You'd expect me to wrap up the year with a salute to the musicians we lost in 2011 (Clarence Clemmons, for example) or to highlight artists that had an impact on the types of music I prefer (Like Tommy Castro or Smokin Joe Kubek and Bnois King playing the blues) or to make lame predictions about the music biz in 2012 (Definitely "The end of the world as we know it" as the music industry continues to reinvent itself in order to survive). However, after hearing numerous versions of "Auld Lang Syne" in the background of the morning news today - from heavy metal to strings to horns to slow, medium and fast tempos - I decided to find out the real meaning of this "only-played-every-New-Year's-Eve-anthem."
I knew it was Scottish (Like me, partially) and I always have the Guy Lombardo version playing in my head as the midnight hour approaches. But I didn't realize the song comes from a poem written by Robert Burns in 1788. It is said to mean : "Old long since", long,long ago" , "days gone by, " old times" and - as in the refrain of the song -"For (the sake of) old times." I think I gew up believing the song was only sung when adults were inebriated, so the words didn't have to make sense.
In fact the phrase was also used by poets who pre-dated Burns, as well as appearing in older folk songs. Singing it became a Scottish custom, which then spread throughout the United Kingdom and to other parts of the world as the Scots emigrated to other countries, becoming a popular Scottish import along with shortbread and kilts. Although the song's popularity is still attributed to Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadiens beginning to play it as a New Year's Eve theme in 1929 (Released as a single in 1947), there are several references that date it through the years as the official "Out with the old" anthem.
The original version is thought to be "Old Long Syne" by poet James Watson in 1711 and then appropirated by Burns. Watson's lyrics suggest lost love, always a good reason to have another round:
Should Old Acquaintance be forgot,
and never thought upon;
The flames of Love extinguished,
and fully past and gone:
Is thy sweet Heart now grown so cold,
that loving Breast of thine;
That thou canst never once reflect
on Old long syne.
So if you end up singing "Auld Lang Syne" at the stroke of midnight, drink a toast to James Watson, Robert Byrnes and Guy Lombardo, and honor Scotland's contribution to party animals everywhere.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
The Anchor Recovery All Stars: Music And A Message
The Anchor Recovery All Stars actually got started around Christmas of 1999 in Rhode Island, with Frank Spicola and Jim Chapin playing guitar and Jim Gillen on flute, tin whistle and Native American flutes."We were dealing with women who were in various stages of detoxing, some quite ill," Jim Gillen recalls. "As we played and passed around the tambourine and such, we noticed that the women started to play along...A light went off in our heads that this was a way to reach folks." Gillen, Spicola and drummer Paul DaSilva went on to form the nucleus for Friday afternoon jam sessions at CODAC,which is an opiate treatment facility, Gillen estimating that over 100 musicians came and went. The All Stars fame gradually spread, leading to gigs at treatment centers, nursing homes and community events, eventually winning them the designation of official band for RI Rally 4 Recovery, which marks its 10th anniversary next September. "We play a variety of music," Jim Gillen explains," Pretty basic blues, rock and roll, world, jazz,percussion and some Native American flute songs."These days the All Stars lineup still includes the original three -Gillen,Spicola and DaSilva - along with Nick McPhail on lead guitar, "Boxcar Ed" on bass, and vocals by Leslie Miller as well as occaisonal guest appearences by Doreen Collins of WJAR TV's "Unreal Deal" show. The band still sponsors an open mike nite on the last Friday of the month at Anchor in Pawtucket. They never charge for their performances, but they do accept donations to help cover expenses.
According to Merriam Webster's dictionary, the word recover means: "A return to a normal state of health, mind or strength." What makes the All Stars unique is the fact that Gillen uses his talent as a storyteller to motivate the audience: " I also throw in a story or two...and we mix in a recovery message, showing people that its OK to follow their dreams and be part of something."
The Recovery All Stars brought their message to Mathewson Street United Methodist Church in Providence for a performance on December 1 , World Aids Day, which got rave reviews from the audience. "Why we are different," Jim Gillen points out," Is because its about more than music, its about engagement, giving back to the community and allowing people to live their dream or at least chase it."
The next time you hear that the Recovery All Stars are playing a gig, go check them out or, if you're interested in hiring them, contact Jim Gillen at 401-261-1446 or check out www.anchorrecovery.com.
According to Merriam Webster's dictionary, the word recover means: "A return to a normal state of health, mind or strength." What makes the All Stars unique is the fact that Gillen uses his talent as a storyteller to motivate the audience: " I also throw in a story or two...and we mix in a recovery message, showing people that its OK to follow their dreams and be part of something."
The Recovery All Stars brought their message to Mathewson Street United Methodist Church in Providence for a performance on December 1 , World Aids Day, which got rave reviews from the audience. "Why we are different," Jim Gillen points out," Is because its about more than music, its about engagement, giving back to the community and allowing people to live their dream or at least chase it."
The next time you hear that the Recovery All Stars are playing a gig, go check them out or, if you're interested in hiring them, contact Jim Gillen at 401-261-1446 or check out www.anchorrecovery.com.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Tommy Castro: Sitting on Top of the (Blues) World
I first heard of Tommy Castro during my trade show career, when an exhibitor from California by way of Chicago decided I needed to expand my musical knowledge, and started bringing me cassettes of the newer blues artists. Castro's wry sense of humor and exceptional guitar stood out immediately, his playing fluctuating between sizzling blues riffs and extended Jimi Hendrix style psychedelic solos.
My next Tommy Castro experience was 2009's "Hard Believer", a meticulously crafted mix of hard driving instrumentation and Castro's own philosophical reflections on love, money and everything in between. For a month, I kept playing "Monkey's Paradise" over and over, managing to do my usual massacre of the lyrics, belting out -"phone keeps ringing " - "standing in the checkout line" - "really should quit but it AIN'T that simple!!!" - as I paced through my cold, empty house, convinced I knew exactly where he was coming from. You can envision Castro chuckling into the microphone through the ironic refrain of his anthem " Trimmin Fat" celebrating the 10% unemployment rate , which chronicles the pratfalls of today's economy as the singer is bumped from a live music gig by the bar owner in favor of karaoke, comes up short trying to buy the basics at the local grocery store, and ends up losing his day job when the factory moves to China, constantly repeating: "Everybody's - trimmin' fat". "Definition of Insanity", "Back Up Plan", and the Wilson Pickett (by way of Creedence Clearwater) standard "Ninety-Nine and One Half" all deal with good/bad love, while "It is What It Is" and "Hard Believer" reveal Castro's more vulnerable side with a bit of introspection.
Fast forward to 2011, and the latest Castro CD - "Tommy Castro Presents The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue". Not only is it entirely live (The tour stopped at the Narrows in Fall River last summer) but it showcases some of Castro's best guitar work, especially "Gotta Serve Somebody" and "Serves Me Right To Suffer" - AND - pays homage to a solid line up of artists like the legendary Joe Louis Walker ("It's A Shame") or breakout vocalist Janviva Magness ("Think") or the incredible guitar work of Michael "Iron Man" Burks ("Voodoo Spell"). Debbie Davies contributes "All I Found", while Sister Monica Parker leaves the audience breathless with her compelling rendition of "Never Say Never", and the other artists include Rick Estrin ("My Next Ex Wife"), Trampled Under Foot, and Theodis Easley. I respect artists like Castro and Bonnie Raitt who pay homage to the original performers that made their careers possible (In Raitt's case, Sippie Wallace and Mississippi Fred McDowell) not just because imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but also acknowledging their timeless talents. If you want to rock around your Christmas tree, "Legendary" is an easy pick for a stocking stuffer (Find it at Alligator Records).
Tommy Castro is doing his part to keep R & B alive and kicking. I'm just waiting to see what's next.
Check out "Blues With A Feeling" Tuesdays from 8:00 - 10:00 PM on WQRI, 88.3 FM.
My next Tommy Castro experience was 2009's "Hard Believer", a meticulously crafted mix of hard driving instrumentation and Castro's own philosophical reflections on love, money and everything in between. For a month, I kept playing "Monkey's Paradise" over and over, managing to do my usual massacre of the lyrics, belting out -"phone keeps ringing " - "standing in the checkout line" - "really should quit but it AIN'T that simple!!!" - as I paced through my cold, empty house, convinced I knew exactly where he was coming from. You can envision Castro chuckling into the microphone through the ironic refrain of his anthem " Trimmin Fat" celebrating the 10% unemployment rate , which chronicles the pratfalls of today's economy as the singer is bumped from a live music gig by the bar owner in favor of karaoke, comes up short trying to buy the basics at the local grocery store, and ends up losing his day job when the factory moves to China, constantly repeating: "Everybody's - trimmin' fat". "Definition of Insanity", "Back Up Plan", and the Wilson Pickett (by way of Creedence Clearwater) standard "Ninety-Nine and One Half" all deal with good/bad love, while "It is What It Is" and "Hard Believer" reveal Castro's more vulnerable side with a bit of introspection.
Fast forward to 2011, and the latest Castro CD - "Tommy Castro Presents The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue". Not only is it entirely live (The tour stopped at the Narrows in Fall River last summer) but it showcases some of Castro's best guitar work, especially "Gotta Serve Somebody" and "Serves Me Right To Suffer" - AND - pays homage to a solid line up of artists like the legendary Joe Louis Walker ("It's A Shame") or breakout vocalist Janviva Magness ("Think") or the incredible guitar work of Michael "Iron Man" Burks ("Voodoo Spell"). Debbie Davies contributes "All I Found", while Sister Monica Parker leaves the audience breathless with her compelling rendition of "Never Say Never", and the other artists include Rick Estrin ("My Next Ex Wife"), Trampled Under Foot, and Theodis Easley. I respect artists like Castro and Bonnie Raitt who pay homage to the original performers that made their careers possible (In Raitt's case, Sippie Wallace and Mississippi Fred McDowell) not just because imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but also acknowledging their timeless talents. If you want to rock around your Christmas tree, "Legendary" is an easy pick for a stocking stuffer (Find it at Alligator Records).
Tommy Castro is doing his part to keep R & B alive and kicking. I'm just waiting to see what's next.
Check out "Blues With A Feeling" Tuesdays from 8:00 - 10:00 PM on WQRI, 88.3 FM.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
(Got Them) Power Outage Blues
The last thing I remember before Hurricane Irene started tearing down trees and electric lines was waking up on that Sunday morning, peering warily at the cacophony of wind and rain outside, checking the digital clock on my stove to verify that it was about 8:00 AM, and then diving back under the sheets to catch a little more. When I woke up an hour later, the power was off, and didn't come back on for six days.
We really are addicted to electricity. We take it for granted that high speed Internet, cable and the myriad of household appliances that we rely on will always function, so the effect of the shut off was akin to a junkie trying to go cold turkey - no 24/7 news, no Facebook, no phone calls, just a lone cell phone and a battery powered laptop. Most nights were spent marshalling a supply of candles to hold back the pitch blackness - because the night really is incredibly dark without streetlights or background illumination - venturing miles beyond my semi-remote location to garner fast food, then watching an hour of something before the laptop died, assuming my daughter had been able to charge it at her friend's house where the lights had never gone out. Finally, after struggling to be cheerful, my daughter decided to flee to her sister's apartment in Boston for luxuries like hot water and real food, leaving me alone.
I usually look forward to semi-isolation. I like to write, which requires solitude. I enjoy silence on occasion so I can collect my thoughts and emotions or simply peel back the layers of my consciousness. The only problem was, after four nights of trying to write and read by candlelight, I was totally disgusted and pretty much braindead, not to mention dirty, sweaty and frustrated. I turned to the only form of non-electric entertainment I could think of: my harmonica.I have had an affair with the mighty mouthharp since the age of 19, when I was the lead singer for the Phoenix Blues Band on Martha's Vineyard, my playing restricted to struggling to find the right note and then simply holding it so I wouldn't sound off key. Through the years, I've fantasized about taking the time to sit down and really learn how to play.
Thus it was as the night came on and my supply of candles dwindled, I attacked a C harp, bound and determined to play the riff from Lil Walter's "Blues With A Feeling" perfectly. I really suck as a musician since I can't read music - I'm simply imitating what I hear. Consequently, I spent about an hour playing and re-playing the tune, every once in a while actually hitting the right sequence of notes, but mostly scaring my dogs with the irritating noise. I finally admitted to myself that I really can't play very well, that Lil Walter really was a talented musician, and that my forte should be restricted to listening rather than playing. The next time the lights go out, I'll try beating on the drums.
NB: Tuesday, 9/20/11: Tinsley Ellis is at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northhampton, MA
Friday, 9/23/11: James Cotton plays at the Shailin Liu Center in Rockport, MA
Sunday, 9/25/11: Roomful of Blues is at Effin's Last Resort in Smithfield, RI
We really are addicted to electricity. We take it for granted that high speed Internet, cable and the myriad of household appliances that we rely on will always function, so the effect of the shut off was akin to a junkie trying to go cold turkey - no 24/7 news, no Facebook, no phone calls, just a lone cell phone and a battery powered laptop. Most nights were spent marshalling a supply of candles to hold back the pitch blackness - because the night really is incredibly dark without streetlights or background illumination - venturing miles beyond my semi-remote location to garner fast food, then watching an hour of something before the laptop died, assuming my daughter had been able to charge it at her friend's house where the lights had never gone out. Finally, after struggling to be cheerful, my daughter decided to flee to her sister's apartment in Boston for luxuries like hot water and real food, leaving me alone.
I usually look forward to semi-isolation. I like to write, which requires solitude. I enjoy silence on occasion so I can collect my thoughts and emotions or simply peel back the layers of my consciousness. The only problem was, after four nights of trying to write and read by candlelight, I was totally disgusted and pretty much braindead, not to mention dirty, sweaty and frustrated. I turned to the only form of non-electric entertainment I could think of: my harmonica.I have had an affair with the mighty mouthharp since the age of 19, when I was the lead singer for the Phoenix Blues Band on Martha's Vineyard, my playing restricted to struggling to find the right note and then simply holding it so I wouldn't sound off key. Through the years, I've fantasized about taking the time to sit down and really learn how to play.
Thus it was as the night came on and my supply of candles dwindled, I attacked a C harp, bound and determined to play the riff from Lil Walter's "Blues With A Feeling" perfectly. I really suck as a musician since I can't read music - I'm simply imitating what I hear. Consequently, I spent about an hour playing and re-playing the tune, every once in a while actually hitting the right sequence of notes, but mostly scaring my dogs with the irritating noise. I finally admitted to myself that I really can't play very well, that Lil Walter really was a talented musician, and that my forte should be restricted to listening rather than playing. The next time the lights go out, I'll try beating on the drums.
NB: Tuesday, 9/20/11: Tinsley Ellis is at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northhampton, MA
Friday, 9/23/11: James Cotton plays at the Shailin Liu Center in Rockport, MA
Sunday, 9/25/11: Roomful of Blues is at Effin's Last Resort in Smithfield, RI
Monday, June 20, 2011
Local Live: Violin River at Maguire's Tavern 6/17/11
I used to say that the best bar bands were in Boston. I can't come up with any objective reasons now to prove that assertion besides the fact that Boston has a lot of bars, but I've listened to a lot of musicians struggling unsuccessfully to be heard above the crowd. Violin River, whose music is inspired and influenced by the Grateful Dead, won't ever have that problem. The crowd at Maguire's Tavern in Smithfield,RI on Friday night June 17 couldn't get enough of the long guitar solos, the flawless vocal harmonies, and the familiar singalong Deadhead anthems like "Uncle John's Band" and "Turn On Your Lovelight".
Violin River describes themselves on their myspace page as a "RI based Grateful Dead/Classic Rock Cover Band which performs acoustic and electric selections." The term "cover band" typically conjures up the "lounge lizard" image of tired musicians frantically trying to sound "just like the record" - straight imitation, pure and simple. "Tribute" is a better term. It implies respect for the original musicians, which is very evident in Violin River's music. Lead/Slide guitarist Rich duplicated Jerry Garcia's style but made it his own in long , melodic, endless riffs as well as some spine -straightening slide.
The rest of the band are: Joe, vocals and guitar; Paul, vocals and keyboards; Carleen, vocals and percussion - who did a crowd-pleasing rendition of " Me and Bobby McGhee"; Kenny, bottom; Gary,drums; and Rich,lead/slide,vocals. The musicians' credentials are pretty impressive, as band members have performed with Bo Diddley and Lowell George, as well as opening shows for artists including Bonnie Raitt, Robert Palmer, Little Feat, Jorma Koukonen (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna), and Eminem - which is, as Violin River puts in, "to name just a few."
Their musicianship is exceptional, an eclectic mix of rock, blues, r & b, and folk music, as Violin River does both acoustic and electric sets. Don't take my word for it - check them out and support your local live musicians.
Violin River describes themselves on their myspace page as a "RI based Grateful Dead/Classic Rock Cover Band which performs acoustic and electric selections." The term "cover band" typically conjures up the "lounge lizard" image of tired musicians frantically trying to sound "just like the record" - straight imitation, pure and simple. "Tribute" is a better term. It implies respect for the original musicians, which is very evident in Violin River's music. Lead/Slide guitarist Rich duplicated Jerry Garcia's style but made it his own in long , melodic, endless riffs as well as some spine -straightening slide.
The rest of the band are: Joe, vocals and guitar; Paul, vocals and keyboards; Carleen, vocals and percussion - who did a crowd-pleasing rendition of " Me and Bobby McGhee"; Kenny, bottom; Gary,drums; and Rich,lead/slide,vocals. The musicians' credentials are pretty impressive, as band members have performed with Bo Diddley and Lowell George, as well as opening shows for artists including Bonnie Raitt, Robert Palmer, Little Feat, Jorma Koukonen (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna), and Eminem - which is, as Violin River puts in, "to name just a few."
Their musicianship is exceptional, an eclectic mix of rock, blues, r & b, and folk music, as Violin River does both acoustic and electric sets. Don't take my word for it - check them out and support your local live musicians.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
The End of The World As We Know It?
You've probably heard by now that today the world will end, apparently by dinner time. I discovered this morning that the prediction is based on approximating how long ago the flood and the story of Noah took place, which has been calculated to have occurred 7,000 years ago today. The fact that I am writing this blog might lead you to the conclusion that I am a little dubious. However, the publicity has benefited REM, since chances are many of us will be repeating their signature - world-ending- verse over and over, that is, BEFORE supper.
Apocalyptic rock is hard to pin down. I tend to associate Pearl Jam and Kurt Cobain with world-ending tunes, because their music feels like the end, the combination of plaintive vocals and thundering chords suggesting either that Armageddon is imminent, or that it has already happened, and Kurt and Eddie are simply mourning the loss. Some of Ozzy Osborne's songs evoke chaos, as well as a long line of "devil" - ish performers from Alice Cooper to Marilyn Manson, Judas Preist to Metallica. Besides their twisted but marketable genre, mainstream pop has also produced "prophetic" hits like "In The Year 2525".
I guess I'll spend my last few hours listening to the blues, possibly Robert Johnson's fervrent odes to the Devil and Judgment Day. In general, I don't think blues musicians spent a lot of time obsessing about the "end". They were a lot more preoccupied with issues like food, money and love.
I've enjoyed the world as we know it, so I'm going to miss it when it disappears sometime after dessert tonight. Why is it I get the feeling that - 24 hours from now - I'll be thinking about food,money and love?
Apocalyptic rock is hard to pin down. I tend to associate Pearl Jam and Kurt Cobain with world-ending tunes, because their music feels like the end, the combination of plaintive vocals and thundering chords suggesting either that Armageddon is imminent, or that it has already happened, and Kurt and Eddie are simply mourning the loss. Some of Ozzy Osborne's songs evoke chaos, as well as a long line of "devil" - ish performers from Alice Cooper to Marilyn Manson, Judas Preist to Metallica. Besides their twisted but marketable genre, mainstream pop has also produced "prophetic" hits like "In The Year 2525".
I guess I'll spend my last few hours listening to the blues, possibly Robert Johnson's fervrent odes to the Devil and Judgment Day. In general, I don't think blues musicians spent a lot of time obsessing about the "end". They were a lot more preoccupied with issues like food, money and love.
I've enjoyed the world as we know it, so I'm going to miss it when it disappears sometime after dessert tonight. Why is it I get the feeling that - 24 hours from now - I'll be thinking about food,money and love?
Monday, March 14, 2011
Accordion Power: Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, March 5,2011
Most people probably still associate the accordion with musicians like Myrin Florin, the virtuoso who was the star of the Lawrence Welk band, his fingers deftly manipulating the keyboard to produce the robust melodies that were an integral part of the "orchestras" that were featured on Fifties television. Although the rich sound of the accordion was popularized in familiar tunes like "Lady of Spain", it has always been closely associated with Cajun music, blended with bluegrass, blues and traditional tunes to form the distinctive sound that originated in the Louisiana bayous. The sound is happy and upbeat, a celebration of Cajun culture that comes to life in Rhode Island every year at the Mardi Gras Ball, held this year on March 5 at Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet. I was hesitant at first when my friend Sue suggested we go to the concert. I like the Cajun sound, but I just wasn't sure if I was ready for a six hour immersion in Mardi Gras, including Cajun food, a costume contest, and three bands - Leroy Thomas and the Zydeco Roadrunners, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, and CJ Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band. In retrospect, I'm glad I took Sue's suggestion.
Ironically, Rhode Island has long held a premier reputation as a "home away from home" for Cajun performers. Various reasons have been offerred for the Ocean State's obsession with accordion power, some attributing it to a break out performance by legendary Cajun fiddler Dewey Balfa at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival , said to be the first time the music was showcased outside Louisiana. Most agree that Little Rhody's fondness for "les bon temps" is primarily due to Chuck Wentworth and Lagniappe Productions, producer and promoter of the state's premiere Labor Day weekend event, the Rhythm and Roots Festival as well as this year's nineteenth annual Mardi Gras ball. I was gratified to discover that the event benefits Very Special Arts Rhode Island, an organization that provides artistic outlets for physically or mentally challenged individuals, and one that I was briefly involved with at its inception - but that's another story,
Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet is an old fashioned dance hall, with a roomy stage, strategically-placed bars, lots of seating, and plenty of space to move. The festive atmosphere was heightened by the mosaic of costumes created by the inventive crowd, the themes running from the topical - a black shell supported by two shoulder straps intended to represent the spill in the Gulf, festooned with pictures of idle shrimp boats and oil soaked wildlife - to the fanciful, with both the Queen of Hearts and the Queen of Diamonds in attendance, a cadre depicting characters in The Phantom,a profusion of harlequin faces, joker hats, boas, Hawaiian shirts, and a giraffe (Which earned top honors in the costume contest) , with a pair of dancers representing the front legs and towering head.
Leroy Thomas and his band were already playing by the time Sue and I got there , the robust melodies already luring partygoers onto the dance floor even though it was barely seven o'clock. We quickly joined them to start a pattern that would last all night - dance until you're about to drop, rest , then dance again. It wasn't hard to move to the energetic upbeat sound.
For Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys,the performance was bitterwseet, marking the official "retirement" of fiddler David Greeley (see the ProJo article published 3/3/11). Their latest CD is a testament to the BP disaster, entitled "Grand Isle", depicting an oil soaked bird, and the title tune is a sampling of Greeley's memories of the way things were before the spill. The Playboys' set featured spirited trade offs between Riley on the accordion and Greeley's fiddle, with a special presentation for Greeley from Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chaffee at the end.
By the time C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band took the stage, I was just about boogied out, but C.J.'s frenetic playing had me quickly back on my feet. Unfortunately, after just a few of their red hot licks, I began to remember how much my body ached and quickly caved in.
It was a memorable night full of music and merriment, a fitting salute to Mardi Gras and the Cajun culture. I'm already looking forward to next year.
Ironically, Rhode Island has long held a premier reputation as a "home away from home" for Cajun performers. Various reasons have been offerred for the Ocean State's obsession with accordion power, some attributing it to a break out performance by legendary Cajun fiddler Dewey Balfa at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival , said to be the first time the music was showcased outside Louisiana. Most agree that Little Rhody's fondness for "les bon temps" is primarily due to Chuck Wentworth and Lagniappe Productions, producer and promoter of the state's premiere Labor Day weekend event, the Rhythm and Roots Festival as well as this year's nineteenth annual Mardi Gras ball. I was gratified to discover that the event benefits Very Special Arts Rhode Island, an organization that provides artistic outlets for physically or mentally challenged individuals, and one that I was briefly involved with at its inception - but that's another story,
Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet is an old fashioned dance hall, with a roomy stage, strategically-placed bars, lots of seating, and plenty of space to move. The festive atmosphere was heightened by the mosaic of costumes created by the inventive crowd, the themes running from the topical - a black shell supported by two shoulder straps intended to represent the spill in the Gulf, festooned with pictures of idle shrimp boats and oil soaked wildlife - to the fanciful, with both the Queen of Hearts and the Queen of Diamonds in attendance, a cadre depicting characters in The Phantom,a profusion of harlequin faces, joker hats, boas, Hawaiian shirts, and a giraffe (Which earned top honors in the costume contest) , with a pair of dancers representing the front legs and towering head.
Leroy Thomas and his band were already playing by the time Sue and I got there , the robust melodies already luring partygoers onto the dance floor even though it was barely seven o'clock. We quickly joined them to start a pattern that would last all night - dance until you're about to drop, rest , then dance again. It wasn't hard to move to the energetic upbeat sound.
For Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys,the performance was bitterwseet, marking the official "retirement" of fiddler David Greeley (see the ProJo article published 3/3/11). Their latest CD is a testament to the BP disaster, entitled "Grand Isle", depicting an oil soaked bird, and the title tune is a sampling of Greeley's memories of the way things were before the spill. The Playboys' set featured spirited trade offs between Riley on the accordion and Greeley's fiddle, with a special presentation for Greeley from Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chaffee at the end.
By the time C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band took the stage, I was just about boogied out, but C.J.'s frenetic playing had me quickly back on my feet. Unfortunately, after just a few of their red hot licks, I began to remember how much my body ached and quickly caved in.
It was a memorable night full of music and merriment, a fitting salute to Mardi Gras and the Cajun culture. I'm already looking forward to next year.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Hot Tuna, Charlie Musselwhite,and Jim Lauderdale: Legends Come To Life on the Road (Garde Art Center, New London, CT, 2/12/11)
Concerts are becoming harder to find. Tickets are more expensive, the audience is more fickle, and the music industry never seems to know what combination of artists will draw a crowd. Luckily, that doesn't apply to road warriors , who keep on touring the smaller venues like New London's Garde Art Center. As the MC pointed out just before ushering Hot Tuna onstage on February 12, there were a grand total of 1100 people in the audience, which was, as he put it, pretty good for downtown New London. I can't vouch for the other 1099 in the audience, but the chance to see Jorma Kaukonen, the original lead guitarist for the Jefferson Airplane, Airplane bass player Jack Casady, blues harmonica virtuoso Charlie Musselwhite and country/bluegrass giant Jim Lauderdale made it a command performance.
Hot Tuna opened up with the acoustic trio of Kaukonen, Casady and Barry Mittendorf on mandolin, warming up the crowd with traditional blues tunes like "Know You Ryder", "Wining Boy Blues" and "Hesitation Blues", Jorma pointing out that he and Jack Casady had been playing together for 53 years. Musselwhite, who was born in the Delta, raised in Memphis and graduated with sold blues harp credentials after sitting in with artists like Muddy Waters and Little Walter in the Chicago blues clubs, joined the trio for "Sad and Beautiful World" and " Where Highway 61 Runs", two of the cuts from his latest CD, "The Well" ,on Alligator Records. He was followed by top Nashville performer and songwriter Jim Lauderdale, who closed out the set with his ironic country flavored tunes.
The second set was electric , Jorma, Jack and Barry joined by guitarist C.E. Smith, trading solos on Hot Tuna blues standards like "Rock Me Baby", "I Wish You Would" and "Hot Jelly Roll Blues ". I was overwhelmed by the "wall" of music, the musicians flawlessly riffing off each other, one memorable lead after another. The conversion from acoustic to rock was the most dramatic on "Candy Man" and "Death Don't Have No Mercy",both adapted from the racuous but powerful streetcorner performances of intinerant South Carolina bluesman/preacher Reverend Gary Davis. Musselwhite's return onstage featured one of his most unique tunes, the instrumental " Christo Redemptor", the haunting sound of his blues harp demonstrating not only Musselwhite's ability to master the instrument but also his willingness to take chances.
After the show, as I waited in line with my friend Sue (a longtime Hot Tuna fan) to have Charlie Musselwhite autograph a copy of "The Well", I realized that the "fusion" of musical titans like Tuna, Musselwhite and Lauderdale was the only way to guarantee continuing "road" revenue, playing the smaller but appreciative venues mostly attended by baby boomers. After all, arena rock sounds hollow and hyped compared to over two hours of carefully constructed tunes from the music industry's living legends.
Hot Tuna opened up with the acoustic trio of Kaukonen, Casady and Barry Mittendorf on mandolin, warming up the crowd with traditional blues tunes like "Know You Ryder", "Wining Boy Blues" and "Hesitation Blues", Jorma pointing out that he and Jack Casady had been playing together for 53 years. Musselwhite, who was born in the Delta, raised in Memphis and graduated with sold blues harp credentials after sitting in with artists like Muddy Waters and Little Walter in the Chicago blues clubs, joined the trio for "Sad and Beautiful World" and " Where Highway 61 Runs", two of the cuts from his latest CD, "The Well" ,on Alligator Records. He was followed by top Nashville performer and songwriter Jim Lauderdale, who closed out the set with his ironic country flavored tunes.
The second set was electric , Jorma, Jack and Barry joined by guitarist C.E. Smith, trading solos on Hot Tuna blues standards like "Rock Me Baby", "I Wish You Would" and "Hot Jelly Roll Blues ". I was overwhelmed by the "wall" of music, the musicians flawlessly riffing off each other, one memorable lead after another. The conversion from acoustic to rock was the most dramatic on "Candy Man" and "Death Don't Have No Mercy",both adapted from the racuous but powerful streetcorner performances of intinerant South Carolina bluesman/preacher Reverend Gary Davis. Musselwhite's return onstage featured one of his most unique tunes, the instrumental " Christo Redemptor", the haunting sound of his blues harp demonstrating not only Musselwhite's ability to master the instrument but also his willingness to take chances.
After the show, as I waited in line with my friend Sue (a longtime Hot Tuna fan) to have Charlie Musselwhite autograph a copy of "The Well", I realized that the "fusion" of musical titans like Tuna, Musselwhite and Lauderdale was the only way to guarantee continuing "road" revenue, playing the smaller but appreciative venues mostly attended by baby boomers. After all, arena rock sounds hollow and hyped compared to over two hours of carefully constructed tunes from the music industry's living legends.
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