Review: Small Potatoes

Subject: Small Potatoes
From: Mudlark
Date: 06 Oct 01 - 01:09 PM

Went to a concert last night by Small Potatoes, a duo out of the Chicago area that not only write great songs (won Kerrville's songwriting contest last year), are great musicians, but also wonderfully warm and engaging entertainers. I've got both their CD's but there is nothing like hearing great music live! They are currently on tour...will be in LA tonight, then back to the Central Coast of Ca. tomorrow night.

The concert last night was held in a winery...and tho I'd not drunk a drop I came home high as a kite...ain't music grand!!!

Subject: RE: Small Potatoes
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 06 Oct 01 - 01:25 PM

What kind of songs do they write? Tell us more. When great music leaves the audience on such a high, it sounds downright illegal!

Subject: RE: Small Potatoes
From: Mark Clark
Date: 06 Oct 01 - 02:18 PM

You can listen to four of their tracks in RealAudio at the Wind River site. Ther's some information on them as well and a link the Small Potatoes home page.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Small Potatoes
From: RWilhelm
Date: 06 Oct 01 - 03:01 PM

Great performers. I saw them at the South Florida Folk Festival several years ago. They do a wide variety of traditional songs and originals in traditional styles. They also hosted a workshop on yodeling.

Subject: RE: Small Potatoes
From: Mudlark
Date: 07 Oct 01 - 01:36 AM

They've also done workshops on harmony...very close, verging on dissonent, sometimes, but always just right for what they are singing. Jacquie plays backup guitar, concertina (does a spectacular turn with the Grace Slick/Jeff. Airplane's Lather), pennywhistle and bodhran. Rich plays very fancy guitar. They both write songs, good melodically and lyrically, also cover songs by Michael Smith, oddball stuff, a great mix of moving ballads and fun songs. They are warm and intimate entertainers with a very friendly rapport with the audience....just a great evening of music.

Subject: RE: Small Potatoes
From: Amergin
Date: 07 Oct 01 - 01:39 AM

and here i thought this was gonna be yet another thread about big mick....

Subject: RE: Small Potatoes
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 07 Oct 01 - 01:55 AM

My favorite spuds tune is 1000 Candles/1000 Cranes. They're fun folks to do a double show with.

Subject: RE: Small Potatoes
From: John Hardly
Date: 08 Oct 01 - 12:26 AM

I wrote this for another forum about a year ago

Last night I attended a MOST ENJOYABLE concert--a coffeehouse concert with the wife/husband duo that call themselves Small Potatoes. They are Jacque Manning and Rich Prezioso. First, because I know that, first and formost this forum cares about GEAR--Rich plays a Taylor 714 and Jacque a GORGEOUS Santa Cruz OM. I didn't ask them about their amplification (it wasn't a house PA) but I can tell you that, for you folks who are performers, you might want to catch their act, if just to ask them what they use, because it sounded terrific, warm, and truly acoustic. This, even though they were competing with a considerable din of kitchen noise (it was a coffeehouse as I mentioned).

GEAR out of the way.

You would really be doing yourselves a huge favor to get out and see this duo. I would have been comfortable bringing my family (kids and all), my more artsy friends (I am a potter you know), or my beer-swilling hoops pals. They really play something for everyone. One moment they're playing celtic or pseudo-celtic (you know, the DADGAD stuff), the next they've got you absolutely jumpin' to a western swing tune. Their original music is...REALLY original. It'll have you laughing out loud one minute, and your heart skipping a beat at the poignant emotion of the next. The lyrical content of their offerings goes from family love (M. Smith's I BROUGHT MY FATHER WITH ME), Hope (Robin's song), and even a little road rage (THEY'RE NOT NORMAL LIKE US).

Technically, their musical excecution is EXCELLENT. Rich is that type of guitarist that all should strive to be--that is, he knows what NOT to play as well as what TO play. He can rip on a rock/blues lead, hold a celtic rhythm, or play all the way around a folk ballad. He alternates between true fingerstyle (complete with thumbpick), true flatpicking (down AND up strokes--keepin' those 1/16th notes peppering out at you), and lot's of flatpicking with fills from his middle, ring, and baby fingers.

Jacque is a more than competent rhythm player and--to her immeasurable credit--played all her guitar last night with a right thumb as big as a baseball bat! She had SEVERELY broken it six weeks ago and had a splint on it. Last night was the first time she had played again in public. She pens some of the most memorable and original songs being performed on the "Folk" circuit these days. Go see them if just to hear her WALTZ OF THE WALLFLOWERS (A DYSFUNCTIONAL DUET). She is also responsible for the many other instruments that make their act so fresh--tin whisle, bohd..bod..irish drum, shaker and hands.

As a duet their harmonies are flawless. Also, you'll kinda find yourself looking around for the rhythm section because they perform with such DRIVE! They put EVERYTHING OUT THERE! They perform with DRAMA and zeal!

...I kinda liked 'em.

You can get concert info from them at [e-mail] or through www.musi-cal.com

Rich was so inspirational that I stayed up late the night of the concert and learned my first two DADGAD tunes!

Subject: RE: Small Potatoes
From: Mudlark
Date: 08 Oct 01 - 02:28 AM

Thank you, John Hardly, for the review I wish I could have written! Right on the mark. And you a fellow potter, at that! I do not know why these two are not more popular--they are great musicians and warm human beings. This is the 4th time I've seen them in concert...and they are totally fresh every time. Their 2 CDs spend a lot of time in my player....

Subject: RE: Small Potatoes
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 08 Oct 01 - 05:39 AM

I would like to add my endorsement to the above. John Hardly's review says it all. One of the most enjoyable, accomplished duos it has ever been my pleasure to hear live. Don't miss them.

Murray

Subject: RE: Small Potatoes
From: Gary T
Date: 08 Oct 01 - 09:41 AM

They've been at Winfield (click) for the last several years and I assume--and hope--for several more. Beyond presenting fine music, they catch some other shows and visit in the campground. Not all the performers there are as down to earth. Hard not to like them.