Soul Extravaganza!!!

On March 14 at the Palisades Ballroom, 501 Water Street in McKeesport, PA, we're going to have the privilege of performing with my friend and mentor, the great Otis Clay. Otis, along with background vocalists Theresa Davis and Dianne Madison (who sing on my Soul Collection CD), is coming to Pittsburgh to perform at a private event on March 15. When we booked that date, Jeff over at Bonedog Records and I decided to promote a show at the Palisades on the 14th that would be open to the public.

The last time I performed with Otis was around the time of Hurricane Katrina, when Otis graciously agreed to come to Pittsburgh to perform with me at a benefit at Hartwood Acres, organized by my buddy Larry Kuzmanko, who works for Allegheny County.

You can buy tickets to the show, by credit card, PayPal, or mail order, here.

Jeff, who is a record dealer, has also donated copies of Otis's great recording of Turn Back the Hands of Time to the cause, and everyone who buys a ticket will get a 45-rpm record with a cool picture sleeve. Your picture sleeve will be your ticket to admission--when you get to the Palisades, we'll stamp your hand and give you the picture back to keep.

Here's what I wrote about Otis for an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette a while back:

On the first Billy Price and the Keystone Rhythm Band LP, recorded in 1979, we covered a song called "Is It Over?" that was originally recorded by Otis Clay. That was the title song of that first LP.

My manager at the time got in touch with Otis and, after much coaxing, he got Otis to agree to come east from Chicago to do a couple of dates with our band backing him up. We worked hard to learn all of Otis's material, studying his "Live in Japan" album carefully. At the first rehearsal for our first show at Desperado's in Washington, D.C., it was instantly clear that the band and Otis were perfectly matched. At the show, toward the end of Otis's great set, he unexpectedly called me up to sing with him. I will never forget the chills that went down my spine when I stood next to him--this was the real Otis Clay and not a recording in my living room--and improvised with him on "Is It Over?".

We've performed together many times since, and Otis was kind enough to make a cameo appearance with me on my Soul Collection CD in 1998. For many years, I copied Otis blatantly and shamelessly. I'm probably a bit more subtle about copying him now, but when I sing, he is always in there somewhere. From Otis I learned focus--the ability to block out distractions and enter deeply into a song. I also learned to approach every gig, no matter how few people are in the audience, with the same commitment to practice the craft of singing. I've seen Otis sing in a wide variety of settings and circumstances, and have never seen anything less than a transcendent performance.

Otis and I hope you'll make plans soon to attend this show--it's going to be great!

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Fred Chapellier's CD now available

You can now buy Fred Chapellier's CD, A Tribute to Roy Buchanan, on my web site.

It's a great CD--highly recommended.

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More photos from France

Here.

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