Hi all, please join me in supporting the arts and literary magazine called H.O.W. Journal (a beautifully put together magazine with art and poetry and literature) that raises money to help orphans from places like ETHIOPIA and TANZANIA as well as supporting local at risk youth from low-income neighborhoods in New York City. See the event and what they are all about here:

http://www.howjournal.com/

I will play a solo acoustic set of songs mostly written over the summer – FOR my adopted son from Ethiopia  (who has been home now for two weeks!!!!!!) I would love to celebrate our dream come true with you and to help this amazing publication help other orphans as well.

-Tracy

This comes from Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia. I finally feel confortable writing about our adoption.
My husband and I are adopting a 14 month old boy from the south of Ethiopia and it has been the longest most frustrating journey of our lives. Remember the Monty Python sketch where John Cleese is running toward the camera and it cuts away briefly then back to find him even further away from the camera yet running just as hard? Thats how it seemed, in retrospect, only it wasn’t funny and it lasted a total of 3 years. In that time we were told to start looking into other programs as Ethiopian adoption has been thretening to close with US and ET governments scrutinizing the program due to much illegal activity.

But that is all behind us now! We are here in Addis and next time we land on American soil we will have our baby with us.

He has been my muse for the past 5 months solid. I have written a ton of songs and have more on deck. It has been the most productive summer / fall of my life. I have at least three different projects / albums in the works and I hope I can get them finished and out so they don’t sit around.

But what I really wanted to write about, as I don’t feel comfortable sharing too much personal life here, is what I was thinking last night as we went to Taitu Hotel to listen to some live jazz. We have been in love with Ethio-jazz for quite some time (if you don’t know Ethio-jazz go listen to the soundtrack for the film Broken Flowers starting Bill Murray). This type of music was mostly created by artist Mulatu Estatke who grew up in Ethiopia.  While studying jazz, he traveled to London, New York and Cuba and began writing music inspired by traditional jazz, afro-Cuban music, and the music of his own people. If you listen to it you will hear a pentatonic scale, often with a flat 2, and a flat 6, (a pentatonic meaning 5 note scale. This one would be 1, flat 2, 4, 5 flat 6). I just read that the scale used in typical Ethio-jazz has another name. In my studies I have not heard this name but I am willing to learn (can’t remember it now)! We are always on the lookout when in Ethiopia for live Ethio – jazz. Last night we found it in a beautiful club in the Taitu Hotel. I took pics of the place. It was so hip and dirty. The band playing was made up of jazz students. I figured it was like the Ethiopian version of Berklee College Of Music. They played a Mulatu Astatke piece up front and then went to the student requisite or GB  band favorite – Song For My Father. I have never heard it in this context. It hit me that night – it has a similar sound to Ethio-jazz with it’s Cuban feel and baseline with slinky jazz over the top. The melody doesn’t have the pentatonic with the flat 2 and 6 but it sounds slightly similar to a piece I know. Horace Silver, did he know of Mulatu Astatke?  When the students improvised over the changes they used the pentatonic scale. It completely morphed into an Ethio-jazz piece. I wondered to myself “are these students taught this scale in their jazz programs at school or is it just natural for them? I want to talk more about this…. But it’s time to go visit our son!! More soon…..

It’s been a while since my last post. It’s not for slacking. So much has been going on in my personal life. So much I can’t even begin to write it all here. My husband and I are adopting a child from Ethiopia and after three years of waiting, we are finally close. I don’t want to jinx it so I can’t say much. It’s been such a long haul. Fingers crossed it all goes well. We are at the finish line. And now that I have a massive deadline, and a new muse, I am writing like a maniac. I have decided to record on my own, holed up in our Woodstock cabin, DIYing it all the way. I wanted to just do this and do it my way before our child gets here. These songs are about the wait, about our child, and about family in general. I am going to DIY this new record or EP or whatever it is and for right now I am calling it the Fukit Sessions because that is the kind of fighter spirit I have right now. Most likely I will call this record A Woody Hollow. This is a phonetic way to (almost) pronounce I love you in Amharic, the most common language in Ethiopia. Posted here are two pics. First the crappy mics in my collection that I will use for the Fukit Sessions. Second, the inspiration behind a song called Grandma, What Have You Seen. She watched over me tonight as I recorded my FREAK FOLK song. No holds barred at this point. You will see what I mean…..

MMNY_4x6_V1 Come see Tracy and super talent Jim Boggia play for Make Music NY – and celebrate the summer solstice too. 3pm at Joe’s Pub outdoor stage 423 Lafayette Street (near Astor station on the 4,5,6 trains) FREE EVENT. Last Tracy Bonham show until Fall.

JOE’S PUB SHOW TUES MAY 24, 9.30 PM.                                                                                   Join Tracy for a live performance featuring songs from her critically acclaimed Masts of Manhatta as well as a sneak preview of a few new songs as she prepares to record a new album this summer / fall. Jim Boggia and Courtney Kaiser guests. Tix $17. Doors 9pm www.joespub.com                                                                                                                                Joe’s pub is at 425 Lafayette street, NYC.

MUSIC AT THE MOVIES SUNDAY MAY 29 at 8.30 PM                                                              Join tracy in Woodstock NY at the Tinker Street Cinema for Music at the Movies series – a live concert  in an unusual setting.                                                   NY http://upstatefilms.org/film-series/music-at-the-movies

Click here to listen to listen to the NPR interview now.

I’m writing songs on an airplane! Airplanes always inspire. I have a baby record now – it is learning to crawl…

Wednesday April 13
Playing violin and singing with Dave Matthews for the 20th reunion of the original Blue Man Group a benefit for the Blue School.

Tracy adds:
I have a long history with Blue Man – recording/touring/friendship. This show is special because it’s with the 3 original guys Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton performing at the Astor Theater. All other shows I’ve ever played have been on tour with other blue men. Yesterday was my first rehearsal at the Astor Theater. It was so cool to look over and see Chris with the swisher, and Phil and Matt on the tubulum. Dave Matthews shows up today for final rehearsal. He will join in on two songs. I am loving being in the theater. I love the lights, the black walls, the smell, everything. It brings me back to my childhood.

Tuesday May 24 – Joe’s Pub show – more info coming soon!

May 26/27
Two shows in Cleveland with Wayfaring Strangers!

Thursday May 26 at NightTown – more info coming!

Friday May 27 at Cleveland Symphony – more info coming!

Tracy adds:
WS has been one of my favorite side projects for many years. The musicians are frighteningly amazing. A mix of world class blue grass, folk and jazz musicians. I fit in somehow! And it’s all starting to rub off on me and my music. I am missing playing Dylan Fest this year for these Cleveland gigs. I LOVE Dylan fest – playing Scarlet Rivera’s parts, but Wayfaring Strangers calls this year.

Sunday May 29
An evening with Tracy Bonham at the Tinker Street Theater in Woodstock, NY. More info coming.

Tracy adds:
Come see this show because you must. Its the Sunday before Memorial Day. Jerry Marotta on drums, stay tuned for other Catskill celebs.

APRIL 1st WILLIAMSBURG BROOKLYN SHOW ANNOUNCED

Fri 1st Apr 2011
Cameo Gallery
93 N. 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

An Evening with Tracy Bonham and Ben Sollee at Cameo Gallery in Williamsburg Brooklyn.

Tickets @ http://www.cameony.com

Back to Brooklyn where the sun shines on a Saturday. Walking the dogs around this amazing neighborhood.  This time I’m in a sleep deprived haze. No sleep at all in Austin last night as I played violin with Ben Sollee at St David’s Sanctuary from 1 – 2am, then caught a cab to the airport at 4am. Dan Wilson’s set was a 9pm, where I sat in with him along with Marty from the Dixie Chicks. I had wanted to see Lucinda Williams and my friend Butch at Moody’s Theater at midnight, but a last minute rehearsal was called for the Ben Sollee gig. I was inspired mostly by Ben. He sings harmony with his cello. This is something I have been doing with my violin and when I think of the two of us playing our own show together I can hear / see the possibilities. Folksy / old time bluesy / classicaly-ish string arrangements with voice. Come April 1st to see / hear. More thoughts about playing music: It may not seem like work but this is an ongoing effort to connect with people and find ways to move air in beautiful ways. Making shapes with our mouth, our instrument, making temporary shapes with the air. They dance with other shapes bouncing off of each other. It all comes straight from the heart. Need i say, It’s an occupation, and it’s something I feel I have to justify lately. No, it’s not paying all the bills at the moment. But it’s an artists life’s work. It’s what we are called here on this earth to do. I hope that in some small way I make people feel things with my shapes and sounds, with my ideas. It doesn’t get heard by the masses anymore. But I go out there to the smaller audience and I get a sense from people that I am making them feel something and I am taking them somewhere. This is what it’s all about. I appreciate the person who walks up to me saying Mother Mother gave them The words they didn’t have AND I appreciate the person who calls out for a tune from my latest record. It reminds me that I am on the right track. I am touching people. My temporary shapes altering lives in some way. It’s life’s work. It’s soul work. It’s still a lot of work. Thanks for listening.

- Tracy