Doyle Lawson is packing up his merry band and heading for New York City to perform live on A Prairie Home Companion this Saturday evening (12/15). They have two Christmas tunes ready – an instrumental medley and a different take on Jingle Bells – but aren’t sure what host Garrison Keillor has in mind for their selections.
I had a chance to chat with Doyle’s wife, Suzanne, earlier this week who is going along for the NYC trip.
“I’m going to see the lights, tree, and decorations and I wouldn’t miss PHC if at all possible. There’s nothing like live radio.”
Suzanne said that she would try her best to get a couple of the guys to go with her and join the crowd that lines up for the cameras outside the Today Show studios on Saturday morning, so check NBC between 7:00-9:00 a.m. (EST) to see if you can catch a glimpse of them.
“When I asked [new banjo picker] Joey [Cox] is he was willing to get up early and go to the Today Show with me this Saturday morning, he asked me what the Today Show was!
Joey is really a hot picker and all the girls enjoy looking at him too! In fact, Doyle has a nice looking bunch of young guys. with him now. He has also found that 3 of the guys play piano: Carl, Alan and Josh. Josh also plays drums and they all play that new Nintendo Wii game. In fact, Josh threw his back out swinging at Tiger Woods golf on the bus and had to go to the doctor!”
A Prairie Home Companion broadcasts live over a great many public radio stations in the US, and on XM Satellite Radio track 133, at 6:00 p.m. (EST). Many other stations carry the show later on Saturdays, or on Sundays. Check local listings for air times in your area.
Suzanne also shared a bit of Quicksilver recording news. She tells us that Doyle is about half finished on his next CD, an all Gospel project. This will be the first release with the latest version of the band: Darren Beachley on guitar, Joey Cox on banjo, Alan Johnson on fiddle, Josh Swift on dobro and Carl White on bass – with Doyle on mandolin, of course.
She also mentioned that Doyle and Darren are thinking of recording a new Christmas project in 2008. Sounds like a busy year for Doyle and his crew.
