Christabel and the Jons is currently on tour from Louisiana to Maine and everywhere in between, promoting their album Custom Made for You and singing a bunch of new bossa nova and country swing tunes which will soon be recorded on their third CD, The Same Mistake. Lead singer and songwriter Christa DeCicco is earning a reputation as one of the southeast's finest laid-back jazz singers. Old suitcases and vintage clothes from the 1920s-1950s give the performance a nostalgic ambiance, but it's the songs that really captivate.
We survived our winter tour to New England. We met some of the country’s most creative dancers (they’re in New Hampshire), ate lobsters, learned to appreciate the nuances of white on white, and crunched around in the most snow I’ve ever seen in my whole life. Here’s where we’ll be for the next few weeks. Hard to believe we’re only one month away from our trip to the Virgin Islands!
1/28 – Double Door Inn, Charlotte, NC
1/29 – In studio at WZMB 91.3 FM, Greenville, NC
1/29 – Tipsy Teapot, Greenville, NC
1/30 – Next Door (Acoustic Coffeehouse), Johnson City, TN
2/4 – Martin’s Downtown Bar & Grill, Roanoke, VA
2/5 – Purple Fiddle, Thomas, WV
2/6 – Cafe Nola, Frederick, MD
2/8 – Hot Jam Swings, Atlanta, GA (swing dance)
2/11 – Hummingbird Stage & Taproom, Macon, GA
2/12 – Eclipse Coffee, Montevallo, AL
2/13 – Callaghan’s, Mobile, AL
2/14 – VALENTINE’S DAY at Barley’s Taproom, Knoxville, TN
2/18 – Boone Saloon, Boone, NC
2/19 – Glowing Body Round Rug Series, Knoxville, TN
2/20 – Kentucky Coffee Tree, Frankfurt, KY
It’s been a terrific tour so far, we’ve enjoyed every single place we’ve been and the crowds have been more than enthusiastic. I was worried that people wouldn’t come out in the cold but here in Maine they’re experiencing a tropical heat wave (it’s in the 30s and people are walking around in shorts despite the fact that there’s a couple of inches of snow on the ground). I woke up this morning in the cozy attic of an old Maine farmhouse with 2 sleek black cats curled up at my feet. French toast, bananas, coffee, and new friends. This is a beautiful place.
One more week of shows in New England:
1/16 - Salt Hill Pub, Lebanon, NH
1/19 - Radio Bean, Burlington, VT
1/20 - Black Door, Montpelier, VT
1/21 – Liberal Cup, Hallowell, ME
1/22 - Harlow’s, Peterborough, NH
1/23 - Grand Auditorium, Ellsworth, ME (w/ Miss Tess)
The tally is in. We’ve raised enough money for our first plane ticket to the Virgin Islands. Rejoice! Thanks everyone out there for helping to make our tropical island dream tour come true. I’m thinking about starting another project. Handwritten postcards from CB&J from the Virgin Islands. Real live mail that I will personally dip in the ocean, rub with sand, use as a coaster under a frozen rum drink, put a stamp on, and send from another country. Would anyone like one?
We’re buying snow shovels and chains for the tires and going up to the northeast for 2 weeks. Are we brave, or just plain stupid? Here are the dates:
1/7 – Ashland Coffee & Tea, Ashland, VA
1/8 – Drom, NYC (East Village), NY
1/9 – 92YTribeca, NYC (West Village), NY
1/11 – Bullfrog Brewery, Williamsport, PA
1/13 – Cafe Nine, New Haven, CT
1/14 – Club Passim, Cambridge, MA
1/15 – One Longfellow Square, Portland, ME (w/ Miss Tess)
1/16 – Salt Hill Pub, Lebanon, NH
1/19 – Radio Bean, Burlington, VT
1/20 – Black Door, Montpelier, VT
1/21 – Liberal Cup, Hallowell, ME
1/22 – Harlow’s, Peterborough, NH
1/23 – Grand Auditorium, Ellsworth, ME (w/ Miss Tess)