News Archive - 2007

December 2007

On December 19, 2007, Mel Bay Publications, Inc. announced the release of "Richard Gilewitz, Live at Charlotte's Web", a 66-minute DVD, filmed and recorded live at the Mendelssohn Club in Rockford, Illinois. This long awaited Charlotte's Web performance concert captures the essence of Richard Gilewitz skipping along the magical journey of the various musical genres of acoustic guitar. For those who have only heard Richard's playing on his CD's or the radio, the live DVD will be an eye opening experience as his fingerstyle gymnastics - along with his home spun yarns too unbelievable not to be true - are brought to life during this performance.

Thanks to the dedicated folks from Charlotte's Web and Snapshotmusic.com, another live music performance has been preserved and made available. Snapshotmusic.com is a digital archive museum of live performance recordings. Their collection features musical genres spanning the spectrum - folk to pop; classical to rock; jazz to funk; world music, storytelling, dance and theater. Their mission is to ensure the integrity of our cultural legacy by recording and preserving a diversity of performing arts.

Songs include Available Space, Daughter of Pete's Feet, Echoing Gilewitz, Embryonic Journey, Gove's Tune, Have You Ever Seen a Rainbow at Night?, Minuet for the Backroads, Pete's Feet, Prelude No.1, Prelude No.2, I am Eaten By Sharks, Spanish Two Step, St. Louis Blues, Synapse Collapse, The Last Steam Engine Train, Thumbing, and Wazamataz .

Available from your local music store or at Mel Bay.

"Richard Gilewitz, Live at Charlotte's Web", Mel Bay Publications- 21640DVD, UPC 796279105989

November 2007

The Breedlove Atlas Richard Gilewitz Limited Edition Twelve-String

Breedlove Guitars has announced the availability of a new Richard Gilewitz Signature model 12-string. This is a Limited Edition instrument from the Breedlove Atlas Series, and if the initial reaction to this incredible sounding guitar is any indication, players who want to add this beauty to their collection should contact their local Breedlove dealer today.

The Breedlove Atlas "RGLE" 12 String is built on the Atlas AJ25 platform, with a top of solid Sitka Spruce and a solid Rosewood back. Richard's personal logo is inlaid in pearl, and this guitar features the L.R. Baggs M1 magnetic soundhole pickup - a staple ingredient in Richard's live sound, plus his preferred 12-string set of D'Addario EJ37 Phosphor Bronze strings.

For more information, contact your local Breedlove Guitars dealer.

Check out Richard's tour schedule to catch him with this new Guitar at his upcoming concerts and seminars.

September - October, 2007

September and October are always busy months for Richard as he shares his music at a variety of venues. Each location brings new experiences to both Richard and his audiences. The live concert broadcast of WUWF Radio Live! in Pensacola, Florida, featuring the colorful introductions by host Pat Crawford, gave Richard the opportunity to hear about Pat's 945-mile hike to the nation's capital, (wuwf.org/events/hike.shtml), an experience in itself!

Under the sunny skies of Florida Richard completed a few more concerts and guitar clinics then departed on a rather quick 6 ½ hour flight from New York to Dublin, Ireland where Richard met up with favorite friend Tommy Leddy of The Sound Shop in Drogheada, Ireland for a concert and workshop. Prior to the Clonakilty International Guitar Festival, where Richard joined in with Steve Housden of The Little River Band, Bex Marshall, Matt Churchill, and Gavin Glass for a rousing Acoustic Forum, Richard shared some sound tips with Peter Delaney of Limerick at the Slainte in Cork City.

Off to Germany for some R & R, Richard visited Frankfurt, where he will be going back to in March 2008 for MusikMessa. Stopping at the Oktoberfest in Munich to sample some of the fresh baked goods including this giant pretzel, Richard's take on one of the largest festivals around was that everyone must attend this event once in a lifetime for the experience of the music, food, and dance.

Back to Ireland for one last concert at the Garter Lane Arts Centre in Waterford, a midnight drive back to Dublin and on to another round of concerts and clinics in the States left Richard little time to prepare for his upcoming November filming session with folks at TrueFire. . And as always true to touring, Richard met with another wonderful musician and cello player, Laurie Jarski, while conducting a Breedlove and Friends clinic at both Broughton Music stores in Michigan. They quickly combined their efforts for an on-the-spot duo during the clinics and then for a surprise addition at Richard's concert at the Trinity House Theater in Livonia.

August, 2007

Catching Up

Even though there has been no actual posted news since the March listing, the period between March and August has been filled with touring, writing, and catching up on many of Richard's projects.

Following a California tour in March, Richard began April playing concerts and clinics in Florida before moving on to the rest of country including Virginia, Maryland, and Kansas. GillaCamp Kansas 2007 in El Dorado gave players in the area an opportunity to participate in the GillaCamp experience.

May brought another tour in California and then an interview on WMNF in Tampa in support of Richard's annual concert at Skippers, the well-known venue that has music 7 days a week with a array of artists from Hot Tuna with Jorma Kaukonen to Marsha Ball, David Wilcox, and Tab Benoit. A quick after concert flight out of Tampa to Chicago began another tour of Wisconsin and Indiana.

Never one to sit at his home base, June was a mixture of tours to Oregon with a homecoming concert at the 2nd Street Theater in Bend were "Live at 2nd Street Theater" was recorded during a 2005 concert with special guest, Radim Zenkl. Meeting with the folks from Breedlove Guitars, Richard had the opportunity to discuss the specs for a new signature 12-string guitar and also play a few tunes with Tim May and Steven King. The month continued with a brief visit in Blandon, PA, where the GillaCamp Pennsylvania 2008 will be held, a stop in Baton Rouge, and then on to Texas for some catching up with folks at Uncle Calvin's in Dallas and Houston's Anderson Fair.

July was a combination of the Grissom High School reunion in Huntsville, Alabama, International Day in Rock Springs, Wyoming, a mini-GillaCamp Florida 2007 in Tampa, and the summer NAMM convention in Austin where Richard was presented the Breedlove signature 12-string guitar complete with the Gilewitz logo on the neck.

August began with GillaCamp Ohio 2007 at the brand new location of Sound City Music in Troy, Ohio. After suffering the effects of the winter blast in Ohio, Matt Stump moved his store to another site and this larger store was perfect for hosting the GillaCamp. Rounding out the end of summer with a tour of Minnesota and Wisconsin for a series of guitar seminars gave Richard the chance to share his experiences with other players.

March, 2007

It was bound to happen some time. With the capabilities of the Internet expanding beyond our wildest expectations, now viewers from around the world can experience players of many talents at the click of a link. YouTube, the site that carries videos of every subject imaginable, has joined the list of sites carrying Richard Gilewitz performances. Dirt To Dust, that haunting and mesmerizing tune written and performed by Richard, now can be one of your favorites by simply clicking here.

Courtesy of Mel Bay Records, this 6-minute video is part of a larger DVD project from Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitar Workshop, written by Richard. The book contains a DVD and CD to complement the 96-page workshop manual that is based on questions from students at many of his guitar seminars and GillaCamps.

Enjoy the video, become inspired, and share the link with your friends and family. Feel free to take advantage of the opportunity to write a review about your experience listening and watching Dirt To Dust. There is a place just for that purpose on the site below the video.