Farewell to TYT; Tomorrow Night in Jack London Square

Wow, has the first half of 2009 gone by quickly or what? Whether you've been barely surviving or joyously thriving (I've done a little of both), I hope you're learning new tricks and really seeing the glory that is all around you.

We had a lot of fun opening for Average White Band at the Castroville Artichoke Festival. Who knew that AWB was British? I liked the samba feel that ran beneath many of their funky new tunes. They also clearly had a more comprehensive show rider than we did -- we had a little awning over a patch of dirt, they had an air-conditioned tent with catered food, coffee and alcohol. I snuck in and got me a little mug of that stuff I can't resist ... coffee. It may be 3 pm on a dusty hot day dancing among hay bales in front of a giant festival stage, but show me a tureen of coffee and I have the same reaction many do when they see an ice-cold beer: I didn't realize I wanted coffee, but now that you mention it...

Also, I love me a big giant stage that I can boogie across for miles, and that's exactly what I and my fellow singers (Terrie Odabi and Keith Hames) did. In retrospect, this has turned out to be an important gig for us, because after nine years, Keith has announced he's shutting down his San Jose-based funk band TYT and going on to new things.

I've been playing with them since late 2007, and we've had a lot of glamorous (matching Dream Girls dresses) and memorable (wedding with all-you-can-eat-oysters and a pool with an artificial beach and waterfall) and sometimes downright bizarre gigs (a meeting of dog trainers, performing in front of a giant backdrop that read "The Nutritional Concerns of Breeding Bitches"). We have one more gig together at the Monterey Blues Festival. If you're in town, be sure to check out the soulful, good-natured sound of Mr. Hames.

Closer to home, I'm playing solo piano/voice tomorrow night at La Furia Chalaca, a Peruvian seafood restaurant on the corner of Broadway and 4th in Oakland, in Jack London Square. Come on down!