Good Evening. Please do check out our new project The Long Memory. We hope it will be the foundation for developing a non-profit to house the Utah Phillips archives.

Howdy

I just got back from Portland via Spokane, I know it sounds a little odd but I had a lot of folks to see and still didn't have enough time yo visit Brackney in Victoria. I went to Portland Genny's retirement get together at Sister's. Any of you not familiar with Sister's Of The Road please do check out the link to their site. It was a wonderful affair. People filed in all afternoon to spend time with Genny. A few folks sang a tune or two and others spoke about what Genny and Sister's has meant to them over the years.
A couple of days I drove to Spokane to see Sheila. Sheila is Brendan and Morrigan's mother. Sheila found an old journal of dad's from the early seventies that she has been holding onto for me. It has twenty or so songs in it some has went onto record and others not yet finished. My plan is to finish them up and contribute to the journal as time rambles on but leave a few pages blank for my son Brendan not to be confused with my brother Brendan and yes I did name my son after my brother. It was great to see Sheila, I haven't seen her since dad and I road tripped to Spokane in 2001. Back in the late seventies she flew me up to Spokane for a week to visit dad and her before I joined the Marine Core. It was a short week but one I always carry with me. It was probably ten or twelve years before I saw dad again at gig in Dallas. Even though dad and I spent many, many years apart that trip to Spokane burnished us together.
Oh ya did I mention that the last tribute CD "Singing Through The Hard Times" has been nominated for a Grammy. It will be two years in a row that a tribute CD for dad has ha been nominated. My little brother Brendan is going to go to the awards along with the producers, Dan Schatz, Kendall and Jackie Morse. I think you can watch that portion of the awards show on the internet.

I have gathered together a group of folks her in Utah that are going to do a Utah tribute to Utah produced by our good friend Kate Macleod. Kate just finished her own CD " Blooming" that Tim O'Brien in Nashville.
I think we will call it "The Long Memory" I will keep you posted

Check this out

Howdy folks. I got this pic today and thought you might like it. Nice piece of hobo graffiti wouldn't you say. I am happy to announce that my little brother Brendan and I will be traveling to Washington D.C. for a tribute show for dad. The show will be on Oct. 30, I'm not sure where yet but I will keep you posted as details roll in.
I drove down to see Joanna last weekend she's hanging in there. It's always nice to spend time with her. She has a new dog named Zimmerman. He looks like a pint sized Bo (her last dog). I brought home a lot of pictures of dad and have begun the delightful task of scanning them into my computer. There's a lot of good stuff, I will post some as I go them. I think we are going to use some of them for the song book that we are currently working on. I met with the book designer on Saturday so things are moving along. If any of you know any of the folks that helped put the original "Starlight on the Rails" song book together please do send their info along.

Howdy,
I apologize for not posting more often. During the summer months my toil is fairly intense. Most nights blogging is the last thing on my mind, hang in there until winter and i will post more often. There are a few things that I am working on. First of I am working on getting Rosalie a gig here in SLC sometime this fall. If it works out Ben, Gigi and I will open for here. How cool will that be? We are also working on a gig at the U of U on Nov. 19, This one will be a labor show with some folks here in SLC Nov. 19, is the day Joe Hill was executed or more accurately, murdered by the State of Utah after he was convicted of shooting a shop keeper and his son. I also plan to make it up to Spokane some time in December to visit Sheila, Brendan and Morrigan's mom. I haven't had the chance to see her since dad's death. We might do a house concert or something, we'll see. If any of you have ideas on places to visit and folks willing to put together a house concert or two along the way please do let me know as I plan to travel a bit in my off months and visit some of dad's old friends and favorite towns. We are still working on re releasing dad's old song book. I haven't talked to Ken about it lately, I think the slow economy has slowed the project down a bit. But not to worry we will get it done sooner than later.
Thanks again for the posts. I may not update the blog that often but I do think about it and all of the wonderfull folks that send comments.
Thanks
Duncan

Howdy,
I hope that everyone is enjoying a lazy Saturday afternoon. The Kate Wolf festival went well. It felt a little rough but I've been told folks enjoyed it. We performed Sat. on the Utahpia stage with dad's old friends Mark Ross And Kuddie. It was a good place to start, besides being named after dad it is a small stage with friendly folks. Come to think of it the festival is full of friendly folks. Everyone camps out and you get a nice community vibe. Sunday Gigi, Ben and I played the Revival tent. The Revival tent is one of the last places that dad played. It was a fitting spot to carry on.
Even though I had gone over the stories and songs hundreds of times over the last six months or so it was far more emotional than I though it would be. Know matter how much you prepare and go over things in your mind some things you never have control of. Sure I could have played and sang better but honesty I wouldn't have had the show go any other way. I will always remember the smile on Rosalie's face as she sat in the audience and sang along, it was amazing. a week later I am left with a mixture of emotions. I have the constant urge to play and sing mixed with the back beat of, what am I thinking can I really do this? But what the hell dad always took pride in the fact that all of his children live somewhere on the outskirts of reality. It must be genetic. I do have plans to get out and about some this winter and I hope to get the chance to see some of you along the way.

Howdy

Hello everyone. It's been awhile I know. Since the last update I have been to Nevada City for the one year deal and traveled to Moab Ut. to rehearse with Ben and Gigi for the Kate Wolf Festival next week. Going back to Nevada City was far more difficult than I thought it would be. Folks say it takes a year after a death to start moving on. That sounds nice but it's really a load of crap. The first place I went upon my arrival was the cemetary to see dad. I just stood there shaking.

A whole year can you belive it, I can't. Joanna is doing well and it was nice to see Brendan and Morrigan. We are scatterd about so,so we don't get a chance to see each other that often. We sat around with a few close friends , told stories and stuffed our faces with barbecued chicken.

I am now focused on Next weekend and the Kate Wolf festival. Bobette and I will drive down on Thursday to see Joanna before heading to Laytonville. Rehearsal went well. It was the first time we had all played together in fact it was the first time Ben had met Gigi. A good friend of ours bought a place in Moab that is void of furniture so it was a great place to jam. All weekend we jammed, hiked around and jammed. It's a bummer that none of us live in the same city let alone the same state.
But things are coming along.
Her is the line up of songs that we are going to do

Daddy What's a Train
Eddie's Song
Going Away
Aces,Straight and Flushes
Carolina Pines - Kate's song
Green Rolling Hills of West Virgina
I Think of You
Long Gone - A song that I wrote for dad
Trumpet Vine _ Kate's song
If I Could Be The Rain - Maybe
and assorted stories and memories

If any of you come please do stop by and say hi.
If there is internet at the site I will post next weekend
Thanks.
Duncan

Howdy

Hello, I trust that everybody had a good May Day. Our local May Day event had to postponed due to rain. We worked all week on building a boss pinata for the little ones to take a whack at so we were a little bummed when the rain settled in. We'll give it a go next weekend.

Gigi Love and I did a house concert last night here in Salt Lake. Actually it was mostly Gigi. She did here thing and then we did a few songs together. We sang Aces Straights and Flushes, Daddy What's a Train, The Green Rolling Hills of West Virgina and she closed with Going Away. She of course was perfect, for me it was the first time to play and sing in front of folks. Needles to say I was a little shaky but I got through it and folks were very encouraging. It was a small gathering of thirty or so at our friends John and Tamrika's house. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and Gigi made enough cash to cover her coming up from Durango to rehearse with me for a couple of days and go over things for the Kate wolf Festival in June. Gigi, Ben and I are going to do our Bums on the Plush thing on Sunday at the festival and Dad's old friends Mark Ross, Kuddie and my little brother Brendan are going to do a tribute for dad on Saturday. As far as the music I think it's coming along and with the help of good friends I'm starting to get the hang of it. I will post some pics of the May Day event next week.
Take care.
Duncan