Flanfire

Mark Andes — Real World Magic

I was at Jovita’s a few days ago and someone handed me a signed copy of Mark Andes’ new solo album, “Real World Magic,” reminding me that my old hero (all the way back to Spirit!), the epitome of California Cool, is living in Montgomery County these days.  Well, yeah — Mark was also a mainstay in such little-known bands as Ian McLagan and the Bump Band, Heart, Jo Jo Gunne, Canned Heat, Firefall, and a boatload of Austin’s finest players.  He has been a bass guitar teacher to friends of mine, including the fabulous Melanie Martinez of Tiny Tin Hearts — and he is always a real gentleman.

Mark plays everything on this record except for a little drum and percussion work from Don Harvey and (oddly enough?) David Murray.  There are ten songs on this record — all Mark’s own music — plus a reprise of “Valerie,” written for a very special woman.  Lest one wonder about Mark’s guitar work, remember that he grew up playing with Randy California, whose prowess was at the time compared with that of James Hendrix.  Yet this music is comtemplative, melodic — nothing at all like what Mark is known for with ANY of the bands he helped make famous.  Mark’s brother Matt is the one known for his slide guitar work, but Mark proves here he is no slouch.  This record is a joy for me — and it ought to be for any Mark Andes fan (and they should be legion).  This is music from a man who has run the gamut of fame and foolishness, came to Austin a decade or so ago only to see the breakup of the relationship that had brought him here, and emerged such that the image of California Cool that he projects has become his inner man — contented, peaceful inside and out, and confident that he is living at the peak of his game. 

Paul Finley – The Butterfly

Now Paul Finley is known as a fingerpicking acoustic guitar virtuoso — and his new record, “Butterfly” (which features artwork by Gregory Truett Smith), provides much evidence that he is in the John Fahey tradition.  Indeed, the longtime Austinite (who came here from Wisconsin) covers Fahey’s wonderful “Sunflower River Blues” — and then he covers Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns.”  The other 13 songs are all Paul Finley — and, yes, while this is an instrumental record, Paul throws in an occasional holler or whistle. 

Paul’s own bio notes that his unique “melody strumming” creates the sound of multiple guitars from one instrument. And that his percussive techniques are always an unexpected element thrown in to the mix.  While previous Finley recordings have mixed the humorous (kid’s music, often) with the sublime, this recording is like sitting beside Thoreau at Walden listening to a beatific harpist — except that it is just Paul and his guitar.  One Internet reviewer said of the record, “It’s soothing, happy, joyful, whimsical, and a true demonstration of Paul’s incredible talent.”  One listen to the amazing “Adam and Eve” – or for that matter, “Wilson’s Smile” – should be enough to demonstrate just how right he is.   

Paul is a graduate and former faculty member of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, which might explain why his on-stage banter is sometimes so “cheesy.”  This world-class performer has traveled halfway across the world to make new fans, and yet he is not well known in many parts of Austin.  This despite the fact that Paul’s touring venues include colleges, bars, conventions, poetry slams, coffee houses, churches, prison, youth camps, schools, homes, even a classy Waffle House parking lot (shades of David Wilcox). 

Two great instrumental recordings from two very different artists.  I would love to be a fly on the wall if and when these two guys get together to jam — and talk about life and times.  Okay — I SHOULD write up a few more of the big pile of music I have on my desk.  But, then again, it is 4 am and I have to sleep an hour or two sometime before daybreak.