NanciNet Digest 5-24-00
// Concert reports! And discussion of guitarists. And more...
// Enjoy...[BP]
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Subject: NN: Concert report -- York
Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 16:03:33 EDT
From: AlunSmith@aol.com
Apologies if someone has already given a review of the York concert, a hectic
weekend has kept me away from the keyboard.
After passing comment on the number of people still making their way to their
seats, Nanci and the BMO launched into Speed The Sound Of Loneliness followed
by These Days In An Open Book and Gulf Coast Highway. Praise for Richard
Thompson and Nick Lowe and their UK origins led into Wall Of Death and
Battlefield. Talk of New York and Frank Christian introduced Drops From The
Faucet; her "millennium song" rendered in a jazzy style.
She then talked about seeing The Corrs on TV in SE Asia and the similarities
of their song to her own. She talked about the importance of the radio to her
when growing up and eulogised Johnnie Walker ("the best DJ in the world");
confirming that she would be singing live on his show in Belfast on Thursday
before launching into Listen To The Radio. She acknowledged that From A
Distance has now become a standard and sang some of the choruses in Spanish
and other languages.
Nanci then talked about her trip to SE Asia with Sheryl Crow and the land
mines issue; mentioning Bosnia, Kosovo and Sierra Leone as well as Vietnam
and Cambodia. She was full of enthusiasm for the work of "your boys" working
with the indigenous peoples to clear the landmines; and "our boys", the
Vietnam veterans working with the victims of land mines. Travelling Through
This Part of You was introduced by reference to her marriage to Eric Taylor,
his heroin addiction and how he had never been able to speak about his
experiences in Vietnam. Talk of the American Ambassador in Hanoi and the time
he spent in the "Hanoi Hilton" introduced the closing number of the first
half, If I Had A Hammer.
The second half opened with a tribute to Kate Wolf by way of introduction to
Across The Great Divide. Trouble In The Fields was introduced by a charming
story of how the Great Uncle for whom she wrote the song had it as the answer
phone message on his machine; but the Maura O'Connell version as he preferred
her singing it! Tell Me How was followed by Midnight In Missoula; introduced
as "a love song" rather than as a song for her niece. Not My Way Home and
Outbound Plane were followed by Tecumseh Valley and memories of Townes Van
Zandt. Ford Econoline was introduced as being "written for two friends of
mine who suffered from abusive husbands", Kate Wolf and Caroline Hester
She then introduced Lee who sang I Will Not Forget You before the second half
closed with It's A Hard Life Wherever You Go. The encores were Well Alright
and The Wing And The Wheel.
Highlights for me were Wall of Death which works much better live than on
record and the two new songs. I thoroughly enjoyed the new guitarist; I
thought his playing added a lot.
Waiting impatiently for the next time,
Alun
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Subject: NN: Nanci at Northampton, UK
Date: Mon, 22 May 2000 11:29:39 +0100
From: Alan Rosling (alan.rosling@northampton.ac.uk>
Sunday May 21st, Northampton, UK
On a warm May evening Nanci arrived on staged unannounced with the BMO,
looking bright and full of energy. (Stylish pants with matching scarf,
blue shirt, 'page boy' hairstyle). The whole set was similar to earlier
UK gigs and included a guitarless Nanci singing Richard Thompson's 'Wall
of Death'. She apologized early in the show for her 'husky' voice - due
she said to her exposure to the rape seed oil fields in this part of the
world. She spoke fairly extensively about the Vietnam Veterans and the
UK organisation 'MAGs' - in their work supporting landmine victims.
Generally she seemed as though she was enjoying the show very much,
chatting between songs, making mistakes, cracking jokes and lots of
smiles. She finished with 'The Wing and the Wheel' at about 10.20pm.,
lots of waving and more smiles. Next stop Ireland.
Alan Rosling
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Subject: NN: Northampton (England) concert
Date: Mon, 22 May 2000 08:09:03 +0100
From: "Shipley, Graham" (gjs@le.ac.uk>
I have just woken from a deep, peaceful sleep with the sound of Nanci's
guitar picking on Wing and a Wheel playing in my head, so it seemed, all
night. Another magical evening of warmth, energy, wisdom, and charm, with
songs from most parts of Nanci's career, an amazing range of styles, and
all perfectly crafted.
She started with a mention of the English rapeseed fields and her hay
fever, but I only heard some huskiness in the first number and at moments
in one or two others (notably Ford Econoline). Nanci's voice was strong as
ever it was, and has developed a mature richness in the lower registers.
She has chosen songs that really suit her voice, and the setlist seemed to
me to group into twos and threes nicely.
The stalls were full, I couldn't see the circle but the audience, quiet as
a mouse between numbers, was deafeningly rapturous at the end of each song
and though Nanci commented on its quietness twice, I sensed that she really
appreciated the enthusiastic feedback. The concert seems to have been a
reprise of other recent ones, such as Hemel Hempstead, Centre of the
Universe (reported on by Matthew Bloomfield on 13 May).
Highlights for me were Lee Satterfield's stunning voice on her number (I'll
definitely look for her solo album), the chance to hear again some of
Nanci's early compositions like Gulf Coast Highway, but also more recent
covers like Wall of Death and Battlefield now that her voice is back to its
best. I Had a Hammer was rousing (and did rouse a lot of people around me
to join in). But I'd better stop or I'll mention every one! The beautiful
slow numbers she and the BMO now have down to a fine art, with the new
guitarist (sorry, missed his name) adding a new slide guitar dimension. All
the band on form, and Mr Hooker trying some longer solos and improvisations
which were captivating. Obligatory fashion report: as at Hemel Hempstead,
but with a silvery or pale blue silk shirt with tight sleeves; it and the
trousers possibly Vietnamese in style.
Setlist (from memory)
First half (I'm sure it's almost accurate and that there were ten):
1 Speed of the Sound of Loneliness
2 These Days
3-5 (not sure of order) Gulf Coast Highway, From a Distance, Drops from a
Faucet
6-7 (in what order?) Wall of Death, Battlefield
8 the new Saigon song
9 Listen to the Radio
10 If I had a Hammer
Second half (I'm sure these are right):
11 Across the Great Divide
12 Trouble in the Fields
13 Tell Me How
14 the new song about Missoula (spelling?), Montana
15 Not My Way
16 Outbound Plane
17 Ford Econoline
18 Tecumseh Valley
19 I Will Not Forget You (Lee Satterfield)
20 Hard Life
encores:
21 Well All Right
22 Wing and the Wheel
Graham Shipley (Leicester, UK)
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Subject: NN: Nanci in Seattle August 16 at the Woodland Park Zoo
Date: Sun, 21 May 2000 11:44:58 +0100
From: "Peter Kretzman" (kretzman@speakeasy.org>
Nanci Griffith will apparently be appearing in Seattle on Wednesday, August
16, in a concert at the Woodland Park Zoo. This is not listed in any of the
tour schedules I've seen so far, but it was advertised in last Thursday's
Seattle Times for August 16, "with special guest." $16 tickets.
Hurray!
PK
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Subject: NN: Greg/Bo video
Date: Sun, 21 May 2000 15:13:31 -0500 (CDT)
From: PhotoTwang@webtv.net (Richard Hill)
A smile spread across my face as I we pulled into the venue parking lot
in Batavia, IL last night, when I noticed the pickup truck with Iowa
plates had a bumper sticker stating: "Jesus & Tomatoes Coming Soon" :-)
Both Greg Brown and Bo Ramsey had their trucks parked there, I think
this one was probably Bo's (but it coulda been either).
As many of you know, Greg Brown has been very active in his support of
In Harmony, a Corvallis, Oregon organization that aggressively works to
find permanent homes for foster children, and is building a community to
do just that and act as a model for similar communities elsewhere. (
www.inharmony.org )
Last year a 'Greg Brown and Friends' (Bo Ramsey, Tracy Grammer, Dave
Carter, Kate MacKenzie, etc) concert CD, "Solid Heart", was released,
with all the profits going to In Harmony.
(www.inharmony.org/gregbrown.htm)
Well, last night's amazing concert at Shannon Hall at the Eastside
Community Center in Batavia, Illinois was video recorded and is
available for purchase by anyone anywhere, with 100% of the profits
going to In Harmony.
The concert was nearly three hours long, so some editing will be
necessary, but this should be a great example of Greg, and the amazing
understated sideman Bo, in action, with the monies headed to this worthy
cause.
Ordering info:
Greg Brown with Bo Ramsey
Saturday night, May 20, 2000, Batavia, IL
Each NTSC VHS tape is $30 + $3.50 P&H (US
dollars)
Send your $33.50 to:
Concerts for a Cause
13 South Batavia Ave
Batavia
IL 60510
USA
BTW, Bo Ramsey is on his way to Nashville to work again with Lucinda
Williams. In honor of Lucinda, Greg and Bo did a great version of
"Something About What Happens When We Talk"!
(And I haven't even mentioned my equally wonderful Friday night with
Pete and Maura Kennedy and Richard Shindell. Not a bad weekend!)
Richard Hill
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Subject: Re: NN: Greg/Bo video
Date: Sun, 21 May 00 21:33:42 +0100
From: John Edward Graveling (kai21@dial.pipex.com>
Thanks to Richard for that wonderful information. I'm a huge fan of Bo
Ramsey's. Ever since I saw him play with Lucinda Williams at the cd
release of "Car Wheels On A Gravel Road" at Third & Lindsley in
Nashville, two years ago. His guitar playing was so spot on. I went out
and tracked down, with the help of some friends on these here lists, his
three cd's. All are worthy of investigation, if you like a little rockin'
with your tunes. So check out the wonderful "Down To Bastrop", "In The
Weeds" and "Live/with the Backsliders", guitar playing to die for.
Talking of how time flies, is it really almost a year since that
monumental weekend in Memphis and the Kate Campbell concert at the Centre
for Southern Folklore!!!!!
John "wake up baby I know it's raining/still we got to rise and
shine/because happy ever after/comes one day at a time" Graveling.
n.p. Kevin Welch "Live In Happy Days" a 2 cd set recorded live in The
Hague (Netherlands) on 30th March, this year, specially for Dutch radio.
23 songs of sheer artistry, a totally wonderful listening experience!!!
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Subject: NN: Re: Crickets et al.
Date: Sun, 21 May 2000 22:10:39 -0400
From: "Shawn Kimbro" (kimbroj@charter.net>
Hey --
This has been a great thread.
Reid Mitchell writes:
> I wonder if any musician ever feels she or he has
> reached the level of their original inspirations.
> (People in critical theory talk about this all the
> time for writers: "the anxiety of influence.") I
> wonder if this isn't because with your own work,
> you're always are aware of the gap between what you
> set out to do and what you actually did
> acomplish--that gap is always going to seem like the
> Grand Canyon to you, while other people's music you
> might accept as finished and perfect.
That's a brilliant observation, Reid. I don't think I've ever met a
musician who was completely happy with a performance. I've seen countless
examples of this. Most recently, in a studio I watched a guy put down the
most amazing guitar track I've ever heard. When it was finished everyone
just sat there, afraid to move or speak until the last hint of the final
note had completely died away. When the back-slapping and compliments
began, the guy thought everyone was making fun of him because he'd screwed
up so bad.
Richard asks:
> What makes it "Texas" music... and why do the writings
> of these artist.. have a certain "touch"... that makes
> them all seem familiar to us...
Great question. In my opinion, there are two primary reasons. The first is
influence and the second is geography. By influence, I mean the natural
progression that occurs as artists build upon a style or tradition. I'm sure
there are volumes written about early Texas musicians, and I wouldn't dare
attempt a list. But I'd start with early hill country artists who were
influenced by Tejano bands from further south. Stir in hillbilly migration
from Appalachia, blues from the deep south, and the cowboy minstrel, and you
come up with some of the more influential factors which define the sound I
think you're describing.
As I've said before, Austin, Texas is one of the epicenters of American folk
music. Try this, think of all the great bands you like, then think of their
geographic point of origin. When I do that I come up with Detroit for
rock-n-roll, The Knoxville-Bristol-Harlan triangle for real country, Memphis
for blues, The Louisiana Delta for Jazz, and Austin for contemporary folk.
(Maybe someone can think of more.) I think the key is the music scene in
those areas. "Scenes" develop when many artists or bands (the more the
better) begin experimenting with similar styles. Good musicians push each
other to be better, and to try new things. One band builds on what the other
is doing and vice versa--one artist introduces a new guitar lick or vocal
style, then another comes along and incorporates it, and takes it a step or
two further. A good music scene spawns creativity, and draws artists from
other areas to the region where the best music is being created. I think
the music scene in Austin is the primary catalyst for the style we think of
as "Texas" folk music.
All my best,
-Shawn
_________________Nanci Is My Aeroplane___________________
| __ ___ Shawn Kimbro |
| "And they danced | \____o__/_/___| kimbroj@charter.net |
| all night to the \(>-----_/_/____]> Morristown |
| fiddle and banjo" `o | Tennessee |
|__________ http://www.geocities.com/~trailzzone _________|
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Subject: NN: Re: New Tish
Date: Sun, 21 May 2000 23:27:01 -0700
From: George Golob (geogo@earthlink.net>
Tish Hinojosa's new CD "Sign of Truth" is due in stores Tuesday. May 23!!!
george
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Subject: NN: One of Nanci's influences
Date: Sun, 21 May 2000 23:52:53 -0700
From: Joseph Blau (jblau@mbay.net>
Like Kenn I have to admit that I've been too busy to read much of
the Nancinet lately. I just want to mention that we recently bought
an album by one of Nanci's early influences, from the OVOR-1 era:
Bill Staines. His new album is called "October's Hill" and it
is one of his finest. Sorry I don't have time to write a full
review, but if you like Bill's music, you will enjoy this album;
if you haven't heard him before, check it out.
- Joe
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Subject: NN: Re: One of Nanci's influences (this time Bill)
Date: Mon, 22 May 2000 10:32:11 +0200
From: "Marius Molstad" (marius.molstad@c2i.net>
Just a cliched "me too" on this one, Staines is an incredible artist and
songwriter who Nanci looks up to. The following is an excerpt from the liner
notes of Bill Staines 1993 release "Going to the West":
"Bill Staines has been my hero since 1977. He carries on where Woody left
off...A tradition of stories and characters you wish you knew. This album is so
fresh. It's dusk in summer of fireflies in the yard and it's dark of winter in
comfort and warmth. It seems a celebration Bill's gift to us all...A
masterpiece that will never grow tiresome or dated. I've always said...when I
grow up I want to be Bill Staines or Harlan Howard. Both of whom are timeless,
will out live themselves, and are masters we all seek to be as songwriters and
heartworn interpreters of our times...
Nanci Griffith
Franklin, Tennessee, 1993"
And since then he's released even better albums, and the latest "October's
Hill" is just incredible. Along with David Olney, Tom Pacheco and Kate Wolf I
cite Bill Staines as the most underrated contemporary singer/songwriter around.
Marius Molstad
By the way, most great singer/songwriters are underrated by the record buying
population and the media...which often becomes the same(G>
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Subject: NN: Nanci on Radio 2
Date: Mon, 22 May 2000 11:10:19 +0100
From: "Paul Wright" (wright@webwork.co.uk>
I believe it is this Thursday (25th) that Nanci will be on the Johnny Walker
show on Radio 2, live from Belfast.
Paul
// Uh, that would be Radio 2 in the UK, I believe...[BP]
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Subject: NN: Nanci's Concert Reviews
Date: Mon, 22 May 2000 23:14:07 EDT
From: VickiStein@aol.com
Thanks to everyone who has posted a review of Nanci's concerts in the last
couple of weeks. I thoroughly enjoy reading the reviews, from the fashion
reports (how fun!) to the shows themselves. Just wanted to tell you that I
am envious in that I will not be able to see her this year. She will be at
Interlochen when I am communing with the grizzlies. I'd still love to see
Nanci in England or Ireland...maybe next year or the year after.
Thanks again.
Vick
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Subject: Re: NN: Nanci and Townes (contains slight gratuitous Nanci content)
Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 08:17:11 -0400 (EDT)
From: wazmo@excite.com
[lots of insightful and enlightening writing about music snipped]
I really enjoyed reading Kenn's piece. There was more here about how music
can affects us and how and why people write it than I've seen in a while.
The music alone is great to listen to, but it really enhances the experience
if you have an idea of why the song was written. My mind goes back to how a
clever writer like Nanci or MCC or Mister Springsteen can "lay it between
the lines" (to quote Peter, Paul, and Mary's "I Dig Rock And Roll").
I suppose if it were possible to fully "explain" music, then the music would
not need to exist (this also applies to art in general). We wouldn't need to
go to the museum or listen to the music. We could just read the review of it
and go on with our lives, and it would mean exactly the same thing to
everyone and affect everyone in the same way.
Joel "I'll Get My Head Out Of The Clouds Now" Kenyon
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Subject: NN: being Nanci being famous
Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 08:17:32 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Lorrie Chase" (lchase@webshoppe.net>
Kenn wrote:
>>Nanci writes songs in both numbers two and three of course. And
although I can feel very strongly for some of the "social songs", it
is the emotional connection songs that touch me most deeply. Part of
Nanci's genius shows itself in how often we think a song is
autobiographical when it is just fiction. What a tremendous
testimony to the vivid reality of her characters, that we cannot
imagine such thoughts and emotions coming from fictional figures.
This is what Nanci does best, to find an emotion, or state in her own
soul and through fictional or semi-fictional characters, communicate
that to us. In this way she shares much with Townes, and I think he
would agree. I know he stated that he always loved hearing any cover
of any of his songs, whether it was little kids who couldn't sing
yet, or old drunks who couldn't sing anymore, he loved to hear them
all. But no one, *ever* covered a song the way that Nanci did
"Tecumseh Valley". High praise indeed from the master.((
Very poetic and articulate Ken. I can't help but wonder how it feels to
be Nanci? I mean, I would just think it so strange if I read something
like this about myself. I do wonder sometimes if she ever lurks, or if
she just does not have time for such things. And really how would she
feal? All of us our analizing and glorifying her. Once I sent her some
photo's of herself that I took in Telluride, then felt silly about doing
so. I realized that if she wanted photo's of herself on stage, she
would get them from the festival or pay a photographer. I guess I try
and think of her as just a person, with a gift that she shares and that
I enjoy so much. I guess my attempt "contact" her by sending photos
makes her more than "just a person". Like in a James Taylor song where
he says "Fortune and Fame is a curious game, perfect strangers call you
by name". How odd would that be?????
babbling on,
Lorrie "I guess I'll never be famous" Chase
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Subject: Re: NN: being Nanci being famous
Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 08:44:28 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tom Overton (thomasmoverton@yahoo.com>
I agree with you Kenn. This quality of Nanci's songs
makes them deeply touching to me. It is hard to
imagine that they are about herself. What empathy she
must have.
> Kenn wrote:
> Part of Nanci's genius shows itself in how often we
> think a song is autobiographical when it is just
> fiction. What a tremendous testimony to the vivid
> reality of her characters, that we cannot imagine
> such thoughts and emotions coming from fictional
> figures.
Hi Lorrie,
I see this happen all the time for my father-in-law,
who is a celebrity here in Texas. Strangers walk up
to him, and start talking to him. He handles it
graciously with a big "Howdy pardner", but I wonder if
I could handle that price of fame myself.
_________________________________________________________________
Subject: NN: Crickets/"I Fought the Law"--no real Nanci content
Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 14:35:51 -0700 (PDT)
From: Reid Mitchell (reidmitchell@yahoo.com>
I'm pretty sure there must be other people on the net
who like Nanci's cover of I Fought the Law. I've just
heard the wiggiest recording of that song so far--It's
by Madagascar singer Paul Bert Rahasimanana and his
band plus David Lindley and Henry Kaiser on the
Lindley and Kaiser complitation of Madagascar music, A
WORLD OUT OF TIME. It's a masterpiece of
Malagasy-American music, admittedly at this point in
time a tiny genre. The whole album is amazing.
Reid Mitchell
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Subject: NN: Acoustic Guitar's Best of
Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 15:05:41 -0400
From: Steve Robertson (stever@mindspring.com>
Just got my copy of "Acoustic Guitar"'s Tenth Anniversary special
edition. Naturally, they included a lot of "best of" lists. Several of
the staff members included Nanci's OVOR among their Ten Best Albums of
the Decade. But the most interesting list was their "15 Best Artists of
the Decade". Here's the text of the opening page:
"These 15 rugged individualists made music that mattered. They opened
our ears, advanced the state of their art, poured their hearts into
every note, and inspired guitar players everywhere to stand up and say,
'Hey, I could do more.'"
Ani DiFranco
Ry Cooder
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
L.A. Guitar Quartet
Robert Johnson
Dave Matthews Band
Martin Simpson
Jerry Douglas
Shawn Colvin
Del McCoury Band
Kelly Joe Phelps
David Grier
Badi Assad
Beck
Martin Taylor
Lists like these always make me realize how little I know about music.
There are only five people or groups on this list that I've heard often
enough to form an opinion. There are five more that I recognize or have
heard a few times. Which leaves five that I had never heard of before
reading this article. If these fifteen are the best, most of them are
obviously losing the marketing and promotion battle.
Hidin' Out in the Georgia Pines,
Steve Robertson
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Subject: NN: Re: Acoustic Guitar's Best of
Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 22:28:00 +0200
From: Marius Molstad" (marius.molstad@c2i.net>
Some of these players are "guitar magazine artists" as I call them. They're
heroes among other guitarists, but unknown to the rest of the world. I don't
think I've heard of Badi Assad anywhere else than in these magazines. She's a
great Brazilian nylon string guitarist, but I can't understand in what way she
has been an influence on the outside world. Kelly Joe Phelps has played on some
Greg Brown albums and some other stuff, but I don't think that he's put himself
on the map yet. David Grier is an incredible bluegrass flatpicker, but unknown
outside of the bluegrass community. Instead I would have put Tony Rice as a
replacement for him. Shawn Colvin and Beck have been influential in the
songwriting and performing department, but hardly as guitar players. The Del
McCoury band is a great family bluegrass outfit, but Del mostly plays back-up.
The soloists are the fiddler and the mandolin player. Martin Taylor is becoming
a great jazz guitarist, but how about Pat Metheny? etc. etc.
Basically I disagree with most of the nominees(G>, it seems a bit like being
different for the difference's sake. The only ones I would have kept are Ry
Cooder, Gillian Welch/David Rawlings and Robert Johnson. Anyway, that's not
relevant.
The people on the list may be great, influential and groundbreaking, but the
guitar magazines tend reflect their own "eclectic" taste rather than what the
actual world listen to.
I know this was picked from an acoustic magazines, but I want to mention a
guitar player that has been notoriously overlooked by the magazines - Brent
Mason. He's a Nashville session and solo artist, counting people like Garth
Brooks, Alan Jackson, Brooks and Dunn, Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless, George
Jones and..and..and... as former clients. Mason has defined the modern
Nashville sound, but does the magazines offer him a line? No! They write about
Arlen Roth and Jim Campilongo when covering country.
Anyway
Marius Molstad
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