The Way West...

Everytime I make the trip to Charlottesville on I-64, I'm reminded of what a wonderful ride it is, especially when traffic's light. Few visual distractions, that first glimpse of the Blue Ridge, a random mix on my mp3 player...a solo run to check out Jimmy Gaudreau and Moondi Klein as openers for Emmylou Harris Monday at the Pavilion. EZ parking in the deck at 2nd & Water Street and nice stroll up the The Mall and the gentle bustle of a late summer afternoon with folks enjoying drinks and each other al fresco. No cars. Richmond mayoral candidate Paul Goldman wants to do the same thing with Carytown. Maybe we should listen. It was my first concert at the 3-year-old venue at the end of the Mall and I liked it a lot. Significant sound blankets hung inside the big tent along with having New Grass Revival/Flecktones legendary soundman Richard Battaglia at the helm made for great house sound befitting the talent on stage. It's so right that Jimmy and Moondi have gotten this gig with Emmylou this summer...they played Wolftrap the night before and have lots more choice venues to look forward to...couldn't have happened to more deserving musicians. They did some Chesapeake chestnuts, a bunch of stuff from their terrific new duet album 2:10 Train, and Ms. Harris even joined them for a sweet rendition of Townes Van Zandt's "If I Needed You." I had the extra treat of witnessing the evening alongside Robin and Linda Williams, Prairie Home Companion regulars and old friends who live near my old home town of Staunton. You might want to put their annual Fortune Williams Music Festival on your calendar for late September. Robin & Linda + Tim O'Brien are worth the price of admission alone.

This time last year we saw Rickie Simpkins backing Emmylou as part of John Starling's Carolina Star. This year he's earned a spot in her brand new band comprised of Brian Owings/drums, Chris Donahue/bass, Phil Madeira/keyboards and Colin Linden/guitar & banjo. Colin filled his key role well but there's only one Buddy Miller. And the well-honed ritual of Emmy's perennial roadman Maple Byrne, bringing her a freshly-tuned guitar for nearly every number, is a compelling sideshow that illustrates consummate professionalism. The band was able to carry Emmylou through all her fertile fields with great taste and subtlety. I'm sorry I have no pictures to share as the gate guy made me take my camera back to the car. Come on...
Jimmy & Moondi will be making a return visit to Ashland Coffee & Tea on Saturday, September 20th. Don't miss them this time. Less is more.

I shared a few brews after show with Virginia's folklorist Jon Lohman who's again running the Virginia Folk Life Porch stage at FloydFest 7 running July 24-27 up on the Parkway. Another wide-ranging lineup is in store for this gem of a festival that's matured far beyond its six years. Highly recommended...we'll see you there. Jon also is involved in a terrific house concert series in Palmyra...here's a link to the Website.

They're saying this really is the last weekend to soak up some smoke and sweet jazz in Bogart's Back Room, moving to a new location soon. An appropriate swan song or three will be provided by the multi-talented John Winn, who's snagged k.d. lang sideman Daniel Clarke along with guitarist Trey Pollard to join him for a late gig this coming Friday night. Extremely promising...

I'll leave you for now with just under four minutes of what made George Carlin one of the most brutally honest and insightful observers of the American condition ever to come our way. Here's a link to a remarkable piece from last year's HBO special that underscores his love for the contemporary vernacular and his enormous capacity to learn his lines. A modern man indeed.

TT