Gerry Thompson - Writes all the Songs, sings all vocals, plays 4 string cigar box guitar, tenor guitar and mandolin.
As always....this is not a band per se....it is a collective of talented individuals who volunteer to be " COLORS" either live or on recordings. The new cd includes many talented individuals from NJ.
The current line-up is Me (Gerry) along with Arthur Herrmann on homemade lap steel guitar and various other cigarbox guitars. We are joined at fests and larger shows by Jim Bunch " the gutbucketeer " on washtub bass and possibly Ray Nutter will play with us this may in Audubon. He is of course the finest washboard player in the world.
Influences
Gerry: My influences are Richard Thompson, Alan Hull, Johnny Thunders, Otis from the Andy Griffith show, and Giant Sand. I was also seriously influenced by 20 years of heavy drinking. I have a liver transplant and frequently believe that it whispers lyrics to me in the night.
Leave us not forget Syd Barrett, Nikki Sudden, Al Stewart, Hank Williams a the Delmore Brothers and the Incredible String Band.
Sounds Like
Gerry: I'd say that I sing like Roy Rogers coming off a drinking binge and play guitar in a strange self taught fashion. Nobody sounds like me...even me later the same day!
I write the songs.....whoever is currently the Color of Skies will have to make it pretty.......
The new cd is called "THE DARK DREAMS OF LAZARUS" and is available by sending $10 to Gerry Thompson. Pleaser contact me at livergee@comcast.net for details.
Also available are "Leave me Alone" by Color of Skies
"The Last Hard Men" by Gerry and Boz
"Songs for a Blue Day" by Gerry Thompson
"The Mojo Whisperer" a collectin of tracks from previous cd's, demos and live tracks by my various groups.
The Color of Skies is South Jerseys only Cigar Box / Folk / Blues / Story tellin' / Travelin Snake Oil Medicine Show! How's that grab ya?
It involves singer / songwriter / medical wonder / cbg builder and storyteller Gerry Thompson and whoever is playing with him at the time.
We are privileged to be hosting a special Studio LuLoo Live event on Friday August 22nd at 7:30pm. A special living room concert with markd and Bevin Caulfield These two artists are some of the cream of the crop in this great pool of local talent, and you can see them perform full sets in the intimate “living room” environment of Studio LuLoo Live! Singer-songstress Bevin Caulfield has an alternative country-folk sensibility and evokes classic female jazz-singer vocal stylings. Markd will take you into uncharted worlds with his entrancing loops, and telescopic didgeridoo. Studio LuLoo - 916 White Horse Pike - Oaklyn, NJ
Thanks for being a part of the show last week. Excellent work! Also, I believe I owe you some money for that CD (which is also fantastic). I'd like to get the other one off you, as well.
Hey Ger! I updated my page, and put up a couple of pics from KY (I think I id's them as WVa though - just occured to me what state we were in....) Hope all is well, and hope to catch up soon! Lib
best wishes from yearlongday! we hope your summer is productive and rewarding so far.
it may be early, but we wanted to invite you to attend one or more of our upcoming shows. have a look and make a mental note! no need to rsvp or anything like that. just come if you want to!
saturday, august 16 @ THE BUS STOP in pitman, nj. 8pm. w/ jacob graff (who's releasing a cd), lenny smith & more.
thursday, september 25 @ COFFEEWORKS in voorhees, nj. 7:30pm. w/ john shaughnessy & jeanette beirne.
saturday, october 18 @ BARRINGTON COFFEEHOUSE in barrington, nj. 8pm. w/ jacob graff
Gerry, It was great to see you on Saturday. Because I went on after you, I had to get all my shit together while you were playing and wound up being outside for much of it. I did, however, listen through the mail slot and loved it, as always. Keep me posted as to upcoming events.
HI Gerry, It was great hering you play last week at The Auction House. I always enjoy your style and songs. There were so many enjoyable people last week I'm sorry I can't make it out there tonight.
Good to see ya last night Ger. It was fun playing on some of those old tunes. The Handgun song is good. Another Gerry Thompson song for the family listening collection indeed. : )
Great job and thanks for being a part of such a great night of music and friends.
Nice job tonight Gerry. The Handgun tune rocks. I could have used some Breakfast with the Reaper, but hey maybe next time.
As I just told Russ on his page, thanks for going easy on Steven and I as soundmen. We're still learning. Luckily at least I think I have some nice gear. That may help to compensate for my limited knowledge & experience.
Sorry I couldn't make it to Jerzy for the CBG shindig, ...but I was out on the Lost Highway doing the Lord's work and the Devil's sub-contracting.
And sometimes that's a job that ya just have to go where it takes you when the calls come.
But you know that. Because you are a wizard of twang and a savant of soul and a muse wrangler and a practitioner of the mojo.
So, ... Hang tough & hammer down and thanks ...many thanks because your music always recharges my mojo and helps get me a little further down the road when both my gas tank and my spirit are runnin' on empty with bad tires & expired tags.
Gerry, thanks for coming out to the show last night. you look and sound great. your new cd sounds the best we've ever heard you do. just fantastic. we'll try to do that open mike at "The Fig" on wed. next week. Should be a blast. Thanks again to you and your lovely wife Diane. Ray and Sugar.
I spent the last few days building the new Cigar Box Guitar Headquarters, CBG HQ - the base camp for the Cigar Box Guitar Revolution! The stage for Prim Rock. Your barracks from now on.
ATTEN-SHUN - PRESENT ARMS!
CBG HQ is a comprehensive, interactive resource for ALL THINGS Cigar Box Guitar. Stop by for music, videos & pics, history, CD & concert reviews, building tips/links, performance schedules, CD & instrument sales, interviews, art and anything else y'all want to see. All submissions are encouraged!
I posted a few of the videos I shot at the 2007 Cigar Box Guitar Extravaganza, and a link to more. There are a lot of photos of the instruments in the National Cigar Box Guitar Museum, and a link to the entire collection. You can also link to the Cigar Box Guitar Forum and chat with fellow CBG addicts. We even have a 24/7 internet radio station!
If you have anything you want to share, let me know and I'll add it.
You are now embedded behind the front lines. Grab your weapons and join the Revolution.
Check it out, but be ready for Cigar Box Guitars to change your life...
**** Ted - 4 String General in the CBG Revolution
ADD CBG HQ TO YOUR FAVORITE FRIENDS!
(I will keep the membership pure. I won't troll for friends just to see how many I can collect. I won't approve a friend request unless I think you have something to add. I won't post spam comments and I probably won't approve your comment if I suspect a bot sent it and you never visited the page. Anyone can visit, but if you want to register I expect you to contribute or ask questions of the battalion. So spank me.)
Hi Gerry! I'll get ther video of you at the fest to you when the smoke clears around here.
