Joseph L. Auger

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The news that's fit to print as of October 1997 :

June ended with me pouring a beer over my head ... ahem ... I guess I needed a break.

So AS220 shut down for the sizzling month of July and I basically rested by spending twelve hour days in the studio putting down more tracks for The Long Term which has a new release date of Xmas 1997. I did let the ocean have its way with me on a couple of nice occasions so ... AAAAHHHHHH!

I played a really funny gig in Providence on July 31st where fifteen minutes before playing in front of a funky knick-knack store (OOP! Inc. on Thayer St.) a building two doors down decided to go up in flames, wind blowing the acrid smoke into the direction of where I was to play, six fire engines (no lie), and me without a lick of amplification. Pretty funny. I decided to throw it all to the smoke filled air and played a two hour show for the resting fire fighters and coughing walkers. Everything went swimmingly and this being my first show in a number of months due to an injury only made the day sweeter! No-one was hurt, by the way ... by the fire or me.

I had a week in August working with my long time friend Paula Feldman, where in the space of five frantic days we recorded 10 songs for her sixth album blood roses violets on QORQ PRODUCTIONS (click on Randy, the Lion with a difference, for more info). It's always a challenge and inevitably a pleasure to work with Paula and stay tuned cuz' there may be more news from Paula in the near future.

The AS220 record label has been gearing itself for its first release (in Dec. 1997), The Smoking Jackets live at AS220 recorded and produced by myself and a host of special executive producers. Stay tuned to this site for future info. For those who don't know them, The Smoking Jackets, fronted by my oldest friend and collaborator Keith Munslow, is a barrel house New Orleans style blues boogie band featuring Keith writing the songs, singing and playing the piano. Along with the crack rhythmn section of Paige VanAntwerp on snare drum (also of Plymouth Rock) and Rick Massimo on upright bass, there's the horn section of Randy Bishop on tenor sax, Pamela Murray on bass trombone, and Gerard Heroux on trumpet. They create a swing to be reckoned with and are just a plain ol' hoot to be sure!

This is really funny...

A local preservation group called the WBNA is producing a fund raising calender for 1998 that will feature artists living in this ever growing district of Providence R.I. and I'll be in there somewhere staring at people for a month in the comfort of their own homes. Pretty horrible for them I declare!

Also, be on the look out for two movies at the end of 1997: watch for Steven Spielberg's Amistad and the Michael Corrente Production Strangers In Transit where you might just see a longhaired weirdo haunting a few scenes in the background.

That is if I don't hit the cutting room floor.

Happy apples!


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