I am a writer, a spinner of words. There comes a time when words just don't do it, just cannot seem to communicate an experience well enough for the reader to really get what I mean though. It is then that I paint or draw, trying to capture what seems elusive.....
I should've had my pad with me the other night. I do not know what would've been born, but it might do better here, right now,
Ian Moore came to the Red Room Thursday. He brought with him his multi-instrument playing compadre, Kullen Kuchs. I wasn't certain what was going to go on up there, but before the first tune was even half way over, I knew something special was building in that place. It's one thing to be a singer-songwriter. It is another to be a storyteller. It is yet another to reach beyond that and learn to paint and sculpt with words and music. That is perhaps the best description I can give of what these two did inside those walls.
The first song set a mood, planted a spell....it was like a cauldron of ingredients, both artist and audience, being mixed with sound and the right chant. I see in my mind's eye a swirling, growing cloud of smoke, full of images half-recognised, but so familiar. I hear the drone of the chant, calling one into meditation, and a different state of mind.
Yup. they did this to their audience. It was astounding. Someone sitting in the back, when I told her there were places further forward if she wanted them, informed me should would be leaving in a few minutes. She sayed til the last note died away, some 90 minutes later. I hated to be distracted, but it wan't difficult to fall right back into the mood. Ian kept a tight , though gentle grip on his audience.
One of the delights of the evening was a shift he and Kullen made on their own. They stepped off our little stage, moving a few feet out toward the audience. Kullen brought out his accordian, Ian his guitar, and they stood among us, singing songs in wonderful harmonies. No one there thought about cell phones or chit-chat; we were engrossed in this intimate moment.
And what a voice! I think Ian must have a four octave stretch or better. His clean and perfect transitions remind me of Shawn Phillips so much. I think some opera singers would be jealous. I know most other vocalists would be taken back a step or two.
Oh and Kullen! Kullen saved the soul of a piano that has been sitting at the Red Room for a couple of months, gathering dust, being a knick-knack holder. It was proclaimed to be untunable and unrepairable, and its fate had seemed sealed. When Kullen opened the keys up, while he and Ian were in the audience, a shudder of fear,and embarassment, welled up in me.......then he touched it, lightly at first. Instrument and musician felt each other out, and found common ground. Sounds I did not think it capable of making were carressed out of that piano, and a flurry of tears joined the shock on my face. I know now that I will do what i can to protect that little grandma's -sitting-room piano, until Kullen can come back and try to work it into shape. He believes it can be given new life, and I have to believe someone who can take such time and tenderness to find use for the discarded. It speaks of a true artist, not just of the human being.
We have had some tremendous musicians come to the Red Room already, leaving there bit of soul in the walls, on the stage. The place has built such a wonderful vibe that no artist has yet had even a single negative word for us or the experience. Whatever this place started as, it has become larger in soul than anything we could ever have done to it. I can only use so many words to describe some of the experiences we have witnessed here, and this one is harder than most. I had a friend there who saw Ian about 15 years ago, and his comment was "It's nice to see an artist grow so much."
Whatever journey he has gone through, the Red Room and Ian found a crossroads the other night. It was something that no one there will forget, and no one who wasn't there would probably be able to get without having been there. But he and Kullen left a whole new patina of soul and spirit on the walls, in the curtains. I daresay it will bring further changes on from its mere presence. and I really hope we have theirs again, in the not so distant future.
( I spent last evening with my dear Del Castillo, in Austin, but the day calls. I have so missed my beloved brothers; I know I will have to write about them soon, but the RR calls, among other things. All I will defifnitely say is Happy Birthday Beto! I love you!)
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Subtitles
Marcus kinda stole my blog title for this, and really it’s about more than just him anyway, so......
It has been a really busy 4-day weekend! Rest?! What the hell is that? And there is still far too much on the RR’s plate for the next 10 days. I will NOT be staying for all the performances. I have a real job to do, and that’s the one that pays the bills. *sigh* and I used to complain how busy my life was just because I was driving all over the silly state! Scheez.
I don’t really think I have a title for the first segment here, but I have much to say. Spencer Gibb and Rachel Loy came down the other evening. They are half of a band called 54 Seconds, out of Austin. I heard a lot of hubbub about Spencer’s lineage, but wasn’t quite sure what I would be hearing. I was more than pleasantly surprised- I was floored. (I seem to be using that term a lot lately......)
Spencer is the son of Robin Gibb, one of the BeeGees, but I see and hear only the smallest of resemblances. The style of song, the depth of word are so different from what most people would know of the BeeGees. I loved them for their pre-disco music- the harmonies and soulful songs, and I cannot thank Robin enough for this son of his. Other than the quaver in his voice occasionally, I hear few other comparisons, but Spence obviously has a wonderful and long musical back ground.
What was I waiting for? I don’t think I knew; this was a blank slate for me. Rachel and Spence are both very nice people, easy to work with, and obviously at ease with each other. Their combined sense of humour added delightful entertainment to the stage- I haven’t laughed that much at a gig in a long time.
They are both accomplished songwriters, and good singers. I am afraid Rachel took the award for vocals though- she has great control and a wonderful range. Many people try to use areas out of their range and there’s often a gap in their slides through notes. Not so Rachel! She hit pitches that made me cringe (by no fault of her own- I have very pitch-sensitive ears) but the execution was flawless, every time. Just a clean, clear, well-trained voice. It was a perfect compliment to some wonderful songs, many of which truly touched the heart...or the funny bone.
*****************************************************************
Okay, life is just too busy! I will have to finish this thought as I can.
It has been a really busy 4-day weekend! Rest?! What the hell is that? And there is still far too much on the RR’s plate for the next 10 days. I will NOT be staying for all the performances. I have a real job to do, and that’s the one that pays the bills. *sigh* and I used to complain how busy my life was just because I was driving all over the silly state! Scheez.
I don’t really think I have a title for the first segment here, but I have much to say. Spencer Gibb and Rachel Loy came down the other evening. They are half of a band called 54 Seconds, out of Austin. I heard a lot of hubbub about Spencer’s lineage, but wasn’t quite sure what I would be hearing. I was more than pleasantly surprised- I was floored. (I seem to be using that term a lot lately......)
Spencer is the son of Robin Gibb, one of the BeeGees, but I see and hear only the smallest of resemblances. The style of song, the depth of word are so different from what most people would know of the BeeGees. I loved them for their pre-disco music- the harmonies and soulful songs, and I cannot thank Robin enough for this son of his. Other than the quaver in his voice occasionally, I hear few other comparisons, but Spence obviously has a wonderful and long musical back ground.
What was I waiting for? I don’t think I knew; this was a blank slate for me. Rachel and Spence are both very nice people, easy to work with, and obviously at ease with each other. Their combined sense of humour added delightful entertainment to the stage- I haven’t laughed that much at a gig in a long time.
They are both accomplished songwriters, and good singers. I am afraid Rachel took the award for vocals though- she has great control and a wonderful range. Many people try to use areas out of their range and there’s often a gap in their slides through notes. Not so Rachel! She hit pitches that made me cringe (by no fault of her own- I have very pitch-sensitive ears) but the execution was flawless, every time. Just a clean, clear, well-trained voice. It was a perfect compliment to some wonderful songs, many of which truly touched the heart...or the funny bone.
*****************************************************************
Okay, life is just too busy! I will have to finish this thought as I can.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Gjallarhorn
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.
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.
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.
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