Festival Fotos Part Deux

More photos from the Narrows festival of the arts. This time jazz songstress Cassandre McKinley (we love her tribute to Marvin Gaye CD, btw) and folk singer/songwriter extraordinaire Slaid Cleaves.

If you have photos you took at the festival and would like to share, please leave a comment and a link below.

Narrows Festival Fotos

It was a helluva day, Sunday. The Narrows Festival of the Arts went on without a hitch--despite sometimes threatening skies--playing to a packed crowd who turned Anawan Street, just outside the Narrows doors, into a zydeco dance party.

At least at the end, which is where we'll begin. Buckwheat Zydeco wrapped up the day beginning about 5:45 p.m. with music that brought the crowd to its feet for most of the the hour and a half performance.

Buckwheat and his group were determined to make everybody smile, including the kids!

More fotos of other performances will be posted soon. If you have any to share, please leave a comment with a link.

Congratulations to Narrows president Patrick Norton and all the volunteers for putting on a celebration that will be long remembered.

Dickey Betts, Leo Kottke & More

Not yet on the official schedule:

February 15
Ollabelle
$18, $20

February 29
Dickey Betts and the Great Southern
$50, $55

March 7
James Cotton
$25, $28

April11
Leo Kottke
$40, $45

April 12
Sonny Landreth
$22, $25

Ghost Hunters Van

With the Narrows on a bit of a hiatus, your humble blogger has been doing different things to pass the time.

Labor Day your humble blogger swung by the Ghost Hunters' office in Warwick, RI...the front of the office looks different than on the TV show (it's been remodeled and there's no TAPS sign), but we went behind the office and spotted the familiar TAPS van from the SciFi Channel show "The Ghost Hunters." TAPS, I believe, stands for "Trans-Atlantic Paranormal Society" or something like that.

For more on the Ghost Hunters:

http://www.scifi.com/ghosthunters/

CBGB Guy Joins Joey Ramone in Heaven

More here.

Phil Spector in the Men's Room

Very cool article in Vanity Fair by the enduringly cool Dominick Dunne who bumps into Phil Spector in a men's room at a courthouse where the "Wall of Sound" madman is on trial for murder.

Dig it here.

Glam Gal Lori McKenna Photos at Newberry Comics

Narrows alum, now Faith Hill/Tim McGraw adopted daughter, Lori McKenna did a recent in-store appearance at the Newberry Comics in Avon, MA.

See the photos here. By the way, we think that's Narrows alum Mark Erelli backing her on mandolin.

Good things sometimes happen to very nice people. She's getting positive reviews on her major label debut. Good luck to her!!!! The music business is a tough one, and she deserves this recognition!

Mekons Review

The Mekons are coming back to the Narrows in October. Thought you might like to see a review of their new CD. See it here.

Found another review as well. See that one at this long address: www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/45020-natural

Cassandre McKinley For Free Sept. 9

Jazz vocalist Cassandre McKinley will be featured at the Narrows Festival of the Arts Sunday, Sept. 9, right outside the Narrows building.

Uh, oh...your humble blogger used the word "jazz." Jazz is dead, right?

Frankly, we love jazz but it's tough to draw an audience for it.

Nonetheless, come to the Narrows Festival of the Arts and dig Cassandre McKinley...you don't even need a ticket! It's free.

Read a write up about her here.

John Hammond and Mary Ann Rossoni/Al Basile Coming

Soon to be posted on the official Narrows schedule:

October 5
John Hammond
He's back! And he'll be banging his foot on the stage and shaking the room as before! John Hammond has spent forty years performing intense solo-acoustic blues. A Grammy Award winner and four time nominee, Hammond is also a multiple W.C. Handy award winner who has shared the stage and/or recorded with many of the masters, including Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker and Howlin' Wolf. John's passionate commitment to traditional blues made him the natural choice to host the BRAVO TV special The Search for Robert Johnson. His latest album, Push Comes To Shove was released to glowing reviews from the Washington Post, American Songwriter and others. http://www.johnhammond.com/.
$25, $28


November 8
Mary Ann Rossoni
Al Basile

Mary Ann Rossoni's new CD Timber and Nails comes out a few weeks before the show. She's a mainstay in the Providence folk/rock/alternative scene, but has earned airplay and recognition across the country. Her songs are tuneful, interesting and sometimes very funny! http://www.rossoni.com/. Al Basile is a former trumpet player for Roomful of Blues and still works with Duke Robillard, formerly of the group, on occasion. http://www.albasile.com/.

$12, $14

When We Weren't Looking...

Eilen Jewell: Sitting pretty in her very young career

When we weren't looking...

Narrows alum Eilen Jewell soared to damn near the top of the Americana radio chart. Check it out at http://www.americanaradio.org/...

Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles began making plans to head back into the studio...

The Narrows went on an extended break...next stuff is free. Visit http://www.ncfta.org/...

And the Narrows kicked off a fundraiser to pay off the elevator installation....See above for website...

Narrows alum Lori McKenna became a glamour girl and a big star. Good for her! Saw a big poster of her at Newberry Comics in Attleboro recently. Don't remember much of a crowd coming to her show at the Narrows way back when....

Your humble blogger brought together the music for a free concert at the end of September in Providence's Kennedy Plaza. Featuring Mary Ann Rossoni and Folks Together and others. Watch this space for more...

The new No Depression magazine came out...cover has Narrows alum Josh Ritter....

New Revolver magazine came out too...cover features Atreyu...metal forever, baby...

Your humble blogger has begun, once again, dreaming of a metal show at the Narrows...but it has to fit...how about the band Clutch? Sort of a bluesy jam band sort of thing...would you attend?

Bob Dylan is not playing McCoy this year...

Your humble blogger has been listening to Steve Earle's Guitar Town CD...fab songwriter...like the way he mumbles when he sings...

Your humble blogger also listening to Keith Jarrett CD called The Impulse Story...is jazz dead?

And...when we weren't looking the summer began slipping away...

All hail to cooler temps!

Blogger to Blogger

One of our Narrows regulars has a blog about the various musical festival she and her husband attend.

Check it out:

http://festiveliving.blogspot.com/

Robert Fripp Coming November 2

Just added--Robert Fripp on November 2.

Should be up on the official schedule soon.

Visit www.ncfta.org and take a look.

Sunday at Celebrates

The Iguanas (at least some of them) If you look to the right of the bass player, you'll see guitar great Mike Castellana from Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles watching the proceedings from the back.

The Narrows Center for the Arts provided a stage on Sunday evening to wrap up Fall River Celebrates America.


Sarah is clapping her hands, not praying (though it looks that way).

It marked the homecoming of Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles after being on the endless highway across the country and then some. Your humble blogger spent time chatting with some of the members, getting up to date with what's happening, including talk of video work and getting back into the studio.


The Iguanas, from New Orleans, returned to Fall River and ended the night with their combination of funk, Latin, Cajun, and who knows what.


This year's Fall River Celebrates America marked the first time the Narrows and the Fall River Area Chamber of Commerce, which produced Celebrates America, joined forces for the arts. In addition to Sunday night's performances, The Narrows brought in Duke Robillard, Los Lobos, Dave Mason and others.


Your humble blogger thinks it was a great beginning! Congrats to Narrows prez Patrick Norton and the volunteers, along with Peter Kortright and the other folks at the chamber.

Arlo Guthrie Featured in Projo

Today's Projo carries a Boston Globe story about Arlo Guthrie turning 60, and what he's been up to, including getting cited for being a public nuisance again.

See it here.

Friday's Fotos

Prof. Louie and the Crowmatix

Some photos from Friday night at the Narrows tent at Fall River Celebrates America.

Duke Robillard

Toni Lynn Washington

Narrows Alum John Cowan Featured

Narrows alum John Cowan is featured at folkalley.com.

See the stuff here.

Narrows Kicks Off First Stage At Fall River Celebrates

It was a soggy Friday night, but the Narrows kicked off its stage at Fall River Celebrates America in a fine manner.

The stage is located in a tent to the right if you're facing the Heritage State Park visitors' center from the Carousel/Battleship parking lot. Have you got that?

Professor Louie and the Crowmatix kicked things off with their Band-like sound (Professor Louie used to produced The Band), followed by blues singer Toni Lynn Washington, and capped off by Duke Robillard.

Pictures will be posted soon. Watch this spot!

Your humble blogger will at Sunday's Sarah Borges show at 6 p.m. and the Iguanas show right after. See you there.

For more details, visit http://www.ncfta.org/.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Team Up

Led Zep singer Robert Plant and bluegrass honey Alison Krauss have collaborated on an album due out in October on Rounder.

Read more here.

Dead Head Alert!

Well, well, well. Donna Jean Godchaux--who did time with the Grateful Dead--and her crew have changed their name.

Last visit they were called Kettle Joe's Psychedelic Swamp Revue. Now they're called Donna Jean and the Tricksters.

She's joined, as before, by Mookie Seagal (Phil Lesh and Friends), and members of the Zen Tricksters.

It's a psychedelic stew of rock, soul, and jam band.

They're coming in November. Visit www.ncfta.org for more.