Hi from sunny New Orleans;
Many wonderful things have happened since my last "Kole
Notes" to you, and one not so wonderful incident...Let's start
with the not so wonderful news...As most of you know, I perform two shows a week
on the Riverbarge Explorer quite a few times each year...Well, a barge
broke loose from its tow on the lower Mississippi River, and hit the River
Explorer putting a 30 foot gash in the Desoto hull...Fortunately no
one was injured, and it was repaired and she's back barging the Mississippi
River...She was in dry dock for four weeks thus canceling my Kole & Company
Cruise :-( We've rescheduled it for next April 3rd, and will tie it into
the Frech Quarter Festival, and also the unveiling of my life size statue in New
Orleans Musical Legends Park on Bourbon Street on April 11th...That evening will
be a Gala Dinner and Show to honor me...Yes, it's going to be quite a week from
Gardner and me...and to say that I am humbled to have my likeness along
side Al Hirt, Pete Fountain, Fats Domino, Chris Owens, Allen Toussaint and Irma
Thomas wound be putting it mildly...
More GREAT news...I have a new CD and video DVD
which came out this week...It is a live recording featuring me with the
Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony and Chorale, and what a swinging concert it
was...The addition of the voices on my arrangement of Evergreen, my Patriotic
Medley and Amazing Grace made it even more special...The CD is priced at
$20.00, and the DVD is $25.00 (plus $5.00 S&H), and of course I'll
personally autograph them to whomever you'd like...If you'd like to be the first
one on your block to have the DVD or CD, let me know ASAP, as we'll be in
Europe, NYC and Cooperstown, NY this summer...We leave on June 7th and return on
July 16th, so get your orders in soon...You'll love this recording, as you can
really see and/or hear the excitement that was being generated by the orchestra
and Chorale...The new arrangements of Mozart's Rondo Ala Turk and the Patriotic
Medley are really killers, thanks to Ray Morvant's orchestration, and
Paul Stanbery's conducting...You can e-mail me directly, or order through my
website www.RonnieKole.com
We done so many shows on the River Explorer that it's
hard to pick out a favorite trip, as they are all great thanks to all of the
BargeMates that book passage...Some of them have returned 15 or 20 times,
and some even in the 30's...Yes it's a great way to see our country, learn the
history of each area, enjoy great food, and the wonderful entertainers from the
many ports that they dock in, and the wine isn't bad either...
We're off to Europe in June, and are negotiating to take
my septet, plus two or three other bands to Oliva, Spain and do a Jazz Festival
on August 17-19...That'll be much fun, as it'll be all New Orleans based
bands...
Well I think that I've given you more to read than you
probably care for...I hope that you got this far without falling asleep too
many times :-)
Until next time, have a great summer...
Ronnie
Kole
www.RonnieKole.com
RonKole@aol.com
504-524-5716/Direct office number
504-883-1050/Mobile
985-643-5761/Home
985-643-4859/Fax
PO Box 5519
Slidell, Louisiana 70469
USA