January 2021: COVID-19 Status
Along with most of the intelligent world, I remain on what I hope is a temporary hiatus from all performances as I practice sheltering-in-place during this seemingly endless COVID-19 pandemic. It sure ain't any fun, often feeling more like 'house arrest', but it also beats the alternative! So I encourage you to do likewise and stay safe.
March, April and May 2020: New Live Videos!
I posted some live videos of songs recorded from my winter digs in St. Augustine that you can find at #songsofcomfort or on my Facebook page. Check 'em out and let me know what you think. Also, you might consider purchasing or downloading one of my recordings on CDBaby, iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and many other music sites - that way you can still hear the music, AND support musicians who could really use the coin now!
July 2020: DR Undergoes Hand Surgery
For over a dozen years, I've endured the gradual ravages of a genetic condition known as Dupuytrens Contracture. This is a disorder of the hand in which the tendons, over time, contract and pull the fingers towards the palm of the hand into a distorted 'claw' and large pads of skin form on the palm and under the finger joints. Needless to say, this is NOT an ideal situation for a guitarist and instrument maker!
The sometimes painful condition seriously impacted my left hand's span and range of motion, thus making playing guitar more and more, shall we say, "challenging". It was simply a matter of time before the surgical solution had to be done, and due to COVID's negative impact upon my performance schedule, the time had arrived. The process involves 'day surgery' and at least two months of physical therapy...and it renders this one-handed patient quite cranky, nearly useless and seriously bored. Life for this Lefty has gotten much more complicated. But the prognosis is very good and I've been told that I'll be playing my instruments better than ever in a couple of months.
August 2020: Surgical Update
Even though my wife Claudia has dubbed me "The English Impatient" due to my unrealistic expectation that I should be able to already do handstands (though I never could do handstands) and play guitar for hours - one month post-surgery! My hand is healing, albeit slowly, and I've been able to play my instruments for up to an hour a day. Several 'socially distant' gig offers have come in during this time that have been refused, but hopefully covid conditions will abate so that I and my cohorts can get back out and at it soon!
As always, thank you for your interest and support,
and I hope to see you at a show real soon!