A few years back I found a series of very inexpensive Cds that showcased a wide variety of world music bands form Scandinavia and parts of the UK. I fell in love with one group n particular, the name as the title of this blog. Just bought one of their CDs and am now convinced I will go see them however I can during their lengthy US tour this year.
How to describe them....Some folk, some pop, some new age, some old age.....As a pagan I can relate. The Gods are still here, and praises are sung to the skies by this band. Go find out for yourself:
www.gjallarhorn.com
Don't be surprised if you can't understand anything. They are Finnish, and sing in Swedish. But it doesn't matter. They get the point across. How many of you really understood the Latin you heard in church? yet you knew what they meant. This is a new kind of church for many of you. Welcome.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Catch Up
So many apologies to all the talented artists who have crossed the Red Room's threshold. My world has been dizzyingly busy lately. It's astounding I have found time to sleep, eat, feed the cats, and get the trash to the curb. I took last Saturday evening off (sorry Eric- I was torn about missing your gig, but, well, ....I have preferences.) and went up to Gruene Hall. That's pronouced "green" in this state, even though it should by all rights be "grew-n". I have German relatives up north. They have corrected me.
Gruene is as close to a late 1800's village/town as you are likely to find in south Texas. They have tried to stay small and quiet and old-fashioned, but the locality of the Guadalupe river and inevitable tourism have taken their toll. It's still fairly quaint, but Fredericksburg is probably closer to what many folks are looking for. The centerpiece of the town is Gruene Hall, a classic tin-roofed honky tonk if there ever was one. Almost every name that has ever been in country and blues, and quite a few that ain't no more, have played this place. Despite it's somewhat out-of-the-way placement, Gruene Hall often sells out. And this despite the total lack of AC, and a minimal amount of seating indoors. Outside under the trees, you might get a breeze, and you can play horse shoes if you feel like.
I must say the sound system that was in the hall the other night did impress me. I don't know that it was an in-house board, but it was certainly professional. Too bad the room is something of an echo chamber! Wide open spaces with a metal roof.... I feel better about the Red Room's potential shortcomings! I get pretty good sound there much of the time.
Anyhow, I had gone up to Gruene to see Mando Saenz play. He's living out of state these days, so the chances are rare, and I must heed the call. He was opening with his band for a group you have to be old to remember: the Pure Prairie League. I would guess that 90% of those coming to hear these guys were there for their one big hit back in the 70's called Amie. Just goes to show that the bug can bite deep, and the stage can then be really hard to give up. They sounded good as far as I could tell, but I was there for Mando. I love that voice, and cannot wait to hear his next CD. What I've heard from him in concert leads me to believe it will be a tremendous album. 'Course, I may be justa tad biased.
I spent a fair amount of time trying to make notes about others who had played the RR while waiting out the sweltering heat till Mando's set. I fear that my lack of time may make me forget some details, but I have got to give this a try. I feel badly for some of these folks. They deserve some kudos too!
******************************************************************
Lesse....where to start. Let's backup to Emile Millar. He's another one of those songwriters that just pulls you into his world- deep rich voice and words to match. Recently heard that the macho male is back in- stead of the metresexual thingee of the last 10 years or so. Coulda fooled me with all these fellas out here putting their hearts into their songs, but isn't that the way of the artist? Ever the measure by which we gauge both heart and soul. Emile's soulful tunes definitely do just that.
He brought a friend with him, Lawrence Glass of Western Electric- another one to definitely catch in concert one of these days. I hope to hear his band before the year's out.
The really tasty treat of the night for me was when Emile was going to do his second set. A friend of the RR brought a friend of his by- a didge player- and he sat in with Emile for a tune. I love the sound of the didgeradoo; it calls to me as few other instruments do. This fellow was a master player. Emile had to do some odd tuning to play with the guy, but their bit together was magical. I wish more could have been there to hear this unique baptism of the room. Only trouble was that Emile had to retune to do his last couple of songs, but it was a delightful evening all the way round.
We were going to be having a ladies' weekend the next time round, or so I thought. To my own chagrin, I found out that Melody Mann is the name of a band...not just the lead singer. Her name's Kelly, and her husband is Tom, and the band name is from their name Mann. What a tremendous sound they have too. Tom is a multi-instrumentalist with more than a little bit of crazy artist in his. Kelly has a neat voice for the songs they write. The bass player, Scott Beardsley and I hit it off talking about basses; he was playing for this gig an fully acoustic hollow body bass, which one just does not see many of out there anymore. What a lovely sound.
Guitarist Bill Crock rounded out this quartet version of this band with some really fine licks. Very subtle player, something I can appreciate. They are well worth catching at a gig. I hear bigger things in their future.
I am not one for female voices (sorry ladies...) It has to do with pitch, and isn't completely confined to women. There are certain male singers, to remain unnamed here for discression's sake, that I would slap if they stood to close to me and started singing! I mean, get a voice change!) I have very sensitive hearing- a family trait- and certain tones just cut right through me. Luckily, this trait didn't interfere with enjoying Wendy Colonna the evening before MM came in. She has a throaty voice and writes tunes of frustration that most women can relate too- a real gem, and a hippie of sorts, like yours truly. I may have played other parts in this lifetime, but I came from the Sixties- I admit it. (;p) All in all, guys, I think you were shown up this particular weekend! Better work a lil harder!
short break- I have stuff to do, but definitely more to write. and pictures to put up. And dishes, and laundry.....oh good lord.
Thank heavens for holiday weekends!
Gruene is as close to a late 1800's village/town as you are likely to find in south Texas. They have tried to stay small and quiet and old-fashioned, but the locality of the Guadalupe river and inevitable tourism have taken their toll. It's still fairly quaint, but Fredericksburg is probably closer to what many folks are looking for. The centerpiece of the town is Gruene Hall, a classic tin-roofed honky tonk if there ever was one. Almost every name that has ever been in country and blues, and quite a few that ain't no more, have played this place. Despite it's somewhat out-of-the-way placement, Gruene Hall often sells out. And this despite the total lack of AC, and a minimal amount of seating indoors. Outside under the trees, you might get a breeze, and you can play horse shoes if you feel like.
I must say the sound system that was in the hall the other night did impress me. I don't know that it was an in-house board, but it was certainly professional. Too bad the room is something of an echo chamber! Wide open spaces with a metal roof.... I feel better about the Red Room's potential shortcomings! I get pretty good sound there much of the time.
Anyhow, I had gone up to Gruene to see Mando Saenz play. He's living out of state these days, so the chances are rare, and I must heed the call. He was opening with his band for a group you have to be old to remember: the Pure Prairie League. I would guess that 90% of those coming to hear these guys were there for their one big hit back in the 70's called Amie. Just goes to show that the bug can bite deep, and the stage can then be really hard to give up. They sounded good as far as I could tell, but I was there for Mando. I love that voice, and cannot wait to hear his next CD. What I've heard from him in concert leads me to believe it will be a tremendous album. 'Course, I may be justa tad biased.
I spent a fair amount of time trying to make notes about others who had played the RR while waiting out the sweltering heat till Mando's set. I fear that my lack of time may make me forget some details, but I have got to give this a try. I feel badly for some of these folks. They deserve some kudos too!
******************************************************************
Lesse....where to start. Let's backup to Emile Millar. He's another one of those songwriters that just pulls you into his world- deep rich voice and words to match. Recently heard that the macho male is back in- stead of the metresexual thingee of the last 10 years or so. Coulda fooled me with all these fellas out here putting their hearts into their songs, but isn't that the way of the artist? Ever the measure by which we gauge both heart and soul. Emile's soulful tunes definitely do just that.
He brought a friend with him, Lawrence Glass of Western Electric- another one to definitely catch in concert one of these days. I hope to hear his band before the year's out.
The really tasty treat of the night for me was when Emile was going to do his second set. A friend of the RR brought a friend of his by- a didge player- and he sat in with Emile for a tune. I love the sound of the didgeradoo; it calls to me as few other instruments do. This fellow was a master player. Emile had to do some odd tuning to play with the guy, but their bit together was magical. I wish more could have been there to hear this unique baptism of the room. Only trouble was that Emile had to retune to do his last couple of songs, but it was a delightful evening all the way round.
We were going to be having a ladies' weekend the next time round, or so I thought. To my own chagrin, I found out that Melody Mann is the name of a band...not just the lead singer. Her name's Kelly, and her husband is Tom, and the band name is from their name Mann. What a tremendous sound they have too. Tom is a multi-instrumentalist with more than a little bit of crazy artist in his. Kelly has a neat voice for the songs they write. The bass player, Scott Beardsley and I hit it off talking about basses; he was playing for this gig an fully acoustic hollow body bass, which one just does not see many of out there anymore. What a lovely sound.
Guitarist Bill Crock rounded out this quartet version of this band with some really fine licks. Very subtle player, something I can appreciate. They are well worth catching at a gig. I hear bigger things in their future.
I am not one for female voices (sorry ladies...) It has to do with pitch, and isn't completely confined to women. There are certain male singers, to remain unnamed here for discression's sake, that I would slap if they stood to close to me and started singing! I mean, get a voice change!) I have very sensitive hearing- a family trait- and certain tones just cut right through me. Luckily, this trait didn't interfere with enjoying Wendy Colonna the evening before MM came in. She has a throaty voice and writes tunes of frustration that most women can relate too- a real gem, and a hippie of sorts, like yours truly. I may have played other parts in this lifetime, but I came from the Sixties- I admit it. (;p) All in all, guys, I think you were shown up this particular weekend! Better work a lil harder!
short break- I have stuff to do, but definitely more to write. and pictures to put up. And dishes, and laundry.....oh good lord.
Thank heavens for holiday weekends!
Saturday, June 24, 2006
howdy
I am a rocker by nature I guess, with more than a smiggen of jazzer thrown in (obviously,) but I don't believe I have ever been able to say I was one for country. The irony is that the first two bands I ever saw in this city were Asleep at The Wheel , and Johnny Dee and the Rocket 88's. Both are pure bred Texas, and yet I have never laid claim to being moved by them. I was brought to this state rather against my will, and despite the years here, do not think of myself as Texan. I am a gypsy, born to ever wander. I doubt I will be where I am now when I die. I also have no idea where I WILL be....but life's more interesting that way.
Texans are not known for a dirth of words...well most of them anyway. Some don't know when the hell to shut up, but we will leave that to a different blog. Most folks here, perhaps due to the usually pervading heat, settle for a few choice sentences, or even just words. It has been a startling thing to me to find so many Texans, the ones born here, not just naturalized, who have some real story telling ability. Last night I found yet another, yes, a musician. Wayne Sutton is no new comer to this state or the music scene, but because of other distractions, I hadn't heard him yet. He came to the Red Room last evening, and I am just pleased beyond words to know his music now. And he and his wife, and dad, were also just neat people. The one thing I can say about Texas is that the majourity of folks anyone will meet here are of a gentler, though not always genteel, nature. You can expect a helping hand from Texans. It is just the way they are.
Anyway, I would compare Wayne's vocal style to something between the raw country singer and Tom Waits. There's a modicum of Bob dylan in there, but I think that has much to do with the words as the delivery. His guitar playing shows me he is definitely got rock-n-roll in his blood, and I would love to hear him on electric.
I started writing about him while he was playing, and I think for the sake of saving my truest writing, that which rolls out when I least expect it, I will put that paragraph here:
The Red Room has been host to a number of singer/songwriters. Wayne Sutton is the latest. The Tom Waits/Bob Dylanish voice combined with the picture painting lyrics makes most of us stop, listen, think. We've all been there- we've all loved and lost, or failed to try. We've watched the world tumble by and wondered if we were truly part of the scheme, or an outsider. Wayne is also a talented guitarist,capable of serious chops and subtle accents. I can imagine finding him playing in the back corner of some tiny bar tucked in the seedier side of a city, the normally rowdy audience enraptured by his truthful and moving tunes.
Okay, I was feeling a bit poetic there. Can't help it.
*******************************************************************
Hmm...never a good thing too take too long off a piece of writing....gets to easy to lose the thread. Spent much of Saturday evening writing down other stuf about people who played the RR before Wayne, so I start a new entry, using those notes.
And no matter who else I write about, I really am still in love with Mando Saenz.....that damn voice just does it. (the long eyelashes don't hurt any either....;p) He was distracting enough I didn't get as much done as I should have, but....well, read the next one, you'll know where I am coming from.
Texans are not known for a dirth of words...well most of them anyway. Some don't know when the hell to shut up, but we will leave that to a different blog. Most folks here, perhaps due to the usually pervading heat, settle for a few choice sentences, or even just words. It has been a startling thing to me to find so many Texans, the ones born here, not just naturalized, who have some real story telling ability. Last night I found yet another, yes, a musician. Wayne Sutton is no new comer to this state or the music scene, but because of other distractions, I hadn't heard him yet. He came to the Red Room last evening, and I am just pleased beyond words to know his music now. And he and his wife, and dad, were also just neat people. The one thing I can say about Texas is that the majourity of folks anyone will meet here are of a gentler, though not always genteel, nature. You can expect a helping hand from Texans. It is just the way they are.
Anyway, I would compare Wayne's vocal style to something between the raw country singer and Tom Waits. There's a modicum of Bob dylan in there, but I think that has much to do with the words as the delivery. His guitar playing shows me he is definitely got rock-n-roll in his blood, and I would love to hear him on electric.
I started writing about him while he was playing, and I think for the sake of saving my truest writing, that which rolls out when I least expect it, I will put that paragraph here:
The Red Room has been host to a number of singer/songwriters. Wayne Sutton is the latest. The Tom Waits/Bob Dylanish voice combined with the picture painting lyrics makes most of us stop, listen, think. We've all been there- we've all loved and lost, or failed to try. We've watched the world tumble by and wondered if we were truly part of the scheme, or an outsider. Wayne is also a talented guitarist,capable of serious chops and subtle accents. I can imagine finding him playing in the back corner of some tiny bar tucked in the seedier side of a city, the normally rowdy audience enraptured by his truthful and moving tunes.
Okay, I was feeling a bit poetic there. Can't help it.
*******************************************************************
Hmm...never a good thing too take too long off a piece of writing....gets to easy to lose the thread. Spent much of Saturday evening writing down other stuf about people who played the RR before Wayne, so I start a new entry, using those notes.
And no matter who else I write about, I really am still in love with Mando Saenz.....that damn voice just does it. (the long eyelashes don't hurt any either....;p) He was distracting enough I didn't get as much done as I should have, but....well, read the next one, you'll know where I am coming from.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Double Timing
(she sits at the PC and screams in tones unheard by most in her life. The ##@%%$!#@%&
machine just dumped over two pages of writing she had done on WORD!! Egads, the aggravation! She is of the school wherein writing should be a spontaneous thing initially, but will do her best to recapture the last thirty minutes of writing...'cos it was really kinda funny....damn.)
and no, that title has no relation to the term two-timing!
I have spent much of this weekend trying to do more than most folks would do in a month. There has just been so much music going on. I have been in attendance at the Red room , then packed it up and flown over to some other venue to catch another set. Luckily, it has worked out this weekend! There have been a few where I screwed up and missed everything due to trying to travel too much. And I am way behind on writing about so many of our lovely acts that have been through in the last couple of weeks. And my refridgerator decided to die on me(trip to Sears to buy a new one....) and now my house's AC unit is screaming like a belt is loose (they don't have belts...), then there's the 40 -hour workweek.....Is it any wonder that most people who come to the RR see me with an energy drink in my hand instead of a beer?
ANYway, I have yet another gig in a couple of hours, and a couple hours worth of things to do before then. I will add more to this in a few hours. I wish all of you could be at the room for tonight's gig: Joe Reyes and Hilary York. I think this will be quite special.
machine just dumped over two pages of writing she had done on WORD!! Egads, the aggravation! She is of the school wherein writing should be a spontaneous thing initially, but will do her best to recapture the last thirty minutes of writing...'cos it was really kinda funny....damn.)
and no, that title has no relation to the term two-timing!
I have spent much of this weekend trying to do more than most folks would do in a month. There has just been so much music going on. I have been in attendance at the Red room , then packed it up and flown over to some other venue to catch another set. Luckily, it has worked out this weekend! There have been a few where I screwed up and missed everything due to trying to travel too much. And I am way behind on writing about so many of our lovely acts that have been through in the last couple of weeks. And my refridgerator decided to die on me(trip to Sears to buy a new one....) and now my house's AC unit is screaming like a belt is loose (they don't have belts...), then there's the 40 -hour workweek.....Is it any wonder that most people who come to the RR see me with an energy drink in my hand instead of a beer?
ANYway, I have yet another gig in a couple of hours, and a couple hours worth of things to do before then. I will add more to this in a few hours. I wish all of you could be at the room for tonight's gig: Joe Reyes and Hilary York. I think this will be quite special.
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