Welcome to the Rocking Magpie – a box-room on the Internet for one man and a bunch of his Roots Music loving friend’s thoughts and musings on a wide variety of music, be it CD’s, Gigs, books and the occasional DVD. Usually; but not exclusively based around all things ROOTS:- Americana, Folk, Blues, R&B, all variants of Country, a bit of Ska, Reggae and Soul too.
After many years writing reviews for a variety of magazines, newspapers and websites I decided to break up the band and go solo in 2014; putting everything under one roof on ……THE ROCKING MAGPIE.
Me? I live in the North East of England; but the team live across the UK and two are in America, and we receive music from all around the world….mostly the UK, USA and Canada and our readership reflects this, as we have followers in over 130 countries across all 4 continents.
Our priority is bringing you reviews and previews of music that has actually been listened to and appreciated…not just the regurgitation of a Press Release (like too many other ‘household name’ websites!). We do this because we love music and want you to get an Independent view from someone just like yourself; and in theory this will make you want to actually buy a copy not just scam a free listen on the likes of Spotify and Apple Streaming! #BuyDontSpotify As of May 2022 we returned to the radio on NOVA RADIO NE in Newcastle with each two hour broadcast available the day after …… but for personal reasons I stopped in March 2024. All shows are still available to stream by typing ‘RADIO SHOW’ into the box on our home page.
Dig deep into the site; as the bonus is a myriad of my old reviews (400+), some dating back to 2010 which really are a snapshot in time – some I got bang on, others I raved about yet the album and artist still drifted into musical obscurity. Keep in touch rockingmagpie@outlook.com or on Twitter @RockingMagpie
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Alan aka The Rocking Magpie
If there’s one song that sums up our attitude to what we do and why we do it, it’s this song……. Rex Bob Lowenstein by Mark Germino
The Mavericks/Jarrod Dickenson Bridgewater Hall Manchester 22nd April 2024
Latino country heat on a wet Monday in Manchester leaves everyone steaming
The last time that the Mavericks were booked to play at the Bridgewater Hall – a fairly brutal, cavernous venue across the road from the old G-Mex – the gig got cancelled as a result of plumbing issues… not a euphemism! Since then, they’ve played at the Albert Hall, adding to the collection of places in the city that they’ve performed in – starting with the University and rising as high as the Apollo. Of these, the Bridgewater Hall is perhaps least well-suited for the Mavericks, as it’s an all seated space with not much room for the dancing that your average Mavs’ fan would require. So – this was a test of the elements as such. Could they do it on a cold, wet night in Manchester?
Before getting the answer to that question, support Jarrod Dickenson took the stage – I’d seen him twice in the last twelve months in two much smaller venues (Badehaus in Berlin – a former industrial bathhouse for workers at a foundry – and…Biddulph Moor Village Hall…!) so this was very different. The addition of a scratch rhythm section (including Dickenson’s musical compadre David Ford on bass) and a good sound mix brought his rich baritone and twangy guitar to the fore. With wife Claire Dickenson’s family in attendance, the positive audience response must have been pleasing. The half hour set was well-chosen with the immediate “Your heart belongs to me” a standout and the closing Suzy Q type of blues shuffle “Long Hard Look” making a strong impression too.
A short twenty minute break and the Mavericks’ “Can Can” intro music led into the jam of “Come Unto Me” followed by less well-known (for now) takes on “Live Close By (and visit often)” and the unreleased “The Name of the Game” (not the Abba song!) – a brave move to introduce the songs early in the set, but these guys are masters of pacing a set and things were really kicked into gear with “All over again” which triggered the first dancers out of their seats. After that, the band juggled the pace up and down – with judicious use of brass on “There Goes My Heart” giving it real punch and in between were more strategically placed new songs “Moon & Stars” (unfortunately Sierra Ferrell hadn’t made the trip) and the gentler 60’s Herb Alpert flavoured “Look Around” which added light and shade; and there was the traditional Raul Malo (almost solo) mid-set crooner – this time it was “Blue Moon” – surprisingly there were no heckles from the *red-supporting members of the audience.
There was a lengthy introduction to a new song “And we dance”, inspired by the sad, but ultimately defiant story of a Ukrainian widow, that featured a Max Abrams sax solo lifting the song deep into Springsteen territory. This was followed by a fantastic reinvention of the hit “Dance the Night Away” – long term Mav’s fans have somewhat of a Marmite relationship with the song, likely due to over-exposure, but it was turned into a slow, silky mariachi style singalong which worked brilliantly tonight. Thereafter it was up-tempo all the way home – from the medley of “Rancho Grande/Rolling Along” to the last notes of the burn through “All You Ever Do is Bring Me Down” and the Bridgewater hall was bouncing.
Once again, this was a master class in how to work an audience in pace, timing, and selection of material – “could they do it on a cold, wet night in Manchester?” I asked; every time – and then some…hasten ye back!
*Manchester is host to two football/soccer clubs; Manchester United who play in red shirts and Manchester City, blue shirts, and City fans have adopted Blue Moon as ‘their’ theme tune.
The Cinelli Brothers Almost Exactly Self-Release/CRS
The Exciting New Sound of Soulful British R&B!
I’m only just ‘in the loop’ regarding The Cinelli Brothers, even though they’ve been on my radar since the pre-lockdown days when a friend was very excited about seeing them play live. Then après Lockdown a local promoter joined a conversation I was having with a friend and he too extolled the virtues of the band, followed by a couple of Blues magazines featuring them …. and I still hadn’t heard a note … but after seeing their name high up on a few Blues Festival posters, I knew that they would be ‘right up my street.’ Step forward another two years and after missing the UK release a copy of this album arrived in time for the European release such is the way of the music world these days. So, it was with some excitement that I pressed ‘play’ on the office hi-fi and sat back in anticipation. An almighty drum roll kickstarts the opening track Last Throw of The Dice before the band and especially singer Marco Cinelli’s grizzled and lived in vocals make their appearance; and what an appearance it is! Industrial strength drums, a diesel powered bass, growling guitar, and demonic harmonica with a powerful melody and chorus – what’s not to like? It’s patently obvious that these cats are an R&B band of the highest order; but with songs like the slow and sleazy Hammond driven Nobody’s Fool and the dark Making It Through The Night in their canon of work, they could easily fit into an Alt. Country bill without changing a note; such is their dexterity and fluidity with their songs. There’s something ‘special’ here, and that shouldn’t be a surprise with two Italian brothers, an Englishman and a Frenchman in the mix all adding their own musical potency to not just the sound that the Cinelli Brothers create; but the song constructions too, with the finale Fools Paradise being a prime example of their combined musical voodoo. I’ve been a critic of the current style of Rhythm and Blues that many of their contemporaries play either in Europe or the US as they are usually Rock Bands masquerading as a Blues Band; but that’s not the case here, as the nuances and soulful playing on Leave It With You or the soulful Blues of Lucky Star would suggest to tutored or untutored ears. What I like best here is the use of melody in the creation of the songs and especially the hooks provided by Marco Cinelli’s heart busting playing on the Hammond; reminding me of a young Georgie Fame on Dozen Roses or the judicious lung busting Harmonica playing by Tom JJ throughout the album. While there are no direct comparisons that I can think of, but I’m guessing that the music the players were listening to on the way too and from the studio included tracks by the early Rolling Stones, Little Feat, Van Morrison, Bad Company and an assortment of Stax and Atlantic compilations as there are occasional hints and flourishes here and there that could have come from those players at one time or another. It’s probably because the Cinelli Brothers aren’t trying to be anyone else that I’ve fallen head over heals for this album; and a couple of tracks in particular. Prayer breathes new air into the Rhythm & Blues scene, with a hypnotic chorus and intensely gorgeous arrangement allowing the individual members the opportunity to show off their skills for a few seconds at a time. The other is the absolutely timeless Ain’t Blue But I Sigh a Chicago meets SE London in a Louisiana hot spot, Bluesy riff featuring some sizzling harmonica and a lairy vocal performance from Marco that could be a great lost b-side from one of the Masters in the sixties or very early seventies and remained undiscovered until now. After playing this album numerous times over the last couple of weeks (mostly in the car – cranked up to 9!) I can now understand why my friends have raved about the Cinelli Brothers for years now … and I can’t wait to see them play live.
Charles Esten Glasshouse Music Centre Gateshead Tyne and Wear Thursday 24th April 2024
I guess pretty much everyone reading this will already know who Charles Esten is; but for the uninitiated he was Deacon Claybourne in the TV programme Nashville. Even a cursory look at his history tells you that he was already a regular on TV shows in the US while having a successful career as a songwriter too, plus played a lot of bars etc. learning his craft. All of that combined to make the venue formally known as The Sage pretty full for a school night, even though it was his second appearance under his own name in only a couple of years. The evening started with a solo acoustic slot for Charlie Greene from a band called Betcha, who coincidently is the fiancée of Esten’s daughter … what a coincidence. Wearing double stone-washed denim, Greene delivered a set of mostly, his (band’s) own songs which in this format came across as a heady mix of punk passion and channelled anxiety. There were a couple of songs that suited this format; Calm Down and Coincidence spring to mind; when he used his vocal talents at their best; notably his key changes and authentic Country slur/rasp. Just as I was scribbling that he owed more to Ed Sheeran than Townes Van Zandt; Greene introduced a cover song while extolling the quality of songwriters in and around Nashville …. Then delivered a heartfelt and slightly twisted version of Paul Simon’s This House! In fairness it really suited his voice. He finished with two more songs that I’ve labelled Country-Punk in my notes; and perhaps with a band behind him Jaded and July could be barnstormers. There was a twenty-minute break before Charles Esten appeared out of the shadows to join the pianist; Andy on stage …. With the crowd whooping and a’ wailing like teenyboppers! With only his trademarked smile, the two broke into a raw and stark version of Love Ain’t Pretty from the new album of the same name, that sent the crowd into ecstasy as it faded at the end. When we saw him a couple of years ago it was apparent that a number of people (women?) thought that it really was Deacon on stage; but tonight they were here to see and listen to Charles Esten and it was a pleasure watching so many people mouthing the words to such new songs. Although I knew some of the back stories to the songs from the album’s press release; but it was a key part of the evening that he explained where songs like One Good Move, Make You Happy and especially The Whispering Goes come from. Maybe because success like he’s achieved took so long to arrive; Esten seems very comfortable on stage and had the whole audience in the palm of his hand all night not least when he sang the self-depreciating One Good Move which was followed by the haunting In a Bar Somewhere too. Esten’s wife and daughter were in the audience tonight, which added an extra touch of romanticism to Make You Happy and the surprising choice of Dire Straits’ Romeo & Juliet but the tearjerking story before it, made the choice quite perfect. I’m beginning to think that Simon & Garfunkel might be having a resurgence, as I heard two different singers include their songs last week; and tonight the duet between Esten and his future son in law Charlie Greene on The Sound of Silence was extraordinary and deserved the spontaneous standing ovation at the end. Pretty much all of the new album were there somewhere tonight; and a couple of songs from Nashville too, Halfway Home and No One Will Ever Love You which he crooned from a bar stool while the pianist, Andy like he was in a Vegas lounge. For Mrs Magpie and myself, the highlight of the night was next, and that was the staggeringly powerful stripped down version of Candlelight which very nearly had me waving my phone in the air if I could have only found the bloody torch! As the time flew by Esten strapped on the Stratocaster again and told us to get ready to party! Another self-depreciating song; All Downhill From Here followed and bled seamlessly into Bruce’s Pink Cadillac and the Stones’ Honky Tonk Woman that had about a dozen dancing in the aisles. Of course there was an obligatory encore; and it was actually one of Mrs Magpie’s favourite song from the TV Show; the soft and thoughtful ballad, Life Is Good …. And the smiles on the faces as everyone left the hall told their own story. A good night was had by all.
Digging Deep To Turn a Lot of Personal Experiences Into Alt. Country Songs With a Bluesy Tinge
As soon as I received this album I recognised Pi Jacob’s name and her 2020 release TWO TRUTH’S and a LIE, which made it into that year’s Top 20 albums list, and still gets the occasional run out in the car. It appears a lot has happened in Ms Jacob’s life over the last few years, and she’s dug deep here to turn a lot of personal experiences into songs; and not just any old songs; but ones that will resonate with even the most casual of listeners. “Hallelujah, it’s just me again,” she sings on the album’s opener, Hallelujah a raucous mix of Folk/Soft Rock/Alt. Country with a Bluesy aftertaste …. which I like a lot. Her words are astute and intricately observational as she looks forward to ‘time on her own’ rather than wallowing in self-pity following a break-up. While her beautifully distinctive voice carries on from where she left off in 2020; but the content matter here and the way Pi Jacobs has written these songs shows a woman approaching the top of her game after serving a twenty year apprenticeship. I doubt she could have written Two High, Too Low, or Smoke Signals at any other time in her career as alongside the fan base that has grown with her both songs (and others) are very much from the heart of someone who has lived a life of ups and downs … and come out the other-side relatively unscathed. To some degree, the songwriting here reminds me of Lucinda Williams circa WEST and LITTLE HONEY, as there’s a strong sense of melancholia drenched in hope that simultaneously appeals to your heart, soul, and brain. The second verse in particular of I Don’t Feel Lonely sums up the mood of the songs that flow through this album: “Years are never kind to the laborer of love Keep a running tab, of things that you gave up A simple kind of life, was never in the cards I don’t know how to not follow my heart“ While ostentatiously a ‘break-up’ album, Pi never sits back wallowing; she’s too fine a songwriter for that … and as we all know, heartbreak always begets a smart song that will touch the heart of a listener who has gone through the same thing and felt alone until they hear Mermaid and Something To Lose which were probably aimed at kindred spirits the world over. Even though I’m happily married; I’ve always loved album like this …. it brings out the romantic side of me; which brings me to my choice of Favourite Song. On an album of clever, fascinating and cool songs, it’s not been easy; but two got 4 stars in my original notes and I probably feel that they still stand out today, a week later … Coyote bounces along like a Western stagecoach running late, as Pi uses this misunderstood creature as a metaphor for her life, as Adam Hall plays a mean Dobro in the background alongside a militaristic drum beat. The other, a very punchy My Last Day is the type of song I think Linda Ronstadt would have given her eye-teeth for if she was still recording these days; it really is that good with gold plated hook and a chorus written with audiences in mind. It’s a very crowded market out there with are a lot of female singers and songwriters a bit like Pi Jacobs; but there is something really special about her singing and especially her astute and innovative about her songwriting that will push her to the front of the pack.
Quirky 60’s Coffee Shop Drenched Insurgent Folk Music
We liked and reviewed Henry Luther’s last album; LIVE AT FRESH BREWED in 2023, as we (not including Mrs Magpie btw) really liked the rawness of it, as well as some well-written and thoughtful songs. Perhaps I was too gushing in my praise as its follow-up seems to be unnaturally quick off the marks! While he’s previously recorded studio albums; I certainly get the feeling that Luther ‘comes alive’ on stage and capturing that ‘magic’ in the studio is historically difficult, as the opening song Hallucinogenic possibly proves; as he stumbles over a couple of words and his phrasing is a bit ‘hit and miss’ …. but his charm and energy carries him through in a way that the studio can be unforgiving. Henry Luther is one of those troubadours that never actually ‘tours’ but probably plays two or three gigs 52 weeks a year, growing a fan base by word of mouth rather than via full-page adverts in Rolling Stone. I guess I should call his style as ‘quirky’ which it is, but don’t be put off …. because with songs like Denmark, Weary, I Can’t Sleep, and/or the magnificent Dystopia under his belt Luther will easily appeal to fans of Jonathan Richmond, Barenaked Ladies and maybe even Randy Newman too, given half a chance. Back by The Blackouts again, the arrangements are ‘choppy’ but always thought-provoking in a way I’d associate with any or all of those acts I’ve just mentioned; but the sparky New National Anthem especially, is worthy of any of the great 60’s coffee house songwriters and with hindsight, the 90mph ode to Busch Beer is too … and I mean ANY of them; but especially Tom Paxton or Dave Van Ronk. Don’t ever expect Henry Luther to headline Coachella or Glastonbury; but don’t be surprised to find him in a packed tent tucked away near the car park at some Folk or Bluegrass gathering, singing his heart out with his angry homage to modern Country Too Many Honkies and Not Enough Tonkin’ and the fast and furious Cocaine Fairies to a righteously fired up audience shouting the choruses back to him! There’s a good bit of banter and audience participation in between songs, but not so much that they age too quickly, with his intro to High Again still making me smile an hour later as he describes watching a Jason Isbell documentary and thinking “I can write a song like that!” I’ll let you judge if he’s correct. That only leaves me to choose a Favourite Song, and I’ve already mentioned a couple of contenders, but I think I’ve narrowed it down to 2am which needs to be listened to quite intensely to ‘get it’ whereas The Way It Goes Bad is as dark and cerebral as the title suggests; and the stop/start arrangement feels as if it’s designed that way for effect, rather than Luther stopping to catch his breath … but both could be true. There’s a raw energy here that I’ve only rarely come across in Folk Music, regardless of how hard others have tried; possibly because Henry Luther (and band) genuinely seem to believe in their songs and inhabit them in a way that will touch the listeners’ consciousness in a way that they didn’t expect.
Crisp, Astute, Articulate and Always Worth Your Time and Effort to Listen And Absorb
The first thing that caught my attention with this release was the artist’s name – Heather Little, which is the same as my favorite Sister in Law who sadly died 10 or so years ago and is still missed today. This Heather Little appears to be a completely different proposition all together! Texas Heather is what is known as a ‘songwriters songwriter’ with only one album from 2013 to her name; but several hits from top-shelf acts that you hear regularly on the radio; to her name. Many of our favourite female acts at RMHQ fall under that same banner; with their own albums being exemplary in our opinion; but regularly falling under the radar. The album opens with Five Deer County, a drole and gut wrenching ballad featuring the wonderfully monikered Randy Van Sickle; about a couple with no money to spare, yet the man still finds enough to finance his hunting trips …. “San Saba, you can have him cause I can’t compete That five deer county is the girl of his dreams Ain’t no babies crying in that old Airstream I was strangling that boy with my apron strings Choking that boy with my apron strings” “ It’s a very clever and articulate song, that by Country Music standards actually borders on ‘poetry,’ but more of that to come. The pace drops on the second song; the harrowing Hands Like Mine which features the fabulous Patty Griffin on BV and harmonies, while both voices also make your spine tingle. While not sounding like either, Heather Little’s voice and songs will most certainly appeal to fans of Patty Griffin and late dear departed Nanci Griffith, by the way, There are ‘no laughs here’ as Heather digs deep for her songs; mostly observational like the dark Landfall, This Life Without You (again alongside Patty Griffin) and the world wearying Bones too. I guess it’s no surprise that after all these years Heather Little’s songwriting is crisp, astute and always worth your time and effort to listen to and absorb; Transistor Radio being a prime example … “Seventeen ain’t what it was when my grand dad was a boy And he lied about his age so they’d let him fight the war Then my brother took his turn Lord did our family foot the bill They just thanked him for his service And pumped him full of pills.” I said ‘poetry’ earlier and I believe that to be an influence on Little’s writing; but invariably what she’s created here are a series of short stories, set to music the way they are constructed; with several …. the horrible story inside My Fathers Roof, then Sunset Inn and the Hill Country Noir of Better By Now, all deserve storyboard videos to run alongside them. While I’d love to hear any or all of these songs on radio; there’s absolutely nothing that fits into what Country Radio deems to be worthy of their time these days; probably because they are all too ‘real’ in content and arrangement; but there’s always the shows on Community/College Radio who are less afraid and a whole lot more adventurous in the music they play. Which brings me to my selection of Favourite Song; at first it was going to be the vividly detailed and powerful Gunpowder and Lead alongside Van Plating that features a stark fiddle and some very angry acoustic picking as well as two bewitching voices. Then on a car ride (in the dark) Better By Now featuring Ronnie Bowman and sounds like Heather is channeling her inner Ashley McBryde at times; caught me by surprise and became a contender; but at the end of the day I can’t see past the the harrowing mixed up love song, California Queen which nearly microwaved my heart at one stage and still takes my breath away, a week later… which shows you the power Heather exudes through her words and music. “I will always be the queen of your California king While all the jesters come and go with no strings attached They don’t know I am a fixture I am a mixture of confusion and the surest thing you will ever know Believe your California queen is on her throne.” Perhaps it’s the mood I’m in at the moment; not as dark as a few months ago, I hasten to add; but every one of these songs has touched me in one way or another, and several made me think about friends and family who are or have gone through the torments that Heather Little has not just wrote about, but put her heart and soul to singing them too.
Anthony Geraci Tears in My Eyes Blue Heart Records
Gloriously Understated Blues Piano and a Dusky Voice that Fits Like a Well Worn Velvet Glove.
There are times when I research musicians that I think (realise) that I know nothing about music at all. Obviously when you see a picture of Anthony Geraci you realise he’s not in the first flush of youth; but nothing prepared me for the amount of albums that he’s previously released under his own name and various guises too, but alongside legends like Sugaray Rayford, Otis Grand and Ronnie Earl as well as guesting on far too many albums to list here! So; why the fuss? It’s evident right from the opening track, the repetitive and hypnotic Broken Mirror Broken Mirror that he is a Master of understated Blues piano; and also has a deep and dusky voice that suits his music like a torn and worn velvet glove. This is followed by a jumping instrumental called Little Owl that allows his top-top band the freedom to show their innovative talents too. You don’t get to be this good unless you’ve served a lengthy apprenticeship at the coal face; and after taking and devouring piano lessons from the age of four, Geraci went on to be an integral part of Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Otis Rush, Chuck Berry, Big Mama Thornton, Big Joe Turner, Jimmy Rodgers’s bands at one time or another. It’s apparent that his piano playing is front and centre of everything here; but that said … no two tracks are the same; with Tears in My Eyes being an intensely Jazz infused Blues Rocker, Witchy Ways a late night opus that craves your full attention and features some stunning slide guitar too; then there’s the slick jumpin’ jive of Ooee that had me tapping my feet then ultimately shaking my tailfeather as I waited for the kettle to boil! There are also numerous instrumentals here; and again, no two come close to being the same as Geraci channels his inner Oscar Peterson on Memphis Mist, but the violin accompaniment takes it off into a whole new dimension that I can barely describe. Blues For Willie J on the other hand feels like there’s a storm brewing, such is the claustrophobic intensity on offer, but Geraci and crew somehow manage to keep it tight and this gorgeous tune never actually boils over. Normally I’d skip over the instrumentals in my quest to choose a Favourite Track, as they can often be ‘filler’ but here every single track is an integral part of the complete album; which is why I’m torn between the funkalicious Oh No, which somehow showcases Geraci’s intimate piano playing skills while still remaining an understated piece that features a scintillating sax solo midway through; and that makes it a tie with the BB King inspired (?) song Judge Oh Judge with it’s brushed drumming, soft sax and gentle sax alongside some crystal clear piano playing and Geraci’s desperately emotional vocals. I’ve said since day one, that the purpose of this website is to unearth music and musicians that you may otherwise not hear about; but can I still say that about someone with such a long award winning and exemplary career as Anthony Geraci has had over the last 60+ years? I’ll tell you how good and diverse Anthony Geraci is …. you saw the list of names I listed earlier; well the heartfelt liner notes on the album are written by none other than the legendary Blues Rocker Walter Trout! “This album is his latest musical exploration. I feel like Anthony grows with each new release. Along with his stellar band, he continues to put out vital and beautiful art. His playing continues to be about honesty, tradition, invention, expression, and even humor. I am honored to call him my friend.”
Mary Gauthier & Jaimee Harris Jumpin’ Hot Club, Gosforth Civic Theatre Newcastle
19th April 2023
It really shouldn’t have been a surprise after all of these years. Still, it was a surprise all around that the venue tonight was sold out with 195 tickets being sold and more whining on Social Media that they too wanted tickets to see Mary Gauthier in Newcastle for the first time since way before Covid became popular. There was an air of expectancy in the hall even before support act Jaimee Harris made her entrance … and when I say entrance I mean ….. ENTRANCE! Dressed in an outstanding pink and rhinestone suit and huge pink sunglasses; she looked like Gram Parson’s more exuberant younger sister …. honestly. After a brief introduction, Jaime started with a fabulously tongue in cheek song about being a support act’ which went down very well. While she told us she’d visited the club before and proudly wore her Jumpin’ Hot Club t-shirt around Nashville Town; I have no recollection of seeing or hearing her before; which was a shame as she was fantastic. Her songs were all Country Deluxe; a skill she learned after leaving jail the last time and becoming ‘clean’ ten years ago; and I guessed it must have been cathartic, as most songs were dark, with a catchy melody, and certainly came from the recesses of her heart. The story behind her song, about her previous addictions Fair and Dark Haired Lad, left the crowd spellbound and certainly had many of us hoping she would come back sometime soon as a headline act. Her forty minutes flew by, and the final three songs all got 4 stars …. Boomerang Town was blistering and followed by the imaginative Tattoo Zoo which was apparently inspired partly after watching a Gordon Lightfoot documentary, and the finale; Love Is Gonna Come Again was borderline tragically beautiful, and well worth hunting out. During the twenty minute break the smiling audience mingled, bought drinks and most importantly quickly plundered the merch desk, and everyone was seated by the time Jaimee Harris made her second appearance alongside the legend that is Mary Gauthier. With barely a smile as an introduction Mary and Jaimee started this set with the haunting The Meadow which received a tumultuous reception, which may have been partly the audience welcoming back the singer into our fold. Without a brand new album to promote; Mary dug into her astounding back catalogue, regaling us with songs that I barely recognised and at least two I’d not heard before, with 2007’s Between The Daylight and the Dark, For Rose from 2002 and The War After The War all having the audience in the palm of her hand, with Harris providing harmonies and backing guitar. What should have been a highlight of the evening was when Mary read a few passages from her new biography/memoir which detailed an evening amongst some of East Nashville’s finest songwriters and singers which culminated with Nanci Griffith giving Mary a Taylor guitar to ‘carry on the songwriter tradition.’ Maybe others will disagree but I thought it a bit rambling and could/should have been judiciously edited; especially as it led into Jaimee Harris pouring her heart into her version of Listen To The Radio, which received one of the loudest and longest rounds of applause of the night; and that particular competition was fiercely challenged as the evening rattled along. I’ve listened to it many times over the years; but there was something in tonight’s arrangement that finally made Drag Queens and Limousines finally unravelled before my very eyes – I get it now! This was followed by the song that Gauthier introduced as ‘being a game changer’ for her; a harrowing slow version of I Drink which featured some extraordinary harmonies from Ms Harris alongside her. That wasn’t even the most memorable song of the night! That award goes to ‘well told story’ that led into a staggering version of Last of The Hobo Kings; another song I’ve heard her sing numerous times; but there was something about tonight’s performance that bordered on the mystical. A loud standing ovation begat a performance of a new song, which was a co-write with none other than Vince Gill; Some Times which was partly a history lesson regarding the train, The Orange Blossom Special and Gauthier and Gill’s history lesson about America over and beyond the life of a steward on that train that the couple had seen a photograph of. While I think my gripe about the ‘reading’ is valid; it was only three minutes of a near two hour concert that will live in my memory for a very long time.
Annie Dressner The White Room, Stanley, Co. Durham
18th April 2024
This was a joy on two very separate levels for me. After getting married 45 years ago I left the ex-mining, market town of Stanley to set up a home 8 miles away, and we still have lots of family living in the surrounding villages. So with that in mind, I was staggered to find an artist of the standing that Anne Dressner; whom I’d never seen play before, was playing a gig there in the White Room, a venue I’d not heard of. A tiny bit of research on FB shows a couple of friends are regular visitors and the coffee shop has been promoting acoustic gigs for several months now. I appeared to be the last entrant at 7.30 and loved the way the quirky tables were set out with candles not unlike a Parisian cafe. Like so many touring acts these days, support act Gary Stewart would later play bass and drum when Annie herself performed. He introduced himself as a Scottish singer-songwriter who’s regularly mistaken for being Irish; which I kind of grew to understand as his soft Scottish accent has been diluted somewhat to become generic Celtic; which is no bad thing. His first song, The Waking of The Kraken was very easy going with some delightful acoustic guitar playing; which set the tone for the next 45 minutes. This was followed by a fascinating story that led into the more punchy, and dare I say it ‘punky-folky’ Take Me Down which was particularly well received by the audience. As I type I’m listening to Gary’s latest album Lost Not Found and now; as last night I’m particularly impressed by Gary’s inventive guitar playing, which was very intricate and imaginative on Hot To Trot from that very album. As his set continued he explained that apart from being a solo act and an integral part of Annie’s ‘band’ he is also in a Fleetwood Mac tribute act as well as having his own Paul Simon show; which begat the request for a Paul Simon song called Duncan that I’d never heard before; and Gary actually sounded very much like Mr Simon, which would bode well if he was to return in that guise. Alongside another couple of his own songs (one I noted as being ‘dreamy’) Gary finished his slot with a gorgeous ballad called Song For The Asking which got a cheer from the table that had requested Duncan; and Gary later told me that it was the final song on Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water which I doubt I’ve listened to in 50 years, hence not recognising it! Following a twenty minute break Annie came on stage alone and began her set with the graceful NYAK which I’ve loved for several years; and tonight it sent goosebumps down my back, with Annie’s crystal clear vocals and some very gentle guitar picking, which perfectly suited the acoustics in the room. As the raucous reception faded away Annie was joined by Gary and Ed Blunt who would play keyboards and add harmonies too starting with a fabulously raw rendition of Black & White from her new album. This was followed with a really special version of Do You Want To Start a Fight which was introduced with a fun discussion as to whether it should have a question mark or not. The song sounded so desperately personal, that you could hear and feel the angst in Dressner’s voice throughout. Although it had appeared that very few in the audience actually knew who Annie Dressner was, I looked around the room and saw faces transfixed as they watched in wonder; which begged the question as to why no one else had ever tried to bring Culture to this backwater ex-mining town. At one stage Annie explained that she was from New York but now settled in Cambridge, and as part of the story described writing Morning Sun (?) with David Ford, then asked if anyone knew him …. cue blank expressions …. at least they are honest folk in Stanley. There were highlights dropped in like musical time bombs all evening; not least the charming re-working of I Just Realised and the song dedicated to Graham the owner/promoter; the punchy Big Grey Couch with its quirky Wurlitzer interludes, because it mentioned Bruce Springsteen; who he has his own acoustic tribute act. Annie interspersed the songs from all of her albums with warm and funny back stories that helped create something of a familial feeling among the crowd, not least the story of her Grandmother that preceded the beautifully brittle Leather Chair. It was one of those nights where I could write a thesis about each and every song; but will force myself to hold back but After The Storm, Should Have Seen It Coming, and the encore, a Magnetic Fields ‘cover’ Book Of Love, that she knew she couldn’t remember all the worlds of; but various members of the crowd and Ed Blunt …. helped out from around the room …. which is the reason I love live music. Many readers know that I’m struggling to leave the house these days to go to gigs, but tonight in this fabulously intimate setting seeing and hearing one of my favourite acts made the effort well with while; and restored my faith in the restorative powers of Live Music.
Occasionally Humorous and Always Insightful Snapshots of Contemporary America
Where do you start on describing the multitude talents of West Texas-born and raised singer-songwriter, Noel McKay, known to many through his work with Brennan Leigh, many’s the night and festival I’ve enjoyed seeing and listening to the duo and their albums too.
McKay’s descriptive story lines, often as not, decorated with informed humour are ‘always’ worth a listen. McKay is one of the privileged songwriters around these days, as he not only got to write with the late, Texas singer-songwriter Guy Clark, with Clark becoming McKay’s mentor, even helping him build guitars. A native of Lubbock Texas, McKay has moved around and co-written songs with David Olney, Guy Clark, Richard Dobson, Becky Warren, John Scott Sherrill, and Shawn Camp, and his songs have being recorded by Sarah Borges, Sunny Sweeney, and Guy Clark himself.
McKay and his younger brother, Hollin recorded four albums and one EP prior to McKay taking a break from music going to work at Collings Guitars in the 00’s, only returning to the music fold in, 2010 when he partnered with Brennan Leigh as well as making his debut solo record in 2011, Sketches Of South Central Texas.
You Only Live Always was produced by Jay Weaver at Sound Emporium Studios, Nashville and features the Galicia Cowboys: Ben Sanders, fiddle, strings; Weaver (bass) Brett Resnick (pedal steel), Dan Walton, Katherine Marx and Billy Contreas aiding McKay’s grasp for simple, instantly appealing songs. Songs that speak of everyday life, people’s failings, and other personal observations.
This is a really good collection of songs from a thoughtful and clever songwriter, although not all of the material here is instantly appealing, with several are ‘sleepers’ coming back to surprise and please the listener when they least expect it, so be prepared to be patient. On the other hand, they all contain subtleties associated with such a rare American writing talent.
The Motel King is a deceptively simple ditty, edging along with strains of swing, it sashays along to the sounds of piano, pedal steel (both of which sound great) and a smart rhythmic shuffle. “I come rolling in off the highway at a quarter to nine. At the office, I get my key. The room is just fine. I can tell that it hasn’t changed since 1973. So I take off my shoes, I lock the door and watch black and white movies on the color TV.”
The Impermanence Of Things is neatly warmed in impeccable female harmonies, rolling piano, pedal steel guitar and classic rhythm which gives off a friendly relaxed ambiance. As McKay looks at life and the things that not only change, but are also repeated time and time again; if not always by the initial participants.
His humorous side is heard on melodic ode A World Without Humans, where he lists all things, big and small regarding humans who are probably going to be the cause of their own downfall, and IMHO it’s one of his best. The quirky 53 likewise qualifies for special praise, as. McKay’s playful look at how a person’s character and general view of life, needs, opinions and even favoured options are all apt to change as time passes and the aging process kicks in.
The cognitively deceptive Interstellar Rescue Service has a melancholy feel as McKay dreamily sings of an imaginary vocation and childlike thoughts. Supported by a 1960’s pop rock feel Are You Still Taking Them Pills (a co-write with Leigh) has McKay going full-on retro on a song fuelled by a hooky piano, rhythmic drums and a pedal steel that makes the album spring into action. It’s no real surprise; but he totally nails the era and atmosphere, with early Jefferson Airplane coming to mind. Title track, You Only Live Always is obviously a Country song, but enjoys a neat, rumba like shuffle as he takes the listener to the back streets of Paris, France.
The Ballad Of Tombstone Poker is a happy, little, barroom piano tinkling ragtime ode, warmed in a chugging, harmony, aided by a melody that bounces along. Let the good times roll, I say. Billy Joel’s hit She’s Always A Woman To Me enjoys a surprising inclusion, and with McKay’s easy flowing vocals and a pedal steel guitar places a caring feel on the number making it perfectly fit the project. McKay’s brilliant version even prompted me to imagine Lyle Lovett covering it. Changing things up, If Your Heart Ain’t In It has all the hooks you would ever crave in a Country/Americana song, that’s also a bit jokey and tongue in cheek.
McKay’s links with Spain are highlighted nicely on the dreamy and reflective An Old Cowboy In Spain. Steeped in nostalgia it nicely drifts along in a sub-Hemmingway manner, and perfectly underlines his expertise as a songwriter and more, as does the album as a whole, with no excesses anywhere. Noel McKay deserves to be heard and appreciated by a larger audience.
The Rocking Magpie 