Not much time for festive living lately, but I did make it to Mike Arnone's 20th annual Crawfish Fest in NJ last weekend. Beautiful weather, great music, food ,and friends - what more could you ask for?
Pictures from Sunday
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/572811410DyODVg
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
RI Mardi Gras Ball
Today is Mardi Gras in New Orleans, (and elsewhere) but here in New England it's hard to find a parade on a cold Tuesday. But we celebrated Mardi Gras on Saturday at the annual party at Rhodes on The Pawtuxet, courtesy of Lagniappe Productions.
Music by the Hot Tamale Brass Band, Jeffrey Broussard and the Creole Cowboys, Steve Riley and CJ Chenier put all of us fest-starved new Englanders in a party mood! The Creole Cowboys kicked it off with their hard driving Boozoo-style zydeco, and it's always fun to watch the ultra cool Classie Ballou on bass. Steve Riley was equally dazzling on fiddle and accordion, then invited some of the Hot Tamale horns up on stage for a few songs, including a great version of Fats Domino's "Be my Guest". CJ Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band were as good as ever, reunited with their old rubboard player, Clifford.
Every year when we first see the initial announcement in the Rhythm and Roots program, it's hard to get excited about something that seems so far off, when we are, after all, in the midst of one of the best festivals of the year. But when that weekend in February finally rolls around , it is so much fun to get together with all of our festival friends, some of whom we haven't seen since Rhythm and Roots. Everyone I talked to seemed so happy to be on the homestretch towards spring, looking forward to better days. I may not even know everyone's last name, or where they work or live, but when we are all dancing in the front row, grooving to Hot Tamale Baby for the thousandth time, "I feel like I'm home", (yeah you right)
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/570254311fGcaOA
* Nathan Williams, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Cha's
Monday, February 16, 2009
Free Your Mind
There's nothing like a festival to free your mind from the stresses of every day life. And when it comes in the middle of the doldrums of winter, when there's not much else going on, it can be just what's needed to lift your spirits. The annual Joe Val Bluegrass festival held at the Sheraton in Framingham this past weekend was a welcome little vacation not far from home. And without having to deal with camping and weather, you can really just enjoy the music and people at the fest, instead of having to worry about building a shelter from the storm. From the time we checked in late Friday afternoon we never even needed to venture outside for the next 48 hours, except to put our stuff in the car at checkout time. In between music and visiting with friends we got to enjoy a swim in the indoor pool, and a few trips to the fitness center including a session on the Wii, with virtual skiing, soccer, and hula hoop!
As far as the music presented on the stage, the Steep Canyon Rangers on Friday night were my favorite. I had seen them there before, but I kind of forgot how good the Steep Canyon Rangers were. They had some really good harmonies, and well crafted instrumental arrangements, with a healthy dose of showmanship to keep it interesting.
Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper heated things up on Saturday night in typical fashion, with Mike flailing away on the fiddle accompanied by a crew of top notch musicians, including a new young banjo player.
The closer for Saturday was the Kruger brothers, who finally took the stage after what seemed like a very long set up time. They started out with several of their trademark classical/acoustic /instrumental pieces including the usual romp through some movie theme songs.... Then they were joined by Adam Steffey on mandolin, and Bobby Hicks on fiddle, in the debut of the Kruger Brothers Bluegrass Project. These two veteran award winning musicians added a much more hard driving bluegrass dimension, which helped wake me up after nearly being lulled to sleep in the hot dry air of the crowded ballroom. And afterwards, there was much more foot-stomping bluegrass to be heard in the halls of the hotel, all night long.
Josh Williams on Sunday was an amazing guitar picker and singer with a sweet voice, whose playing seemed effortless. At such a young age, he is already a veteren of several bands, including Rhonda vVncent & the Rage, and has already established himself as an accomplished musician, recognized recently as IBMA guitar player of the year. Although I had to leave before the final act of the day, the much anticipated Dailey & Vincent (whom I hope to catch at Podunk later this year), I was glad for the chance to see Bobby Osbourne for the first time, a legend from days gone by. Opening with Jimmy Martin's Sunny Side of the Mountain, his strong and mournful voice was unmistakable.
This year's festival featured a new Showcase Stage in a separate room downstairs near the vendors, where several local bands played, including Back Eddy bluegrass band, who seem to be expanding in both sound and personnel. Another one I caught was Late Night Radio, a mix of bluegrass, swing and jazz. I was drawn in as soon as I hear them doing the Waybacks' Compadres of the old Sierra Madre. For some reason I'm always drawn to whatever is a little different at the festival, whatever stands out.
Speaking of standing out, I play accordion, and I go to bluegrass festivals, and sometimes I'll join in a jam, if I come across one that seems open to it. Usually, whenever I bring the accordion out at a bluegrass jam, like this weekend, people are surprised to see it, and will make comments like, "Wow, bluegrass accordion!" or "Hey, I have an accordion, but I never thought of playing bluegrass on it!". When I wrote the title of this post, Free your Mind, I was thinking of them. Bluegrass is one of the only kinds of music that I know of where the audience is made up of so many musicians who like to participate. I didn't even like bluegrass music too much until I had the chance to play it, although my first intro to playing bluegrass was not on an accordion, but on a borrowed stand-up bass. Because bluegrass festivals present the most opportunity for joining in a jam, and that is the instrument I play the most, I've learned to play bluegrass accordion. This is not something I've really set out to do, it has just sort of happened.
So why play bluegrass accordion? For one, the accordion does not have to be tuned, so it is always ready to go. I play a keyboard rather than a button style, so I can play along in any key. It's really fun to play bluegrass accordion because at times you can play the parts of guitar/ bass/ banjo/ mandolin and fiddle, all in one instrument, depending on the makeup of the jam. If there's no fiddle player, you can play fiddle tunes. If there is no bass player, you can play the bass part. It is very flexible.
For a bluegrass jam, I like to use a smaller 12-bass model because it is not as overpowering as a larger one, but I also play a 48 bass with different stops (tones). If there is a bass and some guitar players around, you don't have to play the bass side, . But if you do play the chords on the bass side, it can kind of mimic the guitar chords. Most of the songs are simple 3 chord structures and familiar tunes, and the bass side of an accordion has the 1-4-5 chords conveniently next to each other. The only thing you have to watch out for is that, in some of the larger jams, you may not be able to hear yourself, and you could easily be playing the wrong bass chords with your left hand, and it will mess up the person on your left, so its usually best to just use the right hand if it is a large group.
Some of the more traditional string bands do not always greet the arrival of a bluegrass accordion with open arms, but at a good size festival, you can just move on past them. If you come across a jam that has maybe one percussionist, like an egg-shaker or scrubboard player with good rhythm, that's usually a good sign it is an accordion friendly jam.
When you first get into a jam, chop along to the rhythm with the mandolin on the right hand side, fingering the chords and adding in a few fills here and there like a banjo. When it's your turn to take a break, play a little melody as a lead, like a fiddle. Single notes are fine, but mixing in some double and triple notes sounds better, like double and triple stops on the fiddle. The swingier and bluesier songs, and the old-time country tunes and ballads, lend themselves more easily to the accordion, but any mid-tempo 3-chord song can easily be played on the accordion. Throw in a few seventh notes or chords on the bluesy numbers. On a slow song, less is more. On all of them actually - while it is tempting to wail away on the accordion and it is easy to get carried away, you just have to be mindful of the whole group, and wait your turn. And I usually sit out the really fast, breakneck bluegrass songs like Foggy Mountain Breakdown, because they just sound better on banjo. And that's how you play bluegrass accordion. Or at least that's how I do it...it may be unorthodox, but it is fun.
As far as the music presented on the stage, the Steep Canyon Rangers on Friday night were my favorite. I had seen them there before, but I kind of forgot how good the Steep Canyon Rangers were. They had some really good harmonies, and well crafted instrumental arrangements, with a healthy dose of showmanship to keep it interesting.
Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper heated things up on Saturday night in typical fashion, with Mike flailing away on the fiddle accompanied by a crew of top notch musicians, including a new young banjo player.
The closer for Saturday was the Kruger brothers, who finally took the stage after what seemed like a very long set up time. They started out with several of their trademark classical/acoustic /instrumental pieces including the usual romp through some movie theme songs.... Then they were joined by Adam Steffey on mandolin, and Bobby Hicks on fiddle, in the debut of the Kruger Brothers Bluegrass Project. These two veteran award winning musicians added a much more hard driving bluegrass dimension, which helped wake me up after nearly being lulled to sleep in the hot dry air of the crowded ballroom. And afterwards, there was much more foot-stomping bluegrass to be heard in the halls of the hotel, all night long.
Josh Williams on Sunday was an amazing guitar picker and singer with a sweet voice, whose playing seemed effortless. At such a young age, he is already a veteren of several bands, including Rhonda vVncent & the Rage, and has already established himself as an accomplished musician, recognized recently as IBMA guitar player of the year. Although I had to leave before the final act of the day, the much anticipated Dailey & Vincent (whom I hope to catch at Podunk later this year), I was glad for the chance to see Bobby Osbourne for the first time, a legend from days gone by. Opening with Jimmy Martin's Sunny Side of the Mountain, his strong and mournful voice was unmistakable.
Bobby Osbourne
This year's festival featured a new Showcase Stage in a separate room downstairs near the vendors, where several local bands played, including Back Eddy bluegrass band, who seem to be expanding in both sound and personnel. Another one I caught was Late Night Radio, a mix of bluegrass, swing and jazz. I was drawn in as soon as I hear them doing the Waybacks' Compadres of the old Sierra Madre. For some reason I'm always drawn to whatever is a little different at the festival, whatever stands out.
Bluegrass Accordion
Speaking of standing out, I play accordion, and I go to bluegrass festivals, and sometimes I'll join in a jam, if I come across one that seems open to it. Usually, whenever I bring the accordion out at a bluegrass jam, like this weekend, people are surprised to see it, and will make comments like, "Wow, bluegrass accordion!" or "Hey, I have an accordion, but I never thought of playing bluegrass on it!". When I wrote the title of this post, Free your Mind, I was thinking of them. Bluegrass is one of the only kinds of music that I know of where the audience is made up of so many musicians who like to participate. I didn't even like bluegrass music too much until I had the chance to play it, although my first intro to playing bluegrass was not on an accordion, but on a borrowed stand-up bass. Because bluegrass festivals present the most opportunity for joining in a jam, and that is the instrument I play the most, I've learned to play bluegrass accordion. This is not something I've really set out to do, it has just sort of happened.
So why play bluegrass accordion? For one, the accordion does not have to be tuned, so it is always ready to go. I play a keyboard rather than a button style, so I can play along in any key. It's really fun to play bluegrass accordion because at times you can play the parts of guitar/ bass/ banjo/ mandolin and fiddle, all in one instrument, depending on the makeup of the jam. If there's no fiddle player, you can play fiddle tunes. If there is no bass player, you can play the bass part. It is very flexible.
For a bluegrass jam, I like to use a smaller 12-bass model because it is not as overpowering as a larger one, but I also play a 48 bass with different stops (tones). If there is a bass and some guitar players around, you don't have to play the bass side, . But if you do play the chords on the bass side, it can kind of mimic the guitar chords. Most of the songs are simple 3 chord structures and familiar tunes, and the bass side of an accordion has the 1-4-5 chords conveniently next to each other. The only thing you have to watch out for is that, in some of the larger jams, you may not be able to hear yourself, and you could easily be playing the wrong bass chords with your left hand, and it will mess up the person on your left, so its usually best to just use the right hand if it is a large group.
Some of the more traditional string bands do not always greet the arrival of a bluegrass accordion with open arms, but at a good size festival, you can just move on past them. If you come across a jam that has maybe one percussionist, like an egg-shaker or scrubboard player with good rhythm, that's usually a good sign it is an accordion friendly jam.
When you first get into a jam, chop along to the rhythm with the mandolin on the right hand side, fingering the chords and adding in a few fills here and there like a banjo. When it's your turn to take a break, play a little melody as a lead, like a fiddle. Single notes are fine, but mixing in some double and triple notes sounds better, like double and triple stops on the fiddle. The swingier and bluesier songs, and the old-time country tunes and ballads, lend themselves more easily to the accordion, but any mid-tempo 3-chord song can easily be played on the accordion. Throw in a few seventh notes or chords on the bluesy numbers. On a slow song, less is more. On all of them actually - while it is tempting to wail away on the accordion and it is easy to get carried away, you just have to be mindful of the whole group, and wait your turn. And I usually sit out the really fast, breakneck bluegrass songs like Foggy Mountain Breakdown, because they just sound better on banjo. And that's how you play bluegrass accordion. Or at least that's how I do it...it may be unorthodox, but it is fun.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Rhythm and Roots Stays Put
According to an article in the Providence Journal, the Rhythm and Roots festival will return to its present location at Ninigret Park in Charlestown, RI. This is good news, after it was reported last year that the festival may have to find a new location due to proposed changes in fees collected by the town. I can't think of a better spot for this annual end-of-summer bash than the wide open grassy fields of Ninigret park, with its on site swimming, playgrounds, plenty of room for camping, and proximity to ocean beaches. I wish I was there right now!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Snowed In
We're in the depths of a snowy New England winter and it looks like I've let my little blog here fall by the wayside. Partially because I didn't take a fall festival trip last year, and have been busy with other things, and its cold and dark and boring around here this time of year. But the sky is brightening in the late afternoon again, and there are a few festive happenings on the horizon that will help us get through the rest of the winter until the new festival season is in full swing again. Feb 7 is a Mardi Gras celebration in Woonsocket, RI, with a couple of zydeco bands, a dinner and masquerade. Although it is scaled back from the multi-venue event it has been in years past, it should still be a good time. More info can be found here: http://www.nrica.org/mardigras.html
The following weekend, Feb 13-15, is the Joe Val Bluegrass festival at the Sheraton in Framingham, MA. This is an indoor bluegrass festival complete with mainstage performances, picking parties, and music workshops. It's kind of like a conference for festival fans. See a review of last year's festival here
Feb 21 is the annual Mardi Gras Ball at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, in Cranston RI. Featuring 3 popular acts from Louisiana - Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, CJ Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band, and Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys - plus the Hot Tamale Brass Band from the Boston area, are scheduled to appear. Many fest-goers from Rhythm and Roots usually turn out and make it feel more like a night in the dance tent at that festival, than a one-night event in the middle of winter. As a warm-up to Saturday night's festivities, Sal's Productions is hosting their annual "Fat Friday Zydeco Frenzy" with Andre Thierry at the German Club in Pawtucket, which makes it feel even more like a festival weekend.
Maybe we can't have outdoor parades and carnivals this time of year up here in the frozen north, but we can look forward to these indoor festivals and events. Those will make February breeze right past, taking us into another fine festival season.
The following weekend, Feb 13-15, is the Joe Val Bluegrass festival at the Sheraton in Framingham, MA. This is an indoor bluegrass festival complete with mainstage performances, picking parties, and music workshops. It's kind of like a conference for festival fans. See a review of last year's festival here
Feb 21 is the annual Mardi Gras Ball at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, in Cranston RI. Featuring 3 popular acts from Louisiana - Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, CJ Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band, and Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys - plus the Hot Tamale Brass Band from the Boston area, are scheduled to appear. Many fest-goers from Rhythm and Roots usually turn out and make it feel more like a night in the dance tent at that festival, than a one-night event in the middle of winter. As a warm-up to Saturday night's festivities, Sal's Productions is hosting their annual "Fat Friday Zydeco Frenzy" with Andre Thierry at the German Club in Pawtucket, which makes it feel even more like a festival weekend.
Maybe we can't have outdoor parades and carnivals this time of year up here in the frozen north, but we can look forward to these indoor festivals and events. Those will make February breeze right past, taking us into another fine festival season.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Narrows Festival of the Arts
How cool is the Narrows Center for the Arts for bringing back Eric Lindell
to headline their annual Festival of the Arts last Sunday?
to headline their annual Festival of the Arts last Sunday?
Making his Fall River debut in February, Eric gave one of the best performances I've seen at the Narrows this year. Last Sunday, he played his soulful R&B and reggae-tinged good-time blues to a sun-drenched crowd, and we were all grooving to his funky NOLA beats in the streets below the Narrows center. In addition to Eric on guitar, with a bassist and drummer, Sunday's band had a double sax horn section, including ex-Iguana Derek Huston, who also sometimes plays with the Grandsons. That set was the perfect ending to a beautiful day that started early afternoon with Carrie Rodriguez, whom I had only seen previously as a duo with Chip Taylor. What I saw of Carrie's performance with her own band was quite different and really rocked. I hope to catch her again some time. After her set, I followed a dragon parade over to the children's area, which took on a Chinese theme, probably in a nod to the Beijing Olympics. Parasol dancers, drummers, and a lion dance in front of the Azorean arch, in the shadow of the Braga bridge beneath clear blue skies made for a colorful display.
When I went upstairs to check out the goings on inside the Narrows I found an exhibit of paintings by of Brian Fox. There were several celebrity portraits including one of Tom Brady, who looked much better in the painting than he did on the field that day. The season ending injury of #12 happened shortly after we arrived at the festival, which always seems to coincide with Patriots football opening day. This presents quite the dilemma for some, but luckily there are a couple of local watering holes nearby to keep up with the game.
The sunlight streaming through the huge windows highlighted recent renovations at the Narrows, including some new tables and chairs, and some much needed bathroom improvements. On the indoor stage, I saw Mark T. Small, a blues guitar player who does a lot with a little (just himself on an acoustic guitar) ...but he plays with much feeling. Also Jeremy Wallace trio, who played gruff-sounding old-time blues.
Back outside, there was some nice jewelry and artwork for sale, and some food vendors, like LePages seafood, and some chili and hotdogs. Plus Waterstreet Cafe, which is right there anyway, offered a menu of sandwiches and drinks. This was the 3rd year for the festival in its current location on the Taunton River near the Maritime Museum and Battleship Cove.
This one day festival given by the Narrows showcases what they do so well all year long and is a great end to the summer festival season, not to mention a cure for post-Rhythm and Roots blues. Packing up after Rhythm and Roots used to be more depressing, but now it's more like , "See you next week at the Narrows festival!" . This year's fest had a diverse lineup and was representative of the type of talent the Narrows brings in every week. The fall lineup is great! Some of the shows I'm looking forward to in the near future are Mose Allison, Justin Townes Earle, Los Straitjackets, the Iguanas, and the Subdudes and probably quite a few more. See you there!
Here's a link to the rest of my photos from the festival
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Taste of Pawtucket / Arts Festival Gala
Last Friday night was the gala / kickoff for the Pawtucket Arts festival, with music by Slippery Sneakers and Buckwheat Zydeco. But the real attraction to this event is the Taste of Pawtucket Food Festival, where dozens of the city's restaurants set up booths and offered samples of their wares included in the price of admission, which was $10 in advance, $15 at the door. This year's food fest was set up in the street, apart from the music, so there was much more room to stroll among the food booths (unlike last year when everything was crowded together). I didn't know there were so many restaurants in Pawtucket! Actually there was such a variety, everything from chains such as McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts, to RI based Chelo's, Spumoni's and other well known and not so well known establishments were represented. I had never heard of the "To Kalon" club, which offered one of the more inventive dishes, a roast pork with amaretto /sun-dried tomato cream sauce. There were Steak tips from East Ave Cafe, Ruben sandwiches from Local Hero Deli, Shrimp Alinha from Galito's Portuguese restaurant, Vietnamese noodles and spring rolls from Pho Horn, clam cakes and chowder from Chelo's, breads from Seven Stars bakery - the list goes on and on, and those are just the ones I tried. Bacchini's bakery was there with their delicious desserts, and so was Lila's cafe with their house-made ice cream in flavors such as strawberry rhubarb, peanut-butter hemp, coffee, green tea with lime, mango sorbet and more, some of them vegan. After all that it was tough to get out there and dance, but we made the effort. Slippery Sneakers sounded good, with the full band on stage, not the pared down winter version. Because it was the 10th anniversary of the festival, there were fireworks between bands. Buckwheat started late and had to end on time so it was an abbreviated set. He was in more of a reggae / funk mode than zydeco, and played some B3, when he could get it to work - they had some sound problems, so it was not the best performance of Buckwheat, but we still had a fun time, on the banks of the Blackstone River, behind the old Slater mill.
Pictures here....
Taste o’ Pawtucket / Arts Fest Gala
The Pawtucket Arts Festival continues next weekend with art and concerts in Slater Park, including the Stone Soup Folk Festival
Pictures here....
Taste o’ Pawtucket / Arts Fest Gala
The Pawtucket Arts Festival continues next weekend with art and concerts in Slater Park, including the Stone Soup Folk Festival
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