ElizaBlog

April 2008

It’s been a fertile time, lots of new material busting out and older material coming together in recordings, both my own songs and songs in collaboration with Brian Castillo in the Waterwitch music. Some of this energy has been around my Dad, who passed on in December. Thanks to so many of you for your kind words & thoughts. I loved him and miss him and continue on my own path, saluting his brave and cheerful spirit as I go.

We had a few unadvertised performances this winter, including our favorite retreat spot Breitenbush Hotsprings and the wedding of friends Jeff & Miyuki. Brian and I wrote a love song for them that I we are working on for you to hear soon.

And finally we are playing out again for real! The first show is at Lola’s South City Baker and Deli in Seattle, coming up May 10^th. We’re also doing a few shows down the coast, heading for Occidental on August 13^th, at the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center. Check back soon for more details.

Posted by elizabeth on Tuesday, April 08, 2008 at 14:39

queen

Hallo out there!

Although I haven't been sending forth messages to the internet ethers, I have been busy with writing and recording all kinds of new music. Brian Castillo and I are working on a project that seems to be naming itself Waterwitch Be. I have been learning to play as I write songs on the Hammond organ that was dropped into my life rather than the dump a year ago. I love it, though still writing on the guitar & other instruments too. I would describe the music for you, but that seems unlucky somehow and I'd rather have you hear it. Suffice it to say that the state of reality upon planet earth has been a recurrent muse. The past year plus has also involved recording many songs with my father who was diagnosed with a deadly cancer 15 months ago. We're happy he is still with us, and some of the music is really cool. Thanks for checking in to the site, stay tuned for new releases and downloads and so forths. And I do love hearing from you, so keep those emails coming!

Posted by Elizabeth on Sunday, July 15, 2007 at 10:56

New work

Due to my father's illness, we had to cancel the show we had planned to do in Sebastopol this month. As the golden-lit Autumn equinox approaches, I'm holing in to work on new and non-genre specific material, including some writing on the Hammond in the Waterwitch Cathedral. Stay tuned for free downloads on the website.

Posted by Elizabeth on Monday, September 11, 2006 at 15:27

primrose now

speeding into zero velocity

time hushes, hushes down into everytime

I see you are there on the periphery of my frame

you hold the camera up

to my entire life and change it with your own frame

the frame from all your pasts and futures and present

in this way, all our nows intersect again and again and again

shimmering the past in washes of pearl and smoky sage

shaping the future into plump loaves of fragrant bread

begetting white primroses in July

peeping like fairies beneath the shining leaves

Posted by elizabeth on Monday, July 24, 2006 at 17:00

Breitenbush Report and What's Next

The Breitenbush show/experience was fantastic. Lots of wonderful soaking and steaming and eating and hiking before and after the show in the North Wing of the old lodge. We rehearsed in Buddha’s Playhouse with the sound of the river rounding out all acoustic edges in an undulating mantra. Brian Castillo and Johnny Nasan both played with me in some new arrangements of the songs, passing the acoustic bass back and forth and Johnny playing that sexy guitarette (little guitar, like a mandolin sound, but more guitar-like) and a dumbek. Brian did various sounds here and there, including some hot-dang knee slapping. Also joining us for the first time on stage was the wonderful Betsy Grace on vocals, a real treat. I hope to play more shows with Betsy (a wonderful singer-songwriter in her own right) in the future. Played a few brand new songs, lots of songs from the new CD, The Turning Point, as well as some oldies. The mosquitoes were the only downside of the whole deal, hungry little critters nearly ate me alive. That aside, Breitenbush is a place to bring back one’s hope in humanity—it’s good to recall in these strange and troubled times that human beings really can be pretty cool after all. I feel truly thankful to all the folks who have worked and lived there for the last thirty years, protecting the beauty of the place and providing a sanctuary and healing zone for all of us who benefit. I am equally grateful to the place itself, the rocks and river and trees and birds and animals and nature spirits, so alive and bursting with is-ness. We’ll be doing another show in October or November, so stay tuned.

Posted by elizabeth on Monday, July 10, 2006 at 19:21

Breitenbush June 30th!

We got a great video out of the Tacoma gig, which includes my father playing fiddle and viola, and Brian Castillo on bass. It was also fun seeing and playing again with Peter Pendras, who joined me for so many shows on tour and in San Diego. Thanks to all the new faces and old friends who showed up!

Next stop is Breitenbush Hotsprings, where Brian and I are scheduled to perform a concert on June 30^th. Breitenbush is one of my favorite places to visit and I look forward to playing music in this healing & magical place. Amazing hot springs, sauna, great vegetarian meals, mountains, trails, river. For more information about Breitenbush, see www.breitenbush.com.

Posted by Elizabeth Hummel on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 at 16:29

Mandolin Cafe June 10

Elizabeth Hummel and Friends

June 10^th, 2006, 8:00 PM

The Mandolin Café

3923 S. 12^th St., Tacoma, WA

No cover

Hi--it's been awhile since I’ve updated the site. My family found out a few months back that my father has terminal cancer, so my focus has been with the family. If you want to know more about my father's condition, you can find out the latest news on a website we created for that purpose, www.rhummel.com.)

But I have been doing plenty of music, writing and recording in the Waterwitch Cathedral. We had several very interesting and wonderful sessions with Brian’s friend Jarboe (www.thelivingjarboe.com) who plans to release some of the work on an English label. We’ve also had some great sessions with dad on the fiddle and singing some of the old songs we grew up with, as well as some of my songs.

I’ll be playing some of these new and old songs with Dad, and with Brian Castillo at the Mandolin Café in Tacoma on the 10^th. Hope to see you there!

Posted by Elizabeth Hummel on Sunday, May 28, 2006 at 18:22

Tacoma Volcano review of The Turning Point

I got my first review of The Turning Point, in the
Tacoma Volcano. To read, click here!

Posted by Elizabeth Hummel on Monday, January 23, 2006 at 10:20

Concert

Hi folks,

Well, we had a great time at the CD release concert for The Turning Point--thanks to all of you who came out on the 27th day of straight rain here in Olympia to celebrate with us. At one point the power went out during the middle of "Bud and Bloom," leaving us on stage with no lights and no sound! I had this song that I couldn't fit into my set list that I really wanted to play called "The Wisdom of Annabelle Rocket Blaine," so I thought, well I might as well play it now, and I sat at the edge of the stage & played it without any amplification, which was actually really fun. It's all about letting go when you get nailed by life and figuring out how to make a good move instead of just stewing about how bad it is. So it was rather appropriate. Fortunately the power came back before the end of the song and we got to keep playing. Stay tuned--we got reviewed in the Volcano out of Tacoma, nice piece written by Andras Jones, Oly's favorite oracle-spinning dj from The Radio8Ball on KAOS.

Posted by Elizabeth Hummel on Sunday, January 22, 2006 at 17:02

The Turning Point CD Release Concert - January 13, 2006

Elizabeth Hummel and band

“The Turning Point” CD Release Concert

with guest Birch Book (formerly In Gowan Ring)

At The Knox Center Auditorium

1113 Legion Way SE, Olympia, WA 98501

(at Eastside and Legion)

Friday, January 13^th

at 8pm - $10

For the last few months my co-producer Brian Castillo and I have been working on a new CD in my home and recording studio, the Waterwitch Cathedral. Now it's done! Those of you who have known me over the years may remember a song I wrote in San Diego called The Turning Point. Just like some people, some songs can be late bloomers, and this one has finally blossomed into being the title track of this new CD. (It’s also #24 from the I Ching, the book that helped write the song.) Other songs are very recent, or sort of recent, and a few more from some other time. One song called Evangeline I wrote with Cindy Lee Berryhill in a hotel room when we were on tour in Louisiana and Cindy had a gig cancelled. I pretty much forgot about it until Katrina hit, and it just seemed like the right time to bring it out. Another one called Flying Dream is about a dream I had in which Sila (the Wonderdog) and I are having a delightful flight through clouds vibrating like the vocal chords of the finest jazz divas. There are a few “political” songs, one called Comfortable that has lyrics which make me quite uncomfortable, but it goes down like the smoothest whisky anyway. And then some surprises…!

Playing with me on the CD is a superb group of musicians, including Seattle drummer Barry Semple (from the popular country band The Swains), the incredible much Oly-loved Johnny Nason on bass & guitar, Reva Wittenberg on back vocals, Brian Castillo on keyboard, and Portland stand-up bass player Jesse Engum (from the Portland French jazz band Zephir).

Hope you can make the CD release concert! I’m performing with all the fine musicians who play on the CD, and the venue is a restored auditorium from the 1920s with red velvet curtains and a gorgeous stage. Tickets will be available after December 15th at Traditions, Rainy Day Records, and the (Steamboat) Island Market. This show will also feature an opening set by Birch Book (more info at: www.birchbook.com).

We are issuing an initial limited edition of 200 copies of the Turning Point. The CD will be available at the CD release concert on January 13th, or at CD Baby and Rainy Day Records in Olympia after this date. You can also pre-order the Turning Point by sending a check made out to me for $15 to my PO Box:

PO Box 6081
Olympia, WA 98507

Posted by Elizabeth Hummel on Monday, December 19, 2005 at 05:59