Who?...BIO - What?...MUSIC - When/Where?...GIGS - How?...CONTACT
Free?...MP3s- Mail?...CAGNOTES - Pics?...SNAPS - Huh? - Home?...JOURNEY


Leave the gun, take the cannolis...

I decided to make this a work in progress/travel journal/keep in touch with home site for these next coupla months on the road. Oh sure, there'll be official Cagno propaganda throughout, keeping you all up on where I'm gonna be strummin, and how to get in touch and all; but mostly, I'll just flap my digital lips and tell you about the time in between the shows and the journey to the next town physically and mentally...more rants.

4.19.02, 12:31am, Clinton, NJ

"Nine guitar cases
Lean on a lobby sofa
Who's up next? Cagno..."

- excerpted from 'Five FA Haiku'
by Tom Neff (ca. 1957-?)

6.11.01, 2:37pm, leavin on the midnight train from Georgia

Had a great mini-tour in Georgia. Big thanks to Eddie Owen down at Eddie's Attic for running such a cool club in Decatur. The shootout was a good experience. The comraderie amoungst performers was high, the competitiveness was low. I sailed through 3 rounds and made it into the top 8 of the night. Congrats to Daniel Le, a great player from Baton Rouge who took home the grand. I did a night in the round with him and next night and had a real hoot. Thanks to the southern tour manager for another fine time in Hotlanta.

Cya, GC

3.28.01, 9:53pm, in the air heading east somewhere between San Jose, CA and home...

OK my journaling kinda went the way of the dough dough bird, and so I beg of you your pardon if I've left you hangin on the details of my journey. I suspect that you all were able to continue on in your busy lives without too much cognitive dissonance wondering what I'm up to (ok may all of you except me mum).

Anyhow the journey has left me utterly amazed at the beauty of California. My hands down favorite was Big Sur, which I HIGHLY recommend to anyone who has the good fortune of getting out to the west coast. I filled in my open nights with some open mics at clubs that I'll play next time through. At one of these in Joshua Tree, CA at Jeremy's Beatnik Cafe, I met one of my new favorites, Southpaw Jones. Check him out, brilliant lyrics and uncompromising timing. There's been so much beauty, music and fun in the past few weeks that I've fallen behind in writing it all down, but I took many photos and wrote a new tune to capture some of it. I'll play it for you soon I hope, and I'll post a few pictures when I get them back perhaps. In the meantime, thanks to all of you for coming out to see this Jersey guy and thanks to the friends along the way who made the trip possible with kind offerings of rides, futons and red wine and blue cheese...Nancy, Randy, Joe & Michelle & Emily, Amy, Joel and all the new friends along the way. You made it a wonderful journey

Much obliged,

Gregg

3.10.01, 9:03am, Harbin Hot Springs, Middletown, CA

Amazing full moon gig last night here at Harbin. Absolutely amazing and rejouvenating hot pools built into the hills. Did the hydrothermal shock treatment of going from 115 degrees to 50 degrees back and forth until it felt natural...shead off some karma...Thanks for a wonderful time Helen, Treasure, Peter and all. Wonderful sunshine today, must go hike now :)

soon,

G

2.27.01, 11:55pm, Redwoods Hostel, Klamath, CA

California here I am!! Spent the day driving down the Oregon coast which is absolutely fabulous with many photo stops and very alluring overlook points which a backroad driver like myself just can't resist. Stopped in on a radio station, The Point in Newport, OR, 100.7FM on a whim and ended up recording a spot that will run in the morning, thanks Andy! Jumped back on route 5 to make some time and get here by 9:30 to check in. Drove past a bunch or crazy huge redwoods in the dark and can't wait to take them in in all their Jurassic splendor in the light. Checked in and then took a walk down by the Pacific which is right across the street. Sand, rocks and more stars than I can count...Perseus caught my eye tonight, holdin onto that snakey Medusa head, keepin a watchful eye out for Cetus or 'the Cracken' as we say in my neighborhood (let's get Crackin!)...Now I'm sitting up late at the hostel, lights out at 11, (all the hitchikers are resting up for another day), and listening to the waves pound the beach behind me. Tomorrow I go and see those TREES! Then head down to Eureka for the evening, then Mendocino, once home to Hedges.

all over,

G

2.27.01, 12:45am, Hebo, OR

Spent the weekend in Portland, a very fine city. I ran into an old pal Ann Weiss up at the FA who I'd met the first time I went to Falcon Ridge (Summer 89?). I'll never forget hearing that wailing gospel voice singing with Jim Infantino on Trust This Face (heyyyy...) She told me she was living in Portland and invited me to stay when I came through town. Had a wonderful stay in a very cool city. Saw a great Chandler show, took an breathtaking hike (Dog Mountain), danced Salsa in the kitchen with Sabina and Michael, and got to play at a house concert with Ann, f, and Allette Brooks.

Left Portland this afternoon, and on Ann's high recommendation I redirected my route to include the Oregon coast. I just took a starlit walk on the beach and layed in the sand and took in some dense stars and realized how right she was...Orion is here, just like back home, but now when he draws his bow and takes aim at Taurus the Bull, there are many many more (billions and billions) obstacle stars in the arrow's path...

Perchance to dream,

G

2.23.01, 1:19pm, train between Seattle and Portland, OR

Had a great visit with my old friend Nancy in Seattle. We realized that we've known each other longer than we haven't..Met back in HS study hall freshman year...Where's it all go... Got to hang a little with her daughter Jordan who's 8. We talked Harry Potter and Tai Kwan Do. I stayed one more day to catch a free Jonatha Brooke show at the downtown Borders with my bud Jon Kingham. I kicked around downtown one more day, found the local Lark in the Morning store. One of 3 in the country and I plan to hit all on this trip. Next one's in Mendocino (former home of Hedges), then San Fran. I spent some time at the Seattle Art Museum taking in the John Singer Sargent exhibit. He caused a big fuss in the late 1800's when he painted a portrait of a 25yr old woman in an evening gown with one of her shoulder straps off the shoulder. Nearly ruined his career, made a laughing stock of the woman, and effectively sabotaged his income from any more portrait gigs. Of course that is the painting that defines his collection now. Which brings to mind some parallel to the content over controversy argument in the music business today with Eminem (and Elton too I spose). Or not. Anyhow, not everyone's appreciated when their here, but when their gone everone loves a controversy...Here comes Portland, more on this fuzzy argument later...

G

2.21.01, 3:42am, Seattle, WA

Gig was happenin last night. Got to see old friend Mike and his lovely wife Elise down there at the OK hotel. Had a great set and then rocked out to the band after me, Monotone Pictures. Spent the day getting the grand tour of Seattle. Had my first rockstar moment when I walked up to the booth to pay for my ride up the Space Needle and the girl behind the glass said through her headset "Are you Gregg from the OK hotel last night?", I said "uh, yup", and she said "great job, go on through this one's on me". I rode the 520' elevator and looked out over Seattle and Mts. Olympus and Rainer and the new stadium (cause they blew up my dome) and the EMP building and big boats and tankers and lots of blue water...Thanks Jocelyn.

2.19.01, 1:39pm, Seattle, WA

OK Back in the States now. Conference was full of music and empty of sleep. I stayed up jamming until 7:00am yesterday so pardon the wandering logic of this. Vancouver as a city is absolutely beautiful. Very clean, very walkable, proud, and friendly. Hands down the best Sushi I've ever tasted, Itchi ban kan, thanks for the tip Lucia! The FA conference was a 4 day marathon of music, schmoozin and laughter. Sang some songs, put some faces with some names, sang some more, shook hands, kissed babies, got gigs, drank tequila with Beethoven, swapped songs with my fellow FolkTrainers and even did some business. My favorite showcase was a round I shared with Eric Schwartz where we dueted on Stevie Wonder's Sir Duke. Check Eric's stuff out if you haven't heard him, quite a writer, great pop sensibility and a damn funny mofo to boot.

Rode down to Seattle last night with Evan B and Jon K and their freesytle raps to the soundtrack CD of the day Phat Beats. Hey it's all folk music to me...Playing at the OK hotel tonight in town (they filmed part of the film Singles there). Then hangin in town for a day or so and then off to Portland.

G

2.14.01, 10:17am, Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands, (between Vancouver and Seattle)

Landed in Vancouver yesterday morning round 7:30am. Felt like the train trip had just found its groove and I happily could've stayed on another few days but it was time for the next leg of the journey. Most of the crew headed over to the hotel where the conference will be held. It doesn't officially start until Thursday, so Kenny and I decided we'd go and visit our friend Lisa who had told us she lived on an island not far away. We hopped a Ferry and after about a hour of big blue water and windy sunshine surrounded by snow covered Rockies we landed at Friday Harbor. Lisa has 3 dogs, Tia, Shilo, and Cedar and lives in a beautiful cabin in the woods with Blanche. We caught a sunset that was right up there with Key West, even more in the purple department with the mountains of Canada in the background (we're in the states now). Hitting 'the beach' today to go hiking and then back to Vancouver. More to come.

G

Tonight we passed through Saskatoon, Joni Mitchell's hometown. Me and Bauman and Annie Wenz climbed off the train to pay tribute to Joni's hood. Chris and I made a loop and took a picture and then Annie and I ran into the station to get A)warm and B)something that said Saskatoon on it. After looking through all the train station literature we finally got some help from an employee who gave us a map and we headed back to the train runnin and sliding on the ice and singing 'Carey'. We got to the train and they'd put up the steps already! There was a refueling goin on (diesel of course, train was built in 1955 by the way) and I walked over to the truck to tell him we needed to get on and he told me that I wasn't supposed to be by the refueling truck, but if we banged on the door they would let us back in. Close one, almost missed it, but after a few slaps on the steel they opened the gates. When we got inside, they were singing Carey too ;) and then we proceded to have Joni hour playing a tune then hooting 'Saskatooooooon!'. An englishman named Paul pulled a bunch of great ones out, as did his friend Cathy, Rachel Bissex and myself. We covered: Carey, Case of You, All I Want, Big Yellow Taxi, Rainy Night House, Circle Game, Tin Angel, Peoples Parties, Twisted, Gallery. (At this point as you might've guessed, my day and the trip for me had been made.

Must Sleep now.... :) Thanks Joni...

G

Right now I'm on the FolkTrain 2001, somewhere just west of Toronto, heading to Vancouver for the national Folk Alliance conference. There's about 50 of us aboard The Canadian and so far the ride's been gorgeous. I left NYC by rail friday morning with Christian Bauman his daughter Kristina and Kenny Collins. On the ride we met Lucia my new favorite Canadian. She had just moved to NYC from Vancouver and gave us the low down on her town and what not to miss. She was heading to Montreal to get a work visa, hope it worked out and about (aboot) for you. We rolled into Montreal round 6, had a little Thai and a lotta Saké, then jumped back on the train at 11 and headed to Toronto. Stayed up most the night BSin in the Starlight lounge car, dome top and windowed walls talkin to Kenny and Rachel Bissex bout life and times and Tequila. I was in coach last night so I was stalling goin to, uh, upright bed, then by the time the yap broke up it was all quiet on the train and I found an empty sleeper with I colonized in the name of the motherland until the sun came up.

We're cruisin along through a sunny Canadian day now, lotta bright white snow with short shadows of evergreens to gaze at, but they're callin me for lunch, and I'm answering...