Okay, Okay, Here's Ben Norton's Top 10

Your humble blogger has been partying like everyone else. But when I arrived at the Johnny A show, the heat was on to get volunteer Ben Norton's Top 10 posted.

Ben is nine years old, but has been in the world of music most of his life, just like his brother Owen.

10 The Slip
9 Deke Dickerson
8 School of Rock All Stars
7 Mary Lee's Corvette and The Kennedy's
6 Drunk Stuntmen
5 Porter, Batiste, and Stoltz
4 Asylum St. Spankers
3 Sarah Borges
2 Ollabelle
1 Rasputina

Volunteer Owen Norton's Top 10

Volunteer Owen Norton may only be six years old, but he has some rather sophisticated picks for his top ten.

10. Richard Shindell
9. Sarah Borges
8. Dan Hicks
7. Richie Havens
6. Drunk Stuntmen
5. Otis Taylor
4. Old School Freight Train
3. Red Stick Ramblers
2. Susan Cowsill
1. Savoy Brown

Leave your top ten in the comments section!

Your Blogger's Top 10 Shows of 2006

I saw about 98% of the shows in 2006. Of the ones I saw, these are my Top 10

1. Old School Freight Train
2. Asylum Street Spankers
3. Sarah Borges (both perfomances)
4. Drunk Stuntman (both performances)
5. Campbell Brothers
6. Fairport Convention
7. Deke Dickerson
8. Savoy Brown
9. Eilen Jewell (I think she performed a couple times)
10. Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks

Post your Top 10!

Electric Blues Night

Saturday night saw British blues pioneer Kim Simmonds and his latest version of Savoy Brown showing the roots of groups such as Led Zepplin, Cream and Black Sabbath.

Louie Leeman and his band Cheap Sneakers opened the evening with a terrific set of songs, including a fab cover of the Beatles' "Dear Prudence."

David Lindley, Elana James

New shows not yet posted:

March 31 Elana James and the Continental Two

April 21 David Lindley

May 4 Drunk Stuntmen

May 12 Paul Rishell and Annie Raines

Avant-garde guitarist Kaki King presided over a night of lovely, electronic vocal layering and guitar work kicked off by opener Bora Yoon.

Ms. Yoon started her set from way back near the cafe with wordless, sweeping unaccompanied vocalizing as she slowly made her way to the stage, stopping briefly to play the Narrows' piano off to the side. Once on stage, she plucked at the violin, xylophone and who knows what, even borrowing an audience member's cell phone to play a melody through the reverbed microphone.

By comparison, the unconventional Kaki was mainstream, as she expertly played her guitar, accompanied at times by a horn synthesizer of sorts played by her soundman back at the control board. He also joined her on stage to play a regular old horn, too.

It was a different night that brought more than a touch of New York City's not-so-underground scene to the Narrows.

Eilen Jewell On the Charts

Eilen Jewell, an official Narrows Center for the Arts discovery, has finally entered the national Americana radio chart!

She debuts at #36. You can look it up here.

Emptying the Photo Vault

Haven't had the chance to publish photos of serveral performers at the Narrows over the past several months. Here are some of 'em.
















Jon Langford

Greg Brown

Folks Together (at least some of 'em)

Kelly Jo Phelps

Natalia Zuckerman

Eilen Jewell Getting Noticed By Americana Radio

The Narrows' 2nd major "discovery" Eilen Jewell is starting to get added to Americana radio stations across the country, though she has not officially charted on the www.americanaradio.org chart.

Her Boundary County album has been listed as "most added" several times. Not bad for an independent release.

She returns to our stage in February.

Iris Dement, Fairport Convention

New shows not yet posted:

January 12
Back Eddy Bluegrass and The Remnants

March 10
John Cowan Band

June 2
Fairport Convention

November 9
Iris Dement