My frank wakefield band index 1997 to 2007.

[Jmoss]

I put together my Frank Wakefield Band index for the
time frame that I was booking the band from 1997 to 2007.
I thought I would do this while I could still remember the dates.

http://www.frankwakefield.info/

This is actually just an index page to my web site which covers these times. #Each time we would return from a tour I would put the photos up on my web site and include them in my Bluegrass Newsletter. #It was just hard to find the stuff up there without this kind of tool. #The missing photo links still need to be filled in when I get the time. #Let me know if there are any corrections that need to be made.

Jim Moss
Mossware LLC

[Ken Berner]

Thanks Jim, for all of your work to preserve this interesting history! Frank certainly is a unique and entertaining musician.

[Jmoss]

Ken,
I am glad you find it interesting.
I will continue to add links to the Photo Links section
and improve the site as time goes on. #That page really
works well as an index to all of the shows we did.
The tour pages were adrift in my web sites and needed
some order.

Jim Moss

[grassrootphilosopher]

I especially dug the pictures from Sweden. To far from where I am located to have come but I wish I was there.

[Jmoss]

Here are photos from the time Richard Greene
stopped by McCabes and sat in, back in 2000.
http://www.candlewater.com/FWB_McCabes_2000/

These are now part of the web page:
http://www.frankwakefield.info/

Jim Moss

[mandopete]

Hey Jim, nice list and I especially like the photo's!

Question for you - do you know how Jeff Smith came to work with Frank? #(See photo's of Recording of Sleeping Lady & Banjoy Albums).

I have been a big fan of Jeff's playing and writing with his band "Sam Hill", but I had never seen any of these pictures.

[Jmoss]

Yes, Jeff was hired by me to play on both Sleeping Lady
and Banjoy, both albums that I produced back to back. #
Banjoy I produced during the "sessions part" of the project
from which Bob made his CD. # I knew Jeff from when he
was a teenager, not old enough to play in bars. #I remember
he had to stay in the back room at Paul's Saloon when not
on stage with the band for a few years. We also had problems
at Cowtown in San Jose as I remember. Jeff is a good person
as well as a great musician.

Jeff Smith, Slappy (David Chalupsky) and myself had a band
called Bluegrass One started in the 1980s. They had played
together in a band called Saratoga Gap before that. I was
still in High Country at that time, 1976 to 1982 where I
managed, with the help of Kenny Baker, to get the
San Francisco band hired by Bill Monroe at Bean Blossom.
Bill had no idea who High Country was, or so he said in
his office that day Kenny took me in to see him.
He did know who Vern Williams was, however. #
I managed to convince Bill that a traditional band from
San Francisco, California at his festival would be a nice
addition. #I pointed out that High Country had played at
west coast festivals with him in the past, but Bill kept
talking about Vern Williams. # It helped that Kenny
sat right there next to me in Bills office during the
initial minutes of this meeting. #I managed to get quite
a bit of money for the band and we went ahead to play
a few more years after that. #Well, enough of that stuff. #
#
Here are some photos of the Bluegrass One band.
http://www.mossware.com/music04.html
I had just completed the Tanyards album with Bob Black
on Banjo at that time.

I later recorded "Through The Windshield" which was my
second LP and that included Jeff, Slappy, Bob Black
and Paul Squires on bass, not to mention Dave Thompson
who had worked with me in High Country as well as my band
before that and on Tanyards. #See below:
http://www.candlewater.com/BB147/
#
When I decided to make Sleeping Lady I put together a
deal that would include producing Bob's album including
providing my musicians for his sessions, less
Frank Wakefield as well as supplying studio time at
Subsonics where I owned a lot of the equipment.
Frank donated his impromptu break(s) on Banjoy as a last
minute gift to Bob.
http://www.mossware.com/music071.html

I talk to Jeff from time to time. #The last time we played
together was at the The Goodfoot, Portland OR 2006 and
before that St. John's Pub, Portland, OR show in 2002.
There are no photos of the Goodfoot show that I know of,
but there are some photos of Jeff sitting in with us at
the St. John's Pub show. #
#
http://www.candlewater.com/StJohnsPub_02092002_07b.jpg

Jim Moss

[mandopete]

Jim - that's cool. I never knew Jeff's history went back to these dates. I first saw him with Sam Hill at the Darrington Bluegrass festival in 1996. I have been (an still am) a huge fan of his songwriting. As you know Laurie Lewis picked on his song "Hard Luck and Trouble" a couple of years back with great success. I only wish he was still actively performing. I saw him with Frontline at the Wenatchee River Festival in June and was reminded of what a talent he is.

[Jmoss]

I think he is still playing actively. Last time I tried to
contact him he was on the road with woman, what?
A Bluegrass band with Leah Larson.
http://www.leahlarsonband.com/

Jim Moss