Another "proud to be in Richmond" evening last Thursday as the 3rd Groovin' In The Garden concert of the season brought out another sellout crowd to the lawn for Medeski, Martin & Wood. This venerable trio of imaginative jazz players brought one of their fairly infrequent acoustic sets to the rose belvedere stage that began with John Medeski strumming the strings of his road-worn baby grand in beautiful autoharp-like chords. They cast a magical spell over the mellow, appreciative crowd, somewhat of a different vibe from previous week's offering of Dickey Betts & Great Southern. The Garden has something for everybody. Nice flowers too.
And last night, Old School Freight Train made tracks for their home station, Ashland Coffee & Tea for a snapshot of evolution as a band. The fifth man is still the rhythmically remarkable Robby Sinclair incorporating a sporty red Samsonite suitcase into his drum kit to great advantage. The guys were loose and comfortable, rolling out some fine new Pete Frostic tunes and giving some of their old favorites a fresh face. Their vocals and their instrumental prowess continue to grow in depth and sophistication. And for those who lament their move away from bluegrass, they even tossed a bone out for the finale, in "How Mountain Girls Can Love." OFST is ready to sign a new record deal and have a busy summer planned. Catch a ride if you can.
Richmond's four seasons always preceed themselves and this year's no exception, with the start of summer jumping the calendar by quite a few weeks. We have a had a fine spring overall, with enough rain and comfortable temperatures...I guess it's time for a good hot holiday weekend, especially as we anticipate putting the lid on the big quadricentennial with the Grucci fireworks show tonight over the river downtown. Can't miss that. And Memorial Day weekend also means it's almost time to head up the Old Blueridge Turnpike from Gordonsville to Syria for the 15th edition of the Graves Mountain Festival of Music. Haven't missed a one and if you haven't been yet, this might be a good year for at least a day trip, as all three days are stocked with great bluegrass talent (click here for lineup) not to mention the serene setting, the campground jams and the famous Graves family cooking. Hope to see a bunch of you up there.
And please find some time alone with your thoughts this weekend to reflect on the blessings we share in this country and on those who gave their all to make it possible. The sacrifice continues, and we can never be grateful enough.
1 comment:
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