Nightflying: The Entertainment Guide

Live from Memphis: The 2010 International Folk Alliance Conference Report

---Nancy Paddock
    The 2010 International Folk Alliance Conference is over leaving a wake of influence that will travel around the world and all through the year. There were over 1200 registrants this year encompassing all areas of the music business. People of Arkansas, if you are in the music business you should really be in Memphis in February. You step in to the elevator with the guy who books Bonaroo, the organizer for 17 festivals across Canada; the best know Folk DJ in America, Bill Kirchen legendary guitarist and ten other talented or notable people. The opportunities abound. There are workshops and panels on all areas of the music business from copyrighting to how to dress, also international touring, nonprofit venues and revenue streams, from finding your inner rubber chicken to taxes and bookkeeping. And than there is the music! The all the rooms on top three floors of the Marriot Hotel are turned in to showcase stages. The music changes every 30 minutes. That’s thousands of showcased musicians. There are the Performance Showcases on the main floor so you can see the artist’s stage presence. After the showcases end at 2:30 am there are jams, jams in the lobby, in the stairwells, in the elevator. Needless to say it’s a very sleep-deprived event for me.
     Before I start telling you all about the music I want talk about house concerts. For those who don’t know, house concerts are when you invite a musician to perform in your living room. If you love music, have room for 20 to 50 people in your house you can have a house concert. You take donations at the door for the artist, have a potluck or some snacks for your friends and enjoy a concert in a very comfortable place, your home. If this appeals to you check out some of the house concert websites. They will tell you all you will need to know and get you started. Many of the artists I’m about to heap praise on would be more than happy to play in your house.
    So on to the music.
    I have too many favorites again this year.
    One is Tangleweed: great traditional untraditional bluegrass and old time music. These five musicians know exactly what they are putting down and having fun with it. Their new CD, Most Folk Heroes Start out as Criminals, is worth the price just for the liner notes. The Flying A’s won my heart. This power duo from Austin has it all jazz, blues, country, rock and roll. Hillary’s voice reminds you of Bonnie Raitt. She harmonizes beautifully with Stuart’s deep country vocals. They sure can fill up the stage. Also filling a stage Madison Violet two very attractive ladies with lush alternative country sound. Gentle, strong, seductive. Shot Gun Party, these girls got it all. They light up a stage with exquisitely preformed Texas swing style music. Toronto R&B singer Treasa Levasseur and her band need to play Arkansas. She rocks her electric piano with a soul sensibility. She writes music she wants to dance to, mixes blues, jazz and a touch of funk into songs that stay with you. Songs that stay with you brings me to Trout Fishing in America ’s showcase. So after 34 years together, 4 Grammy nominations for children’s music they played a set of all new songs for us older kids about where we are now. Amazing spontaneous sing along from a crowd of music professionals. I can’t wait for their new CDs to come out this year. I was singing “Not the Only Smile” all week. One phenomenal player I cannot forget is Kim Churchill 19-year-old blond surfer boy from Australia. He plays guitar like a drum…no a harp…no a piano...no wait…all three. This young man is so impressive. Youtube him. Amazing. Based closer to us is Little Joe McLerran. True blues from Sapulpa, Oklahoma, smart songs…impressive picking. Nashville picker Brain Ashley Jones with Bassist Tisha Simeral seriously wowed me with their acoustic pieces. His Nashville voice is pretty impressive as well. Impressive is the word for Suzi Vinnick as well. Suzi has a voice like smoky chocolate. First song she’s angel on a soulful ballad next she’s down and dirty on a blues riff. An evening with Suzi would be pure pleasure. Check out her song “Oreo Cookie Blues” on the web. Evening of musical pleasure brings me to Act of Congress great name, great band. They play Beatles traditional style and traditional tunes Beatle style. The Good Lovelies are just that. Multi-instrumental voices smooth as silk, sweetly funky girl trio. Gordie Tentrees plays clean clear folk, dirty blues and gut wrenching roots music. For a different style of Blues we come to Memphis based Grace Askew. Sultry swinging delta. She’s a keeper, even sings Tom Waits. Carrie Elkins, what a song writer, what a musician, what a voice. She makes you smile the moment you see her. Takes your heart with her on her first song then never gives it back. Really, I’m not just saying that because of her flowered flask of Jamisons. Somehow that brings us to Raina Rose, folk diva, road warrior, a presence on any stage. Raina is touring with her new trio which only makes it better. She also sings in a duo with Rebecca Loebe together their exquisite voices soar. Rebecca is also a folk phenomenon. Her new CD, Mystery Prize, is #62 on the Americana chart and #5 on the Cashbox Roots/folk chart as I write. Such large voice in such a petite woman. Bettysoo is another huge pure voice in a petite package. Oh my god, she can sing. Bettysoo is fast becoming a folk rock star with her uncommon depth of feeling and emotionally charged songs. Toronto ’s Layah Jane has a breathy passionate voice that pulls you in and makes you want to stay. On with the girl singers. Arkansas ’s own Shannon Wurst is one major talent. Unmistakable voice, wonderful presence, she brings her own magic to classic traditional songs and her original tunes. She just released her first solo CD. Love her.
    Ok, equal time for the men. I’ll try to stay away from the word love…
    I love David Glaser. He showed up as a side man in so many showcases I thought there were two of him. He writes great songs about real life, plays excellent mandolin and guitar, harmonizes like the pro he is. He has been playing a lot with 3 Penny Acre these days so let’s get him some Arkansas gigs. 3 Penny Acre works great as their new incarnation as a trio. They get better every time I hear them. The Legendary bassist Freebo is a great songwriter. He just cannot help but be charismatic. Always makes me laugh and cry .As did Billy Crockett. This man truly grasps the love of the song, his and everyone else’s. This singer songwriter, producer and promoter made me glad to be in his presence. The song “Meant That” had me laughing, then a song about a wreck on the highway sent chills to my heart. Accompanied by Grace Pettius (a great songstress in her own right) and Dirje Smith classically trained cellist he put on a show that you did not want to end. The legendary Michael Smith was the funniest most outrageous bestest songwriter there.I thought TFIA’s Keith Grimwood was going to have a heart attack from laughing so hard. Buy Micheal Smith’s CDs you can’t be sorry. A new comer on the scene is Sam Doores. I first heard Sam at the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in Okemah, OK. The main show was going on inside but most of us were out in the street listening to Sam. Folk in the Woody Guthrie style with a taste of jazz and blues. The very well known Ronny Cox’s lastest CD was #1 on the folk DJ list last year. That just shows that after four decades Ronny is still one of America ’s great singer songwriters. His showcases with the great Jack Williams (guitarist extraordinaire) were the best of the best.
    Let’s see who am I leaving out….Johann Wagner, The Austin American Statesman and the Dallas Daily News labeled him #1 best bet. I can back that up. Great dancer too. Kelly Brightwell was lovely in so many way. Haiku simplicity in her writing…all the meaning in her voice. Kim Richardson the word irrepressible comes to mind. Winner of the 2008 Ozark folk Festival song writing contest. A force to be reckoned with. Danny Schmidt: to describe his music is to invoke the names Leonard Cohen, Tom waits or even Dylan. He stands out in the world of folk.
    I need to speed things up here. Johnsmith warm well-crafted songs. Bianca De Leon Border Ballad goddess.. Songs like “Six Pack of Misery” and “Don’t Drink the Water Pancho." Wonderful. Andy White, Irish magic and charm on a 12 string guitar. Peter Cooper and Eric Brace are a treat heart warming and funny. Radoslav Lorkovic, once you hear him you’ll never forget him, power house of a player. Jamie Michaels there is so much love and belief in his songs. Damn I’m out of room and there is so much more. Go on line check out these artists. Go to www.folk.org check out this wonderful organization and find more links to great music and info on their regional conferences.
    Lastly go out and hear some live music.
    It’s good for you.
                    ---NP

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