique patina of the club and she couldn't freakin' believe how good the mighty Dictators are. I was on cloud nine.

We had three generations of tour managers/honorary Dictators in attendance: Myself, CJ the current chief who took over for me and E-Factor, Eric Weinstein, who flew in from a film set in Vancouver just for these two shows. We knew he wouldn't miss them. Eric is currently Mark Wahlberg's manger and is the co-creator and associate producer of the HBO hit show "Entourage". One of the most dear and touching moments for me the whole week was while watching the second night at stage right as was my custom, waiting for Richard to shed his leather Dictator coat and throw it my way for safe keeping. Except this night, he had TWO ex-tour managers on hand and when he threw the jacket our way we BOTH reached to grab it!!! It was a rock n' roll moment. We just both looked at each other, cracked up and hugged. Here we were all these years later, fully accomplished and moved on in our lives and we were still most interested in taking care of our boys, our bloodbrothers. DFFD!!! Dictators forever, forever Dictators!!! Some things will never change (I hope!). For a bunch of supposedly tough punk rockers it was a very emotional lovefest with plenty of hugs all around at the end (but no tears that I saw). There was a lot of great energy in that rooms those last two nights and I am so glad I got the privilege to attend. I will never forget Tommy Ramone closing it out with the boys covering "Blitzkrieg Bop". Hey, ho, let's go!!!!! Indeed.

Patti Smith played Sunday but we didn't go. We did our job. We came, we saw and kicked major ass. There was nowhere else to go. It was time to go home.

I went back to my hometown on Long Island to get my mother's brother John, who happens to be the most fabulous mechanic in the world, to give my car the once over for it's 50,000 mile checkup. This would also provide me with much cheaper and safer parking for the week than in Manhattan! It also gave me the chance to look around for the first time in a loooong while. Maybe 25 years. Believe it or not, the town hadn't changed a bit. I had run away at 16, never looked back and it was like frozen in time exactly like I left it (other than some asshole chopped down my grandmother's cherry tree at our old house). Except I didn't know anybody there. It was all new, richer people than even before. I didn't recognize them and they SURE didn't know me. My hometown didn't belong to me anymore.

I don't really have much contact with my relatives these days. It's not that I don't love them but I was always the black sheep anyway and used to little contact. But after my mom died it all really fell apart. I guess she was by sheer force keeping it all together somehow.

Which brings me to my conclusion of the whole experience: You can't choose your family but you do choose your friends. It's one of the few things you do get to choose in life. Like the aged knight whispered in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade": Choose wisely. Who you associate with could be the most significant thing you do in your entire life. Now, I've made a LOT of mistakes in my life but if I have one thing to be proud of is my friends, my associates and my close buddies. Because without them I truly would be nothing. They learned me good and I hope I do them proud.

THEY are my family. CBGB's was just a place. It was the PEOPLE that made it great and unique. Hilly Kristal just gave them a supportive (and safe) hang to let their freak flags fly. And that's good enough for me. There is no better training ground than the mean streets of NYC and rock n' roll.

Long live CBGB's. Long live the Dictators. Long live NYC. Bloodbrothers forever, DFFD. What a trip. I'm just glad I don't have to do it again!!!!

Waxing Poetical Somewhere South of Here I'm about the embark on a rare vacation for the next two weeks and do some soul-cleansing and writing. Of course, I've never known what vacation means so I'll probably still be working. However, one of the best ways I've found to feed my head is to turn off the tv and read. A few months ago a particular publication caught my attention in a Border's in Louisville, KY while on tour. Wax Poetics covers Rap, Hip-Hop, Soul, Funk, R&B but it is so much more. It is perhaps the first publication, and I read 'em all kids, in 20 years that truly captures the spirit of the fan while at the same time using the english language in a way that would make any great scribe proud. Real without being overly pretentious I can't wait for every bi-monthly issue to hit my mailbox.

Where does the time go? I know one thing; I didn't spend enough in Austin. This year was by far the least stressful and most productive of the 8 years that I have been performing during SXSW. And I got to be with my blood brother Top Ten. Our party at the Ginger Man on Thursday was a smash thanks to Jane and the club said it was the best year yet in their opinion. Scott "Top Ten" Kempner rocks, Andy Hersey is the real deal, watch out Nashville, and Ben Taylor and Adrienne Young were both beguiling (yeah, I can use that word 'cause I'm grande-they were both really great). A big kudos to my fellow artists for making it a wonderful day of food and music. Thanks to my buddy Ericson Holt for backing me up again. I'm sorry I had to rush back to Nashville for a mix session that didn't happen anyway but that's another story. I sure would have liked to have spent at least another day hanging with Scott and seeing old friends. Next year for sure I'm staying through the weekend.

Willie Nile, whom Scott played guitar with at SXSW, was terrific in each of the three of his five shows I saw. Kudos to Willie for making a great record and kickin' it after all these years.

I missed my buddy Jim Stringer, guitar picker extraordinaire. I was at his house but he was at the supermarket. Every time I watch King of the Hill I think of Jim. He could be Hank Hills' talented brother, tell you what. Check out Jim and his band if you ever get to Austin. He's the best. (Or catch him with the dozen or so acts that rely on his pickin' skills). He's also got great taste in women.

I've had the rare luxury of listening to a ton of music since I last posted:

Sorry it’s been so long that I’ve been out of touch. It’s been crazy busy here in Music City. All good though.

First things first, I’ve been spending most of my time producing artists for the Song of America project which is cranking along quite nicely. Recently we’ve had Devendra Banhart, the Black Crowes, Anthony David, Scott Kempner and Michelle Shocked in to record songs, with more artists to come. The project wraps up around Feb. 15th which is great since that’s just about when my new album hits the stores. I’m ready!!!

I need to pay homage this month to a few more folks who have been instrumental to my career the last few years since I moved to Nashville. Bob Olhsson has led an extremely varied and distinguished career in audio and I can’t say enough about how much he’s taught me. Bob makes everything better. I’ve never met anyone in the music business that cares more about music and sound. He is a treasure. It was Bob who led me to my current group of studio musicians who I’ve been tracking with for the last year. Bob Babbitt, Ed Greene, Reggie Young, David Hungate and Kathyrn Styron-Marx are among the best and most versatile musicians to ever grace a recording studio. They have been at Motown, LA, Memphis, Muscle Shoals, Philly and NYC and are truly the A-team of A-teams. They are triple-A! Special thanks goes to the late, great Tom Dowd for suggesting most of this combo to Bob Olhsson before Tom passed. You were right Tom!

Speaking of God, who thinks that the God of Abraham condones the killing of 30,000 to avenge the deaths of 3,000? That’s what has happened in Iraq, a country that didn’t attack us. I have a pretty good relationship with God, flawed but I’m working on it. But I’m pretty sure the God of the bible that I was taught to believe in isn’t happy about this equation. Is God really on our side? And which God would that be?

One last note on politics for the year: When George W. Bush took office we had a one trillion dollar SURPLUS in the national coffers. Now we have a one trillion dollar DEFICIT which means that the current administration went through TWO TRILLION dollars in the last four years. Some people might suggest that the surplus could have been saved exactly for the type of natural disaster or national calamity we just experienced, rather than used to wage personal vendettas or buy votes in the form of tax cuts.

When I was a kid Lou Gehrig was my hero. After reading Jonathan Eig’s book “The Luckiest Man” he still is and I’m still learning from the Iron Horse. Like how to deal with a serious illness with dignity and never giving up. What a great man. I also just finished the third book of Cormac McCarthy’s Border Trilogy “Cities of the Plain”. The book was beautifully written as expected with Cormac who has become my favorite modern writer, but the ending still broke my heart. I won’t ruin it by saying more but get these books. Top shelf.

I finally saw “Million Dollar Baby” and was really shook up. It was a deftly made film that left me with as many questions as answers while also inspiring me at the same time. I’m still breathless. I guess commercial art can still move when it’s done with that much heart and skill. Major kudos (and it doesn’t hurt that I heart Hillary Swank big time).

Oh yeah, and I have a myspace site now. Please go to:www.myspace.com/edpettersen to check it out.

Here’s what I’ve been listening to the last two months:

Kanye West-Late Registration
Woody Guthrie-The Asch Recordings
Carter Family-Abandoned Love (their first recordings)
Blind Willie Johnson-Praise God I’m Satisfied
Woody Guthrie-Dust Bowl Blues
Anthology of Folk vol. 1-4
Robert Johnson-King of the Delta Blues
Bruce Springsteen-Devils and Dust
Bob Dylan-Highway 61, Bringing it All Back Home and the Gaslight Tapes
Skip James-Today
Leadbelly-Midnight Special
Odetta-Sing Ballads and Blues
Dave Kincaid-The Irish American’s Song
Devendra Banhart-Cripple Crow
Bruce Springsteen-Darkness of the Edge of Town (maybe my favorite album-first time in ten years I’ve listened to it)
Calexico/Iron and Wine-In the Reins
Thad Cockerell/Caitlin Cary-Begonias
Cartridge Family-Here Come the Rock Stars
Patty Loveless-Dreaming My Dreams
Kevin Gordon-O Come Look at the Burning
Fred McDowell-Amazing Grace
Seth Glass-A Different Light
Amy Lashley-Foolish Lonesome
Venus Hum-Big Beautiful Sky
Black Sabbath-Master of Reality
Big Bill Broonzy-Compilation import
Son House-2CD Columbia records comp.
Miles Davis-The Birth of the Cool

That’s all for now. Look for new tour dates after the first of the year and the new disc Jan. 24th. I promise I won’t be away this long next time.

Take care of each other and happy holidays,
Big Ed

P.S.-Download “Gather the Family ‘Round” and pass it around. It’s free!

A few quick thoughts this month-

Some exciting news for the fans…. The New Punk Blues of Ed Pettersen will be released in January of 2006. Although the record was done earlier this year and I have previously announced a Summer 2005 release date, we had the opportunity to add a new song to the record that we just couldn’t leave off. The new lead track on the record Chelsea was getting so much response at shows that we just knew we had to go in and cut it for the record. Press and radio copies should go out in August or September. At least I can write and record some songs in the meantime! So sorry for the delay and confusion but I believe this is my best and most complete work and I hope y’all will find that it was worth the wait. Check back here in the coming months for the exact release date and when pre-release copies will be available.

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith… this is the first Star Wars movie I’ve seen in the theatre and the only one I’ve seen all the way through. I have to say I was disappointed. The effects were cool but the story was lame and half-baked. Did anyone else believe that Annakin Skywalker loses his faith over one bad dream? Seemed like a cheap short cut to me. Plus, is Hayden Christensen a good actor normally? That was a pretty stiff performance. LOVE Natalie Portman though. We graduated from the same high school (HA!-not in the same class obviously…).

George Steinbrenner…say what you will about ole’ George the tyrant but he’s the best owner in sports and everyone would soon change their minds about him if he was THEIR owner. Who wouldn’t love a guy who just wants to win, who always puts his team in the position to win? Further, he puts more of his team’s profits back into the team THAN ANY OTHER OWNER. That’s why the Yankees win dammit! Because it’s the best professional sports franchise PERIOD. If other owners put as much of their profits back into the team your team might win too. Sorry about the Derby and Preakness George. Play ball!

Small Plane Threatens Capitol - The most appalling thing about the small plane that invaded Washington, D.C. airspace recently is that experts say it couldn’t have held enough explosives to do any serious damage to most buildings, much less injure properly warned citizens. Yet, a plane of that size could very well be carrying chemical or biological weapons. In that case, why are our nation’s crack security experts evacuating people out on to public streets where they are much more likely to be exposed? In fact, there are at least two typical protocols in a situation like this, evacuate or secure. Don’t you think secure would have been much more rational and less hysteria inducing than evacuate? So much for for our much ballyhooed homeland security experts and training. And it appears even the First Lady was pissed that no one bothered to tell the President.

Here’s a bunch of cool web links I thought you might enjoy:

My brother-in-law George has written a great book on 80/90’s Punk. Highly recommended. You can find it here:

My buddy Mark,journalist/pastor/musician, has this excellent site for those of us who are religiously-inclined. Please read his terrific articles. They helped me a lot during some very difficult times:

http://www.recklessworship.com/home.html

Viking kittens (listen with the sound on):

Overheard in NYC. Hysterical real snippets of conversations:

And finally and maybe most importantly, your true pimp name:

I’m Silver Tongue E-Glide (naturally).

This month’s playlist:

Michael Card-A Fragile Stone
Van Zandt-Get Right With the Man
Peter Himmelman-Imperfect World
Buzz Cason-East of Nashville (I just wrote a song with this tune master. Buzz co-wrote “Everlasting Love” among other greats. He has a book called “Living the Rock n’ Roll Dream” which is priceless and a must have for any true music fan)
Anthony Crawford-Radio Café (a buddy of Buzz’s)
NY Dolls-Best of
The Brandos-Light of Day maxi-single (10 songs)
Lou Reed-Metal Machine Music (to piss off the neighbors…and insects)
Garbage-Bleed Like Me
Rachel Yamagata-Happenstance
Bob Dylan-Live 1975 (Rolling Thunder Revue-my old buddy Howie Wyeth (RIP) was on this tour)
No Nukes-The music concerts for a non-nuclear future (HA!)
John Davis
Buddy Miller-Universal United House of Prayer
The Judds-Greatest Hits 1 & 2
George Strait-50 #1’s
Dock Boggs-Country Blues
Loretta Lynn-All-time Greatest Hits
Willis Alan Ramsey
Randy Travis-The Very Best of
Bobbie Gentry-The Artistry of
Keith Whitley-The Essential
David Allan Coe-The Essential
Patty Loveless-Classics
John Anderson-Country Legends
Tom T. Hall-Ultimate Collection
The Carter Family-RCA Country Legends
Willie Nelson-Red Headed Stranger
Wanted:The Outlaws (Willie and Waylon et al)
Petra Haden-The Who Sell Out (cool!)
Amos Lee
Sugarland-Twice the Speed of Life
Bruce Springsteen-Devils and Dust

Until next time folks, your humble servant,
Big Ed

This year is shaping up and looks to be very busy for me. The Song of America Project which I have been working on for over five years is finally in production. Emergent Music here in Nashville will be releasing The Song of America in early 2006 and Emergent’s David Macias, who just won a Grammy for the Stephen Foster tribute record will be co-producing with me. The Song of America captures the history of the United States in folk songs as recorded by popular, contemporary artists. All of the final net proceeds go directly to folk music non-profits and the teaching of folk song and history in schools. Our hope is for every public school in the country to have a copy of the CD along with a teaching guide.

The Song of America in USA Today

More excitement this year includes my first solo record of all new material in eight years, The New Punk Blues of Ed Pettersen, to be released in June. I will have press copies available in March just before SXSW and I will be touring extensively this year. I look forward to seeing many of my old friends on the road over the next 18 months. Please check the tour dates section of this website frequently for further info.

I smell it in the air…oiling my glove…..pitchers and catchers report soon!!! I hope the Red Sox take a good long look at that championship trophy ‘cause it may be last time they get that close to it for a while. Why you may ask (besides Ed being a HUGE Yankee fan)? Easy. The Sox did it again. 86 years ago they sold their best player, Babe Ruth, and started the seemingly endless slide toward baseball oblivion. So what do they do after finally winning it again? They let their best player, Pedro Martinez, go again!!!! I love it. Bring it on baby!!! See you in October.

Back to politics- Can we now safely call a moratorium on Northeastern liberals running for president? Frankly, Kerry was a poor candidate anyway but please, PLEASE, don’t ask America to buy that puppy again. It was a poor sale. Further, if the DNC and whatever candidate is running would be properly prepared to hit back hard and fast when they’re attacked with ridiculous and scurrilous charges, they’d be a lot better off. I can safely say that the GOP has been pleasantly surprised and titillated, from Willie Horton to the Swift Boat boys, that the DNC are a bunch of wimps who don’t hit back. The main reason for staying diligent and fervent is that when it’s all over we can’t simply point to the mess made by our competition someday and say, “See what they’ve done…”. That isn’t acceptable. We have to have the facts and be relentless or we will never win.

Face it, it’s a Republican nation for the last 30 years at least. Bill Clinton only got elected the first time because of Ross Perot who took 21 percent of the vote from conservatives. It's a GOP nation for now. If the Democratic Party wants to be meaningful again, they need to offer a candidate who understands his constituency and can unite the country. And let’s not be so angry that we’re foolish; the Dan Rather/CBS fiasco proved nothing if not that. We shouldn’t be voting against something, we should be voting FOR something.

Tax refunds are meant to make us dumb and quiet as a populous. It’s working.

One last thing on politics: Notice the decorum displayed by presidents Bush (#1) and Clinton during the Tsunami crisis last month. They both stood side-by-side on TV to ask the American public, in all earnestness and sincerity, to give and they are both visiting the region later this month at the behest of the current President Bush. This is typical of serious, committed, intellectual folks who care about people and our world. It’s not personal, just politics Sonny. Let’s all keep that sense of decorum in mind next time we fight. I’m not saying don’t fight hard, anyone who knows me can tell you I love a good fight, but fight hard and clean and remember, we’re all in this together. Besides, if you look hard enough your opponents give you great stuff to work with. For example, here’s a direct quote, as witnessed by an AP reporter, from Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist directing an aide shooting a photo of Sen. Frist in front of tsunami-ravaged Sri Lanka-
“Get some devastation in the back”. Nice.

Mammograms. Here’s a web site that by simply clicking on an icon you help give a free test for a woman somewhere without giving any personal information. It’s an easy, painless way to help save a life:

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CTDSites

Here’s what I’ve been listening to the past month:

Beethoven: All 9 symphonies by the Berlin Philharmonic. I bought this box thinking it was his 9th symphony which was my grandfather’s favorite. DOH! He used to conduct next to me while explaining the individual instruments as they appeared. He was my hero.

Some Josh Ritter live MP3’s my friend Cathy sent me.
My buddy Dave Hamilton’s grandfather preachin’ primitive Baptist revival meeting. Priceless stuff.

Rory Block - Last Fair Deal
Lambchop - Aw C’Mon/No You C’Mon
P.G. Six - The Well of Memory
P.G. Six - Parlor Tricks and Porch Favorites
Michelle Anthony - Stand Fall Repeat
Miranda Brown - Baystate
The Magnetic Fields - I
The Kinks - Preservation Green Society re-release
Prince - Purple Rain
Dolorean - Violence in the Snowy Fields
Emitt Rhodes - first record
Scott Walker-Boy Child ‘67-‘70
Bright Eyes - Digital Ash and I’m Wide Awake (I actually disagree with every review I’ve read and like the trippy Digital Ash better)

Guy Clark-Boats to Build (an old fave)
Mahalia Jackson-Gospels, Spirituals and Hymns
Bill Withers-Greatest Hits
Anthony David - Three Chords and the Truth (pretty durn close to Bill Withers)

The Sound of Philadelphia, Vol. 1 and 2 (Import-2 separate CD’s-Awesome stuff for any soul fan)

Lauryn Hill-Unplugged 2.0 (I’ve seen in the press where they mock her for crying and falling apart a bit but I thought it was one of the bravest, most artistic things I’ve heard and seen recently by an established, big name artist)
Duke Ellington comp., Faces live compilation and a ‘rainy day’ comp. of various artists all from my buddy Paul. Great stuff.

Sandbox-The Music of Mark Sandman (Mark was a very cool guy who through my friendship with Scott Kempner I got to hang out with a bit. I was touched to hear that they dedicated a ‘Mark Sandman Square’ up in Boston in his honor. He was one of the good ones.)

Ray Charles-Anthology

In honor of Black History Month I’ll end with two quotes from one of my idols, Dr. Martin Luther King:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that”

And-

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend”

Just heard that the NHL has cancelled the first professional season in North American sports history. I'm too heartbroken to comment right now but will address it in next months journal.

I’ll check in after SXSW with a recap. ‘Till then love one another,
Ed

Selling snow to the Eskimos

It’s gonna’ be a long, cold winter. I was almost, almost, recovered from the defeat of the New York Yankees at the hand of our eternally despised Boston Red Sox (congrats to the Sox - they deserve it big time) when I sat back to watch the election returns on Nov. 2nd. It seems to me that the people of America spoke loud, purposefully and are clearly under the spell of the current administration. I say kudos to the GOP for running a brilliant campaign. Seriously. If the Dems had been as crafty, fought as hard and employed as many diversionary tactics we might have won ourselves. Well, maybe only if we had shouted our faith louder from the rooftops. Our great initiative to get out the youth vote failed. Only one in ten new young voters actually got out and voted. Yes, 21 million youths voted but the overall percentage was precisely the same as those that voted in 2000. On the other hand, nearly four million rural evangelical voters made sure that their voice was heard. Al Gore won the popular vote by five hundred thousand votes but we lost this time by 3.5 million votes. You do the math.

Hopefully, this means finally some real change in the leadership of the Democratic Party. Terry MacAuliffe has lost every election without Bill Clinton and practically gave away the Florida governorship and several key senate seats in the 2002 election. Again, he has failed miserably. Without Bill Clinton, who has enough smarts, charisma and savvy to carry any party, Terry MacAuliffe is a complete flop as a leader and at best comes across as a bad used car salesman. Whether in sports or business the buck has to stop somewhere and it usually starts with the CEO and/or upper management.

The GOP has identified and embraced moral and religious issues especially in the South. The Democratic party has completely lost touch with Middle America which is curious since when you get right down to it the Democratic party and its initiatives connect much more closely with their lifestyle than the true Republican party does. Ahhh, but it’s all really marketing and advertising and right now the GOP controls the images….and our attitudes.

I hope the next four years brings about healing and change but I doubt it. I grew up in a Republican household and I worked for them in every election up until 1992 and I know how they operate. The party of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt? Not any more. Those at the top aren’t big on caring and sharing if it doesn’t benefit them somehow. I’m afraid things are gonna’ get worse before they get better. Yet, I congratulate them on a hard-fought campaign. Someone has to win and the Democratic Party should learn a great deal from all this and hopefully will move forward progressively to turn this around in the next few years. It all starts at the top.

God bless America,
Ed

The word of the month is solid. Six years ago my dearest friend, Pete Abbott (formerly of the Average White Band and Ed Pettersen & the High Line Riders), decamped to Norway after meeting his future wife on tour. We hadn’t seen each other in five years until Pete visited two weeks ago and I was instantly reminded why he’s my best friend. He’s solid. You couldn’t have a better ally in your corner no matter the circumstance. If you fall, he’ll pick you up. Heck, he might even catch you before you hit the ground or keep you from falling in the first place. Pete’s brother Mike is solid too and a hell of a guitar player. I guess they were brought up well or something. We three used to be in a band together but that’s another story …

The other thing I realized during Pete’s visit that’s hard to admit is I really did lose something when he left … one undeniable piece, deep down in my soul exactly right next to the place where the music comes from was missing. Anybody who’s ever played with Pete will tell you what a joy and a breeze it was. Pete is truly one of the grooviest guys on the planet and I mean that in every way. My music has never sounded better than when Pete was behind the drum kit. No disrespect to any of the other great drummers I’ve played with but it’s the plain truth. He makes everything better.

Somehow we stayed out of trouble while he was here, though we had one very symbolic incident. I’ve been steward of Pete’s old drum set since he left for Norway, the same kit we used in the old days with the High Line Riders. However, neither of us was ever crazy about the sound of the snare drum, a Yamaha model. Wouldn’t you know it though, when we get to the drum shop it turns out the serial number of the snare is 666. Pete’s old nickname was Satan. At first, we thought that we couldn’t sell the drum. After all, it was Satan’s! But after more careful thought (and more partying) we decided it was time to leave the past behind us and start a new chapter. We shook pinkies and that was that. So somewhere in Nashville snare #666 is looking for a new devil worshipper and two old road dogs are looking for the next horizon on our journey down the lost highway.

I think Pete really enjoyed his time here in Nashville, and is leaning towards moving here full or at least part-time soon. One thing I know for sure is the music community here would gain for it and any major act would be lucky to have him manning the skins. And of course, I’ll have my groove back :>.

Pick up the pieces,
Ed

P.S.-There’s a new pic of me and Pete out on the town in the photo section.

7-04-04

Hey gang,
Happy Independence! Just lazing in the summer sun and gearing up for the big vote. My new record is truly, finally, FINALLY done and will be released next year. I’ll start touring again late this Fall to support it as the press will have promo copies by then. I’m very excited and it will be good to see my friends again on the road.

I’m also very proud to be affiliated with the Guitartown tribute record, ‘Hoss: A tribute to Waylon Jennings’ featuring many Carolina-centric acts. We had the release party at the Pour House in Raleigh, NC on June 20 and it was a smash bash. The most fun you can have with your clothes on. All the acts were great and wonderful to work with and the Pour House is a fine and welcoming venue. Marianne Taylor is a peach and books exciting, interesting shows. My buddy Charlie Berry supervised the whole project and is a true trooper and good egg. I urge you to give this charming CD a try. I think it’s ragged and beautiful just like Waylon. You can order it or listen to MP3’s here: Hoss CD Tribute

Incidentally, the album is dedicated to my dear friend Mr. Gerry Livers, honorary mayor of Guitatown and profits from CD sales are being contributed to Wake County Hospice.

If you get a chance and are so inclined please try to catch a peek of the new issue of Performing Songwriter. It’s a testament to the power of the people and the vote and includes some comments from musicians such as Graham Nash, G.Love, Joe Henry, Rodney Crowell and yours truly among many others. It’s a great issue and more importantly, good reading. Incidentally, don’t forget to register and vote!

Now playing at Ed's house... if you haven’t found the music of Willis Alan Ramsey it’s as good a time as any to get acquainted. His debut, and only album, never loses it’s inimitable charm even after thirty years. Word is there finally may be a follow up in the can. Maybe next year? Don’t wait, get his first one now. It’s timeless.

One last thing for you gearheads-
I had an article on the vagaries of Pro Tools recently published in the Nashville Scene here in Music City. It evoked a certain amount of criticism along with Michael McCall’s main piece but it was heavily edited and well, that’s the way it goes. You gotta’ take the heat sometimes. Here’s the article that ran as well as the much longer un-edited original submission:

Nashville Scene Pro-Tools piece and another link to the Nashville Scene article

Link to the original article before it was heavily edited by the Scene.

Thanks and stay cool,
Ed

05-30-2004

On the positive side, I’ve co-designed and invented my first audio product for retail sale. Working with Robert Derby of Valvotronics we’ve created what we think is the best integrated hi-fi guitar channel available (great for bass and vocals too) , the Coil EQ. For a quick peek, click here to see some rough pics of the Coil EQ prototype. More information and specs will be available at the Valvotronics website soon www.valvotronics.com .

In the gearheads section of my site, you can also see some neat photos of my new custom pedalboard and some quick pics of my home studio.

Now for the hard part. I held off saying anything about this until after Mother’s Day as not to bum anybody out. It’s been a rough last eight months. We lost a great one.

On Saturday, May 8th 2004 my beloved mother Nancy lost her second bout with cancer. My mom was the most magnificent person I have ever known. If God and time had permitted she would have tried to save and help anyone and everyone. She was the best friend any of us kids ever had.

As a child I never once had to defend my mother’s honor on the playground. Not even the most egregious bully had the nerve to say anything against my mom. She was that revered and boy, could she cook. We continue to have a strong family bond all thanks to her.

She basically raised six children by herself, never earning more than $16,500 in a year. Though we never had as much as other kids, we never wanted. We always knew we were loved unconditionally and somehow she kept it all together. To this day none of us can figure out quite how.

She loved sales, especially 2-for-1. She must have had two of everything. When I visited her last before her condition became too debilitating she handed me a spool of blank CD’s she had bought. When I reminded her that she didn’t have a CD burner she replied, ‘But they were on sale’. I gladly took the spool with a big smile and hugged her tight. Now whenever I use a CD, which is often several times a day being in the music biz, I’ll always think of my mother.

My heart goes out to my stepfather Vincent Monaco who took care of my mom real well these last several years. This is the second wife Vinny has lost to cancer. In lieu of flowers please consider donating even a little bit to cancer research so we can hopefully eliminate this heinous disease before it takes too many more loved ones.

05-01-04

Hey gang, it’s been kind of crazy lately so other than putting up new tour dates I’ve been a little slack in communicating. Bob Olhsson and I are trying to develop a regular scene here in Nashville through our ‘Re-boot the Record Industry’ parties the first Tuesday of every month at the It’s All Good Café at 51st and Charlotte Ave. If all goes well we should have various members of the Funk Brothers, Reggie Young from Memphis soul classics, Ed Greene or Pete Abbott from everything funky, some Time Jumpers and maybe even some members of the JB’s showing up every month to play and back up some really great singers. It should be a blast.

I am about ready to write up my experience building an isolation box for computers now that mine is finished and has proven to work. It was a bit of work but for $150.00 as opposed to $1500.00 I’d say it’s been worth it. Hopefully next month I’ll have it online in the Gearheads section of this website.

I ‘ve also been working on developing some new audio gear products and the first, a pro, hi-fi EQ channel for live gigs (it can be used as a DI) and studio work, will be ready very soon. I’m very excited. It’s class-A, discrete all-the-way-through and sounds boss (if I do say so myself !). It should be available through the Valvotronics website (www.valvotronics.com ) after July 1st if not sooner. More to come…

Don’t forget to register to vote !!! This could be the most important election of our lifetime. And if you happen to be a Democrat please take a look at:
www.musicrowdemocrats.com

I’m an Independent myself but I really like this organization and they are good people with big hearts. Our platform has finally been approved in committee and should be up within a few days of this writing. Please take a chance to look it over if you can and if you agree with us please sign up your e-mail at the musicrowdemocrats.com website. We need your presence !

That’s all for now. Keep an eye out for more dates added to my tour schedule. Things are moving fast and furious.

Be careful out there,
Ed

03-23-04

My trip to Austin each year is always laden with some trepidation. While I’m always excited about performing, it is a long, wearing trip and very often I have to play with musicians I barely know or have had no chance to rehearse with beforehand. This is not the worst thing in the world but it definitely gives bands or local Austin musicians a great advantage. Nevertheless, we all plow ahead partially due to pride, desperation and a great desire to play for our friends and fans every year in the great state of Texas.

It’s damn near impossible to get to see everyone and everything we planned to but that’s par for the course in a town where road work and construction seem to be never-ending performance art and at a festival where there’s so many time conflicts with so many acts.

We arrived late at night on Sunday the 14th so we could relax and enjoy Austin a bit before doing the rounds. Next to Nashville, Austin is my favorite city and has some of the best restaurants of any city I’ve visited. Try Kenichi for sushi, La Traviata for Italian, Louie’s 106 for tapas and the sea bass, the Magnolia Café for breakfast and the Salt Lick outside of town in Buda, TX for barbecue. Family style, which in Texas means you get to take a lot home.

On Wed. the 17th, St. Patty’s day, the festivities got started at Lil’ Deb’s Guitartown party at Opal Devine’s Roadhouse on 6th St. This is a always a terrific gathering with a wide variety of performers and usually draws a big crowd. This year was no exception . Little Deb just does a kick-ass job and is a great hostess. Eric Hisaw, myself, the Silos, Patty Hurst Shifter, Two Cow Garage, and a host of others rocked the place well into the early evening. It seemed no-one wanted to leave when it was over. I think the prime location and open-street access allows for lots of walk-in traffic. Reality TV sighting: One of the ‘players’ from ESPN Dream Job (the guy who had to cut his hair) came up after the show to be introduced by one of his buddies. He’s a musician. Naturally.

Thursday was spent mostly hanging around with my online friends from the No Depression/Alt Country online newsgroup at Scholtz Beer Garden on San Jacinto (the Dog and Duck was closed). Our group gets together every year on Thursday afternoon just to shoot the breeze, hang and basically catch up on our comings and doings over the past year since we last saw each other . To me this is some of the most fun I have at SXSW. I know the point is usually promotion and playing and schmoozing but I think it doesn’t get any better than taking our time to catch up with old, dear friends. The music biz goes away for a few hours and we’re all just fans. Later, I met some of these friends at Threadgill’s for John Conquest’s ‘Thrilla at the ‘Dilla’ where we caught Catamount’s Graham Lindsey and Colin Gilmore, Jimmie Dale’s son. While the other performers were all good these two stood out for me. The new stage at Threadgill’s is fantastic and so was the sound. Dinner at Louie’s 106 closed out the day for me as I took it easy that evening.

Friday was of course our ND Music Group party at the Gingerman on 4th St. Cole Roulain opened the festivities with an excellent solo acoustic set. Cole is one half of the duo Rosasharn who’s debut record I produced and he’s also a member of the Austin band Slipshod. Cole just keeps getting better and better to my ears. Next up was the beguiling duo (at least they were a duo for this trip) the HaveNots from Leicester, England. The crowd was very impressed and appreciative for good reason. They have a fine future in my opinion and we all should be hearing more from them. The Brilliant Mistakes were my big surprise of the afternoon. I dig their two records but there was something in their live performance that I didn’t find on disc. Really great, well-crafted Pop songs with inventive arrangements and musicianship. Highly recommended.

I was up next before a rousing set from Roots-Rock heroes Marah. Austin residents Jim Stringer, Vance Hazen and Timmy Campbell were nice enough to accompany me with almost no rehearsal and they did a great job. It was so nice to see the same faces in the crowd from year to year. If I didn’t see y’all I think I’d be disappointed ! Thank you for coming out to hear the new songs. It really means a lot to me. Special props to my British friends who have shown up four years in a row. Great new magazine alert: Bucketful of Brains. I bet you’ll dig it.

Ah, Marah. The boys from Philly just tore the house down. I don’t think there was a pair of legs in the place that wasn’t moving nor a face without a smile. These guys really know how to work a crowd and were in prime form. Even Robyn Hitchcock showed up to do a song, all of which we captured on digital video. Last year Peter Buck, this year Robyn Hitchcok. Who’s next ? Pete Townshend ??? It was a very special performance overall, one of the best shows I have ever seen period. They were inspired. If there is any question, Marah is BACK !!!!

Patty Hurst Shifter closed down the festivities with their own brand of Alt. Country that was so good the club didn’t want them to stop playing. That’s about as good an endorsement you can get in this business.

Special thanks to my amazing, wonderful, incredible, amazing wife Jane who hosted the party again this year and organized the whole shebang. I don’t know how she does it but she’s mine.

Friday night was a total blast and I’m not sure I’ve recovered yet. I laughed so much my face hurt the next morning. I met up with three of my friends from the bands Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven and waltzed around town generally looking for mayhem. We left the Bo Deans show at the Austin Music Hall even though Big Star was up next. I was crushed but I heard the next day they weren’t so great anyway. Oh well. Instead, we traipsed over to La Zona Rosa for the Liz Phair/Delbert McClinton/Flatlanders/Dwight Yoakum/Drive by Truckers show. Liz was okay but not impressive and took off right after her set. Backstage was funny. Delbert, Gary US Bonds (who duetted with Delbert on one song-it was killer), Joe Trippi, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, the DBT’s and the Cracker/Camper guys and I had a veritable laugh fest until Dwight’s over-zealous crew people almost knocked down Jimmie Dale right in mid-sentence as he was effusively talking about his son to us. (‘Make some fuckin’ room, star coming through’ kind of crap). Jimmie Dale shrugged it off in his humble way but we were offended for him. Especially since Dwight played one of his songs, ‘Dallas’, during his set. Show biz I guess. Anyway, Dwight is a pro, no doubt, and his band is awesome. Nice guys too (in the band). The DBT’s rocked the house to close and I’m pretty sure no-one was disappointed. There was talk between us and Patterson (of the DBT’s and son of Swamper David Hood) of trying to get together some sort of documentary of the Muscle Shoals players much like my friends in the Funk Brothers got in ‘Standing in the Shadows of Motown’. Stay tuned….

Saturday I had to see a doctor for my ailing right shoulder which I aggravated playing ball and has been bothering me a great deal lately. I found a great sports medicine doc right on South Congress near my hotel who showed me a few new tricks and really opened my eyes to some new technology. It’s amazing what science can do when motivated. See Dr. Eric LeBoeuf at Koala if you’re in Austin and are hurting. Highly recommended and a really nice guy. Great facility.

We then returned our rented drums from our party and hooked up with some very dear friends for some barbecue at the Salt Lick outside of town. This is most definitely the best barbecue I’ve tasted in the seven years I’ve been attending SXSW. My friends Alec, Steve and Chuck are just about the best company a boy can ask for. Just true, genuine, humble and talented folks and I’m proud to call them my friends.

The real highlight of the week for me came next at the Roslyn Records party at La Luna del Sol restaurant on S.Congress. Hosted by Jake London it was a wonderful acoustic treat for the ears as Jake, Steve Turner, Ken Stringfellow, Robyn Hitchcock and John Wesley Harding tore it up with a few others into the early evening. There was a palpable camaraderie on stage between the performers who liberally joined each other in song. Many passers-by stopped to join the party and the only other thing I can think to say is that it was utterly charming and laid-back all the way and in my opinion in the true spirit of the festival and its host city.

After dinner with Frank Funaro of Cracker/Camper (who has played on almost all of my records) the evening closed for me with the Cracker/Camper show at La Zona Rosa which was just packed and an incredible show by the boys. They have a strong following in Austin to be sure. New band Maplewood opened for Cracker/Camper and I was dutifully impressed. Lilting with a 70’s LA Rock scene vibe, they are produced by David Lowery and should have a record out on his label sometime in the next few months. Look for it and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Finally, I’d like to say that the best and most important part of my week every year is being with my best friends and fans and learning something new from each person. It is truly my treat to join y’all every year and see so many fine folks who I’ve grown to know over the last ten years of performing. I really believe the true value of this festival lies not in the music itself but in the relationships that have grown around it. I don’t know that I could ever convey how important that is for me and how powerfully touching it is to my soul. It heals me and leads me onward into every new year and its endless possibilities. I owe each one of you a tremendous debt that I hope I get a chance to repay before I leave this world. Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my rusty, old, broken-down and battered Rock n’ Roll heart. You all keep it beating.

Some pre-SXSW notes and thoughts:

I have finished my computer isolation box protoype and I’m proud to say it actually works. It took a bit more work (and re-work) than I expected but in practice it’s stellar. I’ll be doing a write up in a full how-to review which will be posted here next month.

I’ve also just developed a Class-A, discrete, hi-fi EQ module with my friend Robert Derby of Valvotronics. I’ve just received the protoype and it’s really cool and just excellent sounding (If I do say so myself !!! ). It can be used on its own for some audiophile tweaking in a recording session or even on its own as a combo DI-EQ for live gigging situations. After a bit of tweaking it should be ready for market in a month or so. I’ll post pics and more here in the coming months. I’m very excited.

Has anyone heard the new Britney Spears single, ‘Toxic’ ? No I’m not kidding, it’s amazing. I wish I’d written it.

If you haven’t stumbled across Donny Hathaway in your music endeavors please do look for his ‘Live’ album as well as ‘In Performance’. These were two discs taken from the same shows but inexplicably split up by his record label at the time while they only released ‘Live’ as an EP/Promo disc. Both records are a powerful testament of a great artist at the peak of his creative powers with a kick-ass band that won’t quit (You’ll recognize some very famous players from the liner notes). Donny left us much too soon.

One more thing: As someone who has read both testaments of the Bible more than once I can assure you that Jesus never said word one about homosexuality. Nada, zip, nothing. Yes, some clerics decided later to put disparaging words about homosexuality in the Bible but none were ever uttered from the son of God’s mouth to indicate one way or another. Remember the true words and deeds of Jesus, not what someone wrote down to make a point many years after his death.

Oh yeah, and check out www.musicrowdemocrats.com , an organization I’ve been working with since their inception a few months ago. Music has many voices.

‘Out beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there’-Rumi

I’ll be waiting,
Ed

01-24-04

Lots of things are happening and I’ve had to shift my schedule around a bit so please watch for updates as it evolves and morphs over the next few months.

As February is Black History Month and in honor of Martin Luther King’s birthday I’d like to repeat my favorite MLK quote: ‘In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends’. An unbelievably great human being was Dr. King and we sure could use him today.

The ‘Supreme Allied Funk Commander’ tees are in and we have all sizes !!! Just $15.00 plus 3.00 shipping and handling (we shipped one already and it’s over $2.50 at least) or just buy one at a show. The ‘Poverty With Dignity Tour’ shirts will arrive in April. I really tried to keep the cost down on the tees but I was shocked how expensive they are to make. I promise they’ll stay it this price for A WHILE. E-mail me at: edpettersen@srrecords.com to order.

Next month I’ll be posting my latest article on building a do-it-yourself computer ISO box for audio recording. These boxes go for around $1500 new and I think my partner (my father-in-law, a retired Pratt &Whitney engineer) and I have devised a $100.00 alternative if you don’t mind a little sweat.

Once again I’m making the prance to Austin Texas this March for the annual SXSW shake and bake. We have at least 4 gigs booked and the venues and times will be posted soon. I look forward to hanging with y’all again. Yee ha.

Also, a three-song single CD containing selections from my forthcoming ‘The New Punk Blues’ disc will be released to radio at SXSW. We’ll have plenty with us. MP3’s of the final mastered mixes of ‘Baghdad’ and ‘Top Ten’ will also be posted within the next two weeks (by Feb. 15th). Let’s Rock !!!

My buddy Jeremy (Reigning Sound) and I are planning on recording a Rock record here in Nashville this July with help from Cole Roulain from Rosasharn and Pete Abbott (formerly Average White Band). We are ‘The Big Five’. Hopefully Bob Olhsson will help us all get it down on tape too. The more the merrier….

I just finally heard the music of Nina Simone. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t get enough credit. What a beautiful sound.

Last but not least I’ve been involved with the recording of a tribute (yeah, I know, enough already but…this is a low key and cool tribute) to Waylon Jennings and, by osmosis, my dear departed buddy Mr. Gerry Livers. A bunch of online pals from the Yahoo newsgroup ‘Guitartown’, a North Carolina-centric music board, got together and recorded this as a tribute to two of my faves. The results are quite charming. Bob Olhsson was gracious enough to us to pull it all together for us and master it. I think many of you may enjoy it. I’ll post a link next month where you can order it and hopefully hear samples and such if you like. Proceeds will go to a ‘Gerryfest’ concert in honor of our friend and to the charity of his families’ choice. Proceeds from the concert will also be put aside for charity or possibly a ‘Gerryfest 2’.

Allright, that’s enough. Take care out there and watch it on the roads,
Ed

12-11-03

Focus groups have found that Internet use is mainly split between two industries: Porn and music. Pornographers have found a way to exploit the Internet and make money. However, as we all know, the music industry is still struggling with several issues such as royalties and format before they can begin to really make money and restrict illegal pirating. The technology to restrict illegal downloading has existed for several years now. But the technology is not owned nor controlled by record companies and individual artists. In order to successfully deliver online music on a paying basis, the record companies and musicians must collaborate with the technology companies. This certainly appears to be possible in light of the recently launched and very popular ITunes service.

Yet other technology companies are clearly dragging their feet to restrict illegal downloading. Why? Because they finally want to make some money off the Internet. Because they can't necessarily be pornographers but maybe they could own the music market. But they quickly discovered that the margins on downloading sales would vary widely due to different royalty structures for individual artists and that it would be a heck of a lot of work to negotiate with all the different record labels. In some cases, after paying the label, then the artist, there would be almost no profit after overhead and expenses. So what to do ? Make music worth less.

As David Olgivy said so profoundly almost 50 years ago, once you give it away it's almost impossible to get the consumer to get used to paying for it in the future. So how can technology companies guarantee that their ventures in music delivery over the Internet will be profitable? Compulsory licensing. Their motivation is quite simple. The more bandwidth end users consume, the more broadband access, hard drive space, and other technology is sold. That translates into more dollars for the technology companies. Of course they will champion your right to get cheap unlimited downloads at every turn. Heck, if they thought they could get away with it they would make it free and musical artists and composers would not be compensated one iota.

As you can guess, as a musical artist and writer, I’m not down with that. What does compulsory licensing mean ? Well, it means that Ed Pettersen gets a set fee of say, 10 cents from every individual download. Not bad, right? But get this: It also means that Bruce Springsteen gets only 10 cents too. No more, no less. Why is that bad ? Ask Bruce. Ask Steve Earle. Ask any top-tier artist. Because it limits their ability to make the kind of money they're used to or could possibly make through enterprise or extra hard work. Not to mention that Bruce's recording budget and therefore the cost of creating that download is a lot greater than mine. With compulsory licensing the difference in the money goes towards guaranteeing the profitability of the technology companies new ventures. Well, when us musicians can regulate the fee at which these technology companies license their software to us to set up our own downloading music sites, then maybe we'll be willing to even consider the notion of a compulsory license for use of our music.

Also, anyone who thinks that downloading music is the same as broadcasting music, and should share the same type of compulsory licensing standards, ignores a basic fact. Broadcasting is largely a promotional tool to grow record sales and that the artist and record company do not get compensated (only the writer does via compulsory licensing). And broadcasting does not place the actual record/track in the hands of the user as does downloading.

So forgive me if I view with suspicion the CEOs of large technology companies making donations to the Electronic Frontier Foundation in support of “digital rights”. Digital rights should never mean that a company/individual is forced to sell its product at below market value (except for drug companies of course but if you can buy my music cheaper in Canada I support your right to do so). Personally, I'd like the freedom to negotiate my own deal without any limitations. That’s American.

Have you heard the new Outkast record? It’s BADASS.
If you can’t shake your tail feather to it you’re not breathing. Here’s what Presidential candidate Gen. Wesley Clark had to say, “I don’t know much about Hip-Hop, but I do know that Outkast can make you shake it like a Polaroid picture.”
So there you go.

I dig both versions of the Beatles album ‘Let it Be’. I think the original is still the best ‘cause, well, it’s the original and it’s also the only version ALL of the band members signed off on. The new album is crisp, clean, better sounding and it’s great to hear how great the Fabs would’ve been with today’s technology. They deserve that homage; they just don’t deserve to have their history re-written.

Favorite quote of the week:
‘When I got into a Rock band it was so I didn’t have to hear about my parents talking about tax cuts and who was going to get elected and all that stuff’-Alice Cooper

Please don’t forget to register to vote in the 2004 elections. ‘In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends’-Martin Luther King

Happy holidays !!!! Be careful out there.

Peace,
Ed

11-01-03

Probably the most difficult thing in life is letting go of someone you really care about. On Oct. 16th - my father’s birthday no less, I won’t be forgetting that date - my dear friend, good buddy, close confidant and ‘spiritual advisor’ (don’t call him a guru) Mr. Gerry Livers died suddenly and unexpectedly at his home in Asheville, NC. I won’t get into what this loss will mean to the music community. Let me just say Gerry was the best friend a musician could have. He was true-blue in every respect of the term, loved music as much as anyone I’ve ever known, and really knew his shit. He started out as an online friend, became a fan, my number one fan in fact, turned into a good buddy and finally became like a brother to me. To lose a friend would be one thing, but Gerry was tireless in promoting my music. He pushed me to friends and acquaintances far and wide and it meant so much more to me than anybody we’ve ever paid for those services because I knew he really believed in me.

We used to typically hang, get buzzed and watch baseball games when I wasn’t playing and he wasn’t attending as many shows as possible. Gerry booked me to play on Sat., Oct. 18th at the Westville Pub in Asheville. Anyone who doesn’t think God has a sense of humor is sadly mistaken. When we arrived on the 18th in Asheville we let ourselves in as usual, watched the World Series, noshed and relaxed in Gerry’s house before our gig. After a while I checked the house more closely to no avail. Eventually we left notes and went to the gig. We came back later after the gig but still no Gerry. You can see 90% of Gerry’s bedroom from the door of the bedroom. Sadly, it seems my dear buddy was in the one place I couldn’t see him. At least God let him hang out with his buddies and catch one last buzz. I appreciate that and it’s so Gerry.

My heart goes out to Gerry’s other friends and family and especially his girlfriend, the darling, sweet Ginny. We’ve lost one of the really good ones.

I will miss brother Gerry, you freakin’ amazing, terrific, stupendous human being. I will never forget you. Every time I step onstage from here on out you’ll be with me. I couldn’t have a better co-pilot. I hope Hendrix and Gram have answered all your questions……

Here are some tribute sites by some friends and fellow musicians who knew Gerry real well:

http://www.indyweek.com/durham/current/porch.html

http://www.westvillepub.com/gerry.htm

Give someone you love a hug today.

Peace,
Ed

9-15-03