Fresno, CA 7/9/2010

I'm now six months into my tour and spend the last weeks in bliss driving and visiting the most beautiful places I can imagine - on top of the mountains (Rocky Mountain National Park), in-midst the wonders of the earth (Arches National Park), within sacred grounds (Monument Valley),along humbling vistas (Grand Canyon), and at one of my favorite places in the world (Yosemite) . I took a few days off (well, I was still driving 1500 miles) and just explored and emerged into being an observer, comparing the outer world with the inside and matching my emotions with the weather, the clouds, the rain, the burning sun, and the twilight between the days. What a continent - and I'm part of it - I know it better than my homeland and so the highways float into each other, leaving stripes along their shoulders where hitchhikers entangle themselves in looking for one thumb to expose to the world. Oh my, I'm glad the wheels are spinning and I'm moving. From FL via AL, LA, TX, NM, to CO, and then back through UT and AZ to California - California, oh I missed you!
I picked up my old friend Ralf from the SF airport and he'll be on the road with me for two months. I wasn't sure if we fit everything in my car but I'm a packing monster and did it! Currently we're in Fresno with my family and enjoy the heat and the pool. After this weekends CD release party we're going up to the mountains and spend some time at the Sweetsmill camp. After that we're off to the Bay Area and then the NW.
I have written a few new songs and already tested them on the audience. The reaction was over the top and I'm very pleased with the outcome. I really am looking forward to going into the studio sometime early 2011. By now I have material for almost three new CDs with each song happening - no idea how to select! I want T-Bone as the producer and likely record in New Orleans for sound and groove issues. Let's see, it looks like it is a possibility and with my mind focusing everything is possible!

Worchester, MA, 5/2/2010

What a week!!! From the clear view peaks of the emotional mountains in WV to the deep down grind in the City of the Cities. It takes a long time through the windy roads of West Virginia to drive down into the valley. I'm playing at the Fredericksburg Songwriter Showcase. It is in the same building as an old music store where I'm invited to play a 1936 Gibson amongst other treasures. Before I have to split to get to the sound check I'm invited into the back room to enjoy a cold Micro Brew IPA after a 6h drive - Welcome in Virginia! Nice folks and a great evening that spills over to Bob's house. He hosts the showcase since decades and has developed wonderful listening room. We sit talk, and play music until about 2am.
Early morning rise to drive 9h to Western Massachusetts. My GPS, I trust it since it became very stressful to constantly question its integrity, leads me straight through NYC - over the Brooklyn bridge into Manhatten!!! Oh boy - after some deep breaths I start to laugh - stand up against the beast! I already paid toll and learned my lesson - when on the East Coast have cash in your pocket! After three hours of crawling through Brooklyn, over the bridge into Manhatten and past the East river upstate NY, I finally arrive in Sheffield I was 12h in the car - nonstop, well, a gas Station doesn't count, right?. The concert that night I won't mention, just that it kicked me into the ground and brought me close to tears. Wow, I haven't been so low for a long time - glad I have friends out there and cell reception! The same night I drove another two hours and brought the count to 14h total - a new record! A few hours in a motel before I play at the Unity of Central Massachusetts. Then Chinese take out, Sam Adams Imperial White, and watching Master and Commander:)

Life is Plenty

Spokane, 9/12/08

Last month has been a blast and besides playing some really nice shows I produced the second album of my California Band Lyquid Amber, a longtime collaboration with my friend, banjo player Evo Bluestein. Other musicians include also
part of my band Young Amelia" like Eva Scow on Violin, and Dusty Brough on Nylon String guitar. Lyquid Amber features also Kevin Hill on bass, Karen Marguth on vocals, and John Martyn III on percussion. I just finished mixing and mastering and the album will be available within the next 5 weeks.

Tomorrow I'll start a two months tour going from Washington to Colorado and then to Arizona where I take a flight from Phoenix to Franfurt/Germany. It will be the first time after many years that I return to my home country and I'm very excited to visit with my family and friends. I'll play a few shows and produce the 5th album of my friend Blues Artist Michel Wack and his band Blueshimmel. I produced their first album way back and this on is going to be the fifth:).

In late October I'll return to the US just in time for the FAR West Folk Alliance Conference in Phoenix, AZ where I scored and official showcase for the first time:). This is another big step after winning honors at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas this year.

Seattle, 6/13/08

I'm back in rainy and cold Seattle and miss the warm Texas nights! The Kerrville Folk Festival was a total trip and I'm still digesting that I was one of the winners!!! It is by far the biggest Festival of its kind in the US and this was a huge step in the right direction. I received so many congrats and thank you's from fellow songwriters that I was a little overwhelmed - I really hope I answered every one...

Deb & Lindsay from Rouse House Concerts in Houston were fabulous hosts to all the New Folk Finalists and created a wonderfull atmosphere where it felt like a big family - Thanks sooooo much!!

Before TX I was in CA and had wonderful concerts with my band in Berkeley, Sacramento, and a sold out show in Fresno. The California Autoharp Gathering was even better than last year and the time on the ranch close to Dunlap very memorable!

This month I'll be mostly in Seattle working on next years touring. I'll play at the Shorline Festival on June 28th and then teach a week at the National Guitar Workshop which is held at the Pacific University.

Rosalie Howarth (KFOG, San Francisco) is still featuring Young Amelia it on her shows Acoustic Sunrise & Sundown and we also finalized the Burnside Distribution deal, so by June 17th the album will be available at Barnes & Nobles, Borders, and many independent Record stores all over the country.

I updated my Hans York Travel Journal. So please come and visit me anytime

Please mark your calendar

Sat June 28, 11:00 am @ Shorline Festival, Shoreline, WA

Sat June 28 - Thu July 3rd, all day @ National Guitar Workshop, Seattle, WA
Pacific University
looking forward to seeing you somewhere out there:)

all best wishes

Hans

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Seattle, WA - Nov. 26th

It took forever to update but I'm in the process of redesigning the website. My new album "Young Amelia" is finished and I should have it right in time for my National three months tour starting in late December.

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Pipestone, MN - Aug 25th 2007

I'm in the process of redesigning this section because I had troubles incorporating the blogger thing. I'm in the midst of my tour in Pipestone, MN - You can find some pictures and more in my Travel Journal.

Before I left Seattle I finished producing "Hereafter" , a wonderful album by my friend, Jazz bassist Jon Hamar. We had some great musicians in the studio and evrything worked out just fine. It will be released in the next weeks.

My own album is also coming along, at least in the planning. I decided to record a lot of it life with bass and percussion instead of doing all overdubs. It's tricky but I'm sure I can pull it off and am already ecited about it. My friend musician and producer Mike Marshall strongly recommended going very light instead of making it more a pop album and I agree, so lets see...