Muruch

Last night I attended Mountain Stage‘s 25th Anniversary show featuring Joan Osborne, Rachael Yamagata, The Low Anthem, Todd Burge, and Johnny Staats & Robert Shafer. It was a remarkable show, though more for the occasion than the concert itself.

The event sold out before I could get tickets, so I have to thank Joan Osborne’s representatives for putting me on the guest list. I also think that the people who work the ticket and merchandise tables at Mountain Stage deserve a round of applause, because the crowd was huge and some ladies were being unnecessarily rude to the very nice man watching the “will call” table when I arrived.

In celebration of Mountain Stage’s 25th anniversary, The Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes” created a special black, white, and grey five-tiered cake featuring the show’s logo that was put on display in the lobby before the show. I’m not familiar with the show, but apparently one of the chefs is from WV and is related to one of the Mt. Stage band members. The audience did not get to taste the cake, but the crew were nice enough to provide punch and cookies for us to celebrate after the show.

It was quite a nostalgic evening for everyone involved. Compared to the show’s 25 years, my own experience as an audience member seems limited. But I couldn’t help but think back over my own history with the program. The first time I attended Mountain Stage was in August, 1997, when I was still in high school. Like many locals, I was introduced to the show through a good friend and wondered why I hadn’t heard of it before. The performers that night were Joan Baez, Sinead Lohan, Laura Love, Duke Robillard, and Dar Williams. I fell in love with the show then and don’t have the time or room here to recount all of the amazing performances I have seen there since then.

Some of the most memorable sets I witnessed were by Sinead Lohan, Holly Cole, Cowboy Junkies, Vic Chesnutt, Dayna Kurtz, Natalie Merchant, Kami Lyle, Saw Doctors, Fisher, a then unknown Norah Jones, Odetta, Martina McBride, Bell X1, Samoa Wilson, Zap Mama, Ani Difranco, Anaïs Mitchell, Eleni Mandell, and Sylvie Lewis, Amy Correia (twice), Peter Mulvey and Cathie Ryan (twice), Laura Love (twice), Joan Osborne (twice), and Joan Baez (twice). The second time I saw Baez perform was for Mountain Stage’s 20th anniversary show five years ago. Joan was excellent as always, but I recall that the night was plagued with techinical difficulties. I’m happy to say that last night’s 25th anniversary concert went much more smoothly.

The show is always general admission, so I was fortunate to nab a seat just a few rows back from the stage. Host Larry Groce began by thanking several people and organizations who had helped Mountain Stage over the years, and brought a few of them out on stage. Among them were local singer George “The Earl of Elkview” Daugherty (an old friend of my husband’s), local artist Charlie Hamilton – who painted the huge, colorful painting that always adorns the stage – and the elusive broadcast engineer Francis Fisher (whose disembodied voice is heard at every Mountain Stage). Also present was Deni Bonet, former singing partner of Mountain Stage vocalist Julie Adams and one of performers at the very first Mountain Stage concert in 1983. Bonet sang with the band and performed a song of her own in the first hour of the concert. Groce also acknowledged the recent passing of Odetta, and later house pianist Bob Thompson played a special instrumental tribute to her.

Thanks to the Mountain Stage Blog, I knew before the show that local singer-songwriter Todd Burge had been called in to replace Kathy Mattea. Mattea, who was apparently one of the most frequently schedule guests on the show, had to cancel her scheduled performance due to an illness in her family. The extremely amiable Johnny Staats & Robert Shaffer went first and were a crowd pleaser. Their hyperspeed mandolin and guitar playing was impressive, though they sounded much prettier when they slowed it down. I especially enjoyed their rendition of “Sweet Georgia Brown”.

I hadn’t heard of The Low Anthem before last night, but I really like them! The trio are multi-instrumental wonders who ran around the stage exchanging instruments in between songs. Their sound is mostly very pretty, soft indie-folk, though they did play one stage rocker. I’ll have to track down their album. They’re cute as buttons, too. Next up was Todd Burge. I really hate to say anything negative about him, because he seems like the nicest guy, but this was the second time I’ve been bored by him at Mountain Stage. I did like his song “I Believe This I Believe”, but other than that….just not my thing. Overall, I found the first hour of the show lackluster and had trouble staying awake. But the second hour more than made up for it.

After some house band performances, Rachael Yamagata took the stage. I expected her smokey alto to be a highlight of the night, but I had no idea just how good she would be live. After the show, every single person I encountered was raving about Rachael’s set. She began hidden behind the piano while she sang the somber “Elephants” from her new album Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Heart (which I can tell you now will be on my best of ’08 list) and belted out the emotional older tune “Be Be Your Love”. Then she moved to the center of the stage and blew everyone away with an astounding, chill-producing performance of “Sunday Afternoon”, during which she wailed until I thought her throat would fall out. The song was so long (I didn’t notice since her performance was so riveting) that apparently it was to be her last, but the crowd was so responsive that Groce asked her to play one more. She ended with a thunderous take of “Faster”. If there was a star of Mountain Stage’s 25th anniversary show, it was Rachael Yamagata.

Though I loved Yamagata’s music before and certainly after the show, I was mostly excited to see Joan Osborne. I’ve been a fan of Osborne since her debut Relish was first released, and I saw her perform at Mountain Stage years ago when she was promoting her How Sweet It Is album. I remembered Joan’s appearance and performance then as being funky, sexy, and vocally powerful. So it was a bit of a shock when she stepped on stage last night dressed as a school marm – high lace color, long floral print skirt. I only mention it because it was apparently symptomatic of her entire persona mellowing out over the years. Granted, she began with my least favorite song on Little Wild One (“Rodeo”) followed by an even lower key version of the album’s title track. So it may have merely been a matter of song choice or at least my own preconceptions of those particular songs. It just seemed like the spark had gone out of her or something. That is, until she hit the chorus of “Halllelujah In The City” and finally unleashed her voice. Then I finally heard and saw the Joan I knew and loved.

By the time she covered Jump Little Children‘s “Cathedrals”, all was right with the Osborne world. In my review of Joan’s album, I said “I hope I get to hear Joan sing this one live someday, because I can only imagine how much more powerful her voice will be without so much production smoothing it down.” I was absolutely right. When singing “Cathedrals” in person, Joan’s voice was gorgeous, emotive, and supernaturally strong. It was by far the best performance of the night, and what I’ll remember most about the concert. She ended with a rousing rendition of “Bury Me On The Battery”, followed by an encore of “To The One I Love”.

Everyone returned to the stage for one of the show’s better group finales, a cover of Tom Petty’s “Won’t Back Down”. In the post-show lobby, I met a very gracious and humble Rachael Yamagata. She seemed surprised that we all liked her performance so much, and said she would come back to Mountain Stage (I hope so!). I introduced her to the wonder of the silver sharpie (her album cover is black), a wonderful little trick I first learned of from The Rescues. I passed several members of the Mountain Stage family on my way out, but I always feel weird introducing myself as “the blog girl” so I merely waved at them.

I think the concert would’ve been better with a more significant booking like Joan Baez or Mavis Staples, and I was obviously disappointed by the first half of the show. However, in the end I was very happy with the night and it was nice to relive so many great memories I have of the venue. Here’s to another 25 (or 100) years of Mountain Stage.

Mountain Stage

Listen to Mountain Stage on NPR

Muruch Mountain Stage Reviews

Rose Polenzani will compete as a finalist tomorrow night in Mountain Stage’s NewSong Festival, so I sought out her album When The River Meets The Sea and fell for her beautiful voice. Rose recorded this unusual and lovely album with Session Americana, and it features guest vocals by Jennifer Kimball and Ana Egge.

If I could hit you as hard as I wanted,
I’d have kissed you softer when you died.
One star falls on the gravesite,
someone loves you tonight,
and it ain’t me…

Songs like the opener “Queen Anne’s Lace” and “Sarsaparilla” float on gentle breezes of Americana, while “The Soft Parts” has a darker Western tone. The arrangement of “Some Way” eases back – save for the occasional harmonica blast – to allow Rose’s pristine vocals to shine.

Former Jonatha Brooke cohort Jennifer Kimball (who I saw perform at Mt. Stage two years ago) contributes vocals to “Songs of the Stars” and joins Ana Egge on “Push Me If I Snore”. The latter track as well as “You Were Drunk” reveal Rose’s charming lyrical humor, though her dulcet tones and pretty instrumentation never falter from their melodic path.

“When The River Meets The Sea” is my favorite song on the disc, such a simple but beautiful old-fashioned styled tune. Rose’s voice has an elegant, seraphic quality similar to that of Sylvie Lewis or Karen Peris (Innocence Mission). And the stunning “If I Could Hit You” – which reminds me of Eilen Jewell – drops a slinky, lilting twist of jazz in its dusty twang.

I only compare Rose to other artists to give a point of reference. She is a truly unique singer-songwriter and I think she deserves to win the NewSong Festival!

Rose’s new CD is currently only available through her MySpace page, but you can buy her previous releases at Amazon and I assume the new disc will also be made available there eventually.

Rose Polenzani – Queen Anne’s Lace (mp3 expired)

Rose Polenzani Official Site
Rose Polenzani MySpace (purchase the CD)

Buy Rose’s CDs @ Amazon

Below are links to the NPR pages where you can listen to the recently posted (thanks to the anonymous commenter for the news!) set performed by Anaïs Mitchell at the September, 2007 Mountain Stage show and the Paddy Casey and Bell X1 sets from this year’s May 20th Mt. Stage concert.

Anaïs Mitchell Mountain Stage Set on NPR

Paddy Casey Mountain Stage Set on NPR

Bell X1 Mountain Stage Set on NPR

Mountain Stage Sets on NPR

Mountain Stage Official Site

Muruch Mountain Stage Reviews

I’d been eagerly anticipating the August 10th Mountain Stage show for months, ever since I saw Vienna Teng and Carrie Rodriguez listed among the performers. My excitement grew even more when Crooked Still and The Rescues were added to the lineup. Though I enjoy discovering new artists at Mountain Stage, it seems my favorite concerts are those that feature artists I’m already familiar with – such as last year’s Eleni, Sylvie, & Anaïs girlie fest, May’s Paddy Casey & Bell X1 Irish boy extravaganza, and the more recent Amos Lee, Sharon Little, Peter Bradley Adams show.

Last night’s concert was even better than I hoped. I had a front row center seat, all of the performances were excellent, the entire lineup was friendly and enthusiastic, the audience was excited, and host Larry Groce was in a very humorous mood – from threatening the sarcastic crowd warmer with a giant hook to jokingly responding to The Rescues’ good natured jibes at the local hillbilly culture. It all made for a fun night.

Carrie Rodriguez impressed me straight away by coming out to tune up her instruments long before the show was scheduled to begin. One of the usual prices to pay to enjoy a Mountain Stage show is enduring the switching out of instruments between bands and the continual tuning of guitars during each set. So I appreciated Carrie’s proactive approach to the show. It not only saved her time at the beginning of her performance, but resulted in an almost seamless set.

It must be said that Carrie Rodriguez is strikingly beautiful. With a voice like that, she pretty much has to be a singer. But she has the looks to be a model or actress. She had a large white flower in her curly hair, and a pink blouse and black skirt ensemble that could’ve been plucked from the 1920s. But it would still have been a stunning performance even if she’d been dressed in a burlap sack with a paper bag over her head. Not only is Carrie’s voice much stronger live than it sounds on her studio recordings, but it was truly a marvel to witness her “multi-instrumentalist” talents. That girl sure can play the life out of a fiddle.

Rodriguez opened with “Infinite Night” before Crooked Still’s Aoife O’Donovan joined her on stage for a rousing duet of “Absence” – featuring a barnburning fiddle solo by Carrie. She then played the title track from She Ain’t Me and “El Salvador” (co-written by Gary Louris), then finished off with a blistering rendition of “Never Gonna Be Your Bride” from her debut Seven Angels on a Bicycle. Whether you like Carrie’s albums or not, I recommend seeing her in concert if you ever have the opportunity.

Vienna Teng was probably the artist that I was most looking forward to seeing at the show. She was accompanied only by her producer and friend Alex Wong, but he had enough instruments to make up two bands. I was a little disappointed that she didn’t play any songs from her most recent release Dreaming Through The Noise, as my love of the album grows with each listen. But she played a nice selection of older songs from her two previous albums as well as some new tunes that will be on her forthcoming collaboration with Wong – tentatively set for release in February, 2009.

Vienna began with a sparse “re-imagining” of “Gravity” from Waking Hour before introducing a new song called “In Another Life”, which mentions West Virginia in its opening verse. Though I recognized most of the instruments that Alex played – including the glockenspiel – and have heard a melodica on many recordings, I had never seen one in person until last night and had to ask Vienna (more on that later) what it was.

Vienna’s voice was particularly flawless when singing “Harbour” from Warm Strangers. Most singers would need a heavy dose of Auto-Tune to reach that kind of vocal perfection. She was then generous enough to allow Wong to play a song from his own band The Paper Raincoat. “Brooklyn Blurs” is featured on the Safe In the Sound EP. They closed with an almost a capella and very bluesy version of “Grandmother Song” from Teng’s upcoming album. Vienna clapped the beat on her thighs and wailed like Bessie Smith. Though I always enjoy her signature serene piano style, I would love for her to record a blues album after that jawdropping performance.

The Rescues followed and more than held their own in the daunting shadows cast by Carrie Rodriguez and Vienna Teng. The singer-songwriter trio seemed even more thrilled to be at Mountain Stage than those of us in the audience were. Gabriel Mann took pictures from the stage and joked about encountering some local Appalachian folk who introduced themselves by what county they were from and said they were visiting Charleston just to shop at the mall. And people wonder why I hid my location for the first seven years of this blog…

They launched into a soaring unified vocal on “Lost Along The Way”, then Kyler England sang a beautiful rendition of “Matter of Time”. Gabriel took lead on “California Rain”, and Adrianne finally got the more prominent vocal on their cover of The Outfield’s “I Don’t Want To Lose Your Love Tonight” – in which they incorporated part of Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way”. Their mesmeric finale was the a cappella “vampire pirate ballad” “My Heart With You”. The Rescues proved without a doubt that the beautiful harmony heard on their Crazy Ever After album is no mere studio creation.

I think I would have liked Crooked Still’s set even more if they had gone first. Their genteel bluegrass sound initially seemed a little pale in comparison to the three powerhouse performers that preceded them. However, their instrumentation is absolutely brilliant and Aoife O’Donovan’s voice is timelessly angelic…albeit difficult to hear at times. I was very pleased that they played my two favorite tracks from their new album Still Crooked: the haunting “Undone in Sorrow” and “Captain, Captain”, during which Carrie Rodriguez returned to the stage to lend backing vocals. They also covered “When First Unto This Country”, then played “Did You Sleep Well”, “Little Sadie” from Shaken By A Low Sound, and “The Absentee”.

The saxophonist from Carrie Rodriguez’ band joined Mountain Stage piano player Bob Thompson for a Thelonious Monk interlude. Though Thompson’s piano playing is always impeccable during his solos, the saxophone accompaniment greatly complimented and enhanced his sound.

Former Phish bassist Mike Gordon was the last to perform, and I really hadn’t intended to say much about his set. Other than my undying affection for Grateful Dead’s American Beauty album, I tend to intensely dislike jam bands. Also contributing to my dread was the fact that I neither liked nor hated Gordon’s The Green Sparrow CD enough to bother reviewing it. So I thought that Gordon’s set would be long and tedious. It was long and the first song was boring for a non-jammy fan like me. But I have to give Gordon due credit, as he is definitely great at what he does. He was so warm and friendly with the audience, obviously enjoyed playing, and his band was so good that they even had my feet tappin’ by the last song. That is the mark of a truly good performer, to even engage people who normally dislike their genre of choice.

All of the acts returned to the stage for the group finale of “Everything’s Broken”. It was a rare finale in which every performer either sang a verse or played an instrument. I was reminded of the very first Mountain Stage show I ever attended in 1997 when Joan Baez, Laura Love, Dar Williams, and Sinead Lohan amicably played together during each other’s sets and joined in for the finale. That kind of eager, synergetic participation adds so much to the atmosphere of the entire concert.

After the show, I didn’t recognize Aoife O’Donovan until after she had breezed past me in the lobby. Even after all of these years, it still seems odd to so easily mingle with the performers at Mountain Stage. After a failed attempt to talk to Alex Wong (I don’t like to interrupt the conversations of other fans, which usually results in me being pushed back by less polite enthusiasts), I did get a chance to talk briefly with Vienna Teng. She was very friendly, so I asked what instrument Alex had been playing during “In Another Life”. She said it was a melodica and seemed as fascinated by the strange looking instrument as I was.

Then I approached The Rescues, and for once introduced myself as the author of this blog. All three singers were so nice and thanked me for my review of their album. They signed my CD and sang a small ode to Kyler’s silver pen to the tune of “Silver Bells”. I hope they can hold on to that gracious humor when they achieve the big mainstream fame I think they’re headed toward.

As I was leaving the venue, I noticed that Mike Gordon was swarmed by a crowd of tye dye clad Phish fans in the lobby. I will gladly give away my copy of Mike’s CD if one of his true fans who attended the Mountain Stage show can comment with their email address and the color of the jeans Gordon was wearing last night.

Mountain Stage Official Site

Listen to Mt. Stage Sets on NPR

Last night I sat among the large audience at the soldout Mountain Stage show featuring Amos Lee, Sharon Little, Peter Bradley Adams, and The SteelDrivers. NPR’s radio concert series once again outdid themselves in selecting talented artists, and some of the performances were astonishingly good.

I was very happy that the Mountain Stage gang returned to their home venue. I avoid The Clay Center like the plague and though the the May show with Bell X1 at the Civic Center Little Theater was certainly enjoyable, the Cultural Center at Charleston’s Capitol Complex remains the most welcoming venue in town. Every seat in the Cultural Center auditorium was filled, but I managed to squeeze into the second row just below the audience microphone.

I was very disappointed to hear that scheduled performer Papa Mali had canceled at the last minute due to “travel difficulties” that left him stranded in New Orleans. Judging from the audio clips on his website, Papa’s sound is like a less rambunctious version of Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band – who, by the way, should definitely be booked on Mt. Stage sometime!

After the usual round of crowd warming and theme song rehearsal, host Larry Groce introduced Sharon Little. I would say I was equally as interested in seeing her perform live as Amos Lee, since her Perfect Time For a Breakdown has quickly become a favorite album of mine this year. As I suspected, Sharon’s voice is even more impressive without the polished production of the studio interfering with its power. She was accompanied only by guitarist Scot Sax and backup singers “The Sisters Two” – all three of which did a wonderful job – but I think Sharon’s voice would be strong enough for an a cappella performance.

Sharon physically threw herself completely into each performance and her vocals were quaking and beautiful from the opening verse of “Follow That Sound” throughout “Ooh Wee”, “Set You Free” (which sounded much better live than on the CD), “Peppermint & Glue”, and especially on “What Gets In The Way”. She closed with a clap-a-long acoustic version of “Try”. I really don’t think it’s fair to the rest of us for a skinny, pretty blonde to possess that kind of awe-inspiring voice. She had cool boots, too.

Peter Bradley Adams was up next and initially suffered from comparison. It was difficult as a listener to quickly transition from Little’s powerhouse blues vocals to the soft, low volume of Adams during his opening song. But as he eased into “Keep Us” from his new album Leavetaking, I suddenly remembered why I love his music so much and thoroughly enjoyed every song he sang after that. Singer-songwriter Claire Small sang harmony, and I’ll be seeking out her solo work after posting this review. Their renditions of “I’ll Forget You” and “Under My Skin” were lovely, but it was Peter’s pretty piano finale of “Los Angeles” that was most captivating.

After local singer Don Dixon filled some space in Papa Mali’s absence, The SteelDrivers took the stage. Though I do like country and bluegrass, I really didn’t expect much excitement from this band and their first song seemed standard bluegrass fare. So it was a wonderful shock when singer Chris Stapleton suddenly started belting out the blues in a way that reminded me of The Commitments. Highlights of their set included “If It Hadn’t Been For Love”, “Midnight Train To Memphis”, “Drinkin’ Dark Whiskey”, and “Blue Side Of the Mountain” – all from their self-titled album. The SteelDrivers stole the show, managing to simultaneously please both the genteel bluegrass crowd and those of us that prefer a louder, more soulful blues-rock sound.

Amos Lee was the last to perform, but he didn’t fail to hold his own in the wake of the preceding acts. His set was even better than I hoped it would be and it seemed that the majority of the crowd came to see him. He and his band played “Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight” and “Black River” from his self-titled debut as well as the title track from last year’s Supply and Demand. And I was very pleased that he played my three favorites songs from his new release Last Days at the Lodge: “Truth”, “Street Corner Preacher”, and “Listen”. Though he wasn’t one to banter with the audience, Lee’s voice was absolutely gorgeous whether he was wailing those bluesier tunes or soaring into a flawless falsetto on his “slinky R&B” number “Won’t Let Me Go”. I would gladly have listened to him sing all night.

Unfortunately, Amos Lee did not return to the stage for the group finale of “Heard It Through The Grapevine” and neither Sharon Little or Peter Bradley Adams opted to sing verses. But The SteelDrivers helped Larry Groce round out what was a grand evening at Mountain Stage.

Mountain Stage Official Site

Listen to Mt. Stage sets on NPR

Muruch Mountain Stage Reviews

Now that NPR has taken Mountain Stage back into its funding fold, they’ve added individual performances from the concert series to their website. This is even better than the old podcasts, because now you select to listen at an artist’s entire set (which is edited for the radio broadcast) just as if you were at the show.

I especially recommend checking out Bell X1′s awesome performance from the May 20th concert I attended.

Mountain Stage on NPR

Mountain Stage Official Site

Muruch Mountain Stage Reviews

Sunday’s Mountain Stage show featuring Paddy Casey, Bell X1, Brooke Miller, Tyler Ramsey, and Punch Brothers was one of the best concerts I’ve ever attended. Not only were the performances – particularly that of the Irish boys – spectacular, but it was probably the friendliest bunch of singers to ever grace the stage. Mt. Stage tends to attract nice people (both performers and audience), but this week’s lineup seemed especially cordial and down to earth.

The sole complaint I had about the night was the change of venue from Mt. Stage’s Cultural Center home ground to the little theater of the Charleston Civic Center due to scheduling conflicts. The venue itself was fine, but the Civic Center serves alcohol and so I spent the night beside a couple drinking and reeking of beer. Standard fare for an arena concert, but a little disconcerting for Mt. Stage. Oh well, a small price to pay to be seated on the front row for such a grand show.

Irish troubadour Paddy Casey was the first to perform, accompanied only by his guitar, a girl named Fiona, and her piano. Though I’d heard Casey isn’t one to banter much with the audience, I thought he seemed very gracious and charming throughout his set. His jokes were few but funny and seemed genuine, which I found far more enjoyable than the fake babble some artists spew between songs. And what a voice. He played two of my favorite tracks from Amen (So Be It) – the lovely “Sweet Suburban Sky” and “Fear” – as well as a couple of songs from his new album Addicted To Company. His voice was plaintive and beautiful, his songs were entrancing, and I was greatly disappointed when he left the stage.

Tyler Ramsey had the misfortune of stepping into Paddy Casey’s shadow. Casey stood and listened from the wings as Ramsey opened with the title track from A Long Dream About Swimming Across The Sea. I liked the song well enough on the album (review forthcoming), but it seemed somewhat redundant and lifeless compared to the passion in Paddy’s music. But I was better able to appreciate Tyler’s smooth voice on the pretty second song “Worried”, and I think I would have loved his set any other night.

Brooke Miller was up next, joined by the Mountain Stage band. As if jamming with the house band weren’t enough to win over the hometown crowd, Miller tossed plenty of bubbly chatter in between songs. The music on the upbeat tunes “World On A Whim” and “Country From The Dome Car” sounded great, but it was difficult to hear Brooke’s vocals over the roar of the band. The strength of her voice was more apparent as the music dropped to a hush on the powerful ballad “Two Soldiers”. And even the drunk punk next to me started cuddling with his girl when Brooke sang the romantic title track from her album You Can See Everything.

Then Bell X1 stole the show. Their live renditions of “Rocky Took A Lover”, “Eve, The Apple of My Eye”, and “My First Born For A Song” from their recently re-released album Flock were even more magnificent than the studio recordings. Lead singer Paul Noonan’s voice was especially melodic on the ethereal ballad “Eve, The Apple of My Eye” and his performance of “My First Born For A Song” was absolutely hypnotic. As good as Flock is, the production on the album hinders Noonan’s wail on that particular song.

Just when I thought Bell X1 had reached the limit on awesome, Noonan took out a cowbell and they tore the house down with their rock disco anthem “Flame”. They dedicated the tune to West Virginia native Chuck Yeager, the pilot of the first airplane – the Bell X1 from which the band took their name – to fly faster than the speed of sound. It’s hard to believe Paul Noonan was the drummer of Juniper (his old band with Damien Rice), he seems such a natural lead. I love when singers throw their entire bodies into a song like he does, reaching out to the audience and throwing himself around the stage as he sang. When he first walked on stage, I thought he was cute but not really my type. But by the time he finished singing, I think every female in the audience – myself included – would gladly “toast marshmallows” with him.

The crowd cheered and clapped until my hands hurt, so the producers of the show asked the band to play an extra song. They ended with an older ballad, “I’ll See Your Heart and Raise You Mine”, from Music in Mouth. Noonan encouraged everyone in attendance to find, download, and share the song, so the mp3 is below. With the possible exception of Laura Love, witnessing Bell X1′s set at Mountain Stage was the best concert experience of my life so far. If you have the chance to see them in concert, do whatever you have to and be there.

Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile were the final act. While I loved their spirited performance of “Punch Bowl” from their album Punch and their instrumentation is undeniably good, the two lengthy “Blind Leaving The Blind” movements they played were far too long to endure sitting in the beer fumed theater. Though the boredom I felt during the epic songs melted away under the warmth of Thile’s self-deprecating humor. That boy sure is a charmer.

Host Larry Groce announced that the group finale would be an Irish song, so I was surprised when they burst into “Gloria”. Though I was familiar with the Van Morrison recording, I didn’t realize Morrison also wrote the song. I love Patti Smith’s cover best, but the Mt. Stage group more than did it justice. Definitely one of their best finales, particularly the verses that Casey and Noonan sang. The whole crowd sang along.

We had a brief encounter with Paddy Casey outside after the show. My husband – himself an Irishman – mentioned that he had attended one of Paddy’s performances in a small club years ago when we still lived in Ireland. Casey was friendly, but was obviously out there for a smoke rather than to greet fans. So we left him to it. Sadly, I was unable to add Paul Noonan to my Irish boy collection. Another time perhaps.

Mountain Stage Official Site

Around the time that Damien Rice began recording with a golden voiced ingénue named Lisa Hannigan, the Jim Kweskin Band was introducing the world to their own secret siren Samoa Wilson. Though Samoa was featured prominently on Jim Kweskin’s Now and Again – most notably her sultry cover of “Why Don’t You Do Right” and melodious vocal on “Cry Me A River” – and the band once again joins on her on her solo debut Live The Life, it is Samoa’s beautiful voice that takes the spotlight.

Samoa Wilson was a Mountain Stage find for me. I attended the 2003 concert to see Ani Difranco, and ended up discovering new favorites Hamell on Trial, Ben Taylor, and Xavier Rudd. But it was Samoa Wilson’s performance with the Jim Kweskin Band that I remembered most. It was hard to believe such a big, beautiful voice was coming out of that tiny, seemingly shy girl. Wilson made her singing debut with the Kweskin band when she was just twelve years old and formally joined them in 1997.

If you’re at all familiar with the Jim Kweskin Band, you know they play a mix of jaunty jug band music, old-timey folk, and vintage jazz, blues, and swing. The same is true for their work with Samoa Wilson. Wilson’s voice adds a new depth and sophistication to their Tin Pan Alley sound. It’s the kind of rich, timeless alto that only Patsy Cline and a thimbleful of other singers possessed.

The opener “I’m Going To Live The Life I Sing About” is the Mahalia Jackson track that inspired the album’s title. As usual, the finespun instrumentation of Jim Kweskin’s band is the perfect accompaniment for Samoa’s astonishing voice. The softer “Sun Going Down” follows, the only original tune on the disc and written by Wilson at age sixteen.

Jim Kweskin duets on the suave “Some of These Days” – which Samoa glommed from a Bing Crosby recording – and again on the brassy 1940s pre-rock shuffler “Choo Choo Ch-Boogie”. Wilson lifted “Oh Papa Blues” from a Ma Rainey record, “Dedicated To You” and the finale “Goodnight My Love” from Ella Fitzgerald, and W.C. Handy’s brilliant “St. Louis Blues” from Bessie Smith. The album also includes instrumental renderings of Duke Ellington’s “C Jam Blues” and “Organ Grinder’s Swing” by the Jim Kweskin Band.

Samoa’s voice slides from thick honey to airy trills on “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man” from Showboat. But the stand out tune is the one that first grabbed my attention at the Mountain Stage concert. Samoa’s expressive rendition of Billie Holiday’s “What A Little Moonlight Can Do” is buoyed by the Kweskin band’s infectiously merry mandolin and fiddle. This may be the only time that I prefer a cover over a Billie version.

I was not granted permission to share an mp3, but you can hear samples at the links below.

Samoa Wilson MySpace

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After witnessing Jeremy Fisher’s spirited set at last week’s Mountain Stage concert, I finally got my hands on a copy of Goodbye Blue Monday. As if I wasn’t already charmed by Jeremy’s live performance, he had to name his album after the alternative title of Breakfast Of Champions by my favorite author Kurt Vonnegut. Fortunately, the contents of the album (produced by Hawksley Workman) live up to the exalted implications of such a title.

The opening track “Scar That Never Heals” is not only the catchiest number on the album, it’s the most addictively peppy song I’ve heard in a long time. The intro of the song is reminiscent of Violent Femmes’ “Blister In The Sun”, but soon bursts into a harmonica and handclap accented retro pop ditty that earns Fisher well deserved comparisons to Paul Simon.

“Cigarette” walks the fine line between sincere Americana balladry and pop catchiness by interlacing quiet verses with lively refrains. The buoyantly political “American Girls” and cheerily melodic “Sula” revive the harmonica handclap super rhythm of the opener.

“High School” has another bouncy arrangement. When Fisher introduced the dubiously controversial (apparently some cave dwellers are still shocked by references to teenage sex and marijuana) song at Mountain Stage, he said it was inspired by a case of mistaken identity during an encounter with an old classmate.

“Left Behind” is a pretty ballad, while songs like “Jolene”, the title track, and “Lay Down (Ballad Of Rigoberto Alpizar)” delve into a more somber acoustic sound. However, it’s the above-mentioned hyperactive tracks that make Goodbye Blue Monday the best overlooked album of 2007.

Jeremy Fisher – Scar That Never Heals (mp3) *

Jeremy Fisher Official Site
Jeremy on MySpace

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*mp3 posted for two weeks with permission from Sony/ATV and Wind Up Records

I was fortunate enough to attend last night’s Mountain Stage concert, which featured Jeremy Fisher, Amy Correia, Kelly Sweet, Bill Evans & Soul Grass with Richard Bono & Sam Bush, and Marc Cohn.

I have to send out an enormous “Thank you!” to Amy Correia for getting me into the sold out show. I was in the audience when Amy performed at Mt. Stage in 2001 and again in 2005, and I’m very glad I was able to attend her third appearance at the venue.

Canadian jazz singer Holly Cole was also scheduled to perform, but was apparently “hung up at the border” and didn’t make it to the show. I was very disappointed, as I was almost as excited to see her name on the lineup as Amy’s. Holly’s performance at Mountain Stage in 1998 was one of my favorite concert experiences.

Jeremy Fisher was the first to take the stage last night. He was adorable – like a young, more handsome Bob Dylan with that big curly mop of hair and harmonica strapped around his neck. I haven’t been able to get his album yet, so the music was unfamiliar to me. His voice and arrangements were very catchy and soulful. I think the songs I liked best are “Scar That Never Heals” and “High School”. I always like to see a musician really throw themselves into a song like Jeremy did. I only wish he’d had more stage time. (Postscript: Goodbye Blue Monday review here)

The incomparable Amy Corriea was next, accompanied only by her guitar. Amy was a late addition to the lineup, booked for a solo set after the show’s producers realized she would be coming to the venue to sing backup for Marc Cohn. Every time I see and hear Amy perform there, I’m astounded by the power and character of her voice. Last night was no exception.

Amy played three new songs and one from her Lakeville album. The first of the new songs was sung from the perspective of a little boy whose father is sent to Iraq. The second was “Love Changes Everything”, which you can hear on Amy’s MySpace page. The third was “Powder Blue”, a funny tune about a love starved barfly and her Trans Am. Amy finished with an astonishing a cappella performance of “Love Is”. As she grabbed the microphone and let the song rip its way out of her throat, she seemed to be channelling the spirits of both Edith Piaf and Billie Holiday.

I should probably refrain from commenting too much on the acts that followed, because it was difficult not to be bored by anything left in Amy’s wake. But I prefer to be honest. Kelly Sweet and Bill Evans & Soul Grass with Richard Bono & Sam Bush seemed to be big hits with the baby boomers in the crowd, but I eagerly awaited the end of both sets. Kelly had an undeniably pretty voice, but was way too saccharine for me…like an even more pageantic Charlotte Church singing lifeless pop ballads. And the first half of the overly long set by Bill Evans & Soul Grass with Richard Bono & Sam Bush was like an elevator music jam band. The exception being the brief time when Sam Bush did an impressively fast mandolin solo.

Marc Cohn got the show back on track for me. Amy Correia returned to the stage to lend her voice, guitar, and claps to his band. Marc’s voice has even more depth and power in person than on his recordings. His is another CD on my wishlist. Highlights of his set were “Live Out The String” from his new album and a slowed down, bluesy version of his hit single “Walking In Memphis”.

Everyone except Jeremy Fisher returned to the stage for the rousing group finale of The Band’s “Up On Cripple Creek”.

Mountain Stage Official Site
Mountain Stage Podcasts

The Mountain Stage concert I attended featuring Anaïs Mitchell, Sylvie Lewis, Eleni Mandell, The Lucky Tomblin Band, & Suzy Bogguss and also the one with Sarah Borges, John Doe, Chuck Prophet, Luke Temple & Zap Mama are available to download below. If the files are too large, you can also listen online (or download other Mt. Stage shows) here.

Anaïs Mitchell, Sylvie Lewis, Eleni Mandell at Mt. Stage (mp3)
Sarah Borges, John Doe, Zap Mama at Mt. Stage (mp3)

I just found a YouTube video of the Sarah Borges & John Doe performance at the November 4th Mountain Stage concert. No, I did not take it. I had a much better view.

Sarah Borges & John Doe – Stop & Think It Over (YouTube Video)

Peter Mulvey’s Notes From Elsewhere is an acoustic retrospective of songs from his 1991-2005 catalogue. The disc features new stripped down arrangements of seventeen of Mulvey’s songs, capturing the more intimate style of his solo performances. It was that simple organic sound that first caught my attention when I saw him perform at Mountain Stage years ago and again last year. The liner notes include inspirations and anecdotes for each track.

Highlights include the intricate riff of “Better Way To Go”, the deep edge of Peter’s voice on “The Dreams” and “Words Too Small To Say”, the moody coalescence of voice and guitar on “Rapture”, the lovely lilting instrumental “Black Rabbit”, the hard strum of “If Love Is Not Enough”, the mellower title track from The Knuckleball Suite, the melodious “On The Way Up”, and my personal favourite Mulvey tune “The Trouble With Poets”.

Peter Mulvey – Charlie (mp3)

Peter Mulvey Official Site

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I was one of the few people who attended last night’s Mountain Stage concert. It was the smallest crowd I’ve seen at the venue in years – not even half of the auditorium was filled. Which was very nice for those of us who miss the days when Mt. Stage was our cool little secret, but I’m sure the performers would have preferred bigger bursts of applause. I had no trouble snagging a front row seat again. The concert was good, but it simply couldn’t compare to the magnificent Anaïs Mitchell, Eleni Mandell & Sylvie Lewis show in September. That was to be expected, though, as it would be nearly impossible to beat that incredible set.

Last night’s show did have a spectacular opening act in Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles. Sarah – sporting a cute lil black dress that showed off her tattoos – and her boys tore up the stage with a thunderous rock guitar extravaganza. You would have thought Led Zeppelin was on stage instead of a four piece rockabilly band. They opened with an upbeat song I didn’t recognize (but thoroughly enjoyed), then shook the floors with “The Day We Met” before settling into the more somber “Modern Trick”.

John Doe joined the band for a fun duet of “Stop & Think It Over”. Apparently it was a happy coincidence that the former X frontman – who happens to be Sarah’s main musical influence – was booked for the same show. I don’t know if Sarah and John had met before, but it was clear that they became fast friends. The band closed their set with the blistering “Diabolito”, with Sarah’s voice defying gravity on a Beyoncé belt at the end. I felt a little sorry for the rest of the performers, because Sarah & The Broken Singles set the stage on fire and everyone else had to play in their enormous shadow.

John Doe was up next. His truly was a good set, but bare acoustics couldn’t help but seem a little lackluster after that opener. The highlights were “There’s A Hole” and “Darling Underdog” from his new album, and especially his bluesy “The Losing Kind” from the Black Snake Moan soundtrack. Doe’s voice may be past its peak, but it’s still very strong. And he gives the impression of being a very likable guy, as well as someone who really loves music in general. In addition to singing with Sarah and participating in the big finale, I saw him standing off stage during some of the other performances and applauding along with the audience.

I hadn’t heard of Luke Temple before the show, and I have conflicting opinions about his performance. He has a very beautiful falsetto voice – somewhere between Thom Yorke and Sufjan Stevens. But his quirkiness seemed at least a little gimmicky – the tall black furry hat, the bizarre lyrics, and even the inflections in his voice seemed intentionally left of center. I could be wrong, as I said I knew nothing about him before the performance. I just thought the weird trappings detracted from his genuine talent. I’d say he’s someone to watch out for though, he definitely has a captivating voice.

Next up was Chuck Prophet. I had high hopes for this one, but it was way too jam bandish for my taste. Typical Mountain Stage sets last for 15 to 30 minutes at most. Prophet and his band played for almost an hour. The technical difficulties that had plagued the entire evening were partially to blame – the auditorium was so cold the musicians had to keep tuning their instruments in between songs. But the tuning problems were only part of what made Chuck’s set drag on. He stretched every song way beyond its limit with long guitar riffs while he made eyes at his keyboard playing wife. At first the lusty glances the couple exchanged seem sweet, but eventually it was just icky. Just as I was about to whisper “get a room”, someone else in the audience beat me to it.

Zap Mama was the last act of the evening. Now that’s entertainment! Lead vocalist Marie Daulne walked on stage looking elegant and statuesque in her long red dress, matching cape, huge earrings, and glittering clips in her sculpted hair. She was quite charming – enthusiastically thanking the audience for their “love” – and sang beautifully, as did her backup singers. Her musicians did a fine job as well. They effortlessly captured and enhanced the exotic sound of “Affection”, “1,000 Ways”, “Toma Taboo”, and the encore “Supermoon”. Zap Mama’s set wasn’t just a live performance, it was an experience.

The big finale of the night was rousing group rendition of “Keep On Rockin’ In The Free World”. I was disappointed that Zap Mama didn’t join in, but the rest of the night’s performers happily returned to the stage with the house band. Larry Groce – decked out in denim overalls – could easily give Neil Young a run for his money vocally. And bffs Sarah Borges & John Doe did a cute little dance routine. Whatever weaknesses the rest of the night had, that was definitely one of the best final numbers.

Unfortunately, the show ran so long I couldn’t stick around to meet the performers this time. I exuberantly recommend seeing Sarah Borges, John Doe, and Zap Mama in concert if you ever have the chance.

The September 23rd Mountain Stage concert featuring Anaïs Mitchell, Sylvie Lewis, Eleni Mandell, The Lucky Tomblin Band, and Suzy Bogguss is scheduled to air the week after October 26th. The program will be fed via satellite on October 26th, with stations having the right to air the show for 10 days following the feed.

Click here to view a list of stations and times for Mountain Stage in the U.S. The show should also be available on the Mt. Stage website after the initial airing.

I’ve had Anaïs Mitchell’s The Brightness album on constant rotation since her Mountain Stage performance, and I think it’s time I did a proper review of it. As I said in the concert review, the charming nuances of her voice add even more depth to her poetic lyrics. Like the greatest of classic literature, the compositions on The Brightness are the kind that softly seep through your skin and slowly make their way into your heart and mind before exploding in dazzling display of amazement.

The instrumentation on The Brightness is almost as impressive as Anaïs’ extraordinary voice and songwriting talent. Several tracks – such as “Your Fonder Heart” and “Old Fashioned Hat” – layer hauntingly sweet vocals and wistful lyrics with delicate strings and soft brass. “Shenandoah” and “Hobo’s Lullaby” have just the faintest bluegrass flavor due to a banjo being added to that orchestral blend. “Namesake” hums with slinky horns and refers to writer Anaïs Nin’s novel The Four-Chambered Heart.

The quiet piano in “Of A Friday Night”, the bare acoustics on “Song of The Magi”, and the dramatic tone of “Hades & Persephone” (from the play Hadestown) put the focus on the narrative poetry of Anaïs’ lyrics. Beyond her finespun and emotive voice, it is in those heartfelt and literate lyrics that the strength of Anaïs’ music lies. So I’ll let her words speak for themselves…

“full of them good time gamblers
full of their restless wives
full of them midnight writers
out in the quarter on a friday night
out in the brightness of a friday night
and the big horns blowed and the pianos played
and the music rose to the old man’s ears
I guess those were the olden days
I guess those were the golden years
and now the town is empty
empty as a mirror
empty as the harbor and the barber’s chair
where did the old poet go?
I asked around
nobody knows”

Anaïs Mitchell – Your Fonder Heart (mp3 removed)
Anaïs Mitchell – Shenandoah (mp3 removed)
Anaïs Mitchell Official Site
Anaïs on MySpace
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It’s been a while since I attended a Mountain Stage concert, and last night’s show was a spectacular re-introduction to my beloved venue. On the stage were Sylvie Lewis, The Lucky Tomblin Band, Eleni Mandell, Anaïs Mitchell, and Suzy Bogguss.

There’s no way to truly describe the strangely sophisticated yet completely relaxed atmosphere of a Mt. Stage show. I believe it’s the best and most unique venue in the world. All of the performers kept remarking on how nice the audience was, and it’s been like that at every performance I’ve attended at the venue.

Each Mountain Stage show usually features five or six musical acts from various genres, and the concerts are broadcast on NPR in the U.S., Voice of America in Europe, and XM Satellite Radio. Selected performances are also videotaped for the television version of Mountain Stage that airs weekly on PBS in the U.S. In the 20 years since Mountain Stage began, many famous artists have played there and at times their performances on the show have served as a catapult to fame. Before artists can be booked on the show, they or their representatives must submit material to the producers of Mountain Stage. Artists and booking agents should check out this page for more information.

Mountain Stage has general seating, so my hubby & I arrived early last night and managed to nab front row seats. While the technicians set up the stage, they played the Women Live From Mountain Stage CD featuring Ani Difranco, Dar Williams, Joan Baez, and Jill Sobule.

Every time I’ve attended the show in the past, it has been introduced by producer Andy Ridenour. So it was a shock to see a new and much younger guy – an assistant producer – walk out and go through Andy’s routine. I expected they would have to hire new staff eventually, but it was still a sad surprise. Fortunately, Andy is still a part of the show and nothing else seems to have changed. They announced that Jesse Harris, who was scheduled to perform first, would be unable to attend due to a family emergency. Then host Larry Groce sang the show’s theme song with singer Julie Adams, backed by the Mountain Stage band featuring Ron Sowell and Bob Thompson. In between sets, Thompson played a Django Reinhardt piano ballad and Adams sang a Colleen Anderson song with the rest of the house band.

Sylvie Lewis was the first act to perform, and it was obvious that the audience fell in love with her. She was a pretty, petite blonde with a soft British accent and a plum polka dot dress. Her voice was even lovelier live than on her album. The simple beauty of her vocals and her angelic stage presence remind me of what I imagine Joni Mitchell was like in the early days of her career. Mountain Stage singer Julie Adams joined Lewis on “If It Don’t Come Easy”, then Sylvie sang “Starsong”, “Just You”, “Happy Like That”, and “Death By Beauty”.

Then The Lucky Tomblin Band shook the stage harder than any rock band I’ve ever seen there. Lead guitarist Redd Volkaert provided some comic relief bounding across the stage before grabbing his bright yellow guitar. Their upbeat and infectious set included “Honky Tonk Song”, “End Of The Road”, “Good Lookin’ No Good”, “Red Hot”, and “Party Doll”.

Eleni Mandell then stepped into the spotlight arrayed in a tomato red sundress, which she kindly described for the radio audience after a curtsy. Eleni’s only accompaniment was her little guitar. I suppose that I had expected a glitzy jazz chanteuse, so I was surprised by her understated style. Like Sylvie, her voice is even better live. I was wishing for “Moonglow, Lamp Low” and “Miracle Of Five”, but she didn’t play either. She did sing “Make-Out King”, “Salt Truck”, “My Twin”, and “Girls”. Her performance of “My Twin” was especially good, with the stripped down acoustics emphasising the eerie drama of the song over its sultriness.

Next Anaïs Mitchell cast her spell on the audience. I think I was one of the few people there who knew who she was before the performance, but I think everyone in attendance was a fan of hers by the end of the set. First of all, she was an adorable little redhead with a cute dimpled smile and scuffed tan calf boots worn over top of her faded blue jeans. More than anyone else, Anaïs sounded a thousand times better live than on record. Though I liked her album before, I couldn’t help comparing her quirky singing style to Joanna Newsom. But the live performance transformed my opinion of her songs entirely. The lovely lilt and charming nuances of her voice were much more apparent, adding even more depth to her poetic lyrics. The way the songs seem to explode out of her body reminded of similar epiphanies when I saw Ani Difranco, Dayna Kurtz, Amy Correia, and Vic Chesnut perform at the same venue. These are more than simply good performers, these are artists that seem to be vessels that must unleash the music within before it rips them apart. Anaïs sang “Of A Friday Night”, “Before the Eyes of Storytelling Girls” (from Hymns For The Exiled), the beautiful ballad “Shenandoah”, a song from her spellbinding epic “Hadestown”, and “Your Fonder Heart”.

Suzy Bogguss – decked out in the blue velvet shawl worn on her album cover – was the last to take the stage, and I’m being kind in saying that it was anticlimactic. It would have been difficult for anyone to follow the stunning performance that preceded her, and Bogguss wasn’t that bad. But the blandness of her material was glaringly evident in the shadow of the transcendent Anaïs Mitchell. She chose to start with that horridly tepid cover of Peter Cetera’s horridly tepid song “If You Leave Me Now”, and also sang the cringeworthy singer-songwriter rap “No Good Way To Go”. And the live performance of the schmaltz-fest “In Heaven” lacked the cheesy chick flick charm of the album version. Her saving graces were her grand vocals on “The Bus Ride” and a trip down memory lane with her bluesy “Eat At Joe’s”, which she wrote back in her sassier country days. Suzy has an undeniably good voice and her vocals were solid throughout the set, it was just the music that was lackluster.

The best part of Mountain Stage is always the grand finale, when all of the performers are brought back out for a group sing. This time they did a rousing rendition of “Blue Light Boogie”. It wasn’t the most superior group vocal I’ve heard at the venue, and Eleni and Sylvie opted not to sing any verses. But the audience was none the less entertained by the back-up dancing of Suzy Bogguss, Eleni Mandell, Sylvie Lewis, and Anaïs Mitchell.

Another perk of attending a Mountain Stage show is that the performers often come out into the lobby to chat and sign autographs for the audience. In the past, I met Fisher, Luka Bloom, Amy Correia, Laura Love, Peter Mulvey, Cathie Ryan, and Robinella. This time I had the pleasure of meeting and having my CDs signed by Anaïs Mitchell, Sylvie Lewis, and Eleni Mandell. Anaïs shared the story of finding her boots on the side of a road, Sylvie discussed the differences between living in Europe and America as well as the perils of her former job as a teacher, and Eleni asked about the other artists that I’d seen perform at the venue. All three women were very friendly, down to earth, and extremely generous with their time. I only wish I had been cool and collected enough to ask more interesting questions, but I’m definitely better at writing than talking. Suzy Bogguss and Lucky Tomblin were also mingling with the fans, but I opted to avoid the crowds gathered around them.

I hope I’ve conveyed enough details to encourage everyone to see these artists – especially Anaïs Mitchell, Sylvie Lewis, and Eleni Mandell – perform in concert if ever the opportunity arises. I’m still kicking myself for forgetting to take pictures. I guess it’s a sign of a great concert when you’re too caught up in the music to remember your camera.

Mountain Stage Official Site
Mountain Stage Podcasts

Sylvie Lewis is what you could call an international singer-songwriter. She studied cello in Switzerland, opera in the U.K., and songwriting, piano and guitar in Boston. She relocated to Spain to write material for Translations, and now resides in Rome, Italy. Sylvie’s endearingly eclectic style glides through the breezy retro-pop of Sarah Shannon and jaunty sepia tone of Devon Sproule with a touch of moody crooning similar to Eleni Mandell. And Sylvie’s voice is one of the most naturally pretty and pristine that I’ve ever heard.

Songs like “Starsong”, “Say In Touch”, “Something To Dream To”, and “Old Queens, Monet and Me” have a smooth but airy soulfulness to them. Despite the sunny title, the melody of “Happy Like That” suggests a more bittersweet emotion.

Sylvie’s voice is especially lovely and clear on “If It Don’t Come Easy”, the operatic romance “Just You”, the elegant string and horn arrangements “Isobel” and “Cheap Ain’t Free”, and the enchanting finale “Your Voice Carries”.

I had a wonderful experience watching Sylvie perform at Mountain Stage last night (review on the way) and also had the chance to speak with her briefly after the show. She is both a delightful and enchanting performer on stage, and a very friendly person. Catch her in concert if you can. Tour dates and audio samples at the links below.

Sylvie Lewis on MySpace
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Cowboy Junkies released their first studio recording of original material in three years on April 17th. The central theme of At The End Of Paths Taken is family. The lyrics express the bliss and turmoil that goes on within familial relationships, as well as how the outside world affects the dynamic between generations. I’ve been a Cowboy Junkies fan for most of their professional career, and I’ve seen the band perform at Mountain Stage twice in the past decade. Though the Junkies are popular in certain circles, their unique combination of hippie folk, guitar rock, and haunting blues hasn’t exactly made them household names. Yet.

“Brand New World”, which slides a nice strong beat beneath the languid vocals of Margo Timmons, features an intricate string arrangement by Canadian composer Henry Kucharzyk. Kucharzyk also composed the lovely string arrangement of “Spiral Down”.

The guitars of “Cutting Board Blues” churn and grind the blues in between. If you thought the Junkies were getting softer as they age, this track proves there’s still plenty of thunder in their music. And “My Little Basquiat” better showcases the richness Margo’s drowsy voice by delving back into the band’s darker side.

“Still Lost” blends muffled piano with acoustics. The track’s lyrics – which deal with parents sending their children out into the big scary world – give the album its title. The lyrics of “Blue Eyed Saviour” also touch on the anxiety that comes from a freshly emptied nest and were partially inspired by the book The Year Of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.

The spooky epic “Mountain” splices Margo’s somnolent voice with a recording of her aviation salesman father reading from his autobiographical book. “Follower 2″ was inspired by a Seamus Heaney poem, and the closing track was also inspired by a poem – Philip Larkin’s “This Be The Verse”. “My Only Guarantee” looks at the damage even the best of parents do to their children.

At The End Of Paths Taken doesn’t capture the pretty romanticism of Lay It Down, or conjure a mesmerizing spell like Pale Sun, Crescent Moon, or even drive down the panoramic path of Miles From Home. But what it does do is show a great deal of growth and maturity from a band that has yet to receive the full amount of attention it deserves.

I was not granted permission to share an mp3, but you can hear samples from the album at MySpace.

Cowboy Junkies Official Site

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Here’s a pretty little ballad sung by the lovely voice of Mieka Pauley, from her upcoming album. Mieka recently appeared on my beloved Mountain Stage and has also performed with Martin Sexton, Eric Clapton, John Legend, Mindy Smith, Jill Sobule, Toby Lightman, Vienna Teng, Marc Broussard, Ben Lee, Peter Mulvey, and Melissa Ferrick among many others.

Mieka Pauley – All The Same Mistakes (mp3)

You can hear more of Mieka’s music at MySpace and download older mp3s at her website.

I believe I first heard Carrie Rodriguez on Folk Alley, then read the post about her at The Late Greats, and later discovered that she played Mountain Stage. Carrie’s Southern keen at times calls to mind Kasey Chambers. She sings and plays fiddle on Seven Angels On A Bicycle, which also features Bill Frisell on electric guitar, Chip Taylor on acoustic guitar, and a blend of pedal steel, lap steel, Dobro, upright bass, saxophone, and banjo. The sound leans heavily into the country, but there also also hints of folk and jazz.

The opening title track and “’50s French Movie” have a steady, determined rhythm to them, and “Seven Angels On A Bicycle” mixes a surprising touch of brass in with the twang. Then the fiddle heavy “Never Gonna Be Your Bride” kicks it up into an Appalachian hootenanny whirl.

“Dirty Leather” and “I Don’t Want To Play House Anymore” deepen into a bluesier, steel-edged tone, and Carrie’s voice soars into a wail above the eerie fiddle of “Waterbound”. While tracks like “He’s Already Gone” and “St. Peter’s” slow and soften the music beneath Carrie’s sweet vocals.

Carrie Rodriguez Official Site
Carrie on MySpace

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Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro’s 2006 release, Gently Weeps, is a collection of his own original material and a nice selection of covers transformed into instrumentals. Jake has been playing the ukulele since age four, experimentally amplifying the instrument with various guitar pedals. He recently performed at Mountain Stage, and has toured or recorded with Fiona Apple, Diana Krall, Chris Tile, John Hiatt, Kaki King, Jamie Cullum, Les Paul, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, Jimmy Buffett, and Ziggy Marley among many others. Gently Weeps showcases Jake’s intricate, often speedy, and very diverse ukulele technique, and he is joined on the album by other musicians playing piano, percussion, and steel and electric guitars.

The album opens with a cover of George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” that begins softly before building into a flying ukulele frenzy. Next up is “Ave Maria”, which is just as lovely and angelic as strummed on Jake’s ukulele as any vocal version I’ve heard.

Other covers on the disc include the traditional Japanese folk song, “Sakura”, “The Star-Spangled Banner”, “Spain”, and a beautiful rendition of “Misty”.

Jake’s originals “Wish On My Star” and “Breathe” are quite pretty and gentle, while steel guitar lends a classic country tone to “Angel”. The faster “Let’s Dance” has a slight Latin flavour, and those fingers really fly on “Grandma’s Groove”.

Gently Weeps also has five bonus tracks, including a version of “Wish On My Star” with vocals by Jennifer Perri and a surprising rock band explosion on “Beyond The Break”.

I was not granted permission to share an mp3, but you can hear samples at Jake’s MySpace.

Jake Shimabukuro’s Official Site

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