Robert Baird of BAM! Baird Artists Management was on hand at each convention to meet new friends and greet old ones and tell everyone about Ebony & Ivory. The first ten visitors to the booth at each convention received a delicious chocolate CD preview of the Ebony & Ivory debut CD Red Hot! (more news on Red Hot! below.)

Visitors to the Ebony & Ivory Booth at WAA included Jonathon Wood, Brigham Young University; Michael Levine, Dallas Brass; Nancy Kemp and Stefani Dochtermann, Kodiak Arts Council; Andrew Thompson, Canadian Consulate; Geofrey L. English, Saddleback College; Pam Thompson, WYO Theater; Wendy Craft, Modesto Community Concert Association; Don Sparhawk, Brigham Young University; Capucine Jackson-Grimes, Arizona State University; Sue Kohl and Annette Mullins, City of Henderson, NV; and Linda Leos, Reed Whipple Cultural Center. New friends met at the conference included Gail Calver, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago; and Bob Allen, City of Phoenix.

Visitors to the Ebony & Ivory Booth at Arts Midwest included Buster Irvin, Cumberland County Playhouse; Darrell Calvin, Pella Opera House; Randy Wright, wife Vicki Wright, and Ruthi Rogers, George Daily Auditorium; Colleen Duke, Cultural Affairs Officer, Canadian Consulate; Shirley Gridley, Encore Performing Arts; Keith Rawlins, Darke County Center for the Arts; James Patterson, Sheldon Theatre; Carol Rae Fisher, State Fair Community College; Deborah Janz, Lucille Tack Center for the Arts. New friends met at the conference included the new attendees mentored by Robert: Steve Love, Love Productions; Lynne Rothrock; Christine Stauder, Madison House; David Higgins, MagicMusic Productions; Rick Robinson, CutTime Players; as well as Ken Waldman, Alaska's Fiddling Poet; Kyoko Yoshida, U.S./Japan Cultural Trade Network; and Rudy Lauerman, Detroit Institute of the Arts.

Visitors to the Ebony & Ivory Booth at PAE included Mary Jane King, Communications and Cultural Affairs Officer, Canadian Consulate; D. Carol Barta, Pennyroyal Arts Council; Mark Scott, Thunder Bay Community Auditorium; Johann Behnken, Emerald Coast Concert Association; Richard Akins, Brooklyn Center for the Arts; Sharon Bevis, Polk Community College (where Ebony & Ivory will be performing on December 3, 2004); Jane Lonon, Ashe County Arts Council; Hoot Crawford, Bay Arts Alliance. New friends met at the conference included Kathryn Wills, Thrasher Horne Center for the Arts; Donna Greco, Creative and Performing Arts High School; and Mike Rose, Annenberg Center.

The Ebony & Ivory debut CD Red Hot! is in the final stages of production. Well-known musicians Dave Weckl, Victor Wooten and Cliff Almond all contributed tracks to Red Hot!, recording in Los Angeles, Nashville, and New York City respectively. An original oil painting specially commissioned for the CD cover has been completed by artist Jason Bouwman, and additional graphic design is being done as well. This complex and exciting project will be released in early November.

(Editor's Note: I've heard the rough tracks and you are going to be blown away by the excitement, joy, virtuosity and truly awesome versatility which this CD contains - there's something for everyone and ALL of it is amazing! - Robert)

PERFORMANCES

Lake-Sumter Community College, FL

PERFORMANCE

PERFORMANCE (Christmas Show)

PERFORMANCES

Wisconsin Lutheran College