Colorado, Texas, and a special Patreon request Jimi Hendrix cover fulfilled!
As always, scroll down to see my upcoming dates and gig info with the links below, check my website, or follow my Bandsintown for regular updates.
To join my patreon for new music every month and much more, go to patreon.com/jeffplankenhorn
Wondering what’s going on in my life?
It’s 10:00 AM at Comox Valley Airport, Comox, BC. I’m through security and as always, worried about my 2 checked guitars. Ah, the life of a troubadour. Headed for 2 weeks in Colorado. I already have 3 of the gigs sold out already and a couple private and open to the public gigs, but — Carbondale, CO this Friday June 3rd. This one I need your help with. Know anyone in or near Carbondale? Have they ever been to the world famous Steve’s Guitars? Tickets available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/say-hello-to-jeff-plankenhorn-tickets-622277537867
There’s also a house concert in Fort Collins that’s shy a few folks, but everything else looks full and rosy. I am a lucky fella. Everyday.
My two mid-June gigs in Courtenay and Victoria, BC are both sold out! Time to add a Friday night house concert somewhere…
In late June, early July I will be returning to TEXAS. That’s right Texas for two of my favorite gigs anywhere: Music on Main in Round Rock Wednesday June 28th. Summer in the Park in San Marcos Thursday June 29th. And a special “Canadians in Austin” Canada Day show at the world famous Saxon Pub Saturday July 1st at 8pm. I’ll be doing my full band set with Cari Hutson, Scrappy Jud Newcomb, Amanda Jarman, and Brian Christopher Mendes! Throw in a fantastic solo show in Rockport on Friday June 30.
Alright, enough of that stuff. on to the story of this month’s first Patreon offering. One of the perks of being a member of my Patreon community is that once in a while, for the upper tier and longtime conributors, I get a chance to arrange and record a requested cover song. For this month, my friend (and longtime supporter) Amy Patelli requested I try my hand(s) and voice at “Red House” by Jimi Hendrix.
What a fine choice!
I don’t always get to honor every request, and sometimes the song just doesn’t jive with me (even if I am a fan of the tune). This song is deep in me. Deep. I am of the opinion that even if your favorite all-time electric rock guitarist isn’t Jimi, if your guitarist made any music after 1967 I would venture to say there’s a 99.9% chance that Jimi influenced your number one guit-slinger. Lots of folks over the years have mistaken this song as a cover Jimi did on his very first album Are You Experienced? “Hey Joe,” from the same recording was after all a classic folk song Jimi arranged that I believe ended up being his first single. Lest we forget Jimi Hendrix was indeed a rock god, but his music was considered pop! Still it has all the markings of a classic blues form. Lyrically in could have been written in 1923 or 2023. It even has the classic pun and full stop before the turnaround cadence at the end of the song. Though the words, chord structure, and form easily could have come from the repertoire of Muddy Waters or even Robert Johnson, there was nothing else about this song that was derivative (again, in my opinion). The guitar tone and the licks, and in addition the spirit and treatment of the melody he sang — Jimi was notoriously critical of his singing voice — all those parts were undeniably unique and nobody had heard anything quite like that (at least not in commercial music) before that album.
“The Wind Cries Mary,” from Are You Experienced? happens to be the second song I every learned on guitar. There are a select few who know what the first song I ever learned on guitar, but I’ll likely take that to my grave unless it gets out. I bought the Tablature (poor man’s music notation) book of the entire album. I had the album on cassette and had stolen it from my big brother John. I used to zone out in the bathtub as early as ten years old by myself and crank these songs at full volume from my cheap mono (thankfully battery-powered) boom box. Seems I was looking for escape as long as I can remember. I learned to play it on a Goya classical guitar I ruined by mistakenly putting steel strings on it (I didn’t know, and my brother was out of the house by then). My fingers literally bled. Often, When I finally got my first electric guitar with it’s tiny strings (comparatively) and low-action fretboard I thought I must be a natural with how easy it became to play everything I had learned up to that point.
Back to the story. One problem though was that not every song on Are you Experienced? was recorded at what is known as “concert pitch.” This means that I had to retune my guitar between every song and could not play the album from end to end as I had eventually learned to play so many other albums.
“Red House” was/is also in the very unorthodox key of Bb, so notes on the acoustic guitar had to be played above the body of the guitar, whereas on most any electric guitar these same notes would be easily accessible due to the “cutaway” enabling the higher notes to be fretted comfortably.
I love this simple (but not at all easy-to-master) blues song so much. Jimi was the first guitar player I tried to imitate, and the first singer-songwriter I tried to emulate.
I almost always try to do something to rearrange or re-envision songs when I cover them. On my last visit to Texas in March to play some gigs, I picked up the 12-string Martin guitar I bought from Ray Wylie Hubbard many years ago. Instead of having my guitars shipped to Canada, I left a bunch in storage and at a friend’s studio so that when I return I have guitars to play, and I can always fly home with one in tow. in March it was time to bring home the 12. I missed it. I haven’t had a chance to play it much since I brought it back! So an excuse to pull it out and use it for this Jimi cover for patreon seemed just the right time and fit.
I kept it in Bb, even though I’m not sure if Jimi played it in Bb or if they just sped up the recording a little to make it fit on one side of a record (a common concern back then). When I was making my record in Nashville in April I noticed Colin Linden played his acoustic guitar almost exclusively in Open G Tuning (DGDBGD) and that he uses a capo to get into various keys. So I gave that a try. Why not? I love the way Willis Alan Ramsey uses Open G on songs like “Satin Sheets” so I’m very familiar with the accompanying chord shapes. I don’t own a 12-string guitar capo, so I had to use an old trick and “double capo” the guitar up to play in Bb.
Then a la the aforementioned Willis Alan and others like Lightning Hopkins and even Lucinda Williams I adorned my thumb-and-two fingerpicks and added a bit of a funk backbeat to my arrangement.
One other great thing was to get the opening and closing licks I had to fret a note or two above where the fretboard meets the body on this old 12-string, and it really brought me back to age 10 in Westerville, OH playing that retuned, hideously mis-strung, beloved Goya classical guitar.
I hope you enjoy it, if you join my Patreon at $3 or up you can listen to it Thursday on the 1st of June! And if you are in the $10 and up level I will gladly put up a video lesson for anyone interested on how I played it (my version is by no means virtuosic, but if you are curious about the open tuning and the use of the pics, I’m more than happy to do it). And remember if you are at the $50 or $100 a month level I’m coming to your house to cook you chicken enchiladas or Thai Waterfall Salad (haha - but I would).
Finishing this newsletter high in the air between Calgary and Vegas, always grateful that I live such a charmed life. Thanks again to Amy Patelli for the cool request and thank all of you.
See you all in Colorado, on Vancouver Island, and in Texas in June!
Your old pal,
Plank
Jeff Plankenhorn @ private house concert
Thu, Jun 1 @ 7:00PM
private house concert, Telluride, CO
In Telluride!
Telluride Ski Resort (Music on the Green)
Fri, Jun 2 @ 5:15PM
Telluride Ski Resort, Telluride, CO
Steve's Guitars
Sat, Jun 3 @ 8:00PM
Steve's Guitars, Carbondale, CO
Join Plank on his solo songwriter tour of Colorado at this classic cool venue
Pickin and Grinnin
Sun, Jun 4 @ 7:00PM
Pickin and Grinnin, Denver, CO
Solo show check out the link for details!
Grand Mesa Arts & Events Center
Wed, Jun 7 @ 7:00PM
Grand Mesa Arts & Events Center, Cedaredge, CO
Guilty Pleasure Concert Series presents...
Jeff Plankenhorn performs in Cedaredge, CO @ the Grand Mesa Arts & Event Center. Doors open at 6pm, the show begins at 7pm. Tickets are $30 for this 21+ ages show.
Society Hall in Alamosa
Thu, Jun 8 @ 7:30PM
Society Hall in Alamosa, Alamosa, CO
Society Hall is thrilled to welcome Jeff Plankenhorn to the Society Hall stage!
Paths of Heart
Fri, Jun 9 @ 7:00PM
Paths of Heart, Fort Collins, CO
To get a ticket...
https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/ Specify Jeff Plankenhorn concert in the special instructions OR venmo @PathsofHeart
Email address info@pathsofheart.org. Office phone number 970-484-9600 (not a cell, so no texts, but prefer this number for inquiries). We bill these concerts as "Paths of Heart Presents..."
JUN10
Restoration Vineyards
Sat, Jun 10 @ 1:30PM
Restoration Vineyards, Palisade, CO
Join Plank for his solo songwriter tour with Cup o' Joe opening both sets at 130pm and 330pm
Palisade Brewing Company
Sun, Jun 11 @ 2:00PM
Palisade Brewing Company, Palisade, CO
Join Plank for his solo songwriter tour of Colorado!
Livestream Live At Lunch on KRFC Fort Collins
Fri, Jun 16 @ 12:00PM
enjoy this stellar online/radio concert series at
https://www.youtube.com/krfcradiovision
or
krfcfm.com
Big Blue House Courtenay
Sat, Jun 17 @ 8:00PM
Big Blue House Courtenay, Courtenay, BC
SOLD OUT!
The Big Blue House is excited to present Jeff will his trio in the YARD.
Comments from his first appearance at VIMM "WHY IS HE NOT ON THE MAIN STAGE"
Rockland/Fairfield House Concert - Victoria, BC (PRIVATE)
Sun, Jun 18 @ 3:00PM
Rockland/Fairfield House Concert - Victoria, BC (PRIVATE), Victoria, BC
SOLD OUT!
Jeff Plankenhorn (trio) performs at this very cool Victoria, BC House Concert. Suggested donation is $30 Canadian. The show begins at 3pm. PRIVATE EVENT
Sharon Prete Main Street Plaza (Music on Main)
Wed, Jun 28 @ 7:00PM
Sharon Prete Main Street Plaza, Round Rock, TX
Jeff Plankenhorn (band) performs a big FREE SHOW in Round Rock, TX at Sharon Prete Main Street Plaza. The show begins at 7pm. More details to come...
San Marcos Plaza Park (Summer in the Park)
Thu, Jun 29 @ 7:00PM
San Marcos Plaza Park, San Marcos, TX
Saxon Pub (the big band show)
Sat, Jul 1 @ 8:00PM
Jeff & his band return to The Saxon Pub! Tickets $20 advance, $25 day-of show. The show in March SOLD OUT so advise ya to get tix early.
McGonigel's Mucky Duck
Thu, Jul 27 @ 7:00PM
McGonigel's Mucky Duck, Houston, TX
Jeff Plankenhorn (solo) returns to The Mucky Duck for the early show tonight. Doors open at 6pm, showtime 7pm sharp! Tickets are $30 in advance. Expect him to preview many of the new songs from his forthcoming new album, Alone at Sea. Get your tickets in advance (strongly recommended).