11/19/2025
Great Acoustic Alchemy show at the City Winery Atlanta. I was in a band with guitarist/composer/bandleader Greg Carmichael, 49 years ago while living in London, England for a year before moving to Nashville. in October 1977. A few months ago, Regina and I were in London and had a great visit with Greg and his wonderful wife Janet. They still live in the North London house we used to rehearse in all those years ago.
In the 1980s, Greg and his Acoustic Alchemy band partner, the late Nick Webb, came to Nashville after performing on a Virgin Airlines flight from London to the U.S. When I picked them up at the Nashville airport, they had a cassette of what became their first album, "Red Dust and Spanish Lace." I was blown away and was able to get them a meetimng with Tony Brown, who had created the MCA Master Series label featuring many of Nashville's top instrumentalists like Jerry Douglas, John Jarvis, and Mark O'Connor. Amazingly, within a few weeks they were signed to a record deal! They eventually became the best selling act on the MCA Master Series imprint. They went on to Blue Note and other labels and have released 25 albums! I am proud to have played on a couple of their albums over the years, including their latest, The Empire of Lights.
It was a great show, and the band sounded amazing, including brother Gary and Greg Grainger, and Greg's longtime cohort, Miles Gilderdale, on acoustic and electric guitars. So great to see my friend Greg onstage absolutely killing it. Thanks to Regina for taking the picture.
