Tozier's "Guitar Pieces" Summer Road Trip and Mini-Tour

[Jim Tozier]

Well, my summer road trip/tour begins tomorrow. I'll be covering over 3000 miles in just over two weeks, and performing 12 times in 9 different states.

This will be the first "tour" of any sort that I've done as a solo performer (I've done a number of traveling gigs before, but never more than 2 or 3 at a time), so this will be new and exciting for me. I'm looking forward to it!

I probably won't be on the AGF much over the next month or so, because as soon as I get back from the tour, I'll be heading to Baltimore to join my 4-year-old daughter, Shannon, in time for her upcoming surgery.

I will try to check in each night or two and update this thread with "tales from the road," to share some of the things I've experienced and the people I've met. Since many of the people I'll be seeing during the trip are AGF members, they may be chiming in with their thoughts, too.

First stop... tomorrow night in Blacksburg, VA, where I'll be doing a house concert and guitar workshop, hosted by AGF member Cliff "Ragamuffin" Ragsdale. If you're nearby, it's probably not too late to join us. Just look for Raggamuffin's thread in this section about SW Virgina AGF'ers and get in touch with Cliff.

The other stops on the tour are listed here on my website (http://www.jimtozier.com/schedule.html).

I hope to see you soon!

[Thin Crust]

Very soon indeed. Jim even asked to ship his new Goodall here for me to babysit until he arrives on Saturday..........brave man. ;)

For anyone within driving distance of Central Arkansas, I still have a few tickets left. Give me a shout and come on to Little Rock for Jim Tozier at Studio Joe on Saturday the 28th!

[Raggamuffin]

Jim Tozier’s summer mini-tour kicked off tonight in fine fashion with a house concert here at my home in Blacksburg, VA. It was quite a treat to have this gifted yet humble artist grace us with his talents. And hearing the stories behind the songs brought each one to life in a beautiful way.

One of the surprises for me was seeing Jim pull his new graphite RainSong guitar out of his car. I hadn’t heard or played one of these before tonight, but it sure sounded great (especially when Jim played it!) – and it is the only guitar he’s brought on this tour.

http://courseware.vt.edu/users/cragsdal/Tozier/Trinity.jpg

We were also treated to Jim’s song (aptly named) Trinity that involved the use of (count ‘em) three capos (full, drop D, and cut). Jim also provided his tab of this and some other songs he played for us...

http://courseware.vt.edu/users/cragsdal/Tozier/Tab.jpg

Besides his great playing, Jim shared his thoughts on various guitar topics from Michael Hedges’ playing and composition prowess, to graphite guitars, to strategies for playing in alternate tunings...

http://courseware.vt.edu/users/cragsdal/Tozier/Discussion.jpg

If Jim is coming anywhere near you on this tour, do yourself a favor and get out to meet and hear this talented, delightful, and gracious AGFer. You will have a great time!

Thanks again, Jim, for a wonderful evening that far exceeded my expectations. And Godspeed on the rest of your tour.

All the best,

Cliff

[Jim Tozier]

Thanks, Cliff!

The concert/workshop was a lot of fun... and it was a pleasure meeting you and your guests. Now you just need to steer a few of them to the AGF so they can join us! :)

Yes, it's true... I made a last-minute decision to bring only the RainSong with me, because I knew it would be able to handle the rigors of the road and tolerate being left in a hot car while I ate lunch or dinner, etc. But don't worry, it's in good hands... our own Greg Gwaltney has graciously agreed to babysit the Fay OM and give it some attention while I'm away. Have I mentioned how nice it is to have him nearby? ;)

I think most of tonight's audience was impressed with the sound of the RainSong, and we passed it around afterwards so everyone could try it out for themselves.

I also got to try Cliff's Babicz (http://www.babiczguitars.com/index.shtml) guitar. I'd played one briefly in the past, but I had a chance to play a couple of tunes on it tonight and get a better impression.

The first thing one noticed about a Babicz, of course, is the unique way te strings are anchored on the guitar top. It's a distinctive look, and one that probably takes some (OK... a lot of) getting used to. Cliff's Babicz was done in a beautiful sunburst, though, which almost--almost--allowed me to ignore the strings splaying across the top. :)

The second thing I noticed was the weight... it's a heavy guitar, and not just because I was comparing it to the ultra-light RainSong. It's one of those guitars that can double as protection agaist home intruders. One swing with this, and a burglar would be flatter than Stanley (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Stanley).

Now for the really cool feature. It has a neck joint that can be adjusted with an allen wrench (which is conveniently stored on the back of the headstock with a pair of clips) in a matter of seconds. Cliff told me to play with it, so I first adjusted the action very low and did a fingerstyle tune, then grabbed the wrench and adjusted the action to the hider side and did some strumming. Amazingly, the guiter stayed in tune (or only need a minor tweak on a string or two) each time it was changed. I'm not sure how often I'd use this feature (I tend to think I'd "set it and forget it"), but if you like different action for different styles or string gauges, this is pretty neat and very easy. And, yes, it's fun to play with. :)

It also sounded better than I expected it to....

How 'bout a picture of the burst on that Babicz, Cliff? :)

Thanks again, Cliff, for an enjoyable evening and a pleasurable way to begin the tour!

[Jim Tozier]

Next stop... the shores of Lake Norman, NC for a house concert hosted by Paul "paxcam" Cameron.

[SteveS]

Jim,
When is your San Diego concert? :)

[fitness1]

[QUOTE=Thin Crust;1514452]Very soon indeed. Jim even asked to ship his new Goodall here for me to babysit until he arrives on Saturday..........brave man. ;)

QUOTE]

New Goodall?? and which one would that be.....hadn't heard about that!!!

[Jim Tozier]

New Goodall?? and which one would that be.....hadn't heard about that!!!

That woud be the AKCJ in my signature... which I picked up here on the forum last week after selling my Fender Telecaster and Twin. :)

[Raggamuffin]

How 'bout a picture of the burst on that Babicz, Cliff? :)


Oh, alright... ;) Like Jim, I'm not a huge fan of the splaying of the strings across the top of Babicz guitars (though they do offer another model with a more traditional bridge without the splaying). But the sunburst on this one made me like it enough to buy it -- and it does play nicely. It has a mahogany top and rosewood back and sides and is an interesting guitar to have in one's collection. Martin has reportedly licensed Babicz's design for the easily adjustable neck/action described in Jim's post (above). So at least that part of Babicz's innovation seems to have gained some traction.

http://courseware.vt.edu/users/cragsdal/Tozier/Bab2.JPG

http://courseware.vt.edu/users/cragsdal/Tozier/Bab3.JPG

[Thin Crust]

Well Jim..........if you left the Fay behind because of temperature concerns, prehaps you'll need to leave the Goodall in Little Rock until the tour is over. I'll treat her nice, honest. ;)

Okay Arkansas people, four more days until Jim is here. Let's get those tickets reserved, and I'll meet you at the door! :up:

[bnjp]

Hey Jim. This is getting me excited about the Jim Tozier Concert here in Greenville, SC this Thursday night!

Here's some more info!: http://bryanparris.blogspot.com/2008/06/jim-toziers-guitar-pieces-tour.html

Any of you folks near SC won't want to miss the chance to hear Jim along with two other very talented guitarists, Brandon Dyke, and Dave Wike.

E-mail me from my profile if you need more info!

[Thin Crust]

In case you are checking in Jim, the Goodall is here and safe. I put some medium strings on her and tuned it up a full step just to make sure the bridge was glued on tight. Should be good and broken in by Saturday. (this was a poor attempt at humor Jim.......relax buddy)

Tickets available at the door for Saturday's show in Little Rock! Come on Arkansas folks. :guitar:

[Jim Tozier]

In case you are checking in Jim, the Goodall is here and safe. I put some medium strings on her and tuned it up a full step just to make sure the bridge was glued on tight. Should be good and broken in by Saturday. (this was a poor attempt at humor Jim.......relax buddy)

Actually, it already has mediums on there. :)

You know, I might just take you up on the idea of babysitting her a bit longer. ;)

Have I mentioned yet how glad I am to have a Rainsong on this trip??

[fitness1]

just got back from double/triple checking the amenities in our room for the 3rd JT, I think you're going to really like it. Picture a very plush 250 seat movie theatre with really good acoustics......Alden Dow designed, of course!
Should be a fun night. With the humidity the way it's been here, you'll be glad you've got that Rainsong with you!!!

[Thin Crust]

Have I mentioned yet how glad I am to have a Rainsong on this trip??

Uh.........I hope you have TWO Rainsongs on this trip. ;)

[Jim Tozier]

Okay... I have to play a bit of catch-up here, since I'm a day behind.

First, I had the pleasure of performing at a house concert hosted by Paul Cameron (AGF screen name "paxcam") last night. I got in town early enough to take a leisurely ride around Lake Norman on Paul's boat. (We also took the boat to get lunch today.) Boy, do I love being out on the water!

For the concert, Paul had about 30 or so of his friends and neighbors come by, and it turned into a very nice social event. I got to meet a lot of great people, and even saw a couple of familiar faces from past Monroestock events--Stan Jacques and Tim Pack. It was a real treat for me to see Stan again. Even though I've never taken a lesson from him (as many of our AGF members in the Charlotte area have), he's such a gentleman and a great player that you can't help being inspired by him and learning something just by watching.

After my concert, there was still plenty of good music to come. First, Paul accompanied his daughter, Andrea, on guitar while she sang "Killing Me Softly With His Song" and "I Don't Know How to Love Him" (from the Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack). Andrea is a a very talented (and beautiful) young lady, and she's got a fantastic voice--so it was a very enjoyable performance.

Then Stan played a few tunes, and eventually the crowd demanded that Paul join him for a couple of duets. They did some beautiful renditions of tunes by the Beatles and Jim Croce, and my favorite of the duets, a very pretty version of Bread's "If." I've heard Paul play guitar at a couple of Monroestock events in the past, and his playing has grown by leaps and bounds recently. Not quite up to his skills on the saxophone, but he's much better than he'd allow you to believe. ;)

At the very end of the evening, one of the guests played a song she'd written on the piano. She's asked me to listen, because she'd been told that it had a Celtic flavor to it, and wanted to know what I thought. I agreed that there were passages that felt vaguely Celtic, but what I was most struck by was how beautiful the melody was. In fact, when she finished playing I asked if she'd write out the music for it so that I could learn it for guitar.

It was a wonderful, music-filled evening... but it was more than music that made the evening memorable for me. There's a special vibe that comes from house concerts that you never get when playing at a venue, and I enjoy the social aspect of it every bit as much as the musical part. I felt honored to be there, bringing all of these friends together for the evening. It went by all too fast, though!

[Jim Tozier]

Okay, now for tonight's gig...

J.R. Baker (who most of you know as the SoundSeat guy), sponsored a concert at the Escape the Daily Grind coffee house in Spencer, NC. This is a neat little Mom and Pop type coffee house with seating for maybe 40 or 50people. They did a great job of promoting the show (they even had a write-up inthe local paper with my picture), and we had a very nice turnout--especially considering it was a Wednesday night.

I did three sets, and played for two-and-a-half hours... and boy, was I glad this concert was sponsored by SoundSeat! J.R. provided one of his chairs for the evening, and it made those three sets very comfortable. I could have played for a few more hours if I'd had to. :)

I had some nice conversations with folks who'd come out to see me; they seemed surprised that I'd bother playing in their little town, but they were glad to have me and I got several invitiations (including one from the owner of the coffee house) tocome back and play in town again. Very friendly folks. One gentleman even showed up in full Scottish attire, including the kilt and Balmoral-style bonnet. I have to admit that seeing someone dressed like that is a bit intimidating for a guitarist who dabbles in Celtic tunes, and I was afraid that when he approached me during a break he would reprimand me for playing a Scottish tune wrong, or chide me for playing traditional Scots tunes on a guitar. :)

Instead, he told me how much he enjoyed my playing, and he was the friendliest fellow of the whole bunch. Whew! :P

It was a long gig, but enjoyable. J.R. even put in an appearance, even though I'd told him not to (today was his preparation day for a colonoscopy tomorrow, and after reading the recent thread here about the horrors of the prep day, I didn't want him wandering far from home!). But you know J.R.... so he just had to come by and say hello. I sure hope he made it back home in time. :)

(And best of luck with the exam, buddy!)

[Jim Tozier]

Next stop... Greenville, SC. I'll be playing with two other guitarists--Brandon Dyke and Dave Wike. (Which makes me feel like I should change my last name to Tyke for this show so that I'll fit in!)

The concert will be hosted by CenterPointe Church... see Bryan "bnjp" Parris' post above for more info.

If you're in the area, come on out!

[paxcam]

Jim-- My sincere apologies for not getting these pictures up sooner-- after you departed Tuesday, I spent the day fielding calls from folks at the concert who were still buzzing about your performance. Many thanks and a safe journey ahead. What a night!

Jim Tozier in concert at Paul Cameron's home 6/24/08
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn27/paxcam/DSC_4430.jpg
Tozier's Graphite RainSong guitar
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn27/paxcam/DSC_4429_edited-1.jpg
Jan Cameron enjoying Jim's music from the back row
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn27/paxcam/DSC_4433.jpg
The "Toz" playing his keester off
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn27/paxcam/DSC_4431_edited-1.jpg

[Jeff D]

That looks like it was a blast. I wish I could go to one of these. You have to come to Huntsville one of these days.(:

[Raggamuffin]

I'm glad Paul got a picture of Jim's boots. Not sure what they are made out of, but it's some pretty impressive stuff!

Ok, so the Charlotte house concert crowd outnumbered the Blacksburg house concert crowd (or mini-crowd!), but at 2,073 feet above sea level, I still think Blacksburg is going to be the "high point" of Jim's tour! ;)

Continued safe travels Jim!

[fitness1]

I'm glad Paul got a picture of Jim's boots. Not sure what they are made out of, but it's some pretty impressive stuff!
!

I think he's the original "snakeskin" cowboy - LOL

[bnjp]

Just wanted to show a couple of my photos from Jim's concert here in Greenville, SC tonight. It was a great time and all three guitarists were excellent! My photos are pretty bad because of the low lights, but you'll get the idea.

Brandon Dyke opened with some beautiful playing on his classical guitar. Brandon is a guitar instructor here in Greenville. His website is http://www.myspace.com/brandondykeguitarist. One of the coolest things I thought was that Brandon played his guitar through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe amp! It sounded SOOO great!

http://lh5.ggpht.com/bryan.parris/SGRYTw-VMvI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/Trf2H_ahGqU/s800/DSC00663.JPG

Dave Wike (http://www.davewike.com/) is another local musician here and played some cool stuff with a computer looping software that was pretty impressive. Dave also brought his BOSE L1 system, which I have read about but never heard live. It's got an amazing sound.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/bryan.parris/SGRYO-2PtrI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/4RZy_5wTWFE/s800/DSC00667.JPG

Jim Tozier can play with three capos. :) (...but we all knew that already.) Jim was fantastic as usual. He played a few of his originals (He opened with "Monkeyshines", and I always love "Song for Shannon") and a few of his Celtic tunes as well. ("Spatter the Dew", "Planxty Irwin", and "Pretty Girl Milking a Cow" that I remember). He played his Rainsong guitar and it sounded very nice with his Ultrasound amp which we mic'd through the house system.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/bryan.parris/SGRYpOx2EII/AAAAAAAAA0k/jxLIqEZgybA/s800/DSC00683.JPG

This picture looks like Jim's singing! (he didn't sing though...:))
http://lh4.ggpht.com/bryan.parris/SGReahUNN9I/AAAAAAAAA1E/1ncOSWu7Xuw/s800/DSC00684.JPG

EDIT: Not a great photo, but this one shows the whole stage, AND the boots!
http://bp2.blogger.com/_srp5ZMDaW0A/SGT3dkM-PCI/AAAAAAAAA1k/JrceD1FAXu8/s800/DSC00673.JPG

[Cakes]

Jim, looks like a great tour. Very cool. I can't not ask your impressions of the Bose L1, good or bad.

John

[Jim Tozier]

I'm glad Paul got a picture of Jim's boots. Not sure what they are made out of, but it's some pretty impressive stuff!


They're ostrich. :)

[Jim Tozier]

Jim, looks like a great tour. Very cool. I can't not ask your impressions of the Bose L1, good or bad.


I thought it sounded fantastic. Only Dave Wike played through the Bose, but it sounded so good that it took me a while to realize he wasn't laying through the house speakers like Brandon did.

I'll have a full report on this concert soon. It's now close to 3 A.M., and I just got back to the hotel after going out with Dave and Brandon after the show. :)


It's a good thing that tomorrow (errr... make that today) is an off day, and that all I have to do is drive from Greenville to Memphis....

Next stop... Little Rock!

[Thin Crust]

Come on! See you tomorrow Jim. :)

[bluecollarman]

Jim,
Did you ever get anything set up for the St. Louis area?

[Chicago Sandy]

Jim's going to be playing Wed. night July 2 (I may do a short opener and a duet on dulcimer on a couple of trad. Celtic tunes) at Broadway Cellars, 5900 N Broadway (cor. Rosedale, across from the Park District Armory just s. of the Dominick's) starting at about 6 pm.

B'way Cellars is a terrific restaurant with an innovative menu (effusive reviews from Metromix and Chicago Magazine) that still has some bistro and down-home classics (steak frites, skate wing, short ribs, burgers, seafood "sliders"--mini Maryland crabcake, coconut shrimp and classic New England lobster roll, lobster ravioli, salade Niçoise, seasonal specialties, creme brulee trio, and killer bread pudding) with a diverse, imaginative and carefully chosen wine list as well as full bar and coffee/espresso menu. Yet the prices are reasonable and the dress code is "no shoes, no shirt, no service."

I can't imagine a better atmosphere in which to enjoy Jim's fingerstyle wizardry--or a better way to kick off your extended holiday weekend. My one regret is that since he needs to be in Michigan the next night, Jim'll miss the Grant Park fireworks and Taste of Chicago.

[Jim Tozier]

Jim,
Did you ever get anything set up for the St. Louis area?

Nope... but it's never too late. Well, I take that back. It will be too late after Sunday. :)