Any guesses as to what our own Ms. Jill Watkins is referring? 

I'm thrilled beyond measure (get the musical reference there? That's ‘cuz I hang out with musicians) to create "Broads on Blues" for our community!  I'm looking forward to sharing what we see as the BEST blues in Colorado and sharing the shows of which people MUST be aware!  We have a fantastic blues community scattered all over this state, and it's sometimes hard to keep track of all the wonderful events.  This gives
Honey and me an opportunity to highlight those BIG supporters of the Blues, like the Boulder Outlook Hotel, Grand County Blues Society, Pikes Peak Blues Community, Colorado Blues Society and so many others.  Plus, we are excited about getting a chance to spend a few minutes with all of the fabulous musicians we've come to know and love over the years…as well as those whom we have yet to meet.  They may not know us yet but they will…oh yes…they will…. ?Jill Watkins

Yes, Jill, they will.  Beginning Sunday, June 1^st, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and the first Sunday of the month thereafter, Jill and I are co-hosting “Broads on Blues,” a one-hour live television show on CCTV 54.   It won’t available in Boulder, but will be posted on youtube later that day.  [NOTE TO BLUES FANS:  If any of you see me ordering pizza or a steak and cheese at the Outlook between now and June 1^st, please beat me senseless while reminding me I’m going on television.  Same goes for potato chips.  Thank you.]    

The format is straightforward:  the first fifteen minutes will be about all the blues happenings in Colorado and whatever else Jill and I feel like talking about; the second quarter hour, our special musical guests will join us for a chat; then a 25-minute live performance from said special guests.  It should be fun, informative, and about damn time!  And wow, do we have some special guests lined up. 

Speaking of special guests, I’ve been “delegating” a lot of my work lately, and this week is no exception.  I was going to inform you more on the delight that is Jenn Cleary, but in light of the fact that she just might have a little announcement herself, we’ll wait until next week to spill her beans (she is from Boston).    

I also planned to inform you more on Kelly Richey and her latest CD, Carry the Light.  Again, I’ve run out of space, so I’ll do so next week.  In the meantime, put May 20^th on your calendars; she’s not to be believed.  Don’t believe me?  “Stevie Ray Vaughan trapped in a woman’s body with Janis Joplin screaming to get out,” is how one critic aptly describes her.  I’ve had the immense pleasure of seeing her live a few times, and she is still one of the most electrifying performers I’ve ever seen.  Ever.

Before I introduce our special guest writer this week, I must verbally fall to my knees and thank her for doing something for me Thursday night that I know musicians hate doing.  But I couldn’t help it. 

Ok, so here’s what happened.  The fabulous, wonderful, soulful Gretchen Troop Band took the stage for a KILLER first set.  Problem.  I had been telling Vanessa all about her voice (V had only heard her as a “Bobette,” singing back up with Jill Watkins and The Delicious Ms. Brown for Steady Rollin’), and that I’m certain that when she sings “Sittin’ On the Dock of the Bay,” the warmth we all feel is from Otis Redding’s Heavenly smile.   She tears it up; she owns it.  Anywho, Vanessa got there too late in the first set to hear it.  You know where I’m going with this?  Yeah, that’s right, Little Miss Audacious here stomped right up to Gretchen at the break and things went like this:

HONEY:  I know what I’m getting ready to ask is something you people hate to do, but I’m gonna ask anyway.  Vanessa was late and she loves “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay,” so you have to do it again.” 

GRETCHEN:  Honey, I can’t do a song twice in the same night!

HONEY:  [IMPORTANT THAT YOU PICTURE PUPPY DOG EYES]  You can for me.

GRETCHEN:  [UNABLE TO RESIST SAID PUPPY DOG EYES]  Ok, for you I’ll do it.

THANK YOU, GRETCHEN!!!  I LOVE YOU TOO!

And now, in her own words, read how we all got so lucky to call Gretchen, “neighbor.”

 Honey Sepeda

When I first realized that all I wanted out of life was to be a singer, I wouldn’t have guessed that my voice would lead me to three great cities. Trying to “make it” in music in such different settings has been a rewarding experience.  When I identified my dream, I was in college in Syracuse, New York -- so the obvious first choice was New York City. 

The Big Apple.  Full of that confidence that only kids in their late teens and early twenties possess, I was pretty sure I would be working full time as a singer and making a living off of it within a year.  I started going out to “Open Mic Nights” but found out quickly that getting to an open mic at 10:00 pm to sign up would get me on stage at about 3:30 am, disgruntled... and not sounding good.  In New York, you need to know somebody to get anything, even one lousy blues tune on a stage in a dive bar.  But I could meet people... there were men who offered to introduce me to Ahmet Ertegun, Tom Dowd, they were somebody themselves, they knew somebody... But somehow, it never panned out.  I tried to start bands, five in total, but all needed music written first, and none of those projects ever made it out of the studio.  All the while I was climbing up the Open Mic ladder and getting heard -- but there were many ups and downs, so I decided to relocate... I would be a jazz singer, and NYC wasn’t working for me.

The City by the Bay. San Francisco won out over Paris (the speaking French thing) and New Orleans (oppressively hot weather).  My arrival coincided with the acid-jazz scene being in full swing, and acid jazz is a perfect combination of music styles for me.  Since San Francisco is a very “feminine empowered” city, I felt that she and I were a perfect combination and settled down for the long haul.  I was inspired and motivated to create my own band, “Sideways.”  I don’t think there was ever a moment in SF that I felt that it wasn’t the perfect city for me...until the dot-com craze. That repeating moment in human history when a place is totally transformed by greed; think Gold Rush.  That greed destroyed one of the most healthy, competitive (good and bad of that), diverse, creative music scenes that I have ever had the privilege to witness.  Charlie Hunter came out of it, Will Bernard, Ledisi, Train, Scott Amendola, myself, the list goes on and on.  But when the money ruled San Francisco the clubs closed, or stopped booking bands and started hiring DJs. When a culture and a people cannot find the time or money to support their artists, its effect is absolute and devastating.  On a spreadsheet, what’s the point in art at all?  In life, it is everything.  So, I didn’t play professionally for almost 3 years, GOD did that suck.  Musicians were leaving in droves, all artists in fact, I clung to my rent-controlled apartment and joined musician’s protests in front of city hall.  All but one of the practice studios (an absolute necessity when everyone lives in small apartments) in the city closed and were sold as living spaces.  I went on a road trip in the summer of 2003 to see one of my oldest friends who had left New York City shortly before me and settled in Boulder.  I decided after a great trip that I should move to Boulder and did. 

Colorado Bound.  When I moved to the Denver area, the first thing that I found that was different from living in NYC or SF was the type of music everyone listened to.  I figured my career was pretty much over.  Then I got an email from Jasco.  Jasco was a guitarist who had played with Blinddog Smokin’ and they had all moved to LA where things did not work out, and he was moving back to the Denver area.  Strangely he found me from an ad that I had placed in SF Musician and it had been transferred to all the major cities when that site went national, including Denver Musician.  That stroke of fate was enough for me.  From the first time Jasco and I got together at The Reef for an open mic night, I knew he was something special and The Shamans was born.  The first thing that really hit me about the Denver/Boulder area’s music scene was how much nicer the musicians were to each other, especially the other female singers.  I have found bar owners such as Chuckie at Ziggie’s, Shari and Lee at Vines, Dave at Oskar Blues, and of course, Dan at The Boulder Outlook to be supportive and loyal to me throughout my change from The Shamans to Gretchen Troop Band.  Not to mention the musical companionship that other musicians like Jasco, Jack Hadley and Jodie Woodward (through her Women Rock the Night and Female All-Star Revue shows) and the countless other musicians I have had the pleasure to play with have offered me.  I have felt supported and respected, truly one of the most valuable things an artist can ask for.  This area has turned out to be a great musical solution for me; there is enough competition to keep me on my toes, but enough of a sisterhood and brotherhood of musicians and bar owners to make me feel like somebody has got my back.... Not like I need to watch it.  Gretchen Troop

Again, Gretchen, thank you.  For everything.

MEMO TO DAN

 Dear Dan:

Now that I’m regularly going to be on television, I’m going to need new clothes.  Since the Outlook is sponsoring the show, is there any wiggle room in the budget to send me to Italy for a couple of weeks of shopping?

Impatiently yours,

Honey