Diary

Wednesday, March 16 (cont'd)

Doyle Lawson
Box 3141
Bristol, TN 37625

Dear Doyle:

I enjoyed listening to your new CD, You Gotta Dig a Little Deeper.

I asked Rounder for a review copy, they forwarded my request to Commotion PR, and Kay Clary sent me one.

I am a member of the Jazz Journalists Association and get new releases from artists to review all the time. Sometimes I review them, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I can't think of a place to send the review and just put it in whatever book I'm writing.

I didn't review You Gotta Dig a Little Deeper. But I put it in POSTCARDS FROM POINT AND SHOOT (www.thedailybulletin.com/postcards/postcards.htm), a book about the relation between, or among roots music, folk art, and vernacular writing, using myself, my kids, and my painter friends as fodder.

Balder formed a band called Dread Clampitt. I enclose a story about them, and copies of their first two CDs. If you don't like them, your daughters might.

I have a book coming out in June. Bukowski Never Did This. I also enclose a flier for that book.

Hope to see you down the road.

Jack Saunders
Garage Band Books
Box 10501
Panama City, FL 32404

Kay Clary
Commotion PR
811 18th Avenue So., 2nd Floor
Nashville, TN 37203

Dear Kay Clary:

I am a member of the Jazz Journalists Association, and receive new releases from artists to review all the time. Sometimes I review them and sometimes I don't. Sometimes I review them and can't think of any place to send the review, so I just put it in whatever book I am writing.

I asked Lauren Calista at Rounder for a copy of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver's You Gotta Dig a Little Deeper, she forwarded my request to you, and you sent me a press packet with a copy of the CD, a news release, and copies of several reviews of the CD.

Thank you. I enjoyed listening to it.

I didn't review it, but I wrote about it in the book I am currently writing at The Daily Bulletin, POSTCARDS FROM POINT AND SHOOT, a book about the relation between, or among, roots music, folk art, and vernacular writing (www.thedailybulletin.com/postcards/postcards.htm).

My son Owen played fiddle with Doyle in the band with Barry Abernathy, Barry Scott (Two, Owen called him, for Barry II), Steve Gulley, and Dale Perry.

My other son, Balder, plays mandolin in a band called Dread Clampitt. I enclose a copy of a story on Dread Clampitt from a regional lifestyle magazine and copies of the band's first two CDs. I think you'll like them.

They're not ready for a PR firm yet, although they do play MagnoliaFest and SpringFest at Live Oak every year. HippieFest we call it.

I have a new book coming out in June, Bukowski Never Did This. I enclose a flier describing it.

Anyhow, thanks for the CD. I feel like I got it under false pretenses, since I didn't come through with a review.

Jack Saunders
Garage Band Books
Box 10501
Panama City, FL 32404

Root Doctor tells about the backgrounds of the members of the band Dread Clampitt, how the band was formed, what they hope to accomplish, musically, and so forth.

It tells, or shows how roots music, folk art, and vernacular writing are related.

It uses poems, prose vignettes, interviews, essays, pictures, and drawings.

I ordered 250 copies. Never print more copies than you can sell. The band sold them between sets with their debut CD Dread Clampitt, containing the band theme song, "Dread Clampitt." The first edition sold out.

I ordered 250 more. It sold out.

I ordered 250 more. Brenda says I'm going platinum.

One review of the CD mentioned the cover art, by Bryan Hand, and one review mentioned the stand-alone liner notes, Root Doctor.

You can read the booklet without listening to the CD, or listen to the CD without reading the booklet, but they complement each other, as does the cover art, which illustrates the band's appeal.

Beach parties, under the stars, cooking fresh fish on a charcoal grill, picking on the back porch, writing in the living room.

Come on down to Grayton Beach, where the motto is Nice Dogs, Strange People.

I'm not strange. You are. If you like Top 40 music, hip-hop, pipi-tease disco, or country music hat-acts-and-light-shows.

Come back when your face clears up, kid.

(1) White Male
(2) Do It Yourself

One time Owen brought Barry Abernathy home with him for a week. They fished together.

Owen had been telling Granny Brown stories.

Barry couldn't believe it. Granny Brown was just like the stories Owen told.

"Granny Brown" is the first song on Dread Clampitt's CD, Dread Clampitt.

The boys dine out on Granny Brown.

So do I. It's hard to top, "I got the swine hog." Or, "Is that Reno or Selix?" Meaning Burt Reynolds or Tom Selleck.