Flanfire

What a wonderful weekend at the Continental Club.  Friday (and Saturday) night featured the legendary guitarist James Burton with an all-star band that included Earl Poole Ball, Caspar Rawls, and other members of the Leroi Brothers.   Later on Friday, the assembled horde danced the night away to T-Bird and the Breaks (who broke out their new T-shirts and the vinyl version of their debut album. “Learn About It.”  But on Sunday night, after another stellar set from Heybale, club owner Steve Wertheimer was busting buttons on his classy shirt to announce the return of Raul Malo!

Steve and Raul both remembered the first time the Mavericks came to Austin and played the Continental before about 25 blown away fans — and their their first record came out and the next show had about 400 people, and then the band was playing much larger venues.  Raul and his hot band had just done a set at the ACL Music Festival, and Steve thought, why not my club, too?  There were actually more people dancing to Raul’s band than to Heybale — including, of course, Flanfire!

We were very fortunate, too, that Raul had caught a set from the Trishas when he was up in Nashville for the Americana Music Awards, and that he invited the lassies to join him on stage Sunday night.  Because we were in the right place at the right time, we have video of this historic event in Austin music — and, yes, we too thought maybe the girls could have had more volume in their vocal mikes.  But check out those well rehearsed dance moves (admittedly, SOME of the Trishas secretly want to join T-Bird and the Breaks if there is ever an opening — you be the judge as to which if any of them are ready for that prime time gig).

There’s this old song, “Rueben James,” which asks the question, “Will you remember their names?”  Now here in Austin, folks have gotten accustomed to the name Ruby Jane – which of course is that soon to be 15-year-old Mississippi fiddler whose last name is Smith.  No doubt about it — she’s pretty special.  But just wait, Austin, until you tune your ears into the incomparable Ruby James — whose sulky smooth vocals remind me of the finest dark chocolate with a raspberry center — throaty perfection indeed.  Will Sexton and Charlie Faye kept telling me about this California woman who had come to Austin by way of South Carolina, so we are told, to make a record with the Sexton brothers — both producing AND playing — which may well be generally available by mid-October.  Just wait till you hear this — OR sit outside in the late afternoon sun next Monday at Cedar Street (or get down to the Red Shed Tavern on August 27th) and catch her live and in person, ruby red hair and all.  You will just have to wait to get my CD review — but this stuff is just beautiful.  I got to meet Ruby (after taking her photo at Charlie Faye’s CD release) at House Wine — my favorite Monday night hangout and a great place every night of the week — over cheese and crackers and, well, wine.  Ruby sang a few songs — and I pledged to get out the very next week to Cedar Street — and again at House Wine, where she closed her set with Stevie Nicks’ “Landslide” (for her mom).  But her own songs are just so very good — which of course is why Charlie and Will (and Mike Thompson) were thrilled to work with her on “The Austin Sessions.” 

Now I had been out of the country admonishing college students about how to value the poor enugh to learn from them and work together to build a better life and so missed five days of Austin music — but I returned Saturday night with a vengeance.  Last stuff I had seen before leaving town was The Daze at Waterloo (promoting their own brand new CD and the soundtrack from the movie “Bandslam,” where they and the members of Joker are featured performers) and Max Frost and Sasha Ortiz (from Blues Mafia) doing an acoustic set at Hyde Park Bar & Grill’s Westgate location.

I got off the plane on Saturday, grabbed a cab, changed into going out clothes and went to the Aligator Grill to dine and catch a set from the Carson Brock Group before heading over to the Continental Club for Bruce James’ CD release and a blazing 100-minute set from T-Bird and the Breaks (my first time to see Miranda Dawn as one of the Breaks).  Stephen Beasley put on quite a show on baritone sax — and fellow hornblowers Houston Rawls and Mark Price (he who it is rumored broke out into Michael Jackson routines while on the road recently) clearly out-danced the three girl singers all of whom are very good dancers (Miranda, Sasha, and Stephanie Hunt  –  who is showing off her powerful pipes more and more as she prepares for another season of “Friday Night Lights”).  I hope to write more on Bruce’s new CD later, and he had packed the house with enthusiastic supporters of his keyboard funk.  But T-Bird and the band left the still-packed house screaming and shouting for a good fifteen minutes even though the band was totally spent. 

The other photo here is longtime Troubadillo and old friend Pat McCann playing at Ming’s with Eldridge Goins, Brad Houser, and Cole El-Saleh.  I stopped by long enough to chow down on the spinach stir-fry and visit with Parker Delaune and catch him rapping into his headphones (his mike, of course) out on the patio.  Parker, BTW, will enter first grade later this month – as will my grandson Caleb, who is already working on his guitar licks.

Okay — HERE are the guys from the Daze — Evan, Eric and Chris — signing BandSlam posters.  I had to show a photo of the stately rocker Amanda Lombard whose new band Struck debuted at Momo’s recently (and they will be back soon).  And that’s Tammy Brown, whose pesto made me dance — and who made a fabulous feast for the hundreds of folks (including dozens of children) who showed up at Momo’s on a HOT Sunday afternoon for another of Feeding 5000′s renowned “feeds.”  Tammy’s husband Aaron (who doubles as music teacher at Gymboree and thus as rugrat hero) is the band’s keyboard player, of course.  And I just had to throw in this great photo of Joe Beckham playing with Wisebird (he is also back with the Beckham Brothers too!) — one of Austin’s really good guys.

More to come in a companion post — don’t want to overload the program.

And in Austin, “characters” means — well, you know.  [This is catching up with weeks of writing in one fell swoop – and splitting things up so each post will be manageable structurally. 

But every picture tells a story.  Pic 1 here features two of my favorite young singers in town — each from a music-driven family.  Corrina Rachel and Miranda Dawn both sing jazz — both have dads who are well-known Austin players, and both were having a lot of fun at the Belleville Outfit concert at Momo’s on July 17th.  Miranda is also singing with T-Bird and the Breaks these days (for example, this Friday at the Mohawk), while Corrina and her Dream Band are playing here and there and she is also doing some solo shows.

Pic 2 is Christian Ward, banjo player and singer-songwriter (along with Talia Sekons and Marc Lionetti) in the Lost Pines — who will play again on August 2 at the Bluegrass Brunch at Threadgills Old No. 1.  I will never forget that night at Momo’s a while back when Christian was first telling me about his great band — and another night (well, many) when he was pinching himself over the affections of a certain young lady bootmaker.  I love this band!

Pic 3 shows Dan Dyer and Suzanna Choffel, who will be sharing the stage with Joanna Barbera at Momo’s Club on Friday.  Dan used to be a very good-looking, and good, singer — but he returned from a trip to Marfa a few weeks ago with a passel of brand-new songs that come from a place deep inside this man that we fans have not seen that much of — and the result is a new power in his voice, a new spring in his step, and a new grace on and off the stage that hopefully will open many doors. 

Pic 4 is 14-year-old Ruby Jane Smith (at Threadgill’s on Riverside on July 30th) at a recent show at the Saxon Pub that was in large part a taping for some television pilot or series in which she has a major role.   This youngster with an old soul and great command of her stage is a national treasure — I strongly advise getting to one of her shows before people realize she has been touring with Willie Nelson and Ray Benson and appeared on the Grand Old Opry with the likes of Marty Stuart and Big and Rich.  Meanwhile, she is still playing free shows here in town — and jamming and learning from a whole host of Austin’s finest (or at least best) old music hands, just as she did as a young child in Mississippi before moving down here.

Pic 5 is my pal PJ Harrington, who moved to Austin to play reggae with Kris Brown and is the lead guitarist in Graham Wilkinson’s Underground Nation but has the soul of a folksinger — and a lot of chops learned from folks like John Hartford.  Not bad for a kid from Cincinnati.  Pic 6 is THE DAILY DOUBLE TRIPLE!  Justin Wade Thompson on bass (background) and Hunter Thompson Singleton (Nathan’s little brother) on vocals and guitar — at Momo’s Club a while back.  The Sideshow Tragedy served as Hunter’s backing band as he writhed and glistened to hynotize his audience with tales of the macabre and the mundane — beautifully orchestrated to hold one’s attention. 

 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.