Flanfire

There’s this group of songwriters I have met thanks to Rob Cooperman and maybe now and then independently — but it is hard to tell, as they hang out in packs.  All of them are very talented, often sharing stages with one another, touring together, and of course that carousing thing.  Kalu James is a Nigerian by birth, raised in Benin, and moved in 2001 for computer studies to Rochester, New York (also home to Jess Klein).  It was there he began his singing career – for some wonderful reason Kalu moved to Austin a few years ago to enjoy our winter wonderland weather and grace us with song.  James Moran is a Nawlins street rat (self-proclaimed) who escaped Katrina or for whatever reason spent an eternity in San Antonio before the lovely Aly Tadros [off on tour with Douglas Jay Boyd as we write] started singing HIS songs at Red Fez and to defend his own honor he just HAD to move up here and start playing gigs.  [Of course James sang Aly's songs that night, too -- but it makes a good story.]  Both these guys have new product on the shelves and at their shows — and Kalu’s oft-times singing and swizzling partner Josh Halverson is not far behind. 

JAMES MORAN (self-titled)

I could say that James Moran is a dirtier (Nawlins does that), grittier Danny Malone — but that would not be fair to either performer.  Both are intense guys who sing pop songs [Moran prefers "soul," but acoustic they are soulful pop], both wear fedoras, both are loved by the ladies, and neither is as tall as I am.  Both, however, write great songs that are all their own.  So let’s move past the outward appearance and get to the nitty gritty.  Daniel Coffey produced Moran’s debut; Bryan Williams recorded the guitars (all James), and Damian Rodriguez the vocals (again, all James).  I also have to say the last time I saw James on stage was at B. D. Riley’s with Rob Cooperman joining in now and then — it was a TOTAL GAS!  These guys are fun!

“Come What May” opens the CD, and this is a catchy song.  “Jadi’s Song” is all about “writing this song on your guitar” to the woman whom he loves.  “Agree to Disagree” shows a great vocabulary — something he shares with Tim Buckley (father of Jeff Buckley, whose work Moran dearly admires).  We do look forward to the full band version of these songs — because with a band, James will be able to emote more.  “Mea Culpa?” is a sad song about a broken relationship – how do lovers learn to listen before it is too late?  How do we know when there is nothing left to try?  But more importantly, how do we know when to shut up and just wait until the storm clouds disappear? 

[What we] “Could Be” is a plea to stick together to see what good things can happen in a mutually supportive relationship.  “Home To Stay” is yet another tale of a guy who goes off track in a relationship [notice that James is always a lover], while “Least That I Could Do” is a reflective ballad about how good a relationship can be when giving is at the bottom on both sides.  I like this song.  “Believe It or Not” is the jazziest song on the record — this time the relationship seems adrift, with some loss of meaning, and yet our gallant lad holds out hope.  [We have the] “Solution,” James sings on the final song — but you have to open up your eyes.  Sometimes Moran’s lyrics sound like rap set to music — so many rhymes in one long phrase.  Moran will be joining Rob Cooperman on February 8th at Momo’s Club — and maybe some Mondays at B. D. Riley’s (but there was some cryptic message about the “final show” for the Undercover Songwriters Showcase). 

KALU JAMES – Live

Of course the second to last time I saw James was at a Kalu James (and Josh Halverson) show at One 2 One Bar the very night before — and Kalu handed me an advance copy of his new live record, cut at Ruta Maya with his full band — Randall Squires (bass and producer), Ed Miles (drums), Drew Howard (lead guitar), Michael Rubin (harmonica, mandolin, vocals), Erik Telford (trumpet, keyboards),  and the inimitable Josh Halverson on two songs.  Curiously, Jeff Buckley is at the very top of Kalu’s “influences” list on HIS MySpace — me, I prefer Nick Drake, but most of these guys may not even know who he was.  But he also likes Tracy Chapman, and she is clearly a HUGE influence on his vocal style.   

Kalu has a BIG voice (and he is a big man who admits he sweats during shows, kinda like Marvin Dykhuis) — and his band is just topnotch.  The first time I heard Kalu sing was at a Ham Jam, and his pure vocal tone was just stunning!  Kalu must mean “bear” in some language he speaks — because he just oozes warmth even when not on stage.  I listen to this live record and hardly hear the words — and then I really listen and sometimes cry.  “SCheck” opens quietly, then the guitar comes in like a xylophone hitting solo notes — and you know you are up for something good.  Then comes that gravelly vocal and you wonder what is this song all about?  And it does not matter — it is all about introducing the band.  And, OH — it is really “soundcheck.”

Then the REAL music begins — “The Way I Feel” opens with the organ holding a long note — and the guitar comes in underneath, and then Kalu … singing a love song ….. about Rochester and the love he found there as a young African man in America where the summers are colder than whatever he thought was winter and the winters are a whole other planet.  The sheer energy of this performer already comes through, and we are just getting started.  “Dreams” is a bouncy tune, Simon and Garfunkely even, about a “brand new chapter for this love.”  “Love for Someone Else” is a quiet song about ending an affair – “I’ve built mansions, you leave me with a leaky roof,” and so it is time to move on.  Next is “To Be in Love with Me,” a song about smiling … and why not?  Malaria is prevalent in Africa, and this song evokes memories that left Kalu smiling in the face of danger.  And then there is “Big Heart,” which opens with a monologue and ends with a smile.  “The World Needs You” is just beautiful.  Did I mention these are lengthy cuts — four of the songs are over 7 minutes long.  “Listen to the Wind” opens with an Erik Telford trumpet solo and later there is this mandolin dolo from Michael Rubin}  The final cut, “Answers,” is yet another ballad … oddly, his live sets are anything but.  This is lovely stuf — even thugh i am very tired after a long day.  But just get out to see Kalu soon.

“Scars can fill us up with pride .. Scars can also make us hide those wounds we got when a part of us died….  How many scars do you have?  Will you ever show your scars to anyone?” 

At the memorial service two Januarys ago for my darling wife Nancy, I found myself speaking words about scars — how sometimes people’s scars are invisible to the eye but painfully obvious to the touch, especially a touch that is just not gentle enough to bring healing and comfort.  I was talking about how we need to be aware of who we are conversing with, how not to put foot in mouth or down their throat — how to spread life and not the crush of death.

That’s why I don’t listen to Lucinda Williams any more — except of course at the annual Hank and Lucinda Williams Hoot at the Cactus Cafe, the brainchild of fellow Red Sox fan Jenny Reynolds.  You see, it’s not that she left Austin, not that the last time I saw her at ACL Festival she was (well) not all there on stage.  It’s just that song.  You know, the one BettySoo [shown here with Charlie Faye at the Saxon last Saturday] sang Tuesday night …. the one that breaks my heart every time I hear it — the one that every time I hear any song of Lucinda’s it breaks my heart because I cannot forget that song.  The one that tells me my Susan is never going to call me on the phone — or ask me to iron her shirt for work — or give me a long lecture about how I need to love people better — again.  [Well, on another plane, she does come to me over and over through the people I meet out on the streets of Austin.]

“See what you lost when you left this world, this sweet old world….”   You see, I can hear those words once a year (or any other Lucinda song) because July 27th is Susan’s birthday — and I have to celebrate her life every day but especially at this special time.  When it matters most.  And somehow (though a day after this year) the Williams Hoot always helps me (though this is just the third year) celebrate Susan’s wonderful life — the life she chose to sacrifice thinking it would be better for the rest of us.

The nights SHE would wander the streets of her beloved Houston to seek out her lost girlfriends and try to bring them home to safety.  The weekends she spent with her disabled friend, even going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and still getting back for her American Humanics meeting.  The day she died, she went to her job interview and then to the graduation ceremonies at the elementary school she had volunteered at, teaching reading to immigrant first and second graders.  And then the love our family was shown by Austin’s music community (in which we were still fledglings at the time) that has driven the Flanfire ship for nearly six years now.  For me, of course, the song sounds like, “See what I lost when you left this world,” except that out of that loss we have had great gain.  As you all know, life is made better through celebration … and knowing that we are all dying and so should live life to the fullest every living breathing moment.  [I can never think of Susan and not see Snoopy dancing.]

Susan would have turned thirty on Monday.  And Monday night, where was I?  Out at House Wine with some of my dearest friends — B. Sterling Archer (whose B. Sterling Band will soon be releasing its debut CD) and Melanie Martinez of Tiny Tin Hearts (which likewise has a CD about ready for prime time) — and Abbi Sims, whose spirit reminds me so much of my daughter’s — adventurous, honest, forthright, caring, and sharing … and in Abbi’s case, a downrightr good singer and budding songwriter and outstanding Open Mike hostess at House Wine.  Also in the house (well, outside in the front lawn) were Craig Marshall and Jon Notarthomas and Will T. Massey and the lovely Valerie Fremin (more very dear friendds) — Drew de France and Kurt McMahan from the band Ouachita, which plays Friday at the Belmont — and one Donnie Jones (shown here surrounded by Kurt along with Abbi and her songwriter friend Anna who hails from just south of Brenham, Texas).  And, oh yeah, Donnie Jones (who is better known these days as a wine merchant and vineyard owner) is a songwriter — a man who counted among his friends Townes Van Zandt and Blaze Foley and John Prine too (and of course Guy Clark), and whose songs are of that same caliber.  Will T is working with Donnie to record a bunch of his songs — some brand new, others buried for maybe decades.  Monday, it turns out, was Jay Sims’ birthday too, but we were mostly there to celebrate Abbi’s birthday on July 29th (which SHE was celebrating at the Cathedral of Junk).

But back to Tuesday night at the Cactus — which opened with Eric Hisaw and Chrissy Flatt and then Kerry Polk and friends and then The Flyin’ A’s (Stuart and Hilary Adamson) before emcee Tom Pittman made his actual debut singing and playing guitar all by his lonesome on a public stage.  After 40 years!  An historic occasion!  And, despite his own protestations, he was good lookin’ – sang well too!

After the break, it was Jenny herself and then Seth Walker, BettySoo and finally Guy Forsyth.  So after the show I found the two world-renowned lads standing side by side and popped out the camera for this photo — and Guy says this may be the first photo ever of the two of them together.  Whatever – Guy had closed his set with a brand-new song he wrote in remembrance of fallen hero Stephen Bruton.  Later he was showing off dozens of photos of his pride and joy, his 2-year-old daughter who is just gorgeous!  I know a little something about being a proud papa — Guy admits it has changed his life.

A few more notes before I go — and I promise I WILL get to those CD reviews sometime soon.  First off, we have Margo Valiante flanked by Etan Sekons and three-string bassist Kyle Clayton at the Whip In, where I was eating some of the best Indian food ever to grace my lips AND enjoying one of that venue’s many nights of fine Austin music.  [Hats off for their support of Groundworks!]  That was on Saturday, and I left at intermission to run to the Saxon to catch a great set from porterdavis (sadly, no decent photos for you).  Just stunning!  Mike Meadows on vocals and his patented drum-percussion rig, birthday boy Simon Wallace on harmonica and vocals, and Daniel Barrett on slide guitar and vocals.  The band was taking orders for their own new CD, which will be available at their August 28th Saxon Pub show — if they make it back home from Nova Scotia.  Then, as noted, it was Bettysoo, who opened with “Do Right Woman,” a Dan Penn song made famous by the Flying Burrito Brothers (okay, theirs was by no means the first, or even the biggest hit version, but Earl Poole Ball played on that record — as did (duh!) Gram Parsons).  No wonder she’s opening for Joan Baez!

The little lady in the yellow dress is Akina Adderley (yes, Nat Adderley, Jr.’s baby girl) — and SHE was the opening act at Sunday’s very well attended Austin2Africa event that was raising money for an orphanage for South African children whose parents had died of AIDS.  [The $20,000 they need for the project is but a drop in the bucket of Oprah's budget for her posh girls' school.]

This was Akina’s fourth show with her Village Playboys in four days (Victory Grill, Antone’s, Marcus Cardwell’s backyard!) and she had to run out the door to sing the national anthem at a RollerGirls throwdown.  Also on the bill were Kalu James, Tandoorifinger, Paul Banks (who will be back at Momo’s soon), and the amazing John Pointer (who broke a string on his very first song and never slowed down).

Susan would have loved this extended weekend — from Thursday through Tuesday, great music one night after another.  Her favorite, of course, was long-time Austinite Steve Ulrich, whom she used to see regularly at the Hole in the Wall during its glory days singnig in between Quatropaw sets.  I like to think she is hearing the music I hear in Austin from her special place in the clouds.