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Thursday March 17 starts in a cloudy way, but from 2 pm on the sun is back and the maximum is a nice 85F. Our first goal is G&S Lounge, outdoor stage, again, where my all time favorite Chip Taylor does the very first try out for his Rock ‘n Roll Joe show, a tribute to the unsung heroes of rock ‘n roll. He’ll be performing half of this show in his official showcase later this week. Chip has a full band behind him with (of course) John Platania on guitar, Kendell Carson on fiddle, Kevin Smith on bass and Scott Matthews on drums. For no less than 80 minutes Chip and his band enchant us with a mixture of new and old songs. The opening and closing songs are ‘The real thing’ and an extended version of ‘Wild Thing’, in between are many new songs from the forthcoming CD ‘Rock ‘n Roll Joe’ (May 24). We love it! He is a hell of an entertainer! Erin Harpe, a mighty fine blues swinger from Massachusetts, is playing Amelia’s with her band and I just love her, she’s so good. In the wonderful Continental Club on South Congress we enjoy Planet Caspar and The Hot Club of Cowtown (again!). From the Continental to G&S isn’t too bad by car, we close our afternoon by listening to Les Sampou, a great folk-blues-singer from Boston. Her latest CD is Lonesomeville (2010) and features her great voice in full swing.
I have enough time to have dinner and relax, tonight I plan to be in Antone’s for the annual showcase of the Americana Music Association, my main goal is to see Emmylou Harris doing her showcase. I arrive in time to hear the last song of the first act, the popular ‘Band of Heathens’. They have a fine ‘disappearing’ act, singing (a cappella) and clapping the refrain of their last song while walking off the stage in a straight row. Next up is beautiful banjoïste extraordinaire Abigail Washburn and her band (fiddle, bass/pedal steel, keyboards/guitar and drums). Her show is woven around the release of her new CD, ‘City of refuge’ (January 2011). Nice, at times experimental acoustical music with roots in the fine Appalachian musical tradition. Next are Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis, married for 14 years by now and performing together again. It is a great pleasure to hear their fine harmonies in the nice country-setting laid down by their band (keyboards/accordion, fiddle/mandolin, pedal steel and drums). Kelly wrote the wonderful ‘Say goodbye’ with Chuck Prophet. Close to 11.30 p.m. Emmylou takes off. She introduces her band, Jay Joyce (guitars and producer of the new album) and Giles Reeves (keyboards and percussion), the two sidemen to be heard on her forthcoming CD (April 26) ‘Hard Bargain’. She does the full 14 songs of the new album in the by now overcrowded Antone’s (at this time it is hard to move in the hall, standing still is possible, but pretty hard). Eleven of the songs are Emmylou originals, the title track ‘Hard bargain’ is a song by Ron Sexsmith. The songs that move me most are the tribute to the late Kate McGarrigle (‘Darlin’ Kate’), ‘Big black dog’ about the first dog ever she rescued as a member of ‘Dog Rescue’ and ‘The ship on his arm’, inspired by a work of art of Texan singer-songwriter Terry Allen. Emmylou’s voice is beautiful as ever, her new CD is amazingly good and she looks lovely! What a way to end a beautiful day.
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