I’m back to Ohio for some good times and catching up…Addie is happy to see me.  Life is energetic and shifting constantly. I’m holding on to my hat and catching up on mail. New York was certainly fabulous. I left about 8 inches of hair behind… more later, xo.

it has turned into spring and the lull of gray march is passing… witnessing people coming out of the woodwork, more falling into pace, and the fruits of our labor that we shed during the winter in hibernation starts to bud and soon bloom…

I just went through all my pictures from the past six months - and posted some highlights… i have beautiful people in my life… the pictures are only a fraction of the goodness I have.

I’m reflecting on all the leaders of the world who have supported non-violence; they weren’t always the most popular folks but they made a lasting impression.

when I came back to Columbus last weekend I felt so happy to see so many people I love. It was so overwhelming but so amazing to realize the feeling of ‘coming home.’

I was re-energized and came back here to NY with a deeper appreciation for where I’m from. Somehow that has made NYC a friendlier place.

there’s movement here… as time is passing… patterns repeating… trains coming and going ‘the train will catch you’ goes through and through on the days when it’s right on time and on the days where I wait and wait… a new dependence, a new way of humans gathering… cars are a luxury… have you ever fallen asleep on a train and woken up past where you were supposed to exit? have you ever walked through Prospect Park and watched a squirrel attempt to carry a coconut? have you ever felt so strongly one moment you don’t belong, and then suddenly your heart changes to ‘I must always be here’?  notes from brooklyn, sound so sweet, Jamaican melodies rising up through the floorboards…

I have a Brooklyn, NY address for a while. (I still have a Columbus, OH address too). My room is very warm. I might believe it is in Joshua Tree in summertime… but it turns out to be Eastern Parkway by the Brooklyn Museum, and super close to my friends Bill and Manj… I’m elated, fortunate, grateful, and I’m going to have a great time… and I get to play a weekly gig at Googie’s Lounge above the Living Room in the East Village on Ludlow Street… EVERY THURSDAY!!

see you at Googie’s…. love megan

I kicked off 2007 in Mahableshwar, India, and spent the month of January there. It set the scene for a year of adventures and travel. India gave me so many insights and inspiration. It knocked me off my feet a few times too! It changed my life by redefining me in a way that allowed me to work on knowing myself and being myself… and clued me into the knowledge that world travel is something I must do more of… and the people I met while living there reminded me about the importance of hospitality and the beauty of the human spirit. I’ll never forget it!

After returning, I was whisked back into my ‘normal’ life of music and nursing, rushing off to the Rumba Cafe to play a happy hour with the Spikedrivers the day after I got home; still jetlagged, it was good to be home again. The Spikedrivers have been a special part of my life the last few years, and we have magic on stage together. I value this experience, and finding myself in a band with Steve Sweney, Jesse Henry, Steve Fox, and Nate Anders amazes me every time we hit the bandstand. We’ve seen some great places this year, from the Rodeo Bar in New York City to headlining Comfest in our hometown of Columbus to the windy city of Chicago and then back home again to our resident homes, the Rumba Cafe and Dicks Den… both bars treat us like rock-stars. And the people of Columbus - you come out and see this band over and over again, and it amazes me to no end, and I am so full of thanks for that.

In addition to Spikedriving, I kept up with myself too, and found myself in Joshua Tree California in April with Bingo and Tim Easton. I didn’t know for sure then but we were making a new record, which ended up being ‘Take You Away.’ I had a very spiritual few days out there at Bingo’s place. Bingo made me feel so comfortable and he had so many great ideas, and he also played some amazing stuff on the record. Tim and Vic and the Thrift Store All-Stars also helped so much and I can’t thank all them enough for the goodness they exuded on me, and I’m so thrilled to be able to sit around their campfire. When I got home, I did a little more recording with Eric Metronome, and the work we did really helped me feel like the record was actually complete… working with Eric this year was a great experience as well, and we have so many connections in our soul-family it was definitely like working with a close family member (a very good thing indeed!!)

I ended up having 3 phases of cd release parties too… the first one in Joshua Tree California at Pappy and Harriet’s in October - much fun with the folks who I made most of the record with! Then Columbus - a 3 day residency at Andyman’s Treehouse. It couldn’t have been any better. Larry Cook (bass) helped me put the band together, and he also wrote out my violin parts so they could be played by Erin and Elizabeth, which was a huge honor… and so many of you came out - some even were there each day! Again, so much love felt from this town… my 3rd release was a couple weeks later in NYC at Banjo Jim’s… and damn I love New York~ I got to play with Chuck Palmer and Tony Scherr and Luther Wright… It was a blast. I’m spending some serious time in NY in 2008.

So many things happened this year, most of them so positive and bright for me. I have to gush like this every once in a a while, and I can’t even list everything because it would be too long of a blog…. In addition to all this I must pay respect to the people who have left the earth this year, and they will always live in my memory, and I can still feel them even though I miss them so very much and each one of them have impacted my life in very special ways. Mikey, Jana, Bob Catapano, and dear Gary ~ you have all taught me so much. I admire your strength and courage always.

Peace be with everyone. Many blessings to you in 2008 and always…. love megan

some new reviews in blogs… check it out out out..

Tha Bomb Shelter

Each Note Secure

Speed of Dark

and a review in the latest issue of THE BIG TAKEOVER magazne:

As a session player, Megan Palmer’s resume is extensive, particularly in the Columbus, Ohio scene where she’s the go-to violinist. But her talents aren’t limited to fiddle playing as she so eloquently demonstrates on her second solo album, Take You Away. There are a handful of widely recognized artists doing something similar - mixing a contemporary jazz-feel with a traditional roots-based, blues sound - and Palmer holds her own among her peers. After guesting on other people’s albums, the favor is returned as Victoria Williams lends her voice to the Mississippi John Hurt cover, “Richland Woman” and Bingo from The Thriftstore All-Stars shares vocal duties with Megan on the Townes Van Zant cover, “Don’t Take it Too Bad”. This one is ideal for the public radio/coffeehouse crowd - and that’s meant as a sincere compliment. (sunkentreasure.org)

I am having a love affair — with a city.

I arrived in time to meet Chuck Palmer for lunch and discuss our game plan for the future. We figured it out and then headed to Tony Scherr’s place for rehearsal. More game plans… We drove to Banjo Jim’s. The night was fantastic! Emilie Cardinaux, Luther Wright and the Wrongs, Chris Brown, Kate Fenner all played beautiful music. I joined Luther for a few tunes, a 13 year old wearing a fake mustache attended and acted as the doorman, and I borrowed the talented Benny Cha Cha from Luther and he amazingly held the glue together and rocked out with Chuck and Tony! After that Lenny Kaye (from Patti Smith’s band) played!! He was incredible!!

Then next night Luther Wright and the Wrongs (including me as a veteran wrong) rocked the Rodeo Bar all night. Good times were had by all! On Sunday it snowed. Which was cool. Glad I had my gloves… We picked up another gig at Banjo Jim’s, which led to a night of jamming and debauchery at Emilie Cardinaux’s house, involving Jason Blum making gourmet egg salad wraps before our 5:30 am departure to another part of Brooklyn… Monday was a serious day, when I said ‘I seriously need to move to new york!’ It was written down and transmitted on a few live wire reports… Manjari and I went to Caffe Vivaldi to see sister Kate Pivoriunas in action… she runs the open mic, bartends, serves food, and rocks out in between all that in additon to heckling the less-prepared singer-songwriters or those who don’t obey her earnest commands… and by the way, her performance brought the house down in my opinion… we moved on to Marion’s Marquee Lounge to see Tony Scherr close out the long weekend for me, and complete my crush with New York as he ruled the stage of his weekly Monday gig with Anton Fier and Rob Jost. Tony’s version of ‘Come Rain or Come Shine’ veered from the norm but was one of the best I’ve ever heard…

everybody for being so cool!!

I had fun at the CD release extravaganza at Andyman’s last week… each day was better than the next, and each one of them felt perfect at the time. Joe Kile, Luther Wright, Church of the Red Museum, and everyone in my band: DAMN! It couldn’t have been better… and to top it off Robert Duffy and Kiesha Jenkins got engaged that weekend!

Last Sunday, after everything at Andyman’s, Luther Wright, Larry Cook, BettyB. and I trekked over to Thomas,WV and played the Purple Fiddle, where we met the very cool Becky Ledowski on cello… we kidnapped her and sent her in her car to Columbus. Meanwhile, I departed for Nashville, and met up with Tim Easton, who was busy making a record with Robin Eaton and Brad Jones at Alex the Great. I was humbled and honored to be part of the magic music making there in the studio with those gents… I raced back from Nashville on Wednesday to make a Lancaster, OH appearance at Paul’s Nite Club with Eric Nassau, and lo and behold, our cello friend Becky was there with Larry and Betty… good stuff! The next day Betty and I got back in her car to go to snowy Cleveland for T-giving…

During all that driving, I found some tapes my Grandpa made. He narrates between songs on the piano, calling his metronome his ‘electric sideman…. that in fact… keeps very good time!’

signing off for now…. mp

“Take You Away” is now available for you to own. Click on the store button to buy one from us, or download it via iTunes. In Columbus, you can also pick it up at Magnolia’s and Used Kids. We’ll get to the other stores soon.

“Take Away II” is the 7 song bonus album, filled with B-sides and alternative versions of songs. You can purchase that either on iTunes or at the release shows this weekend!