Welcome to the summer solstice edition of Cuz?s Corner. The music recently has been every bit as hot as the weather & this appears to be the case right through the sweltering months ahead. Highpoints last month were fantastic shows by Uncle Earl, Carrie Rodriguez & my old pals, the Waybacks with the Carolina Chocolate Drops. I was fortunate enough to have interviewed the G. Earls and Carrie and it continually amazes me just how much talent, creativity and class there is in roots music these days.
This seems to be a rather busy early summer for music not only in the Charlotte area, but in the surrounding areas and as usual, I?d like to throw a few of these out for your consideration. On July 5th I am looking forward to yet another McGlohon theatre co- bill featuring the early bluegrass stylings of Chatham County Line with the more progressive sounds of the Greencards. This will be, no doubt a show much like the Waybacks/Chocolate Drops show, where in the span of 3 hours or so you can hear where roots music came from, where it is and where it?s headed. Another show of note in this ethereal venue coming up on the 29th of July will be an appearance of Hot Tuna. This band began eons ago, as most of you know, as an outlet for Jefferson Airplane?s Jack Casady & Jorma Kaukonen?s love of the blues. Hot Tuna sets were both played preceding an Airplane gigs or later that evening in the local clubs. Although Jefferson Airplane has come and gone, Hot Tuna is still going strong after all these years. If you are a fan of finger style blues guitar in the tradition of the Reverend Gary Davis, Jorma Kaukonen is about my favorite on the planet and this show just might be for you. (More information on both of these shows can be found at http://www.maxxmusic.com/.) A quick footnote, even though I tend to review coming shows by national acts quite a bit in this article, please never forget that there are local and regional performers playing in a club near you just about every night of the week. Many of these performers are on equal footing with national acts. I would encourage you to check out club web-sites or entertainment sections in the paper and go out and hear what the Queen City has to offer musically ? you?ll be glad you did! Another favorite festival of mine is coming up July 26th-29th in beautiful Floyd Virginia. This year?s Floydfest (http://www.floydfest.com/) has one of it?s strongest roots based lineups that I can recall & this eco-friendly event takes place on the top of a mountain with western Virginia as it?s backdrop. This years stellar lineup includes Feufollet, The Red Stick Ramblers, The Infamous Stringdusters, The Waybacks, Blue Highway, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, The Duhks, The Hackensaw Boys, Sam Bush, Railroad Earth and Donna the Buffalo. If world music is your passion, you can always find an exquisite lineup of performers and dancers from around the world at every Floydfest!
The 2007 Americana Music Association awards nominations are in and can be found at http://www.americanamusic.org/. One note in passing is that Uncle Earl, whom many of us enjoyed so much a couple of weeks ago, received a nomination for emerging artist of the year and all I have to say is go G?Earls, you have my vote! Congratulations to local favorites the Avett Brothers for their three nominations. It?s great that local music is now getting a national audience! It is my intention to write a piece on the AMA and it?s award show in the September edition of Cuz?s corner, so stay tuned.
Although not overwhelmed with new releases last month, there were several stellar CDs that I feel are worth a mention. Native American activist Marty Stewart?s new release, ?Compadres? (http://www.martystewart.com/) is a compilation of duet recordings from the 15-year-old playing with Lester Flatt in the Ryman to a bluegrassy version of the Who?s ?I can see for Miles? with Old Crow Medicine show. Being that Marty was for a while a mainstream country music star complete with his own TV show (Marty Party), one loses track of how eclectic and true to the music he has actually been. This is a wonderful recording with enough diversity to keep me listening for hours. The duets on this CD include the likes of Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Earl Scruggs, The Staple Singers, B.B. King, Del McCoury and many more. Speaking of the Staples Singers, be sure to also check out his ?Soul?s Chapel? gospel recording with his Fabulous Superlatives. Not only are the songs done in the tradition of this groundbreaking group, but Marty is actually playing Pops Staples? guitar which was given to him by the family a couple of years ago. You might also want to check out the new one from Mavis Staples, called ?We?ll Never Turn Back. (http://www.mavisstaples.com/) This Ry Cooder produced recording revisits the protest songs of the civil rights movement, paying homage to the relationship the Staples family had with the Reverend Martin Luther King. Also satisfying is the new disc from David Holt & the Lightening Bolts with a title that says it all ? ?Old Time Music with a New-time Jolt?. (http://www.davidholt.com/) The rearrangements on this CD of familiar old-time and country blues standards are crisp and delightful and are given a delightful vocal touch by Asheville?s Laura Boosinger. Finally, my CD pick of the month, and one that will have to be surgically removed from my vehicles player, is the Subdude?s new one, called ?Street Symphony?. (http://www.thesubdudes.com/) This group was formed 20 years ago in New Orleans and has put together a literal gumbo of sounds with some of the richest vocal harmonies you will ever hear. It?s all here in terms of influences; bayou sounds, jazzy grooves, a folky consciousness and a bit of R&B thrown in for good measure ? all executed the way only a veteran, band can. This is the good stuff! That?s all for July & we?ll see you next month. Be sure to get out and support live music at a venue near you. The best Cuz
This seems to be a rather busy early summer for music not only in the Charlotte area, but in the surrounding areas and as usual, I?d like to throw a few of these out for your consideration. On July 5th I am looking forward to yet another McGlohon theatre co- bill featuring the early bluegrass stylings of Chatham County Line with the more progressive sounds of the Greencards. This will be, no doubt a show much like the Waybacks/Chocolate Drops show, where in the span of 3 hours or so you can hear where roots music came from, where it is and where it?s headed. Another show of note in this ethereal venue coming up on the 29th of July will be an appearance of Hot Tuna. This band began eons ago, as most of you know, as an outlet for Jefferson Airplane?s Jack Casady & Jorma Kaukonen?s love of the blues. Hot Tuna sets were both played preceding an Airplane gigs or later that evening in the local clubs. Although Jefferson Airplane has come and gone, Hot Tuna is still going strong after all these years. If you are a fan of finger style blues guitar in the tradition of the Reverend Gary Davis, Jorma Kaukonen is about my favorite on the planet and this show just might be for you. (More information on both of these shows can be found at http://www.maxxmusic.com/.) A quick footnote, even though I tend to review coming shows by national acts quite a bit in this article, please never forget that there are local and regional performers playing in a club near you just about every night of the week. Many of these performers are on equal footing with national acts. I would encourage you to check out club web-sites or entertainment sections in the paper and go out and hear what the Queen City has to offer musically ? you?ll be glad you did! Another favorite festival of mine is coming up July 26th-29th in beautiful Floyd Virginia. This year?s Floydfest (http://www.floydfest.com/) has one of it?s strongest roots based lineups that I can recall & this eco-friendly event takes place on the top of a mountain with western Virginia as it?s backdrop. This years stellar lineup includes Feufollet, The Red Stick Ramblers, The Infamous Stringdusters, The Waybacks, Blue Highway, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, The Duhks, The Hackensaw Boys, Sam Bush, Railroad Earth and Donna the Buffalo. If world music is your passion, you can always find an exquisite lineup of performers and dancers from around the world at every Floydfest!
The 2007 Americana Music Association awards nominations are in and can be found at http://www.americanamusic.org/. One note in passing is that Uncle Earl, whom many of us enjoyed so much a couple of weeks ago, received a nomination for emerging artist of the year and all I have to say is go G?Earls, you have my vote! Congratulations to local favorites the Avett Brothers for their three nominations. It?s great that local music is now getting a national audience! It is my intention to write a piece on the AMA and it?s award show in the September edition of Cuz?s corner, so stay tuned.
Although not overwhelmed with new releases last month, there were several stellar CDs that I feel are worth a mention. Native American activist Marty Stewart?s new release, ?Compadres? (http://www.martystewart.com/) is a compilation of duet recordings from the 15-year-old playing with Lester Flatt in the Ryman to a bluegrassy version of the Who?s ?I can see for Miles? with Old Crow Medicine show. Being that Marty was for a while a mainstream country music star complete with his own TV show (Marty Party), one loses track of how eclectic and true to the music he has actually been. This is a wonderful recording with enough diversity to keep me listening for hours. The duets on this CD include the likes of Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Earl Scruggs, The Staple Singers, B.B. King, Del McCoury and many more. Speaking of the Staples Singers, be sure to also check out his ?Soul?s Chapel? gospel recording with his Fabulous Superlatives. Not only are the songs done in the tradition of this groundbreaking group, but Marty is actually playing Pops Staples? guitar which was given to him by the family a couple of years ago. You might also want to check out the new one from Mavis Staples, called ?We?ll Never Turn Back. (http://www.mavisstaples.com/) This Ry Cooder produced recording revisits the protest songs of the civil rights movement, paying homage to the relationship the Staples family had with the Reverend Martin Luther King. Also satisfying is the new disc from David Holt & the Lightening Bolts with a title that says it all ? ?Old Time Music with a New-time Jolt?. (http://www.davidholt.com/) The rearrangements on this CD of familiar old-time and country blues standards are crisp and delightful and are given a delightful vocal touch by Asheville?s Laura Boosinger. Finally, my CD pick of the month, and one that will have to be surgically removed from my vehicles player, is the Subdude?s new one, called ?Street Symphony?. (http://www.thesubdudes.com/) This group was formed 20 years ago in New Orleans and has put together a literal gumbo of sounds with some of the richest vocal harmonies you will ever hear. It?s all here in terms of influences; bayou sounds, jazzy grooves, a folky consciousness and a bit of R&B thrown in for good measure ? all executed the way only a veteran, band can. This is the good stuff! That?s all for July & we?ll see you next month. Be sure to get out and support live music at a venue near you. The best Cuz
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