In the year 2010-2010.

So we are already in the middle of January but i still recall
the last days of 2009.

I spent Christmas Eve playing at BBKING`s,
my favorite blues club in the city, right here in my famous neighborhood
Times Square!

20 minutes long waiting list for a table, the place was crowded
with tourists from around the globe.

It was such a fun night to remember.

I sold so many Transbluescds too, which is always a good thing!

Sunday January 3nd i was playing the same room again
but with a vastly different crowd,many New Yorkers this time
and many friends too.

Actually my dear friend Helen shot some fun videos that she put up
on the U-Tube .

Check out the slow blues "Who`s loving you tonight",
one song i`ve heard a long time ago in an acoustic version
by Buddy Guy and Junior Wells,
but this is my electric version of the song.
Hope you`ll enjoy it.
Happy New Year!

Friday nIght.

Friday night i was invited to the Waterfront Ale House
where my friends The Black Coffee Blues Band was performing.

It was a very beautiful warm Indian Summer night
so Kathleen and I holding hands walked for half an hour
to the corner of 30th st. and 2nd ave, Waterfront`s
Manhattan location.

We arrived there at 11:30 pm, just in time before the kitchen closes at 12:00
and ordered dinner while the band was setting up.

Our friend Jill who lives close by joined us soon.

They started playing by the time we finished eating and we were ready to rock.

The band was smoking in a non smoking environment and everyone soon started dancing.

Mr. Big Ed Sullivan on lead guitar and vocals
was mesmerizing the audience with some crazy sliding, using ketchup bottles,
beer bottles and whatever else was available to nail those high pitched notes.

Galea on the bass and vocals,
was fun to watch and steady as a rock, and Dimitri Archip
was doing a great job on rhythm guitar and vocals.

We had so much fun listening and dancing to the originals and cover tunes
these guys were playing,when Dimitri announced my name and invited me
to the stage giving me his guitar to play.

On my second song Ed offered me his guitar and we changed positions,
he on the left me on the right of the stage and we continued playing
together till their brake.

By then it was 1:30 am and it was time to head home,
after a wonderful time of music,food and drinks.

Rock on!

Bowery 315.

Last night i was invited to John Varvatos Bowery live,
featuring The Crash Moderns.

Beer and whisky was free for the guests,the band started playing right on time
at 9:00 pm and did a 45 minute show of pop-rock originals older and new.

I met John Varvatos who always tries to be present
to his live events,and we exchanged few words
in the midst of the rock`n`roll noise,
and stayed there till the end of the show sipping my whiskey.

I love walking on Bleecker St.
and i ended up at West 4th subway station,
strolling my way through NoHo
and Greenwich Village
while checking out the live music scene on clubs such as The Bitter End,
Terra Blues, The Red Lion
and The Blue Note on my way to the station.

It was such a beautiful night out and being a little buzzed from the free drinks,
made it even nicer walking around my favorite grounds.

Crashocasters and Lucille`s.

Saturday i had a very busy teaching schedule.

Came back home at around five, late afternoon and i had made plans
to meet Chris and other guitar lovers and collectors at
John "Crash" Matos
Crashocasters opening at The Showroom
in East Village.

It was pouring rain when i entered the Showroom at 7:15 and i stayed there
admiring these beautiful instruments till around 8:00.

Sunday night i was playing at BBKING`S-LUCILLE`S
and when i got there i found out that i was competing against the Yankees play-off game, which was broadcasting on the screen behind me.

I managed to get a good crowd despite the major traffic delays caused by the game.

Special thanks to all my friends and students who showed up supporting live music and SOUKIS.
See you all again soon.

Robin Trower Live!

Friday night we went to see
Robin Trower
at BBKING`s.

He came up on stage at 8:45 and he played till 10:30.

His sound was superb, as one can only expect from a sonic architect as himself
and the band was tight and sounded great.

I have been a huge Robin Trower fan ever since his second album
"Bridge of Sighs" came out in 1974 and i own almost all of his records.

First time i saw him was at Tramps on my first visit to N.Y.C.
in 1997 when he gave me one of his picks, autographed his album
"Someday Blues" for me,took some pics together,
and i gave him my Greek album "Fota tou Iliggou".

Thursday night another big influence of mine
Mr.Johnny Winter played the same room
but i was too busy recording and couldn`t make it.

You win some, you lose some so they say and ain`t that the truth!

Thursday night.

Thursday night i knew i had to go out.

After riding my bike and doing the 3 mile run in Central Park
i was ready for a drink and some good music provided by my friends,
right here in my neighborhood in Times Square

At 8:30 i walked on 46th st. west, crossed 8th ave. and entered Don`t tell mama
where Mike Torres was doing an acoustic solo performance.

It was funny being on the inside looking out at the street i walk almost everyday,
the famous Restaurant Row
sipping on a glass of Jack Daniel`s on the rocks
and listening to Mike playing all these beautiful songs and sounding great.

Later on i passed by BBKING`s to check out my friend
Nikki Armstong and the boys,
and to a totally different scene where people were dancing and grooving to the band`s funky rhythms.

I was invited to play but i was not in the mood.
I just wanted to see and hear all these fabulous musicians laying it down.

Jason Green on the guitar was doing a great job as always.

Came back home at around midnight took out my Guild acoustic
and started singing and playing old and new tunes that came to mind.

A week in NYC.

Monday night at BBKING`s was a blast.

Many people came by, listened, danced, and friends musicians sat in with the band.

Tourists from Norway and Greece
gave me the chance to practice my Swedish and chat in my mother tongue.

Wednesday night i had an invitation to see Mr. Robben Ford at the big room.

Great show and at the end i spotted some familiar faces of other musicians in the first raw.

Steve Lucather, Johnny A and Oz Noy were all there.

Thursday night i won the "King of the Blues" prelims at Manhattan`s Guitar Center and that was great.
I am looking forward to the store finals on September 10th.

Saturday night i went to Mehanata where Magges were playing traditional Greek tunes,
and later on to The National Underground
where my friend Tom Papadatos was playing the drums.

What a week.
Lots of fun meeting friends listening and playing music.
That`s what New York City is about.