Friends of Bob March '06 Newsletter Please share this newsletter with friends you think may be interested. Get ready! Our April show promises to be truly amazing, and there's no doubt that our regular FoB audience will be joined by music fans from surrounding states eager for the opportunity to hear Jawbone and Crooked Still. Tony Trischka is an icon of the banjo in the same way that Ry Cooder or David Grisman are icons of the guitar and mandolin. He's often credited with reinventing American banjo-heck, he was teacher and inspiration to the more famous Bela Fleck. In the 60s, Trischka took banjo into new territory that explored bluegrass, jazz, and avantgarde and is considered a chief architect of a genre that became known as New Acoustic. He has recorded with artists as diverse at Loudon Wainwright, R.E.M., and Bela Fleck. These days he plays in a variety of bands, but the one we're going to hear is Jawbone, a trio that explores the shared territories of old-time and bluegrass, though there are even Celtic and African roots in the mix. Jawbone's old-time fiddle master is Bruce Molsky, a player who studied with stalwarts like Tommy Jarrell and has collaborated with such high-profile names as Kevin Burke, Jay and Molly Unger, Natalie McMaster, and Darol Anger. He has appeared often on A Prairie Home Companion. Some FoBers may have seen his incredible performances at the Lotus Festival in Bloomington in 2003. Bruce's solo recording "Poor Man's Troubles" received an Indie Award for best traditional folk recording in 2001. The third member of dream-team Jawbone is Paula Bradley, famous for her clawhammer style banjo and ukulele playing and her grace as a flatfoot dancer. Jawbone draws from the deep well of old-time music, with its infinite stylistic variations, and the powerful improvisatory streams of bluegrass, to create a familiar but fresh new sound. Crooked Still is a young band that is also redefining traditional music in its own distinct way. While they play authentic sounding neo-bluegrass, they do it in their own idiosyncratic, twisted, and stunningly virtuosic way. Immediately startling is that all the fiddle parts are played on cello by the amazing Rushad Eggleston (who incidentally also plays with Bruce Molksy, Michael Doucet, and Darrol Anger in the band Fiddlers 4). Far more dominant than is typical in a string band is Corey DiMario's double-bass, and Greg Liszt's futuristic four-finger banjo rolls give the band a spooky twist. Operating beautifully above the low string tones of Crooked Still is Aoife O'Donovan's angelic voice. The Boston Globe called Crooked Still "the most important folk group to emerge from Boston since... the early 60s." Crooked Still play first, then Jawbone, and then they'll play together! Richard Fudge's personal rave: A year ago I attended 2 big music conferences held simultaneously in Montreal: WOMAX and Folk Alliance. Over the 4 days I saw something in excess of a hundred bands or performers. Not one even came close to Crooked Still: their uniqueness and excitement were amazing and I ended up seeing them 4 times over the weekend. Their freshness and cleverness were startling. I immediately went to work determined to bring them to Lafayette. They will be incredible. Even more amazing was that we have them booked with a true supergroup like Jawbone. Don't miss this one! Sunday, April 23, Duncan Hall, 7:30: Jawbone + Crooked Still exploring the traditions and new directions for old-time and bluegrass Duncan Hall, 619 Ferry St., Lafayette, IN $12 advance; $14 day of show from Von's Records, JL CDs, McGuire Music, and Downtown Records [Advance by mail $13 ; checks to FoB, Box 59, Battle Ground, IN 47920; please give name, address, phone, and email.] The New York Times called five-string banjo wiz Tony Trischka a "modern banjo master (and) the godfather of what's sometimes called new-acoustic music." Time magazine called him an "urban bluegrass whiz" and Billboard "one of the most impressive banjoists alive." A major figure in old-time music, Bruce Molsky's quicksilver fiddling melds the archaic mountain sounds of Appalachia, the power of blues, and the rhythmic intricacies of traditional African music. Paula Bradley is revered for her guitar playing and clogging. Jawbone is a supergroup taking American traditions into a new era. "[Crooked Still's] darkly gorgeous debut CD reveals them as both fun-loving revolutionaries and sweet traditionalists." Boston Globe Please help us publicize this show by downloading a poster from our website: www.friends-of-bob.org FoB has received a generous grant from the Eli Lilly Tippecanoe Laboratories to assist us in booking international acts. We truly appreciate local businesses who are able to help FoB make the musical offerings in Greater Lafayette even greater! & Our next ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING will be on Tuesday, April 18, 7:30, at the Lafayette Brewing Co. Everyone is welcome. Please come and get more involved. An Evening with Lost Highway recording artist Mary Gauthier www.marygauthier.com (say "go-shay") + Otis Gibbs www.otisgibbs.com Thursday, May 4, 2006, Duncan Hall 7:30 (doors 7:00) $10 advance; $12 day of show from Von's Records, JL CDs, McGuire Music, and Downtown Records [Advance by mail $11 ; checks to FoB, Box 59, Battle Ground, IN 47920; please give name, address, phone, and email.] All-ages show Mary's album Mercy Now made #1 on LA Times writer Randy Lewis's Top Ten Music List for 2005. "The Louisiana singer-songwriter's major-label debut crackles with truths lifted with a surgeon's precision from the struggles of real life. Following in the footsteps of John Prine, Gauthier exhibits a poet's unflinching eye, a counselor's compassionate heart and a trickster's wry spirit." "Her rich, gothic country tales of broken homes and chemical abuse are easily comparable to Lucinda Williams. It makes for a chilling ride." Interview "Mary Gauthier's Mercy Now is a truly extraordinary album from a critically acclaimed singer." - Vanity Fair & Thanks to all who came to our sold-out Dervish concert. It's difficult to express how thrilled the band was by such a great ending to their 3-week American tour. As usual, they were overwhelmed by the crowd's generosity of spirit, at the great food they were serve,d and how well they were treated. Two band members commented, "This is the best cup of tea we've had in 3 weeks!" Now that's high praise. We'd like to thank the Lafayette Brewing Company for providing refreshments at our Duncan Hall concerts. It really is more of a service than a business proposition once the police officer that Duncan Hall requires has been paid. If you have the opportunity, please let LBC know how much their efforts are appreciated. Dates for your calendar: 4/18 FoB Organizational Meeting 7:30 LBC All welcome! 4/23 Jawbone and Crooked Still, Duncan Hall, 7:30 5/4 Mary Gauthier, Duncan Hall, 7:30 Lafayette Brewing Co.: 4/1 Groovatron; 4/8 The Vulgar Boatmen + The Prannies; 4/20 Hot Buttered Rum String Band; Fergus Daly Group + Mike Reeb & the Consequences; 4/29 Michael Kelsey; 5/6 Oteil & the Peacemakers www.lafayettebrewingco.com Knickerbocker Sallon: 3/31 & 4/1 Governor Davis; 4/7 Black Roof Country; 4/8 Benito DiBartoli & the Black Voodoo Band; 4/14 Jakob Best Outfit; 4/15 Lafayette Music League Night; 4/21 Gordon Bonham; 4/22 Sindicato; 4/28 Chester Brown; 4/29 Gene Deer www.knickerbockersaloon.com Lafayette Chamber Music Society: Mariah Wind Quartet, Duncan Hall, 3:00 p.m. www.tippecanoechambermusic.org Extensive live music news at www.lafayettemusicleague.com and www.purdue.edu/convos/ & Do the Dues!!! Membership dues are by the calendar year-2006 dues are now due! Dues pay for this newsletter and provide a safety net for when admission charges don't cover expenses. Please help us keep the music coming. Become a Friend of Bob! Dues are $10 per person. If you can make a donation above the $10 we would greatly appreciate it, and since we are a 501[c][3] not-for-profit organization, donations above the dues are tax-deductible. The following people have recently sent in their 2006 dues. Thanks from us all! Arni's Deborah Axness Steve & Patty Bonney John & Laurel Branstrator Linda Cohen Linda Eales Jack & Mary Gandour Bek Garrett Wendy Kelly Lafayette Brewing Co. Michael Lillich Tanya Lodics Teresa Moore Erin & Jon Munn Dennis Murphy Wayne Osburn Jack Pearlman Drew Peyronnin Robert Quinn Ambica Rajagopal Shirley Roberts Shirley Robertson Christopher Smith Jerry & Cindy Smith Jerry & Sue Steinmetz Tom Stilabower Sycamore Associates Jenett Tillotson Vincent Walter Like to join? Go to How Can I Help? at www.friends-of-bob.org Please consider a tax-deductible gift to FoB-these really help keep the organization afloat and able to bring top-drawer talent. Tony Trischka:"…most influential banjo player of the latter part of the 20th century, certainly in terms of his profound influence on succeeding generations of modern players." Banjo Newsletter Tony Trischka: "Urban bluegrass whiz." Time Magazine Tony Trischka: "Explosive banjo playing." Boston Globe Tony Trischka:"One of the most impressive banjoists alive." Billboard Tony Trischka:"…the godfather of what's sometimes called new acoustic music." New York Times Tony Trischka:"Keep playing them new notes." Bill Monroe Five-string banjo wiz Tony Trischka is a member of a small club - he's an out of the box banjo player with woody roots and an expansive vision. In this trio he explores old time music and bluegrass with acclaimed fiddler, multi-instrumentalist and singer, Bruce Molsky and clogger, singer and guitarist, Paula Bradley. For many years, the old-time and bluegrass camps were good-naturedly warring factions riddled with mutual suspicion. In the new millennium, these differences are fading. Jawbone is one of the first groupings to wed these two profoundly American musics. Tony Trischka, Bruce Molsky and Paula Bradley draw from the deep well of old-time music, with its infinite stylistic variations, and the powerful improvisatory streams of bluegrass to create a new sound, familiar yet fresh. Tony Trischka has been blazing new trails on the banjo for the last forty years. A long-time Rounder recording artist, he opened up new, contemporary terrain for the five-string with his ground-breaking debut album, Bluegrass Light. He's recorded with a panoply of artists including, David Grisman, Bela Fleck, William S. Burroughs, members of REM, Charles Osgood and Pete Seeger. He has toured in every state in the Union and made frequent trips to Europe, Japan, Australia and Korea. The New York Times has referred to Tony as "a modern banjo master, the godfather of what's sometimes called newacoustic music." Bruce Molsky's quicksilver fiddling is a force of nature. In fact, he's considered to be one of the most influential fiddlers of his generation. He's also a remarkable guitarist, banjoist and singer. His high-spirited music melds the archaic mountain sounds of Appalachia, the power of blues and the rhythmic intricacies of traditional African music. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune calls Bruce "old-time music's answer to Ry Cooder - a commanding musician with a voracious appetite for traditional music styles." Bruce's many recordings were capped by Poor Man's Troubles (Rounder), which won a 2001 "Indie" award for Best Traditional Folk Recording. Paula Bradley is a high-energy performer rooted in tradition. Her solid guitar playing and singing is augmented by banjo, National ukulele and her grace as a flatfoot dancer. She is best known as an old-time guitar player and singer with the Rhythm Rats, a fixture at festivals, concerts and dances across the U.S. Jawbone featuring Tony Trischka, Bruce Molsky and Paul Bradley represents a potent combination of talents with an incredibly versatile instrumental arm. This is Americana for a new era. Rock energy coexists with old-time mountain soul. Spooky backwoods melodies combine with hip hard-hitting beats. Raw, searing blues riffs intermingle with high heavenly vocals. Sound good? Here's the catch: No electricity. No drums. Meet Crooked Still, the hot young alternative bluegrass group on a mission to bend the boundaries of traditional music. The unlikely combination of banjo, cello, and doublebass drives this low lonesome band, whose captivating vocals and high-wire solos have enraptured audiences all over North America and Ireland since 2001. Four very unique musical personalities merge to form Crooked Still. Aoife O'Donovan's refined, sultry vocals float over Rushad Eggleston's rumbling cello riffs, Dr. Gregory Liszt's futuristic four-finger banjo rolls and Corey DiMario's pulsing bass lines. The resulting acoustic fusion can warp a traditional American tune to the brink of unrecognizability without sacrificing the authenticity of the original sources. "It's almost like we're going back and making imaginary history,'' says Eggleston, whose versatile cello style has already sparked a revolution among young cellists. ``What if the 1920s Appalachian musicians could've heard the music we hear now?'' If only… In the spring of 2001, singer O'Donovan and bassist DiMario were classmates at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA. Unbeknownst to them at the time, just across the river in the laboratories of MIT a young cellist named Rushad Eggleston from the Berklee College of Music met every night to jam with Greg Liszt, then a graduate student and aspiring banjo player. A serendipitous meeting at a late-night party brought all four of these musicians together for the first time, and Crooked Still was born in the summer of that year. As its members finished school, Crooked Still frequently performed around Boston, collecting rave reviews from the local press, notably the Boston Globe, Northeast Performer, and the Boston Herald. The band's fan base grew until it became almost impossible to get into the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge when Crooked Still took the stage. A trip to the North American Folk Alliance in 2004 resulted in invitations to perform at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and historic Newport Folk Festival. Hop High, the debut album from Crooked Still, was released at the prestigious Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in July, 2004 and was the top-selling CD at the festival that year. Following the success of this first festival appearance, Crooked Still has appeared at concert halls, nightclubs, coffeehouses, and festivals in twenty-three states and three different countries. This grassroots endeavor frequently lands Hop High among the top ten best-selling CD's at the online independent megastore CD Baby. Although being an unsigned band has afforded Crooked Still the maximum creative freedom, when the president of Signature Sounds Recordings came knocking, Crooked Still listened. With a roster that includes such diverse acts as indie-rocker Josh Ritter, contemporary songwriter Lori McKenna, and old-timey folk jammers The Mammals, Signature Sounds was a perfect fit, simultaneously progressive and down-toearth. Crooked Still plans to release a new record in the summer of 2006. Boston Globe: Crooked Still combines state-of-the-art musical chops with a deep understanding of American traditional music's raw melodic grace. Their sound is fueled by O'Donovan's whispery vocal eloquence; the fiery, artful drones of Rushad Eggleston's cello (buttressed by Corey DiMario's double-bass); and Gregory Liszt's funky fourfingered banjo style. Their darkly gorgeous debut CD, "Hop High" (Footprint), reveals them as both fun-loving revolutionaries and sweet traditionalists. msnbc.com: Crooked Still, "Hop High" The banjo player is studying for his Ph.D. in biology at M.I.T, and that's just one clue that Crooked Still plays bluegrass with a different bent. The Boston quartet reconfigures such genre staples as "Darling Corey" and "Shady Grove" with startling originality on its debut, "Hop High." Brainy Gregory Liszt is excellent on the banjo as he trades solos with cellist Rushad Eggleston, whose rumbling riffs where a fiddle might usually be heard give the traditional tunes a fresh twist and underscore their ties to Irish music. Singer Aoife O'Donovan's sweet, feathery vocals also recall the Old Country - and Alison Krauss as well. Some of the lyrics become gender benders because O'Donovan sticks with the original words, such as on "Lonesome Road": "The only one I ever loved was on that train, and she's gone." Now that's progressive bluegrass. Steven Wine ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ____ I'd like to support live music by becoming a Friend of Bob. I'm enclosing $10 (more, if you'd like). 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