Letter to You at Klyma.com

Tenth Letter to You of 2011

I don't listen to music all the time. Especially while driving. While driving, I listen to the engine. I listen to the road. Maybe a book on CD. Lately though, I've listened to Rust Never Sleeps. Love Neil Young's "Thrasher" and "Pocahontas." Oh man, and "Powderfinger." That album is inspired and inspiring.

Some friends of mine and I have taken to songwriting challenges. The most recent was to use the words Wolf, Riddle, Arc and Granite in a song. I listened to "Thrasher" 20 times, got in a mood and wrote my song. Some of which occured to me while driving with the radio off.

I co-wrote a song with Samantha Farrell on September 1 and then didn't write again for the rest of that month. When I got off the tour, these songwriting challenges started. There have been two so far. I've written 10 songs. I don't need a challenge just to write, but the challenges definitely sparked the plug.

So has co-writing. Amy Kucharik and I completed a kids' song that I started years ago and got stalled on. It's called "Creepy Dead Bug." My niece likes it. So do drunk adults. Works for me.

Joe Crookston and I got together and wrote a song called "AnnaLee." It's a story about lovers during the famine in Ireland. The experience of writing with Joe was rich. And the song is pretty, like the song of a whippoorwill.

Then there is always improvisation. Making up songs on the spot at gigs has led to a few keeps. "Bean Bag Chair" being the best known example. A pub style gig with friends at the Burren in early November led to the writing of "No Christmas Songs." Maybe not a holiday classic, but it will have its place in the set.

~ gK ~

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

Ninth Letter to You of 2011

Fun! I'm out on my Midwest Tour 2011 in support of Live Rust Belt. I'm joined by my good friend Raybo who I met all those years ago working the Mix Master at the Kerrville Folk Festival. We're at the halfway point and I'm just glad that my voice is holding up... 15 shows in 19 days.

We spent a couple days in Wisconsin. We spent a couple days in Illinois. We spent a couple days in Missouri. I'm typing this from Topeka, KS. Yeah, we'll spend a couple days in Kansas. Then we head back and spend a couple more days in Missouri and Illinois. Sorry Wisconin, we won't be traveling back through.

There have been so many fun moments on the tour so far. It was great to hang with new friends in Urbana and gave me a big smile to walk into the Common Ground co-op there where I was asked upon my entrance, "Kale Store dude?". We had a good late night hang that made Sunday feel like a Saturday night.

Raybo and I played a house concert together in rural Missouri in an Earth Ship. That show was played by candle light in a house that is off the grid. Then, we returned to a treasured little town on the Big Muddy and got all loved on by our friends in Lupus.

People are great. Van is running well. Voice is holding up. We just passed the halfway point. Really looking forward to shows in Teutopolis, Jackson, Carbondale and Chicago. No matter where you are reading this from, you may "tune in" when I appear on WFMT's Folkstage on October 8. The audio will be streaming live online. Rock!

~ gK ~

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

Eighth Letter to You of 2011

I may be having a bad hair decade, but it's a good life. I found myself in full-on vagabond mode last week, wandering about during the daytime and crashing with friends at night. Ah, those were the nights!

A sit down meal in a nice Chinese restaurant; sampling a variety of Scotch with a good friend, watching The Fools and Bill Cosby on You Tube and singing songs and playing guitar in his kitchen until sometime after 4am; writing a song with Samantha Farrell; seeing the final edit of my video for "Easy Target"; dancing with friends while the Baker Thomas Band played on; performing with Samantha and Chris DeSanty at the Armory in Somerville to officially release my LIVE RUST BELT dvd... what a week it was!

Chris DeSanty is the man. He did the work on the video I speak of. It will be posted on YouTube sometime in the month(s) ahead - first, I have to get my ducks in a row. Here ducks. Here ducky ducky.

Did I just type "here ducky ducky" and post it online? Yes, I b'lieve I did. Silly.

I'm about to tour again for the first time in months. I need it! My destination: the Midwest. LOTS of shows booked. I will also teach a couple of workshops on performance skills. I'm playing a a few house concerts, a couple of monthly folk series and will have my debut on WMFT's Folkstage hosted by the Midnight Special's Rich Warren. This show will be broadcast live and you may stream it (Sat. Oct. 8).

It's a colorful life, my friend. I have stories to tell. Come to a show and let's catch up some. I'm excited about my DVD with its concert footage and guitar lesson bonus feature. I'm excited to share new songs with you, including one co-written with Amy Speace. The van is packed. See ya out there!

~ gK ~

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

Seventh Letter to You of 2011

The Red Lion is a charter member of Historic Hotels of America and belongs to the New England Innkeeper and Resorts Association and Original Historic Inns of New England. I have only stayed there after performances in their tavern, the Lion's Den, and I've been grateful for the accommodations. My most recent show in the tavern was memorable for one moment in particular. Here is the set up:

I played three sets. At some point during the 1st set, I played "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" by Jim Croce. A couple got up and danced swing. It was a blast. A handful of songs later and it was time for a break. In fact, I broke my high E string. It was a set and string break.

While I was changing my string, two things happened. The departing table immediately in front of me bought me a drink. That was kind. Then, a fellow walks up to me and asks me if I happen to know any Jim Croce songs. I figured he was putting me on. In his defense, he may have just gotten there and didn't know that I had just played one. Or, maybe, he might have asked if I knew any other Croce songs and I mis-heard him. In any event, three songs into Set 2 and there I sat storytelling about set break...

...so this guy asked me if I know any Jim Croce songs. I figured he was just messing with me, but as it happens, I learned a long time ago that if you're going to bother to learn one song by an artist, you may as well learn a second one, because as soon as you play the first, someone is going to walk up to you and ask you if you know any other songs by such and such. As it happens, I do not know more than one Madonna song, but I do happen to know a second Jim Croce number.

Then I played "You Don't Mess Around with Jim."

A little while later - after playing some of my own songs for everybody - I felt like playing "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers. Folks sang along. It was beautiful. As soon as I finished, the woman sitting to my left asked me, "Do you know any more Kenny Rogers?" I began to play "Lucielle." She smiled at her husband.

The verse starts out like this:

At a bar in Toledo across from the Depot at a barstool she took off her ring

I sat on my chair, on stage. The verse continues:

I thought I'd get closer so I walked on over. I sat down and asked her her name.

On these lyrics, I got up, walked a few feet to my left and to everyone's entertainment, I set down in front of her on the floor and continued that first half of the verse, gesticulating as I sang (saucy). Then, I walked back on stage.

In the second half of that verse, the narrator notices a man in the mirror who looks out of place and who walks up to this woman. From the stage, I sang to this to her husband - about how his big hands were calloused and he looked like a mountain and how for a minute I though I was dead - the whole time fidgeting in my chair and bashfully looking over at him.

The verse ends with:

But he started shakin', His big heart was breakin', He turned to the woman and said.

As I sang "turned to the woman and said," I looked right at the husband and he took the cue. He turned to his wife. As I rested on guitar for a measure, in a mighty baritone, he sang out to his wife for the whole tavern to hear:

YOU PICKED A FINE TIME TO LEAVE ME LUCIELLE

Best moment ever!

Then I played "One Foot in the Grave."

~ gK ~

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

Sixth Letter to You of 2011

Summer is here according to my calendar. What's up with the 58 degrees, June. Not diggin' it.

Hanging in TX was great. I had 10 days of music, laughter and self-examination on the ranch at the Kerrville Folk Festival. I was booked, which, to quote Kung Fu Panda, was AWESOME. I played a 20-min set and generated something of a buzz in the campground. Fab!

My live concert DVD is out. Have you picked up your copy yet? Email me if you'd like more info.

My summer schedule is lite. I had the notion of sticking close to home and my reasons for doing that have changed dramatically. So, I got a bit of time on my hands.

The shows that I do have booked are great. In particular, I'll be returning to Saratoga Springs, NY for a show at the historic Caffe Lena on July 15. Let your friends in the region know.

As ever, thank you for reading and thank you for believing in the music.

~ gK ~

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

Fifth Letter to You of 2011 :: http://www.emilysgracefulwalk.org

It's been a healthy while since the last time I updated this letter. The subject of the last letter is rather important to my family. Emily will be operated on in late May. If you have the means to do so, please visit the website - Emily's Graceful Walk - to make a donation. Born three months premature with cerebral palsy is a humdinger of a way to start out in this world. The chance that she may gain some independence following surgery is amazing. Every dollar helps. Many thanks to those of you who have already donated.

In music news: coming in May my live concert DVD will be released. The concert footage is culled from a solo concert performed at Sportsmen's Tavern in March 2009. There is a bonus feature guitar lesson, for those of you who have encouraged me to do one. I go through the changes to "Garbageman," "You Don't Rock 'n' Roll" and "New Clothes."

I'm doing my first tour since the gas prices climbed back up to $4/gal. I remember when I first started touring in the late 1990s gasoline was $0.88/gal. I'm pretty sure before Clinton left office it hit $1/gal. Then, during Bush's presidency, I recall when prices hit a "record high" of $1.89/gal. By May 2008 it was over $4/gal. in the northeast. Probably more in California, Oregon and Washington.

Now we're back on the climb again. It took a couple of years, but here it is. I personally doubt it will ever go below $3/gal. again. Hard to say, but it seems really unlikely. In any event, I find it compelling that people still insist on driving as fast as they can on the highway. Are y'all getting a discount on your gasoline purchases that I'm not privy to?

~ gK ~

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

Fourth Letter to You of 2011

If you've seen me in concert sometime over the past four years, there's a chance that you've also heard me talking about my niece, Emily. You may have heard me play a song called "Amazing Emily Grace." My favorite "punk" is now a four-year old. She's about to receive a substantial present in the way of Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy. I know, big vocabulary for a musician like me.

Emily Grace was born on March 08, 2007. She was 27 weeks premature. Doctors diagnosed her with grade three brain bleeds, which results in Cerebral Palsy. Emily's CP is such that we're beginning to see a mild rotation of her hips and stiffness in lower extremities which is interfering with her ability to walk. Left untreated, permanent orthopedic deformities could result and Emily would need to use a wheel chair.

Enter in the aforementioned procedure.

Emily was accepted to travel to St. Louis where Dr. Park will perform Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy. This doctor screens all candidates for the surgery. From what I know, it's not suited to everyone. And, to date, the doctor has had 100% success with patients. Something of a double meaning on the word "selective."

Insurance coverage has not been approved to date and costs are in excess of $43,000 before travel, lodging, food, and etc. My family will be holding a benefit on May 14th from 2pm to 6pm in Cheektowaga, NY and Uncle Greg is here to get the word out.

After surgery, Emily will undergo aggressive therapy (5 days a week for up to a year or longer) learning to walk and perform activities of daily living such as dressing herself, brushing her hair, etc. The road is long and uncertain. Taking this one step at a time, we have a benefit to hold. If you are interested in making a donation, please visit this website:

http://www.emilysgracefulwalk.org

Remember friend, no ammount is too small. Thank you!

~ gK ~

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

Third Letter to You of 2011

I haven't seen the movie Smoky and the Bandit in ages, but I've been on a major kick lately with playing the song "East Bound and Down" which has one of the best written country guitar solos I know of. Jerry Reed was a true bad ass. Check out some You Tube video of him playing with Chet Atkins. Bad ass!

The song has the lyric, "The boys are thirsty in Atlanta and there's beer in Texarkana." I got to sing this IN Texarkana on the first night of my 2011 Texas Tour. What can I say? It's the little things.

Last night was a bust. Or should I say a burst?

A pipe burst at the church where the Uncle Calvin's Coffeehouse is held. The venue was effectively turned into a skating rink. The fire department was called in and I'm told had to break into the place to take care of business. I'm guessing that they threw fire on it. Makes perfect sense to me.

It's good to be back in Texas. My friends here have gone out of their way to make me feel at home. Snow and ice everywhere. Love that Lone Star hospitality. Shows coming up yet in Austin, Houston, New Braunfels and San Antonio. Welcome home!

~ gK ~

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

Second Letter to You of 2011

Hello friend! Is your 2011 off to a good start? I tell ya, mine has been non-stop. Gigs, gatherings, impromtu dance parties... I was actually at a dinner that turned into a dance party. Very fun. In the midst of all of this was my birthday concert at Sportsmen's Tavern. Thank you to everyone who came, packed the place and made the show a sell out. Best present ever!

I'm gearing up for my first trip to Utah. I'll be flying into Salt Lake City and staying during a week of Sundance Film Festival. I've wondered for a long while how to get my songs into films. Wondering doesn't seem to be getting it done. So I'm going where the action is. Tell me that you can't imagine hearing "Hard Kisser" in a movie.

Or "Father Baker" in an evening news segment...

Word from Buffalo is that Father Nelson Henry Baker is one step closer to sainthood. I'm told he's in the news all the time these days. Maybe someone will make a movie about him. You've got a scene needs a sound, Klyma's got the track.

It's cold in the northeast. Soon, touring back to Texas. It's gonna be a whirlwind in February. I have 7 shows in 10 days. I hope to see all my TX family while thawing out from all this Nor'easter business. Please tell me I may leave my shovel at home.

~ gK ~

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

First Letter to You of 2011

Thank you as always for stopping by and checking in. I hope you like the new look here at KLYMA.com. 2011 is off and running on all cylinders. 2010 was pretty great on the personal front. I'm looking forward to all the adventure waiting to happen in the new year.

The fun is already begun! The band and I played a show together at the Burren in Somerville, MA on Sun. Jan. 2. So many good friends turned out for the show and danced! Now, we're all warmed up and bringing the party to Buffalo for a more music and revelry on Sat. Jan. 8 at the newly renovated Sportsmen's Tavern at 326 Amherst Street (near Grant) in Black Rock.

Tom Bianchi, Jeff Gaynor and Chris DeSanty are the band and they are traveling in from Boston. Buffalo's Maria Sebastian will join us throughout the night on vocals and some rhythm guitar; Joe Crookson from Ithaca, NY and Samantha Farrell from Boston will both perform as well. Tom Stahl opens the show.

Doors at 7pm, music at 8. Drinking and dancing and singing along at the honkiest tonkiest beer joint in town. That's revelry in the new year. See you at Sportsmen's Tavern.

~ gK ~

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

Twelfth Letter to You of 2010

Whoa! This week is crazy with bookings in Somerville-Cambridge. I'll be gigging a LOT in many good rooms with many talented friends. I've updated the SHOWS page so that you may get the low down. Check it out by clicking HERE

I'm excited for the holidays. I'm looking forward to playing these shows and then heading back home to Buffalo for visits with family and friends. I'm hoping to make it to a couple of Christmas parties and will play a hometown show to benefit Compass House presented by the Good Neighborhood.

I'm feeling lucky and loved. I know more or less that I've been pretty lucky and truly loved all along. Kinda sounds like bragging, but it's not even a stretch of the truth. Just an acknowledgement of what is. My bad for not appreciating it more from the get go.

Another year is winding down and so are those temperatures. I hope you are staying warm and soaking up the good holiday vibes. I've got good shows on the schedule, a goodly amount of touring and believe that DVD is just about done. 2011, here we come... see ya out there.

~ gK ~

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

Eleventh Letter to You of 2010

Tickets for my birthday weekend concert at Sportsmen's Tavern on January 8 are now available at Sportsmen's and through me. This will be a show unlike any previously hosted or performed by me in Buffalo. My good and most talented friends Tom Bianchi, Jeff Gaynor and Chris DeSanty are all traveling in from Boston to play the show. Maria Sebastian will be performing with us. Joe Crookston is driving in from Ithaca to play and hometown songwriter Tom Stahl is opening the night. Samantha Farrell says she too will be coming in from Boston and I can not guess which other special guests may show up and sit in.

It's a $10 ticket. If you see me in person, there's a chance I will have tickets on me. If you're not living in Buffalo and don't want to miss this extravaganza, email me. We can get you some tickets by mail. Hell, the band is driving 450 miles from Boston. I'm sure you can make it! Save the date and plan your visit.

It's been a good couple of months for me: two good tours and a lots of time spent in Somerville, MA. I've had time to go blues dancing and even got to do some two-stepping. And while I've not been as productive as at the top of 2010, I have written a few new songs that I'm eager to play for you. I finally feel like I've finished my moon song. I've titled it "Greg Klyma's Moon Song."

Man, the birthday weekend!. My birthday is that Friday night. I'm going out with my girl. Probably Stone Country at Sportsmen's. Probably two-stepping. Then the revelry on Saturday night. Somewhere in there, if enough people express interest, I would like to go out late night bowling at Voelker's. Let's rent some lanes. Wha'd'ya say?

On Sunday January 9, I am hosting an afternoon house concert. I am presenting Joe Crookston in my brother's home. Joe is one of the best song crafters I know and an intense performer. SO good. We have space for 25 guests. If you're interested in attending, email me please and make a reservation. Following Saturday night's $10 ticket, the house concert will be for a suggested donation. Also, I hope to serve up some brunch for all my friends in attendance. A fine way to close out the weekend.

It's holiday time. I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and joy as we roll towards the year ending holidays. I look forward to seeing you in my hometown at the top of 2011.

~ gK ~

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

Tenth Letter to You of 2010

It's been a couple of weeks full of good shows mixed with a healthy dose of time to visit with family and friends. I left Somerville on Sept. 11 and drove to Vestal, NY, where a long-time fan hosted a fine house concert on his back porch. We lucked out with perfect weather for the outdoor gathering. The audience was fun and I seein' as I was draggin' a little from the long drive, I needed their good energy that night.

This past weekend I played a show opening for Joe Crookston at the Village Meeting House in Williamsville, NY. We were presented by the Buffalo Friends of Folk Music. I played my 30 minutes, then played some mandolin and lead guitar with Joe, singing harmony where I could. Too cool. I've played a number of shows with Joe at this point and, for me, it just keeps getting better.

Crookston and I had a late night hang. He decided to put off the drive back to Ithaca, so we drove into Buffalo for some extracurricular fun. First, a little "speak easy" style jam session, complete with a Thanksgiving style spread. Last, a visit to Sportsmen's Tavern for the final 30 minutes of the Steam Donkeys show. Man, Buck Quigley writes the best songs!

The "honkiest tonkiest beer joint in town" is getting a make over. I wanted to make sure Joe saw it now so that he'd have perspective when he returns in January for my birthday weekend.

The celebration is booked for Saturday January 8 (the Saturday closest to my actual birthday). Tom Stahl from Buffalo is confirmed to open the show. Joe Crookston will be on hand to play a couple during my set. I will be performing with my friends from the Somerville-Cambridge music scene: Jeff Gaynor on keys; Chris DeSanty on drums; Tom Bianchi on bass. There's a good chance Samantha Farrell will be on hand. I'm very excited for this show.

The following afternoon, I will host a January 9 house concert presenting Joe Crookston. Reservations will be absolutely necessary as we will be limited to 30 attendees.

Tickets for the b-day throw down are currently available through me and at Sportsmen's Tavern. They are $10 advance. It will be a memorable night in Buffalo. I hope to see you in the City of Good Neighbors.

~ gK ~

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

Ninth Letter to You of 2010

At Walden Pond there was a sign that read WARNING BEES. I think it was meant to be read... WARNING: BEES. But I just kept wondering about this variety of bee. The warning bee. Is it like your mom. Does it buzz up next to you and say stuff like, "you're face is going to freeze like that."

Summer heat has been extraordinary. I've had some good shows, and a couple as hot as August. I've seen a few good shows, too. The Peter Case gig at Sportsmen's Tavern and house concert that followed were pretty great. If you're not hip to Peter and his music, ya might want to change that. You're missing out.

I had a flurry of writing to start the year. Then, I recorded an album and went on tour. Since May, I've not written much of anything, not even these letters. I did catch up to an old idea that had been in my head and many old notebook pages. While on Long Island, I tuned a friend's Telecaster to open G and found a groove that I liked. Then I christened a new notebook with an old idea and wrote a song called "Disposable." I haven't played it out much, but that could just be laziness. I would have to fuss with the tuning.

My friend and housemate, Khysti, has chickens. The chickens are starting to lay. I have had a few breakfasts now with fresh eggs from the urban birds. That's right, and I'm fryin' up on a cast iron pan.

Tonight, I'm just determined to update this letter and feel really scattered about it. I just came from a blues dance. Instead of a deejay, tonight there was a band. Great band! Great fucking blues band. I have a tempo - a pulse - and a one, four, five in my mind. Maybe I'll pen a lame blues song about how the "s" key on my keyboard seems to be acting up and I have to backspace every so many words to make sure the s is there... or not.

I was in Buffalo in early August to play a benefit for BISON - Buffalo Innercity Scholarhip Opportunity Network (www.bisonfund.com). On that trip I sat in with Down to the Roots at the Allen Street Hardware and sang "Buckets of Rain" by Bob Dylan. That one lyric about friends disappearing has been in my head a lot lately. Just pops right in there in the middle of the day. Just sayin'.

Dylan... there's a guy who knows how to write a blues song.

~ gK ~

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

Eighth Letter to You of 2010

Have you seen the video for "Kale Store" yet? It's fun!

A few friends and I got together in Somerville in early May and filmed ourselves dancing and parading around. I also got together with my friend Don Burns when I was last in Buffalo. He and I shot the piano footage over at Nietzsche's. With 40 minutes of footage to par down into a 3 minute long video, we were pretty well set. Don did the editing and I have to say he did a great job.

With that project complete I've moved onto another. This go around is a mission: I'm rallying friends and fans to contact the radio show A Praire Home Companion and suggest GREG KLYMA as a musical guest.

For years now I have been trying to get on the show. Admittedly, passively. I simply would mail in a new album each time I finished another CD. This means that I have mailed in a new album every year for the past three years! I get a nice form card that thanks me for my submission and informs that I'll be contacted if they are interested.

It's time to take it to the streets, so to speak. Will you help?

This should take but a minute. Please visit this link:
A Prairie Home Companion

You'll see there a form with a message, "If you have suggestions for musical guests..." I'm asking that you simply suggest me as a musical guest. Add whatever comments you like, but definitely include GREG KLYMA and MUSICAL GUEST.

I have tried to make it happen on my own, dear reader, but it is clear that I need my community. It would be amazing to perform on A Prairie Home Companion. To be on a nationally broadcast show! Thank you in advance for helping me in achieving a goal.

Now, if you haven't yet, get in the car and go to the kale store.

~ gK ~

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

Seventh Letter to You of 2010

I have a friend in Somerville, MA who has a party on the 3rd of July. It's Dependence Day. If July 4 is Independence Day, then July 3 is the last day we were under British rule. I'm a fan.

It's great to be back in town. Man, it's great! I've already played a couple of gigs as sideman for Tom Bianchi and James Houlahan. Have mandolin, will travel. Soon enough, I'll be back on track playing my own shows. I could really use some bookings to promote my new album!

My latest CD is the one where most of the songs were written on either piano or mandolin; all of the songs were performed on these instruments. When I played guitar on the album, it was simply for supporting rhythm. I also tried my hand at percussion and sang most of the harmony.

I've now released three CDs in the past 3 years. The last two, I was able to do it without any help from backers. It's not a huge big deal to a lot of people, but in my little world this feels like an accomplishment.

Beginning in August, I will do something I have not done since I took on touring full time: I will rent a room. A room will be available in the house of a couple of dear friends and I'm ready to give it a go. The rust belt vagabond is going to hole up in Somerville.

Renting will slow down the touring routine some, but not completely (check out my schedule). It will certainly tie up my limited funds. It's freaking me out a little, to be frank. Still, I have to do it. I love Somerville and Cambridge. I have a lot of friends here in the music and dance communities. I love the pedestrian friendly layout of the place and the pace of things here. I'm bound to learn something new about myself for the experience.

I'm coming into a time when I will once again have to turn to you, my friends and fans, for some financial support. I would really like to get as much attention for PianoMandoNation as I can. This will mean hiring a promoter. Also, the DVD project is still waiting to see the light of day. Not sure how much it's all gonna cost, but I can guestimate that it will be several thousand dollar.

In the old days, seamen looked for a girl in every port. I need benefactors.

~ gK ~

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

Sixth Letter to You of 2010

My new album - Piano Mando Nation - is just about ready to be stamped. As I write this to you, I am touring my way back to TX for the Kerrville Folk Festival. I have been in steady communication for days with the mixing engineer, who would do a mix, upload it to a "secret" web page where I could listen, and then put my two cents in. Now, a similar process with mastering.

Everything is lined up for this album to be ready for you by June. As the title indicates, it is a collection of songs that I perform on piano or mandolin. With just a couple of exceptions (one being a bonus track), all the songs were written on piano or mandolin. This, from a guitar player.

It all happened so fast. I have other projects that were in mind when this sprang up. It started out innocently enough as a demo project. After two sessions, I had 8 songs. I wrote a couple more and picked a couple trad songs I really like. Bang! 12-song album and a bonus track, "Static on the Airwaves."

So, my live concert DVD continues to get pushed back a little. With any luck I'll have it out by the end of this year. For now, there's a festival in TX to attend and a van to turn into a tent.

~ gK ~

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

Fifth Letter to You of 2010

It's conceivable that every kid has said it on a sandlot at some point: oh yeah, my dad can beat up your dad! Or, some such thing as that.

It is fairly easy to have a good thing and not know it. Until you have an experience or some other example to compare against (aka, perspective, right?), it may just be that you take a good thing for granted. I've grown to a point of really appreciating my parents. I know I always have on some level, but lately they just amaze me. My father in particular.

Dad is the quiet one. Mom's amazing and it's really in your face. Mom mostly stayed home while dad worked for 34 years as a garbageman. Sometimes mom worked part-time to make extra money so that the family could afford a vacation or some other extra thing. Mom cooks, cleans, shops, sews, mends, doctors, organizes, balances the household budget and probably a lot of other stuff I never saw or see. Dad just blunders about his day, or so it seemed to me.

Recently it sort of snuck up on me, the stuff I knew all along. Mom says, "Your dad's a good man. He's never raised his hand to me and he's always provided for you kids." It's that simple. The value of being present daily, every day, for your wife and children; having the integrity to honor your commitments.

I stay with my parents when I'm not touring. The last thing I hear in the house as my parents go to bed is my mom laughing. After 42 years of marriage, my dad still makes my mother laugh every night.

My dad was a bowler and played football in high school. When I started playing little league baseball, my father, who was up at 5:30, 6am daily for work and didn't know anything much about the sport, became a coach. He'd read books about the science of a fast ball and curve ball and then do his best to convey this to the pitchers. He'd buy us pizza and pop at the end of the game, win or lose, and everyone played, equal time, regardless of talent.

I called him while driving from State College, PA to the Hudson Region of New York and said something like, "It's just occured to me that I've never thanked you for being a great dad, and I want to make sure before the opportunity passes me by that you know in this life time, YOU are a great dad."

That thing my mom says - "Your dad's a good man. He's never raised his hand to me and he's always provided for you kids." - really hit me in the heart recently thinking mean thoughts about a world rife with wife beaters, cheaters and homewreckers. My father is a mature, thoughtful, stable, committed, quiet man and a great dad, who, I realize, is still the person I want to be when I grow up, just like I wrote on a Father's Day card in kindergarten.

Man, I'm glad I figured that one out.

~ gK ~

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

Fourth Letter to You of 2010

I've done pretty well here in the early months of 2010 (the best 2010 ever!) to produce new material. While in Texas, I wrote 8 songs in 8 days (you may find video of "Good Work" and "Tongue" on YouTube). Then another song later in the tour was written in Minneapolis. Most of these were written on my Pomeroy mandolin.

Now, I've come up with a new one to play on the piano. It's a pop song, far as I can tell. Check out the lyrics, friend:

EASY TARGET
by Gregory F. Klima
Feb. 23, 2010

You don't know what you want
You know that it ain't me
You don't know where you're goin, but
I can see, I can see

You headed for a heartbreak
You're gonna break a heart
Your aim is true and you
Have an easy target

We walked around the block
We've talked in circles, babe
I'm gonna go back home
Leave you to find your own way

You headed for a heartbreak
You're gonna break a heart
Your aim is true and you
Picked an easy target

Everybody's out there searchin'
Many who wander are lost
I found what I was looking for
Well, that was what I thought
So I'm trying to accept this
That I have to set it free, but
Could you show me how to walk away, knowing all I ever dreamed?
Remembering every-thing

You headed for a heartbreak
You gonna break a heart
Your aim is true and you
Picked an easy target
You've got an easy target

So, there ya go. If there's a piano, I'll play it at a show... yo.

~ gK ~

ps. if you found your way here following my post on Facebook about this letter being updated, it'd be great if you left a comment on the fan page about this song. Thanks.

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

Third Letter to You of 2010

Thanks to the hard work my good friend Aaron Sugar, there has been a new Greg Klyma video posted on YouTube every week since the end of January. We've got enough footage from shows to keep this up for a couple of months. Also, there's the video from March 2009 at Sportsmen's Tavern in Buffalo (aka, the live concert DVD that is being worked on). So, keep your eyes on the Tube. Every Monday, a new clip.

I did something crazy recently. I drove the 1,045 miles from my gig at Benlee's in Worthington, MN to my family's home in one shot. It took me 20 hours. Benlee's was the last show of a 6-week long tour. You could say I was eager to be home.

It was very snowy leaving the gig. The first hour of driving in MN was stormy. When I got to the eastern part of that state, the weather changed. Everything was clear, most importantly, the roads. No ice or snow to contend with in WI, IL, IN nor OH. I really didn't expect to stay awake that long and drive the whole way.

When I got just north of Chicago, I did get a little drowsy. With no traffic for the past six hours and little traffic in Chicago at daybreak on a Sunday, I did not want to pull over at that point and have to deal with getting through Chicago later in the day. So, I powered through it. Once I got to Indiana, I got out of the van to gas up. The brisk wind stung my face. That in concert with a phone call from a friend and I was snapped awake. How far can I get?

Turned out I could make it the whole way. I was thankful to have a couple long conversations with friends that proved to help in keeping me alert. I got home, took a bath and, after a couple hours of winding down, slept for 11 hours, in my own bed, a full day earlier than expected. How nice to have a bonus day with my family. Crazy has its benefits.

~ gK ~

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

Second Letter to You of 2010

Track one of a favorite mix CD has this lyric... "I may drift and I may roam, but she's the one I call my home." It's been a month since this tour began. There are two weeks left. I am at once really looking forward to the shows coming up in Minnesota and Iowa and really missing home.

Following 7 shows in 10 days (see: http://klyma.com/shows.htm), I will return to Buffalo to play a Benefit fo the Matt Urban Human Services Center. Please read below and forward this information to anyone you know in Buffalo. Thank you for reading.

-- greg

BEERS FOR BLANKETS

Bring a blanket, get a beer!

Greg Klyma at Sportsmen's Tavern Wed, 2/17
Doors @ 7:30, music @ 8pm
$5 cover

Donation of a blanket for Matt Urban Center homeless outreach is rewarded with a ticket redeemable for a free pint of your choice of Pearl Street beers! *Limit 1 free beer per person. Donation of winter clothing also welcome.

BEERS FOR BLANKETS BRINGS OUT THE BEST OF BUFFALO

The cold of winter hits the homeless hardest, a fact that hits home with two of Buffalo’s finest performers.

With two separate concerts – Greg Klyma at the Sportsmen’s Tavern on Wednesday, February 17th, 8:00pm; and Jony James Band at Pearl Street Grill & Brewery on Saturday, February 20th, 9:30pm; $5 cover for each – The Good Neighborhood will collect blankets and more and hold a 50/50 split for the homeless outreach efforts of the Lt. Col. Matt Urban Human Services Center.

Attendees who bring a blanket will receive a ticket redeemable for a pint of their choice of signature Pearl Street beers, brewed in their downtown dining room and served on tap at both Pearl Street and the Sportsmen’s Tavern.

Both performers, who will be returning home from tours of the South and beyond, can relate to the plight of the homeless. “I’ve spent cold winter nights sleeping in my van on the road, so I know the value of a warm blanket,” said Klyma, the “Rust Belt Vagabond” who will perform solo at the Sportsmen’s. “I can’t imagine what it’s like to be faced with that every day.”

James, a lifelong “Survival Blues” guitarist with a hard-hitting, award-winning band, explores these themes in his own songs such as “Hit the Street” and “Golden Rule.” “I always say that if I had one wish, it would be that the sound could keep you safe,” he said. “We hope these shows will help people stay safe and warm.”

In addition to blankets, attendees are encouraged to bring winter clothing such as coats, hats, scarves, gloves, boots, and socks, which will be distributed by the Matt Urban Center’s Team HOPE – Homeless Outreach Program Eastside. Team HOPE engages with the homeless to assist them in securing benefits and services necessary to obtain safe, decent, and affordable housing.

The Good Neighborhood is a Buffalo-based company that pairs performers with common causes to create Gatherings for the Common Good.

For more info, contact Seamus Gallivan at 716-587-2005, or seamusgallivan@yahoo.com

RETURN to HOME PAGE
* * * * * * http://www.cdbaby.com/all/gregklyma * * * * * *

First Letter to You of 2010

Hello from Texas. Have you ever heard of a writer's retreat? Thanks to the generosity and grace of two dear friends, I have the privelege of being a guest in their home and enjoying their property for a week with one self-imposed condition: that I write some songs!

As I put this LETTER TO YOU together, I can report having written two (one that you may never hear) and editing an older song while tweaking its arrangement in a way that I think it may actually now be ready for the studio.

I've played a song called "Grandpa's Purple Heart" a time or two. It has had mixed reviews, and something in me that hasn't been entirely satisfied with it either. While I know at this point in life how songs can continue to grow, change, morph with time; I'm clear there's a moment when it feels real. Complete, so to speak. So it is with this one.

Maybe I'll start working these songs into the sets. Have to let that figure itself out; vibe.This Saturday - Jan. 16 - I'll play a house concert in Corpus Christi; then one on South Padre Island on Sunday. Soon, north and east: Th. Jan. 21 has me returning to New Orleans and Jan. 22 is my return to Auburn, Alabama. Really jazzed about the whole tour.

2010 has had me up and down a few times already, but I'm healthy and mostly joyful. That's a fine way to start any day, be it the first of the year or last. No complaints having had two weeks of it to kick things off.

All my best to you and yours. The tours are being booked and I'm wading into the Ocean Facebook. Be it here or there, I'll keep you posted on my travels and my shows. Thanks for stopping by, friend or foe.

~ gK ~