Yair Yona - Remember

“Originally issued in 2009 on Anova, Remember received rave rumblings from the grassroots steel string blogs and fan sites, finding its way into the circle of steel-string heads. Reissued via our Resurrection Series…” So says the one page on Strange Attractors Audio House…I like to think I’m one of those blogs. I got in on the ground floor with this release, waaaaay back in the old days when Yona was actually giving this away. Know what? I bought it anyway. My post was a bit late and despite being captivated immediately by the music, I didn’t give it much of a review.

Time for a proper review. Not sure what the current releases include but the copy I received from the other side of the world has plenty of liner notes with tunings, inspiration and even a note on the composition where Yona dared declare to himself and the world that he is ‘only’ a guitar player (rather than a singer/songwriter). 

The CD as a whole is impressive on many levels. It’s an incredibly strong work for a debut. All the compositions are original and Yona lays down a great mix of solo acoustic work (on 6 and 12 strings and slide too) and modern, multi-instrumental pieces. And as I mentioned the first time I posted about this…the production is really top-notch.

Remember is the opening tune and you might wonder for a moment if you really have a Takoma influenced work playing or…what? And then the Weissenborn kicks in. Nice piece with just a hint of synth.

Pharaoh is a slide tune that I liked the minute it started with a low, growling slide full of muscle. It quickly transforms into a brisk-paced piece that is going well just before the two minute mark. Suddenly it’s teetering on the ridiculous until he plays the perfect conclusion to that dangerously ridiculous phrase. Frankly I still remember the first time I heard the song and I thought, oh he’s done it now, no way out of this! But he makes it work so well and this is still a favorite of mine.

Russian Dance just grabs me right away with the rock solid thumb. A rather daring piece when it comes to cranky guys like me. You start throwing in too many instruments and drowning out the guitar and I’m probably done with you. However, Yona does it right on this one with accordion, banjo and mandolin all chiming in on this rollicking song. It works on every level for me, the mess of all the instruments vying for attention as the piece builds and the tight playing by Yona, especially coming out of the crescendo is perhaps one of the aspects that make this piece work so well.

Strange Attractors Audio House is also offering this tune as a free mp3: Brave Walls
Speaking of free goodies, I highly suggest you sign up for Yona's newsletters as they usually include some alt. mix, demo or work in progress. 

In addition there are some bluesy tunes Broken Rockin’ Chair and Struggled So Hard (with some well placed electric guitar) with the occasional (and welcome) clack of the slide on the guitar.

We get a little more synth on Are You Smarter than a 35 Year Old TV Host? And then unabashed tributes to John Fahey on Floodgate Opens to Allow a Ship to Come Through (As it Carries the Passenger Fahey on It) and Jack Rose with Sympathy for the Jack.

The CD wraps with Skinny Fists, an ambitious, symphonic piece, and again one that dares me to turn it off.  But I didn't and I don't think you will either.  For one thing he places the piece correctly in the tracking. Pieces that veer outside the ‘feel’ of a CD can often ruin the listening, especially the first impression when most of us listen from beginning to end. An adventurous piece is often well placed as a closer. If your fans made it that far you’ve likely reeled them in for your experimental trip, turns out it’s the perfect conclusion piece.

Keep in mind that SAAH is offering a limited pressing of vinyl as well for you old-timers/youngsters that are (re)starting your record collection. Still a CD guy like me? Cool, either way, buy it! He’s already working on the next release.

Remember, the Album

Strange Attractors Audio House

BUY Yair Yona from EMUSIC

Otis Taylor - Concert Review

It seems a bit odd that Taylor lives in Boulder and yet this is the first time I've seen him play.  So I was excited to finally get to see what I was sure was not going to be a run-of-the-mill blues show. 

Taylor opened the show playing  a Telecaster, solo.  Nasty Letter form his "Truth is Not Fiction" release.  He then brought up a band member whose name I can not recall (sorry dude) to play the djembe and played a stripped down version of "Lost my Guitar" from the Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs release. 

Taylor likes to build his songs in layers, it's a rather obvious trait you notice on his studio work.  What I didn't expect was that he was going to utilize a member of the band one person at a time.   By the third song he had added the drummer, Taylor is still playing the Tele.  But after a couple rockin' songs he makes sure we are all on our toes by hushing the drummers and performing a field holler. 

That was Taylor's segue to introduce the next band member.  Except in this case it was band members, plural.   A gospel choir.  Well, part of one, four members to be exact.  They sang "Amazing Grace" to warm us up a little and then it was back to Otis Taylor music...with a choir.  "Looking for Some Heat," again from Pentatonic, got the choir treatment as did the rest of the set.  That was it for the band.  Taylor took care of all the string work. 

The choir was an interesting addition and at times I thought it added a lot to the performances but once or twice they were little more than backup singers. 

Taylor is booked with the whole Sheryl Renee choir for the Telluride Blues Festival this year.

After a short break to sell some CD's, Taylor was back and I was happy to see a chair on the stage and shortly a banjo.  Taylor did one solo piece and then had the drummers join him for one more banjo piece.

The choir was soon back as well as the electric guitar for a few more songs including "Please Come Home Before It Rains" and "Hey Joe."

Taylor is a relaxed and fun performer.  He spent a good deal of the night winging it and it went quite well.  If you get a chance to see Otis Taylor, take it.  You never know what he might do!

Oh, and if anyone wants to donate a Santa Cruz Otis Taylor Signature guitar as pictured above, to Delta-Slider, just shoot me an email and I'll let you know where to ship it.  That'd be great!
  BUY Otis Taylor from EMUSIC

Petrifidelity - David Leicht & Raymond Morin

Something there just isn’t enough of in this world…guitar duets! Yes, seriously. And the American Primitive landscape certainly is nearly devoid of such efforts. Sure, then it's not really solo guitar, is it?  But what's solo about a lot of the current efforts on the modern scene?  Yes, the occasional occurrence of a duet is encountered and there have been the odd CD that has more than a few.  But there doesn’t seem to be a lot of effort directed at that sort of development of the current styles, as an extension.

In fact, I hadn’t thought about it much myself until this little gem of a CD arrived in my mail.

David Leicht and Raymond Morin are musical partners and have released “Petrifidelity,” a CD of guitar duets.  And what can only be viewed as bonus material: the guitar TAB to every song in the collection.

Petrifidelity?  What's that?  The word is David Leicht's creation: 

“Petrifidelity is a mash-up of petrified and fidelity.  ...taking turned-to-stone as a literal definition for “petrified” and combining it with “fidelity,” implies sounds that strive to be lasting (I hesitate to say "permanent")."

When asked about duet influences Morin said:

"Yeah, Grossman/Renbourn are a big inspiration, as are Renbourn/Jansch and Crandell/Bartels... not to mention rockers like Television, Love, The Smiths." 

I only came up with the Grossman/Renbourn and Renbourn/Jansch combos, didn't even think of rock influences.  But of course!

How many times have you listened to a CD and thought, wow, I sure would like to learn that piece, but I have no idea where to start? Wouldn’t it be great if all guitarists took the time to tab out their work? Well these guys did. The whole CD is tabbed out, both parts side-by-side so you and your pickin’ buddy can sit down and play a cool duet.

Conveniently each part fits on a single page allowing Morin (who did all the tabbing and the design of the booklet by hand) to place his part on one page and Leicht's on the opposite page. You lay the book open and there's the whole piece, both parts.

Morin and Leicht recorded these cuts "live" in the studio, except for a few critical harmonics they wanted sharp and clear.  All compositions are original by the duo.

As you can hear on the opening track, the guys can write a song that is pretty intricate.  Weaving the parts together.  But they are just as likely to dial it down a notch and let one guitar do the talking while the other slips in tasty augmentations.  As a whole the CD is pretty melodic and doesn't stray into the fields of dissonance. 

We've got a little of everything here, double drop D, open G, open C, standard, DADGAD, capos...you name it!  As for styles...well there is a bit of everything here, as Morin says there is sparse and melodic and of course the British inspiration is there as well.  And the last cut on the disc is a vocal, again a guitar duet as well as a vocal duet.

Copies are very limited and are only available through the Work and Worry site and at the live shows.  If you are in the Pennsylvania area be sure to check for tour dates.

We Are All One, In The Sun: A Tribute To Robbie Basho

I often hear people criticize tribute compilations though I’m never sure why, I like them and often seek them out and here’s why. If there is an artist out there that loves Robbie Basho and considers him an important influence and in fact important enough to interpret or re-interpret Basho’s music…I want to know who these people are!

Often these tributes are several artists and it is a great opportunity to find new artists that listen to and value what I listen to and value. What better way to discover like-minded musicians?

We Are All One, In The Sun: A Tribute To Robbie Basho is just such an opportunity.

Buck Curran deserves a lot of credit for assembling a tribute that is much more than just a collection of cover songs. It’s more adventurous and daring than that kind of tribute. And why shouldn’t it be? Isn’t that the spirit of Robbie Basho? These collections serve many a purpose, not the least of which is the obvious, a tribute. But what good is it if it doesn’t bring the fans of Basho to appreciate new artists? And just as importantly are the fans of any of the participating artist’s in this effort: it’s an opportunity to discover the roots of their music. I have found so much good music when I begin to discover my favorite artist’s influences. And a tribute collection puts it right there for all to see and every single artist is an opportunity to head off in a new direction!

So let’s dive in, one of the things I noticed first is that all the vocal covers are by women. And that may be a good thing for the budding Basho fan. Basho’s vocals were…unique…shall we say? The women convey the intensity and passion of a Basho song without raising the eyebrows, a common occurrence when Basho sang.

The covers by Arborea and Meg Baird are both pretty straight forward interpretations of Basho’s compositions while Fern Knight begins to stretch out with multiple instruments on "Song for the Queen."

Arborea, with Buck Curran on guitar and Shanti Curran providing the vocals, slow down Basho’s “Blue Crystal Fire” just a bit.  Buck Curran adds a very tasty slide solo in place of Basho’s fingered break and Shanti Curran’s vocals are delicate and beautiful.

Meg Baird takes on “Moving Up A Ways” keeping it pretty straight, though chooses a 6 string instead of the 12 string that Basho played for this piece.  As is the case with the previous song, Baird’s vocals seem a perfect fit for Basho’s song, strikingly lyrical.

Fern Knight expands on Basho’s “Song for a Queen” with multiple instruments that create a landscape around the lyrics of the song throwing in everything from the harp to the strangled distortion of an electric guitar.

Ultimately, all the vocal pieces take the listener on a journey to a beautiful and mythical land where you are temporarily lost in the music.

Undoubtedly all the artists are to be commended for capturing the spirit and feel of Robbie Basho. Some took the route of loosely interpreting existing Basho works and others went the straight ahead route. Still others took merely an idea or a line from a lyric as a launching point. Case in point is Cian Nugent’s "Odour of Plums." For a guy like me that likes the more straight ahead approach to guitar playing I love this piece by Nugent. He very nicely interjects tension and mystery that captures the spirit of a Basho song.

Curran manages to mix a little of everything into the release with the obvious (and obviously necessary) inclusion of Steffan Basho-Junghans and Glenn Jones as well as the unanticipated. Unanticipated? How about oud player Rahim AlHaj and cellist Helena Espvall?

Rahim AlHaj was included to touch on Basho’s intense love of Persian music. And don’t think for a minute that Espvall’s work is your average cello piece.

Digital version songs include Joseba Irazoki "Bashorentzat," Cameron Deas "Waters of Kvaloya" and an alternate version of Yair Yona’s Skinny Fists.

Deas' work on the 12 string is not to be missed by any fan of intense, raw and powerful solo guitar work.

Yair Yona is one of the new torch-bearers of modern American Primitive.

The Paintings of John Fahey

Female Cat Person Disguised as Skunk Cabbage

Well that about says it all, don't it?  And for a mere $1,000, framed.

THE PAINTINGS OF JOHN FAHEY
The East Village, NY
July 10 - September 12, 2010

Presented by John Andrew and AVA

Thanks to Andrew over at the FaheyGuitarPlayers forum for posting this.  I wish I could go as well.

Short article on the owner of the gallery, Justin Luke.

AVA page for the Fahey show

Price Sheet

This one is just frightening!

But these two I like.  Dark, but not unsettling.  They would make for a nice purchase.  Of course I really like that the one on the left is signed as well.  Anyone want to 'lend' me a couple grand?

"A series of sound collage works, spoken word, explorative / home recordings, and comedy all performed by John Fahey will be transmitted on the outside of AVA (as part of the Exterior Sounds series) during the course of the exhibition"
Comedy?  What?  Would some one like to tell me about the time they saw Fahey doing comedy?  Must be very dry.

Just thought I would pass this along.  Be sure to click around over at the AVA site, there are lots more paintings to view and plenty of reading as well.
 

Ragtime Ralph - Concert Ephemera & More

Today we have some very cool stuff sent to me by Ragtime Ralph.  This is a collection of ephemera that was recently discovered and returned to him.  Enjoy!

A painting/collage done by Ralph's youngest brother. 
Ralph on the moon playing an early 1930's Dobro purchased in San Francisco in the early 1980's

From the first(?) release of Ragtime Ralph Vol. 4

Original poster for the first time Ralph opened for Fahey.
The photo was taken by a friend of Ralph's, Malcolm Kurtin at a previous show.

Ralph played the La Quena a lot, nearly as often as the Soft Rock Cafe.

The photo on the Guitar Night poster was taken at the
Camp Alexandra Folk Festival in Crescent Beach BC,
just down the road from White Rock.

Ralph did a lot of shows with Tracy Moore.
They opened for Fahey a couple times in Seattle
where Ralph was also the MC of the show.

Ralph's dad did this sketch.  It was to be the cover of his first LP

but only 2 songs got released.

Released as Ralph Cameron Johnston was "Harbinger"
and "Half a Prayer Won't get You There."
Ralph had these pressed as a 7" 45 on his own River Records. 
They were pressed off center and he was so
devastated that he dumped them in a dumpster. 
But somehow copies got out as a friend of his found one way up
on Vancouver Island.

More Soft Rock Cafe!

Tracy Moore still lives in Seattle and still releases recordings.

  

More art by Ralph's dad.

An actual review in the local paper.

Yet more Soft Rock Cafe.

A fun night with the Backporch Drifters.

Mike Fekete - Summer Tour Dates and a Free MP3

Folks, I'm happy to say that Mike Fekete has some upcoming solo guitar performance dates!!

He was recently on 89.3 KAOS in Olympia, WA doing an in-studio performance and was kind enough to allow me to post one of the songs from Charlie Zaillian's weekly show, Defensive Indifference.

Download the song HERE

Folks, if you are anywhere along Mike's tour route this summer, I highly suggest that you make the effort to go see him play.  Mike is full of music and he wants nothing more than to share it with you.  Though he has only one CD currently available, he has a lot more music in those fingers of his.
He recently passed through Colorado and I went to two of the shows.
So what will you hear at a Mike Fekete show?
You will likely hear Mike's treatment of a John Denver or a Band song. 
But most of all you will hear Mike's work, perhaps his suite of songs titled Museum 1, 2 and 3, though he doesn't necessarily play them in that order.
Of course you will hear a few tunes from the CD, Raccoon in a Tree being one of my favorites, but you will also hear a lot of other music that hasn't been widely released (or at all).  And that is part of what makes the live performance so essential, he has so much music to share that you probably haven't heard before!
And then there is the 20 minute finale, "The Sacred Monster Blues Suite"  Fantastic stuff.

Tour Dates:

7/17 – Coal Creek Coffee – Laramie, WY

7/18 – Off The Leaf – Billings, MT

7/19 – Wild Joe’s – Bozeman, MT

7/20 – The Hummingbird Cafe – Butte, MT

7/21 – One World Cafe – Moscow, ID

7/23 – Calypsos – Coeur d’Alene, ID w/ Jonathan Nicholson

7/24 – Indaba – Spokane, WA w/ Jonathan Nicholson

7/28 – The Camellia Lounge – Portland, OR w/ Aaron Sheppard

8/2 – Barking Spider Tavern – Cleveland, OH

8/12 – Rider’s Inn – Painesville, OH

8/13 – Central Vineyard – Columbus, OH w/ Brian Werstler and John Morgan

8/15 – Rider’s Inn – Painesville, OH

8/27 – Cafe Luna – Vashon Island, WA

8/28 – El Diablo – Seattle, WA

Mike Fekete on Myspace
BUY Mike Fekete from EMUSIC

"Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows: The Songs of John Prine" - Guest Review by Ragtime Ralph

Well, I'm very happy to present to you a review by Ralph Johnston.  Better known as Ragtime Ralph and also as Blind Brand X here at Delta-Slider.  Ralph is a big fan of John Prine so I thought I would see if he was interested in doing a review of this tribute CD.  He was, so here it is!

There are certain musical artists in this world whose songs are so basic and vital and "tell it like is" that countless covers and variations of their themes will never dilute the hidden truth and beauty behind the song titles and lyrics...to my mind John Prine is my favorite example...his bittersweet tales of the human condition (tempered by ironic exasperation) have echoed in my mind for over thirty years.


This CD brought back many pleasant memories of John Prine and (the late, great) Steve Goodman at the Queen Elizabeth Theater in Vancouver, BC, Canada...a simple acoustic stage setup was all Prine needed to impress upon us his visions of life, love and the absurd little moments we all encounter.


It seems to me it would be meaningless to review each contributors versions of Prine's songs (although...I was broiling a rack of lamb during Lambchops version of "6 O' Clock News!") because each and every contributor has (to me anyways) nailed each song on the head and drove it appropriately home!


John Prine is a treasure trove of emotion, humor and truth in the cold, calculating, disappointing world we all live in...and this CD finds all the contributors in fine fettle!
   - Review by Ralph Johnston


Track List/Artist
1. Justin Vernon of Bon Iver - "Bruised Orange (Chain Of Sorrow)"
2. Conor Oberst And The Mystic Valley Band - "Wedding Day In Funeralville"
3. My Morning Jacket - "All The Best"
4. Josh Ritter - "Mexican Home"
5. Lambchop - "Six O'Clock News"
6. Justin Townes Earle - "Far From Me"
7. The Avett Brothers - "Spanish Pipedream"
8. Old Crow Medicine Show - "Angel From Montgomery"
9. Sara Watkins - "The Late John Garfield Blues"
10. Drive-By Truckers - "Daddy's Little Pumpkin"
11. Deer Tick featuring Liz Isenberg - "Unwed Fathers"
12. Those Darlins - "Let's Talk Dirty In Hawaiian"

More info

Eric Wallack - Stella Says

Eric Wallack has been making music for years and he has been quite prolific. He doesn’t seem to let genres hold him down, flitting from one sound to another in the course of his recording output. The most recent example of all of the above is his 12 For Nothing project where his goal is to put out one new record album a month for a year.  Oh, and for free.

And this isn’t his first foray into a self-imposed artistic flurry of production. He once worked something he called the 365 project where he wrote a song a day for a year. Wow, that’s just nutty! And awesome!

Stella Says is the debut of the series back in April, so I’m already a release behind!

Wallack feels it definitely falls into the American Primitive style and I have to agree with him. He describes it as "a bit raw but honest and spontaneous."  Wallack performs and records a lot of improvisational music and this effort is no different.  Since it’s free there’s no reason for you not to give it a listen.

All I know is that any guy that starts off a CD with slapin’ and poppin’ on a de-tuned Stella (that cost him a mere $30) has got my attention.

“Angst and the Small Aquarium” is one of those beautiful and simple tunes that captures the listener.  As is “Waltz in F# Purple,” with simply lovely melodies.

The tunes are about half standard tuning and half open D.  All dropped just a bit from concert pitch.

I love the simple feel of this effort. If you liked the C. Joynes that I posted I think you will like this as well. This has become one of my favorite listens lately.

Wrapping with “Get in the Graveyard” is a song that is a great closing tune that just leaves me wanting more.  Love the creepy title.

Download Stella Says

Visit Eric Wallack for the latest project updates.

Also be sure to check out his last FM site for other delights for the ear.
   

M. Mucci – "Time Lost"

Ontario guitarist M. Mucci has recently released his second full length release “Time Lost,” recorded between Dec 2009 and Feb 2010.

The CD kicks off with a couple tracks where Mucci sets the tone and tempo with his thumb. The first, “Small Triumphs” with just solid time keeping and the second, “The View From Here” with a great driving feel. This tune and the following, “The Culprits” are fantastic works in the modern Takoma tradition. What I like best about cuts two and three is how aggressive Mucci is with the thumb, just hammering out the rhythm.

“The Culprits” has the added surprises that it starts off with some weird noises and suddenly pops into the strong finger picking, once you are grooving on that he slams into slide playing to wrap the song. Really a strong piece.

The calm interludes “Apri L’occhi” parts 1 and 2 appear at the end of each side of the LP, though that distinction is lessened by the fact that I am listening to the CD version. But part 2 at the end of the CD is indeed a nice ending to the CD. The first, “Apri L’occhi” works on the CD as an excellent transition from a solo guitar piece to a full band piece, “Chase Down Alice St.”

Mucci’s use of percussion through out this effort is judicious and never gets in the way of the guitar playing. No, in fact I think it is a nice addition to the feel of the recording as a whole resulting in a lush feel throughout the experience.

One of my favorite aspects of the music is how closely together Mucci has put the tracks. The time between is barely a beat and it binds the music into a whole. That and the fact that the songs flow well from one to the other. Though they are clearly different, the effort feels like one large composition.

This is a limited quantity release on LP with a download included. The digital only price is great. Go visit MMucci.com and check out all the tracks.