Fresh Opportunities...

This tender new year, the Dow be damned, is off to a strong start beginning with Jesse Harper's tour de force on January 2. Be on the lookout for a look back at that memorable night of music at In Your Ear studios thanks to Bill Lohmann and Bob Brown of the Times-Dispatch. The story's due to run on Sunday, February 15th with an accompanying slide show with music on inRich.com. Three of the players who supported Jesse that night will add a fourth and reprise their globe-trotting jazz quartet Neighborliness for our next JAMinc studio concert at IYE on Friday, February 20th. Preparing for their third trip to Russia and the release of a brand new CD, John Winn, Daniel Clarke, Curtis Fye and Robby Sinclair will recreate the synergy that's turned heads and ears all over the world. Don't miss this chance to witness the latest evolution of these four ace musicians. Reservations on the JAMinc Website available now. And our next Studio A performance will feature banjo/slide guitar wizard Tony Furtado on Thursday, March 5th. More on Tony on our next post.

Along with Bill & Pam Gurley, our ticket giveaway winners, we had an engaging night of great music and tall tales last Sunday thanks to Robin & Linda Williams and Their Fine Group (Jim Watson and Jimmy Gaudreau) and lanky raconteur Garrison Keillor. The Williamses have never sounded better IMHO with some great gospel numbers with Garrison holding down the bass line and a haunting take on "Wildwood Flower." Lake Wobegon's most famous citizen in black suit, red tie and shoes, sang sonnets, recited Poe's "Annabel Lee" and rambled on wonderfully for nearly an hour it seemed about a convoluted day on the Lake that ended with a pontoon boat full of priests and a naked man dangling from a parasail. You had to be there. And he does it all without notes or script. Remarkable. Thanks to the UofR folks for a fine night at the sold-out Landmark and a heads up for April 20th as the Modlin Center hosts The Infamous Stringdusters. Tickets already available here.

Speaking of FREE TICKETS, I've got some more to offer up thanks to Brad Wells & company at The National. On Friday, February 6th Austin singer/songwriter and acoustic guitar shredder Monte Montgomery along with equally gifted Kentuckian Darrell Scott roll into town for a potent twin-bill. Not being familiar with the former, I checked his mySpace page and you should too. Whew! And you know Darrell for his compelling solo work and duos with Tim O'Brien and John Cowan, and for his hit songwriting (Travis Tritt/"It's A Great Day to Be Alive" and Dixie Chicks/"Long Time Gone") I'll draw for a pair of tickets away from those answering the following correctly: What was the Grammy-nominated instrumental from the year 2000 Scott/O'Brien duet CD Real Time? Email your answer to mail@timtimberlake.com. We'll do the drawing on Monday, February 1st.

The National brings another world-class guitarist back to town on Sunday, February 22nd in the dynamic person of Australia's Tommy Emmanuel, C.G.P. If you've seen Tommy in concert before, you know he can do more with six strings than any one man. If you haven't, this would be your opportunity to witness guitar greatness and unbridled on-stage energy. We've got a free pair of tickets to that show too. Same deal. Question is, in what city is Timberlake Road, for which Tommy's instrumental on the album Only, is entitled? Answers again to mail@timtimberlake.com. Drawing on February 17.

For those reading this on the day of posting, don't forget the singular bluegrass gospel harmonies of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver can be heard live tonight at the West End Assembly of God at 401 North Parham Road. Tickets available at the door. And downtown at the National, you can catch the southern rock band for the new millenium, Drive By Truckers.

Enjoy January's final week and thanks always for the read. Please pass the link along to those who you think might be interested...TT

(photo credits: Jesse Harper at top by Bob Brown. The rest are from Websites except the DL&QS trio shot above which is mine.)