Nightflying: The Entertainment Guide

All people are created equal, but that is where it stops.
- Eddie Eifling

    Equality is a thorny issue. What does equality mean anyway? In math, it is a simple concept: 1 + 2 = 3. But in the social sciences, it is a much more malleable fact. In the eyes of God, the creator, equality seems to mean that we are all His children and due equal respect, regardless of the situation we inherit. But in the world we inhabit, such niceties seldom prevail.
    People are killed routinely all around the world because of the circumstances of their birth, for being the wrong color or sex, for being too poor or too wealthy, for being born into a family that does or does not practice a particular religion.
    We are all equal in the sense that we are born of woman as helpless infants and we are destined to die, sooner or later. Accept it; get over it. Although I am in no hurry to leave this world, I think I would not care to live forever.
    Nor do I wish to get too attached to things. I need a certain amount of food and water, but I do not wish to have more than my share. I require some sort of transportation, but my bicycle works almost as well as my pickup truck for that purpose.
    I require shelter and have been fortunate enough to acquire comfortable settings most of the time. Granted, I have slept in a few ditches in my day, and scrounged through more than a few dumpsters for my dinner, but all that did was give me more appreciation for my current circumstances.
    I do not go hungry. I do not suffer thirst. I sleep in my own bed at night (and sometimes during the day). I enjoy the company of little children, who constantly reinforce in me the sheer joy of living and regularly remind me I am not that clever after all.
    But I am bigger and more powerful than they are and I am both scary and funny, providing them with thrills and laughter. And I know I am not their equal, because they were born into a world that has way more stuff that they will take for granted than I could have dreamed of when I was a child.
    So it goes. And it is okay by me. I get to write for this little music mag and I get to work part-time in a little bookstore where I meet the most fascinating folks and I get to play with some of the best and brightest. I am so blessed.
    Marching off this mortal coil to the most celestial music: Gene Puerling, an arranger and the leader of the jazz vocal quartet the Hi-Los (if you are not familiar with them, I urge you to get so); Robert Sidney, who choreographed dances for a bevy of Hollywood stars and made it all the way to 98; Sean Levert, a third of the R&B group Levert, at age 39; composer / virtuoso flutist Dorothy Stone; Walkin Willie Middlebrooks, a double bassist who started his music career at 11 with the Chattanooga Symphony, went into vaudeville at 15, and played behind Ella Fitzgerald on several albums; Dillard Crume of the Soul Stirrers; Spanky Alford, three-time Grammy winning guitarist with the Mighty Clouds of Joy.
    Oh, and Jules Dassin died at his ex-pat home in Greece, where he went with wife Melina Mercouri after being hounded from Hollywood during the Joe McCarthy commie witch hunt. Both Dassin, a great director of more than twenty highly acclaimed films, and Mercouri, an internationally respected actress who starred in several of his movies, were political and environmental activists. While in Greece, they lobbied the British to return the Elgin Marbles, stolen from the Parthenon. She died in 1994. He was 96.
    You may ask what that has to do with music and I would say nothing. It has to do with what makes life worth living. Some folks live and breathe music and fight for their right to play it their way. Other folks, such as Jules Dassin, are willing to give up a stellar and lucrative career to fight for the preservation of our planet and its antiquities. Some things are indeed worth fighting for.

BOX CARS
Kevin Danzig
KEDA
    I feel sure I have reviewed an album of his before and I think it was for an appearance at Acoustic Sounds Café. This album is a delightful piece of work. Danzig is a good guitarist, who can also play harmonica, and is an excellent singer / songwriter. On a couple of these songs he reminds me a lot of old Mudcat, but for the most part he is your basic folk / pop stylist. He writes very personal songs that have a universal appeal. I especially enjoyed the opener, which is also the title track, and that sweet closing cut, with Kevin joined on vocals by a boy named Siel Snowden, nothing less than a charmer.

NEWLIFE
Lauren de Miranda
Indie
    Speaking of Hollywood. Oh, so sorry, I got distracted. Lauren … hey, it is really hard to type while drooling all over the keyboard; my fingers keep slipping … anyway, Lauren reminds me a bit of the early Christina Aguilera, except Lauren is so much hotter. There are only four little gems of tunes on this disc, but she could stand around and sing for me any day (any night, anywhere). She rocks and her eyes pierce your soul and that is just from a cover photo, okay? And she writes her own tunes (with help from producer Mark Jackson and Ian Scott)). Lauren, call me; I will be your roadie and your abject slave. The rest of you folks can call 310-592-5248, but just for booking. Better not try to beat my time.

ROSETTA, PLEASE (A LOVE STORY)
Dan Montgomery
Makeshift
    Dan Montgomery does not own a silky smooth voice, more like a sharp knife, but he does lay claim to some fertile musical soil here. Nothing like a concept album to distract you for an hour or so, at least when it has a story as pungent and common to those of us who have spent any of our lives chasing after drinks, dreams, loose women, spare change. And if you say I mixed a metaphor back there, I say not. Dan is the kind of guy who could plow a field with a knife, raise a crop chopping weeds with that same knife, and then go back and harvest with, yes, that same sharp knife. He reminds me a bit of Dave Delacroix at times, while evoking that same hint of desperation in the voice, but Dan is his own man and if he does not manage to carve a hit out of this, it will not be for lack of talent. The album was recorded at Electrphonic Recordings and Young Avenue Sound in that home of great music, Memphis, Tennessee, and at Sonic Workshop in a place I have only visited once but often think of: Venice, California. It takes a lot of hard work to make a set of music sound this clean and simple.

MEMORY OF TIME
Jan Seiden
FluteJourney
    There seems to be a lot of attention paid to the Native American flute lately. This is one reason why. Mysterious and soothing, Jab Seiden plays lovely.

ROAMIN AND RAMBLIN
Honeyboy Edwards
Earwig
    This has all you could ask from a blues album: familiar standards; old tunes you likely do not know; new tunes; freshly plucked guitar; the harp of Bobby Rush; and the mumbly ratchet of Honeyboy himself. This is a stripped-down Ford roadster with a Chevy mill tuned right. What more could a blues fan want?

CONCERTO AND RHAPSODY
Joseph Ashley
EMI / WB
    Now here is something you do not hear every day: A concerto by Alexander Tcherepnin from 1953, composed for harmonica (orchestra conducted by Co Nguyen). This is followed by pieces for piano (played by William Gati) and harmonica. Funny, one of the latter is something called Polovetsian Dances Theme by Alexander Borodin, but I recognize it as a show tune (Stranger in Paradise). The recording concludes with a few George Gershwin compositions. Jazz or classical, Joseph Ashley plays the harmonica well.

LAWRENCE OF SUBURBIA
The Darbuki Kings
Darbuki Kings
    Okay, Antonio H. Albarran and Robin Adnan Anders comprise the Darbuki Kings and somehow I doubt the authenticity of their facial hair, but there is no questioning the veracity of their music. They may make up their own tunes, but they play authentic instruments in such a manner as to convince one that they have years of desert life behind them. I might go so far as to suggest a new name: Yasser Atsmabebe. You got it: they make jokes, but they seriously play the hell out of their axes. If you like this sort of music, there is no question that you will enjoy them. If you do not like it or are unfamiliar with it, well, give them a spin anyway. You may experience a personal vision of the mythical camel toe.

ADELAIDE
Tim Miller
Indie
    Miller writes and sings smoothly, and gets great sidemen. Recorded at Luminous Sound in Dallas, Texas and mastered at Gateway in Portland, Maine, this is a very well done concoction.

ZACH GUMP
Zach Gump
Zach Gump?
    Hey, where did this come from? I dunno, but it rocks. And I mean from the git-go. These folks jump right out there and break the first rule of Fast Eddie, which is to start slow and work to a crescendo. No. This band bangs the door down first, then shows you a little bit of ballad only to build the heat back up; country soul works for me. Great vocals!

INSIDES OUT
Jordan Zevon
Ammal
    Based on the hooks and the peppy delivery and all, I would venture to say that Zevon (why is that name familiar?) aspires to be a pop star and I would also go so far as to say that he has a good shot at it. He has the voice but, as I have never seen so much as a photo of him, I have no idea if he is cute enough. He does songs I have not heard before, so either he wrote them or he has some guy sitting around cranking out tunes for him. If you like Jackson Browne or any of those other Southern California cats, then you might like Jordan Zevon. He is just obscure enough (e. g. what is a paper pioneer?) to keep you listening for clues.

LOST SOULS VOLUME 1
Various Artists
POTS
    This is 1960s garage and psychedelic rock from our very own altered state, mostly transferred directly from original 45s, featuring The Lost Souls, Blues Foundation, The Coachmen (hey, I remember those guys!), Xciters, Purple Canteen, The Blue & The Gray, The Yardleys, The Problems of Tyme, Barefacts, The Marion Deaton Group, The Shakes, The Roustabouts, Michael Troy and The Pharoahs, The Vycounts, Dead on Arrival, Trouble Bros, Marc IV, Sunset Society, Suspension of Belief, LD Mitchell & the Amalgamated Taxi Cab Service, The Sole Society, Mystic Illusion, and Blackfoot (another one I remember). What, no Gary Hall and the Playboys or Merging Traffic? The very idea. Oh well, maybe on volume two. If I left anyone off the list I apologize; blame it on the small print and the fact that I broke my bifocals. Hey, if you know how to frug, buy this frugging album! It has a pretty good ice cream to crap ratio. You can probably find it on-line from Pysch of the South (if you do not know how, find a ten-year-old-kid to do it for you).

QLAND
Qland
All Things Rock
    Q. Landrum is the singer and possibly the songwriter. A. Oels is the lead guitar player. J. Cockerham is the drum dude and J. Brown the bassist. They recorded this at East Hall Recording, wherever that is, and do indeed rock, but Q needs to work on those vocals (hint: smoke a pack of Camel cigarets and drink a quart of Jack Daniels whisky). Or not, you know I would never encourage dissolution in our youth. I am dissolute enough for all of us.

SOFA KING BADASS
Mason Casey
NorthernBlues
    This album was recorded in a bunch of places, like Better Songs & Gardens and Hormone Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, Chicago trax in Chicago, Illinois, and Omega Studios in Rockville, Maryland and features a whole bunch of players, including Don Covay and Steve Cropper. Producer Jon Tiven did a fine job playing a variety of instruments and writing or co-writing most of the songs. Casey has a rather raspy voice, perfectly suited to the blues, and he throws himself into his music with verve. His harp playing may be even better than his vocalizing. He played harp on the last Wilson Pickett album and this one is dedicated to the late singer.

TO A FRIEND / DID YOU THINK I WAS GONE?
Tandy
?
    This is a double-album set out of New York City, or more specifically, Brooklyn. It came with a blurb by Steve Earle singing its praises, but I have to admit I did not care much for the music. Not my cup of tea I suppose and more a reflection on my tastes than on the musical ability of Mike Ferrio or his band.

STRANGE INVITATION
South Austin Jug Band
Indie
    Strange indeed. James Hyland, Dennis Ludiker, and Brian Beken write their own songs and play music that might be referred to as neo-roots. It features some fiddling and picking that certainly would fit the roots category, but the singing is much more modern, if not exactly contemporary. I like it. Which of the guys is the vocalist is not mentioned (that I can find anyway); he has a sort of soft voice and a fairly flat delivery, but it works. It was recorded at the Pedernales Studios in Austin, Texas.

DONNA JEAN & THE TRICKSTERS
Donna Jean & The Tricksters
HGR
    Another New York product, this was recorded at Cloud 9 Studio in Central Islip. Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay is the Donna Jean in the title and she sings quite well, but her six band mates are also listed for vocals. Maybe she owns the mic. Anyway, this seems to me to be classifiable in the fusion category. It rocks, but there are many very jazzy riffs thrown into the mix. I detect no pretension here, no reaching for stylistic trickery; they just line up and play their butts off. I give it the old thumbs up.

1861
Moreland & Arbuckle
NorthernBlues
    We have received more than a few albums from this label and they are consistently well done. Good music made by talented people and excellent production values. Aaron Moreland and Dustin Arbuckle wrote most of the songs and dedicated the album to their home state of Kansas (1861 is the date of statehood, which you probably know if you have been keeping up with state quarters). This is not quite Delta blues, but I think it has enough of a slant in that direction to satisfy most blues purists. Aaron plays electric, parlor, resonator, and cigar box guitars; Dustin plays harmonica and sings. The drummer is Brad Horner. Guesting on this set are Jeffrey Eaton on gas tank bass for one cut and Chris Wiser on the B3 for two, one of which is a moody little gem of a jam. It was recorded at Green Jeans Studio in Wellington, Kansas, but went off to Nashville for the mastering.

INSPIRED
Chris Bawiec
Three Point
    My first impression was that Chris Bawiec was something of a John Cougar Clone and then he flipped into Neil young mode before finally settling into his own groove. He writes his own songs, a bit biased toward sentimentality: God and country, love and life reflections. He plays guitar accompanied by bass, drums, and keyboards he programmed. Debbie Paulk joins in on vocals for a couple cuts.

MATTHEW RYAN VS THE SILVER STATE
MRVSS
00:02:59
    Matthew Ryan is the songwriter and the singer and guitar, piano, synth, and pog player. He is joined by Brian Bequette on electric guitar, slide, feedback, bass, and piano; Doug Lancio on bass, electric guitar, pog, resonator, mandolin, slide, piano, and feedback; Steve Latanation on drums, percussion, and backing vocals (and of course a goodly list of guest musicians) but what I want to know is if the feedback was part of the music or was it feedback on his songwriting or what? And what the hell is a pog? Doug Lancio did the recording and mixing and the mastering was by Jim Demain at Yes Master (I love that). The music tends toward avant garde altrock, out, you know.

DVD CORNER

(NO TITLE)
Further Down
    This DVD has but two segments: a live concert video and a well-staged story that probably cost some bucks to make. They got a skinhead and a skinny chick from El Lay and a sporty Pontiac and, of course, their hot tight rock music. Write Skip Mooney at 401 Main in Jonesboro (72401) or call him at 870-761-1828 for booking information. From the reaction of the crowd in the concert video, I would be willing to bet they consistently draw a large enthusiastic audience.
POSTSCRIPT:
    Reading Keith Sykes in the last issue, I remembered that I once borrowed his guitar at a party with the intention of impressing him with my songwriting. Unfortunately I was so stinko I could not remember the words to my own songs and embarrassed myself mightily. Oh well. Hey, I once played duck call with Washboard Leo at the Little Rock Zoo and amused the hell out of a bunch of kids (including Leo).

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