WILD RAMBLE
Went to the Midnight Ramble with Dave Jensen on September 9th. The band was excellent–they really cooked.
Music
DYLAN
On Friday night (July 8) my pal Dave Jensen and I saw Bob Dylan and his Band at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium. It was a treat to see the maestro, still a tremendous artist at 75. On an almost perfect evening, a vibrant, vigorous Mavis Staples opening the show (below right), and it was a …
DROWNED OUT DAY
On Saturday the 20th, after many years of longing, we went to the Clearwater Revival Festival in Croton Point Park. I was very excited that the advertised line-up promised a chain of performances by Angelique Kidjo (below left), Shelby Lynne (v. exciting!), Los Lobos (!), Neko Case (!) and David Crosby. Alas, it was not …
RAMBLE ON!
After an absence of more than a year, the Midnight Ramble Band returned to play Levon Helm‘s Barn in Woodstock on February 28th.
HOW ROBERT FRIPP MADE A MUSICIAN OUT OF ME
“All my life, I have loved music, and never in my life have I been the tiniest bit musical. Not only can I not sing in tune, I cause others to fall off key. Not only can I not dance, my dancing has often caused injury to others, most memorably on a St. Patrick’s Day …
THE LONGER RIDERS, JULY 19: CHEYENNE
My brother-in-law Rick Jackson joined us for lunch; it was great to see him. In the evening, Ginny and Cara and I returned to Frontier Days and saw Lady Antebellum in concert. They put on a great show; to an old timer like me, the highlight was their cover of `Honky Tonk Women.’
THE LONGER RIDERS, JULY 16: MEMPHIS AND BEYOND
On Wednesday we motored across Tennessee to see Graceland, the surprisingly modest home of Elvis Presley. Meh. Banal testosterone-infused sixties styles. The miracle is that he happened; his personal effects are just leftovers. Here is his grave, left, and on the right, the only bit of wit I saw in the place : Afterwards, we …
ROUND ROBIN DUETS
Thanks to a lucky drawing (and, I suspect, lousy ticket sales, ) Dave Jensen and I got to to go to Town Hall to see “A Night of Improvised Round Robin Duets,’part of the Red Bull Music Academy Festival. What we saw were 17 gifted musicians playing a series of duets. The music was mostly …