Who Else Can They Get For LOCKN'?

Phish, Ween and My Morning Jacket.  Independently, these are probably my top 3 active, performing rock bands, and they are all playing this August at Lockn', a music festival in Virginia that takes place about 90 minutes from where I live.  I've never been to Lockn' before but I have to go now.  Is Yim Yames going to sit in with Ween on Homo Rainbow?  One can hope.

Even if they don't add any other performers it would be enough for me, but the website says "More Artists To Be Announced".  I wonder who those could be?  What other artists would be a good fit for that festival and also be on the top of my personal list the way those big 3 are?  Since I'm 3 for 3 already, maybe I'm not that far off base, so I might as well think of some more preferable add-ons to the lineup.

I'm not clamoring for Dead and Co., or Ratdog, or Bisco, or Widespread or String Cheese (or any of your token classic rockers that Lockn' alumni might be bummed about missing), and I'm no longer into the bluegrass-tinged acts that show up at places like this.  My tastes run a little different than the typical jamband route, despite the fact that the 3 headliners happen to be tailor made for me.  What I would dig is the inclusion of Camper Van Beethoven or The Meat Puppets...a couple of out there, underground 1980's bands that don't normally play festivals like this but who could sneak in on the Ween vibe.

Someone who would pair well with My Morning Jacket is John Prine.  The singing mailman ain't that jammy, but his songs come from a deceptively counter cultural perspective.  This wrinkly living legend would definitely charm the crowd and be a nice break from your standard everyday funk grooves.

Tortoise could play late night after Phish and melt the faces of anyone brave enough to listen; and Marc Ribot and the Young Philadelphians featuring Mary Halvorson would hoist a heaping helping of noise in the guise of classic soul.  But I doubt either of those are gonna happen.

More within the realm of possibility are modern rockers like Dr. Dog or Dawes.  Even though I like both of these bands, I'm not sure how excited I would be to see them in that setting.  What would get everyone off - and still be a great addition to the lineup - would be a Talking Heads reunion.  Talk about a ground score.  That would really light things up.  Or how about Tom Waits?  He would add a different type of trippyness to the happenings.

Lockn' could go really, really big and court the likes of Springsteen, U2, Pearl Jam and the Stones, but that might be getting too far removed and mainstream.  Let Bonnaroo do stuff like that.  Or they could go more grassroots in the vein of Floyd Fest, Shakori Hills and Red Wing Roots.  No, I happen to like them right where they are this year - with a finger on the pulse of bands with a certain throbbing psychedelic sensibility who still bring the heat rather than a nostalgic shuffle beat.  So hey, what about Prince?!

Secret Keeper (Mary Halvorson and Stephan Crump) Friday, November 6, 2015 Richmond, VA

LOCATION UPDATED (and revealed) for the Secret Keeper "House" Concert on Friday, November 6, 2015 at 7PM in Richmond, VA!

This was originally supposed to be a house concert with very limited space but it has been moved to Good Shepherd Episcopal Church at Forest Hill and 43rd Street in Richmond, VA - a still intimate venue but one that will allow more people to attend.  There's a $10 to $20 suggested donation.

You might be thinking "experimental, challenging, freely improvised, modernly avant-garde compositions in a house of worship???"  (Actually, isn't there a history of free-improv within the church organ community?).  However, even as a non-religious person I know one thing:  I'll be worshiping some Mary Halvorson!!!  There is a guitar god.  Seriously though, this'll more than likely be a good room for appreciating this complex yet beautiful music.

Secret Keeper - Stephan Crump and Mary Halvorson

Secret Keeper is Mary Halvorson, guitar and Stephan Crump, bass. Mary Halvorson has been described as "the most future-seeking guitarist working right now" (Lars Gotrich, NPR.org), "the most impressive guitarist of her generation" (Troy Collins, AllAboutJazz.com) and "my current favorite musician" (me!). Grammy-nominated bassist/composer Stephan Crump is known for his work with mainstream jazz luminaries, downtown explorers, singer/songwriters and more, and is a long-standing member of the esteemed Vijay Iyer Trio.

Together as Secret Keeper, Mary and Stephan create something akin to improvisatory chamber music. Stephan says, “Mary and I each have extremely varied influences within music and beyond…we’re not trying to bar any of these influences from the music we create together, nor are we concerned with genre in any way”.  Anyone who enjoys art, experimentation, and virtuosic musicianship should try to attend. 

A $10-20 suggested donation will help pay for these top level New York-based musicians.

Secret Keeper
Friday, November 6, 2015 at 7pm
Good Shepherd Episcopal Church
Forest Hill and 43rd Street
Richmond, VA 23225

The Richmond Folk Festival is a Different Kind of Music Festival

If folk music is the classic Greenwich Village image of a guy like Bob Dylan or a gal like Joan Baez singing and strumming an acoustic guitar, then I can’t really think of many Richmond Folk Festival performers over the festival’s 11 year history that meet this description.  Peter Rowan maybe.  No, when this festival says "folk" they mean something more like indigenous traditional world music.  It could be multi-generational bluegrass musicians from up in the mountains or music of the Middle East or Eastern Europe.  The kind of stuff a songcatching ethnomusicologist might bring back as field recordings after journeying to far off regions. 

So many festivals are about headliners and featuring hot new acts.  The Richmond Folk Festival is not another Lockn’ or Bonnaroo or even a Newport.  You won’t find Phil Lesh, My Morning Jacket, Dawes, Grace Potter or Dr. Dog on the bill.  Not yet anyway.  There's always hope!  The biggest name or mainstream performer that the Richmond Folk Festival has ever had, best as I can remember, might be Rosanne Cash, and yet the festival regularly draws between 150,000 to 200,000 curious people over its 3 days.

So why do so many people come to a downtown festival featuring a bunch of obscure artists playing weird traditional music that most of us have never even heard or heard of?  Because that’s a very Richmond thing to do, it turns out. Eleven years ago when the festival started, Richmond was just on the cusp of embracing the arts, food and other things enlightened, but a sense of ennui and procrastination still lingered.  It was a complete surprise that so many people showed up and embraced this event from the very first year and it has stayed that way ever since, although it is no longer a surprise.  It's an annual ritual now.  Yay Richmond!

Myself, like a lot of others it seems, have learned to treat the Richmond Folk Festival with a great deal of respect and gratitude; a mature approach that tries to put the music first, and maybe partying second.  Where else can you stumble upon a tent where thousands of people are silently watching an Indian tabla player with rapt attention?  Or have your choice between seeing Native American Smoke Dancers or DJ Grandmaster Flash?  The cool thing is you can find yourself in any of these situations with a cup of craft beer because it is sold throughout the fest and you can take it to any stage and all over the grounds. That helps.

It's not so easy to pigeon-hole the Richmond Folk Festival crowd.  It's not just progressive white folks.  The festival also attracts many African-Americans as well as people from all sorts of different backgrounds and ethnicities, as it should.  If you want diversity – gender, age, race, families, culture – The Richmond Folk Festival brings it. Being walking distance from the thriving campus of VCU, the festival also pulls in a strong college contingent.  

Yep, I’m pretty psyched that we continue to have this festival and that all kinds of people go and support it.  Where would I like to see it evolve?  If possible, I'd love to see it continue to expand the definition of folk music by featuring more artists on the cutting edge or fringes of "traditions" and/or people who are pushing things farther instead of just those who represent retrogrades.  For example, how come they never got Ornette Coleman before he passed away, or Jamaican guitarist Ernest Ranglin, or the Sahara Desert rock band Tinariwen, or Bela Fleck, or Kind Sunny Ade, or modern acts with folk roots like The Decemberists or Gillian Welch?  In other words, there is room for both Miles Davis and Wynton Marsalis, but more Miles please.  We shall see.

The 2015 Richmond Folk Festival Saturday Schedule

In previous years I’ve often gone to all 3 days of the Richmond Folk Festival – Friday, Saturday and Sunday. However, due to the way the 2015 lineup comes together, attendance could be condensed into one day this time around. The five bands I’m most interested in seeing all perform at non-overlapping times on Saturday, October 10.

First off, there’s Grupo Rebolú (1:15-2:00 Dominion Dance Pavilion) from New York who play Afro-Colombian music. Their highly danceable rhythms are rooted in the music of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. After their set, there's the “Masters of Rhythm” workshop also on Brown's Island (2:30-3:30 WestRock Foundation Stage), featuring members of many of the different world music groups performing at this year’s festival. I love these types of workshops where they talk to musicians from different regions and traditions and have them provide examples of their respective styles and then jam together.

Grupo Rebolú

I might cut out of this rhythm meetup a little early to walk just north of Brown’s Island for The Alt’s set (3:30-4:15 VCU Health Stage). The Alt is more artistically appealing than most Irish bands at this level.  They rely on songcraft more than showmanship, offering obscure, sometime eery ballads that will stick with you long after the playing is done.  Eamon O’Leary is one of my all around favorite musicians in any style, John Doyle is a living legend and stringed instrument master, and the lovely Nuala Kennedy is both charming and impressive on flute and vocals.

The Alt

After The Alt it’ll be time to head back over to Brown’s Island for more Latin/Caribbean music, this time presented by the New York based Amargue Bachata Quintet with Andre Veloz (4:30-5:15 Dominion Dance Pavilion). Bachata is a Latino music from the Dominican Republic. Andre Veloz is the band’s frontwoman, and from what I understand it is rare for there to be a female bachata singer. The bachata music ends by 5:15 which should leave ample time to get a good spot for The Alt’s 2nd set of the day (5:45-6:30 Westrock Foundation Stage). This stage, which is under a tent and seated, will be a good place to watch The Alt work their magic.

Andre Veloz

This day’s itinerary closes with two jazz ensembles: the Feedel Band (7:00-8:00 Dominion Dance Pavilion) and the Sun Ra Arkestra (8:30-9:30 Community Foundation Stage). Feedel Band plays Ethiopian Jazz out of Washington DC. I'm not sure what this will be but I'm eager to find out.  The Sun Ra Arkestra dates back to the 1950’s and is on the short-list of the most important jazz collectives of all time. Mr. Sun Ra himself returned to Saturn in 1993, but the Arkestra continues to explore the outer realms under the direction of alto-saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Marshall Allen.

Feedel Band

Sun Ra Arkestra

Another cool thing about this plan is that it is logistically easy to pull off. It doesn’t involve as much walking through the crowds as usual because of the multiple back-to-back performances all taking place on Brown’s Island on either the Dominion Dance Pavilion or the WestRock Foundation Stage. There are plenty of food and beer vendors in that vicinity. The only time it leaves the island is for The Alt on the nearby VCU Health Stage at 3:30 and then for Sun Ra Arkestra all the way over at Community Foundation Stage for the final set of the day. That too makes sense logistically.

2015 Richmond Folk Festival map showing the sets mentioned above

I will probably wake up on Sunday morning with the notion to head back down to the festival. Sunday's highlights include DJ Grandmaster Flash, a “Global Voices” workshop and Deacon John’s Jump Blues, along with bonus sets by some of the performers I will have seen on Saturday.  But, even without Friday or Sunday, Saturday is a strong enough day to be a stand alone.

The Murphy Beds and Corn Potato String Band on the same night

I wish the title of this post meant that these two bands were playing the same gig together.  It doesn't.  It means I have a dilemma coming up on Friday, April 3, 2015.

I've had the Corn Potato String Band's upcoming Ashland Coffee and Tea performance on the calendar for months. I'm a fan of Aaron Jonah Lewis from his days as the fiddler for Special Ed and the Shortbus and was totally planning on checking out this new project with Lindsay McCaw and former band mate Ben Belcher (Ben also happens to be one of my favorite musicians) when they come to town.  I mean I can literally step out the door and walk to the venue within five minutes and I love these guys.  It's just down the street!

The Corn Potato String Band

But then the other day I was glancing at the event page for the Blue Ridge Irish Music School and was psyched to see an announcement that The Murphy Beds (Jefferson Hamer and Eamon O'Leary) were coming to Charlottesville on April 3rd!  I've been hankering to see The Murphy Beds ever since I first heard their 2012 debut album, which is the only LP in recent years to bump someone else out and take up residence in my ALL TIME TOP TEN FAVORITE ALBUMS, close to number one.  I feel like I almost have to go see The Murphy Beds.  It's such a rare opportunity that I can't let it go by.

The Murphy Beds (photo by Ólafur Ólafsson)

It's very disappointing to have these fall on the same night. Ashland Coffee and Tea is a great local venue and they consistently have good live acts, even if I do not get there very often. The fact that they had Corn Potato coming made me think that I would definitely be going there again soon for something that I really would enjoy. But instead I'll be making the hour+ drive to Charlottesville to see the Murphy Beds.

The other bummer in this is that I was already kinda planning on driving to Charlottesville the day before for an Irish session (the same First-Thursday session that was canceled in March due to snow), but now I doubt that I'll want to make that drive two days in a row so I'll probably miss that session for another month.  The good news is The Murphy Beds are going to be awesome!

Sound Tribe Sector 9 This Thursday

Sound Tribe Sector 9 is playing at The National in Richmond, VA this Thursday and I feel like it might be time to go see them again. STS9, or Sector Nine (the name I first came to know them as) is a band that I saw well over 20 times between the years of 1999 to 2003. During those glory days they were always among my favorite bands to see live and I still have dozens of live shows on CD that I collected through kind trades during that span of time, although it’s been over 10 years since I’ve stepped into one of their shows.

STS9 back in the goodle days, circa 2000

I first saw Sector 9 on 5/22/99 at Wilmer’s Park in Brandywine, MD as part of the All Good Festival. They were the first band out that Saturday, and for an unknown band with a lunch time set they were really impressive. Other standout performances along the way include Tulagi’s in Boulder, CO (in the year 2000); the 2001 High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, CA; Starr Hill Music Hall in Charlottesville, VA on 4/1/02; and STS9’s own Harmonic Convergence event in August 2002 at Deerfields near Asheville, NC where it all seemed to come together.

STS9 then (12/5/02) music starts about about 2 minutes in

My cynical, skeptical, and atheistic self was not always aligned with STS9’s new age philosophies, with references to the Mayan calendar, heady crystals and frankincense.  It was quite easy to make light of these asides, although I will admit that it did at least add to the band’s mystique early on...and if it fueled their creativity then more power to it.

What I was really drawn to was the guitar playing of pigtailed Hunter Brown - organic and restrained, melodic yet minimalist, ego-free, anti-soloing.  He's not technical, and he doesn't shred - thank Jah - but the purity of his tone will get you every time.  In fact, when I first got a tenor banjo one of my intentions was to learn some of Hunter’s melodic lines on that 4-string instrument! (A goal that 8 years later I can finally begin to realize). 

Of course, my appreciation was also on STS9 as a whole.  Being instrumental and relatively unique, it wasn't easy to categorize them.  The best thing to do was to just dig the music.  The main observation being that they could consistently take what seemed like a very simple idea or piece and slowly build it up to something transcendent.

There were elements of 70's jazz fusion such as Mahavishnu Orchestra, mixed with 90's techno and an association with the jamband scene.  But if you put your ear to the ground there was also a perceivable connection to the most divine of roots reggae, the pureness of the chants of Mongolian monks, and the authenticity of Indian snake charmer music.  Without getting too colorful or grandiose, at times you could feel the winds of our human ancestors blowing through STS9's platform of indigenous musical zeitgeist.  Or maybe it was just the sage they were burning?

STS9 in 2014

I faded from the Sound Tribe scene just as they were relying more and more upon laptops, samples and other electronics to further their sound. My shying away was not a result of this change, but more in parallel to it, as I'm sure they had valid artistic reasons for pursuing this technology as a means of composition.  As fast as you can say "click, lang, echo" here it is 2014 and they now have a new bass player Alana Rocklin and from what I can tell, a renewed focus on the use of their “traditional” instrumentation (guitar, bass, piano, drums, percussion) in the making of music. 

STS9 now (9/6/14 Red Rocks)

The year is not 1999 and I’m not 25 years old anymore (and neither are they) but maybe it’s time to check back in with old favorites STS9 by harmonically converging upon one of their shows on this Fall 2014 tour as they swing through a nearby city!

Richmond Folk Festival Weekend Itinerary

The Richmond Folk Festival is October 10-12, 2014.

The Richmond Folk Festival is a three day event, but here's a potential Saturday/Sunday itinerary that takes in many of the performers.

Kayton Roberts

You could start Saturday with Kayton Roberts and Friends (country and western) at noon on the Community Foundation Stage. Kayton is heralded as a master of the classic steel guitar and was a member of Hank Snow’s Rainbow Ranch Boys. From there head over to the Dominion Dance Pavilion for the “Throwdown on Brown” breakdance competition at 1:15 pm. Sure to be a crowd favorite.

You won’t want to stay at the breakdancing competition for too long though, because The Hot Seats take to the Genworth Financial Family Stage at 1:30 pm. Trek on over to The Hot Seats, kids, and do some breakdancing of your own to their particular brand of old-timey music! Shortly after The Hot Seats finish you can keep the Appalachian vibe rolling with Furnace Mountain Band at 2:45 on the Union/UR Virginia Folklife Stage. But, in between The Hot Seats and Furnace Mountain you’d be well advised to sneak back on over to the Community Foundation Stage to catch a little bit of the West African Highlife Band, who play from 2:00-2:45.

Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati

Either way, you definitely will want to return to the Community Foundation Stage at 4pm for Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati. Yes, this is Mexican mariachi music and it looks like it’ll be good! After the mariachi band is done try and squeeze in the Global Rhythms workshop from 5-6 pm at the MWV Stage.  Beware though, from 5:30-6:15 pm The Bailey Hummingbirds – a shout band – play on the Union/UR Virginia Folklife Stage. Shout Bands are all-brass, gospel-based groups from House of Prayer churches. The 20+ member Bailey Hummingbirds are based in Porsmouth, VA and feature trombones, a baritone horn, a sousaphone and percussion.

From this point on close out Saturday evening at the Altria Stage. Make sure you are there by 6:15pm to witness the Mayan Sundance – a five person acrobatic “dance” on an eighty foot pole with an ancient history and deep religious significance. Then, at 6:45 pm Lafayette Gilchrist and the New Volcanoes, featuring beatboxer Shodekeh, will perform funky go-go/jazz straight outta Baltimore. They will be immediately followed on the Altria stage by Quebecois group Le Vent du Nord at 7:30 pm, who play high-spirted French-Canadian music. That’s your Saturday.

Le Vent du Nord

Why not begin Sunday with some gospel music from Maggie Ingram and the Ingranettes at noon on the Community Foundation Stage? At 1pm the traditional country group Wild Ponies will be getting their honky-tonk on at the Union/UR Virginia Folklife Stage. At 2pm Pontic Greek musicians Kostas Fetfatsidis and Evan Karapanagiotides perform on the Richmond Times Dispatch/Richmond.com stage. Pontic Greek music is supposed to have a haunting and mysterious Near Eastern feel.

A must-see is the 3pm “From Africa to Appalachia” set at the Union/UR Virginia Folklife Stage featuring Danny Knicely, Sammy Shelor and Cheick Hamala Diabate. Any time these guys get together magic happens. Another good thing about seeing the Africa to Appalachia set is you’ll be well positioned to witness the winners of the breakdance competition, giving a special performance at that same Folklife stage starting at 4pm.

Joaquin Diaz

Then, if you like, head to the Altria stage to close out another day with Le Vent du Nord, who play from 5:00-5:45pm. Or, better yet, find some time to check out accordion master Joaquin Diaz and his meringue music - the vibrant dance music of the Dominican Republic. Joaquin plays 5-6pm at the Dominion Dance Pavilion. That’s it folks!

The Hot Seats at Bluemont Ashland, this Sunday August 17 at 7PM

The Richmond, VA based string band The Hot Seats is fresh off their annual tour of Scotland which no doubt saw them go from slightly rusty to tightly knit in a matter of days.  With some members living out of state and, you know, real life and jobs and stuff, local full-band shows are a rare occurrence, but with a slew of recent, well-received gigs under their belts, and a newly released album, now is a good time to be seeing these guys.

The Hot Seats are playing as part of the Bluemont Ashland Sunday evening concert series, which takes place outside on the steps of Randolph-Macon's Blackwell Auditorium during the month of August (bring a chair).  The Bluemont page describes the band as "old time string band and comedy".  This is actually quite accurate as The Hot Seats have found a way to make old time music more palatable for general audiences by adding humor and drive without taking away any of its more feral qualities.

The Hot Seats busking on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Scotland, July 2014.

The band's new album - Grandad's Favorite - contains the eclectic mix of fiddle tunes, obscure traditional country folk songs, and cynical/satirical originals that we've come to expect from this quintet.  Take a listen to it below.



The concert is this Sunday, August 17, 2014 at 7pm, Randolph-Macon College Blackwell Auditorium, 204 Henry Street, Ashland, VA 23005.  Tickets are a $5 suggested donation at the entrance.  If it's anything like last week's excellent performance by the Brazilian Bluegrass Funk band Matuto, then you can expect it to be a two set show, starting at 7pm sharp and ending before 10pm so you can still get home in time to get that beauty rest!

Guitar Legend Bill Frisell will be at the Richmond Jazz Festival on Sunday August 10, 2014!

Bill Frisell

I'm getting psyched about seeing one of my all-time favorite musicians, Bill Frisell, at the Richmond Jazz Festival at Maymont this weekend!  Bill will be performing with his Beautiful Dreamers trio (Eyvind Kang - viola and Rudy Royston - drums) on the MWV stage at 4:30pm on Sunday 8/10.  Click here for the full Jazz Festival lineup and set times.

Guitarist Bill Frisell's sound has been described by Jazz Times as "instantly identifiable".  Jazz Times goes on to say that his "tone is overwhelmed with reverb and delay, and he's developed the tic of bending the neck after striking a note or chord, in an effort to move those pitches into an unattainable perfect tuning.  Complementing those serene, liquid tone colors is his physical attack, wherein economy is paramount and looping devices are constantly tweaked for purposes of orchestration and atmosphere rather than theatrics."

This one-off performance in Richmond precedes a 5-day stint next week at the Kilkenny Arts Festival in Kilkenny Ireland, where it looks like Bill will sit-in with a wide variety of artists and projects, including a performance of Terry Riley's In C and a set with Irish traditional musicians Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill!  I would love to hear both of those.

Beautiful Dreamers trio

I've only seen Bill once before back in 2008 during his Disfarmer tour, so needless to say I've been geeking out in anticipation by reading interviews and watching videos.  Speaking of interviews, here's a really good interview with Bill Frisell done by his friend, banjoist Danny Barnes, and here's one where Bill interviews one of his own guitar heroes, Jim Hall.

Frisell seems to thrive in unusual, improvisational settings with all sorts of different musicians.  I'm particularly fond of the music made during this February 29th, 2004 performance at the Barbican Theater in London, where he played with Malian musician Djelimady Tounkara.  Here are some videos from that concert:

Bill Frisell seems to be a little outside the smooth jazz and funk that the Richmond Jazz Festival normally features, but then again Bill's going to be a little "outside" of any lineup he is part of.  Perhaps his presence will bring some increased awareness to an already successful and vibrant jazz festival.

The Murphy Beds to perform live web concert, Wed. April 2, 8pm EST

The Murphy Beds - photo by Jesse Daniel Smith

Tomorrow at 8:00 PM EST (Wednesday, April 2) the Murphy Beds (Eamon O'Leary and Jefferson Hamer) will be playing a live web concert, streaming courtesy of Concert Window. Here's a link:

http://www.concertwindow.com/shows/4661-the-murphy-beds-songs-from-the-couch

This is the second installment in Concert Window's Songs from the Couch series, which is a new curated series of web shows, hosted and performed before a live studio audience. Log in now to reserve a seat. This is an interactive event, with chat, requests, virtual heckling, virtual tips – virtually anything!

The Murphy Beds perform traditional and original folk songs with close harmonies and deft instrumental arrangements on bouzouki, guitar, and mandolin.  Their self-titled 2012 debut was Six Water Grog's best of album from that year and now resides near the top of my all-time favorites.  This will be worth checking out if you are able to.

Foghorn Stringband Returns to Ashland Coffee and Tea

Foghorn Stringband: Caleb Klauder, Sammy Lind, Nadine Landry, Reeb Willms.
Photo by Mike Melnyk.

Almost one year after their March 2013 debut performance, the esteemed Portland Oregon old-time band Foghorn Stringband is back at Ashland Coffee and Tea this Wednesday, March 19 at 8pm.

I was very impressed with Foghorn Stringband after seeing them for the first time last year.  The four-piece group is able to present vintage, old-timey stringband music on stage in a manner that enhances rather than sacrifices the authenticity of this tradition.  In addition to old-time fiddle tunes, they also find room in their sets for some Cajun and traditional country. 

Foghorn Stringband began in 2000, although over the last couple years the lineup has solidified around Sammy Lind (fiddle), Caleb Klauder (mandolin), Nadine Landry (bass) and Reeb Willms (guitar).  Sammy and Caleb are legends among the old-time community and Nadine and Reeb have strengthened the performance element of the band with great singing and a feminine touch.

Foghorn Stringband post show jam - March 2013.
Photo by Evan Davies

There’s a saying that goes “Old-Time Music:  Better Than It Sounds”.  That may be true for us amateurs who attempt to play this music as a hobby, but it does not apply to Foghorn Stringband who, as a live band, are able to meet and exceed the expectations of audiences everywhere they go.

Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.  For the band's full schedule, click here.

Summer Music Festival Preview – Red Wing Roots

Spring is almost here, so it’s time to start thinking about summer music festivals.  One festival that looks very promising is the Red Wing Roots Festival July 11, 12 and 13 in Mt. Solon, VA, which is located in the Shenandoah Valley sort of between Harrisonburg and Staunton – a beautiful part of Virginia.  The lineup is pretty stellar and tickets are on sale now.

The Steel Wheels

Now in its 2^nd year, Red Wing Roots Festival was started in 2013 by The Steel Wheels, one of the rising stars of the Americana/Roots Music circuit.  The idea was to create a positive, inclusive, family-friendly environment to celebrate roots music, camping and outdoor activities such as biking, swimming, and hiking.  Natural Chimneys Park and Campground was chosen as the location for the festival.

Some of the artists I’m particularly excited about include Tim O’Brien, Pokey LaFarge, Peter Rowan, Furnace Mountain Band, The Steel Wheels, Mandolin Orange, The Stray Birds, The Devil Makes Three and Yarn.  The full lineup can be seen here. 

Our regional area is chock full of great annual campout festivals, including Shakori Hills, Floyd Fest, Watermelon Park, The Festy and more, but Red Wing Roots looks like a great one to add to that list!

Aw Feck: Kevin Burke, John Carty and Dervish coming to Central Virginia

Later this month some great Celtic performers are coming to Central Virginia.  First off, there’s Kevin Burke and John Carty on Thursday, February 20 at In Your Ear Music and Recording, 1813 East Broad Street (19th and E. Broad), Richmond, VA.  Part of the JAMinc concert series, where performers volunteer their time by doing in-school performances the day of the show (closed to the public).  

Kevin Burke and John Carty

Kevin Burke is a well known fiddler, having worked with Christy Moore, Tim O’Brien and many more over the last 30 plus years.  However, I’m actually more familiar with John Carty and I hope that he will not only be playing fiddle but will also feature some Irish tenor banjo and/or tenor guitar at this performance.  I have a couple of John’s CDs and find him to be a brilliant, creative musician.  Jam Inc. concerts are always intimate, house-concert style performances - a great place to see live music.  For more info call 804 320-7067 and ask for Wally.  (Note:  Burke and Carty will also be a C-ville Coffee on Wed. 2/19).

Dervish

On the very next night, Friday, February 21, Irish trad super-group Dervish brings “the session to the stage” at Charlottesville’s Paramount Theater.  Led by the charismatic, bohemian-like singer Cathy Jordan, Dervish lives up to its name by being one of the few mainstream Irish acts that retains the feeling of authenticity, as if they would be just as happy playing in the corner of roadside tavern as they are in a majestic theater.  Nonetheless, this will be a big show filled with high-energy tunes and tight arrangements.  Joining them for this performance is sean-nós dancer Brian Cunningham.  Tickets here.

UkeFest Virginia - This Weekend! (Nov. 1 and 2, 2013)

This weekend is the 2^nd annual UkeFest Virginia - a festival in Richmond, VA celebrating the ukulele.  It takes place November 1^st and 2^nd at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen.

There are some interesting looking workshops on the schedule, such as “Early Jazz/Ragtime for Uke”, being taught by members of the Bumper Jacksons, and “Kentucky Old Time Style Uke” – also by the Bumper Jacksons, as well as “Advanced Chords for Uke” and “Arranging Music for the Uke”, both of which are being taught by Josh Kekoa.  Workshop tickets are only $15 each.

There will also be concerts throughout the weekend featuring the aforementioned Bumper Jacksons and Josh Kekoa.  The Aloha Boys, Jim and Liz Beloff, Ken Middleton, and local duo Sweet Fern will also perform.  In addition, UkeFest participants will have plenty of opportunities to jam!  What a great way to gain musical knowledge and inspiration, and meet other ukulele aficionados.

The 2013 Richmond Folk Festival - A Saturday Itinerary

The Richmond Folk Festival is a huge annual, free event for the City of Richmond, with around 200,000 people attending each year, requiring lots of walking and navigating through thick crowds of people, but where else can you hear the variety of music that this festival assembles? 

Alash Tuvan Throat Singers

This year there’s music from West Africa, throat singing from Siberia/Mongolia, Afro-Caribbean Garifuna music of Honduras, French-Canadian Québécois, Peruvian dance music, Cajun, Vietnamese and Newfoundland traditional music, Texas Swing, Portuguese Fado, Jamaican Reggae, Latin Jazz, a New Orleans brass band, Chicago blues, Gospel and much, much more.  Not to mention the numerous performers demonstrating our own Appalachian bluegrass and oldtime music.

The Dardanelles

The festival takes place over three days – Friday, Saturday and Sunday; October 11, 12 and 13 – but the proposed itinerary below focuses only on the Saturday schedule.  If you’re just going to go one day, Saturday is probably your best bet, if you can handle the massive throngs of folkies.  Note to those who don't like walking long distances quickly:  this itinerary focuses on performers first and logistics second, preferring to skip from stage to stage as needed rather than staying put in one place to watch whomever might be at that stage.

One could start Saturday at the biggest stage of them all – the Altria stage – for The Dardanelles, a trad ensemble from St. John’s, Newfoundland performing at noon.  When I visited Newfoundland in 2011, I noticed similarities to Irish traditional music, so it’ll be nice to see a group like this perform in a festival setting before a large crowd. 

Stooges Brass Band

Immediately following The Dardenelles, it might be worth sticking around the Altria stage for the following act, Abdoulaye Diabate and Super Mande at 1pm, who will present West African Griot music on kora, balafon, percussion and flute.  Although, first it may be tempting to head over to the MWV stage at 12:45pm for the Tuvan throat singing group called Alash. 

At 2pm there’s an accordion workshop at the Union First Market Bank/University of Richmond stage that looks compelling, but there's also the Stooges Brass Band at 2pm on the Community Foundation Stage.  At 3pm there will be a chance to hear the Knicely Family Band at the Virginia Folklife stage.  I’m a long-time fan of Danny Knicely through his work with Magraw Gap, James Leva and more, but I’ve never seen him with his family band. 

Yves Lambert Trio

The most interesting group performing at 4pm might be the Québécois act Yves Lambert Trio at the Union First Market Bank/University of Richmond stage. Québécois is a style of accordion and fiddle music from Montreal, Quebec, Canada that combines French and Celtic influences.  At 5pm it'll be hard to decide between Cheick Hamala Diabate on the Virginia Folklife stage or The Prusinowski Trio (Polish mazurkas and polkas) at the Community Foundation Stage.  I may choose Cheick Hamala Diabate because he has performed with Bela Fleck and plays both the n’goni (a stringed West African instrument that predates the banjo) and the American 5-string banjo.

Cheick Hamala Diabate (banjo)

Reggae legend Don Carlos plays from 5:30 to 6:30 in the Dance Pavilion, so due to the overlapping times you may have to join his set in progress.  After Don Carlos it might be best to catch your breath by staying put at the Dance Pavilion for the Latin Jazz group the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, who performs at 7pm.

Don Carlos

Finally, you can close out the Saturday schedule by seeing Aurelio Martinez at 8pm at the Community Foundation stage.  Considering my recent interest in Caribbean music, I’m hoping to learn more about Garifuna – a music from the Caribbean coasts of Belize and Honduras that Aurelio Martinez plays a modernized version of. 

Aurelio Martinez

That is just one itinerary for one day.  Several great performers, who will also be playing this same day, have been omitted.  Anyone could go and see an entirely different assortment of acts and still have a great time.  It may be worth coming back on Sunday to catch some of the ones you missed.  For a complete Richmond Folk Festival listing and schedule see here and here.

Hammer No More the Fingers Returns to the Annual Daniel

Hammer No More the Fingers - photo by Allison Springer

It's Hammer time!  Hammer No More the Fingers returns to the Annual Daniel this Saturday, August 24 - site of some of their most inspired performances and receptive audiences.  This time it might be a little different, because lately it seems like the Hammer thing has been put on the backburner while the band members pursue solo musical endeavors.

HMNtF bassist Duncan Webster has been turning his attention to acoustic guitar in a stripped down, plaintive duo with cellist Leah Gibson called Prypyat.  Guitarist Joe Hall has just released an excellent album Blanko Basnet and has been playing shows under that name with a band consisting of Brad Cook (Megafaun), Matt Peterson (Canine Heart Sounds) and Hammer bandmate Jeff Stickley on drums.  Meanwhile, Jeff Stickley has returned to his first love - Americana music - by flatpicking guitar in an all star pick-up bluegrass band called Mason's Apron.

Exploring these other styles of music and formats has got to be a healthy diversion for these guys, allowing them to bring in new skills and understanding when they re-convene as Hammer No More the Fingers. I'm looking forward to seeing how this expanded know-how might be fulfilled when Hammer plays this Saturday on familiar turf.

However, one thing that's so great about the Annual Daniel is the line between performer and spectator, between entertainer and the entertained, is so blurred that there's no pressure to "perform" in the traditional sense.  It's this freedom that allows artists to flourish in that environment.  Tara Mills and Yankee Dixie and Supatight are also scheduled to be at the A.D.

Hammer No More the Fingers - "Vodka Grasshopper" and "The Visitor" - Shakori Hills 10/9/11

  

The Annual Daniel is this weekend!

The Annual Daniel

Some friends of mine have a nice little spot in Draper,VA along where the New River turns into Claytor Lake, and each year they host a party/unofficial music festival called The Annual Daniel.  This year’s celebration has been pushed back to late August due to all the rain and flooding they’ve been having.

Three bands will play on Saturday, August 24, 2013.  One hundred percent of your cash donation of $10, $20 or more will go toward these artists:

Tara Mills and Yankee Dixie - blending folk, bluegrass and Americana.

Supatight - funk with elements of reggae, soul, jazz, and comedic country.

Hammer No More the Fingers - an insanely good, unique rock trio with a dynamic live show.  HNMTF has played the A.D. multiple times.

Hammer No More the Fingers

The Annual Daniel is like a house concert gone wild!  Friends, family and friends-to-be bring food and drink to share, set up camp on the property, and hang out for a night or two.  The more the merrier, however if you plan on attending please carpool since parking space is limited.  1751 Shulls Lane (AKA River Rat Drive), Draper, VA 24324.  Good luck finding your way there!

New album "Something In the Water" by Richmond, VA band Scattered Smothered and Covered now available

Scattered Smothered and Covered is the kind of band you want to be in.  Chris Hale – mandolin and vocals, Brett Edwards – acoustic lead guitar, Kendall Harlan – acoustic rhythm guitar, harmonica and vocals, and Ryan Davis – upright bass and vocals.  Four long-time friends with like-minded, good musical tastes, who get together on occasion to play their well-written originals and favorite cover songs at cool local venues like The Camel, Center of the Universe Brewing Company, James River Cellars Winery and O’Bank’s Cafe and Grill. 

Scattered, Smothered and Covered 

The first time I saw Scattered Smothered and Covered play it was like my iPod was on shuffle:  Grateful Dead, Old and in the Way and Bob Marley songs, traditional tunes such as Red Haired Boy and Drowsy Maggie, maybe even a Django jazz number, with originals mixed in so well to the repertoire that at first – before I knew that they also did their own material – I mistook these songs for covers that I wasn’t familiar with.  On stage, Scattered Smothered and Covered conjures up something akin to a small-scale Grateful Dead vibe; a trait that I find to be uniquely appealing about this band.

I recently received a copy of Scattered’s new album Something In the Water, which contains 10 feel-good songs – 7 band originals and 3 covers including Let Me Fall, Dire Wolf and Rivers of Babylon (East Virginia is based on the traditional song).  Like their previous 2 albums, Something In the Water is a good representation of their songwriting skills and instrumental abilities.  For a band that probably plays at least 2 covers to every 1 original in their live shows, the self-penned songs here are really quite strong (as always), both lyrically and melodically. 

Influences of bluegrass, old-time, trad jazz and the Caribbean add flavor to their songs, and SSC is able to cultivate quite a diverse sound using basically the same mix of acoustic instruments on each track.  I could list standout numbers, but I’d soon be naming all the cuts.  It’s really just an easy to listen to album that is the perfect music to accompany a trip to the beach, the mountains, the river, or wherever the road might take you.  Ideally, I’d rather be seeing these guys perform these songs live, but listening to them on CD is a pleasant compromise.

Scattered Smothered and Covered will be playing on Friday, August 23^rd 6:30-9:30PM at James River Cellars, where you can see them in-person and pick up a copy of the new CD while you’re at it!