Town Mountain: “The Dead Session” (2015) CD Review

Twenty years after the death of Jerry Garcia and the end of the Grateful Dead, the music is still vibrant, moving and very much alive. And I just couldn’t be happier about it. It’s interesting to me how many groups are now finding within that music something they wish to say or express. I always thought there was a lot of heart in the Grateful Dead’s music, and that was one of the keys to its longevity. Well, you can certainly hear that in the excellent new CD from Town Mountain, The Dead Session.

The CD contains two songs, the first being “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo,” the opening track from the Grateful Dead’s 1973 studio release, Wake Of The Flood. It was written by Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia, and was one of those tunes that Jerry could really sink his teeth into vocally during live performances. Here “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo” becomes a sweet country tune, with some wonderful work on fiddle by Bobby Britt. I love Robert Greer’s vocals, which have kind of a natural, honest feel, which works so well with this tune. The line that always stuck out for me from this song is “I nailed a retread to my feet and prayed for better weather.” The band is clearly very comfortable with this material, the music feeling like it’s flowing from within them rather than something they’re attempting to imitate. You know? Basically, what I’m saying is it’s a damn good rendition, with a nice jam at the end.

The second song on this disc is not a Grateful Dead original, but rather a Johnny Cash tune that the Dead often covered. “Big River” is a song that Bob Weir sang lead on, and one that I recently saw him do with Dead & Company in Worcester, Massachusetts. Town Mountain kicks it off with the fiddle, and right away I’m on board. There is a sense of fun about this rendition. I love the way Robert Greer plays with the line “I met her accidentally in St. Paul, Minnesota,” a line that always makes me smile. Jesse Langlais’ work on banjo also makes me smile. Jack Deveraux joins the band on pedal steel on this track, a very nice addition.

CD Track List

1. Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo
2. Big River

Town Mountain is based in Asheville, North Caroline, and features Jesse Langlais on banjo and vocals, Robert Greer on guitar and vocals, Phil Barker on mandolin and vocals, Bobby Britt on fiddle, and Adam Chaffins on bass. Joining them for this release are Evan Martin on drums, Jon Stickley on bass and guitar, and Jack Deveraux on pedal steel.

The Dead Session was released on November 13, 2015. By the way, the cover art for this CD was done by Taylor Swope, who also designed one of the official posters for the recent Fare Thee Well series of shows, as well as the official poster for the Furthur 2009-2010 New Year’s show.

Rebecca Angel: “My Favorite Time Of The Year” (2015) CD Single Review

It’s that time of the year again, when the temperature begins to drop, the stores get crowded, and Christmas music seems to be played everywhere you go. Plenty of new Christmas CDs will be released in the next few weeks for those who just can’t get enough of the holiday tunes. Young vocalist Rebecca Angel’s new single, “My Favorite Time Of The Year,” should please those eager to get into the holiday spirit.

“My Favorite Time Of The Year” was written by Rebecca’s father, Dennis Angel, who plays flugelhorn on this track. And actually a different version of this song was released a few years ago by The Dennis Angel Band, that one also featuring a then-fifteen-year-old Rebecca Angel on vocals. That version was included on Smooth Jazz For The Holidays, which was released in 2011. I prefer this new version, which also features Jason Miles on keys, Gottfried Stoger on sax and flute, Christian Ver Halen on guitar, Brian Dunne on drums, Cyro Baptista on percussion and Emily Bindiger on backing vocals. It’s a bright, happy jazz-pop tune, which says basically what you expect it to, with lines like “My favorite time of the year/When love is everywhere/And all you gotta do/Is show someone you really care” and “You don’t need a reason/To enjoy the season” and “The season of giving/Makes life worth living.” It also features a nice smooth jazz instrumental section. (Is it just me, or does that brief “La la la” backing vocal bit remind you of the theme from Mystery Science Theater 3000?)

My Favorite Time Of The Year was released on October 22, 2015.

Hulaland: The Golden Age Of Hawaiian Music (2015) CD Box Set Review

Hulaland: The Golden Age Of Hawaiian Music is an incredible four-disc set of music from the 1920s to the present, containing more than a hundred tracks. But this set is not just great music. It is also a hardcover book celebrating Hawaiian pop culture, with information on the musicians and instruments (including a brief history of the ukulele), as well as tons of photos of album covers, sheet music covers and other delights. A lot of great stuff is packed into the book’s hundred pages. It’s clear a lot of love went into this package. You can completely immerse yourself in the Hawaiian pop culture with this box set. Enjoy!

Disc One: From Hollywood To Honolulu: Hawaii Goes Eclectic 1931-1957

The first disc contains music from the 1930s to the late 1950s, before Hawaii became the fiftieth state. This disc covers the early popularity of the music, and its influence on Hollywood. It opens with Louis Armstrong with Andy Iona And His Islanders performing the sweet and pretty “On A Little Bamboo Bridge.” It has that exotic yet familiar magical sound, music to transport you from your daily routine to that wonderful other relaxing and romantic realm. This recording is from 1936, and it’s followed by Tau Moe’s “Hula Blues,” a tasty instrumental track from 1953 with some excellent work on guitar. What I love about “Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula,” the following track, is the female backing vocals, with that great 1940s sound. I’d be shocked if they didn’t make you smile.

One of the wildest and most fun tracks on the first disc is Jo Stafford’s fast rendition of “Hawaiian War Chant,” with a great section of drums and horns. You probably know Jo Stafford most from her 1952 cover of “You Belong To Me.” This recording of “Hawaiian War Chant” is from the previous year. (By the way, for another fun rendition of this tune, check out the Sylvester Stallone episode of The Muppet Show.) This disc also includes Ethel Merman’s version of “Ukulele Lady.” “If you like a ukulele lady, ukulele lady like-a you/If you like to linger where it’s shady, ukulele lady linger too.” Wonderful! Also wonderful is Roy Smeck’s instrumental, “Crazy Uke.” Things go more in the country direction with Slim Whitman’s “Hawaiian Cowboy.” And yes, he yodels on this track. How could he avoid it?

This disc also includes some movie and cartoon excerpts. The first is from Hawaii Calls, a 1938 film starring Bobby Breen, Ned Sparks and Gloria Holden. It’s a cute moment about Hawaii and ukuleles (“There are too many ukulele players in the world now”). The second is an excerpt from Burns and Allen, which is followed by Gracie Allen performing “Honolulu” from the film of the same name. “Betty The Hula Dancer” is an excerpt from a Betty Boop cartoon.

The first disc ends the way it began, with a great track from Louis Armstrong. This time it’s “On A Coconut Island,” which was also recorded in 1936.

Disc Two: Splendor In The Grass: Tiki And Exotica 1958-1974

The second disc sort of picks up where the first left off, featuring music from the late 1950s through the mid-1970s, showing the popularity of island music in mainstream culture. In fact, it opens with the theme to the television series Hawaiian Eye, which starred Connie Stevens and Robert Conrad, and also includes the theme from Hawaii Five-O. The Hawaiian Eye theme is followed by Bobby Christian’s cool cover of Duke Ellington’s “Caravan.” And then, sticking in the jazz realm, we get Arthur Lyman’s 1960 recording of “Jungle Drums.” Interestingly, that’s followed by The Passions’ “Jungle Drums,” this time with vocals. The second disc also includes “Taboo,” a very cool instrumental track from The Ventures.

One of my favorite tracks on this disc is another instrumental, “Puka Paka” by Wout Steenhuis. It’s just a delightful tune. It’s followed by another great instrumental, “Garden Of Eden Pt. 1,” which is dominated by drums, which I appreciate. Another favorite is the strange and beautiful “Chant Of The Moon” by Robert Drasnin, a recording from 1959. Robert Drasnin also scored several films, including The Candy Snatchers, a movie I really like. Also included on this disc is Robert Drasnin’s “Tambuku,” also from 1959. Another favorite is Earl Grant’s “House Of Bamboo.”

This disc also includes several commercials, really showing the influence on popular culture. These include commercials for Coca-Cola (“Coca-Cola is the most popular drink in the islands because of how it tastes when you come in from the waves”), Newport menthol cigarettes, C&H Pure Cane Sugar (with children singing about sugar), and Hawaiian Delight.

Disc Three: Hawaiian Classics 1927-1940

The third disc then goes back to early material, presenting some great old recordings. It opens with “Honolulu Stomp,” a fun, loose instrumental tune from 1927 that has a something of a back-porch vibe to it. It’s followed by a cool, relaxed song titled “Hula Blues,” which has a line that is unintentionally amusing: “Fair land of flowers and golden showers.” Or maybe it was intentional? I don’t know – I still haven’t been to Hawaii. But now I’m more eager to go. “You wiggle, you giggle, you wiggle to the hula blues.” Okay!

One of my favorite tracks on the third disc is “Oua Oua” by Kanui and Lula. It is ridiculously enjoyable and fun. “Down In Waikiki” by Eddy’s Hawaiian Serenaders is also a total delight. I am also incredibly fond of “Mai Giyee (Don’t Give It All Away)” by Hoot Gibson And His Hawaiian Foursome, a recording from 1929. There is also a cool instrumental recording of “Sweet Georgia Brown” by Jim And Bob from 1933, with ukulele and guitar.

The third disc contains another version of “Hawaiian War Chant,” this one from Andy Iona And His Islanders. This 1934 recording is quite a bit different from the Jo Stafford version on the first disc, but is just as enjoyable. There are a few other tracks by Andy Iona And His Islanders, including “Naughty Hula Eyes” (a good, sweet tune, and perhaps my favorite title in this collection), “Minnehaha (Hawaiian Stomp)” and “Hawaii Sing To Me.”

Disc Four: Contemporary Hawaiian Classics: Hawaii Goes Eclectic 1925-1957

The fourth disc features recordings by Robert Armstrong, who also contributed the cover art for this box set. This disc opens with “Palakiko Blues” by Ken and Bob (that is, Ken Emerson and Robert Armstrong). This is a really wonderful instrumental track that was included on their Escape To Jazz Island album. Also from that album are the delightful “Shanghai Lil” and the catchy instrumental “Tiger Shark.” “The Cat’s Whiskers” by Robert Armstrong and Sourdough Slim is a lot of fun, and is mostly instrumental apart from some hooting and hollering (I could do without the stupid “meow” at the end however).

One of my favorites is “Yiddish Hula Boy (Becky, I Ain’t Coming Back)” by Janet Klein And The Parlor Boys (Robert Armstrong is a member of that group). As you might guess from its title, this song is a bit silly and a treat. “Give me a girl with a dress of shredded wheat/With a rope around her neck and doughnuts on her feet.” The Parlor Boys also do a really good version of “Honolulu Stomp.” The fourth disc concludes with Ken and Bob's rendition of “Hawaiian War Chant,” a perfect ending to this collection.

Hulaland: The Golden Age Of Hawaiian Music was released on October 30, 2015 through Rockbeat Records.

There are so many tracks, so rather than type them all, here is a photo of the back of the package:

Micky Dolenz and Peter Noone To Do Conversation Series In New York

I've been a fan of The Monkees since I was four years old, and in 1986 I saw my first Monkees concert. It was at Sullivan Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, and the lineup also included Herman's Hermits (as well as The Grass Roots and Gary Pucket And The Union Gap). Now Micky Dolenz of The Monkees and Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits are doing a special series of engagements in which they'll share stories about their careers. Three performances are scheduled, all in the New York area. I wish I could go. Here is the tour as it stands now:

• January 7, 2016 - The Space At Westbury, Westbury, NY - 8:00 p.m.
• January 8, 2016 - Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY - 8:00 p.m.
• January 9, 2016 - Memorial Auditorium, Montclair, NJ

Tickets for the 7th go on sale today. Tickets for the 8th go on sale tomorrow (I'm not sure when tickets for the 9th go on sale). I'm hoping they will decide to do some west coast performances, because I'm guessing this is going to be something special.

Dead & Company at Worcester Centrum, 11-10-15 Concert Review

"Peggy O"

It was at the Worcester Centrum that I saw my first Grateful Dead concert. April 7th, 1988. I’m not sure what happened during that three-night stand (April 7, 8, 9), but the Dead didn’t play that venue again (though I did see the Jerry Garcia Band there in 1991). Well, last night I returned to that venue to see the latest incarnation of the greatest live band that ever was. This configuration is called Dead & Company, and includes Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, along with John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti. The Centrum is now called DCU Center, but we’ll just ignore that. It will always be the Centrum as far as I’m concerned.

The band took the stage at 7:23 p.m., and opened with one of my favorites, “Cassidy.” The sound wasn’t loud enough, but we were at the very back of the room (there was only one row behind us), so that might have been a factor in the apparent lack of volume. The band stretched out right from the beginning, giving us a nice, long “Cassidy” jam. They followed that with “Row Jimmy,” with John Mayer on lead vocals. I had never heard him before, and I wasn’t all that impressed by his voice. It lacks that experience and heartache that always made Jerry Garcia’s voice so moving. Sure, Mayer is decades younger than the Grateful Dead members (and even younger than me), but Jerry had that quality even in his twenties. But whatever you say about Mayer's voice, the guy can certainly play guitar, no question.

Bob Weir sang lead on “Ramble On Rose,” which was one of the highlights of the first set, and included some cool stuff by Jeff Chimenti on keys. “Big River” was good, but nothing extraordinary, and my mind wandered a bit during a mellow “Peggy O,” but the “Sugaree” which followed was fantastic, starting off slow and sweet, then building into something powerful. That was the other first set highlight for me. The first set ended with “The Music Never Stopped,” which felt a bit messy at first. There was an added “Never stopped” vocal part near the end, and a really good jam, leaving us happy going into the set break.

The first set ended at 8:38 p.m., and I joined all the other guys in the line for the bathroom. From what I’d been reading, Dead & Company had been doing long set breaks (just as the Grateful Dead had done), so we figured we had at least forty-five minutes, maybe an hour. But my brother thought there might be a curfew at the Centrum, and so he wasn’t surprised when the band returned to the stage at 9:15 p.m., only thirty-seven minutes later – a short break by Dead standards.

The second set, as usual, was where most of the magic was. Interestingly, they opened with “Deal,” a song which usually closed the first set. And this was a lively, energetic version, particularly in the jam. Mayer was on lead vocals. It led right into a really nice “Uncle John’s Band,” with a surprisingly smooth transition. By the way, the sound was a lot better in the second set. During the set break, I’d been talking with the folks in front of me, one of whom really wanted to hear “Estimated Prophet,” one of her favorites. (I told her I wanted to hear “Ripple,” my all-time favorite song, and coincidentally the favorite song of the woman seated next to me on the plane as I write this – but more on “Ripple” later.) So when they started “Estimated,” we got excited. It’s nice to hear it right before flying back to California (“I know where to go”), though this version was a bit messy at times. Everything that followed it was wonderful, beginning with a really good “Terrapin Station.” John Mayer sang lead until “Inspiration,” when Bob Weir took over. By the way, Bob pronounces “cicadas” correctly, something which Jerry never did for some reason. “Terrapin” led into a phenomenal “Drums” segment, which had a Bo Diddley beat at one point that got the crowd clapping. Bassist Oteil Burbridge got behind Bill’s kit for most of “Drums,” keeping a great groove that kept us dancing for quite a while before things drifted into weirder territory.

“Space” was nice, and it led into the biggest surprise of the night, “Dear Prudence,” a song I don’t believe the Grateful Dead ever performed, but one which Jerry Garcia did at Jerry Garcia Band shows fairly often. This was such a treat, and it was one Dead & Company hadn’t played before. They followed that with another surprise, “Get Out Of My Life, Woman,” which is also one the Grateful Dead never did, but which Jerry Garcia Band did. John Mayer sang lead on this one, which was in tribute to its author, Allen Toussaint, who had died earlier in the day. They rounded out the second set with a very fun “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad.”

The second set ended at 10:46 p.m. It was an hour and thirty-one minutes, perhaps a bit short, but when the band came back out only like ninety seconds later for the encore, both Bob and John had acoustic guitars, and I got very excited, very hopeful. I know they’d played “Ripple” at one other show on this tour, and so it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility. I held my breath until the first notes of my favorite song were played, and then I shouted out and actually jumped. This was one of those magical moments, the reason I love going to see live music. I never got to see the Grateful Dead play this song, but I finally got to see a few members of the band do it, and it was wonderful. A perfect ending to a really good show.

The concert ended at 10:53 p.m., and we headed out into the light rain feeling damn good, and looking forward to the New Year’s Eve show.

Set List

Set I

1. Cassidy
2. Row Jimmy
3. Ramble On Rose
4. Big River
5. Peggy O
6. Sugaree
7. The Music Never Stopped

Set II

1. Deal >
2. Uncle John’s Band
3. Estimated Prophet >
4. Terrapin Station >
5. Drums >
6. Space >
7. Dear Prudence
8. Get Out Of My Life, Woman >
9. Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad 

Encore

1. Ripple

Here are a two more photos from the night (see how far back we were):

"Row Jimmy"

Just before the encore

November 2015 Concert Calendar

I started this blog to let people know about all the good music that's out there. And there's plenty. Here is a list of a few concerts you might be interested in for the month of November, 2015. Most of these are artists that I've reviewed. I will try to add to this calendar whenever I can throughout the month.

November 1, 2015  (Sunday)
Peter Case  -   Atwood's, Boston, MA  -  4:00 p.m.
Dave Davies  -   Ace Of Spades, Sacramento, CA
Dead And Company  -   Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Antje Duvekot  -   SPACE, Evanston, IL
Rebecca Loebe  -  The Brook, Southampton, UK
Heather Maloney  -  Don Quixote, Felton, CA
Yonder Mountain String Band  - Anthology, Rochester, NY

November 2, 2015  (Monday)
Kinky Friedman  -   Woodlands Tavern, Columbus, OH
Rebecca Loebe  -   The Bedford, London, UK

November 3, 3015  (Tuesday)
Dave Davies  -   The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA
Antje Duvekot  -   Club Cafe, Pittsburgh, PA
Kinky Friedman  -   Wilbert's, Cleveland, OH
Arlo Guthrie  -  Englert Theater, Iowa City, IA
Tom Paxton  -   Hugh's Room, Toronto, ON, Canada
Secret Someones  -  Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR

November 4, 2015  (Wednesday)
Peter Case  -   Rockwood Music Hall, New York, NY
Sinne Eeg  -   Stenungsund, Gothenborg, Sweden
Kinky Friedman  -   SPACE, Evanston, IL
Arlo Guthrie  -   Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines, IA
Heather Maloney  -   Room 5, Los Angeles, CA
Willie Nile  -   Club Cafe, Pittsburgh, PA
Secret Someones  -   Showbox At The Market, Seattle, WA
Yonder Mountain String Band  - The Intersection, Grand Rapids, MI

November 5, 2015  (Thursday)
Peter Case  -   IOTA Club, Arlington, VA
Dead And Company  -  Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Kinky Friedman  -   Off Broadway, St. Louis, MO
Chris Laterzo  -  Luna Red, San Luis Obispo, CA 
Rebecca Loebe  -   Coco Cafe And Sugar Lounge, West Sussex, UK
Marta Pacek  -  Bendigo Blues And Roots Festival, Bendigo VIC, Australia 
Tom Paxton  -   City Winery, Chicago, IL
Whitney Rose  -  Continental Club, Austin, TX
Keller Williams  -   Redstone Room, Davenport, IA

November 6, 2015  (Friday)
Peter Case  -   Natalie's, Columbus, OH
Dead And Company  -  Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
Sinne Eeg  -   Kalmar, Sweden
Antje Duvekot  -   Empire State Railway Museum, Phoenica, NY
Steve Forbert  -  Club Passim, Cambridge, MA -  8:00 p.m.
Kinky Friedman  -   Knuckleheads, Kansas City, MO
Tim Gearan Band  -  Atwood's Tavern,  Cambridge, MA  -  9:30 p.m.
Rebecca Loebe  -   House Concert, Bath, UK
Mandolin Orange  -  Ashland Coffee And Tea, Ashland, VA
Ellis Paul  -  Naked Soul at the Rubin Museum of Art, 150 West 17th Street, New York, NY  -  7:00 p.m.
Tom Paxton  -   The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI
Secret Someones  -   Knitting Factory, Spokane, WA
Bill Staines  -  Amazing Things Arts Center, Framingham, MA
Keller Williams  -   The Waiting Room, Omaha, NE

November 7, 2015  (Saturday)
Peter Case  -   Riverdog, Oberlin, OH
Antje Duvekot  -   Village Coffee House, New Gloucester, ME
Sinne Eeg  -  Karlshamn, Sweden
Chris Laterzo  -   A'Roma, Santa Rosa, CA
Heather Maloney  -   Buckhorn Opera House, Pinos Altos, NM
Mandolin Orange  -  J.E. Broyhill Civic Center, Lenoir, NC
Ellis Paul and Peter Mulvey  -  6 On The Square, 6 Lafayette Park, Oxford, NY  -  7:30 p.m.
Tom Paxton  -   Music Box Supper Club, Cleveland, OH
Secret Someones  -   Knitting Factory, Boise, ID
Susan Werner  -  Club Passim, Cambridge, MA  -  5:00 p.m.
Susan Werner  -  Club Passim, Cambridge, MA  -  8:00 p.m. 
The Whooligans  -   The Auld Dubliner, Long Beach, CA  -  10:00 p.m.
Keller Williams  -   DG's Tap House, Ames, IA
Yonder Mountain String Band  -  House Of Blues, Chicago, IL 

November 8, 2015  (Sunday)
Peter Case  -   Mountain Stage, Charleston, WV
Kinky Friedman  -   Mountain Stage, Charleston, WV
Arlo Guthrie  -  Old Town  School Of Folk Music, Chicago, IL
Rebecca Loebe  -   Glad Cafe, Glasgow, Scotland
Anne McCue  -   Moab Folk Festival, Moab, UT
Ellis Paul  -  Turning Point Cafe, 468 Piermont Ave, Piermont, NY  -  4:00 p.m.
Secret Someones  -   Knitting Factory, Reno, NV
Dar Williams  -  Moab Folk Festival, Moab, UT 

November 9, 2015  (Monday)
Peter Case  -   Club 603, Baltimore, MD
Kinky Friedman  -   Southgate House, Newport, KY
Rebecca Loebe  -    Sneaky Petes, Edinburgh, Scotland

November 10, 2015  (Tuesday)
Dead And Company  -  DCU Center, Worcester, MA
Kinky Friedman  -   Bluebird Cafe, Nashville, TN
Heather Maloney  -   Whistle Stop, Norman, OK
Curtis McMurtry  -  Continental Club Gallery, Austin, TX

November 11, 2015  (Wednesday)
Peter Case  -   Music City Roots, Nashville, TN
Rebecca Loebe  -    Landsdowne, Belfast, Ireland
Heather Maloney  -   Evangeline's, St. Louis, MO
Mandolin Orange  -  Sunflower, Belfast, IE
James McMurtry  -  One Eyed Jacks, New Orleans, LA 
Secret Someones  -  House Of Blues, Anaheim, CA 
Yonder Mountain String Band  -   Bearsville Theater, Woodstock, NY

November 12, 2015  (Thursday)
Peter Case  -   Dan's Silverleaf, Denton, TX
Gaelic Storm  -  Tractor Tavern, Seattle, WA
The Howlin' Brothers  -   The Stage, St. Louis, MO  -  7:30 p.m.
Heather Maloney  -   Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI
James McMurtry  -   The Merry Widow, Mobile, AL
Whitney Rose  -  Continental Club, Austin, TX 
Yonder Mountain String Band  - Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA

November 13, 2015  (Friday)
Peter Case  -   Blue Door, Oklahoma City, OK
Antje Duvekot  -    Milton Art Center, Milton, MA
Gaelic Storm  -   Admiral Theatre, Bremerton, WA
Tim Gearan Band  -  Atwood's Tavern,  Cambridge, MA  -  9:30 p.m.
Arlo Guthrie  -  The Zeiterion Performing Arts Center, New Bedford, MA 
Chris Laterzo  -   Hopmonk Tavern, Sonoma, CA
Mandolin Orange  -  Broadcast, Glasgow, UK
Curtis McMurtry  -  Dan's Silverleaf, Denton, TX
James McMurtry  -  Harbor Docks, Destin, FL
Mingo Fishtrap - Sam's Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson, San Antonio, TX 
Secret Someones  -  The Complex, Salt Lake City, UT
Wagons  -   Max Watts, Melbourne, Australia 

November 14, 2015  (Saturday)
Peter Case  -   White Water Tavern, Little Rock, AR
Antje Duvekot  -    Popolo (Windham Ballroom), Bellows Falls, VT
Steve Forbert  -  Courthouse Center For The Arts, West Kingston, RI
Gaelic Storm  -   Kirkland Performance Center, Kirkland, WA
Arlo Guthrie  -   Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY
Josh Lederman And The Cambridge-Somerville All Stars  -  The Plough And Stars, Cambridge, MA  -  4:00 p.m.
Mandolin Orange  -  Frodsham Conservative Club, Cheshire, UK
Anne McCue  -  The Factory Floor, Marrickville Sydney, Australia 
The Whooligans -  The Red Leprechaun, Long Beach, CA 

November 15, 2015  (Sunday)
David Bromberg  -  Old Town School Of Folk Music, Chicago, IL  -  4:00 p.m.
David Bromberg  -  Old Town School Of Folk Music, Chicago, IL  -  7:00 p.m.
Gaelic Storm  -   Aladdin Theater, Portland, OR
Mandolin Orange  -  The Tunnels, Bristol, UK
Ellis Paul - Kiva House Concerts, Billerica, MA - 4:00 p.m. 

November 16, 2015  (Monday)
Honey County  -  Hotel Cafe, Los Angeles, CA  -  9:00 p.m.

November 17, 2015  (Tuesday)
Peter Case  -   Mucky Duck, Houston, TX
Curtis McMurtry  -   Continental Club Gallery, Austin, TX
James McMurtry  -   The Revelry Room, Chattanooga, TN

November 18, 2015  (Wednesday)
Peter Case  -   Lee's College, Houston, TX
Steve Forbert  -  One Longfellow Square, Portland, ME
Gaelic Storm  -   Sweetwater Music Hall, Mill Valley, CA
The Howlin' Brothers  -   The Station Inn, Nashville, TN  -  9:00 p.m.
Anne McCue  -   Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley, Australia
James McMurtry  -   The Foundry, Athens, GA
Whitney Rose  -   Sportsmen's Tavern, Buffalo, NY

November 19, 2015  (Thursday)
Whitney Rose  -  Continental Club, Austin, TX 

November 20, 2015  (Friday)
Steve Forbert  -   The Linda, Albany, NY
Gaelic Storm  -   Chandler Center For The Arts, Chandler, AZ
Tim Gearan Band  -  Atwood's Tavern,  Cambridge, MA  -  9:30 p.m.
Heather Maloney  -  Me And Thee Coffeehouse, Marblehead, MA 
Ellis Paul  -  Stoltz Listening Room at the Avalon Theatre, 40 East Dover Street, Easton, MD  -  8:00 P.M.
Secret Someones  -   House Of Blues, Cleveland, OH

November 21, 2015  (Saturday)
Steve Forbert  -   The Towne Crier Cafe, Beacon, NY
Gaelic Storm  -   Rialto Theatre, Tucson, AZ
Aimee Mann  -  Sanders Theatre, Cambridge, MA
James McMurtry  - Sam's Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson, San Antonio, TX
Ellis Paul - Concerts at the Crossing, 268 Washington Crossing-Pennington Rd., Titusville, NJ - 7:30 p.m.
The Whooligans  -   The Auld Dubliner, Long Beach, CA - 10:00 p.m.  

November 22, 2015  (Sunday)
Steve Forbert  -   City Winery, New York, NY
Aimee Mann  -   Weinberg Center For The Arts, 20 West Patrick St., Frederick, MD
Ellis Paul  -  University Cafe, Stony Brook, NY - 2:00 p.m.
Sons Of The Never Wrong  -  Amazing Things Arts Center, Framingham, MA 

November 23, 2015  (Monday)

November 24, 2015  (Tuesday)
Jess Klein  -  Atwood's Tavern, Cambridge, MA
Secret Someones  -   Chameleon Club, Lancaster, PA

November 25, 2015  (Wednesday)
Secret Someones  -   Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ

November 26, 2015  (Thursday)
Whitney Rose  -  Continental Club, Austin, TX 

November 27, 2015  (Friday)
Slaid Cleaves  -  Sam's Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson, San Antonio, TX 
Tim Gearan Band  -  Atwood's Tavern, Cambridge, MA - 9:30 p.m.
Ellis Paul - The Altamont, 18 Church St, Asheville, NC - 8:00 p.m. 
Secret Someones  -  Upstate Concert Hall, Clifton Park, NY

November 28, 2015 (Saturday)
Kinky Friedman -  McCabe's, Santa Monica, CA
Arlo Guthrie  -   Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
Josh Lederman And The Cambridge-Somerville All Stars  -  The Plough And Stars, Cambridge, MA  -  4:00 p.m.
Ellis Paul  -  Eddie's Attic, 515-B North McDonough Street, Decatur, GA - 9:30 p.m.
Secret Someones  -   The Rapids Theatre, Niagara Falls, NY

November 29, 2015 (Sunday)
The Buzzcocks -  The Engine Shed, Lincoln, UK
Kinky Friedman -  McCabe's, Santa Monica, CA

November 30, 2015 (Monday)

Buck Owens: “Buck ‘Em! Volume Two: The Music Of Buck Owens (1967-1975)” (2015) CD Review

Two years ago Omnivore Recordings released Buck ‘Em! The Music Of Buck Owens (1955-1967), an excellent collection of fifty classic Buck Owens songs on two discs. It featured some rare recordings, but largely it contained the music that we usually think of when we think of Buck Owens. Now Omnivore Recordings is following up with Buck ‘Em! Volume Two: The Music Of Buck Owens (1967-1975), containing another fifty tracks on two discs. The music includes singles, album tracks, rare tracks, some live material, and some wonderful duets. For me, there are lots of delightful surprises here, with Buck Owens going in some directions I wasn’t really aware of before this. Here he covers a rock and roll tune, Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” does an original Halloween song, and does a country version of “The Cover Of Rolling Stone.” But there are, of course, plenty of classic country tunes in this collection as well. This two-disc set contains a booklet with excerpts from Buck ‘Em! The Autobiography Of Buck Owens, with details on some of the specific songs included in this set, as well as several photos.

The first disc opens with “Happy Times Are Here Again,” a peppy country number expressing joy about his woman arriving soon. “No more sleepless nights all alone/No more walking the floor ‘til dawn/Hugs and kisses from now on/Happy times are here again.” This song, along with “Sweet Rosie Jones” as its flip side, was released as a single in 1968. “Sweet Rosie Jones” is a sweeter, mellow tune. “And in her eyes I saw big trouble/Like the muddy waters down below.” Both of these songs also appeared on Buck Owens’ 1968 LP Sweet Rosie Jones. Also from that LP come “You’ll Never Miss The Water (Till The Well Runs Dry)” and “If I Had Three Wishes,” both of which Owens co-wrote with Don Rich. (The liner notes include a passage from the autobiography about Don Rich’s death from a motorcycle accident.) “If I Had Three Wishes” is a completely delightful, catchy tune. Check out these lines: “Wish I was a speckled trout a-swimming in a brook/And if you had a fishing pole, I’d jump up on your hook/Wish I was the evening star for everyone to see/I’d shine a little brighter every time you looked at me.”

The first real surprise of the album for me is “Things I Saw Happening At The Fountain On The Plaza When I Was Visiting Rome Or Amore,” an unexpected delight featuring some great work on guitar. This wonderful instrumental track was released as a single and also included on the LP The Guitar Player, and is one of my favorite tracks in this collection. It’s followed by an alternate version of “Darlin’, You Can Depend On Me,” a track that was previously unreleased in the United States. This is another great tune, the regular version appearing on “Tall Dark Stranger.” Another surprise for me is “Who’s Gonna Mow Your Grass,” which features some great fuzzy guitar by Don Rich. I love this country rock song.

Buck ‘Em! The Music Of Buck Owens (1955-1967) included “I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail,” one of Buck Owens’ most famous songs. And this second volume includes a live version of it recorded at the White House on September 9, 1968 (and included on the 1972 LP “Live” At The White House). There is also a live version of “I’ve Got You On My Mind Again,” recorded in London in 1969, another of my favorite tracks. Recorded at that same concert is Buck Owens’ rendition of “Johnny B. Goode,” which includes an introduction and features some excellent guitar-playing as well as a great groove on bass. This live recording was released as a single, and it’s talked about in the liner notes to this collection. Buck Owens also covers Simon And Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and Cousin Emmy’s “Ruby (Are You Mad).” I don’t think I’ve ever met a Ruby in my life, but I must have heard at least two dozen songs about women with that name. Where have all the Rubys gone? Well, this version of the bluegrass tune “Ruby (Are You Mad)” is really good.

The first disc includes a wonderful duet with Susan Raye on “We’re Gonna Get Together,” the title track from an album they put out in 1970. There is also a really good duet with Bettye Swann on “Today I Started Loving You Again,” an outtake that was previously unreleased in the United States. Also previously unreleased in the U.S. is this early version of “Down In New Orleans,” recorded in March of 1970.

One of my favorite tracks on the first disc is “I Wouldn’t Live In New York City (If They Gave Me The Whole Dang Town),” partly because I feel the same way about that city. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “Where everybody’s trying to live beyond their means/Where all the natives hurry and scurry to and fro/But like fleas on a puppy dog, they’ve got no place to go.” I thought this song included sound effects, which I don’t appreciate, but the vocals were actually recorded on the street, so all those sounds are part of that recording. The liner notes include a photo of Buck Owens recording the vocals.

The second disc opens with “Arms Full Of Empty,” a song that was released as a single and also as the title track to Buck Owens’ 1973 LP. It’s tough when a woman leaves, leading the man to get “Sick of dirty clothes and dirty dishes.” The title of “You Ain’t Gonna Have Ol’ Buck To Kick Around No More” is a reference to a line Richard Nixon uttered in 1962 during his so-called “last press conference,” a bit prematurely as it turned out. That sore loser would eventually be kicked out of the White House. “The last time was the last time/And this time it’s for sure/The next sound that you hear will be the slamming of the door/And you ain’t gonna have ol’ Buck to kick around no more.”

The line “When the love of your life turns into a waste of time” from “Something’s Wrong” is so depressing. I also love this line from “I Won’t Be Needing You”: “And when there’s nothing left of me, I won’t be needing you.” “I Won’t Be Needing You” was included on the 1973 LP Arms Full Of Empty, as was the following track, “It Never Will Be Over For Me.”

“Big Game Hunter” is a strange tune about an obsession with football leaving no time for anything else. It even has references to Batman and All In The Family: “Well, there ain’t gonna be no Batman and Robin take the place of the NFL/And for all I care old Archie Bunker can go right straight to/Well, what’s that you say/You made me miss a play/No, we’re not going to watch cartoons.” That song is followed by another silly tune, “(It’s A) Monster’s Holiday.” I’m excited to have a song to add to my Halloween play list. This song features lines like “Dracula was doing his stuff, breathing down my neck” and “There was screaming and moaning, wailing and groaning/Scary as a mummy’s curse/I said, good buddy, you may get me/But brother, let me tell you that you’re going to have to catch me first.” This disc also includes a goofy play on Shel Silverstein’s “The Cover Of Rolling Stone,” re-titled “On The Cover Of The Music City News,” with some new lyrics by Buck Owens and Jim Shaw. Lines like: “We got a big long bus with a driver named Gus/That shines our cowboy boots” and “And backstage ladies with furs and diamond rings.”  This is a live recording from Japan.

The second disc also includes a beautiful duet of “Somewhere Between You And Me” with Susan Raye, recorded live in New Zealand, as well a live recording of “Rollin’ In My Sweet Baby’s Arms,” a great fun bluegrass tune. This was recorded in April of 1974, and included on the album Live At The Sydney Opera House, and is another highlight. There are also two outtakes which were previously unreleased in the United States: “He Ain’t Been out Bowling With The Boys” and “A Different Kind Of Sad,” both recorded in the spring of 1975.

CD Track List

Disc One

1. Happy Times Are Here Again
2. Sweet Rosie Jones
3. Your Mother’s Prayer
4. You’ll Never Miss The Water (Till The Well Runs Dry)
5. If I Had Three Wishes
6. Let The World Keep On A Turnin’
7. Things I Saw Happening At The Fountain On The Plaza When I Was Visiting Rome Or Amore
8. Darlin’, You Can Depend On Me
9. I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail
10. Who’s Gonna Mow Your Grass
11. We’re Gonna Get Together
12. I’ve Got You On My Mind Again
13. Johnny B. Goode
14. Today I Started Loving You Again
15. Big In Vegas
16. Las Vegas Lament
17. The Kansas City Song
18. Down In New Orleans
19. Tall Dark Stranger
20. I Wouldn’t Live In New York City (If They Gave Me The Whole Dang Town)
21. Bridge Over Troubled Water
22. (I’m Goin’) Home
23. Ruby (Are You Mad)
24. Corn Likker
25. I’ll Still Be Waiting For You

Disc Two

1. Arms Full Of Empty
2. Ain’t It Amazing, Gracie
3. You Ain’t Gonna Have Ol’ Buck To Kick Around No More
4. I Love You So Much It Hurts
5. Something’s Wrong
6. In The Palm Of Your Hand
7. Streets Of Bakersfield
8. The Good Old Days (Are Here Again)
9. I Won’t Be Needing You
10. It Never Will Be Over For Me
11. Big Game Hunter
12. (It’s A) Monster’s Holiday
13. Stony Mountain West Virginia
14. Holdin’ On
15. On The Cover Of The Music City News
16. Made In Japan
17. Somewhere Between You And Me
18. Rollin’ In My Sweet Baby’s Arms
19. Great Expectations
20. 41st Street Lonely Hearts’ Club
21. Weekend Daddy
22. He Ain’t Been Out Bowling With The Boys
23. A Different Kind Of Sad
24. The Battle Of New Orleans
25. Country Singer’s Prayer 

Buck ‘Em! Volume Two: The Music Of Buck Owens (1967-1975) is scheduled to be released on November 13, 2015 through Omnivore Recordings.