Top 5 Stones Songs

In response to a friendly challenge to list my top five Rolling Stones songs (up through the album Some Girls (1978), I had to resort to extreme measures to get it done. Mainly this involved creating what I called a "megahit omnibus" to take the top spot. These are the major rock hits that the group is famous for, to wit:

1. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (1965)
2. "Honky Tonk Woman" (1965)
3. "Street Fighting Man" (1968)
4. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (1968)
5. "Gimme Shelter" (1968)
6. "Midnight Rambler" (1970)
7. "Brown Sugar" (1971)

These lucky seven songs clogged up my works because:

1. Uniqueness: no rock group has ever put out a list of massive power songs of this size.
2. Indiscernibility: my inability to discern quality differences between these songs.
3. Dominance: these songs are so huge I would be unable to get to all the rest of the great things the group did.

On this basis, I argued that I would make my number one choice this megahit omnibus* (essentially a seven-way tie). So, my list went as:

1. Megahit Omnibus (1965-71)
2. "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (1969)
3. "Wild Horses" (1971)
4. "Angie" (1973)
5. "Faraway Eyes" (1978)

HONORABLE MENTION: "Out of Time" (1966)

COVER: "Love In Vain" by Robert Johnson (1969)

BONUS TRACKS: "Time Is On My Side" (1964); "Something Happened to Me Yesterday" (1967)

PRO TIPS: "Waiting on a Friend" (released in 1981; started in 1972) and "Start Me Up" (1978/1971)

All in all, I included 17 songs when the challenge was to limit it to five. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

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*granted absolution upfront for my dalliance, I was later chided as not having really completed the assignment at all (imagine that).

Willie Watson Folks the House

Higher Ground 11.2.17

Watching Willie Watson do his solo show for the second time at Higher Ground in South Burlington last night, I was impressed by the change in his performance in two short years.

The last time he came through town he was greener to his new life as a solo performer with Folk Singer Vol. 1 — following a breakup with Old Crow Medicine Show.

Since then he's added stage presence.

He's added schtick. He tells stories, so capably Arlo Guthrie kept coming to mind. Ketch Secor, his former bandmate, and Dave Rawlings — his producer, friend, and fellow bandmate currently — kept popping into my head, too.*

His singing is better, not that it had much room to grow. I hailed him as one of the all-time folk music greats the instant he went solo, right up there with Pete Seeger and the rest.

His opening song ("Leaving Blues"?) from Folksinger Vol. 2** was a revelation. Who can render a folk song any better than that?

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*and my friend from college (sorry, Larry).
**the first volume did indeed come out with "Folk singer" as two words and the second volume is titled "Folksinger" one word.

Danny Knicely Appearing in Greensboro, Vermont - 11.18.17

The great Danny Knicely of Virginia appears with Autoharp Hall of Fame member Bryan Bowers and New England singer and multi-instrumentalist Geoff Goodhue.

With Beg, Steal or Borrow, winner 2017 Podunk Bluegrass Festival Band Competition.

"Come together for a special evening of American folk and Mountain Music."

VENUE: Highland Center for the Arts
ADMISSION: $20 in advance; $25 day of show
ADDRESS: 2875 Hardwick Street, Greensboro, VT 05841
INFO: 802-533-9075; info@highlandartsvt.org

Podunk Winners

"Jeffrey from Northfield"

Busking in Montpelier

Jean S. Charles (1939-2017)

Jean S. Charles, age 78, of Lyndonville, formerly of Williston, Vt., passed away at his home from an apparent heart attack on Friday, Feb. 24, 2017.

Jean was born on Jan. 25, 1939, in Petionville (Port-au-Prince), Haiti. He was the eldest son of the late Sterne and Yvonne Charles (née Dumornay). He completed his high school studies at Collège Saint Martial in Port-au-Prince, obtaining his Baccalaureate at the Center of Collegial Studies. He then emigrated with his parents to the United States in the early 1960s, and obtained his diploma in Electronic Engineering. Answering the call of the draft, he served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in Germany, during the era of the Vietnam War. He then married his first wife, Dr. Jacqueline Sévère. After a brief time in Québec (Canada), where his wife completed her medical residency, Jean returned to the United States. Divorced, he married his second wife, Judy Plantin, in New York. Jean and his family then moved to Williston, Vermont, where he worked as an Electronics Engineer for IBM, patenting computer chip creation techniques on their behalf from the 1980s until his retirement. He then moved to Lyndonville, Vt. in 2000. To pass the time, empassioned by music, he opened a small repair shop to fix electronic organs and pianos.

A man of many talents, Jean was a black belt Martial Artist, who also enjoyed playing and teaching classical guitar at Lyndon State College. He shared his passion for the guitar with his cousin Alix “Tite” Pascal. He also shared his love of this with the communities of Vermont, playing in marriage ceremonies & birthday celebrations until his final days. He was also a member of the American Legion and the local Veteran community in Lyndonville for many years. His family and friends are witnesses of his patriotism and love of country.

SEE: Jean S. Charles - Obituary

"Don't You Ever be Afraid" by Bootsie Daniels

Sweet Virginia Calling

Eli Cook in Bethlehem, NH

Eli Cook came to town last night. Or at least he came northward enough for me to drive over and see him. It was like Sweet Virginia calling.

On the way into Bethlehem for the show,^1,2 Willie Nelson appeared on the radio singing my favorite "Funny How Time Slips Away". It might have been the single song that pulled me up and out of where I was at the time I encountered early Willie.³

Eli was the rising blues phenom.

Bob Taylor⁴ at Rapunzel's in Lovingston⁵ was perhaps his biggest proponent. I caught Eli play at that venue, in Scottsville for the Fourth of July, and later at a weekly gig he had in downtown Crozet.

Admiring his 12-string guitar in Bethlehem, I was wondering who made it when thought I just caught the "R" and maybe the "dge" of a logo on the headstock. Rockbridge Guitars?

That's a name out of my past.

Sure enough, it was the Randall Ray and Brian Calhoun luthier operation, which started in Lexington where they are from.^6,7 They made his guitar, a (for them) rare 12-string. My interest in bluegrass started while a student at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, and it was a Lexington bluegrass band that opened up the music scene for me in Charlottesville many years later.⁸ Brian and Ray both played with them.

I got to compliment his sweet parents on how well-mannered they raised him. Eli agreed to play a charity performance at a summer festival I helped organize in Harrisonburg several years ago. His dad helped him set up.

Speaks well of the whole Cook family.

On the way out of town after the show "A Place in the Sun" by Pablo Cruise came on the radio. As far as I can recall I have never heard this song on the radio before, even during the group's heyday.⁹ I only know the song because it was played over-and-over on my roommate's stereo in my Washington and Lee dorm room.¹⁰

Maybe the Gods of Music put this particular song on the radio at that precise time in case I missed that Eli coming to town was like . .

Sweet Virginia Calling.

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1. find any meaning in the town name?
2. just across the Connecticut River from where I live in Vermont.
3. in Houston, just popping out of "corporate America", and thinking about pursuing my writing.
4. then proprietor of Rapunzel's who was at the Prism Cafe in Charlottesville the night I became a poet, Bob subsequently named me poet laureate of that coffeehouse/bookstore/venue.
5. where Eli was born and from where he currently hails.
6. they've now moved to Charlottesville.
7. as their website says: "Rockbridge Guitars takes its name from Rockbridge County, Virginia, as homage to the homeland of the luthiers."
8. I also bought my first guitar at Rockbridge Music in Lexington.
9. the title song of the group's third album (1977), the single only reached 42 on the charts.
10. his high school girlfriend had just left him, so perhaps the way-more popular single "Whatcha Gonna Do?" was soothing; he's also nephew to Boz Scaggs.

Blues Artist Eli Cook Appears at 42 Maple in Bethlehem: 11.19.16 @ 7pm

Eli Cook from Virginia

 “AMONG THE TOP 3 SOLO BLUES ARTISTS WORLDWIDE" - Blues Matters Magazine

"The best blues singer of his generation..." - All Music Guide

Eli Cook’s blues expresses raw honesty in a unique blend of contemporary and old-school styles, creating an original sound.

WHO: Eli Cook
WHAT: solo performance
WHEN: Saturday, November 19, 2016 from 7-10pm
WHERE: 42 Maple Street, Bethlehem, New Hampshire 03574
HOW: tix $30

Old Crow at Ryman's New Year's Eve 2016

New Year's Eve at the Ryman

Old Crow Medicine Show

Saturday, December 31, 2016

10:00 PM

$79.50, $69.50, $49.50

On Sale Friday, August 19 at 10 AM

Tickets

Website

If purchasing tickets in person at the Ryman Box Office or any Ticketmaster outlet, your spot in line will be determined by a lottery. For details, click here

Ryman Ticket Policy

Now We Know Who's On the Album

Marianne Ihlen

SEE: So long, Marianne: Profoundly moving story behind the death of the beauty who inspired some of Leonard Cohen's greatest songs...

Get Her to Sing "Julie"

If not for a Devon Sproule fan who sat by himself at the closest table to the tiny corner stage at Little Grill Collective,* I might have missed an amazing musical experience.

I took him to be a James Madison University student. Where or how he first heard the song, I don't know, as it was not yet released.**

When Devon asked for requests, this intensely-focused fan shouted out "Julie!"

Having never performed it live, his request posed a bit of a challenge. Devon turned her back on us for a moment, gathering the lyrics and chords.

When she turned back, she gave what was for me a transformative musical experience, like being at the Dawn of Music — like watching All of Music being created right before me.

I have since been the intensely-focused fan shouting out "Julie!" when I get to see Devon Sproule live.

Having finally listened to the recording of the song on  Don't Hurry for Heaven,*** I can say you must hear it live to get the full effect.

Go see Devon Sproule, and shout out "Julie!" You're in for quite a musical experience.

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*on July 6, 2007.
**she wrote the song based on a letter sent to a radio station, responding to some sort of on-air contest.
***which I purchased at a house party in Hartland, Vermont on May 17, 2016 (and listened to over-and-over again till I wore out the CD).

They Got Religion?

Never miss a chance to catch Walker's Run with Danny Knicely on mandolin and Will Lee on banjo. These two were founding members of the Telluride-winning phenom known as Magraw Gap — along with Larry Keel and John Flower — and each is a legend in his own right.

Hitting the big time . .

If these legends — plus Walker's Run founder Brennan Gilmore on guitar and original member Zach Blatter on bass (not to mention Nate Leaf on fiddle) — could possibly be outclassed by the venue itself, The Hamilton certainly made a bid.

Brennan Gilmore

What a place. Beautiful, formal, fun. Like something out of Vegas. You can't sit there without thinking: "These guys have really hit the big time!"

Next Big Thing?

If you needed any more reason to go to the March 10, 2016 show in D.C., that reason was The Rondo Rigs — with Eric Robertson* on mandolin, Duncan Wickel on fiddle, and Nicholas Falk on drums. If my predictor still works, this group is going places. Super-smart lyrics, excellent musicianship. Great stage presence.

Where's the booze?

But the most remarkable thing about the show to me — having seen a few Walker's Run performances, and those of other bluegrass groups — is that not a single performer was drinking alcohol on stage. Each had a water bottle prominently displayed instead. None of those ubiquitous beer bottles.

What the heck happened!?! So many bluegrass songs are about booze, being drunk, or hiding the still from the revenuer. How can you possible perform real bluegrass music without being half-soused? 

Could the venue forbid performers from drinking on stage? Could the group have decided to go alcohol-free? Maybe their last number provides a clue. Mr. Gilmore invited members of the opening act to come back out and they did a really fun Jesus song ("if you want something, just ask Jesus").

Did they get religion?

SEE ALSO: "Knicely Done"

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*with this surname and The Band-like sounds, one wonders if he might descend from Robbie.

The Rondo Rigs & Walker's Run @ The Southern in C-ville March 11, 2016

Convinced Yet? (Paul McCartney Double)

Two Paul McCartneys

"They Need Music for That"

“Girls are sitting around talking about boys. Or complaining about boys! They need music for that, right? It’s hard to find the right music. Not everyone . . knows a DJ.”

Jimmy Iovine

Gill Landry Releases Third Solo Album (and Restarts Solo Career)

Gill Landry (a.k.a. Frank Lemon)—the singer/songwriter-guitarist born in Lake Charles, Louisiana who joined Old Crow Medicine Show when founding member Chris "Critter" Fuqua left for treatment in 2004—is apparently no longer with the group.

Landry did not appear onstage with the group in Gilford, New Hampshire as part of the Willie & Family co-headliner tour August 23, 2015—and he no longer appears in the group's line-up or main photo at their website.

I see nothing on this at the Old Crow fans site. Their Facebook page confirms what their official site says. The August 12 Wall Street Journal story on their roots shows a group shot that doesn't include Landry.

In March of 2015 he released his third album as a solo artist.

UPDATE: While I was going back through Landry's tour dates, trying to square them with Old Crow's summer dates—and not finding any cross-overs—I received an e-mail response from one of the publicity people I'd queried for news on all this. She linked me to a piece in Rock Shot entitled "Interview: Gill Landry. I’m Putting My Own Boots On And Taking A Walk" from July 23, 2015.

Apparently his leaving the group did in fact coincide with the release of his latest solo album, which is self-titled. Gill Landry is available at ATO Records online store in digital, CD, and vinyl formats.

Track Listing:

1. ‘Funeral in My Heart’
2. ‘Just Like You’
3. ‘Waiting for Your Love’
4. ‘Emily’
5. ‘Take This Body’
6. ‘Fennario’
7. ‘Lost Love’
8. ‘Lately Right Now’
9. ‘Long Road’
10. ‘Bad Love’

FOR MORE: The Boot

Michael T. Jermyn at Weirdos Fest 2015

Onion River Campground July 18, 2015

Lawn Jam Line-up Saturday, June 27 @ Our Community Place

Lawn Jam Band Line Up and Performance Times

12:00-12:30 Scott Murray
12:45-1:15 Lightning Lucas Shrock-Hurst
1:30-2:00 Tom Weaver with Eric Olsen-Getty
2:15-2:45 Jeff Gorman with Eric Olsen-Getty
3:00-3:45 Bryan Elijah Smith (solo)
4:00-4:30 Many Nights Ahead
4:45-5:15 Greg Ward
5:30-6:10 kat & the travelers
6:15-6:45 Dr. How and the Reasons to Live
7:00-7:30 Charlottesville Community Drum Choir
7:45-8:15 Nic Melas
8:30-9:30 Regular Sauce Reunion

In other local music news, Old Crow Medicine Show has donated something for the charity auction or raffle. Wonder what it could be? Be at Our Community Place in Harrisonburg, VA on Saturday!!

Play Fewer Songs by Female Artists

Keith Hill, “the world’s leading authority on music scheduling”, advises radio stations to play fewer songs by female artists, noting:

1. “They’re just not the lettuce in our salad. The lettuce is Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and artists like that. The tomatoes of our salad are the females.”
2. “In a deep irony, it’s the demand of female listeners who aren’t thinking about it. They’re just responding to that flow of song after song, and if that mix has more females in it, they turn off quicker.”
3. “My stations win by taking females out. Sometimes that’s enough to go from the number three station to the number one station in a market.”

“We’re trying to get the biggest possible audience. We’re not thinking about gender fairness, we’re just trying to make money,” he says.

SEE: Country Music Consultant Advises Stations To Play Fewer Songs By Female Artists

"A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done" by Sonny Bono