7/15/05:
NEW NEWS:
NEW BAY AREA SHOWS COMING UP!
See the SCHEDULE PAGE for information on a show
Saturday July 16, 2005 at SPUDS PIZZA (click here)
in Berkeley. Spuds is a great new venue with terrific food and a wonderful music parlor backroom. A very nice "listening room".
Suggested donation for the show is $7.
A couple of new friends on the Friends of the Band page: Music Millennium, the finest independent
record store I've ever been in; and Bleeping Computer - a free computer help site that helped me rid my pc of TWO viruses
at once... for free.
New on the MUSIC PAGE 2 songs from a recent gig by The Henry Kaiser Quartet
at THE BOOM BOOM ROOM in San Francisco. Why are they here? I sang on them!
Also some new fun stuff on the FUN STUFF page, including a random surrealism generator which
I haven't decided whether it's all that fun or not yet; hit REFRESH to generate a new one. Drop me a line if you have an opinion phil@philkellogg.com
6/15/05:
MORE NEWS is BETTER NEWS:
IT'S HERE NOW! GRAVITY CAN bring you down, but LEVITY CAN LIFT YOU UP!
If you'd like to purchase online at the introductory sale price of just $12.57, please visit the good people at
MUSIC MILLENNIUM.COM.
6/1/05:
5/1/05:
2/22/04:
7/2/03:
Due to scheduling conflicts, Terry Robb and I have had to cancel the 7/17 show at the Little Valley Bistro.
2/12/03: A few weeks back, on Thursday January 23, I
appeared with Portland's TERRY ROBB, a blues guitarist
who gave one of the highlight
sets at the 2002 Fahey Tribute in Berkeley. This show was at the LITTLE VALLEY BISTRO in
Sunol, CA (see schedule page for detais). Sunol is a great little town, nestled in the hills.
The mayor of Sunol is A DOG named BOSCO.
I'LL NEVER SAY NEVER EVER AGAIN: Well... I swore that the Portland Fahey Tribute would be my last as organizer.
Hah! I'm in the very early planning stages for shows in Chicago and San Francisco. John's spirit refuses to rest! (and that's
a very good thing...)
CONGRADULATIONS are in order for long-time "friend of the band" ANGEL LECONFORA.
Things are happening. 2003 is shaping up to be an incredible year.
The PORTLAND, OREGON edition of THE JOHN FAHEY TRIBUTE will be "sometime in
AUGUST"; venue is TBD. I'm still coordinating the actual lineup, but hope
to have PETER LANG, TERRY ROBB, RICK RUSKIN... One possible surprise guest is in the
works - stay tuned.
This will be the LAST John Fahey Tribute with me as organizer. It's
time to move forward. I have enjoyed meeting all my fellow
Faheyites, and the shows have been spectacular. But the "tribute"
aspect focuses too much on John's passing. That was appropriate during the
time that we admirers of this great man spent in mourning, but what I know of
John tells me that he would not wish to extend this period any further.
In this spirit, future editions of the FREIGHT AND SALVAGE event (Berkeley,
California) will be called "FARE FORWARD MUSIC", a name taken from John's
landmark album "Fare Forward Voyagers". These will feature an ENTIRELY NEW
lineup of artists, less focussed on the music of John Fahey but still embodying
his spirit of adventure and artistic excellence. There will be fewer
musicians, and the set lengths will be increased. Each participant will be
someone who has established themselves as a unique leader in his or her
respective genre. No names to divulge yet for the 2003 edition, but I am
talking with some extraordinary artists. I am working on a commercial cd release of the highlights of the 2001 and
2002 Tribute programs. I am in the process of securing a distribution deal
for my label, hands solo music; this step should be complete within a few
months. Following the release of that album, I will be releasing my own "live" cd.
This will be followed by a studio album by "phil kellogg and AMAZING FRIENDS".
I'm talking with a number of musicians that I admire and respect regarding their
possible participation as guest artists; this will be my first real "band"
album. Meanwhile... if you haven't yet ordered "Passive-Aggressive", time is running
out. I will be discontinuing availability of this album in the near
future. It's a work that I am very proud of, and one I think you might enjoy. The "Who am I" page now includes a "why am i?" section which lists
the albums and artists who had the strongest influences on me. I expect to resume doing concerts in early 2003. Healing of my left
hand is very much on schedule, and I am emerging from the injury, truly, in
better shape than ever. I'm writing lots of new songs, and feel a
revitalized energy. Did I mention that 2003 will be incredible?
NO NEWS is GOOD NEWS:
I've been keeping myself pretty quiet since the last update nearly a year ago.
There's a good reason for this, actually: I've been very busy.
What's kept me occupied is a NEW ALBUM called
"GRAVITY CAN BRING YOU DOWN" (click here)
Unlike "PASSIVE-AGGRESIVE", this is not strictly a solo affair.
I am really excited about this album, which I consider my finest work to-date.
This one will also be available through your local retail outlet, as I have signed a distribution agreement
with Burnside Distribution.
Produced by my friend TERRY ROBB, "Gravity..." features guest artists on several tracks:
Henry Kaiser: electric guitar
Bill Rhoades: harmonica
Jeff Minnick: drums
Terry Robb: acoustic guitar
And in other news...:
Lately I don't seem to be able to play at home. Between the phone and nagging chores, there are simply too many distractions.
Here's a couple of photos of one of my current favorite practice spots, next to a river just outside Sunol, California:
ATTENTION San Francisco Bay Area fingerpickers:
Two relatively new venues offering good guitar music these days:
SPUDS in Berkeley, where I recently saw master picker Dale Miller perform.
Bazaar Cafe in San Francisco plays host to my old friend Teja Gerken's
Guitar Showcase, which recently featured Henry Kaiser. Check 'em out!
So, what's new since way last July? Most significantly, the third John Fahey Tribute Concert
happened on November 21, 2003. Yeh, that's last year, I know, but (hey!) I'm trying to catch up here. This was a very
cool show, featuring 6 remarkable guitarists. Most excitingly, it was held in my old hometown Portland, Oregon - yes, we hit the road this time.
So not only did I get to participate in a spectacular musical evening, I also got to visit old friends and family.
And the venue was perfect: the Old Church. This is literally what the name implies, though it is now devoted exclusivvely to events rather than worship.
What a great hall! Spacious, with tall ceilings, comfy pews, and acoustics ideal for acoustic music. I hope to hold future editions
of the show there as well. Of course, we'll still be doing shows in Berkeley, too.
I also made some great new friends. I owe thank you's to so many people that helped make the evening not just a success, but also
a very special event. It's easy to know where to begin: a big thanks to Terry Currier and Music Millenium. Terry and the gang contributed
advertising, huge window displays, handled the whole ticketing process, and much much more. I've said it many times before, but it bears
repeating: Music Millenium is hands-down the finest record store I've ever been in. If you're looking for Britney Spears you may have to
search quite a while, but if you want that off-the-wall, maybe sort of obscure album you can't find anywhere else you'll probably see it proudly
displayed right up front the moment you walk in. And everyone there knows good music and is willing to discuss it in a friendly, Oregon way.
Tim Knight, a member of the John Fahey Trio, brought in some of John's guitars for display in the lobby.
Trevor Rasmussen handled promotion. Melissa Stephenson (who has
attended all 3 editions of the show) held down the fort at the door. Melody Fahey (whom I met in 1980 when I opened for
John) was there. Steve Campbell and I spent a day papering the town with fliers.
And my sisters, Nancy Schreiber and Kathy Nyquist generously fed us all (and believe me: we were hungry!).
And my wife Chari flew up for one day just to be there.
I know I'm forgetting people. Give me a minute...
The musicians were truly remarkable. Peter Lang has now played at all three shows; hey, I'm the only other guy that can
say that and I had to organize them to gain that distinction.
Terry Robb amazes me more each time I hear him (this was his second Tribute appearance). Rick Ruskin, who played at the first show,
once again wowed the crowd with his smooth fingerwork and his hairy stories of working with Fahey. New to the group were Paul Chasman (who sported
a custom 8-string guitar) and Vietnamese guitarist Tinh Mahoney (a student of John's). Once again, the occasion to celebrate the spirit of John Fahey brought out the
best in each artist.
So, what else is new? A bunch of new songs. One about a man dying in a hospital ("Demerol"), one about discovering your house has been broken into
(Was Anyone Seen in The Area?"), one about, well, cars and food and love and life ("Everything Changes, Nothing Stays the Same"), some new instrumentals, covers of
"Happy Jack" by the Who and "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby (Standing in the Shadow)?" by the Stones and, well, on and on.
It's getting to be time for a new album. You'll be the first to know about it. This time I will have some guest artists and a real live producer and many surprises.
The Music Page is now averaging about 100 downloads a month. These are culled from live appearances and other odd places. They are ABSOLUTELY FREE
and the RIAA won't call you up and accuse you of stealing. Just go there, browse around, and have a good time. I've had guests from all across the US, the UK, Japan, Australia, China,
the Philippines... darned near everywhere. You don't have to sign in, join up, or give a credit card - just click.
However, Terry and I are now playing The Freight and Salvage in Berkely on
Sunday July 27.
And... my old friend Teja Gerken and I will be at the Little Valley
on Saturday September 13.
The Third Edition of the JOHN FAHEY TRIBUTE CONCERT series is now scheduled for PORTLAND, OREGON
on FRIDAY NOVEMBER 21 at the OLD CHURCH.
See the SCHEDULE page (click here) for all the latest.
2/19/03:
I've added some incredible COOKIE RECIPES to the
FUN STUFF page (click here).
This same page features a fun "comet trail cursor"; scroll to the bottom of the page and relive the 60's in
all their hallucinogenic glory.
BTW, Terry Robb and I have been scheduled back at the Little Valley on July 17. I'm looking forward to bringing many
other musicians to this great new venue in the East Bay.
This turned out to be a great show and a highly enjoyable evening. Terry was absolutely phenomonal, delivering
a strong set of his unique, highly blues-oriented, Fahey-influenced fingerpicking. Check out Terry's website
(click here)
for some samples and ordering information for his many albums. My 2 personal recommendations are his latest solo outing
"When I Play My Blues Guitar" and his spectacular swing band album "Heart Made of Steel".
Angel told me that her instrumental recording "El Nino Strikes Again!" had risen to #12 on
Soundclick.com's Rock-Instrumental chart... Well, I hope she's checked again recently because it's now
at #2!
Click here to see for yourself.
Or click here to go straight her website
and order up your own personal copy.