Well Groomed and Perfumed

The Happy Lucky Combo, with Emily Avesian, will perform at Ellwood's Coffee this Saturday, February 13, from 7 until 9 pm. This is Valentines Day Eve, so we will be well groomed and perfumed. And we'll be playing our romantic love songs, for you, our beloved audience.

O'Toole's, Ellwood's, Danny Boy

The Happy Lucky Combo is back at O'Toole's this Wednesday. See poster above. Friend Emily Avesian will be there, with her brand spakin' new clarinet.

We will also be at Ellwoods Coffee this coming Saturday, February 13, from 7 till 9 PM.

Admission is free to both events.

The Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra submitted their version of Danny Boy for the WCVE Danny Boy Project. Click HERE to hear our submission.

Emily's Back!

The Happy Lucky Combo performs @ O'Toole's this Wednesday from 8:00 till 10:30 PM. Emily Avesian will be joining us on baritone sax, and this time she's bringing her clarinet too! Admission is free.

Our CD is so close to completion you can almost hear it. And I don't mean metaphorically.

Pippin and I have been busy with the Gourd Orchestra working on a version of Danny Boy for the WCVE Danny Boy Project.

Haiti

I recieved the letter below from our friends at the Highland Support Project, Guadalupe Ramerez and Ben Blevins. I found it helpful and wanted to pass it along. I posted the Maya Deren video above, of the Haitian countryside and religous ceremonies.

We all want to help the people of Haiti as they deal with the horrific consequences of yesterday’s earthquake. While HSP isn’t capable of doing emergency relief work outside of Guatemala, we can recommend good folks who do, that you can donate to. Personally, I’ll be donating through Oxfam to help provide immediate emergency assistance.

HSP’s sister nonprofit in Guatemala, AMA (Asociacion de Mujeres del Altiplano), is also planning to donate funds as an organization. The impoverished Mayan women in AMA’s women’s circles plan to raise $250 for women and families in Haiti by the end of this week. These AMA women and their families live on an average of $300 a year, less than $1 a day, making their donation all the more meaningful.

AMA's intentions remind us of the parable of the Widow’s Gift (Mark 12:41-43), in which a poor widow gives her last two copper coins, and thus the greatest gift of all – all she has. AMA will be making their donation through Rights Action, an organization that supports grassroots humanitarian organizing internationally.

Give Now to these HSP recommended organizations

Oxfam has long experience in Haiti and is rushing in teams from around the region to respond to the situation where our assistance is most needed.

Rights Action funds and works with community development, environmental justice, human rights and disaster relief organizations in Guatemala and Honduras, and also in El Salvador, Haiti, Oaxaca and Chiapas.

Direct Relief has an ongoing "Emergency Pre-Positioning Program" and a program in Haiti that stages essential medical materials on site with key partners for immediate use in emergency situations

Southside Style

Thank you to everyone who came to hear The Ululating Mummies at the Blue Moon New Years Concert (photo above). Great crowd. Great fun. The Mummies hope to play more often in the coming year.

The Happy Lucky Combo plays at O'Toole's this Wednesday, January 13, from 8:00 till 10:30 PM. We have a busy season planned with another Yiddish Cabaret coming up, a Valentines' Eve concert and the release of our CD "Carnival of Sound". But this Wednesday we're going to start out slow, try out some new tunes, and drink some Legend Brown Ale. You know... Southside Style.

Frolic

photo: Charles Sugg

The Ululating Mummies frolic tomorrow, December 31st, at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. The New Years Family Frolic begins at 2:00 PM and ends at 5:00 PM and is free with admission to the gardens or membership. The Mummies will start at 2:30 PM. Our first set will be our long one and include our random New Years count down. There will be crafts and noise maker making. We will pay a second set and end at 4:30.

Ancient mummies Stephen Williams and Paul Watson will be playing with. Rehearsals are producing a joyous noise! The photo above is of the band when Paul and Steve were regular members.

The Festival of Lights is still going on if you want to make an evening of it.

See blog entry below for Mummy photos etc.

New Years Eve

photo: Arthur Stephens

The Ululating Mummies will play at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens for the New Years Eve Family Frolic on New Years Eve day. The exact time of the Mummies performance is yet to be decided but we will perform two sets between 2 and 5 PM. The holiday lights will still be on display in the garden if you want to make a night of it. There will also be crafts and the making of noise makers.

The Mummies this year will include old time members Paul Watson, coronet and Stephen Williams, guitar.

Many new (old) pictures have been posted on the Facebook Ululating Mummies Fan Page. Thanks to all that joined the page and became members. Click HERE to see that Facebook page.

See upper right gig calendar for upcoming Happy Lucky Combo gigs.

Happy Lucky Holidays

Happy Holidays from the Happy Lucky Combo. Thought you might enjoy this video. Thank you Larry Yates for passing it on.

The Ululating Mummies play on New Years Eve day at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens for their New Years Eve Family Frolic. When we find out exactly when we play I'll let you know. It will be two sets between 2 and 5 PM. Also that night the garden lights will still be up if you want to make an evening of it.

This year the Mummies will be joined by old time members, Paul Watson and Stephen Williams.

Check out The Ululating Mummies Facebook Page for lot's of new photos.

Please note gig calendar, upper right, for Happy Lucky Combo gigs.

Also if you haven't visited the Happy Lucky Combo website in a while click HERE. We 're almost at 10,000 visits!

And what a great Years End Party last week! Thank you to everyone. We will be having another Yiddish Cabaret in the near future. See Facebook Page for photos.

The Happy Lucky Combo will be celebrating Hanaramakwanzamas Season with a Year's End Party this Wednesday Dec. 16 @ O'Toole's from 8:00 - 10:30 PM. Admission is FREE. There will be lots of musical guests including, Emily Avesian, baritone sax, Bob Jacobs accordion, Marcy Horwitz accordion (count 'em), Miles Barnett violin, Isadora and Odessa Bless vocals... it is even rumored that we may have a visit from John Winn clarinet and Daniel Clark melodian. Wow!

The Happy Lucky Combo has had a happy and lucky year. It has been gratifying to be part of the Southside Renaissance, to perform for gracious audiences and to have been able to play with some of the city's most... well... playful musicians. Thank you all.

Ellwoods Coffee, Rent Us for a Holiday Present

The HaPpY LuCkY CoMbO returns to Ellwoods Coffee this Saturday evening, December 12, from 7 - 9:00 PM. Admission is free. Ellwoods serves beer and wine as well as food and coffee. We love playing there because the room has great acoustics. Admission is FREE!

December 9th is the last day to bid on a private performance by The Happy Lucky Combo. We have volunteered our time as part of a fund raiser for the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts. Click HERE to bid. We'd make a great Christmas present.

Pippin is playing again with And the Wireman @ Balliceaux. They will perform Thursday Dec. 10 @ 8:30 PM. Paul Watson will also play.

We'll be back at O'Toole's NEXT Wednesday, December 16. We're expecting a visit from Bob Jacobs, accordionista and Emily Avesian, baritonista. Expect some holiday music.

Also The Ululating Mummies will be playing @ Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens on New Years Eve afternoon.... details to come. Click HERE for more info. You can click HERE for Mummies Facebook page.

Carl Kasell Thanksgiving and Us Under Your Tree?

photo: Tony Maimone

The photo above is The Happy Lucky Combo with guest Bob Jacobs, at our last O'Toole's gig. It's always exciting to play with Bob. Dueling accordions?...well let's just say we were lovin', not fightin'. Bob will be back with us on Wed. December 16.

Fans of Emily Avesian will be pleased to hear that she will come out and play with us this Wednesday, November 25th, at O'Toole's. 

It is also rumored that Nick Lewis will come by.

Also, Wednesday is Mile's (Pippin's son) birthday, and we'll be celebrating. Hopefully he'll bring his violin.

Pippin's Nov. 12th performance with And the Wiremen, was wonderful. They'll be playing again in Richmond soon...

And don't forget, Thanksgiving night WCVE will broadcast the 2009 edition of Virginia Arts and Letters Live,  of which we were a part. This years performance was hosted by Carl Kasell. 

Need a unique Christmas present? You can bid onThe Happy Lucky Combo   HERE. This auction is to benifit the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts.

 If you're around Saturday night check out our friend John Winn and friends @ Bogarts from 9:30 till 1:00.

A Video, an Auction, and Dueling Accordions

Dave arranged the Happy Lucky Combo song, Yemaya, for 150 music students from Midlothian Middle School and James River High School. See video above.

The HaPpY LuCkY CoMbO is back at O'Toole's this Wednesday, November 11th, from 8:00 until 10:30 PM. Our guest this week will be accordionista Bob Jacobs (photo right). Dueling Accordions!

Last week we had a delicious time "cooking with Carter" (photo right) and, as if on cue, Nicholas Lewis (photo right) came by and offered up dessert. And it was yummy! I went by O'Toole's today and the cook wants more! (for real)

As of the publishing of this blog, I can only say that it is rumored, that this week we will have a visit from Nick. 

Upcoming events include a Thanksgiving Eve airing of the Virginia Arts and Letters Live performance, of which we were a part, and a Dec. 12 performance at Ellwoods Coffee. And the inevetable release (escape?) of our CD.

Also, Pippin is perorming with And the Wiremen on Thursday November 12, 8:30 PM @ Balliceaux, 203 N. Lombardy St. ( the old Bogarts). Pippin's been working hard in preparation and says it's been challenging learning the new rhythyms he describes as Brazilian-like. Local musician Paul Watson is a member of this group that is based in NYC.

We've volunteered to be part of the Patrick Henry Charter School auction by offering to have our musical services put up for bid. This is an on-line auction. Hint, we're perfect for a holiday party.