On track...

Last night served to underline all the reasons I love to go to Ashland Coffee and Tea. Part of it is the same reason one likes to be home...the familiar surroundings, old friends and comfortable routine. I'll just have the pita chips and hummus this time and forego the panini. That way I can justify an extra ice cold Yuengling. As a place to enjoy the joyously organic process of making music, it really couldn't be much better...great acoustics and sound system with someone at the controls who knows what it's supposed to sound like (Brian Hoffa was subbing for George and was superb). And then you're treated to a front-table seat to soak up every lick, every tasty fill, each well-crafted lyric and harmony from a band like North Carolina's Steep Canyon Rangers, and well, you have cause to give thanks for your many blessings.

I'd seen this young band a few times before but getting them up close and personal last night was a real treat. Lead singer/guitarist Woody Platt has the stature, stage presence and pipes to hold down the fort with conviction especially with expert backing from Mike Guggino, their tenor/mando man and Graham Sharp on banjo who sings baritone and bass. Founding member Charles Humphrey handles the upright bass and is a delightfully wry and dry emcee. But the kid who lit up the room was fiddle whiz Nicky Sanders. His technical skills were put to good use on some dazzling breaks and a killer take on Bill Monroe's "Tennessee Blues." His spot-on sound effects for their hilarious homage to The Intimidator, "Feelin' Just A Little Like Dale," almost forced a lap or two under yellow. And the karma was right for their encore number "Orange Blossom Special" as the ten-thirty freight rumbled through right on cue. It's scary how often that kind of thing happens at our favorite music room. Glad it happened to one of our favorite bands...don't miss these guys next time.
They've figured out how to make the bluegrass purists and the younger, more adventurous fans happy at the same time...not an easy thing to accomplish.

Autumn starts at 5:51 in the morning...not a minute too soon...my favorite season.
Hope you enjoy it too...TT

In the thick of it...

I'll start this entry with a sincere apology for how long it's been since my last one...two weeks right? It's just been busier than usual, which is a good thing for someone self-employed like me, but a lot has slipped under the bridge that I should've posted. Like the compelling triple-play that happened right here on this very same night, which illustrates just how far we've come as a place for live music. Ashland Coffee & Tea presented the incomparable singer-songwriter Darrell Scott. Toad's Place featured the wild and wonderful Avett Brothers who shared the bill with the Seldom Scene at Groovin' in the Garden last May. Oh, and the Scene was back in town too, swingin' on the tracks at the Science Museum. All on the same dang night! Those difficult musical choices are becoming more frequent around here which is at once exciting and frustrating. So I ended up working the CD table for the Scene with Dudley Connell's new bride Sally, sold a bunch of their excellent and long-awaited studio album SCENEchronicity, visited with lots of old friends and made some new ones, ate one of David Napier's delicious barbecues on a hot dog bun and learned that Jim Napier (distant kin) has some exciting additions in the works for next year's Music for Massey Waybacks show.

All that after a delightful reception to celebrate the green light for Richmond's new performing arts facility Center Stage that was held at sunset on the 9th floor terrace of McGuire Woods' James Center headquarters. Jim Ukrop made brief remarks congratulating all involved in navigating the often rocky road that led to the project's approval. At its core is the much-missed Carpenter Center where extensive renovation and expansion are underway. Click here for a construction update.

I had a good chat with Venture Richmond's Jack Berry about life after the National Folk Festival pulls up stakes and heads to Butte, Montana in 2008. The good news is that sufficient backing to ensure that Richmond will be able to stage its own festival next year is nearly locked in. It will be held in late September and will have the same look, feel and diverse, world-music lineup that's made the National so successful here. The better news is that we still have one more NFF just a few short weeks away along the riverfront downtown, and with anything close to the perfect fall weather we enjoyed for the three days last year, the 69th National Folk Festival promises to be the best one yet. I can't urge you strongly enough to experience this singular cultural happening...it'll surely expand your musical horizons and make you very proud to call Richmond home.

The dance card's filling up, as we'll see more than a few of you I hope at AC&T tomorrow night as North Carolina's tasteful and talented bluegrass band The Steep Canyon Rangers cross the state line once again. These guys represent all that's good about where the music is these days with solid instrumental prowess, tight harmonies and great material. A year ago they were voted the IBMA's Emerging Artists of the Year despite stiff competion. Join us tomorrow and hear how much they've emerged since then. This year's World of Bluegrass trade show along with the 2007 IBMA Awards and FanFest are set for the first week in October and I hope to be doing regular posts from Nashville. As I mentioned earlier, someone had the brilliant idea of asking Sam Bush to host the Awards Show this year, which should liven things up quite a bit while giving all the winners their due. If you're an XM subscriber, they'll be carrying the proceedings live on Track 14 Thursday night, October 4th. It'll be well worth tuning in.

A week from tonight we'll be getting our first look at Charlottesville's new John Paul Jones Arena which I've heard such good things about. It'll also be my first time to witness the mythic presence of Bob Dylan in concert. And as if that's not enough reason to spend an hour on I-64 West, how about a solo Elvis Costello performance for good measure. I'll confess to not having been a big follower of Costello's career, but after being held captive to his moving lyrics and stage presence at MerleFest in April, I don't know which legend I'm anticipating most. I'll get back to you on that.

Our own Robbin Thompson makes one of his infrequent local appearances at AC&T on Friday night, the 28th. Robbin's looking forward to another major life experience as he ventures to Cambodia in November to perform and record one of his own tunes as a theme for an international initiative to fight human trafficking. He'll tell you how this all came about...it's a pretty amazing story. Robbin's one of our JAMinc board members and we've set two more of our studio concerts at In Your Ear this fall: Mike Lille on October 25th and Jake Armerding on November 9th. More later.

A hearty congrats to Page Wilson who celebrates his 11th anniversary hosting the Out O' The Blue Radio Revue on WCVE-FM on Saturday, September 29th. And he'll do it in style, performing with Reckless Abandon and the Richmond Symphony, now celebrating its 50th anniversary, in a live Out O' The Blue Orchestral Revue at the Landmark Theater with special guests Billy Ray Hatley & The Showdogs along with Piedmont Souprize featuring Charles and Sara Arthur. It's very cool to see all these folks on stage together and hear how much common musical ground they find, but if you can't be there, it'll be on the radio...at 8pm as always. Go Page.

I'll close with a brief medical report on two of our favorite singer/bass players. The incredibly indestructable Billy Lux had some pretty intense back surgery back in mid-August to address some pretty intense pain he's been bravely living with for years. So a month's gone by and he's already out of his brace and even embracing Lucille again. As testament to Doc Simpson and modern medicine, look and listen for Billy on stage with Page at the Landmark a week from Saturday.

And shortly after his Ashland gig a few weeks back, John Cowan checked himself into Baptist Hospital in Nashville experiencing chest pain. They found a blocked coronary artery that was successfully opened with placement of a stent. That happened on Monday, the 10th. He spent a few days in the CCU and was due out of there the following Friday. Prognosis is good and having talked with him in the hospital, I know he's very grateful to have weathered this without having to endure bypass surgery or worse. He hopes to be back on the road by month's end. We sure hope he is too.

You boys rest well...we need you.

TT