============================================= *** R O C K Y M O U N T A I N H I G H *** ============================================= The John Denver Internet Fan Club Monthly Newsletter N o v e m b e r 2009 Editor: Emily M. Parris ================================================ http://www.rockymtnhigh.org * emily@parris.net ================================================ Table of Contents November 2009 - Issue #187 John Denver Events..............................1 Aspen in October 2009 by Kathy Lill..............................4 "John Denver's Bandmates in Aspen" Aspen Times.................................4 "Grove Theatre in Upland Gets Set for Holiday Season" Contra Costa Times 11-10-09 ...............6 John Denver Want Ads............................6 Poetry Corner: "A Country Road" by Emily M. Parris.........8 John Denver Notes...............................8 ======================================= J O H N D E N V E R E V E N T S ======================================= November 7, 2009 - JAPAN - John Denver Tribute Concert in Komae, Tokyo - Tanaka Takeru sings John Denver's best-loved hits, ,joined by Suga Katsutoshi. / add9th / 1-2-6 Nakaizumi, Komae-city, Tokyo, JAPAN / +81-3-3480-4996 (03-3480-4996) / 7:30 pm / 2,000yen http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~nisenora/e-pineapplers-liveinfo.html November 14, 2009 - Pacific Grove, CA - Concert by Mack Bailey and Rachel Levy at "The Works" Coffee house in Pacific Grove, California 667 Lighthouse Ave. 8:00pm for info call (831) 373-7780 November, 14, 2009 - Voorhees, NJ 7:30, Chris Westfall - Hope United Methodist Church “An Evening of Music to Benefit Ranch Hope”. www.ranchhope.org Tickets $15 in advance and $18 at the door. To order tickets via e-mail contact dcallahan@ranchhope.org. November 21, 2009 - JAPAN - John Denver Tribute Concert in Ginza, Tokyo - Tanaka Takeru sings John Denver's best-loved hits, joined by Suga Katsutoshi and Daniel Clay Idol. / Ginza TACT / 6-9-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN / +81-3-3571-3939 (03-3571-3939) / 1:00 pm / 2,800yen http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~nisenora/e-pineapplers-liveinfo.html November 21, 2009 - Greensboro, NC - Jim Curry with the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra - "Rocky Mountain High" - Tribute to John Denver 8:00pm Westover Church / 505 Muirs Chapel Road / Greensboro, NC 27410 336-335-5456 x224 http://www.greensborosymphony.org * http://www.jimcurrymusic.com December 5, 2009 - Doylestown, NJ - "Rocky Mountain Christmas" - Chris Westfall 7:30pm - Salem United Church of Christ / The show will include a variety of holiday tunes, JD favorites, and Chris’ original holiday songs. Tickets $10. For more information, contact kurthhoner@msn.com December 5, 2009 - Gilbert, AZ - The Limeliters with Glenn Yarbrough www.limeliters.com 7:30pm December 5, 2009 - Big Bear, CA - Chad Mitchell Trio with Jim Curry / Big Bear Performing Arts Center * http://www.jimcurrymusic.com http://www.citybigbearlake.com/cityGovt/performingArts.html December 6, 2009 - Upland, California - "A John Denver Christmas" Jim Curry 8:00 pm Grove Theater http://www.grovetheatre.com (909) 920-4343 http://www.jimcurrymusic.com December 12, 2009 - Audubon, NJ - Chris Westfall at the Auction House 7:30, Celebrate the holiday in song! Tickets $12.50 in advance or $15 at the door. 856-546-7755 http://www.aauctioneers.com. . December 12, 2009 - Annapolis, MD - Hard Traveler's Christmas Concert 7:00 pm Ramshead Tavern / 33 West Street / Annapolis, MD 21401 (410) 268-4545 $22.50 http://www.ramsheadtavern.com/annapolis/index December 13, 2009 - Sykesville, MD - Hard Traveler's - Baldwin's Station 7618 Main St / Sykesville, MD 21784 7:30 pm (Dinner available before the show) http://www.baldwinsstation.com December 31, 2009 - Haddonfield, NJ - Returning for his 6th year, Chris Westfall will be singing at First Night in Haddonfield, NJ. He will be performing 3 one hour sets that night … times to be announced. One price, $12, buys you a button which will get you into all the evening’s events, including fireworks at 9 and midnight! www.firstnighthaddonfield.org. February 21, 2010 - Largo, Florida - Ron Rich, The Rocky Mountain Memories, a John Denver Tribute show will be held at the Largo Cultural Center / 105 Central Park Drive / Largo, FL 2:00 pm Tickets are VIP $25, advance $22, day of show $25, Group $18 (10+), and Senior (60+) Box office 727-587-6793 March 15-23, 2010 * IRELAND CRUISE * Bill Danoff, Mack Bailey and Rachel Levy - Traveling Troubadour Cruises and Tours / P.O. Box 3189 / Staunton, VA 24402 (540) 887-8491 or 800-584-6724 They will be re-visiting one of their favorite places, Galway, where they will join in the celebration of St. Patrick's Day! The tour will end in Dublin. lynette@travelingtroubadour.com www.travelingtroubadour.com/Bailey-Levy,_Danoff_Ireland_2010.htm April 17, 2010 - Santa Rosa, CA - Jim Curry with the Santa Rosa Symphony "A Tribute to John Denver" 8:00 pm http://www.santarosasymphony.com http://www.jimcurrymusic.com April 18, 2010 - Santa Rosa, CA - Jim Curry with the Santa Rosa Symphony "A Tribute to John Denver" 3:00pm http://www.santarosasymphony.com http://www.jimcurrymusic.com May 22, 2010 - Toledo, Ohio - Jim Curry with the Toledo Symphony - "A Tribute to John Denver" 8:00 pm Stranahan Theater / 2245 Monroe St. / Toledo, OH (419) 246-8000 http://www.toledosymphony.com http://www.jimcurrymusic.com June 4-5, 2010 - Phoenix, AZ - Jim Curry with the Phoenix Symphony - "Rocky Mountain High - A Tribute to John Denver" Lee Holdridge conducting 8:00 pm http://www.phoenixsymphony.org * http://www.jimcurrymusic.com Branson, MO - Monday through Saturday 10:00am "A Tribute to John Denver & Country Music Legends" James Garrett sings John Denver's best-loved hits. IMAX Little Opry Theatre / 3562 Shepherd of the Hills Expressway / Branson, MO 65616 (800) 419-4832 http://www.bransonimax.com <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> Aspen in October 2009 …. Kathy Lill, Kansas I spent six wonderful days in Aspen, Colorado for John Denver week at the brand new Limelight Lodge, which is beautiful! The weather cooperated fully and we even had one afternoon of light snow which made everything look as if it had been dusted with powdered sugar…as John used to say! We did some hiking at the Grottos and Maroon Bells and just being out in nature was invigorating and good for the soul. There’s nothing like spending time outdoors in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Colorado. We also enjoyed a day trip to Grand Junction, Colorado and explored the Colorado National Monument (established on May 24, 1911) which is a spectacular area of twenty thousand acres of red rock canyons. It was a perfect day with beautiful blue skies and an abundance of sunshine. The vistas and terrain of this area remind me of a mini Grand Canyon…much different than the surroundings of the Aspen area. A variety of wildlife live at the Monument, including bighorn sheep, golden eagles, mule deer, and mountain lions. We were thrilled to see bighorn sheep that the park rangers pointed out to us. I’m glad we took the time to add this to our itinerary. It was a fun day! Meeting up with old friends and watching those who had come to Aspen for the first time was very gratifying. The camaraderie of those present to celebrate John’s life and music hasn’t waned in the 12 yrs. I’ve been going to Aspen. We had a special treat at the Wheeler shows on Friday and Saturday evening. Pete Huttlinger introduced special guests Jim Curry and Lee Holdridge! Jim sang “High Flight” while Lee accompanied him on piano....beautiful! The audience loved the performance and gave them a long standing ovation. Bill Danoff sang a few songs in honor and memory of Mary Travers who recently passed away. He wiped tears as he sang which was very touching. I believe this quote from Bill Danoff sums up what many feel; “What started as a memorial has become a celebration and reunion, with John Denver at the center, as he was in life” < * > < * > < * > < * > < * > < * John Denver's Bandmates in Aspen, Doin' Their Thing by Stewart Oksenhorn The Aspen Times Aspen, CO Chris Nole, and Jim Salestrom are among the former John Denver collaborators featured in the Doin' Their Own Thing concert Thursday at Aspen's Wheeler Opera House. Doin' Their Own Thing Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m. Wheeler Opera House, Aspen ASPEN — For 12 years, musicians and songwriters associated with John Denver have gathered in Aspen for a few mid-October days to celebrate the late folk icon's life by singing his songs. Those tribute concerts have become a strong magnet for the faithful, who come from around the world to the Wheeler Opera House to hear “Rocky Mountain High” and “Annie's Song” sung by artists who played those tunes shoulder-to-shoulder with Denver. Along the way, those fans have come to know the likes of Bill Danoff, the co-writer of “Take Me Home, Country Roads”; Denny Brooks, Denver's friend from the coffeehouse days who became a bandmate for a decade; and Aspenite John Sommers, who wrote “Thank God I'm a Country Boy” and played in Denver's band during the glory days of the '70s. Over those dozen years, it probably occurred to the fans that these musicians had something in their repertoires other than John Denver songs. It certainly has been on the minds of the musicians themselves. After a bunch of years of doing just Denver songs, they are ready to show the fans what else they have in their arsenal. Doin' Their Own Thing, which has its debut Thursday at the Wheeler, features the core cast from the Tribute to John Denver Concerts playing their own music. The show features Mack Bailey, Alan Deremo, Pete Huttlinger, Chris Nole, Herb Pedersen, Kenn Roberts, Jim Salestrom, Mollie Weaver and Gary Mule Deer, plus Danoff, Brooks and Sommers. “We've been kicking this around for four, five years,” said Nole, the singer-keyboardist who serves as music director for Thursday's concert, as well as the Tribute to John Denver Concerts on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 9-10 at the Wheeler. “We have this huge cast of talented people who do other music all year long: Can we sneak this in somehow?” The songs come from various places: Danoff will sing tunes from his new album (titled after another song of his that Denver recorded, “I Guess He'd Rather Be in Colorado.”) Bailey will be joined by his wife, Aspen product Rachel Levy, in “It's Time,” from their new CD, “White.” Nole will play the traditional blues “Alberta, Alberta,” that he recorded for his “Little Rum Boogie” album. Pedersen is set to play his song “Wait a Minute,” which was recorded by country star Alan Jackson. At least one song should be just as recognizable as any Denver hit: Horn will lead the group in a version of “Goin' Up the Country,” a 1968 hit for Canned Hit that prominently featured Horn's flute solo. Nole acknowledges that Doin' Their Own Thing won't be an instant crowd-pleaser on par with the Denver tribute concerts. But he says that Denver's fans have, over 12 years of tribute performances, cultivated an interest in the musicians and their careers. Moreover, the concert should deliver a similar spirit of the community that Denver left after his 1997 death, when his plane crashed into California's Monterey Bay. “The beauty is, John brought this whole group together,” said Nole, who left his gig with Faith Hill in 1994 to join Denver's band. “Including the fans. When I toured with John, you never stayed in place long enough to get to know anyone. But because of these tribute concerts, we've gotten to see people in the street, get to know them.” Nole says that the atmosphere at the Denver tribute concerts has changed over the years. The first year, when there were concerts in Maryland and Aspen, “It was very fresh,” he said. “We'd just lost John and the emotions were running high. The shows were filled with a lot of angst, and the question: What's going to happen to John's music? Then it became more about the songs, creating a good time in the hall. You can still people in tears. But people are here to hear some good John Denver music.” And now they can hear what the musicians play when they're not paying tribute to their former bandleader. “I think everybody's going, ‘Finally!'” said Nole. <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> <*> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Grove Theatre in Upland gets set for Holiday Season +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Contra Costa Times 11/10/09 Upland - The Grove Theatre is gearing up for a variety of holiday performances in December. "The Elves and The Shoemaker" will begin December 4 and run on the next three weekends. It is the story of a poor shoemaker meeting up with mischievous elves. On December 6 at 8:00 pm Jim Curry will perform "A John Denver Christmas", celebrating the Christmas songs written or recorded by singer/songwriter John Denver. Curry performs John Denver's music in theaters and symphonies throughout the U.S. and Canada, and on the Holland America Cruise Line. He will be joined by Diane Ireland on flute and his wife, Anne Curry, on mandolin. Tickets for "A John Denver Christmas" are $22. ___________________________ http://www.grovetheatre.com ============================================ J O H N D E N V E R W A N T A D S ============================================ 2010 COLOR JOHN DENVER CALENDARS IT’S TIME TO ORDER YOUR 2010 CALENDARS! These exclusive wall calendars are professionally printed on heavy paper and feature 13 color photo pages of John through his career. Format: full size color photo page above and the calendar page below, year 2011 on the back. Non-US orders send an international money order in US funds, USA cash, or Pay Pal. These prices include postage. US & Canada - $30.00 for one, $56.00 for two Overseas - $34.00 for one, $65.00 for two Name ____________________________________ Address _________________________________________ City/Country __________________________________________ State Zip ____________ Phone _____________________ Email ________________________________ Number ordered:_______ Send payment to: Carol Blevins / 1213 River Road / Quarryville, PA 17566. There are no deadlines on orders, but, when the calendars are gone, they’re gone. We ran out last year and I am only going to order 125 this year. Please order early. We accept PayPal at no cost to buyers. Go to www.paypal.com, click on “send money”, and make your payment to me using blevins@epix.net. Contact Carol by email with details of the order. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - J. D. merchandise available at REDUCED prices: various shirts in extra large, 2X and 3X (no small, medium or large left), there are assorted designs, and colors, Guitar Lapel Pins, some of the back issues from the Fan Clubs (The J. D. Connection and Hearts in Harmony) and 2007, and 2008 Color Calendars. Contact Dottie Honer at: 215-766-7363, kurthhoner@msn.com or 5214 Stump Road / Pipersville, PA 18947 for what is still available. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Donna Hoyle < dlh4@aol.com > I have a like-new VHS set of the John Denver Memorial Concert at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia It is from December of 1997 and features the Starland Vocal Band reunion. It is a 2-tape set. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "Another Point of View" is the latest recording from pianist, Chris Nole. The collection features five new songs from Chris and five familiar classics performed with the Chris Nole touch. www.ChrisNole.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The children's picture book of John Denver's "For Baby (For Bobbie)" is now available from Dawn Publications. http://www.dawnpub.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A double cd of "A Tribute to John Denver - The Wheeler Opera House" is available - It is a live concert from October 2000 $25 plus $2 s/h payable to the MUSE Foundation / "A Musical Tribute to John Denver" / 827 Coachway / Annapolis, MD 21401 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =============== POETRY CORNER =============== A Country Road by Emily M. Parris A country road is peaceful As you travel along each mile With the cd playing John Denver You can almost see him smile The songs float out so peacefully The words inspire me so John is the most wonderful Singer that I know A country road is wonderful The vistas are so serene As you gently wind around each hill Viewing the peaceful scene _____________________________________ Copyright 10-12-09 by Emily M. Parris ============================================ J O H N D E N V E R N O T E S ============================================ John Denver is the featured artist on the website: www.purecountrymusic.com He is also the featured artist on the Facebook page, PureCountryMusic - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - There are two new videoclips available on my website, from John's performance at the White House. Michiel http://www.tenbrug.nl/JohnDenver - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - There is a program about John Magee who wrote the poem "High Flight." It is available on the BBC website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nhw26 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - There is a Youtube video of John Denver singing a duet with Lene Siel. It was recorded in Denmark. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2178883042004254981# < * > < * > < * > WEB PAGES of Interest: "What One Man Can Do" film by Terry Lipman http://www.whatonemancando.com John Denver Archives http://www.youtube.com/user/JohnDenverArchives Eagle Rock Entertainment http://www.eaglerockent.com To subscribe: rockymountainhigh-subscribe@emissives.com To unsubscribe: rockymountainhigh-unsubscribe@emissives.com ************************************************************* Rocky Mountain High: The John Denver Internet Fan Club emily@parris.net http://www.rockymtnhigh.org November 2009 * Issue #187 * Editor: Emily M. Parris *************************************************************