http://www.29-95.com/

I just got a call to let me know that my current release, Perfectly Legal: Sex, Love and Murder, was ranked in the top 100 on the Roots Music Report’s “Most Airplayed Roots Country Albums of 2011,” and an email came in from Austin, TX deejay Rowdy Tijmes to inform me that he’ll be featuring my song, “The Cougar Anthem,” on his syndicated Rowdy Radio show all week next week!  You can tune in online if you’re not within the broadcasting range of these radio affiliates:

http://www.rowdyradioshow.com/Affiliates.html

It’s going to be another exciting new year.  Don’t forget to check out the shows, songs, and pictures at www.glennabell.com in 2012.  Have a wonderful weekend.  Stop by Pizzitola’s BBQ on Saturday around one o’clock if you’re in Houston.  See you soon.  Y’all come!

www.thebluegrassspecial.com

A word about The Bluegrass Special:  This is, by far, my favorite music source these days, due to its integrity, stunning depth and breadth of coverage (not just bluegrass!) and quality of writing (not surprising since their editor in chief was a Rolling Stone music critic for twenty five years, as well as the Country Music Editor for Barnes and Noble.com, plus writing/editing for several of the most reputable trade magazines in the business and having published critically-acclaimed books on Steve Earle, BB King, and Carl Perkins).  I am sincerely honored to have been featured in this fine and unique e-zine last January when my album, Perfectly Legal: Songs of Sex, Love and Murder, was released:

http://thebluegrassspecial.com/archive/2011/jan2011/indexjan2011.html

And I’m flattered that they decided to showcase my song, “Be My Valentine (On Christmas),” this month in their fourth annual holiday issue!  In this new world of blogging hacks, the Bluegrass Special stands out as a shining star, a beacon of hope for the future in an industry that has been dominated by the closed-network, payola system that has demeaned mainstream, commercial music for decades now.  I encourage you take a walk off the beaten path, to click and discover a plethora of the most incredible independent musicians in the business who’ve been hand picked for display by a true aficionado who has devoted much of his time to creating this invaluable, one of a kind go-to source for music and more. 

In this special December issue you will find a wealth of wonder to while away the downtime during the holidays.  To quote the editor’s introduction to this month’s issue, there’s “more cotton pickin’ Christmas music than you’ve heard outside of Santa’s workshop; Christmas fiction; Christmas in verse (including seasonal sentiments from the Immortal Bard himself); stories behind some of the great Christmas songs, including the one about the tragedy that spurred Robert May to write “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”; a Jewish writer’s perspective on Christmas and Hannukah; five 20^th Century animated Yuletide classics from the Walt Disney Studios; the complete Johnny Cash Christmas Show from December 23,1970, with guests including Mother Maybelle Carter and Ike Everly; and the story of the real Virginia O’Hanlon of ‘Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus fame.’ We got DICKENS, we got TOLSTOY, we got LONGFELLOW, we got MAYA ANGELOU, we got RALPH KRAMDEN, we got LOUIS ARMSTRONG, all bringing glad tidings.  Plus interviews with RICKY SKAGGS, about his wonderful Skaggs Family Christmas Volume Two CD/DVD set, and with ANONYMOUS 4’s MARSHA GENESKY about the early music quartet’s ever expanding Christmas catalogue (this is a slightly abridged version of our December 2010 cover story).  And much, much more . . ."

And that’s not all, Folks . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEOoBDLbUXo

This charming video was shot at historic Sugar Hill Studios here in Houston, and presents an up-close live performance, including short interviews, with two of the most inspirational Texan singers in music today:  Johnny Bush who wrote Whisky River (most recognized as covered by his long-time friend, Willie Nelson) and Roy Head (best remembered for his 1965 hit, “Treat Her Right,” as well as his dancing and live stage antics that are compared to Little Richard and Elvis!)  Speaking of Elvis, on this Youtube video, Roy tells a priceless story of meeting The King back in the day.  Hah!  And on top of that, he includes some witty “uncut” lyrics in this special Sugar Hill rendition of the song. 

I was certainly pleased to be included on the new Sugar Hill Studios 70^th Anniversary CD/book that features Roy Head, Johnny Bush, and over forty talented artists who covered hit songs that were originally recorded at the studio through the years.  And I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the CD since the release on December 4 at the Continental Club.  Click on the link above, and I’m sure you will agree that Johnny Bush and Roy Head have proven that, as they say, age is nothing but a state of mind.  These are two of the most energetic, passionate, and riveting performances that I’ve ever seen, and I feel more determined than ever to continue to follow in their gigantic footsteps, day by day, and year by year to the end.  Now, THIS IS TEXAS.

Some tracks from Hits from the Hill that I find myself revisiting again and again include JP Richardson’s “Running Bear” covered by Kevin Ryan, Freddy Fender’s “Think About Me” covered by The Children with Gaylan Latimer, “Garner State Park” covered by The Triumphs (BJ Thomas’s band), “Apple of My Eye” covered by The City Kings, “It’s Raining” covered by the Champagne Brothers, “Miles and Miles of Texas” covered by Clouseaux, “Don’t Stop the Music” covered by Don Sanders, “Chantilly Lace” covered by Herschel Berry, “Tore Up Over You Medley” by Sleepy Labeef, “Too Far Gone (To Turn Around)” covered by Love Street, and Joli Blond covered by Classical Grass – Heck, there’s so many good songs on this CD!  A picture paints a thousand words, so see and hear for yourself at

http://www.zenhillrecords.com/70-years-of-sugarhill-hits-on-cd

The show at the Continental Club two Sundays ago was a moment in my music journey that I will never forget.  It felt like a family reunion, and I was reminded of the lasting friendships that have developed through the years without even really realizing it.  Nothing can ever replace the memories and moments shared with kindred spirits.  I’m wishing you and yours another Happy Holiday season and many moments and memories to cherish for the future.

Y’all come!

Click HERE to Hear “Be My Valentine (On Christmas)”:  www.glennabell.com

Hey, Everybody.  Happy Holidays!  In the afterglow of my East Coast performances last week, it feels good to be home again, sitting here enjoying the familiar Gulf Coast breeze in the sunshine on the front porch of my age-old wood frame house at the edge of downtown Houston, writing to you and listening to Odetta’s last Christmas recording—what an amazing voice that has always inspired me.

Last weekend, the show at Hill Country BBQ on W. 26 in Manhattan was a great success.  The NYC-based theatrical production team, There Goes The Trolley, did a terrific job staging it, and we had so much fun!  I ended up making an impromptu radio appearance on WLVR in beautiful Bethlehem, PA the following afternoon, and thoroughly enjoyed being on the air with host, The Hairless Hippy!  That evening I opened for a tried and true songwriter/storyteller who goes all the way back to the Greenwich Village scene, Roy Bookbinder, at Godfrey Daniels Theater, a venue I always look forward to visiting because it is one of the last authentic listening rooms in the nation with exquisite acoustics and a talented, experienced sound engineer who is always on top of it all.  I was flattered when the proprietor admired my performance after telling me that she has an affinity for Texas artists.  She said that she was impressed by how I harness the energy of a room.

On Sunday (December 4) at 4:30, I’ll be singing Willie Nelson’s “The Family Bible” (a song he sold for fifty dollars before he hit it big!) at the Continental Club here in Houston with John Evans on guitar, emulating the recording that we did for the Sugar Hill Studios House of Hits music compilation/book by Andy Bradley and Roger Wood that was recently released through the University of Texas Press:

"Sugar Hill's roster boasts luminary artists, including Lightnin' Hopkins, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Junior Parker, Clifton Chenier, Sir Douglas Quintet, 13th Floor Elevators, Freddy Fender, Doug Sahm, Ray Benson, Guy Clark, Lucinda Williams, Beyoncé and Destiny's Child.  The legacy of Sugar Hill Recording Studios is now documented in House of Hits: The Story of Houston's Gold Star/Sugar Hill Recording Studios (University of Texas Press 2010), which chronicles the growth and changes in the recording industry spanning Sugar Hill's seven decades of making Texas music history."

I know I felt as if I were a part of history the first time I sat there singing and playing on that same gold star where the Big Bopper recorded “Chantilly Lace.”  And I hope that those of you in Houston will help us commemorate such a historic occasion by showing up at the Continental Club for this big event, recognizing 70 years of music making at the oldest continuously operating recording studio in the Southwest.  All of the details are on the calendar page at www.glennabell.com

Y’all come!

Then, on Saturday I’ll be revisiting the quaint, colonial town of Bethlehem, PA, amidst the snowy Pocono Mountains, a scene reminiscent of a Norman Rockwell or a Hallmark at this time of the year with the Christmas season in the air and the centuries-old streets all done up in lights.  I’ll be opening for Roy Bookbinder at the Godfrey Daniels Theater with its exquisite sound and intimate stage—a true listening room experience that is increasingly rare these days.  It was wonderful to see some of you at my last show there back in August, and I hope that you can make it out again Saturday night.  We can drink coffee and talk during the intermission after my set, then enjoy the headlining act:

. . . Roy Book Binder has earned his stripes . . . “The Book” traveled with The Rev. Gary Davis in the 60's, re-discovered Pink Anderson and revived his career in the 70's and has been included in The Blues Who's Who & The Big Book of Blues . . . “The Book” left Greenwich Village in 1976, moved into a tour bus and lived on the road for the next 15 years!  Roy borrowed from his heroes to become a distinct voice in the Blues and Folk music world.  “The stories are as good as the songs,” said The Sydney Morning Herald in Australia . . .

As another grand adventure unfolds before us here at year’s end, I thank you for joining me again on this road less traveled.  I’m wishing you and yours another Happy Thanksgiving and many dreams come true this holiday season. 

Y’all come!

Friday, November 25

7:15-8:30 p.m.

Hill Country BBQ

30 West 26th Street
New York New York 10010
US 212-255-4544

http://www.hillcountryny.com/

Saturday, November 26

8-8:30 p.m.

7 E. Fourth Street
Bethlehem Pennsylvania 18015
US (215) 867-2390

http://www.godfreydaniels.org/home.aspx

I’m also in the process of scheduling shows in New York and Pennsylvania, so I will keep you posted.

Happy Halloween.  And y’all come!

And it's perfect timing, too, because now I’m in the mood to celebrate, and it just so happens that I’m preparing for a special weekend of music with guest artist, Brian Molnar (of the East Coast band, Brian Molnar & the Broken Hearts).  I met Brian when he booked me to play the Avenue A Records showcase at Banjo Jim’s in Greenwich Village on a Friday night last July, and when he told me that he’d be coming to Texas, I was more than happy to host him here in Houston with a line-up of appearances before he travels onward to San Marcos, Austin, and Dallas.  His new record, Of the Fall, has been climbing the AMA chart and hit #1 on the Roots 66 chart this week! 

First, we’ll be joining radio host, Laura Slavin, on her popular late-night show, Laurapalooza, tonight (Thursday, September 29) at 11:15 CST.  You can listen to us live on the air at 90.1 FM if you’re in Houston or online at www.kpft.org no matter where you might be.  Then, on Friday (September 30) at 5:30 p.m., Brian will perform live at Cactus music, one of the last independent record stores in the U.S.  If you live in Houston and haven’t been to Cactus, it is quite a unique and wonderful experience, and I hope that you’ll drive on over to 2110 Portsmouth Street (near Shepherd and 59 south) to hear Brian on Friday.  I’ll be there, too, so don't be a stranger.  I’d love to see you!

On Saturday we’ll make our way to one of my favorite places to play, historic Pizzitola’s BBQ, which I’ve written about so often in my newsletters.  It is a real step back in time, one of the only restaurants left in Houston that actually feels like you’re in Texas—the brick pit is seventy years old and still firing up that east Texas hickory and cookin' those ribs just right.  No wonder the NY Times named it the Best BBQ joint in Houston for 2010.  We’ll be hosted at Pizzitola's BBQ by my friend and fellow songwriter, Jimmy Pizzitola, in an intimate, acoustic setting during the lunch hours between noon-2:30 p.m.  Check out Pizzitola’s at http://www.pizzitolas.com/, and swing by this real-deal, independently-owned Houston venue on Saturday afternoon (October 1), meet Brian and say hey!  You can even bring the little ones to this family-friendly place!

For the grand finale, we’re throwing a hoedown Saturday night (October 1) at The White Swan, an ambient little spot in my old neighborhood just east of downtown near the original Ninfa’s on Navigation.  Like Pizzitola’s BBQ, The White Swan is a rare piece of Houston history, a venue that has been in business since 1948, owned by the same family for all those years!  I love that they haven’t updated it much—it’s about as close as you’ll get to the feel of an authentic Texas juke joint inside the Loop these days, but with a good sound system and engineer!  I’ll take the stage at 9 p.m., followed by Brian at 10, Jimmy at 11, accompanied by the hot young Mason Lankford and his Folk Family Revival, who will be topping it all off at midnight with a house-rocking, high-energy send off as Brian heads west to his next destination, Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos, and the Folk Family Revival prepares to travel to Nashville for a special appearance at the Americana Music Association’s annual trade conference.

I tell you what, this is going to be a lot of fun, so everybody in Houston PLEASE try to make it out to The White Swan Saturday night, and let’s show Brian Molnar a warm Texas welcome (no pun intended!).  We really want to fill it up, draw a crowd.  It'll be worth your time.  An experience you won’t forget.  Something off the beaten path.  Please forward this email.  Bring friends!

Check out The White Swan at . . .

http://whiteswanlive.com/wp1/

Check out the music at . . .

Mason Lankford & The Folk Family Revival: www.folkfamilyrevival.com

Jimmy Pizzitola: www.poetontherun.net

Brian Molnar: www.brianmolnar.com

Glenna Bell: www.glennabell.com 

And y’all come!

http://www.wildmansteve.com

Not long ago, I read about some new studies which have indicated that listening to radio is more relaxing than watching television.  I’ve been trying to take at least an hour a day to check out different programs online when I might otherwise be in front of the TV, and it really does seem to do a world of good to set aside some time to just sit and listen or even to do some housework to the commercial-free strains of an old or new tune that you’d never hear on mainstream radio today.  Lately, I’ve been discovering some fantastic free form, blues, jazz, and a variety of roots-oriented programs hosted by some incredibly creative and knowledgeable people in the non-commercial radio industry from coast to coast.  If you’d like for me to recommend some of the best shows that I've found so far, just email me, and I’ll be glad to pass along some links.

In the meantime, have some fun while there’s still some summer sun.  Until next time . . . Y’all come.  Y’all come!

http://www.pathcafe.com/

Hey, Everybody!  Just checking in to let everyone in NYC know that I’ll be the special guest artist from 8-9 tonight at Christine Sante’s songwriter evening at the PATH Café, conveniently located near the Christopher Street/Sheridan Square Station in the West Village.  I’d love for you to come out to this one; it’s the kind of casual, welcoming place where we could have a chance to visit a little before or after my set.  And if you get there between 7-8, you can also hear Christine, which is quite a pleasure.  A mutual friend of ours who was a Rolling Stone music writer for many years played me a song off one of Christine’s albums when I was in Manhattan in May.  Her soulful storytelling and her distinctive voice made a lasting impression on me, so I was glad for the chance to see her live at the PATH last week, and found myself captivated by her striking persona and a stage presence that complements her gritty acoustic blues style. 

The PATH Café has good coffee, too, in a real cup and saucer, which is all too rare these days.  And they have wine and beer, smoothies, tea, and food.  Here’s a link: http://www.pathcafe.com/

AND . . .

Friday, July 29 from 10-11 p.m:  Banjo Jim’s, 700 East 9^th Street (Avenue A Records Showcase)

http://www.banjojims.com/gigs.htm

I’m also looking forward to an exciting time on stage Friday (July 29) from 10-11 p.m. at Banjo Jim’s on the Lower East Side, a cool little spot unexpectedly situated at the edge of historic Tompkins Square Park in Alphabet City that reminds me of an old Texas watering hole, equipped with a mighty powerful window unit and stocked with plenty of ice cold beer to beat the New York heatwave!  Avenue A Records is hosting an Americana music showcase with a line up of six acts, including my friend Mark Abernathy, who will accompany me during my set after fronting his band, The Sabre-Rattlers, between 8-9 o’clock.  Mark has a new album called Twixt Me and the Peaceful Rest, which has become a treasured addition to my personal music collection.  It’s a gorgeous contemporary production of early nineteenth century hymns recorded with a sound filtered through all manner of musical Americana — gospel, blues, Appalachian folk, traditional country, and early rock’n’roll—and passionately performed by some of the most well-recognized names in the Texas/Americana music industry today whose talent has imbued this sound with a timeless energy that reflects the fervor and zeal but also the despair of the people who struggled through the growing pains of a new nation.  When I first heard the record, I was caught off guard by how immediate the lyrics are today as we navigate these tides of flux and change.  I find myself revisiting these songs of old more than most these days, and every time I hear them they bring me a renewed sense of strength and inspiration that I'd like to pass along to you now . . .

You can listen here.  (You might want to start with All Is Well, which features a stellar back up vocal by my friend, Sarah Sharp in Austin, Texas—an exquisite track on all counts):

http://www.sabre-rattlers.com/music

And you can read Mark’s interesting impressions of each hymn here:

http://www.sabre-rattlers.com/about-the-record

And come hear us live Friday night at Banjo Jim’s:

700 East 9^th Street and Avenue C

http://www.banjojims.com/

Or meet me at the PATH tonight:

http://www.pathcafe.com/

Or both!

(If you live in NY.)

Y’all come!

Hey, Everybody!  Yesterday, we rolled into Manhattan around mid-afternoon after a sunny, breezy weekend in rural Pennsylvania where I performed Friday night to a packed house at the Godfrey Daniels Theater in the quaint little town of Bethlehem.  Thanks to all of you who joined the email list, and “welcome.”  I enjoyed meeting you and visiting with you after the show, and I hope that you’re enjoying the CD’s, too.

Tonight (Monday, July 18) I’ll be playing in Greenwich Village at a great little spot called Gizzi’s, where I debuted last month.  I really like this place, as it has the “feel” of New York the way one would imagine it to be.  It’s a diverse line up of acts, including jazz and poetry, and I go on from 7:30 – 8:15 p.m.  The address is 16 W. 8th Street, New York, NY 10011, and there’s a link on the calendar page at www.glennabell.com.  I hope some of you in NYC can make it out.  It's a comfortable venue where we'd have a chance to catch up for a few minutes after my set.

Also, I’d like to ask everyone to take a look at an impressive new online magazine devoted to all that is “Americana” music, The Alternate Root, whose readers have nominated me for Best American Roots Female Vocalist, along with the likes of Mavis Staples and Wanda Jackson!  I’m honored to find myself placed amongst such established singers on this list, and I would appreciate it if you could set aside a few minutes of your time to vote for me at the link at the bottom of this email.  When you click on it, you will see some brief directions on the upper right hand side of the page.  They ask you to set up an account, so I tried it, and it’s actually very easy.  They don’t ask for any personal information, and it takes only a few seconds.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see my friend Jimmy Pizzitola’s album, Poet On The Run, has been nominated for Best American Roots Debut Album.  I can genuinely say that it is one of my favorite records.  Jimmy is a gifted singer-songwriter, and he produced, engineered, and performed every part on the album out at his family’s ranch in Stafford, Texas surrounded by many decades of colorful family history and Texas memorabilia.  The recording’s simple charm, minimal backing, and earnest delivery of substantial lyrics really grabs me and takes me back to a time when American songwriting was burgeoning.  So I hope that you’ll vote for Jimmy, too.  I think the world could use more albums like Poet On The Run.  You can listen to Jimmy's songs by clicking the “play” icon at the top of http://www.poetontherun.net/?section=links and VOTE AT:

http://www.thealternateroot.com/alternate-root-weekly-features/readers-choice-poll

Y’all come!