Gas is four bucks a gallon, and the Canadian loonie is close to even with our dollar, but I’m driving to Montreal. Because for the next 10 days, the music is free.
It’s the 29th Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, and if you live in New England but haven’t yet experienced this eclectic street party, [...]
Archive for June, 2008
Local Rhythms – Montreal, Where Music Is Free
June 25, 2008Local Rhythms – Don’t Steal From Musicians
June 18, 2008I need to vent this week, mainly because of a recent email. A friend wrote asking me to send any pictures I might have taken of Eilen Jewell and her band. She’s my favorite throwback chanteuse, and I’ve had a couple of occasions to photograph her over the years (resisting the urge to shoot in [...]
Scott Ainslie – “Thunder’s Mouth”
June 17, 200810 days after the September 11 attacks, Bruce Springsteen opened a nationally televised benefit show with “My City of Ruins,” a song that could have been a direct response to the tragedy – if it weren’t more than a year old.
Scott Ainslie’s “It’s Gonna Rain,” the centerpiece of his new collection of originals, blues standards [...]
Robert Plant Tells Village Voice: No Zep Tour
June 13, 2008Great Village Voice Interview with Robert Plant, though it’s a bit dated.
Given the certitude of Mr. Plant’s statements, and the jubilation he displayed at last Thursday’s Boston show, I’d say these sentiments still hold. Rumors fly on the Internets, but Robert Plant is on a mission that has nothing to do with Led Zeppelin:
“I mean, [...]
Roots Wrap
June 11, 2008Plentiful sun, widely varied music, good food and good vibes prevailed at this year’s Roots on the River Festival in Rockingham. Saturday’s day-long concert was capped by a Fred Eaglesmith performance that fans called his “best in years”. Local musician Ezra Veitch helped out when regular Flying Squirrels drummer, Kori Heppner, left unexpectedly [...]
Chosen Vale – Total Trumpet Immersion
June 10, 2008Gathering 37 talented trumpet players from prestigious musical schools like Julliard, Eastman and the Boston Conservatory for two weeks of collaboration would seem a recipe for musical perfection to most people. But not to Edward Carroll, director of the Chosen Vale International Trumpet Seminar, which begins June 16 at the Shaker Village Museum in [...]
Local Rhythms – Going Green With Plug and Tug
June 10, 2008I got an email last week from Shamus Martin telling me about 84 Sheepdog, the power trio he recently formed with Josh Maiocco (Ingrid’s Ruse) and J.D. Martin (Highball Heroes). The band, named after the customized Ford Econoline van in “Dumb and Dumber,” plays its first gig Friday at J.D. McClintock’s in Putney.
So far, [...]
Pete Merrigan Returns, Maybe For Good
June 4, 2008Despite the skittish weather, it was summer in Sunapee last Sunday, as Pete Merrigan made his first public appearance since returning from Florida. He’d played for invited guests at a Friday gathering in New London, and what he jokingly called a “private performance” at the Newport Moose on Saturday, but the afternoon show on Digby’s [...]
Dr. Burma – One Bite Won’t Kill You
June 2, 2008When they perform their R&B music for Upper Valley audiences, Dr. Burma will occasionally bring along a horn section. After hearing “One Bite Won’t Kill You,” the second album of their 20-year career, you may wish they brought the brass everywhere they went.
The record harkens back to the golden age of horn bands like [...]
Local Rhythms – Say It Ain’t So, Bob
June 2, 2008I used to believe in rock and roll, until it became a commodity in a numbers game. So when Led Zeppelin reunited last year for a one-off London show, I waited for the inevitable announcement of an annuity tour, a la McCartney or the Stones.
Football stadiums with parking pricier than tickets used to be, [...]
