The Beehive Rocks 2011

Happy, Happy New Year, as we begin 2011 together.
I'm so very grateful for all that happened in 2010, starting with the release of The Deep End and all the critical acclaim it received (including four top Ten lists...Nick Crisitiano of the Philadelphia Inquirer; Bill Holmes of blurt.com, popmatters.com and Dr. Bristol's (#2 CD of the year); and two writers from The Alternate Root magazine, an Americana Icon (#1, in one case). On the road, we met so many new friends and played so many great shows. I can't thank all the fans and friends enough for the warm welcomes, the messages of support, and that oh-so-good interplay between musician and audience that makes music the soulful, magical force that it is, in all of our lives. We released the first video from The Deep End --"Love Make You Do Stupid Things"--and an EPK/electronic press kit for the album as well. Thanks, too, to the members of Rebel Montez--Cliff Goodwin (guitar), Michael Colbath (bass), Larry Donahue (drums), and Chris Bickley, who has joined us on guitar on some dates this year. They are stalwart, their talent is boundless, and I know you love, respect, and appreciate them as much as I do.

My travels took me to some super-soulful spots. I visited New Orleans twice--once for the "Down On The Bayou II" benefit for the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic (this year also saw the release of Get You A Healin' on which "The Cradle Did Rock from The Deep End appears as a bonus cut alongside tracks by BB King, Richard Thompson and the Subdudes, again to benefit the Musicians' Clinic)--and spent a lovely week in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, sitting in with the Decoys, Donnie Fritts and Travis Wammack and hanging out at Fame and Cypress Moon (the former Muscle Shoals Sound). The Decoys' Kelvin Holly, Spooner Oldham and I reconvened in NYC in December for their gigs with Pegi Young and a sit-in in Brooklyn where both Neil and I took the stage.

2010 also caught me onstage with my friends Paul Thorn up in Connecticut, the Subdudes in NYC, Jack Pearson in Nashville (Jack is an encyclopedia of soul all on his own), and Jeff Carlisi in Atlanta. The "Casey Cares" and "Rock n' Roll For Children" benefits brought me together with Rick Derringer, Colin Hay and the guys from Night Ranger. And Christmas night found me sitting in with the legendary and gorgeous Ronnie Spector.

And, wonder of wonders, the Saturday Night Live Band will play its first out-of-Studio-8H live gig in seven years in January in NYC. So.... a fabulous year...and I'm sure there's more I can't even recall right now.

In January, Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez will film a live concert DVD to be called "LIVE HIVE"...watch for it mid-year, packed with bonus extras like the "Love Make You Do Stupid Things" video, The Deep End 's EPK, and at least two brand-new songs that are slated for the next CD.

Cheers to all for 2011...may joy, love, and peace be present in each of your lives, and may music continue to make the world go 'round.