2006!

As i watch the New Year`s Eve preparation
frenzy in my Times Square neighborhood
i am thinking back to My Last Year`s Experiences.

In February Kathleen and flew to Bahamas
for one week`s vacation at Nassau which was
so much fun!

Late May i flew to Athens for to do some gigs
and to see my beloved parents and stayed there for one wonderful whole month.

In September we celebrated my birthday in Greece
stayed in our summer house in Nea Makri
and spent one fantastic week at Chania`s
southern coast Sougia and
Agia Roumeli.

In November we visited our friends Jeff and Sandy in San Francisco
and spent one fantastic week there.

In July i played at Lucilles for the first time
and that thrilling feeling i felt again when i played there at
Christmas Eve..

In February i started writing this blog and i am happy and proud
that "Rockin`Blues" is on the first page on Google.

Happy New Year!

James Brown.

Sunday night we had a blast at Lucilles!

Although it was Christmas Eve we did have
a good crowd,mostly tourists from all over the world.

These four guys from Holland were going crazy
dancing and singing along with the tunes.

Then it was this guy from Russia who was
buying me a drink everytime i stepped down from the stage.

What can i say,we had a blast!

Next morning while i was reading the New York Times
on line i read the news about James Brown death.

I couldn`t beleive it.

The Godfather of Soul was scheduled for two shows at BBKINGS
for New Years Eve and all tickets were sold out!

How tragic.What an incredible man he was!

His music,and his talent and astonishing energy will live on
to inspire generations of musicians.

Christmas songs and more.

Saturday night we went to see the play Cinderella
at the Hudson Guild.
After the fantastic performances we went to a party given at
Michael Howard`s studio,
and later on at another party at one of the actors house at
Central Park West.

Sunday night i was invited by Nikki Armstong
to her show at The Groove
in the heart of Greenwich Village
and i had the chance to meet all my friends on the stage and play with them.

Lots of fun on a very beautiful night,i had to stroll around a bit
before heading back home.

Monday night at Lucille`s i was invited
by my friend Jon Paris and i had the chance
to see his amazing performance and sit in with the band,
playing his guitar, while Jon playing his Harmonica.

He is one of the most amazing players i have ever heard!

Thursday night i had the chance to meet one of my old
time favorite guitar players mr.Leslie West.
He was presenting his signature model Dean Guitars
at Manny`s.

I had a last minute cancelation from a student, so i run over to 48th st.
to meet the Man himself, and got the chance to hear a one to one version
of Mississippi Queen remembering
all his staff i was studying long time ago and still love it.

Now i am trying out some Christmas songs
for my show at Lucille`s
this Sunday December 24th.

Times Square.#1 Tourist Attraction.

I am talking about my neighbourhood!

N.Y.C. has become one of the most popular
Holiday Destinations in the country and that`s a fact.

A little while ago Rockefeller Center was the most
popular tourist site in the city, especially around Christmas
with the world famous decorated Christmas Tree.

Radio City which is part
of the Rockefeller complex doesn`t help matters,as people gather
on the sidewalk waiting for the show to start,or to buy tickets.

But nothing compares to the frenzy of my neighbourhood ,Times Square.

The last years that i have been living here i have witnessed myself
the tremendous increase of tourists.

It`s literally hard to walk over 7th av, and Broadway.

Wednesday night i went down to Tribeca
to the jam at Murray st. hosted by Jake Walker.

It was a fun night and i met so many musicians,old and new friends.

I Played together with very good musicians and got a good responce
and compliments about my playing and my Blade

Change in the Weather.

It was a beautiful morning yesterday as i walked all the way
to my NYUCD appointment.

I enjoy walking away from Midtown
passing through the very busy for the holidays Bryant Park
with all the small shops around and an ice scating attraction
right in the middle where the grass is green in the summer.

I cross Fifth Ave. where the Midtown Library
is located and then i walk towards
the East River to 2nd Ave
to avoid the traffic and i continue walking to the 24th st.

On my way back i choose 3nd ave.
and Lexington where i am always
amazed for the variety of the Indian Restaurants
and Indian shops.

Michael brought me the new cd from J.J.Cale
and Eric Clapton titled JJ Cale & Eric Clapton:Escondido,
which i find very relaxing and calming to listen to.

My other student Jim,who wanted to learn the rhythm and solo parts
of the song "Cocaine" which was a hit from E.C`s album "Slowhand"
had no idea that it was written by J.J.Cale.

None of my students knew either that the song "Black Magic Woman"
a hit from Santana`s second album "Abraxas"
was written by another guitar legend Peter Green!

I met with Kathleen for Thai dinner at Pam`s at the corner
of 49th st. and 9th ave. at 8:30 and the weather had tottaly changed
from mild cold to freezing cold with high winds in just a few hours.

But iam getting used to these changes living on an island.

On the November 27th Issue of The New Yorker
the Cartoon Issue is a hilarious story titled "Road Trips"
writtten by David Sedaris.

I really had a hard time stop laughing with every new sentence.

The Strat.

My Guitar Player arrived the other day.
The January 2007 issue.
Celebrating the 60th anniversary of Fender`s
California`s dream.

Hey, I am a Strat Fanatic.

I`ve been playing my 70`s Strat non stop for ten years.

Then sometime in the 80`s when i was living in Stockholm
i`ve got me a Charvel
with a Kahler vibrato system
which was a pain and after three years i sold it to a student
and Charvel Guitars Fanatic back in Athens.

In the beginning of the 90`s i `ve got me a Blade R4
after meeting with Mr.Levinson himself, and i used it exclusively
for at least five years and in the making of my Highly Acclaimed album
"Fota Tou Iliggou" from 1996.

Later on i`ve got me a second hand Fender Strat from the 80`s with maple neck
which became my guitar of choice from the end of the 90`s till 2004.

I love Strats,the way they look and sound ,the way they balance your body
and no matter what other guitars i play at times i am always coming back
to the Strat.

In love with American Music.

My Curiocity for America grew through the music.

When i was growing up in Athens we had Two American Military Bases
one near a prominent Athenian suburb called Glyfada
and one near our summer house 30 miles north- east of Athens between
Nea Makri and Marathon.

Listening to the American Broadcasting Radio for the Americans Stationed in
Greece
i heard all this good music coming through the airwaves,
from Oris Redding
and Aretha Franklin to Johnny Winter,Jimi Hendrix
and Muddy Waters.

Then i started buying records like a madman.

The ones i could not find in Greek Print i found in Plaka
in two stores where they had all these imported records from the U.S.A
most of them second hand from the army .

On my first trip to Italy
i discovered this record store that had all these amazing records
By John Mayall,Fleetwood Mac ,Eric Clapton,Robin Trower, that i spent all my money on records and then i was starving on my way back to Greece.


But after the seven years Dictatorship ended
and after discovering that America`s foreign policy
had something to do with it,Greeks didn`t want
The American Military Bases there anymore and they shut them down.

But with Democracy established,
the free press made it easier to find every record i wanted in Greece.

Learning from the Best!

I always loved the sound of the electric guitar
but the man responsible for me picking one up and starting to play was
Mr. Peter Green`s amazing tone and feel
from his early days with Fleetwood Mac.

I always loved Eric Clapton from his
John Mayall and the Bluesbrakers days
to Cream to Blind Faith
to the amazing still fresh sounding Derek and the Dominoes double
recording of "Layla",but it was Peter Green who drove me to tears with his playing.

When i was growing up in the seventies there were so many good players
and so many good bands to listen to and get inspired.

Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin`s Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck
with the amazing Rod Stewart on vocals,
Robin Trower, Johnny Winter,Harvey Mandel,Peter Framton from his Humble Pie days,
Santana
and then came fusion with the amazing John Mclaughlin
Al Di Meola and Allan Holdsworth to name a few.

So it was fresh and inspiring when down at
St.Mark`s Place
the other day i bought two records i was not interested in buying back then for the luck of
guitar virtuosity and the laid back attitude.
Eric Clapton`s "There`s One in Every Crowd"
from 1975 heavily inspired by Reggaeand
Bob Marley and the 1976 platinum "Fly like and Eagle"
from Steve Miller Band.

Now i Like them both!