NEWSLETTER #86
by Wendel Werner

           
HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE WENDEL WERNER NEWSLETTER #86


    Let's start with the exciting news first: THE LONG-AWAITED CHRISTMAS ALBUM, "LET IT SNOW," WILL BE RELEASED ON FRIDAY DECEMBER 1, 2007 AT THE ANNUAL WENDEL-DESTROYS-ALL-CHRISTMAS-SONGS CONCERT. 6PM AT THE LAWSON-MCGHEE LIBRARY IN DOWNTOWN KNOXVILLE, TN. I'm very excited about finally getting this out after years and years of promising its arrival. Hopefully, you'll be as excited about it as I am when you hear it.
 
    I seem to be covered up in tour preparations. There are FOUR within the next ten months. I'll be touring promoting the "Let It Snow" album in December. (You can see where in the "Calendar" section of my website.) The UT Singers will be going to Washington DC and back in March. Then I'll be doing the first leg of a summer tour in June and the second leg in August. So I'm spending lots of time in front of the comput er sending e-mails, booking performances, arranging lodging, and seeing who is playing baseball in what town. (That's essential.) Any suggestion...about performances, that is...will be appreciated.
  

And now the month of November:

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2007
THE UT SINGERS at LENIOR CITY HIGH SCHOOL
ALL DAY LONG
 
    UT's jazz choir, the UT Singers, will be swinging through a few area high schools over the span of three days. This is the first of the three. We will be doing three shows for all of the choral groups at the school. Thanks to Mr. WIlliamson for making that happen.
 
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2007
CHA CHA'S
7PM-10PM
 
    Since many of you won't be able to make the UT Singers' performance earlier in this day, you CAN make it up to me by coming to hear me at Cha Cha's. It's the considerate thing to do, you know.
  
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2007
UT SINGERS AT OAK RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL
AFTERNOON
 
    Day two. I think we'll be doing a couple of shows here. One before school ends and one AFTER school ends. Thanks to Ms. Ragan for making this happen.
 
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2007
SHARON MOSBY W/WENDEL WERNER, TERRY SCHMIDT, AND DAVID SLACK
BECK CENTER
6PM-8:30pm
$6
 
    Should you not be able to make the UT Singers' performance that day, you can make it up to me by coming to hear Ms. Mosby at the Beck Center. If you have heard her before, you know how much fun her performances are. This one promises to be just as fun. And with Terry on sax and Dave on bass, it's hard for things to go wrong. 
 
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2007
THE UT SINGERS at FULTON HIGH SCHOOL
MORNING

    Day three. We will be performing for one of the choral groups at the school. Thanks to Ms. Scoggins for making that happen.
 
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2007
THE UT SINGERS at the UT VOLS EXHIBITION BASKETBALL GAME
7PM
 
    Should you not be able to make it to hear the UT Singers' earlier in the day, you can make it up to us by coming to the UT men's basketball game that night. The UT Singers will be singing the national anthem for the game. Then we will be relaxing and enjoying the game.
 
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2007
TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
8:45AM AND 11AM
 
      Apparently, November is the Wendel-in-your-church month as well. It seems that I've been hired to play at a church almost every Sunday this month. This time it's Trinity United Methodist. This is the doing of their music director, Sheryl Howard. If I don't play well, it's her fault.
 
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2007
BEARDEN HIGH SCHOOL'S PRODUCTION OF "CRAZY FOR YOU."
7:30PM
 
    I'm playing some keyboard parts for this show. I haven't been to the rehearsals yet, but the music is all Gershwin stuff, so it already fun. The talented Leslie Graves will be subbing for me on the next day...but I'll get to that.
 
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2007
CONCORD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
8:45AM & 11AM
 
    MY RETURN TO CONCORD METHODIST CHURCH!! This is where I worked for seven years prior to this past January. This is the place that "Concord" from the "One Sitting" album is written about. I went back when Alan Eleazer and I had the release party for the "Old Wine-New SKins" album. But that wasn't a Sunday morning. I'll be playing for the regular services, so don't look for me where I used to  be in the contemporary services. I'll be a little more formal this time around.
 
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2007
WARTBURG PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
FREE CONCERT
3PM
 
    Later in the day, I 'll be driving to Wartburg. A good friend of mine named Carolyn Anderson has become the pastor out there and I asked if there was anything I could do for her. This was her answer. She suggested to the church that I come and play something during a service some morning. The church said.."Let's just make it a concert!!" The church is asking people coming to bring canned food to be donated to needy families.
 
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2007 
CHA CHA'S
7PM-10PM
 

    What if I promise to play nothing but your favorite music...will you come then?
 
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2007
FARRAGUT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
8AM AND 11AM
 
    It seems that Wendel-in-your-church month continues at Farragut Pres. This is due to their music director, Angie Batey. She's planning on having me come and play something with the choir KNOWING that I'm not going to play anything in the music. I think she LIKEs doing this to people.
 
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2007
CHA CHA'S
7PM-10PM
 
    It's after Thanksgiving!! That means, I'll start adding Christmas music into the line up as of this evening.
 
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2007
JOINT CHRISTMAS CONCERT: WENDEL WERNER AND SENSATIONS (show choir of Walters State Community College)
WALTER STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AUDITORIUM  
7pm
 
    Sensations will be doing an arrangement of mine as well as other jazz version of holiday songs. There will also be some solo performances from jazz students of mine. And on top of all that, I've found that many people remember some of the crazy things I did last year...because they are asking about them again. It will be a fun evening. Please come support these students by hearing what they have been working so hard to produce.
 
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2007
THE ANNUAL WENDEL-DESTROYS-CHRISTMAS CONCERT w/special guest LESLIE GRAVES
RELEASE PARTY FOR THE NEW CHRISTMAS ALBUM, "LET IT SNOW"
LAWSON-MCGHEE LIBRARY-DOWNTOWN KNOXVILLE
6PM-8:30PM
 
    If there is one performance I do all year that everyone asks about, it's this one. It surprises me that it has become this big a deal, but the place is always packed. This is one of those performances where arriving early will be a very good thing. On top of all that, not only will the new album, "Let It Snow" be available, but this concert will also mark the return of my good friend LESLIE GRAVES to the library. The last time Leslie was there, we did an evening of duets and had a blast. The reason THAT performance came about was because of us having so much fun in last year's Wendel-destroys-Christmas concert. SO...she HAD to come back. It might have to end up being a ritual.
 
    Last month, I asked for your help in this manner..
 
Alright, that's November. Again, please let me know directly if you have been having issues with ordering something through my website.
 
wendelwerner@hotmail.com

    Since then, I had several people come to me and say, "Yeah, I had trouble but I didn't e-mail." Some said, "I DID e-mail. You didn't get it?"
I'd like to get this solved by the time the new cd comes out. SO, let's try this: if you have had issues with ordering something online, PLEASE e-mail me at THIS address:
 
wendelvon@yahoo.com
 
Thanks for your help and support.

Wendel Werner