Kicking Off a Fab Weekend

The Old Blind Dogs Thursday night kicked off a weekend that will feature Tom Rush (Saturday night), and Beausoleil, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Hotclub of Cowtown and more (the free Narrows Festival of the Arts on Sunday).

The Dogs--who last played the Narrows about 3 years ago--performed their high energy Scottish folk music to an enthusiastic crowd of fans.

One highlight from their last visit was their purchase of a bass guitar hanging on the wall of a liquor store across from where they were staying in Somerset, MA. Since they had forgotten to bring a bass to the states, they bought the instrument (for $40)--later raffling it off and donating the money to charity. From then on they have been raffling off one of their instruments at the end of a tour. This time they are raffling off a guitar.

Last we checked there were just a handful of Tom Rush tickets available. And, of course, this Sunday is free.

Country Comfort

Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer Richie Furay reminded us why country rock is one of the most enjoyable genres, particularly when played well with a lot of simple harmonies.

He and his band (featuring one of his daughters as back-up singer) brought the house down at the Narrows Saturday in his first visit to our fab listening pad.

He played tracks from his former bands Buffalo Springfield and Poco, and new material.

By the way, these days his full-time gig is as a pastor of a church near Denver. Your humble blogger, in fact, walked into a prayer session with the pastor and his band backstage shortly before they started the show.

The prayer worked!

And Now for Something Completely Different...

It was kinda 3 chords and the truth at the Narrows--well, maybe not.

Our beloved stage featured the masked and mysterious surf masters Los Straitjackets doing the instrumental rockabilly sound on a rainy Friday night. It was the 2nd visit for the group, which speaks Spanish on-stage and never appears without their Mexican-wrestling inspired disguises--although your humble blogger saw them uncovered before the show. But I'm sworn to secrecy regarding their true identies. Let's just say let sleeping masks lie.

Openers were Providence 's Mericans, with a Byrds-like flyte that gave the crowd delight.

Club Helsinki in Great Barrington Closing

A number of Narrows' artists--Eilen Jewell and Sarah Borges immediately come to mind--also have regularly played Club Helsinki in Great Barrington, MA, way out there in the Berkshires.

Club Helsinki is closing the end of the month; your humble blogger knows not the reason.

Maybe something on their website although I didn't see details.

Red Molly Makes Narrows Debut

A group your humble blogger has been hearing great things about, Red Molly, made their Narrows debut Friday night. And they did not disappoint, with their rootsy sound, beautiful harmonies, and gentle sense of humor.

And, for their debut, they also drew a nice sized crowd!

It was broadcast on mvyradio.com and should be posted in their archives soon.

Cowtown to Our Town

Because the Narrows is dedicated to everybody in the area and is committed to sharing the arts, the annual Narrows Festival of the Arts will take place once again--this year, Sunday, September 13.

Yep, it's free.

One of the highlights is the return of the internationally loved Hot Club of Cowtown, pictured above.

If memory serves, we hosted these folks a time or two, then they split up, with vocalist/fiddler Elana James starting her own group, which also played the Narrows.

We're glad to see they're back as a unit with their modern take on Western Swing, Dawg Music or whatever one wants to call it.

Pencil the Narrows Festival into your calendar. Starts at 11 a.m. and goes until the sun goes down.

On the Waterfront with the Duke

Your humble blogger, felled by a sudden back ailment, didn't make the free Duke Robillard show last Friday sponsored by the Narrows outside down the street at the Gates of the City.

Fortunately, a sharp-eyed Mike Moran took this shot of the Duke looking quite dapper.

The Dapper Duke!

Founder of the New Riders Passes

John Dawson, who founded Narrows fave New Riders of the Purple Sage, died recently. He founded the group with Jerry Garcia.

More here.

Maria Muldaur Works with Narrows Alums

Maria Muldaur, who makes her Narrows debut on October 31, has a new CD coming out featuring Narrows alums John Sebastian and Dan Hicks.

And she's returning to the old jug band sound.

More here.

The Waybacks from Way Back

Took the above shot during Friday night's show at the Narrows from progressive roots speedsters The Waybacks.

The band was recording the show for a possible future CD.

See the mikes hanging from the ceiling?

Got My Mojo Workin'

No question:one of the top shows of 2009. The fabulous Nighthawks and Howlin' Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin (above) at the Narrows Saturday night.

The nearly 80-something Mr. Sumlin was "the star" according to the Nighthawks, but this celebrated roots group brought star-power energy and prowess to the stage all by themselves.

Mr. Sumlin, who influenced Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and others with his riffin' for The Wolf, was like their beloved dad who was sitting in just for the fun of it. And was it fun!

On a personal note: you couldn't find a nicer group of folks than the Nighthawks and Mr. Sumlin. Lots of positive energy and smiles! Hope to see them again soon.

Forgotten African American Music Celebrated

Most people probably think that African American music pre- and post-Civil War was spirituals, blues, gospel, ragtime.

How about CLASSICAL?

Brilliant pianist John Davis brought his show to the Narrows Thursday night that showed us that a slave named "Blind Tom" and a son of a slave, "Blind Boone," wowed audiences across the US with keyboarding wizardry that owed more to Mozart than to the Mississippi Delta.

It was a one-of-a-kind performance that was recorded by our friends at mvyradio.com and should be posted on that site in a few days.

"Gordon" of Peter & Gordon Passes

British popsters from the '60s Peter & Gordon were known for "A World Without Love," written by Paul McCartney (he almost married Peter's sister) and other tunes.

One half of the duo has died. Details here.

Newport Jazz and Folk Festival Head Interviewed

George Wein, of Newport Folk Festival and Newport Jazz Festival fame, was interviewed on Buddy Cianci's show on WPRO in Providence.

Hear it here.

First Gates of the City Concert Features CJ Chenier

It was a beautiful night for an outdoors concert, and the Narrows obliged by taking its CJ Chenier concert Friday night outside down the street to what's known as "The Gates of the City." And it was free.

Zydeco sounds brought out the dancers, but, interestingly enough, not the mosquitoes. Not too warm or cold, nor too humid. Had to leave early; lucked out since I was typing this in Barrington when the rain hit.

Another one coming up later in the summer. Check out www.ncfta.org.

Guilty

Dave Alvin & the Guilty Women took to the Narrows stage Thursday on a warm, but fairly comfortable July evening.

To the best of your Humble Blogger's memory, this is the first headlining appearance by Mr. Alvin. He opened for James McMurtry a couple years back.

Along with the women in the picture opening this article was award winning steel guitarist Cindy Cashdollar. You may remember her during her many years with Asleep at the Wheel.

Cruel To Be Kind

Fab Brit Nick Lowe debuts at the Narrows October 15.

You may remember his song "Cruel To Be Kind."

More here.

Crooked Still Live!

Young rootsy favs Crooked Still have released a live CD, featuring their new line-up. Learn more here.

New Chris Smither CD Out in Sept

Narrows fave Chris Smither has a new one out in September.  More here.

Slide Wayzz

Slipping and sliding trombones were the order of the night Friday as Bonerama brought its New Orleans heat to the Narrows stage.

Three trombones, bass, drums, organ and guitar made a thunderous sound--but, with kudos to our sound dude, the dynamics worked well in the room.

If you're old enough--think Blood, Sweat and Tears after David Clayton Thomas departed, with more than a sprinkling of Fats Domino.

The show was streamed on mvyradio.com, where it will likely be posted in a few days.

The Narrows is taking its 4th of July break. Plenty of great shows on tap for the 2nd half of 2009.

Meet Vic Chestnutt

He's worked with Emmylou Harris, R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe and others.  On Friday night he opened for Jonathan Richman, doing a quirky set with songs with one might describe as off-beat lyrics.

Learn more about Vic Chestnutt here.

If I Were A Richman

Your humble blogger went to talk to Jonathan Richman "backstage" at the Narrows about a half hour before showtime Friday night. There he was--a musical hero to your humble blogger, asleep on the couch.

I left, resisting the urge to snap a photo.

We chatted later, working out how I was to introduce him and his drummer Tommy Larkins.

He put on a quirky performance, picking up his guitar then putting it down constantly, picking up bells and dancing, wandering away from the microphone, re-arranging where the audience was sitting, etc. And the quirky crowd positively adored him.

Guitar Man

Leo Kottke, one of the finest 12-string acoustic guitarists in the world, made his annual trip to the Narrows Saturday night. In addition to the finest playing one could ever see, we learned from Leo's between-song patter:

• He looks exactly like a German female classical pianist named Kottke who died in 1911;

• He once shot a pistol at light bulbs tossed into the ocean while standng on the deck of a surfaced submarine;

• While doing the above his hearing was impacted when the guy next to him fired a loud machine gun at the light bulbs.

• Pete Seeger is a one-of-a kind instrumentalist.

• And, as documented in the photo above, he likes to carry his guitars off the stage once the show is over.

Taking It Back to the Yanks

The guy who pretty much founded British blues/rock, Kim Simmonds and his group Savoy Brown made another lively appearance at the Narrows on Friday night to a large and enthusiastic crowd.

Despite cranking out the riffs since the mid-1960s, Mr. Simmonds (unlike some aging rockers) seems to have his speed and his chops with him. And he didn't have to sit in a chair to play (an increasingly common sight).

Whatever he's doing, it seems to be keeping him healthy!

National Public Radio Reviews Sarah Borges' Latest

Narrows faves Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles and their new CD gets National Public Radio's attention.

Hear the review here.

A Haven on a Rainy Night.

Richie Havens, right after his Friday night performance at the Narrows. It rained like Woodstock forty years back.


Opener Emily Elbert, Texan and Berklee student.

Ridin' Old School Freight Train for Free

Sunday afternoon marked the first of a number of freebies being provided by the Narrows with various partners this summer.

Jam banders Old School Freight Train performed under the big tent at Bristol Community College on Elsbree Street in the Scholarship City. They've had a shuffle in personnel and are leaning toward the jam sound more than before.

Check out the Narrows' schedule for more upcoming free concerts at www.ncfta.org.

Wall of Sound Producer Behind Walls For A Long Time

19 years to life for producer Phil Spector--who produced John Lennon's "Imagine" and "Instant Karma," George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord," the Beatles' "Let It Be" album, the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling"(he co-wrote that one too) and many more incredible records.

More from Rolling Stone here.

Amy LaVere was Here

Musician and actress (she was in "Walk the Line") Amy LaVere ("Like Paul Revere,"she told me before the show) made her Narrows debut Friday night.

She and her band have a quirky pop-rock sound that combines her innocent, nearly girlish vocals with maybe-banging-a-little-too-hard drumming and aggressive electric guitar.

You should be able to hear the show soon by checking out the Narrows' archives at mvyradio.com.

Mick Taylor Plays the Narrows in August

Former Rolling Stone Mick Taylor makes his Narrows debut in August.

That's right, the guy who replaced Brian Jones and was replaced by Ronnie Wood. Of course, Mr. Taylor played on "Sticky Fingers" and other Stones' albums before departing.

Visit www.ncfta.org and get your ya ya's out!

The Greencards:American Roots from the British Empire

Thursday night at the Narrows marked the 2nd visit for the celebrated group The Greencards, featuring two Aussies and a Brit showing us Yanks how roots is done.

Soaring harmonies, snappy melodies and the strong vocal stylings of bassist Carol Young illustrated why these newcomers to our shores deserve, well, their green cards!

Local Berklee student Andrea Belanger opened the evening with a set filled with strong vocals and a developing stage presence.

Our partners mvyradio.com streamed the show live and will likely be posting the concert on their site in the near future.

Jay Bennett Dies Suddenly

Narrows alum Jay Bennett died apparently on Sunday. Details here.

Livingston Taylor at the Narrows--Round 2

Continuing from the previous blog entry about Liv Taylor at the Narrows on Sunday night--above Liv listens like a proud teacher as his student Liz Longley charms the crowd during his show. He brought her on stage for 3 of her songs and then, as the night's encore, a rendition of "Over the Rainbow."

Ryan Montbleu, below got the evening started. He'll be returning to the Narrows soon for his own gig.

Below, Dallas-based artist Richard Nunez paints a portrait of Liv Taylor during the concert, which was a benefit for mvyradio.com.

Cheers for MVY Radio!

Sunday night was benefit night for the archives of mvyradio.com, the Narrows broadcast partner. Funds raised help keep the archives available on the website of many past shows at the Narrows.

Livingston Taylor was the headliner. That's him above relaxing in the Narrows office before the show. Below he's getting down with one of his students at Berklee (he teaches performance) Liz Longley.

Liv Taylor is not only a great musician, singer and songwriter, he's a wonderful physical performer. He's always interesting to watch--whether he's telling a story or performing a tune.
So, your humble blogger tomorrow will feature more shots from the show.

Oh, and check out the mvyradio.com archives in a few days to hear the concert. Well worth a listen!

Don't Miss Susan Cowsill in October!!!!!!

You humble blogger was delighted that Susan Cowsill has been added to the Narrows schedule. The photo is her at the Narrows in 2006.

Yes, she's a member of the fabled, and tragic, Cowsill family. Yes, she was very little when she sang on their hit records.

She's grown into an accomplished songwriter and singer. If you take time to listen to her music, you will absolutely enjoy it. This show has your humble blogger's personal guarantee. Something I haven't offered for a long time. This show is a lock.

She's coming in late October, so there's plenty of time to get some dough together and get tickets.

Even though you may not be familiar with her work as an adult, do not miss this show!!!!

www.susancowsill.com

Riffing

Dickey Betts and Great Southern brought their Dixie rock sound to the Narrows Friday night. They also brought to the stage a monster load of equipment, just like in the old days! Mr. Betts was in fine form, demonstrating that he truly was the core of the Allman Brothers Band.

Youngsters out of Berklee in Boston, the Luke Mulholland Band, below, opened the show with their stoner rock meets southern vibe, led by 20-something guitarist/singer/songwriter Luke Mulholland, who hails from Canada. These guys burned up the stage, earning the honor of being your humble blogger's favorite new band.

I should note that they chose to cover an often overlooked Beatles' rave up, "Hey Bulldog." An inspired choice!

Narrows Alum Stephen Bruton Passes

One of the first musicians to play a concert at the Narrows, Stephen Bruton, has died of cancer. He was a fabulous guitarist and worked with some of the greatest.

Details here.

Master Skinsman

Fab drummer Tom Major, above, and his group Entrain, brought their Bo Diddley-inspired rhythms to the Narrows Friday night.

Jazzy brass collided with rock guitar, keyboards, bass and all sorts of rhythm instruments--all quarterbacked by the amazing Tom Major.

It's not surprising that Tom pounds out that Bo Diddley sound: he was a mainstay when the recently passed rock pioneer toured.  He also worked with Southside Johnny, Carly Simon, Blood, Sweat and Tears, and Chuck Berry.

If you missed the show, it will soon be available at mvyradio.com.

Narrows Alum Bennett Sues Wilco Leader

Narrows alum Jay Bennett, formerly of Wilco, is suing Wilco chief Jeff Tweedy.

More here.

Truckin'

Keith Richards’ campaign manager (okay, it's Narrows prez Patrick Norton) and Steve Parrish, Jerry Garcia’s roadie and personal assistant for 30 years. He is now the manager for Moonalice, which played the Narrows Saturday night.

The Sarah Borges Songbook

It was a record release party at the Narrows for Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles Friday night.

The CD, called "The Stars are Out," might be described as a bit less twangy and a notch or two more rocky than their two previous releases. And it includes a cover of Smokey Robinson's hit "Being with You," a rather unexpected choice; but then Sarah and her guys always surprise.

It's fair to say that between Sarah's originals and their covers, this group has one of the strongest songbooks being carried by any band. While Sarah is lauded for her singing and fab performance skills, she deserves recognition as a serious songwriter.

Sarah, who is from nearby Taunton, MA, was supported by local family and friends who don't seem afraid to wander onto the stage to provide her a beverage. (Frankly--as a point of personal privilege--I wish that her family and friends (and Sarah and the band itself) would cut back on all the booze talk. It's so 1971. )

By the way, it was their 9th show at the Narrows, but the second one on our beloved stage for new guitarist Lyle Brewer, an emerging star. Keep an eye on this young guy, you guitar fans. He's staking out his own sound and integrating well with the band's wild yet disciplined approach.

A skiffle group, Dog Bite, photo below, opened with a strong set. Can't seem to find much about this band. If anybody knows anything, please post. I very much enjoyed their set.

Marc Cohn Debuts

Marc "Walkin' in Memphis" Cohn made his long-awaited Narrows debut Tuesday night before a sold-out house. Not only did he perform, but he answered questions the audience submitted on paper dropped in a bucket before his performance.

Many new faces in the crowd, which always makes us happy at the Narrows as the word continues to spread about our ears friendly space.

Amy Correia, from Lakeville, MA, opened with an energetic set that won her new fans.

She Left Him for Jesus

Hayes Carll, who played the Narrows a few years back, is returning in mid-June, bearing a song that was the Americana's Music Association's Song of the Year in 2008.

It's called "She Left Me for Jesus" and the last time I checked there was a nifty video for the song at www.hayescarll.com.

Rockin'

Although you can't tell it from the photo above, Eilen Jewell took her usually laid back approach up a couple notches Saturday night at the Narrows. For example, when she was doing her cover of the classic rocker "Shake It All Over" she set her guitar down and nearly shaked, rattled and rolled! The crowd loved it! (My photo of this rare event didn't come out terribly well, so I'm keeping it in my archives.)

Her band, particularly lead guitarist Jerry Miller, were hotter than ever.

Saturday night was the "record release" party for her new CD "Sea of Tears" and "Shake It All Over" is one of the tracks.

Boston area performer Sarah Levecque opened with a strong set. Although she's not signed to a label, your humble blogger thinks that Sarah is a real up-and-comer.

Our friends at mvyradio.com streamed the concert live, which means it should be posted on their archives in a few days. Recommended listening.

Fiddling Around

String striker extraordinaire Bruce Molsky (above center), with a little help from some friends, brought his fiddle, guitar and banjo to the Narrows for the very first time Friday nights.

Our cultural partners at mvyradio.com streamed it live so the concert, which featured traditional string sounds, should be posted over the next few days. Look for it in the archives. It's a good 'un!

Mussel Man

Your humble blogger reporting in on the road from the Cranston main public library. Thanks people of Cranston for the free WiFi!

Friday night at the Narrows it was a committed blues crowd to see harpist Charlie Musselwhite, above on the right with his knock-'em-dead guitarist who damn well nearly stole the show. When your humble blogger was dutifully doing his emcee duties--mentioning upcoming artists--the only concerts that drew a reaction were blues shows, particularly the Hubert Sumlin & the Nighthawks gig coming up. Put down your banjos, this was no folk crowd!

When Charlie wasn't gnawing on his harmonica, he was ear-to-ear grinnin', almost in disbelief, in the love he was getting from the audience. Narrows' patrons have to be some of the nicest this blogger has ever seen.

Below, local fave Mark T. Small proved he's more than a hometown hero, doing things with his guitar that may be against nature. A nice guy, too, whose latest recording, we hear, is getting laudits on blues shows across the country. Be sure to see Mark whenever you can to experience some blazing fast acoustic blues guitar scratching and wailing.

Eilen Jewell Speaks!

Eilen Jewell (above at the Narrows' "green room" a year or so ago) is coming to the Narrows once again April 25th. And she has a brand new CD! Below is an interview I did with her via email.


I'm hearing that the new CD is a departure for you, in that it has more fast-paced material. Is that how you view it?

I've been having some difficulty describing the new record. It's not so much a departure as it is an elaboration of a few sounds we dabbled in with our last record, Letters from Sinners and Strangers. It definitely doesn't have more fast-paced material. Letters had more of that for sure. It sounds more like "Where They Never Say Your Name" and less like "Blue Highway." That's the best I can do to describe it. You'll just have to hear it and be the judge.

In the studio, how much stuff do you record live, how much overdubbing? Is there anything in the studio that you're doing that can't be reproduced on stage?

Almost all of what we do in the studio is live. I overdub my vocals sometimes, and we always overdub Jason's harmonies so they won't bleed into his drum mics. Other than that, there's very little overdubbing. I do play the organ on the new record, though. And Jerry played the steel. Those had to be overdubbed, since you can't do that and play the guitar at the same time. I'm sure I could reproduce the organ on stage, but so far we haven't tried it yet. Maybe we'll give it a whirl at some point this year. We sound like our records, almost to a tee.

How do you go about writing a tune?

I don't have a formula. Every song is different. Some of them write themselves, some of them are based on words that came to me while I was asleep or half asleep. Some of them live in the back of my head for years until I finally figure out how they want to sound. One thing I have noticed though is that I write best when there's a deadline.

What is the fun part of being on the road? What are the perils?

The fun part of being on the road is performing when the sound is good on stage and the audience is warm and receptive--especially when you're in a town you've never been to before. I love seeing new places. The perils...mostly other drivers are the bummer. I swear people drive so poorly they must be trying to kill us.

Saw you on a Boston television station playing solo at a senior citizen home. That was very nice of you! You seemed to be getting great reaction too.

You're probably thinking of a show I did at the Boston Home--a care center for people who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis and similar conditions. People did seem to enjoy it, and I loved seeing that in their faces. Music can do so much to bring people out of their rut, even sad songs like mine are uplifting.

You're originally from the west--Idaho I think. But you're based on the East Coast. Do you miss the west?

I am from Idaho, and I do miss it terribly. I love the East Coast too though, and I do get homesick for Boston when we're away for long stretches. I think the key will be to have an Idaho home base and a Boston one...maybe one in Spain too someday.

People coming to the show at the Narrows--what should they expect?

They should expect to have a good time. That's what we're doing. And they can also plan on hearing a lot of new songs. Sea of Tears will be available for sale there, for the first time in world history!

Rickie Lee Jones Likes the Narrows

"I really like it here," said Rickie Lee Jones Tuesday night at the Narrows. "I'm glad you know how to find it!"

It was Ms. Jones' debut at the Narrows, and she did it before a sold out crowd that brought a wide smile to her face as they went wild as she stepped into the spotlights.

Your humble blogger was up on stage making the usual pre-show announcements when I looked down and there was Rickie Lee standing in front in the darkness, smiling, accompanied by Kathleen, one of our stellar volunteers.

"Do you want to do your show?" I inquired. She nodded and off we went!

Special shout out to the guy who drove all the way from Oklahoma City to join us (and see his sisters)!

Levon Helm to Release New Album

Levon Helm, the Band's drummer and dad of Narrows alum Amy Helm, is releasing the follow up to his acclaimed "Dirt Farmer" recording in late June.

Yes, Amy is on this record too. (She's a member of Ollabelle.)

Rollingstone.com has more here.

Murder Conviction for Wall of Sound Producer

Phil Spector, who produced The Righteous Brothers, the Ronettes, George Harrison, John Lennon and many others, has been convicted of murder.

Spector developed the "Wall of Sound" production approach, where he would literally have a number of pianos and guitars playing the same chord at the same time and classical-sounding string sections--all to provide a "thick" at times majestic sound to fairly simple songs.

His influence can be particularly heard on Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" album, although Spector didn't have the same technology available when he was making his recordings in the early and mid-1960s.

Some may say that his approach went overboard in his production of Tina Turner's "River Deep Mountain High," which American djs felt buried her vocals, while the record was celebrated in England. Spector was apparently bitter about the failure of this record stateside, since he considered it a masterpiece.

Spector's first success was in the early years of rock 'n' roll, with the Teddy Bears' "To Know Him Is To Love Him" a title Spector took from his father's gravestone. His father had committed suicide.

For more on the conviction, check out this report from the BBC here.

Patriot Ledger Reviews

A newspaper in the Boston area wrote a review of the recent smokin' Coco Montoya show at the Narrows.

Read it here.