A Running Start…

The much anticipated holiday season is behind us and I’m left with the familiar ‘too much of a good thing’ feeling and a sense of relief that things are settling down.  But there’s only time for catching a quick breath, as the first few days of the new year are rife with opportunity to make good on that resolution to catch more live music in 2011.  You did make that one too, right?  My two most recent outings, a heartwarming holiday concert with the Richmond Pops Band and the Richmond Choral Society and last night’s run to AC&T to catch the up-and-coming Commonwealth Bluegrass Band, both pressed the right buttons and whetted the appetite for more.  Here’s a cool behind-the-scenes video shot by CBS 6 meteorologist Carrie Rose from the CBB’s appearance on “Virginia This Morning.”  They’re doing a dandy cover of Sammy Shelor’s “Ernest T. Grass.” How convenient.  On Friday…

…there’s a return trip to Ashland trackside to check out a new grouping of seasoned players, the Beachley/Scott Band.  Darren Beachley and Barry Scott are both alums of Doyle Lawson’s Quicksilver University.  Darren just disassembled his Legends of the Potomac that included Tom Gray and Mike Auldridge…Barry did the same with his gospel ensemble Second Wind.  The new pairing has lots of promise, especially in the vocal department…we’ll get back with you on that.

Also tonight, a very Bogart’s Friday night as John Winn and some of his peerless peers like Adam Larrabee, Devonne Harris, Randall Pharr and Daniel Clarke stroll down jazz alley in their own inimitable style.  Of course the old Bogart’s on Lombardy is now Balliceaux and you might finish the night there with the irreverent grass of the Flesh Mountain Boys in Chris Bopst’s back room.

Saturday marks another Robbin Thompson Band revival at the National.  It was just too much fun and too well-received a year ago to not do it all again.  Plus, they’ve got a terrific concert DVD to push, so if you didn’t catch them last January, or even if you did, here’s a great chance to hear five reasons (Robbin, Velpo Robertson, Eric Heiberg, Rico Antonelli, and Audie Stanley) why Richmond is a bona fide music town.  Just read Don Harrison’s great piece in the current issue of Style Weekly.  And RT does a solo gig at AC&T on the 14th.

JAMinc gets 2011 off to a jazzy start this Thursday the 13th, with power-percussionist Kip Williams and some top hand-picked players like bass monster Keith Horne (remember Secrets?), Mike Hawkins, Steve Kessler, Mike Ess, and Kevin Simpson.  Heck, Robbin might render one or two with this band too.  We’ll be having another of our famous pot-luck heavy hors d’oeuvre buffets before the show so bring something tasty starting at 6:30 and enjoy some tastefully funky fare in the perfect acoustic setting of In Your Ear Studio A starting at 7:30.  Reservations online here.

Fans of grass rockers Cadillac Sky, already reeling from the loss of lead singer/writer Bryan Simpson, now face the news of the band’s “indefinite hiatus” as revealed in this post on their website.  One of the most musically fertile acts of the new millennium, much like King Wilkie, leaving us way too soon.  Here’s the tune that hooked me on Bryan’s image-laden creativity from the start.  I’d frankly rather make up my own visuals for this haunting song…maybe just listen with closed eyes the first time through.

Thankfully still very much alive, the Infamous Stringdusters are out of the new year’s gate at a full gallop after their Grammy nomination (Best Country Instrumental) for Magic #9.  See how they do as the golden gramophones are handed out in L.A. on February 13th.  The Dusters’ five-string man Chris Pandolfi has gotten into doing some really fun stop-animation

Stringdusters Ski Tour/Caper

promoting their winter ski tour.  Looks like the boys had some extra time on their hands…good times.

The recent loss of our friend Dave Giegerich has brought comforting expressions from so many.  Read Dave’s East of Monroe bandmate Gary Ferguson’s heartfelt tribute here, and this from Robin Williams’ latest newsletter: 

“2010 ended with sadness for us. For the last 14 years we've done Hank Williams tribute shows in between Christmas and New Years. Standing on the far left for all those years has been Dave Giegerich playing steel and dobro. In September he had a bone marrow transplant and the word out on the street was that he was doing good. He and we were all hoping that he'd make this year's shows but his doctor ruled it out. We played the first show without him and took pictures and signed a poster to give to him. He never saw them. He died suddenly the next day. We all played one more show with broken hearts. Literally, to know him was to love him. He left this world without an enemy. We should all hope for that to be said about us. Our hearts go out to Pam, his wife, and his two sons, Axel and Carter. Steeling good/Steeling good/He was a mighty man and he was steeling good.”

What promises to be a fitting tribute to a life well-lived and music well-played, will be held in downtown Baltimore at the Maryland State Boychoir Center for the Arts at 3400 Norman Avenue, 21213 at 2pm on Saturday, January 15th.  We’ll make a joyful noise.

TT

(Robbin Thompson photo by Zachary Reid)