Blues group to honor Fletcher

I've heard through the electronic grapevine that my guitarist buddy George Fletcher from Saratoga County will be inducted this fall into the New York State Blues Hall of Fame. It's been a long while, but some readers of The Leader-Herald might recall that he worked as a news reporter for us here more than a decade ago.

Since he left the paper, I've kept in touch with George, and we agree, only half-jokingly, that he made a great career move when he gave up the reporter's notebook and devoted his energies to the mastery of the six-string. He's been very successful as a performer and guitar teacher in the greater Capital Region.

You can catch George playing with his full-on electric blues band, George Fletcher's Foldin' Money, or as part of the Tequila Mockingbirds, his acoustic duo with Pete Pashoukous. See below for a sample of the two of them doing amazing things on the Django classic "Minor Swing," in a video shot by Pete's dad, Ray Pashoukos, at Caffe Lena in Saratoga. (George is on the right.)

Congratulations on the award, George. Keep up the good work.