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If you have been enjoying these newsletters the last 10 years, I am not sure how to tell you that this may be the last paper one. They quit publishing the Encyclopedia Britannica this year, and the Harvey Reid newsletter looks may also become all-electronic after this issue. It just takes too much time and money and effort to print 15,000 of these things. I may change my mind and send more in the future. The number of you who have e-mail is growing rapidly, and that is of course a vastly more efficient way to notify you of things, although when you change providers I never know. I will probably still send out postcards for local concerts to those of you on the "snail mail" list, to still stay on good terms with you folks who count on me for a new bird cage liner every year or two. If you have e-mail, let me know, and sign up on the e-mail list.
You may know that I am fond of playing with a violinist, and
singing with a female singer, though I generally play solo. Over the years I
have recorded and performed a lot with Brian Silber on violin and Lynn
Rothermich, Anne Dodson, or Susie Burke on vocals. This year I started
performing with Joyce Andersen 
She sings and plays violin, and some of you may have already seen us on tour. She is also an excellent songwriter and guitarist, and often plays an opening set and backs me up during my show. I get to go to some new places musically, and we do some mighty tight duet singing and picking, if I don't say so myself. I played on 6 cuts and helped produce her CD "The Girl I Left Behind" (www.joyscream.com) Expect more collaboration concerts in the future, and maybe a duo CD in 2001. The lonesome road is not so lonesome any more. We even drove the "Loneliest Road in America" (in Nevada) and it wasn't at all. This is good.
[PICTURED:My new backup band Joyce Andersen. She is a great singer and violin player, and a good songwriter too. Look for us on tour.]
Who wears the pants
around here? Here is the little angel Flüf herself (pronounced
Fluff) as discovered in my Levi's one morning. The more different
places she slept, the happier she was. The guitar piece "Flüf's
Vacation" was written in her honor.
Being a traveling musician is all about bringing gear and instruments everywhere with you. I recently found an amazing new way to save space- the Chrysalis inflatable guitar.
[PICTURED:The World's Only Inflatable Mandocello- It's modeled after the wing of an insect, and has a silver mylar balloon for a body. Even plays music, too.(M. Donahue)]
Yes, folks, it comes apart and re-assembles like an assault
rifle in a minute or two, weighs 4 pounds, and with interchangeable necks and
headstocks I can carry a guitar, mando-cello, and 12-string guitar all onto
an airplane in a briefcase size case. It has the same Fishman pickup that my
stage guitars have, and when played on stage, does not sound noticeably different
from any guitar. When you add the mylar inflatable balloon, you can play it
acoustically-- it is not as loud as a wood guitar but it good enough for a party
or a campfire sing. It is much more than a toy (though it is a wonderful one
of those!) and plays and intonates like a professional guitar. If you have some
extra $ (it's not cheap!) and always wanted a James Bond-style instrument, this
is it. Not to mention that it looks totally cool, like Batman's guitar, and
when you re-assemble it, it is almost in tune. Go figure. Contact me at 
or by snail mail if you want to know more. I think enough of them that I am
endorsing them. Maybe you need one too.
Many people have asked me if I would consider doing a musical "retreat"
where me and a small group of you would spend a weekend or even a week somewhere.
A lot of artists do this, and usually it involves renting an entire bed &
breakfast (in some beautiful place at a great time of year) and having nightly
concerts. People who go to these say they get to enjoy a lot of music and learning
from their favorite artists, they get to meet some new friends and they get
a great vacation. Write or e-mail (to )
if you might be interested, and maybe we can do one in Fall 2001 in New England
if some of you want to try it. Once we have some names we can figure out where,
when and $.
Folk at Home- On stage at the finale of the first Portsmouth Folk Festival (NH), with (L to R) The Angel Band,T.S. Baker, Sammie Haynes, John Perrault, & Susie Burke. There were more that didn't make this picture, too.I live in a community with an amazing number of good musicians.Everybody should be so lucky. (N. Carr)
Eat Your Heart Out, Elvis- I taught autoharp in Elkins WV last summer, and this was the class picture. There was a guy in the class, but he didn't show up that day. You'd think more men would want to play this instrument,huh?. Thanks for the wonderful week, gals. Keep those 'harps in tune!
Best roadside sign of the year was in Adelphi, MD. I swear that this is what I saw looking out my car window at a red light. No computer graphics tricks were used. This is a Real Photo. I wonder if residents of the Presidential Park Condominiums know this.(HR)
Isn't It Good...
Moi displaying an authentic piece of Norwegian Wood on a hike there. Below was
taken backstage at the Roots Festival with one of my favorite singers, Norway's
Rita Eriksen. I am happy to be going back in 2001.
My First Pigeon Most interesting location for a gig, here on stage near Bellevue CO before a show, with a carrier pigeon being readied to carry the film from this picture to be developed. (They do this for rafters so their pics are ready downstream.) Yes, I had to hold the bird, on stage, till they finished the roll! Not sure who was more scared. It did not bite my fingers either.The risks we take. (Bill Fritts)
Next recording projects under consideration include a duo CD with Joyce Andersen (see above), maybe some unreleased live and archival things, maybe (finally) an autoharp CD or another Christmas album. My new studio is awesome, and I am looking forward to spending more time there. I may decide to write a lot more music, because the last 2 CD’s have been largely new, and I think quite successful. I always welcome your input, of course.
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