12.29.07...Well
hello everyone!
I apologize for not blogging
sooner. We are coming to the close of yet another year, a very difficult
year for so many of us. I want to personally thank you for being a part
of my life and hope that you will continue to do so next year. We have
had to say goodbye to so many loved ones this year, and we're still
here! Take it as a sign, that you are here for a reason. Learn from your
losses, live through it all, and love as hard as you can, and as much as
you can. Don't look for blame or find fault in consequences-we all have
the right to choose, and exercise it freely!
We had a fundraiser at the
Brickhouse for our friend Winston Ford. It was a heck of a bash!
Fredi & The Soul Shakers, Phat Daddy, One on One, Chase N the Dream,
Soul School, Sheryl Renee, Hazel Miller, and Funkiphino were some of
the groups who participated. We thank Mike and Richard for
inviting us to the party! Speaking of Richard...we created a
wonderful drink together...
If you dare to spend new year's eve
with me, c'mon down to Hiccups #3! Party On!
We are looking forward to a blessed
and prosperous New Year. All the best to you and yours!
10.24.07...Hello
All!
It has been a minute since I last blogged,
unfortunately, too many good people have died in my life since then. I
sincerely miss my dear friend (brother), Winston Ford. I was at
his funeral where we all got to sing back up for Philip Bailey.
On Sunday, we had a Homegoing Jam Session Fundraiser for his
grandchildren. If you weren't there, you missed the biggest PARTY this
side of the Mississippi!
It was held at Kiva restaurant in Denver,
and produced by the brand spanking new talent and production agency,
Black Swan Talent and Productions! Two local divas, Sheryl Renee
and Hazel Miller started this new Denver phenomenon, that I expect
will take flight and soar! Congrats, Divas!
I think just about every local musician was in da
house on Sunday! Phat Daddy, Chase, Soul School, Dianne Reeves,
Lannie Garrett, Erica Brown, Louie Chavez (oh my gosh dreamy), Ron
Ivory, Thomas "T-Blue" Ayers, Kevin Dawkins, Thomas, "TJ" Jefferson,
Isaac Points (Jakarta), Joslyn Keel-Winston's
FAVORITE niece and way too many more to name! I had the dream of a
lifetime come true, the two Fredi/Freddi's on stage at the same
time! Yes, Freddi and I were sangin Shaky Ground together! I told
him that everybody thought I was him, and he said everybody thought he
was me! Now y'all know which is which...right...
There were clubs represented there too,
Patrick's and Brickhouse just to name a couple. Speaking of
Patrick's, we will be there Saturday night for the Halloween
Party of the Century! Can you say, "Costume contest?" Oh yeah we are
dressing for the occasion! Cash prizes will be awarded! Speaking
of the Brickhouse, we'll be doing a benefit for the Winston
Ford Family on December 2, I'll keep ya posted!
Make sure you tune in to Phat Daddy's site to see
the many benefits coming up for Winston's family as well.
See you in costume,
Saturday night ONLY at
Patrick's!
Love ya' Later!
smoochesFredi
10.08.07...Hi
y'all!
I know it's been a minute, but I've
been recuperating from surgery-no, not that kind...and yes, Fredi is
still the guy with the big...anyway, before I went "under the knife," we
partied in Hudson, CO at The End of the Trail! Lisa sure knows
how to throw a party! Many thanks to the bartender extraordinaire,
Willie. I must say though, be very careful of the birds in the
trees, they have PERFECT aim!...
On to Hiccups 1 for some
birthday fun! Yes, It was my sister Tina and Jennifer's birthdays
late last month! We rocked 'em hard and long (like they should be
rocked!) As always it is great to see so many friends and family out
with us! Hiccups has a number 3 now! It's where the old Brewski's/Bottlecaps
was, and it looks fantastic! We'll be there on the 19th and 20th- hope
you can show!
On this past "recovery" weekend for
me, I was seen recuperating in a couple of different places..it all
started with Happy Hour at the Palm Tree where I went to see my
Brubbie (Sheldon Johnson) playing with the band called
"Reality" (every Friday 6ish-8:30ish). Then it was on to Herman's
and Buckner Funken! Can I just say Wow! Litha and Deb
have been trying to get me there forever, boy am I glad I went! I met
the guys and we had a wonderful time! I met some new friends and partied
with some old friends! After getting my Funken on, I stayed for Soul
School! Needless to say, I got home about 1:30ish Saturday
morning... It was good to see Tony Exum-super saxman, Wendell,
Drusel and the rest of the crew! I also saw Scott Rich yet
another great bass player!
That was more than a mouthful if I
must say so myself! Well, hopefully I'll see you at Hiccups 3 in a
couple weeks!
Love ya' Later!smoochesFredi
09.04.07...Hey
Y'all!
Wow what a wonderful weekend at
Patrick's! The band was super spectacular and we thoroughly enjoyed
Raul Garza on congas and percussion! It was terrific seeing so
many faces of friends-I didn't know I had that many! Oh but I must
mention my favorite fellas Billy and Samuel-every time I
am at Patrick's they are there to see me, and on both nights to
boot! They make me feel so special! It's always a great pleasure to be
served by Cindy and Peggy! It was really good to see Cindy's
hubby(Mike) here too! Now where was Gail...rumor has it that
her man was in town...well we all know how that story
can go...
Special thanks to my friends (and
coworkers) from APS-Aurora Public Schools, Havana Learning Center, Quest
Diagnostics, and Denver city workers! We enjoyed Twaneka's
celebrating life gathering too! Oh my how the Tuaca flowed, and the
Patron, and the whiskey, and.......I'd better stop naming names, I
always end up in trouble somehow!
We hope you are saving your money for
next week at the Isle of Capri, seems a good spell of luck is in
the joint when we're there...I still can't believe that guy hit dollar
poker for five grand!, our tips were really good that night!
See ya' up the hill...
Love ya' Later!smoochesFredi
08.18.07...Hey
Y'all!
Had a heck of a weekend at the Cool
River Café! We partied with our great sound man, Junior, and
had mucho fun with DJ G. Funk. The dance floor was rarely empty at any
given time. I think we all made a good team!
Last weekend Max and I went to check
out one of our dearest local Divas, Jennifer Lane at
Elway's in Cherry Creek. Boy did we have a blast! Jen and I had fun
singing together, I picked up her brand spankin new cd, Jennifer Lane
In A Magazine, which of course is done in pure Jen style! (man, I
sure do love that sweet, long cool drink'a water!!) We partied so hard,
that we closed the place down! I was, literally, the last one out the
door-needless to say, it was all Max's fault...and my good friend
Remy...(Max..."it was the Remy...I'm innocent and that's my story
& I'm stickin' to it")
I am sooo looking forward to the Rock Bottom Brewery this Thursday!
I believe we are close to the last Partio there. (that would be
patio party in a word). Hope you and the fam can come down, be
sure to bring the umbrellas...just in case...
Love ya' Later!smoochesFredi
07.30.07...Hey
Y'all!
How was your weekend? Mine was
jam-packed with fun! On Thursday, we had a spectacular time at
The Rock Bottom Brewery! I came in sportin' a new
"do" and had just as much fun as it looked like I was having! Oh
my gosh, the food is soooo wonderful there! If you didn't make
it there by today, then you missed the most succulent backyard
t-bone you have ever laid lips on! And the banana split pound
cake was absolutely to die for! We always thank our own Rick
Abitbol for the hookup-seeing as how he is the Brewmaster
there. There's always a great brew or few on tap and a great
waitstaff as well. Great to see Elke and her friends out
for a fun time. (Elke is Rick's MOM)
Friday night, I recouped from
Thursday, and hung out at home with a movie.
Saturday, the fun began around 4:00
P.M. We did an annual Pool Party in Parker, CO! I must say I was
spotted in the pool with Craig rather early on in the
evening...hmmm was that before or after the Jell-O shot(ssss)...then
there was that incident where Bob got the wrong drink out of my
shirt...how big was that bottle again-oh yeah, 1/2 gallon...(or
maybe just 2 quarts lol :-}) Iris and Dean throw a
helluva party! Not-to-mention it was Dean's birthday! Susan was
ever the attentive one and Deb brought goodies to obtain instant
orgasms! (Of which I had several...) Litha and Ted hung out and
partied til the end! I must say, that the band was truly
ROCKIN'!!! Our newest addition of
Edgar Garza on drums has made me a happy kitten! I do
believe I haven't purred this well in a while...
On Sunday, I checked out Stretch
Nine at City Park Jazz, which by-the-way was back at the
Pavilions. Michael C. was singin' his heart out-as usual- and my
brubbie, Sheldon Johnson,
TOTALLY rocked the park with his rendition
of "This is How We Do It". Sugar Bear and Phillip Jordan were in
the band as well, and our friend Skippy-D was kickin the beat on
drums! I had a wonderful time and saw many, many friends! My
son, Eric, his wife Brittanni, and children Tracey and Josiah
had a pretty good time too! I partied with my sister Tina, Arla,
Jeremiah, Sonsie and John. All-in-all (hey isn't that Earth ,
Wind, and Fire?) we had super big fun! If you get a chance, come
check us out this weekend Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Q's.
See ya soon!...SmoochesFredi
07.16.07...New Blog from Fredi
(watch for the Fredi page coming soon)
Hi everybody!
I had a really fun weekend! We
partied-I mean worked- at the Isle of Capri Friday and
Saturday night, where two lucky winners won 2007 Mini Coopers!
Sunday I made my way to the Black
Arts Festival and City Park Jazz. I saw so many people I know!
One of the best club owners in the world- Regas was there! I
got to sit in with Sheryl Renee-who is by far one of the top
Divas in the business. Harold and
Linda Lee
were there, along with Jennifer Lane, Winston Ford, Skip Lynch,
Bea Harris (Urban Spectrum) African Storyteller Opalanga
Pugh (one of my faves) Yvonne Brown, Coco Brown, Vickilyn
Reynolds...need I say more? It was a serious party up in that
camp!
I hadn't had quite enough yet, so I
decided to go to one of the newest and coolest bars in town,
Scruffy Murphy's. It's on 20th and Larimer, and yes it's a
wonderful Irish Pub! I met 6 new guys!!! We drank and had excellent
conversation all night long. Tim the bartender and I got into
some really kinky drinks....I will only admit to knowing the
whereabouts of only one Dirty Girl Scout...
07.14.07...Isle of Capri...What
can I say?...this is one of our favorite places to play. EVERYONE has a good
time when they WIN. (and Erika & the staff are the BEST)
07.07.07...Patrick's...What a REAL
great weekend! CC got married, Peggy went on vacation to W. Virginia &
Fredi & The Soul Shakers ROCKED THE HOUSE! CONGRATULATIONS to EVERYONE!!!!!
(see pic's on the pictures page)
06.21.2007...Eagle, CO. USA...Fredi
& The Soul Shakers kicked off the "Showdown Town" for the Vail
Valley Foundation in Eagle CO on Wednesday and what a grand time was had
by all! First of all we need to thank Andrea from Resort Events
Inc. without her nothing happens. A very together Lady (real nice to).
Andy, Warren & Todd on sound and the wonderful people of Eagle CO. There are
a few new video clips on the
Music page and a pic of Andrea & Max on the
Picture page.
06.09.2007...Isle of Capri Plus...First
let's mention a few things here. The Rock Bottom Brewery in Park
Meadows. Kicking up another notch! If you haven't been to the Rock Bottom
at Park Meadows you NEED to! Great Food & Beer. Rick (our fantastic Sax
player) is the Brew Master there and need I say more about the top flight
beer he brews? I think not. One taste and you'll be back for more &
more...Thursday Happy Hour they have live music and yes Fredi & the Boys
kick it once a month thru the summer. (check the Schedule for dates). The
Isle of Capri is such a GAS. You talk about fun...! Jewell's, Shawn,
Dave, Zack, Erika and Christen you guys are the BOMB. Thanks from all of us
for making it a real fun gig. Shouts out to David, Jaqua,
Blanca & Fabien, Eddy from Quest, Donnie & His
new family and if I missed anyone...so sorry.
05.19.2007...Patrick's...Well what
can you say about this weekend? So many great people came out to see Fredi &
The Boys. Hillary, Jaqua, Donnie (from our days @ The Church) & his future
wife, Deb Z, Lithe, Tim Wolf, Terry, April, Loretta, Val & Scott, Sandy & Derrick,
Mary (if I left anyone out I am so sorry) By the the way there was MUCH
Dancing going on. (on & off the stage) What a FUN time!
05.06.2007...Brewski's and other NEWS...Welcome
the newest member of Fredi & the Soul Shakers, Sam Faggan on drums.
Sam joined the group a few weeks ago and had his debut at Brewski's. Great
Job Sam!
A SPECIAL shout out to Lynette & Lenny at
Brewski's for making a tough situation work out so well. Lynette is the
owner and Lenny the manager and you can't ask for better people then those
two! By the way Brewski's has a GREAT sound man, Jr. Thanks for the
wonderful sound and intelligent conversation late on a rainy Saturday night.
Shout out to Blanca & Fabien it is all ways
wonderful to see you both! Tina & Deb :) Last but not lest Michael from
Electric Events stopped by and that is all ways a pleasure as well.
04.11.2007...Started work on our CD....Let
the work begin. With a little luck and a lot of hard work we hope to have
our recording done by the end of the month. Then off to the presser.
04.04.2007...Isle of Capri...What
fun to be back a The Isle. Fredi was in fantastic form! Good to see Zack &
Caleb (from Kitts) Erica, thanks for dinner. You're the best.
03.11.2007...Deb's Birthday Party...What
a bash! It was party central at Deb Z's birthday party. Tons of delicious
food, loads of wonderful people. It was great to meet Kenny, late of Bump
City Groove, and his very charming wife Heather. Yes, the neighbors were
over and dancing their....off as well. Happy Birthday Deb Z.
03.4.2007...Patrick's. If you
weren't there you miss one of the best weekends in a long time! Fredi's
Birthday, old friends (Jeanne, Nancy, Jim, Blanca & Fabian) and new friends
and fans as well. THE HOUSE WAS ROCKIN! As always Bruce (one of the best
sound men in Denver.) Gail, Cindy & Peggy from Patrick's were just
wonderful.
02.10.2007...The NEW Webcam.
Here's something new we've added to the website a webcam. Right now there's
not much to look at as a matter of fact while I tweak it, my kitchen is about
all there is to see. However I have plans...Wednesday is our rehearsal night
so I'll be doing some major testing over the next few weeks. The first week
in March we'll be at Patrick's and I'll try to broadcast a set from there.
This could be FUN....stay tuned.
01.21.2007...HICCUPS 1
What
a fun time at Hiccups 1. Deanna Herman & friends were out dancing and it was
good to see them!. All the folks from Budweiser were having a grand old time
and Dale (the owner) was the best host one could ask for. If you haven't
been to Hiccups 1 or 2 you really need too, it's so much fun you'll be coming
back for more..and more.
01.14.2007...BIG NEWS--> Joe January is back on
Keys!!!
Joe January our Keyboard player for all the
years at The Church is back playing with us and
we couldn't be more happy. Joe started playing again with us at The Brick House(58th
& Ralston Rd) this past weekend and the crowd was groovin' to the
REAL sounds of Fredi & The Soul Shakers. Welcome back Joe.
12.31.2006...Happy
New Year 2007. What a fantastic weekend at Kitt's in the Isle
of Capri. Erica,
Tom, Caleb, Vinnie, Regan and all the staff
were marvelous to work with. We hope to see them this summer when music
comes back to Kitt's.
This was one of the best New Years we've had in a good long time. Thanks
Everyone!!!
12.23.2006...Christmas
at Patrick's...In spite of the weather a good time was had by all. Friday Greg Ortega shot
video for our up coming promo video and our friend Patrick (not that
Patrick) and his wife Amy
came & celebrated his birthday with us. Nice to see Elke & all the
Abitbol's out for a
little Christmas cheer.
12.11.2006...We
just finished 3 nights at Q's and had the best time we've ever had at this
fine Denver night club. The staff, Shaun &
Jimmy, were friendly and hospitable as can be.
It was great to see Rod (Mr. Velvet) & Tammy
Martin , Jeanie & Cerise.
The Band
ROCKED...every night! Some new material and Fredi with her new wireless mic
made for some of the Hottest
music this band has ever made.
12.02.2006...Our
longtime friend and sound man,
Don Kanoza was in town
to do sound for us at the Simpson Housing Group Holiday Party and yes
Simpson KNOWS how to PARTY! BIG shout out to Jennifer, Christine,
Sharon
and ALL the folks there. Great job again this year!
For those of you who remember
the 'days' at The Church, you'll remember the fantastic sound and yes Don
still has it, making it sound fat and keeping them dancing! Great job
Donnie!!!!
11.17.2006...Sheldon
Johnson (Vocals & Keys)
temporally joins Fredi & The Shakers. We played Hiccups II and 2
Great Nights.
