BOB RAFKIN - NEWS & EVENTS ARCHIVES (YEAR 2004):
| JANUARY 2004 |
| FEBRUARY 2004 |
| MARCH 2004 |
| APRIL 2004 |
| MAY 2004 |
| JUNE 2004 |
| JULY 2004 |
| AUGUST 2004 |
| SEPTEMBER 2004 |
| OCTOBER 2004 |
| NOVEMBER 2004 |
| DECEMBER 2004 |
JANUARY
2004
I was just getting comfortable writing 2003 on my monthly NEWS &
EVENTS, and now 2003 is in the past. At the beginning of each year, I usually
screw up writing the incorrect year on my checks. I’m a real creature of
habit.
Well
anyway, 2003 was a productive year. I was in Europe from May to July. It was a
trip I will never forget. If I do, I have my picture album to remind me. I also
released my CD, ONE MAN BAND. December was a very busy month, private
parties and Christmas shows. I was so busy, that I dropped the ball with
bookings for January. Actually though, this year I’m going to concentrate more
on working in my studio, and less on playing gigs. I’m also going to start
playing more electric guitar, developing a finger style that suits the electric.
The Guitar Factory here in Orlando is building me a custom electric. Yeah, I’m
ready to make some changes, and this is the year to do it. Actually, It’s not
really about guitars or the music. I just know things are not going to be the
same, and so maybe things have already shifted. That’s exciting to consider.
Wow! This is getting deep.
Back
to reality. I’ll be performing at the SOUTH FLORIDA FOLK FESTIVAL, January 17th
and 18th, in Fort Lauderdale. It’s a wonderful event. For more
info, check out www.southfloridafolkfest.com
Next
time. Bob Back To Top
FEBRUARY
2004
Hello again. Hope you are all enjoying 2004. January was a very interesting
month for me. I played two banquets for NASCAR in Daytona as I did last year
before the Daytona 500. The events were held at the LPGA headquarters. The
facility is like a sprawling country club surrounded by trees and a beautiful
golf course. It was quite an event; drivers, crew chiefs, media and real good
food.
I
performed at the South Florida Folk Festival on the 17th and 18th
of January in Fort Lauderdale. The Broward Folk Club does a great job putting on
the event. The festival in its 12th or 13th year gets
better each year. It rained a good
part of Sunday but it didn’t seem to dampen anyone’s spirits. The audience
at one of the stages I performed on actually stood on stage under the stage tent
to keep dry.
A few
months ago, my friends Bill and Eli emailed me information about a songwriters
competition sponsored by a group called the Humanists. Though I don’t often
enter competitions, I submitted my song I AM HUMANITY from OUT OF JERICHO, my
second CD. I all but forgot about the competition till I got an email a few
weeks ago, informing me that I was one of five finalists. Then, I got a phone
call a week ago informing me that I had won the competition. What a really cool
thing. I don’t know all the details yet, but I’ll have something about it in
next month’s News & Events page.
I’ve
stopped by the Guitar Factory a few times to check on the progress of my
electric acoustic guitar. Lookin good. It should be finished soon, though this
is not something you can rush.
Here are
my public gigs for February:
On
Friday, February 6th at 7:30pm, I’ll be doing a concert in
Melbourne at June Park Baptist Church. The cover is $10.00. For info,
contact Connie Bagshaw at (321) 259-2799.
On
Thursday, February 26th, I’ll be performing at Ka’Tiki
at 8801 W. Gulf Blvd., Sunset Beach, Treasure Island. The phone number is (727)
360-2272. There is no cover. The music begins at sundown with some real good
Florida performers. I’ll be doing a 40 minute set at 9:00pm.
MARCH
2004
Hello, Welcome to my monthly News & Events Column. This is the
place where I get to ramble on about what I’m doing. I hope you enjoy reading
it.
A few weeks ago, while driving my car, I turned the radio on to listen to a bit of music. The radio came on in the middle of a commercial. In the background I could hear an acoustic guitar. Let me stop the story for a moment to tell you this. I’ve recorded two CDs for a music library. Library music is used in films and commercials, so whenever I hear acoustic guitar music in films and commercials, I listen to hear the guitar styles and moods created by that music. So I’m listening to this commercial and thinking “I can do music like that”. “This person’s guitar style is a lot like mine”. “My compositions are very similar, and, and THAT’S ME”! Well, sure enough it was me. This was from the three minute version of this composition which is on one of the music library CDs. The commercial inspired me to record the complete composition which is about six minutes. This will be on me next instrumental CD.
So, here we are in March, the month we are told comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. If you live in Florida as I do, March kind of comes in and goes out like a lamb. And if I were a lamb with all of that wool, I wouldn’t want to be in Florida at all.
Hey, I got the new guitar I’ve been telling you about. It was built here in Orlando at THE GUITAR FACTORY. What a great instrument! It’s sort of a hybrid, a mix of electric and acoustic. It looks like a solid body electric, buts it’s actually hollow with two chambers underneath the koa wood top. It’s beautiful. The guitar has two EMG pickups. One is a double coil. The other is a single coil. Then, it also has an acoustic pickup underneath an acoustic style bridge. It can be hooked up mono or stereo, splitting the acoustic and electric pickups. They made the neck for this guitar just the way I like it, wide, 1and 7/8 inches at the nut. The string spacing at the bridge is also wide. It’s perfect for finger picking. Doug Montgomery and Billy Fels are the two master craftsmen who own and operate THE GUITAR FACTORY. Check them out in the link section of my web page.
I’ll be playing the new guitar at my gigs this month. I’ll be at The Birchtree Coffee House in Lakeland on Saturday, March 6th from 8:00pm to 10:30pm, no cover. For more info, call (863) 646-2090. On Thursday, March 25th, from 7:00pm to 9:30 pm, I’ll be in Winter Park at Chapters. The cover is $5.00. Call (407) 644-2880 for more info.
Hope
to see you all soon. Bob
Back To Top
APRIL
2004
Happy April Fool’s Day. Well now, do any of you know where April
Fool’s Day came from? I sure don’t, though this raises some questions.
Are we celebrating the remains of some forgotten pagan fertility day? Is this
fool thing legally restricted to April 1st? Can one be a fool or get fooled on
any day of any month? These are important things to ponder. For me, this is all
significant stuff because my birthday is March 30th, two days shy of
April 1st. Well, one thing is certain. April Fool’s Day is a real thing, a
real event, worthy of capitalization and can even be found on some calendars.
The cool thing about this is that the society that came up with April Fool’s
Day reassures me that we humans haven’t lost our playful spirit. Now, ain’t
that great?
My
show at the Birchtree Coffee House in Lakeland went real well. The coffeehouse
has a warm atmosphere and is frequented by a nice crowd of people who enjoy
acoustic music. I’ll be back there in May. I also performed at Chapters in
Winter Park. This time the performance was on the first floor in what they call
the Garden Room. I prefer this intimate location to performing in the large
upstairs room. I’ll be returning to Chapters again soon. In March, I also
performed at two churches. One of the songs I performed was “I Am Humanity.”
In
April, I have one public performance. On Saturday, April 24th
, from 10:00 to 11:00 am, I’ll be performing at the Winter Park
Culture and Heritage Day Festival. This will be held outside on Park Avenue.
Till next time, Bob Back To Top
MAY
2004
Hi there, I trust you are all doing fine. Well, to begin with, I want
to tell you about something that actually took place in March, but didn’t
appear in March or April’s News & Events.
I always post my N & W a few days before the month. Is this making
any sense? I seem to be having trouble getting this out in some kind of logical
order.
Well to continue, after I posted the April entry the last few days of March, my wife Kasha threw me a surprise birthday party. Man, I was TOTALLY SURPRISED! I had not a clue. Kasha had been planning this thing out for months right under my nose. Not a clue. Friends and family came from places like Colorado, New Jersey, Georgia, and all over Florida.
This is the first time I’ve been the object of a surprise party. Now, I’ve been to quite a few, but never my own. Being part of one for someone else is cool, but in some ways it has crossed my mind that I wouldn’t want to be the center of all that attention. Then I hear SURPRISE coming from all those people. It was Great! It was a RUSH! It was OVERWHELMING! And, my wife is totally wonderful. She put so much into this party. She even had door prizes. This birthday party goes right up there as a beautiful golden memory - One that I will always cherish.
Many of you folks in the Central Florida area are familiar with the very talented Zizi Roberts. Zizi has been recording a new CD in my studio, which we hope to finish in a few months. Great songs! You are all going to want to get this CD. I’ll let you know when it’s available. I’ve got a few other projects coming up. I’ll tell you more about those soon.
Look for me this month, Thursday, the 6th of May at the Growers Market in College Park from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. On Saturday, May 8th, I’ll be returning to the Birchtree Cafe in Lakeland from 8:00 to 10:30 pm. There is a $5.00 dollar cover.
Bye-bye
till next time. Bob
Back To Top
JUNE 2004
Hi
folks. Got a few things to tell you about that are happening in my recording
studio, The Music Room. I’ve been producing a CD for Zizi Roberts, a superb
singer songwriter. This is Zizi’s second CD, though she has been writing songs
for quite a while. Her influences include a love of Broadway musicals. This is
very apparent in her beautiful songs. She is anticipating releasing her CD befor
the end of the year. I’ll keep you up to speed on our progress and let you
know where the CD will be available.
I’ll
soon be starting a second project with singer songwriters Ken Skeens and Leigh
Goldsmith. They recorded their
previous CD titled CIRCLE OF SONG at The Music Room. Ken has won numerous awards for his real fine songs. Ken
and Leigh perform at music festivals throughout Florida. CIRCLE OF SONG is
available at www.cdbaby.com Check
it out.
This
month I’ve got a few gigs to tell you about.
On Saturday, June 5th, I’ll be returning to the Birchtree
Coffee House in Lakeland. Start time is 8:00 pm. The Birchtree is
located at 4648 Cleveland Heights Blvd. For info call (863) 646-2090.
I’ll
be performing for the first time at Maguires Hill 16 in Fort
Lauderdale on Friday, June 18th, at 8:30 pm. The address
is 535 N. Andrews Ave. The phone number is
I’ll
be returning to the Main Street Cafe at 128 N. Krome Ave in Homestead
on Saturday, June 19th. The performance is at 8:00 pm. For
info call (305) 245-7575. I
performed for the first time at Main Street a few years ago but had to cancel my
second performance last year for my United Kingdom tour with Annie Sims.
On
Sunday, June 20th, I’ll be performing from 4:00 to 7:00 pm
at the Luna Star Cafe, located in North Miami at 775 NE 125th
Street. The phone number is (305) 799-7123, and the cover is $10.00. Also on the
bill will be Ron Fetner.
Last
but not least, I will be performing in Orlando on Sunday, June 27th
at Leu Gardens at 3:00 pm. The cover is $7.00 dollars. For info and
directions call (407) 246-2620. Joining me on bass will be Larry Dolamore. Larry
is a fine musician. He and I have been playing music together for about 10
years. Also, Cadillac Cardarelli will be doing the music on percussion. Cadillac
has performed on a few of my CDs.
That’s
all folks. Bob Back To Top
JULY
2004
Hi all. June was a fun month. I got away from some of the private gigs I do,
performing instead at public venues. It was great getting out and meeting new
faces, and seeing people I haven’t seen for a while. I tend to be reclusive,
preferring to gig around Orlando. The thought of driving any great distance is
not always appealing. I like the comforts of home. Well this month I got
reacquainted with how invigorating being on the road can be.
My June travels took me first to Lakeland, which is not really very far from Orlando, to perform at the Birchtree Coffee House. If you live in the Lakeland area, you’ve got to check this place out. I’ll be returning there this month. My “big” trip was my South Florida tour. It was a weekend of three concerts and a radio interview.
The
first performance was at Maguires in Fort Lauderdale. They have two bar rooms.
The one I performed in is an ideal listening room. Thank you Erin Dylan. The
next night I did a concert in Homestead at the Main Street Cafe. Laurie Oudin
has created the finest venue in Florida for acoustic music. Thank you Laurie.
The next day (Sunday) I did a radio interview in Miami on Michael Stock’s
show. That afternoon I performed with a really fine singer songwriter, Ron
Fetner at Alexis Sanfield’s Luna Star in North Miami. The luna Star is
reminiscent of the Greenwich Village coffeehouses of the 60’s. Thank you
Alexis. Lastly, I did a Concert in Orlando at Leu Gardens. Joining me on bass
was Larry Dolamore and Fred Domulot on percussion. This
venue is a wonderful listening room. More folks in Orlando need to check it out.
Thank you Stuart Hall.
This
month on Saturday, July 24th from 7:00 to 9:00pm, I’ll be
performing at a cozy and cool venue in Eustis, (the food is very good) the Eustis
Street Grill. Call for reservations (352 )357-2311. On Friday,
July the 30th, I’ll be returning to the Birchtree
Coffeehouse (great atmosphere) in Lakeland. The performance begins at
8:00pm. Call for details (863)
646-2090.
Till
next time, Bob
Back To Top
AUGUST
2004
Hello, and welcome to my News
& Events page. This is where I get to tell you about what’s been happening
and what’s coming up. This month, I’m involved in something very special for
the Muscular Dystrophy Association. It’s called LOCK-UP. On August 25th,
I will be “arrested” and “locked up” in a mock jail cell at the Ruth’s
Chris Steakhouse in Orlando on Sand Lake Road. I need your help to raise my bail
of $2,500 on or before the date of my arrest. By participating in the event,
you’ll be making a difference in the fight against muscular dystrophy. Your
“bail money” will benefit MDA’s local health care service program as well
as worldwide research efforts. You can mail your tax-deductible donations to me
(check made payable to MDA).
Bob
Rafkin
PO
Box 690515
Orlando,
Florida 32869
If
you have any questions, please give me a call at (407) 345-1500. My lock up time
is 12:00 PM. You can come there with your donations. Thanks so much.
My
recording studio, The Music Room has recently purchased a Cubase hard drive
recording system. Up to this time, I’ve been recording on digital Tascam DA
38’s, which I will continue to use as I ease into the “virtual” computer
world.
This
month, I’ll be appearing on Wednesday, August the 4th,
6:00 to 9:00PM at Chapters in Winter Park. Call for info at (407)
644-2880. On Saturday, August 28th at 8:00PM,
I’ll be at The Birchtree in Lakeland. For info, call (863) 646-2090.
Hope to see you soon. Bob Back To Top
SEPTEMBER
2004
Hello, First I want to say that I hope all
my Florida friends came through Hurricane Charley ok. I’ve talked to many people, and despite wind damage to homes
and trees, and no AC power, everyone is fine. We lost part of our Florida room roof, but fortunately we lost
AC power for only one day. Some folks lost it for a week or more, and had no
running water. Many businesses were closed, including gas stations. The gas
stations that were open had lines of impatient drivers. Well, after two weeks,
we are getting back to normal, though we are told that it will take about 6
months to fully recover.
On
the 25th I did the Lock Up for the Muscular Dystrophy Association,
helping them raise money for research and care. Thanks to those who helped with
donations.
September
is going to be an interesting month. On Thursday, September 2nd,
My trio (Larry Dolamore on bass and Fred Domulot on percussion) will perform for
“First Thursday” at the Orlando Museum of Art. The event runs
from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.
I’ll
be off to London to perform. This will be my third trip in three years and I am
so looking forward to this adventure. For my English friends, following is a
list of my performances. I am not certain of all the performance times or
details, but I’ll include contact info.
Friday,
September 10th
12-Bar
Club
22
Denmark Place, London WC2
Tel:
02072092248
Doors
open 7:30pm
My
performance is at 10:30pm
Door
is 6 pounds
Saturday
September 11th
Cricketers
22
King William Walk, London SE10
020
8858 3630
Performance 9:00pm to 11:00pm
Sunday,
September 12th
Twickenham
Folk Club
The
performance will be at The Cabbage Patch
67
London Road, Twickenham, Middlesex
Tel:
0208 892 3874
8:00pm
Door
is 6 pounds
Tuesday,
September 14th
Phil’s
Acoustic Club
The
performance will be at The Nineteenth Hole
Trent
Park Golf Course
Bramley
Road, Southgate, London N14
Tel:
0208 364 6620
8:00pm
Door
is 3 pounds
Thursday,
September 16th
The
Virtual Acoustic Club
The
performance will be at Progress Bar
162
Tufnell Park Road, London N7
Door
is 5 pounds
Sunday,
September 19th
Viva
Viva
18
High Street Hornsey, London N8
Tel:0208
341 0999
Friday
September 24th
The
River Bar
208
Tower Bridge Road, London SE1
for
details www.emmawilsonmusic.com
Doors
open at 7:30pm
My
performance is 8:00pm
Door
is 4 pounds
OCTOBER
2004
Hello folks, I’m doing this October News and Events page is early. I might
not have a chance to get it together on time upon my return from England. I’ll
tell you about my trip in the November entry. I have a few October gigs to tell
you about.
On
Friday, October 8th, I’ll be in Lakeland at the Birch
Tree Coffee House. The performance starts at 8:00pm. The cover is $5.00. For
details call (863) 646-2090.
I
have three gigs in Jacksonville. I’ll be at a new venue, The Listening Post
Cafe, on Friday, October 15th. I’ll be performing at
lunchtime, starting at 11:45am and dinnertime, at 6:00pm. The address is 8661
Baymeadows Road. The phone number is (904) 705-1129.
On
Saturday, October 16th, I’ll be performing a house concert at
the home of Ken Conners. For
details call (904) 725- 0382.
On
Sunday, October 17th, at 10:45am, I’ll be performing at The
Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville.
I’ll
be at Chapters in Winter Park from 7:00 to 9:00pm on Thursday, October
21st. For details call (407) 644-2880.
Bob
Second
Entry: Hi, I’m back home. My trip to London was wonderful. It far exceeded my
expectations. Rather than bore you
with details and subjective thoughts. I will instead thank my London friends who
were part of this great adventure:
Phil
Peacock, Steve Harries, Dee Defries, Andy Lowe, Vince at “The Cricketer”,
Kathy Magee, Pete Gibson, Gianluca Tramontana,
Andy Hackett, Eva Dubek, Emma Wilson, Al Douglas, Ed Baxter, Nick West,
Emma Tricca, Gerry Evans, David Sherwood, Alan Tyler, Mrs. Patel at The
Cherry Court, and Ed Pinsent.
Talk
at you soon.
NOVEMBER 2004
Hi everyone. Hope you are all doing
well. Things have settled down here following my trip to London and a summer of
hurricanes. Some of the homes though in our neighborhood still have windows
boarded up, expecting another hurricane. The weather has begun to cool down, so
I think we are done with storms for this year. Yesterday we changed the clocks.
Tonight my daughter is out doing the “trick or treat” thing. Winter is just
around the corner. I’ve begun getting orders for my Christmas CD, SIX STRING
CHRISTMAS. If you haven’t heard it, please check it out here in my web site.
After a
delay of almost two months, we finished mixing Zizi Roberts CD. It sounds great.
Zizi is an exceptional writer. Next is mastering, graphics, and finally off to
the manufacturing plant. It should be available by the first of the year.
I have a
few gigs coming up.
On November 6th and 7th, I’ll be performing at
the Barberville Folk Festival.
On Tuesday, November 16th, 7:00 to 9:30pm, I’ll be at Chapters
in Winter Park.
I’ll be at the Yalaha Bakery on Saturday, November 27th,
10:00am to 12:00noon.
Stay
well.
DECEMBER 2004 - Hello
out there, I
trust you all had an enjoyable Thanksgiving. We certainly did. My wife,
daughter, mom and I were invited to feast with friends at their home. Delicious
food and great company. You can’t beat that, especially when you don’t have
to cook or wash dishes.
So now
we are officially in the Christmas season. This time of year always brings
memories, good memories from many years ago, sitting by the fireplace in our
home in Maryland. Those pictures remain so clear, the smell and sound of the
wood burning and crackling, the house so warm in contrast to the cold of the
winter’s night. I especially recall those particular nights when it snowed
with a passion and the wind would loudly blow with an almost scary and ominous
howl. The fireplace was a reassuring haven.
Wow! So
many twists and turns. And now I sit here tonight many years later, not in front
of a fireplace, but in front of my computer. The temperature is slightly cool
outside, typical for Florida this time of year. Then and now, such a striking
contrast. But those winter nights of my youth are not really gone. They live in
memories, always here to recall and savor.
Have a
happy safe holiday season.