What a week...

Another apology for the silence over the last week or so but let me try to bring things up to date after a pretty good stretch of stuff worth sharing. A week ago tonight D & I had an unusually late night after watching Katie McCall nail her role as a liberal-arts college dean dealing with racism at The Firehouse Theatre. Katie's a fellow voice talent in town and it was our first time seeing her on stage and she owned it. Energized, we'd heard that Richmond's amazing James Brown Tribute Band, The Big Payback was playing that night in Bogart's Back Room so to Lombardy we went and we ended up helping close up at 2am. The BP is a ten-piece churning urn of burning funk led by vocalist Kelli Strawbridge that serves up an incredibly authentic and true list of The Godfather's tunes, familiar and non-, big and brassy, with a vise-like hold on James' signature rhythm. I saw Soul Brother Number One at the National Guard Armory in Staunton when I was in high school and it's so cool that his unforgettable energy and presence can still be experienced right here at home. Don't miss these guys next time they fire it up. Only negative is seeing so many young folks smoking at Bogart's and having to smell like you do when you get home.

The next day we set up for our JAMinc/In Your Ear studio concert with Colorado's Mike Lille. Mike spent some time around here before making the move to Nashville and then farther west.
As always, the CD's can't really prepare you for how good an artist can sound in that intimate, acoustically pristine setting and Mike did not disappoint...his talent as a tunesmith, warm resonant vocalist and ever so tasteful guitarist matched his formidable 6 foot 6 frame. His pal Robbin Thompson joined him for a couple of songs they'd co-written and it was a treat. If you missed it, at least we have a gorgeous 5.1 surround sound recording of the whole thing we hope to get out one day. Thanks to Carlos Chafin and Jan Williams for that. Mike wore his size-16 Chuck Taylor-style clown shoes for his in-school performance the next morning at Mary Munford Elementary. He was a big hit...literally.

Robbin's off to Cambodia on a major life adventure...we'll keep you posted. Our next IYE show is on Friday, November 9th and features another great singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, Jake Armerding. All we can say about these JAMinc house-style concerts is, trust us. They're worth your time and a few bucks. Click here for reservations to Jake's concert.

A lot of love goes out to the fabulous Farr Brothers who threw together another big musical feedbag for the fortunate few who had directions to the Powhatan hideout last Saturday. A very special surprise this year was an opening set by the always outstanding Honky Tonk Experience with big Brad Spivey. Multiple servings of the world's best hors d'oeuvre, The Big Boss Combo, and a magnificent moon-lit October evening sealed the deal. We're not worthy.

Tuesday night, my clandestine date Valerie Plame and I ventured downtown to Toad's Place for Style Weekly's 25th anniversary soiree and if I were a name dropper, this would be a very long journal entry. My evening's highlight though was getting to welcome Daniel Clarke back home from his big tour with Mandy Moore only to learn that 2008 will find him all over the planet as keyboardist/vocalist with none other than k d lang! The boy's hot. And he so deserves it. Daniel will be doing some Modern Groove Syndicate and other gigs around here in the next few months, so be watching.

So have you made your decision between Ricky Skaggs at Toad's and Meyer, Bush & Douglas at UofR on Saturday night? I finally have...we'll compare notes next week. Hope you survived Halloween. Enjoy this dreamy weather...TT

In Good Keeping...

Before the National Folk Festival becomes an all too distant memory, I want to acknowledge and acquaint you with the wonderful new book by Virginia folklorist Jon Lohman. It's entitled In Good Keeping and it celebrates the first five years of the Master/Apprentice program sponsored by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. It "pairs an experienced master artist with an eager apprentice for a one-on-one, nine month learning experience, in order to help ensure that a particular art form is passed on in ways that are conscious of history and faithful to tradition." At the Folk Festival just past, the traditional area around Tredegar featured performances, demonstrations and workshops by all this year's teacher/student partners ranging from all sorts of musical instrument building (and playing) to brewing up the definitive kettle of Brunswick Stew, to properly pinstriping a stylish pink sedan.

I spent an inspiring day on Friday taking master steel drum builder and player Elton Williams (above) and his apprentice Earl Sawyer to school appearances at Henderson Middle and Woodville Elementary. Mr. Williams brought his craft to tidewater Virginia from Trinidad where it originated, and it was fascinating to learn how the quest for musical self-expression meant countless hours pounding or "sinking" an oil drum into a fully chromatic, two-octave musical instrument (correctly called a steelpan) that instantly evokes island breezes. Jon Lohman has not only gathered these masterful mentors for the past five years, he has told their varied stories eloquently in this book, illustrated by Morgan Miller's rich photography. For those who found the most compelling component of this year's festival in the Virginia Folklife area around the New Market Stage, you'll want a copy of this book. For those who spent most of their time on Brown's Island, you'll want a copy too, to find out what you missed. Order yours here. And a grateful nod to Jon for all he's done to promote and preserve some of our Commonwealth's most worthy treasures.

Our next JAMinc/In Your Ear Concert is coming up this Thursday evening and features worldly-wise singer/guitarist Mike Lille (like the flower) in an intimate performance in IYE's acoustically and aesthetically perfect Studio A. Everyone's invited to bring a covered dish/snack of some sort (even if it's just a small KFC) and a favorite beverage and enjoy the hour pre-show social. That starts at 6:30. Our goal in presenting these "house" type concerts is to bring artists to town who our group feels are worthy of your ear. Maybe you've never heard of Mike Lille, or Jake Armerding (our next guest on November 9th) but we have a hunch you'll like them and probably like them a whole lot. So head to our Website, click on "Events", read up on what makes Mike tick and reserve yourself a seat. We'd love to have you.

And if we weren't headed for the woodsy wilds of Powhatan Saturday night for some serious home-made music and well-marinated meats, we'd be with Kay & George at Ashland Coffee & Tea for an increasingly rare appearance by Old School Freight Train. I hope someone will report back to me on how far down the tracks these talented guys are these days...it's been too long.

Pray for rain, here and especially in southern California...TT

Come and Gone...

Richmond's three years as host to the National Folk Festival are now a glowing memory. Those of you who witnessed some part of it, and especially those who were involved in making it happen are no doubt pleased with how things turned out, and that's likely an understatement. It's truly a great achievement that something as uplifting and down-to-earth important as this made such a postive impact on our community, rising above the familiar cynicism and lines that divide us. I hope you spent at least a few sun-washed or star-struck hours on our stunning riverfront and were entertained and inspired by the artistry you witnessed, knowing the years of dedication and hard work that prefaced each wonderful performance.

The only regret one could reasonably take from such an experience is that we were always missing something worth seeing or hearing. Too many choices, too many things to learn, too many ways to find fulfillment. For me, it was the breathtaking common ground found by dancers Jason Samuels Smith and Pancrit Chitresh Das...the dusty western swing kicked up by fiddler Elana James and bassist Jake Erwin, and the deep emotional impact of a mortal angel named Maggie Ingram who at last found the long-overdue adulation of her own hometown. A lump grows in my throat just thinking about them and their purely and powerfully expressed faith. If you were there, you had your own special moments, I know. Those of us who were invested in the planning and execution of NFF 07 are surely dealing with mixed emotions, glad to take a deep breath but wistful that it'll be another whole year before the next one. And there will be a next one, with a new name but with the same focus on the brilliance and diversity of human creativity in whatever form it may take.

As a team leader for the last three years, I'd like to express my deep gratitude to the artist buddies, all 38 of you, who made sure everyone was where they needed to be at the right time, and were such good ambassadors for our city. Your contribution can't be overstated. And a hearty high five to Wheeler Wood and Elizabeth Roark who had the stressful task of jockeying the shuttle buses between the hotel and the festival stages against impossible odds, and they never got to enjoy a single moment on site. Thanks to Josh, Danna, Becki, Mike and Dennis of the National Council for the Traditional Arts who brought their experience and savvy to our city and showed us how to think big and pull it off. Thank goodness you'll still be around to hold our hand as we strike out on our own in 2008. Kudos to festival manger Stephen Lecky for extreme grace under fire.

And finally, a slightly self-serving salute to my fellow JAMinc partners who put seven NFF artists and groups into 14 public and private schools last Friday and who set up four up-close and personal encounters in the Festival's Family Area Saturday and Sunday with the likes of Todd Hallawell and Robin Kessinger, The Sargent Family, The Company Store and Frank Coleman & Chris Fuller. You guys were great. So as they say, all good things must come to an end, but at least for this happy happening, it's only temporary. The wheels are already turning to bring it all back in the fall of next year...new name...same heady experience. It'll be here before we know it. Spread the word...it's the best thing that we've done. And with your help, it's here to stay.

TT

A tough act to follow...

So the group that captured the lion's share of buzz at last year's National Folk Festival here in town was AltaiKai, the other-worldly Siberian throat singers. Who will it be this year? There are many contenders as we anticipate another perfect weekend of fall weather and more people the capital city's seen for a single event save the Nextel Cup. This is the last year the National graces Richmond...in 2008 it's off to higher, dryer Butte, Montana. But this time next year, the Richmond Folk Festival will take root and grow with lessons learned and fresh ideas combined. Please don't miss this opportunity to take in at least some of the sights and sounds of this three-day cultural extravaganza...it's absolutely free and I promise you'll be very proud something this big and this good could happen in your hometown.

The NFF Website is extensive and a highly-recommended primer to learn what acts you'd be interested in, but be open to surprises as the weekend holds many. The Virginia Folk Life area this year focuses on the remarkable master/apprentice program in diverse pursuits covering instrument making, hot-rod building, snake cane carving and country ham curing And do come hungry..the food vendor list is extensive with far more exotic fare than funnel cakes and corn dogs.

Our JAMinc group will be taking a number of artists and performers into Richmond public and private schools on Friday, including Piedmont blues duo Cephas & Wiggins/, the Kotchegna Dance Company and Punch & Judy puppeteer John Styles. And JAMinc is partnering again with the Children's Museum of Richmond to sponsor local artists The Company Store, The Sargent Family, Frank Coleman & Chris Fuller and Todd Hallawell & Robin Kessinger to give informal workshop performances in the Family Area. Something for kids of all ages. Hope to see you on-site sometime over the weekend...I'll have on a purple t-shirt.

And an advisory to fans of Adrienne Young, one of the freshest, most earnest singer/songwriters out there: she'll be at The Loft in Fredericksburg Thursday (tonight) for a concert benefitting the Spotsylvania supervisor candidate Tom Beals. Nice to have that kind of artistic support. Tom and his brother Jonas are better known around here as the promoters for Lewis Ginter's deligtful and varied Groovin' In The Garden series. Are you sure you want to get into politics Tom? My bride and I will be voting with our cover/contributions.

See you there or along the river this weekend...TT

Loose ends...

Making the most of one's precious time in the midst of the musical whirlwind that is the IBMA's annual Nashville gathering is challenging enough...sorting through the memories, the countless experiential snapshots is even tougher. If you're a fan of the music, it should be a destination, and if not next year, when? Words are too hard to come by after the long ride home, so a few visual highlights will have to be my retrospective, like the above shot of Father Earl at a surprise FanFest appearance Friday night. If you want more, just shoot me a post: mail@timtimberlake.com.

The Morning After...

The 18th IBMA Awards are history now and it was an exhilarating evening at the Opry House for many of the nominees who likely thought their chances were slim. It was a night for sentimental favorites, for influential artists who no doubt thought they might never see another crystal obelisk again. And for newcomers who were genuinely and pleasantly surprised that their time had already come. You can see all the victors listed here but I have to enthusiastically mention a few.

Tony Rice, Tony Trischka and Sam Bush, beloved masters of their respective instruments took their categories. Dale Ann Bradley finally claimed the Female Vocalist prize she'd earned long ago. And the cool and courageous Bradley Walker, who's stolen the hearts of fans everywhere over the last few years, stole the prestigious Male Vocalist of the Year trophy on his first try. It was also a big night for those Infamous Stringdusters who were voted Emerging Artists and also saw Fork In The Road win Song Of The Year and share Album Of The Year honors with J.D. Crowe and Lefty's Old Guitar. A rare tie.

The Grascals made it two in a row as Entertainers of the Year, Doyle Lawson added another car to his gospel train and also extended his six-year run as Vocal Group Of The Year. Rob Ickes brought his total of Dobro wins to an astounding nine and Missy Raines won her seventh upright bass title. Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper wrested the Instrumental Group title away from eight-time winners, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder. And he doubled his pleasure by capturing the distinction of Fiddle Player Of The Year.

Earlier in the day, Mike Auldridge or "Larry The Legend" from his Seldom Scene days was presented with a special Distinguished Service Award as a ruler of the resophonic. Chris Jones, already a successful bluegrass bandleader became Broadcaster Of The Year and Mark Newton's Hillbilly Hemingway scored a win for Don Bailey for Best Graphic Design. And congrats to John Lawless (remember when he played banjo for the Heights of Grass?) and Brance Gillihan for their Bluegrass Blog which has become a daily source of industry news...they became Print Media Persons Of The Year.

So as the celebrations continue down the hall at the Sugar Hill suite, I'd better fold my hand and get some z's to be fresh for my opening shift as FanFest emcee Friday morning...I get to bring on Cadillac Sky who continue to win my admiration for their dynamic energy and powerful songcrafting. And young mandolin whiz Sierra Hull too...she's really grown up.

Night all...TT

Bluegrass ant hill...

That's the way Tim O'Brien described the International Bluegrass Music Association's annual gathering when it was held along the Ohio River in Louisville in the documentary Bluegrass Journey from 2003. (highly recommended). We outgrew the funky old Galt House, our host hotel, so for the past three years we've been here in Nashville, which by most accounts gave birth to bluegrass in 1945 when Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys, then comprised of Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Chubby Wise and Cedric Rainwater gave bluegrass music its defining identity in performance at the Ryman Auditorium. The IBMA World of Bluegrass is a full week of all day and all night jam sessions, seminars for producers, record labels and artists, showcases for new bands and festival promoters...pretty much a full convergence of nearly everyone involved in the industry, culminating in the 3-day indoor FanFest featuring 60 of the genre's best bands all performing gratis to benefit the IBMA Foundation. The phone photo above was taken on the 21st floor of the Renaissance Nashville, the host hotel, where Mountain Heart did a 3o-minute unamplified performance for a fortunate few. Clay Hess has replaced Clay Jones on lead guitar by the way, and rumor has it that Adam Steffey will depart MH in '08 to join former Union Station bandmate Dan Tyminski on the road as Alison takes a year off. So we're off and running on a week that offers an unparalleled opportunity to absorb an overwhelming quantity of quality music and commune with the folks who make it. The focal point is the annual awards show now held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Opryland where the industry honors its best work or at least the most popular. The proceedings will be carried live at 9pm on XM Satellite Radio and results posted immediately on The Bluegrass Blog. I've never tried this before, except when filling out my ballot every year, but I'm going to take a stab at making some picks in the bigger categories, just for the heck of it. I'll be ready for a slice of humble pie in the wee hours of Friday morning.
Anyway, here goes:

Emerging Artist: Bradley Walker will be tough to beat...he's had a big year, but the buzz and votes will go to The Infamous Stringdusters.
Male Vocalist: A highly competitive category, but I have a hunch that young Bradley Walker will walk away with it this year.
Female Vocalist: I'd love to see Dale Ann Bradley get her due, but it's probably Rhonda's...again.
Vocal Group: It's a long shot but Doyle's well-deserved string might be broken this year by The Isaacs.
Instrumental Group: Skaggs & Company will most likely extend their ownership of this category but it's time to recognize Alison and Union Station for the pure elegance of their playing.
Song: (to the writer) It'll either be "The Last Suit You Wear" done by Larry Sparks and written by Larry Shell, Larry Williams and Kim Williams or "Fork In The Road" from the Stringdusters, written by Chris Jones & John Pennell...my guess is the latter. It should have been "Born Lonesome," Cadillac Sky's powerful piece penned by their own Bryan Simpson. Not even nominated.
Album: The Dusters' momentum might push them up the Opry steps to grab this one too for Fork In The Road but the safe bet would be Sparks' The Last Suit You Wear.
Recorded Event: Despite the highly-touted Skaggs/Hornsby collaboration, I'm going with Tony Trischka's Double Bluegrass Banjo Spectacular.

Guitar Player: I think it's Tony's turn again, especially in the wake of his moving tribute tour with AKUS.

Banjo Player: Crowe, Shelor and Mills are multiple past winners. Cia Cherryholmes likely won't win with her first nomination, so Tony Trischka should be recognized for his influence and imagination.
Mandolin Player: Except for Doyle Lawson, all the nominees are past winners and all are worthy, but let's reward the Award Show's host Sam Bush for his singular style and for keeping the music fresh for all these years.
Dobro Player: Jerry Douglas and Rob Ickes have each won this like eight times, Phil Ledbetter once. That's it. Only three winners ever. Mike Auldridge will receive a Distinguished Service Award at the special Thursday luncheon. He should win that night too. Hands down.

Bass Player: Union Station's Barry Bales hasn't won before...it's time.
Entertainer Of The Year: Doyle's never taken the big one before so this could be his year unless Cherryholmes takes it back from the Grascals.

Tune in on XM and keep score...having King Sammy in charge should make it one of the best shows ever. Good morning from Nashburg...TT

Twin Bill

I'll begin a look back at two big shows from the past week with a disclaimer: it's a phone camera. It's not unusual to be prohibited from having or using a camera in a concert, but you can ususally grab a shot with your phone, which is what I'm doing occasionally now just to have something to show you. Obviously the quality's not up to snuff but it's something. And I think I risked confiscation to grab the above shot in Charlottesville's deluxe new venue, the John Paul Jones Arena at UVA. It was our first time there and our first time to witness a performance by the durable Bob Dylan. I've seen the Beatles and the Stones live but I missed a chance to see Elvis when he was here in the 70's and have always regretted it. So seeing Dylan was a must, especially since I got to see Elvis too!

I'll admit I've never been a serious Dylan disciple...I liked his sixties stuff..."Like A Rolling Stone," "I Want You," "Just Like A Woman" and I enjoyed his latest somewhat mushy pop outing, Modern Times. Most of the material in between got past me, but you can't deny his influence and impact on our music and our culture. He cut quite a figure as he strode out to a retro-intro delivered by an invisible emcee, dressed in a Spanish-style dark suit with white collar and cuff accents and a powder-gray gaucho hat. His veteran six-piece band wore matching gray suits and black fedoras and provided a perfect visual and musical backdrop to the poet's 90-minute set. It would be a stretch to call the former Mr. Zimmerman a singer, especially since his trademark rasp is now delivered in short, stacatto bursts that left me wishing for lyric sheets. I did better with the more familiar ones like "Don't Think Twice," "Tangled Up In Blue" and his closer "All Along The Watchtower" which of course ended up as Jimi Hendrix' biggest hit back in '68. And Bob Dylan continues to let the music do the talking as the only words spoken during his set were "Hello friends" and a spare intro of his bandmates.

It may reveal some lack of depth on my part, but for my music money, the goods came early in the "opening" performances by r&b sensation Amos Lee and the charmingly unplugged Elvis Costello. First Amos Lee...we'd been told by a friend's daughter that he was worth the price of admission alone and she was right. Amazing voice, great material and one of the tightest bands you could ever hope to hear. His keyboard guy Michael Bellar had his rig sounding like a big, fat Hammond B-3 with Leslie and he just nailed it. Amos closed with an inspired rendering of Sam Cooke's anthemic "A Change Gonna Come," and it brought the house down.

After a brief intermission, Costello, bristling with energy and charisma, let forth with a non-stop, all-too-short set of his thought-provoking, well-crafted songs including "Alison," and "(The Angels Want To Wear My) Red Shoes." Armed only with his vintage Gibson dreadnought, Elvis revealed something I discovered during his well-received performance at MerleFest earlier this year...this guy can sing. With pitch and power. A fitting vehicle for his potent lyrics. The only disappointment was when he mentioned that his singing wife and their new twin boys were hangin' backstage, not saying she was none other than jazz stylist Diana Krall. Having her join him for just one number would have been a treat. Has anyone seen them perform together?
So the new home of the Hoos doubles well as a venue for music...the sound was terrific. We sprung for an extra twenty bucks for on-site parking and it was worth it; in and out via Rt. 29 was a breeze and we got a spot right next to the building. But the popcorn was chewy.

48 hours later we hit the Fan for the third Out O' The Blue Orchestral Revue, an occasional collaboration between Richmond troubador and radio host Page Wilson and the Richmond Symphony. These wonderful outings aired live on WCVE 88.9 FM have been a thrill for fans and friends of Page and his Reckless Abandon bandmates Jay Gillespie, Jim Skelding, Charles Arthur, Chris Fuller and Billy Lux. Hearing our ol' pickin' pals up there doing "Swim Nekkid In The Ocean" and Page's familiar theme song, "Virginia" with the nearly surreal backing of the Symphony was simply beautiful. And credit solid back-up vocals from Chris and Billy along with a great sound mix in the Landmark Theater for making the evening as memorable as its potential. Charles' gifted wife Sarah Arthur and her sweet band Piedmont Souprize along with Billy Ray Hatley & The Showdogs also had their turn, playing a few numbers on their own, only to be joined by Mark Russell Smith conducting our amazing orchestra with charts delivered by Richmond's gifted arranger and jazz guru Doug Richards. The results were a treat for the musicians and the audience alike. Kudos to Page for the 11th anniversary of those two Saturday night hours of music from the Chickahominy Swamp, and to the Richmond Symphony for 50 years of greatness. And a fond farewell to its dynamic conductor who has surely made his mark.

An evening like that makes one proud to call Richmond home, and so does what's on its way in less than two weeks...our third and last National Folk Festival. More on that and reports from bluegrass music's biggest week, the IBMA's in Nashville...coming up.

Come on back...TT