These wonderful, talented people are Dorthe Gerlach and Michael Hartmann and they have a band in Denmark called Hush. The three of us met a couple of years ago, struck up a strong friendship and have been writing songs together every chance we get. Just spent two days with them at Engelsholm school for art and music. This is an amazing place for aspiring writers and artists with classes on songwriting, electronic music, painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, glass blowing, and jewelry. Situated in a castle built beside a lake in 1593 surrounded by a moat and miles of woods and farmland, inspiration is everywhere.

I hope to visit and record with Michael and Dorthe next week when I return to Copenhagen. Check them out on MySpace under the Sound of Hush. Terrific people making great music.

I have been invited as a guest of the renowned Tonder Festival this coming weekend. Quite a lineup of international talent will be present including many US artists. Friday I sit in with MC Hansen and his band to kick things off there. After that I make a two day visit back to Copenhagen then on to  Germany for a concert with my co-producer, co-writer, guitar wizard Thomm Jutz in his hometown of Karlsruhe. Joining us will be songwriter Liam Merriman from Waterford Ireland. Then Thomm and I perform in Berlin for my expatriate friend Leonard Lott at his unique, cozy Berlin Guitars.

I feel privileged to have so many friends in my life, to be welcomed almost everywhere I go in the world and to experience and share the power of music. I will post more highlights of the people and adventures on this trip soon. Now for a good book and some sleep while the cool Danish rain taps on my window.

In addition to opening the two shows for Lyle Lovett in Kansas City and St. Louis, Lyle also asked me to join him on stage to a duet of Needless to Say, which he remembers fondly from those days back in the 1980s when we played clubs together around Houston.  I recorded Needless to Say on my own 1992 CD “Stone by Stone,” and include it here for your listening and downloading pleasure:

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In addition to Needless to Say, I’ve also included in this mini collection a song called Too Deep A Sorrow from my 1997 CD “Miracle Mile”  Lyle joined me on vocals on this track.  You’re welcome to listen to these songs from your browser, download ‘em to your iPod, and share them with friends – try clicking on the “share” link in the widget, that will give you all kinds of options to send links to Facebook, Twitter, via e-mail, etc.

Finally, if you’d like to see some more photos from the weekend with Lyle while listening to Needless to Say, click here to view a slide show of photos shot by my manager Paul Schatzkin.  When the window opens, click the little “play” arrow in the lower right hand corner to control the play back.

Not only was it a great thrill to open two shows for Lyle Lovett in Kansas City and St. Louis earlier this month, but imagine my surprise when I went on stage during the first sound check and discovered the personnel of The Large Band included bassist Leland Sklar and drummer Russ Kunkel.  These guys played on my very first record when I recorded for Elektra Records in Los Angeles in 1973, and have since gone onto stellar careers as the first-call, A-Team Rhythm Section in all of rock and pop, playing for everybody from Jackson Browne and James Taylor to Carly Simon and Linda Ronstadt.  If you don’t believe me click their names, you’ll see the list of credits goes on forever.  I had not seen either of these guys since we recorded that first record together; needless to say it was a real kick to see them again:

And I had a nice moment with Lyle after his “meet and greet” at the beautiful Midland Theater in Kansas City.  He was very gracious, taking as long as it took to say hello to everybody who wanted a moment of of his time:

Lyle Lovett was most generous in inviting me to open two shows for him and his Large Band. First we played the majestic Midland Theater in Kansas City where my father took me to see movies when I was just a kid. The second night we played at Sheldon Performing Arts Center in St. Louis. Albert Einstein, Ernest Hemingway and Martin Luther King Jr. are just a few of the amazing people who have lectured there in the past. Photos here show me rehearsing with Lyle to join him during his show for a duet on my song “Needless to Say,”at the Midland Theater and then a look out from back-stage at the house during my opening set. Lyle and his entire band and crew were all an inspiration to work with.

Rehearsing "Needless to Say" during soundcheck

Performing for a full house at the Midland Theater in Kansas City