Reader, meet Żary.
Żary is a town of about 40,000 in southwest Poland, and it was one of the primary places the von Promnitz family lived in the 1700s--and thus the home base for our tour.
Our team consisted of 9 bands/acts, with 20+ concerts in 2.5 weeks in six cities.
Below: the von Promnitz family palace (one of 37 estates), which was occupied by the Germans, bombed by the Americans, and bought by investors just weeks before Count Richard discovered his heritage.
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Town square in Żary, all decked out for the festivities. |
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One of our tour posters around town. The local governments sponsored and promoted our festivals.
 I played along with most of the bands on the tour, but my primary "home base" was with a country/gospel/blues group that was organized especially for this trip. (We never did get a chance to rehearse...ever. There just wasn't time! So we played shows and got used to playing together more every day :)) This guy above, Jess French, was our front man. He and his wife, in their 70's, took their first trip out of the country to come along to Poland. He's the real deal when it comes to old-time country gospel, and a Cherokee Indian to boot. (He sang a few verses of Amazing Grace in the Cherokee language during most of our sets. Talk about a cross-cultural experience...) A little taste of the vibe in the square, featuring our sweet jazz band: |
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