There has been much chatter about the incredulous 2015 Freaks Ball JRAD shows. Two sold out shows at The Brooklyn Bowl. Lines around the corner. Chicken, pizza and beer freely flowing. Here is my take on what went down this weekend in Brooklyn.
Metzger, Hamilton, Dreiwitz, Benevento and Russo are monsters in their own right. Metzger and Hamilton were switching the Jerry part (playing and singing) all night, in a tight succession. This is not FURTHUR, which (to me) seems about a half step slower than needed. This is not Phil and Friends, which again, seems a bit slowed down for me. This is JRAD, a bunch of hot musicians playing an upbeat, quick paced Grateful Dead. Their energy sounds reminiscent of the cassettes I used to listen to, of the early day GD shows. JRAD’s pace blew me away the first time I saw them, years ago at another Freaks Ball. This is also why I continue to see JRAD again.
Night One of The Freaks Ball was the first time the band played all those tunes, and it is safe to say that for the rest of the JRAD tour, these songs will be in the rotation. I particularly loved the Iko Iko > Mississippi Half Step > Sugar Mag. It reminded me of a GD show in the late 80s.
All of these songs were executed perfectly. They certainly didn’t sound like it was a first time performance. However, the audio is up on archive.org – you can decide for yourself.
Photo by: Scott Harris
Second night, there seemed to be a shimmer in the room. Electricity was bouncing before the band even hit the stage. From the moment they hit the first note of Alligator, The Bowl was in blast off mode. Jack-a-Roe was a super tune – need to go back to listen to that as well as Ophelia (what? Ophelia?) Yes, Ophelia.
Second set though, I wanted a fancy Help>Slip>Terrapin (hey, one could wish right?) Much to my surprise and chagrin, I got my Help>Slip. Help was perfect, and then there was this riff, this jam, this hard squealing guitar before Slip that I still can’t get out of my brain. It certainly wasn’t Slipknot, because they only did a few repetitions of Slip. Metzger was crushing his guitar, and I have itched to hear it again since Saturday night. This was one of the highlights for me. Then Shakedown quite literally may have shaken down The Brooklyn Bowl. The crowd was loving it.
Then there was the closer, Mountain Dew. The house was quiet and attentive on the musicians on the stage. I was mesmerized, as were most of the crowd. Hamilton on vocals was spot on. Goosebumps type of spot on.
This weekend’s music bliss was palpable for everyone involved. The Freaks, the audience, JRAD. Wow. Freaks Ball throws another amazing weekend. Thank you Freaks. Thank you Mr. Shapiro. Thank you Mr. Costello. Thank you…goodnight.
Set 1:
01. intro/crowd
02. Alabama Getaway
03. Alice D. Millionaire ->
04. Greatest Story Ever Told
05. Black Peter ->
06. Lost Sailor ->
07. Saint Of Circumstance
08. banter – band intros
09. Big Railroad Blues
10. outro/crowd
Set 2:
01. intro/crowd
02. Feel Like A Stranger
03. Stagger Lee ->
04. Iko Iko ->
05. Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo ->
06. Sugar Magnolia
07. Mission In The Rain
08. encore break/crowd
Encore:
09. They Love Each Other
Night Two: Set List
Set 1
01. Alligator (SM) >
02. Caution Jam >
03. Liz Reed Jam >
04. Jack A Roe # (TH) >
05. Uncle John’s Band >
06. Ophelia $ (SM)
07. Ramble On Rose (TH)
08. Only Daddy That’ll Walk The Line ## (SM)>
09. Bertha (TH)
Set 2
01. Music Never Stopped (SM) >
02. Cumberland Blues & (A)
03. Help On The Way (TH) >
04. Slipknot!>
05. Shakedown Street (TH)
06. Truckin (SM) >
07. Space>
08. Morning Dew (TH)
E
09. Brown Eyed Women (TH)
Ed note: Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015. It seems/feels like I’ve been away from View Skewed for a long time. In 2014, I was writing for other outlets – The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, as well as Jambands.com. I also had my first article published in Jambase and finally had my first review PRINTED in Relix Magazine for my coverage of the Bear Creek Arts & Music Festival. Overall, it was a good year for writing, but probably not my best. Perhaps in 2015, I can change this trend. As always, thank you for reading my words.
This past Friday night, Phil and Friends played for an almost sold out crowd, aged young and old alike, for close to three hours. There were many friendly faces in the crowd, who greeted me with smiles as I walked into the theater. I began to feel that I had “come home” to a place filled with love and acceptance, as is common with a Phil show, and I felt the stressful week fall from my shoulders as I settled in.
Phil Lesh was joined by fellow Furthur band mates John Kadlicek, guitar and Joe Russo, drums. John Medeski and John Scofield rounded out the band with special guests Ross James and Nels Cline.
Ross James came out for the first set, with upbeat Grateful Dead songs such as a rousing New Speedway Boogie, and Turn on Your Love Light. Also played was Dylan’s A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall. It is worth noting that many people in the crowd commented that the first set felt like a typical second set. This set was high energy, filled with great jams, and Russo’s drum playing was off the hook.
Nels Cline from Wilco, joined the band for second set. They opened with Cold Rain and Snow, accentuated a fun jam with Cline leading an almost rock-a-billy kind of groove. They went into a heavy jam before going into Eyes of the World. Phil sang lead, and Cline plucked the guitar soft and sweet, technically perfect.
Scofield, Kadlicek and Cline led us next to The Wheel, where they answered each other with their guitar licks, heightening the song for the crowd. It seemed that everyone was singing along. Kadlicek sang on the next song, So Many Roads, and the trio went into a sweet harmony with each other.
Overall, Phil played steady, Medeski was on the side of the stage surrounded by his keys, piping in from the organ, and Russo is just a monster behind those drums. Cline was the lead guitarist of the night, with Scofield and Kadlicek supporting, each of them throwing down some great jams throughout the night.
They ended the second set with Help> Slip> Franklin’s where Scofield let loose and Kadlicek sang on Help. They encored with Ripple, and Phil stayed classy to the end, by introducing all the the musicians by name, and saying “Thank you for joining us.” No Phil, thank you, and can’t wait for the next run, hosted by The Cap.
Ahhh, Wanee is close, so close, 3 days close. This year it is packed with great artists such as Lynard Skynard, Trey Anastasio Band, Gov’t Mule and Tedeschi Trucks Band. Other incredible bands are: Umphree’s McGee, moe., Dumpstaphunk, Soulive (see list below). And yes, this is a Thursday to Saturday festival, where everyone leaves on Sunday and is good to go to work on a Monday, unlike most festivals that start on a Thursday and end late Sunday night.
However, this year will be different.
This is the 10th Anniversary. It’s also the last year the Allman Brothers Bandwill be playing/on tour. I have a feeling this will be one of the most special Wanee’s ever. The anticipation is killing me.
Bowlive, Soulive’s two week residency, is ending it’s fifth year tonight at the infamous Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn, NY. I have been lucky enough to be able to catch all five years, and incredibly witness how each year seemingly gets better over the last year.
This year’s special guests have ranged from Warren Haynes, John Scofield, Susan Tedeschi and New Orleans’ legends George Porter Jr. and Jon Cleary, to lesser known 11 year old savant’s from Brendan “TAZ” Neidermeyer, Eddie Roberts, Joe Russo, DMC and Talib Kweli, Marco Benevento, Scott Metzger, Sonya Kitchell, and Nigel Hall.
Photo courtesy of: Alan Evans
The Shows: Admittedly, I have not been able to hit all the shows as I have in years past. However, I can tell the nature of the Bowlive residency has mellowed into a well-known two weeks of throwdown funk, with surprise guests galore. I use the word “mellowed” because the players (Neal Evans, keys; Eric Krasno, guitar; Alan Evans, drums) have seemingly settled into the pace of this particular run. I am certainly not saying these shows are mellow, they are anything but mellow. From the opening night two weeks ago, you can sense the excitement, the high energy building in the club. The second night was frenzied, but no one seemed to realize that the show was going long to allow Warren Haynes to come from the Upper West Side where the Allman’s were playing. Those who either knew what was happening, or those who just hung out, were treated to a 4 song set that lasted well past 2am.
For me, my personal highlight were the ones I have attended. First night (Thurs), vocalist and keyboardist Nigel Hall brought us back to the first few years of Bowlive where he was a nightly staple to the Soulive trio.
Third night (Sat), I was grateful to see George Porter Jr., bring his personal brand of funkiness to the stage, and the Soulive men tweak a little to the NOLA side of funk. Add Eddie Roberts, from the New Mastersounds and The London Souls and this night was way up on the face melting scale. Here is a clip of the night before, when Warren Haynes stopped by:
Highlights: Night 4: Jon Cleary & John Scofield John Scofield needs no introduction. He also has played with the Soulive trio for years, and the chemistry between the four men is palpable. You can tell the Soulive men adore Scofield, and this bounces back from Sco to the Soulive guys. The riffs that Krasno and Scofield throw at each other are mesmorizing. I am not sure if I danced or just stood there with my mouth open. I wish there was video to share with you.
John «Sco» Scofield (Foto: Vidar Ruud, ANB)
Highlights: Night 5: Susan Tedeschi, Joe Russo, John Cleary. “Turn on Your Lovelight”
THROWDOWN
The Food: I ate the addictively delicious Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken, but have to admit my new favorite is the Rock n Roll Fries. I’ll let ya’ll in on a secret – it is fries and gravy with cheese on the bottom of the plate. Fattening and delicious for sure. With all the dancing I’ve done the past two weeks, I have no guilt at all.
An official announcement from Wanee came into my inbox yesterday, and it speaks about the impending Allman’s breakup, and what it means for their Wanee Festival, down in Live Oak Florida.
“Gregg Allman has announced that The Allman Brothers Band will stop touring after 2014, so this year’s 10th Anniversary Wanee Music Festival performances could be the last time to see the whole group together with their current lineup, which includes Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes (who will also be appearing with their own groups). The band, which has headlined Wanee for ten years, is scheduled to perform Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12
According to a post in Relix Magazine, Gregg Allman said: “The Allman Brothers Band will stop touring at the end of 2014.” When asked about The Allman Brothers Band’s future as part of an interview for Relix, Allman says, “This is it—this is the end of it.” Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes had already announced that they were leaving the band after this year. According to a report in Rolling Stone: “For 25 years and 15 years respectively, we’ve had the honor and pleasure of playing, living, learning, and traveling with The Allman Brothers Band, one of the truly legendary rock and roll bands,” the two musicians wrote in a joint statement. “We will be forever grateful for the opportunity and the experience, and for the love, enthusiasm, and support of the incredible fans.”
The Allman Brothers Band with Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes headline a great line-up of outstanding performers for what has become one of the most popular Festivals in the country. The 2014 Wanee Music Festival celebrates its 10th Anniversary Thursday April 10th through Saturday April 12th at the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, FL.
In addition to the The Allman Brothers Band playing both Friday and Saturday nights, the rest of the line-up includes: Trey Anastasio Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Gov’t Mule, Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band, Umphrey’s McGee, Ziggy Marley, Blues Traveler, The Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Hot Tuna Electric, Moe., Rusted Root, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk (Music of Led Zeppelin), Soulive, Royal Southern Brotherhood, Walter Trout, Rob Garza (of Thievery Corporation), Blind Boys of Alabama, Bobby Lee Rodgers, Melvin Seals & JGB, Futurebirds, Berry Oakley’s Skylab, Matt Schofield, Break Science, Pink Talking Fish, Sean Chambers, The Yeti Trio and The Hip Abduction. But the end of touring for The Allman Brothers Band does not mean the end of the Wanee Music Festival, as new and exciting elements are being planner for Wanee 2015.”
$195 + Applicable Fees ( Now – February 16th 10PM EST – (Price will increase after this) Includes: 3 nights of Primitive Camping (Thurs., Fri. & Sat.). Music from 12:30PM on Thursday (April 10). Full days of Music on Friday & Saturday (April 11 & 12)
VIP TICKETS:
$475+Applicable Fees: Includes: (1) VIP 3-Day pass to the festival with music starting at 12:30PM on Thursday, Special concert viewing area at Peach and Mushroom stages, 3 nights of primitive camping (Thurs., Fri. & Sat.), Wanee 2014 VIP T Shirt, Commemorative Wanee 2014 Laminate, Private Restrooms, Commemorative Wanee 2014 Poster, Catered Lunch and dinner on Friday & Saturday, Complimentary snacks and soft drinks, Discounted beer, Access to Wanee 2014 VIP only Pre Party
Not sure where to start – the last two weeks have been a flurry of festival announcements, even I can’t keep up. However, the first festival to start off my 2014 (besides Jam Cruise, which is another post altogether) is WANEE FESTIVAL.
If you know me, you know this is my staple festival, I go for the great southern guitar twangs, the southern hospitality of The Spirit of Suwanee Music Park, and the southern charm. Not to mention the Allman Brothers host this event every year.
This year is the 10th anniversary Wanee Festival (how did that happen already?) and promises to be a star studded event. The line up consists of:
The Allman Brothers Band * Trey Anastasio Band* Lynyrd Skynyrd * Tedeschi Trucks Band * Gov’t Mule * Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band * Umphrey’s McGee * Ziggy Marley * Blues Traveler * The Chris Robinson Brotherhood * Hot Tuna Electric * Moe. * Rusted Root * Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk (Music of Led Zeppelin) * Soulive * Royal Southern Brotherhood * Walter Trout * Rob Garza (of Thievery Corporation) * Blind Boys of Alabama * Bobby Lee Rodgers * Melvin Seals & JGB * Futurebirds * Matt Schofield * Break Science * Sean Chambers * The Yeti Trio *
Overview:
Bear Creek (or as some people call it Brrr Creek) was not cold at all. The weather was over cast at times, drizzling on and off, but the rain was not a bother, nor was it cold. It was a welcome change.
Bear Creek, like New Orleans’ Jazz Fest and Jam Cruise, is known for their sit-ins, a mash-up of artists from one band playing with another. Also, there are usually two sets per band, meaning that the band actually has some time to explore on stage. It makes for an incredibly intimate setting where the artists can get into a groove, an eclectic mixture of talent with lots of smiles and friendly vibe. This is the beauty of Bear Creek.
Thursday Highlights and Notable Moments
After setting up camp, and getting five jars of Suwannee Moonshine (apple pie moonshine to be exact) I could hear The Pimps of Joytime and The Motet from our campsite, literally shaking the funk off the moss of the oak trees. After many laughs with my camp family, we all wandered down to Uncle Charlie’s Porch Stage to see Kung Fu break it down in all its funky/jazzy/frenetic motion.
Friday Highlights and Notable Moments
I started the day with Ron Haynes Game Changers. Never hearing this band before, and considering Bear Creek was the first time this band had ever played, I was pleasantly surprised. For a band from Chicago, they play like they are from the south, with deep soul, and a plethora of horns. Then I grabbed my friends and made them go see The Revivalists. This band comes from NOLA, but doesn’t have the typical NOLA sound. My only description of them could be somewhere between a bit of reggae, a bit of funk, and smash it with some punk rock riffs. They have become one of my newest favorite bands. Mike Dillon, Roosevelt Collier joined in on drums and slide guitar respectively.
With my festival schizophrenia in full effect, I decided to sacrifice Lee Fields and the Expressionists for Jennifer Hartwick Band. Ms. Hartswick was joined by the MVP of the whole festival: Ms. Nikki Glaspie (drums) as well as, Nigel Hall (vocals), Skerik (sax), Natalie Cressman (trombone), Khris Royal (sax), Nick Cassarino (guitar) and Ivan Rosenberg (trumpet). Jen’s voice is electric, strong and sexy all at the same time. They crushed the Chicago cover “25 or 6 to 4” and I floated out of the music hall back to camp for a wardrobe change and a feed.
The hour passed quickly before the Antibalas set. A scorching set, the Big IV Ampitheater stage was overflowing with musicians – five horn players, three percussionists, two guitarists, one bassist, one keyboardist – including special guests Cochemea “Cheme” Gastelum and Skerik (sax), all bouncing to Antibalas’ distinct Afro-beat sound. This was the quickest 90 minutes of the weekend.
I did a drive-by to see The Motet at the Porch Stage, and got a glimpse of Jans Ingber and Nigel Hall getting dirty with the Parliament classic “Gettin’ to Know You.” The crowd was buzzing, the funk was deep, my head was spinning and I was off to go see some Galactic.
There isn’t anything better than a Galactic performance during Bear Creek – in my opinion – because of the potential of sit-ins. This set was no different. The new female lead, Maggie Koerner, absolutely held her own against all the men on the stage, a killer female vocalist. The guest sit-ins were head spinning: David Shaw (The Revivalists) sang on “Dolla Diva,” “Aint No Love,” “Nobody Knows,” “Daddy’s Song” and “Hey Na Na.” Corey Henry and Chali2na joined for “From the Corner to the Block.” Skerik and Roosevelt Collier joined for “Baby I Got Your Money.” The set ended with an amazing cover of Zeppelin’s “When the Levee Breaks,” including Shaw back on vocals.
Just as the rain ended, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe commanded the main Purple Hat stage. Special guests included Mike Dillon on percussion and Zach Deputy for the last few songs of the set. I remember Karl introducing Zach to the crowd by saying something close to “Hey y’all this is Zach Deputy, I pretty much take care of him on Jam Cruise!”
Saturday Highlights and Notable Moments
George Porter Jr. and The Runnin Pardners hit the Purple Hat Stage on Saturday afternoon. It was not raining, the sun was trying to come out, and it was a beautiful mild afternoon. I slowly mosey’ed my way up to the VIP tent to sit down and the crowd for George was impressive. Highlights were, “Just Kissed My Baby,” with Roosevelt Collier shredding his pedal steel.
Galactic was next on my way to find some aspirin, water and food. They played my favorite, “Sunday Araq,” with Maggie Koerner killing it. I continued to hear Galactic from my campsite as I revived myself from the dead. My blood didn’t start really pumping though until I saw Mike Dillon Band. I can’t really describe why I love these guys, with the exception that I am an old punk rocker, and the screaming and loud crazy that Dillon and Carly Meyers put on is right up my alley. Meyers blows that trombone with a force of a 200lb man, and the girl is probably 5 foot nothing, just over 90lbs. Mike Dillon is a force to be reckoned with, on the xylophone and percussion. Stanton Moore and Nikki Glaspie joined the stage for a drum-off dream, and Roosevelt Collier got into the mix as well. I saw Carly and Dillon on with capes, reminding me of superheroes running around, and this set was one of my favorites on Saturday. Well, with the exception of Bootsy.
Bootsy Collins and The Funk Unity Band
This set was the one that blew my head all over the Suwannee Music Park. To me, this was the Bear Creek Highlight of the Weekend. There had to be about a dozen players on the stage, all dressed up as astronauts. They all took off their helmets at the same time. There was a master of ceremonies to warm up the crowd before Bootsy took the stage. The press pit was filled with musicians and was cramped with excitement. Bootsy came out with his star bass, his blue sequined outfit, blue and white sequined top hat, blue sneakers, white sparked sunglasses with blue stars in them, complete with a gold microphone.
He played the PFunk staples, “Mothership Connection (Star Child).” Then Bernie Worrell joined him for the funkiest “Sweet Chariot” I have ever heard. The mere sight for me to realize that these two Funk Masters were on the same stage was too much for my poor head to comprehend and I lost it right there. I couldn’t do anything more than bounce and stomp my feet. I saw footage later that Bootsy actually jumped into the crowd and bounced up and down. Bootsy had at least three, if not four costume changes. This was only a 90 minute set and I had to sit down afterwards to compose myself. I missed Chali 2na and The New Mastersounds because I was picking up the pieces of my brain.
The Roots
This one also rocked my soul. Bee Getz introduced the band and highlights were “Jungle Boogie” as well as an incredible mash-up of songs ranging from Guns n Roses “Sweet Child of Mine” to George Thorogood’s “Bad to the Bone” into “Who do you love?” to “You Got Me” into a tease of Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” to Damian Marley’s “Welcome to Jam Rock” to Sugarhill Gang’s “Apache” into “Seed” where they teased “Move on Up”. Sick, sick, show. We all wanted more.
So then I moved my weary bones to the Purple Hat Stage where Karl Denson and the Tiny Universe was playing a crazy Ray Charles set with special guests Skerik and George Porter Jr. played along with Roosevelt Collier, Cochemea “Cheme” Gastelum, Khris Royal and Ryan Zoidis on horns.
After, we went back to the Big IV Ampitheater, for the Bear Creek Allstars set. This grouping of talent from Dumpstaphunk, Lettuce, and all the horns you could count, add George Porter Jr., Nigel Hall, Robert Walters, and you have a whole lot of sugar in a 90 minute funk jam.
The last show of the evening was The Nth Power, a new band with a brand new sound, consisting of Nikki Glaspie, Nigel Hall, Nick Cassarino, Nate Edgar and Weedie Braimah. The Nth Power is a powerhouse of vocals, funk, hard beats mixed with soft harmonies. Their album is good, but it did nothing to prepare me for what I was going to hear live. Their lyrics are soulful, but what really struck me were the sound of the harmonies and overall shred. Nick Cassarino blew me away, since I am not that familiar with his work. They have something really special here, and I can’t wait to see them again.
Sunday Highlights and Notable Moments
I ventured out for some food, walking past The Jennifer Hartswick Band. I did get myself down to the Ampitheater for Roosevelt Collier and Nigel Hall’s Gospel Surprise, which was a welcome sound to my ears. Special guests included Natalie Cressman, James Casey, Jennifer Hartswick, Alecia Chakour and a whole host of other people on the stage. The last two bands to play were Dumpstaphunk and Lettuce to close out this year’s Bear Creek. Dumpsta played their oldies plus a few new songs from their new album “Dirty Word.” Lettuce played also a few oldies but goodies as well as some newer ones (Madison Square). Nikki Glaspie sat in for Adam Deitch who couldn’t make it, although Deitch’s face was seen on a sign going through the crowd. There was also a huge ketchup bottle flying through the crowd as well as actual pieces of lettuce being thrown. Nigel Hall closed the set down and ended the 2013 Bear Creek Festival in festive form.
Classical guitarist Xuefei Yang (Fei) played a solo recital at SubCulture on Bleeker Sreet last night as part of the 92Y’s programming branch to the downtown scene. Fei seemed pleased to be in such a “cool” place, having played in palaces and concert halls throughout the world, she noted the intimate, club feel. But it was the superb acoustics of the underground space that was the highlight, as the accomplished guitarist took us on a musical journey from the 1600’s to the present.
Recognized as a prodigy at the tender age of ten, at her first public performance in Spain, Fei continued to impress the best in her field. Australian classical guitarist, John Williams, was so taken by Fei’s talent that he donated two guitars for her evolving practice.
Early on, Fei’s parents realized that she was an active child and attempted to temper her with music, first with the accordion, and then, the more subtle guitar. No doubt, the instrument blossomed in her hand. As the artist says herself, “I did not choose the guitar, the guitar chose me.” She went on to solidify a foundation in classical western tradition at The Royal Academy of Music in London where she now holds a fellowship.
The guitar in China before the Cultural Revolution had a lowly status, it was in fact deemed a vagabond’s instrument. XueFei’s great accomplishments have recast that perception. She is the first Chinese guitarist to launch an international career.
The evening’s performance began with Courtly Dances from Benjamin Britten’s opera “Gloriana” as arranged by Fei. A lively “March” ran into the “Coranto” before resting on the stately two beat rhythm in the “Pavane”, where I envisioned a snake being charmed out its basket. An English folk dance came before “Galliard” and the risqué “La Volta”, two Italian Renaissance dances featuring the demanding cinque passi or five-step. All handled beautifully.
Fei expressed an affinity for the prolific composer Franz Schubert in the following arrangement of “Six Schubertian Songs,” by Johann Kaspar Mertz (1806-1856), a Hungarian guitarist and composer. Austrian elegance rang clear throughout, particularly in the dreamy sweet talk of “Das Fishermadchen,” and the virtuosic ending of “Die Post”.
A certain sadness marked the introduction of Britten’s, “Nocturnal after John Dowland.” Fei explained that Dowland was an insomniac who found himself caught between light and the dark of sleep, a measured sense of hopelessness indeed. The works were both challenging for the performer and the listener. One could hear the full range of dynamics in Fei’s masterful touch as she explored the emotional wandering of sleep deprivation.
The US Premiere of Chen Li’s, “Shuo Chang”, followed intermission. The work had a very different form then the earlier pieces. This group of folk songs and dances had me wanting to stomp my feet. It was very moving. One could sense Fei’s attachment to the composition and her homeland.
The English composer William Walton’s bagatelles were next. Bagatelles are small, light pieces, typically for the piano, the best known being Fur Elise, by Beethoven. The opening piece was a a fast, bright Allegro, transitioned nicely into the slow tempo of the Lento. The sweet chords of “Alla Cubana” again showed off Fei’s technique and dynamics. “Con Slancio” concluded the series with a surging exposition and spirited ending.
For the last part of the program, a peppery Sonata by Argentinean composer Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983), that featured some interesting contrasting and percussive elements. Essentially a love song, this Sonata had the spice of magic realism so familiar to Latin America.
Xuefei’s spirit seems connected with all forms of music. Her classical roots serves her well wherever she travels musically. The artist finds a connection between Madrid and Beijing, being on the same latitudinal line. Fei realized she had not played anything of Spanish origin during the night’s performance and remedied this with a stunning Memories of Alhambra for an encore. The consistency of her tone and very skilful tremolo technique was breathtaking.
Xuefei Yang may shun the notion of pioneer but it is clear that she is on a mission to broaden the repertoire of classical music on guitar. She strikes me more as a rebel than a pioneer, as she pushes the boundary of the instrument further. In her hands it can surely take on many forms.
Early Bird Tickets for Wanee Festival starts tomorrow! (Thursday, December 5th) on April 10 -12 at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, FL:
No lineup yet, but we can be assured that The Allman Brothers will still be headlining, and supporting acts could be members of other Allman Brother Family bands (ie: Tedeschi Trucks Band, Devon Allman and Duane Trucks’ bands, etc.)
So, I missed breakfast this day. I really just needed some coffee, although I had some bloody mary mix and accoutrements to ease myself in on this day, I still just wanted coffee. Which I found a few hours later, much to my delight.
Sunday was a slow day. You know how it is, festival living/festival time… I just needed to get up there for Mike Dillon Band. Much to my amazement, I had woken up earlier than originally thought and I could see Papa Mali. Lucky, lucky me.
I pretty much wandered aimlessly during Papa Mali’s set, it was a little too early still for me to get my groove on. I haven’t seen Mali in over a year I think, and he looks different. He’s lost a lot of weight (congratulations!) and he looks great. He sounds even better. He played a great set with 13 year old guitar virtuoso Bobby Paltauf. This young man made his rounds during the weekend as well, and has played with Deep Banana Blackout this summer at The Brooklyn Bowl. Keep your eye and ears out for him. Mali’s set highlights were: “Wade on the Water,” “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” Continue reading →
So, I missed breakfast this day. I really just needed some coffee, although I had some bloody mary mix and accoutrements to ease myself in on this day, I still just wanted coffee. Which I found a few hours later, much to my delight.
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