Flanfire

 Now be patient.  I am saving the best for last — Jack Valen has a new CD.  Who is this Jack Valen?  Again, be patient (but he IS the guy with the hat just below). 

But I will start with Sunday and work backwards .. and Sunday next Will Taylor promises us Warren Hood and Chris Maresh as his special guests.  Tonight, though, it was Jamie Deshotels of the Austin Pops and an all-star cast straight from the Austin Symphony performance during the afternoon.  Later, I stopped by the Continental to see Heybale but also went upstairs to the Gallery (for my first time) and caught an entire set from Mike Flanigan with Frosty on drums, Derek O’Brien on guitar, and a couple of horn players whose names you would likely recognize.  Man, I like that place — it’s an aerie and they play jazz — and there is a ping-pong table in the upstairs back.  And Hilary York and Shae Stuart were working and otherwise hanging out.

 Now back to Saturday, which ended early in the morning at an undiscolosed location at a going away party for impresario Michael Lahrman that featured a live backporch 2 am set by T-Bird and the Breaks.  That’s Austin, babee!  I ran into Jeremy Nail and almost got a copy of his brand-new EP and also caught up with Brian Keane and now-fiancee Rachel Loy, who is in town to record her own EP.  Someone took this photo of five HANDSOME MEN — Flanfire, Ihor Gowda, the honoree Michael, Dustin Welch, and Rockslide’s John Grubbs.  I would party with these guys anytime.

Earlier, I had stopped by the Amsterdam Cafe to catch half a set from Noelle Hampton and her brand-new band, anchored by the handsome Andre Moran (shown here with the now-blonde bombshell).  Dad George Hampton and the whole extended family were still celebrating George’s work on the brand-new statue of Texas (and national) hero Barbara Jordan.  [His art exhibit at Z Tejas is also notable.]

I got to Momos in time for opening sets from Miguel Briones and Kalu James and then the main course — Jack Valen himself with his hot band (more later) — and then the dessert, a great set from Tiny Tin Hearts (who also played Momos on Sunday night).

Now for Friday — which began at the brand-new (same old Barton Springs) Flipnotics, which already has a brand-new porch floor and will by the time you read this have a brand new air conditioning system — with more great changes to come, courtesy of the venue’s new owner.  That “Censored” beer from California was pretty good, too.

I of course was there to see the esteemed Kyle Clayton and his debut with Margo Valiante — with Etan Sekons on guitar.  Margo, by the way, is a finalist in the Wildflower Festival (in RIchardson) songwriter contest, and she and the other nine finalists will share the stage on May 16th right before my pal BettySoo.  Needless to say, the highlight of the evening was Kyle’s bass solo on the last song — and the text messaging back and forth to Hawaii with Geron Hoy.  Margo sounded great, and so did Etan.

Later I stopped by Momos to catch a very hot set from Dertybird, with Robby Kidd on drums and JT Holt on guitars (with Lee Brock on bass) — and song stylist Clayton Colvin on vocals.  Sitting in were Douglas Jay Boyd on vocals and on a couple of songs the amazing David Jimenez (Bruce James is where I first saw him) on guitar.  This set was fun, and downright nasty when JT and David set out on an extended jam.

JACK VALEN — WHAT WAS, WHAT IS

What was Kris Brown doing NOT playing lead guitar for way too long? 

What is Jack Valen doing that is so very right?  Well, one thing is working with Kris’ roommate Randall Squires, whose prior credits include Grimy Styles “Rewind” CD.

What shall be — now that is all up to those who actually take a listen to this young songwriter of Brazilian heritage who has been based in Austin for some time now.  My advice — do not be like the guy who failed to get to the U2 concert in College Park, Maryland, when the price was low and the venue was a mile or two from his house.  Now Jack may never become a world-renowned star, but this writer will get out to as many of his shows as possible — really good songs, a great vibe, and Kris Brown on lead guitar showcasing talents he rarely unveils to even his closest friends.

Are there really 14 songs on this record?  You listen, you hear a little Dylan, a little Crash Test Dummies, and maybe even a little Seattle grunge — but what you get is a guy whose songs insist on being taken seriously.  And better yet — this guy will just get better and better the more he does it.

The uptempo “Please Melinda” and its lovely harmonies AND handclaps (very California sound) opens the listen .. a plea to stick around, not let the “snakes” whisper “words that will blister your soft, delicate ears.”  Then the tempo slows and the falsetto appears for the final plea — and then the tender, short guitar solo.  Anyone figure out already why this is the guy women want to hear sing? 

“Thank You” is more of a prayer — “When clouds were raging above me you kept me on my page, I had nothing to do with you but you did it in your name.”  And how about, “The wicked smile through their teeth to keep themselves from crying.”  There is this bouncy segment in the middle, then back to the main theme.

Okay – Jack can have a little fun, too — hence the “Ballad of Tipsy Bill,” a guy who professes that “having holes in your clothes has been hip for quite a while.”  Another song to dance to and laugh along as we hear about “that aroma that you smell , so good that it could kill, it’s all natural, baby, I call it “‘ssence Tipsy Bill’.”  So where does that amazing guitar solo at the end come from?

“Back Home” is one of my favorites (there are many).  It opens like a Grateful Dead song, feels a little like Dylan’s “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” for a second, and then a touch of classic Eighties crooning.   “It Takes Two” is realizing that love is a two-way street — here Jack shows off his falsetto.  But what do you do with a harmonica player whose lyrics promise to dry “the tears off from your eyes”?

“What Do I Have To Do” is a flat-out rocke that gets EVERYBODY up on the dance floor.  And then we are hit in the breadbasket with “When I’m Gone,” a song about a man speaking his dying wishes to his oldest son.  This is pure Eddie Vedder with a little Kurt Cobain.  Then there’s the curious “She Cursed Me,” which has this line — “the wind has a thing for men who hide their broken hearts, gets in their lungs and then rips them all apart.”  This poor guy is already preparing for death over the loss of a woman — yeah, this is a killer.

“Nothing Left To Say” is another bouncy rocker — a song you just have to dance to.  And there’s Jack’s harmonica finally.  “Reason To Believe” (not the famous cut) is more majestic, like a Kansas tune (well, close) — and MORE harmonica. 

“You May Be Able To Fool Yourself” is like an early Dylan ballad — except this guy sings on key.  And “My Sweet Lady” is an even slower ballad — this is turn off the lights, light up the incense and the barely able to see candles, and open that bottle of good wine music.

“Midnight” is just gorgeous – like Don McLean’s masterpiece, “Vincent,” and with the encouraging word that “through a broken window, a light can still shine, [but] you were’re looking for existence, you wanted to claim mine.”  A little mournful harmonica … and then …… the transition to the climactic (and anthemic) ”We Are,” which features pal Kalu James on harmony vocals.  Lyrics like, “I may not have much but at least my soul is fed, And at night I can easily lay my head, with no neeed to keep one eye open.”  And then there is this WOW guitar solo from Mr. Brown … the guy has the soul (maybe it is the years of playing reggae plus the jazz guitar training coming together).  At the end, you just feel refreshed — the meal is over and you are totally satisfied.

Will Taylor’s genius is not limited to his great arrangements or to his excellent viola (or violin) work.  Will (in the spiffy shirt) has this knack of getting great musicians to play with him — and great singers to perform at his shows (for example, Lisa Tingle blew the doors off the Led Zeppelin review, I am told).  Will is also a genius in finding new ways to present himself and his friends — the newest being the Will Taylor Jazz Strings Quartet, which last week began a Sunday night series (starting at 6 pm) at Opal Divine’s Penn Field.  Backed by longtime confederate Shawn Sanders on cello and Jason Allen on viola, Taylor scores again with the fabulous Leah Zeger on violin — and even though we do not (yet, at least) get to hear her glorious jazz vocals in this ensemble, her skills on the violin (she was the youngest ever to be a regular with the Austin Symphony, I seem to recall) are just what the doctor ordered.  [Indeed, scroll down a bit and you will find Leah singing (and playing violin) at Ming's Cafe along with regulars Brad Houser and El Goins and guitarist Trevor Labonte, another of those lads who seems to prefer Austin summers to Wisconsin winters.

Now I have some great Jackie Bristow news to report -- first, her lifelong guitarist, Mark Punch, one of Australia's top session players (for example, all but the latest Kasey Chambers record and both of Jackie's) and an excellent singer, flew into Austin to stay a month or so and do some live shows (like this one with drummer Mark Hays at Flipnotics -- which by the way has a brand-new owner, a new porch floor, a new A/C system as of Monday, and maybe some more surprises as well).  Second, Jackie is opening for Bob Schneider at the Cactus Cafe on April 30 and has her own debut at the Saxon Pub the very next night.  Third (and maybe best of all), a chance (??) encounter with composer-arranger Stephen Barber led to a surprise reunion with David Boyle, an Aussie whom Jackie had met years before he came to Austin to play with the Scabs and after numerous adventures purchased the old Providence Primitive Baptist Church facilities and built the Church House studio in East Austin.  Word is our favorite Kiwi songbird is already in the studio with David, Mark, and who knows who else -- to lay down a couple of tracks right now and maybe more later.  [For double the please, check out the photo of Jackie Bristow and Jackie Daum -- whose own new record will be out before long.]

 We also got out last Sunday to see Heybale — and my favorite former Burrito Brother Earl Poole Ball (who also played with Johnny Cash) along with Redd Voelkart and half the town’s musicians in the audience.  Monday night early it was the McKay Brothers (Noel and Hollin) doing their acoustic duo set at the Hole in the Wall (just more proof that Bandera is a songwriters’ town), and later (after an amazing set from Bukka Allen with Brian Standefer, Mike Meadows, and Will Sexton – shown below) out to TC’s Lounge for the Little Elmore Reed Blues Band [Mark Hays on drums, Willie Pipkin and Mike Keller on guitars, and Dale Spalding and his big grin on vocals and harmonica -- and, yes, that's Sarah Brown of the Guilty Women on bass!]

 Tuesday night was ladies’ night — the evening began with the wonderful Greencards (whose new 18-year-old guitarist they swiped from the Lovell Sisters) at a CD release throwdown at Waterloo Records.  Kym and Carol were in fine form, and Eamon had enough energy left after the set to show a young fiddle player a few of the tricks up his sleeve.  Then it was over to Momo’s Club for a set from the Reliques (they grow on me) followed by two rounds with Joe Humel on drums — first for BettySoo (her first show with a new band that includes Jeff Plankenhorn on guitar, then with Charlie Faye (whose brand-new CD produced by Mark Hallman at Congress House was in her hands)!  BettySoo had last Saturday wowed us at Old Settlers (and she and Ben Mallott reprised their rendition of “Grievous Angel” at Momos), wowed the crowd at the Evangeline Cafe Saturday night along with Gurf Morlix — producer of her own brand-new CD soon to be released, and wowed us again last Tuesday.  But so did the equally diminuitive dynamite package from New Jersey/New York and her hot band.  Best of all — both ladies sang harmonies on each other’s songs.  Even better — they’ll be at it again next Tuesday.

 Wednesday started out with T-Bird and the Breaks at Scholz’s Biergarten — thanks to a late ttext from Sammy P!  [Sorry, guys -- no camera!]  This made it easy to float over to the Cactus for sets from the Maybelles (and that lovely Katy Rose Cox) and a CD release party featuring Greezy Wheels’ Lissa Hattersley and an all-star band — nine people on that little stage!  Paul Pearcy on drums, Andrew Bjorkland on bass, David Roach on keyboards, Chris Gage on guitar (and keyboard), John Mills on  sax, Michael Austin on clarinet and vocals, Cara Cooke on harmonica and vocals, and of course  sister-in-great-joy Sweet Mary Hattersley on that magnificent fiddle that has fed the soul of this town for decades.  And then it was back to TC’s for a stirring set from Soul Track Mind (Sarah Lincoln sitting in) and some of that delicious goulash!  And a LOT of dancing! 

Thursday was very special — my first show to see Aimee Bobruk and Erin Bobruk sharing the sage (at the Amsterdam) — Erin taking time from her Conspirare schedule to sing harmonies with little sis, whose songs are just so very good!  Shawn Davis of Stonehoney had asked me to stop by Headhunters (out back!) for their set, but I got there just late enough to hang out with the boys and listen to an old favorite of mine, Eric Hisaw, and his band — Vicente Rodriguez on drums, Matt Hudson (whom I had seen at TC’s the night before) on bass, and the lovely Chrissy Flatt (who is working on her own C right now) on rhythm guitar and vocals.  I have been listening a LOT to Eric’s 2008 CD, “Nature of the Blues,” which is a worthwhile addition to anyone’s collection.  The guy can SING!  Later that night I stopped by the Mohawk to catch a set from Bryce Clifford … fighting a cold that left me sleepy.  But the work is never done — CD’s to review are again stacking up, and then there were this weekend’s shows, which will be covered in a forthcoming report.  I WILL note here that I ran into Brian Keane and Rachel Loy (sporting a lovely rock!) at a secret show that doubled as a going away party for Michael Lahrman, impresario and dear friend whom we shall just have to visit in a land far away.