I’ve been so busy of late that I forgot all about the various groups here at MS that I had joined. So, here’s a brief update about what I’ve been up to. These last couple of years, I’ve received some of the best press ever for my songwriting, recordings and performances. My efforts as a solo artist, playing original finger style bottleneck slide blues, have even won awards while competing against entire electric bands.

Having multinational media outlets contact me and offer international and worldwide coverage for my songwriting is something that I’m not used to getting. Before all of this new found attention, I was excited to play before audiences that ranged from a just a few folks to thousands of listeners at festival events. Getting exposure to millions across the planet is hard to get your head around.

It’s encouraging to know that folks are listening and that a single song can make that kind of an impact. I must be doing something right by following my heart throughout my endeavors at exploring and emulating the spirit of early acoustic blues artists.

There doesn’t seem to be any sign that my efforts are going to slip into obscurity either. A studio session that I played this past summer for a huge multimedia production is rumored to be released later this year. With millions of fans, all over the world, this collaboration could prove to be yet another boost in global appreciation for my pursuits. I’m anxious to hear the completed work.

The results of a recent video that I was involved with will be presented to MTV after post production. The short film features Artis the Spoonman. Yep, the same Spoonman from Sound Garden’s Grammy award winning song, music video and Cd. Artis gave me a call and asked if I could accompany him for the project and play a couple of sets on the street at Seattle’s Pike Place Market.

The finished work will also feature a couple of my latest bottleneck slide blues. Laughing Dog Pictures director, Virginia Bogert, contacted me to say that she included almost all of my song, "That’s More Like It" and a piece of the intro of another of my latest, "Wall Street Bail Out Blues", in the final mix. Who’d a thunk that a guy playing on the street with a homemade resonator guitar, crafted from recycled garage sale junk, could get this kind of exposure?

Stay true to your dreams. Reggie Miles