Big Leather Couch

Belinda Montgomery is best known for her role as the mother of of the young medical prodigy played by a young Neil Patrick Harris in the 90’s series in the Doogie Howser, M.D.

Now the Canadian born actress is making a career as an artist. Belinda is painting fulltime primarily in oil and acrylic as well as working in figurative sculpture.



Dave Smith, bassist for rock band The Volunteers stops in during their “Freeze Our Nutz Off Tour.”

We’ll play and discuss their music, including the romantic tune “Fuck My Ghost.”

All that, plus:

• Dangerous Lee co-hosts

• Justin the Weatherman fills in for Vinny Bond and chats live with the listeners

• Shawn Amos returns with another GetBack.com Pop Quiz

• Bernadette Giacomazzo files a PopCultureMadness.com report

• and we’ll take your calls at 646-652-4804

First out of the box is an artist by the name of Charlie Morris. Mr. Morris actually came to me on his own and sent me two of his CDs. One is his 2003 studio album STILL GOT 'EM and the second is the 2007 release with the Charlie Morris Band WHAT A SCENE, recorded live in Montreux, Switzerland.

From his bio, we learn more about Mr. Morris:
Charlie Morris was born in Miami in 1963, and grew up in Georgia and Tennessee. He's been writing songs, and playing various instruments, since he was 6 years old. As a kid, he played classical piano, inspired by the immortal Schroeder.

Charlie Morris attended Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, graduating in 1984 with a Bachelor's degree in Music. With fellow students Alan Craig, Devin Rice (future St. Pete Mountain Boys), Sue Finger and Dave Bawel (later Dave Fury), he formed a band called Lotus, which gigged steadily on the Florida circuit and released an album of original music in 1984.

In 1992, Chuck went to Europe to seek fame and fortune (or at least, slightly more appreciative audiences and slightly better money), and became a lifelong Europhile. He met his wife, Denise Bonjour (aka The Tigress) in Davos (she wasn't his wife at the time, but later became so). Since then, Charlie and his band have played all over Switzerland, as well as in the UK, Holland, Germany and Norway.

Charlie has played at the Hotel Eiger in Grindelwald every year since 1994 (both solo and band gigs). He's appeared at various luxury hotels, including the Ermitage-Golf in Gstaad, the Schweizerhof in St. Moritz, and another Schweizerhof in Zermatt. He's also done most of Switzerland's top Blues clubs, including the Mahogany Hall in Bern, INOX in Baden, and Le Chat Noir in Geneva.

January saw the release of What A Scene! which was recorded live at the 2007 Montreux shows. This one captures the fun of a CMB live show. Did dual CD-release parties, at the Ka-Tiki and the Dunedin Brewery. Made a major radio push for this platter. To date, it's been played on over 80 radio stations in 10 countries.

On the winter Swiss tour, we had standing-room-only crowds at almost every show, and sold a record number of the new CD, What A Scene!. 11 of the 13 gigs were return engagements. That's a wonderful thing, but it means that we do have to learn a new turn at least every few years. This time we added five new original songs, Markus added a cool new organ to the mix, and Speedy started zydecoing it up on the washboard!

Back in Florida, Charlie gigged it up as usual, doing a couple dozen gigs around Florida, and two in North Carolina. One of the highlights was a mini Florida tour with blues and soul master Darrell Nulisch.

Mr. Morris has the sound that I love. He knows how to pick a guitar and make it sing. There is that down-home blues/rock and roll quality about his songs that makes my feet begin tapping as soon as he hits the first note.

In concert, he and the band have that funky tightness that might remind you of bands like Little Feat. Both of these CDs are hitting my iTouch as I leave on my business trip.

Learn more about Mr. Morris and find downloads for all his CDs HERE. And these are his last US gigs, before they head back for Switzerland 2009 (hopefully, he will get closer to Memphis in the near future):

Feb 5 (12 noon!) - WDVX Blue Plate Special, Knoxville TN

Feb 6 - Brackins Blues Club, Maryville TN

Here is the title track from the 2003 studio album and then "May Not Be The First One", from the live CD.

I have a copy of the live CD and one of the studio CD. So two of you can have the music of Charlie Morris, just by speaking up in comments.