GLENN A. BAKER’S MUSICAL AMERICA TOUR APRIL 2014 Join Glenn A. Baker for the Music Fan’s Ultimate Tour of the USA including Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Memphis, Nashville and New Orleans GLENN A. BAKER Day 1. Apr 10 - San Francisco Described by Rolling Stone magazine Music Editor David Fricke Check in to our tour hotel today. This evening gather with as "Not just Australia's top pop scholar but a world class rock Glenn A. and your fellow travellers for our Welcome dinner. journalist who writes with the enthusiasm of a true fan" and by Day 2. Apr 11 - San Francisco sightseeing Phil Collins as "the most thorough and knowledgeable music This morning join a walking tour of some of the city's iconic journalist in the world today", Glenn A. Baker is a three time music spots, visit places made famous by Janis Joplin, the winner of the BBC's Rock Brain Of The Universe title, though Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead and the night clubs possessing a knowledge of music well beyond rock. An author of the ‘beat generation’ of the 50’s. of 17 books (most recently ‘Best of Baker: Music’), Glenn is a Day 3. Apr 12 - San Francisco at leisure nationally syndicated radio and television presenter of long A day at leisure to relax or sightsee at your own pace. standing, the specialist compiler and/or annotator of more than Perhaps you can check out the location of such indelible 500 highly acclaimed album anthologies, a hit songwriter and hits as Dock of the Bay, San Franciscan Nights and a writer of features for more than 200 publications. He was the We Built This City, or make your way over to the cavernous Australian Editor of Billboard for more than 20 years and is the Amoeba Records just near the famous intersection of owner of one of the most extensive music archives in the world. Haight-Ashbury and Golden Gate Park. He has been a music presenter on Good Morning Australia, Mornings with Kerri-Anne, Today Show, Sunrise and Mornings Day 4. Apr 13 - Fly San Francisco - Chicago and has hosted Monday Night Legends and Up Close & Personal We head to the airport for our flight to Chicago(included in specials on the Arts & Entertainment channel Ovation. Glenn was tour price), where we transfer to the Essex Inn. We'll later once hailed by a former Australian Prime Minister as "A kind be met by a Blues performer who will sign autographs. of cultural photographer who can vividly conjure up images and Day 5. Apr 14 - Chicago feelings of periods." Today we'll be invited to a radio broadcast which will highlight musical history. Then we'll embark on a tour with a local guide, combining the regular tourist attractions with special blues attractions, such as the famous Chess Studio at 2120 South Michigan, where Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley and the Rolling Stones recorded. Day 6. Apr 15 - Chicago at leisure Today is free. Perhaps take the Architecture Foundation River Cruise - highly recommended. Or spend more time in the famed South Side and North Side blues clubs. HIGHLIGHTS Day 7. Apr 16 - Chicago - Cleveland Attend a radio broadcast in Chicago, visit Chess Board our motorcoach for the drive to Cleveland, Ohio. e Studios and enjoy a special guided tour of some of Be richly entertained by GAB-selected music, vision and the world’s best blues clubs anecdotes along the way. Visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland Day 8. Apr 17 - Cleveland - Fly to New York e See iconic music heritage locations in San Francisco First is a visit to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Alive with e and New York the energy, passion and spirit of music, it features seven Nashville - Country Music Hall of Fame, Studio B, floors of fascinating displays with iconic rock’n’roll e Private "Cash on Cash" performance artefacts. Then transfer to the airport for the flight Rockabilly Museum, Jackson Tennessee (included in tour price) to New York, the Big Apple - home e Memphis - Beale St, Elvis' Graceland home, of Atlantic Records, Shea Stadium, Paul Simon, the e Sun Studio, Stax Museum of American Soul Rascals, Neil Diamond, Carole King and the Ramones, Clarkesdale - Delta Blues Museum and the Rock & among a squillion other luminaries. e Blues Heritage Museum with a private performance. Day 9. Apr 18 - New York sightseeing The sacred blues ground of the Crossroads Let Glenn A. show you the sights of Greenwich Village and Tour the B.B.King Museum in Indianola, Mississippi the many famous ‘hang outs’ of musicians from Bob Dylan e Natchez - Monmouth Plantation tour and fellow folkies to Jimi Hendrix to Bruce Springsteen. e Lafayette - Cajun House Party, the Festival Visit The Bitter End - established in 1961, the oldest rock e International of Louisiana & roll club in New York City. The intimate vibe makes this New Orleans - Cajun Swamp cruise, Gator Farm historic venue almost as iconic as its headliners and it e visit, city sightseeing, Steamboat Dinner Jazz cruise continues to host acts every night. Day 10. Apr 19 - New York sightseeing Day 15. Apr 24 - Memphis - Greenwood Visit Times Square and see the Brill Building, near On our way to Greenwood, we'll stop in Clarksdale and Tin Pan Alley where so many classic songs have been the Crossroads, where Robert Johnson is said to have written. This building housed many music industry sold his soul to the devil in return for blues immortality, offices and studios and has been described as the most and tour the Delta Blues Museum and the Rock & Blues important generator of popular songs in the western Heritage Museum. The owner will join the group here; world; Glenn A. has some interesting facts to disclose he plays and sings blues songs and we’ll hear the songs about it. We'll also visit the Apollo Theater in Harlem, morphed into Rock’n’ Roll...a fascinating experience. where soul and blues have seeped into the floorboards, Then time for lunch (own expense) at Morgan Freeman's - the spot which launched or advanced careers including place, 'Ground Zero', which is a replica of a southern Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday, James Brown, The Jackson juke joint. Tonight in Greenwood, you can visit one of the 5, Aretha Franklin... and too many more to list here. last remaining original juke joints - Po Monkey's. Day 11. Apr 20 - Fly New York - Nashville Day 16. Apr 25 - Greenwood - Indianola - Natchez We'll fly to Nashville(included in tour price), 'Music City', This morning, local guide Sylvester Hoover will take us on where we're staying at the fabulous Gaylord Opryland a special blues tour. Then to Indianola for a tour of the Hotel which features an impressive atrium with its own B.B.King Museum and Delta Interpretive Centre. Arriving river. Tonight we're off to the Nashville Palace Dinner late afternoon in Natchez we'll tour Monmouth Plantation Theater for a dinner and country music show. Home before checking in to our historic downtown hotel. Day 12. Apr 21 - Nashville sightseeing Day 17. Apr 26 - Natchez - Lafayette First is our tour of the Country Music Hall of Fame and We arrive in Lafayette late morning and stop at Mama Studio B. Then a special experience - “Cash on Cash” - Redell’s Begnaud House for a Cajun House Party a private performance and discussion with Johnny and demonstration. She brings in a Cajun/Zydeco band that June’s son, John Carter Cash. He will entertain with will perform especially for us and explain the history of his own music as well as some made famous by his this music. She will also serve some Cajun food samples. legendary family and answer questions. The rest of the The afternoon and evening are free and can be spent day and night are free: perhaps go to the Grand Ole downtown enjoying the annual Festival International. Opry, the live radio show which has been running for over Day 18. Apr 27 - Lafayette - New Orleans 80 years; or visit the Bluebird Café which is recognised First is Avery Island for a tour of the Tabasco Factory. worldwide as a space where some of the most significant Then to 'Bayou Delight' Restaurant - famous for its fried songwriters of our time come to perform their own chicken & catfish(lunch own expense). Next we'll board music, often made famous by others, here in the country the Cajun Man Swamp Cruise, operated by Ron ‘Black' music capital. Or just stroll down famous Music Row. Guidry, a real character who will sing and talk to us. Our Day 13. Apr 22 - Nashville - Memphis next stop is the Greenwood Gator Farm where everyone Depart onboard our coach for Memphis. En route we'll gets a chance to hold a baby alligator! We continue to stop for lunch (own expense) at the Old Country Store in the New Orleans French Quarter, and there's the Casey Jones Village followed by a tour of the Rockabilly opportunity for more music by exploring on your own. Museum. Arrive Memphis mid afternoon and check in to Day 19. Apr 28 - New Orleans sightseeing our hotel just 2 blocks from legendary Beale Street. Our New Orleans guide will take us on a 3 hour City Day 14. Apr 23 - Memphis Tour. The afternoon is free, then tonight we'll walk to Today we tour Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. On the river to board our Steamboat Dinner Jazz Cruise. our tour we visit the infamous ‘Jungle Room’ along with The sounds of Fats Domino, Ernie K.