Music That Blows Me Away

Subject: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 12 Nov 06 - 10:52 AM

Reading the "Music That Blew Me Away" thread last week brought back pleasant memories, but most of them were memories from a long time ago. It made me wonder, for ya'll, what new performer or band is creating "Music That Blows Me Away".

Let's say that "new performer" means someone who released their first CD after the year 2000. You pick the style of music; you know what you like. Personally I award extra points for clawhammer banjo and fiddle, but that's just me. Feel free to award points as you see fit.

I'll go first. The music that blows me away is The Duhks, particularly their 2005 album also called The Duhks. I bought the CD after hearing one of the songs on the radio and was floored when I listened to the whole thing. There is Celtic, blues, Appalachian, old timey string band music – with Latin percussion. The quality of the instrumentals is first rate and Jessica Harvey is an awesome, compelling vocalist. The CD was in the player continuously for a couple weeks and I still listen to it frequently. Two points for clawhammer banjo and fiddle. Bonus point for the police whistle in Death Come a' Knockin'.
- Phil

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Ron Davies
Date: 12 Nov 06 - 01:58 PM

Right--the Duhks are really impressive. What a mix of sounds--and it all works naturally! My wife Jan says they even have an excellent video.

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: BanjoRay
Date: 12 Nov 06 - 08:54 PM

The CD that's blown me away most is "Ways Of The World" by Rayna Gellert - a young lady who plays old time fiddle in a way that really grabs you. She's accompanied by various combinations of Paul Brown, John Herrman, Phil Jamison, Meredith Mcintosh, Travis & Trevor Stuart. Brown, Herrmann and Trevor Stuart are three of the very best clawhammer banjo players, Meredith is a sought after bass player and Phil Jamison plays great guitar among other things. If you'd like to know what old time is REALLY like, get this.
Ray

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: bobad
Date: 12 Nov 06 - 09:12 PM

Uncle Phil

If clawhammer banjo is what does it to you check out Terry Joe Banjo . I saw him perform last summer at the Ormstown Branches and Roots Music Festival and I was blown away.

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Don Firth
Date: 12 Nov 06 - 09:19 PM

Thanks to the YouTube permathread, I have just discovered The Corries. I had heard of them before, but I had never actually heard or seen them, and knew nothing about them. I understand that to some folks, The Corries are not necessarily the "flavor of the month," but being inclined myself to what might be called "the minstrel approach," I find nothing wrong with what I have heard by them so far. Smooth, pleasant voices, good arrangements (this, in itself is enough to make them unacceptable to some folks), and fine songs and ballads.

Most impressed by the "combolins" they use to accompany some songs.

I am currently soaking up Jock o'Hazeldean, and there are several others I have on the agenda to learn.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: GUEST,pattyClink
Date: 12 Nov 06 - 10:03 PM

I also was delighted to hear and see the Corries for the first time. And I must confess to being so uninformed I thought when people referred to 'the Corries' they were referring to the ickypop group The Corrs, and I never seemed to hear the lovely folk tunes done by same. NOW the veil is lifted. Duh!

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 12 Nov 06 - 10:58 PM

I know about Rayna Gellert as the fiddler playing string band music with the group Uncle Earl, but I didn't know about her solo album or other projects. There are. by the way, four cuts from Uncle Earl's album on their myspace page. Terry Joe Banjo also has whole songs on myspace -- very impressive. So are the pictures of him with Doc and Dr. Ralph on his web site. He runs in good company. Off now to look up the Corrs and see what they're all about.
- Phil

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 12 Nov 06 - 11:02 PM

Uh, make that Corries instead of Corrs. Too much Coors this evening, I guess.

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Grab
Date: 13 Nov 06 - 06:24 PM

I'd say Rodrigo & Gabriela. Utterly, utterly amazing.

Tamacun
Stairway to Heaven
EPK and promo interview

There's more stuff on Youtube too if you search.

In case you're interested, their tour dates. UK for the rest of November, then Ireland for a couple of weeks, then over to Denver and Seattle mid-December. If they're near you, really don't miss them.

Graham.

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 13 Nov 06 - 06:39 PM

No particular performer or group gets to me in any great way but hearing the Uillean pipes, played with expertise, really hits me in the guts. I suppose Davy Spillane and Finbar Furey are favourite for me. When Finbar plays 'The Fox Chase' with all the noises of the horses galloping, dogs howling, fox squealing and the beautiful lament for the dead fox at the end......well just listen to it yourself.
Best wishes, Mike.

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 13 Nov 06 - 09:13 PM

Well, I can't see The Corries as qualifying as "someone who released their first CD after the year 2000," what with the group having started up in 1962. But that's a quibble - and Don's quite right about them.

Here's a band that blew everyone present away when they performed at Broadstairs this summer, Kissmet This is from an earlier performance at Glastonbury in 2005, gives a flavour, but I reckon they were better at Broadstairs - well, it was a folkie crowd.

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 09:12 AM

Yeah, I guess we have to disqualify the Corries on a technical foul, though I'm like Don, they were new to me and I liked what I heard. And Rodrigo & Gabriela -- unbelievable! Progressive Acoustic Flamenco Thrash? I'm off to check out Kissmet.
- Phil

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Scoville
Date: 14 Nov 06 - 09:36 AM

Rayna used to play with the Freight Hoppers, who were also a killer old-time band.

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 17 Nov 06 - 10:39 AM

I saw the Freight Hoppers eight or ten years ago and remembered a big guy playing the hell out of a fiddle and dancing.

I played with Google while we were all away and found that Rayna replaced Dave Bass with the group because he was ill. As you say, a killer band but I didn't see anything recent from them. I also checked out Kissmet. Amazing stuff, especially the crowd scenes and the bit with the bloke playing bodhran along with the Indian guys playing tabla, etc.
- Phil

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 17 Nov 06 - 11:45 AM

Yes, bodhrans do get around!

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 12:40 AM

Hey Grab, Rodrigo y Gabriela were on Late Night with David Letterman tonight and were absolutely great. Blew the roof off the dump on nation-wide TV.
- Phil

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Grab
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 06:40 AM

Glad to hear they're getting the publicity they deserve - they're amazing. Apparently they're the only people to ever have a #1 album in Ireland with purely instrumental music. :-)

Graham.

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 07:55 AM

A couple of nights ago, I was surfing on High Definition TV and came across a group I'd never heard of. It was at the start of a live concert, and a young many walked out on stage, picked up a one string cigar box guitar, which he played with a slide and ripped into Mississippi Boll Weavil, clearly learned from the version by the Masked Marvel on the Anthology Of American Folk Music. The gutiar was electrified, and the two other members of the group played drums and electric bass. The lead singer and drummer are white, and the bass player is black. I was totally blown away, and after the second song, went in and ordered their CD on amazon.com. The group is called the North Mississippi Allstars, and they have several albums out. Listen to a sample of Mississippi Boll Weavil on their Electric Blue Watermelon album on amazon.com or their website.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Scoville
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 09:41 AM

I think the Freight Hoppers only made two CD's before the band disintegrated. Too bad. They were one of my favorites. I think Uncle Earl are good musicians but the style isn't my thing.

*****

The Red Stick Ramblers are one of my favorites. Cajun & Cajun swing. Outstanding musicians and very entertaining. (Here's a YouTube of them playing fiddle-sticks.)

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Willie-O
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 05:12 PM

Uncle Phil you are Spot On about the Duhks. They are the successor band to Scruj MacDuhk (Disney got on their case about the name), who put out several other CD's you might want to look for. Both bands led by Leonard Podolak, whose dad Mitch was founding artistic director of the huge Winnipeg Folk Festival. Standout players in the Scruj version who did not join the Duhks included fiddler Jeremy Penner and vocalist Ruth Moody (now a Wailin Jenny, look them up too).

I was amused though to see your mention of "Jessica Harvey" (sic). The only time I have seen the Duhks live, they were at pains to point out that although she is frequently called a "Harvey", her surname is in fact "Havey". (Unless she's given up and changed it.)

Best
W-O

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 09:38 PM

Apologies to Jess. It sounds like I'm not the first to make that mistake.

I'll have to go Scruj MacDuhk hunting. The three Duhks CDs have an amazing range of material – Celtic, country, Child ballads, folk songs, a Woody Guthrie tune, spirituals, even a bit of Tracy Chapman. I'm curious to what kind of stuff is on Scruj MacDuhk CDs. I also see that the Duhks were nominated for a Grammy Award, for Heaven's My Home, since this thread started.

NMA have been around for a while – outstanding country blues. You're going to enjoy getting to know their music. I'm surprised that I haven't heard the Red Stick Ramblers since Baton Rouge is my old stomping grounds and I still have family there. I'm off to check them out.
- Phil

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 20 Dec 06 - 12:28 AM

April Verch...wonder if she is on U Tube. mg

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Elmer Fudd
Date: 20 Dec 06 - 02:05 AM

BLOWING AWAY
by Laura Nyro

You ole fire
I'm mad with desire
you're my favorite one
got me cookin' like a fever
got my love runnin' for the sun
I feel so high
I feel like I may
go blowin' away

My well meaner
my day fancy dreamer
Oh what can it be ?
Well it's something like a power
like a hold and it's holdin' me
I feel so high
I feel like I may
go blowin' away

My long laster
my soft hearted master
ain't been born and bred
but he's standin' in my doorway
in my mind
up above my head
I feel so high
I feel like I may
go blowin' away

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 20 Dec 06 - 08:02 AM

This is the best song at the best gig I have ever had the privilege to attend, just over a month ago.

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Scrump
Date: 20 Dec 06 - 08:51 AM

How about "The Wayward Wind"?

... I'll get me coat.

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Beer
Date: 20 Dec 06 - 08:56 AM

Skipjack,
I have seen Bruce twice in concert and it has to the best I have ever seen. Wish I had seen the show that you saw.
Beer.

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: GLoux
Date: 20 Dec 06 - 09:23 AM

For you Freighthoppers fans, David Bass has resurfaced in the Forge Mountain Diggers:

http://www.forgemountaindiggers.com

-Greg

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Beer
Date: 20 Dec 06 - 09:49 PM

My apologies Bobad. Thanks for the festival plug.
Beer

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 20 Dec 06 - 10:39 PM

That's him – that's the fiddler I remembered from the Freight Hoppers! Nice to see him playing again.

I see that the Red Stick Ramblers have been touring with The Wilders who are a favorite of ours from Winfield and elsewhere. There's some good music in the "Bootlegs" tab on their website. Be sure to check that out.
- Phil

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: BB
Date: 21 Dec 06 - 06:15 AM

Well, I'll stick to the title of the thread, and if its someone that you've only heard recently, even if they come from way back, it seems reasonable to include them.

For me, that was Black Voices, five black women from Birmingham (UK)
singing a capella. Amazing! A bit disappointed to find out later that someone else does their arrangements, rather than them doing their own, but a wonderful sound. All sorts of music, although they class it all as 'spiritual', and I suppose it is, as in 'of the spirit'. They range from negro spirituals to Brian Bedford, and from 'Greensleeves' to Dougie MacLean, and everything in between. A terrific range between them too, with one at least of them definitely singing baritone if not bass - certainly lower than I can get - C below middle C.

As to The Corries, I always enjoyed them, and when I met them back in the '60s, they said that if they felt a song needed a certain instrument, they used to learn to play the instrument, which is what gave rise to the combolins - an attempt to carry less instruments around. What actually happened was that they ended up carrying those as well as all the others!

Barbara

Subject: RE: Music That Blows Me Away
From: Scrump
Date: 21 Dec 06 - 06:48 AM

'Wild Wind' by John Leyton?

'Hurricane' by Bob Dylan

'Stormy Weather' by umpteen people

or anything by The Tornados or Gale Garnett.

... I'll get me coat again.