Narrows Does Newport Folk Festival

It was idyllic summer's day, as 40 of the Narrows crew boarded a bus headed to the Newport Folk Festival. The day was a celebration of all things Narrows. The event was a big thank you to all the volunteers who make the Narrows such a special place. Over the course of ten years, the Narrows has gone from  a good idea into one of the best places in the country to see live music. It was all accomplished with a tremendous group of smart, hardworking and dedicated volunteers. What a concept. It's amazing but not shocking that a great group of people focused on all things good can make great things happen. Newport Folk's warm friendly vibe combined with a great line -up of music made it a great choice to celebrate all we have accomplished together.

Here's what I saw on Sunday July 31, 2011 Newport Folk Festival

We arrived on site around 12:45. I wanted to see David Wax Museum but their set had just ended. I heard they ripped it up. No surprise, we had David and company at the Narrows in February and they were great. They have just been added to our 10th Anniversary weekend on November 3.  Next up on the main stage, was Carolina Chocolate Drops. They have added a member and changed another since their Narrows show last September. CCD does a great job of bringing contemporary elements to old timey music. They really got the crowd going with lotsa young people dancing upfront. That's not easy to accomplish for an acoustic band on a big stage.

Next me and my beautiful wife Maggie made our way to the Quad stage where The Secret Sisters were playing. They were very captivating with their beautiful harmonies and high quality songs. It was a very stripped down approach with the "sisters" switching off on a single guitar. They were kinda country but they had a very cinematic approach to their music. Look for a Narrows date in the fall. We then headed back to the main stage where rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson was about to take the stage. Wanda didn't just take the stage, she owned it. With a crack 5 piece band, Wanda at 74 prowled and gyrated and got the whole crowd moving. She did a great version of Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel. She told a great story of how Elvis had encouraged her to sing rock and roll. Up to that point she had only sung country and didn't have the confidence to sing rock. Thank you to Elvis for giving Wanda the push to rock and roll. One of the Festival highlights for me was her smoking version of "Shakin All Over"

We headed back to the Quad stage, where our old friend Justin Townes Earle was about to play. Ably backed by the beautiful Bryn Davis on Bass and a smoking pedal steel player, JTE enraptured the crowd with his brilliant song writing and soulful vocal delivery. Highlights for me were a haunting Christ Church Woman, Slippin and Sliding and rousing finale of Harlem River Blues. It was beginning to get real hot so we headed back to our fun bus for a little break in the action. Our bus driver brilliantly parked our bus next to all the bands tour bus's which was right outside the gates so it was a short walk back to the bus for a cool beverage or two, Many other members of our crew had the same idea. Let the Good times Roll.

Next up for me and Maggie was one of my all time faves Elvis Costello. This was billed as a solo show but I was pleased to see a band set -up. What a band it is, Steve Nieve on Keys, Pete Thomas on drums and Davey Faarraghar on Bass. They rearranged a few of his older tunes mixed in some of his newer countryish numbers and invited three guest performers up to help him. First up, the Secret Sisters added some beautiful harmonies to a couple of tunes. He then had Chris Thile come up and play some scorching mandolin. Emmylou then entered to add beautiful harmonies to a tune. Elvis ended his set with a rousing version of  "What's So Funny Bout Peace Love and Understanding" I hate to be overly hippie but this tune really carried the spirit of the day.

With sail boats floating in the water and the sun beginning to subside,the stage was set for another one of my longtime faves, Emmylou Harris. I have seen Emmylou many times in different configurations. I thought her new band at the Festival had great flexibility moving from quiet ballads to rocking full out. The mando/fiddle player was outstanding. She mixed some older songs with a few new gems. Highlights for me were great renditions of Pancho and Lefty, Leaving Louisiana, Sin City and Luxury Liner. The show ended with Pete Seeger and many of the days performers serenading the crowd with Turn, Turn Turn.  Lotsa people singing and a perfect way to cap off a great day of music.

Kudos to the Festival's organizer's for a great event. The event promoter's did a splendid job of mixing older and newer acts. All high quality acts but varied in style and approach. The mix of younger acts also brought out alot of young people which was great to see. My only suggestion would be to vary the set times more, so more acts could be seen.

As great as the music was, what made the day so special to me was the camaraderie and friendship amongst the crew. Viva Narrows -onward and upward

Narrows Festival line up annouced

The 10th Annual Narrows Festival of the Arts will be held on Sunday September 11 from 11-7. The Annual Arts Fest is a celebration and showcase for what we do all year long at the Narrows. The event features fine art, music and food. We have a great children's area that is run by the Fall River Children's Museum. It's all free. The only reason it is free is because of our fine sponsors.  Our lead sponsor for the past two years has been Mechanics Cooperative Bank. Other sponsors include: the Fall River Cultural Council, Dominion Power, Citizens Union Savings Bank, Borden and Remington Corp.,Whaling City Sound, Colonial Wholesale Beverage and our good friends at WMVY radio. I always say vote with your feet, meaning that if you like what someone is supporting, support them back. It's the only way it works.

Drum roll please

This year's musical lineup maybe our finest yet. We have two co-headliners on our outside stage, Roomful of Blues and New Riders of the Purple Sage. Both acts have played to sold out shows at the Narrows. Roomful has seen sort of a rebirth lately with their hot new album "Hook, Line and Sinker". They blew the roof off the Narrows in May and we expect more of the same on Sept 11. New Riders have played many great shows at the Narrows since they reformed in 2006. Here's a  old clip with Jerry http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SynF5nOqudk. Here's a new clip with the new line-up http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqzli5CqdFY . They are still going strong and waving the Freak Flag high. God bless em for keeping the music alive and well. Also on the main stage is Bill Kirchen and Too Much Fun. Bill cut his teeth with Commander Cody's Lost Planet Airmen. His signature tune is Hot Rod Lincoln. Here's a clip where he rips through just about every rock and roll lick on the planet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKXCLCZBYrg&feature=related Opening on the main stage is a new group we have hosted a few times Girls, Guns, and Glory. You can check them out at www.girlsgunsandglory.com. They are a fun band that will really get the party started.

Playing on the Narrows stage inside is a new discovery of ours Amy Black. Amy just opened the Joe Ely show and impressed all in attendance. It's got a little twang to it but in the end it's a real soulful and believable. She has agreat new record out "One/Time" produced by my good friend Lorne Entress who has produced records by Lori McKenna and others. He is also the drummer for Ronnie Earl who plays the Narrows on August 12. There is a great video on her website www.amyblack.com of her recent appearance at Club Passim. For jazz lovers we have Dino Govoni and his Organ trio. Dino has played our festival a few times. He is from the Whaling City Sound  www.whalingcitysounds.com roster whose owner Neal Weiss is the godfather of Jazz in southern New England. Neil has put out well over 75 releases of some of the finest regional and national jazz acts. He is also one of the finest people I know. Also playing inside is folk chantuese Liz Longley.Liz is a fabulous new talent who recently opened for Joan Osborne.  Liz received first prize in the BMI John Lennon Scholarship competition, grand prize in the International Acoustic Music Award contest (among 9,000 entries). Here's a great clip of her doing Moondance/Summertime http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCGPpmlAZiM. Opening the days festivities is Rocky Roberts and Friends. Rocky is from Western Mass, he has been Neil Young's guitar tech for over 30 years. We met while he was working for David Lindley. He gave me a copy of his record which was great. He will be bringing some of Western Mass's finest Americana players with him

Here's the full schedule:

2011 Narrows Festival Schedule

Main Stage

12:00-1:00 Girls Guns and Glory

1:30-2:45 Bill Kirchen

3:15-4:45 New Riders of the Purple Sage

5:15-7:00 Roomful of Blues

Narrows Stage

11:30-12:15 Rocky Roberts and Friends

1:15-2:00 Liz Longley

3:00-4:00 Dino Govoni Organ Trio plus One

5:00-5:45 Amy Black

Ian McLagan: Rock and Roll Royalty

The name McLagan doesn't have the star power of  a Jagger, Lennon, Townsend etc but Mr. McLagan has been at the forefront of the British rock scene since 1965. Ian will be making a  rare local appearance at the Narrows on Wednesday June 15. He has toured or recorded with the likes of:The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Taj Mahal, John Hiatt, David Lindley, Paul Westerberg, Billy Bragg and Patty Griffin.

It all started in 1966, when he joined a scruffy group from East London called The Small Faces. The Small Faces consisted of Steve Marriot on Guitar and Vocals, Kenny Jones(Keith Moon's replacement in The Who) on Drums, Ronnie Lane on Bass and  Vocals and Ian McLagan Keyboards and Vocals. The group was heavily influenced by American R&B but fused psychedelia into the mix creating their own unique sound. They hit it big in "67" with "Itchycoo Park". Here's a classic clip of that tune http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJzcF0v1eOE The real tour de force for the group was the concept album Ogden's Nut Gone Flake. It was distinctively packaged in a round tin mimicking a brand of tobacco sold in Liverpool. With a heavy psychedelic element, I am sure the group was suggesting more than tobacco be housed in the tin. Here's a clip from a French TV show Surprise Partie circa 1969.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkyhuuxJ6ss&feature=related. It's great to see how in in just 2 years, the group transformed into this really heavy band. If you don't own this record, go out and get it. It is a must for any serious fan of rock and roll.

The group's leader Steve Marriot quit on New Year's Eve 69 after a gig. The remaining members then joined forces with former Jeff Beck group members Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood. They became The Faces and were one of the all time great British Rock bands. Ian was a co-writer on such classics as Cindy Incidentally, You're So Rude and Three Button Hand Me Down. Here's a great clip form the Dutch Television Pop Gala 73 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3P_re8R3Y8.

The group disbanded in 1975 and McLagan went on to played on a slew of great records. His trademark B-3 playing can be heard on Rod Stewart's Maggie May. He played keys on the Stones classic Miss You as well as touring with the band. He toured with Dylan and played on our old friend Tom Russell's Borderland. In 1994, he moved to Austin and formed The Bump Band.  In December of 2007, McLagan and Glyn Johns, his old pal from Small Faces and Faces days, met at Sphere Studios in London to mix and master Ian McLagan's beautiful and emotionally raw CD, Never Say Never. Here's a clip from the David Letterman show with Patti Griffin on Backing vocals http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKhjOPlpuGo. This clip shows that Ian is still on top of  his game.

So while Ian McLagan might not be a household name,  he is true rock and roll royalty. At his upcoming show at the Narrows on June 15 expect a healty dose of Small Faces, Faces, solo stuff and a few surprises

Kris Kristofferson: An American icon

Many are familiar with Kris Kristofferson through his songs and/or movies. If you dig further into his biography, the portrait of of a true icon and renaissance man is revealed. Last week, I had the good fortune to catch Kris's first set at the Zeiterion Theater( I had to get back to the Narrows to close the Ottmar Liebert show). The show was magical. Armed with just his guitar, a croaky voice and bagful of great songs, Kris enraptured the crowd.

Kris is a man of many talents and accomplishments. He's a Rhodes Scholar who joined the US Army achieving the rank of Captain. He became a helicopter pilot stationed in West Germany and a member of the 8th Infantry Division. In 1965, after his tour of duty, he was offered a position at West Point as an English professor. He turned it down to pursue a career as a songwriter.

He met Johnny Cash while sweeping floors at Columbia Studios in Nashville. Along with sweeping floors at Columbia Studio, he also flew helicopters off oil rigs in Louisiana. He would come back to the studio and pitch some of the songs he had written while flying from rig to rig. Songs like" Me and Bobby McGee" and "Help Me Make it Through the Night" Legend has it, he grabbed Johnny Cash's attention by flying his helicopter into Johnny's backyard to bring him some tapes. In the late 60's people began taking notice of him and he had success with others singing his songs "Jody and the Kid", "Bottle to the Bottom and "Darby's Castle"

Hi big break came when Janis Joplin(his girlfriend at the time) recorded "Me and Bobby McGee" which became a mega hit. He then started to focus on acting with great films, like "Cisco Pike" "Alice Doesn''t Live Here Anymore" and his big hit "A Star is Born" In the mid 70", he married Rita Coolidge and, they did a record together but the hits dried up due to the changing music industry. His rough hewn approach was much out of favor in the era of disco and the like.

In the  early 80's he hooked with his old buddies. Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash to form The Highwaymen. They had a lot of success and they released two great records. He continued acting and recording through the 80's andd 90's In 2007, he released his first album of original material in 11 years, This Old Road. It is a brilliant album that is both intimate and insightful.

At the Zeiterion, he opened with "Bobby McGee" he commented "that if it was good enough for Janis , it should be good enough for anybody". I couldn't agree more.  His ragged and intimate approach brought the vivid imagery and characters in his songs to life. He plowed through greats like "Help Make it Through the Night", "Casey's Last Ride" and "Here Comes that Rainbow Again" He interspersed songs from his new record "Close to the Bone" and they held up great to the classics. This was just the first set. At 74, Kris is as vital a songwriter and presence as he ever was. Do yourself a favor and check out what Kris has been up to lately.

Celebrating the Record Store

The 4th Annual Record Store Day occurs on Saturday April 16. In an era of dwindling outlets to purchase music, it's important to celebrate and patronize those independent record stores that have been so near and dear to many. Here's a paragraph from the website that aptly describes the festivities

"This is the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and hundreds of artists in the United States and in various countries across the globe make special appearances and performances. Festivities include performances, cook-outs, body painting, meet & greets with artists, parades, djs spinning records and on and on. Metallica officially kicked off Record Store Day at Rasputin Music in San Francisco on April 19, 2008 and Record Store Day is now celebrated the third Saturday every April. "

To many music geeks(I consider myself a proud member of this club), the record store was a place to talk music, learn about music, berate those with bad taste and be berated by the ultimate taste makers. The movie High Fidelity (starring a young John Cusack and a younger Jack Black) captured this experience perfectly.

The conversations, friendships and music that occurred in many local record stores had a big influence on my youth. I remember spending many a Saturday at the Harbor Mall in Fall River combing the bins of Paperback Booksmith. I started this strange habit at the ripe age of 11. My mother would go to Bradlees and leave me at the store knowing it would keep me occupied for a couple of hours. It was around this time, I met the manger of the store Clem Brown, Thirty five years later, he serves on the Board of Directors of the Narrows. Another employee of Paperback, Herb Tracey is a great friend and volunteers at the Narrows. I can still remember the day, I waited in line a couple of hours to buy the new Rolling Stones record Black and Blue. The sheer excitement of holding it and rushing home to put it on the turntable and reading every inch of the liner notes.

Another great Fall River record store was AC Records and Comics located on Pleasant St. It was run by a guy named Dennis(can't think of his last name). We called him Pacino, as he was a dead ringer for Pacino in Serpico. I met alot of great people there who really knew music, no more so than Pacino who turned me onto Muddy Waters, The Band and the beginnings of Punk Rock. This place was pretty wild, adult beverages and girls also filtered into the mix. I still see Dennis at Narrows shows as well as some of the other hanger ons.

Once I got my license, it opened up new opportunities. The early 80's was my punk rock faze and their was no better punk rock record store than Thayer St. Records in Providence(later home to In Your Ear records). The guy who ran this was an imposing character with many piercings and a German Shepard by his side decked out in a spiked collar. Entering this place was whole new world to me, the Sex Pistols, Clash, Buzzcocks etc.

The next pilgrimage was Newbury Comics on Newbury St. in Boston. This was the original store. (Newbury Comics is a participant in Record Store Day). The lovely Aimee Mann worked the counter. This was when she was in the group Young Snakes. This was the big time with experts in all genres and a bevy of Boston rockers handing out opinion's and dissing the whole LA punk scene

Today, Newbury Comics is one of the last bastions to purchase music. Another great local store is In Your Ear in Warren. Chris Zingg runs the place and is a real expert in all things recorded. They are also participating in Record Store Day. Here is the link to the Record Store Day http://www.recordstoreday.com/Home So I call on all my audiophile friends to go out and celebrate Record Store Day, make a few purchases and support what has been such an important part of our lives

What a week

What a week of great music at the Narrows March 21-26. Six great shows, each very different in style, all top notch in performance. We made lots of new friends and partied with many of our long time fans. It was such an enjoyable week, I though I would give a quick recap

Monday March 21 Peter Wolf- Monday night became Saturday night with Mr. Wolf and his red hot band ripping it up. The show consisted of mostly Wolf solo material with a a sprinkling of old Geils stuff.  Peter is a master showman who was very appreciative of the great Narrows audience who listened rather than blab there way through a show. I/we thank you for your attentiveness and passion. It was great to see so many people up dancing and having a great time on a Monday night. Ah, the power of rock and roll

Tuesday- March 22 Al DiMeola-We were in the presence of true musical genuis with Al. He is regarded as one of the finest guitarists in the world and he really delivered the goods with an expertly played show. His band easily moved from a world music vibe to straight out jazz fusion. Special kudos to Percussionist Gumbi Ortiz( a 21 year veteran of Al's band) this guy really lit it up, he and Al have great chemistry and they fed off each other all night. We don't do many jazz shows at the Narrows,(we will be doing more this year). This was a great way to expose jazz fans to our venue. Next jazz show will be with Gretchen Parlato on April 6. She is a great vocalist who was recently featured on NPR http://www.npr.org/2011/03/27/134795606/first-listen-gretchen-parlato-the-lost-and-found

Wednesday March 23 George Winston- A musical savant, pure musical genius, a wonderful man. George held the hushed crowd in the palm of his hand with his keyboard prowess His show was a mix of N'Awlins barrelhouse piano(ie Professor Longhair, Henry Butler), jazz interpretations and original material. To fully understand the commitment George has to his instrument, I thought I would give some insight into his practice regiment. Geoerge arrived at our venue around midnight of March 23, we locked him in the venue and he played till 3 am, he then returned at 5 pm on the day of his perforamnce and played for about two hours. He then played a two  hour show and stayed after the show to play another 3 hours. He told me, he practiced a minmum of 8 hours a day. That my friends is dedication to an instrument, it allows the musican and instrument to  become one. Truly a remarkable show.

Thursday March 24 Leon Redbone. The only show on the run I did not attend. Reports from the crew was Leon was Leon playing tinpan alley and old timey numbers with flair and originality. Nobody does that stuff better than Leon.

Friday March 25 Aztec Two Step with Buskin and Batteau- Packed house for this one. Everyone singing along to all the old favorites. Aztec has a great connection with this area and a real dedicated fan base. This time through they fleshed out their sound on some numbers with David Buskin on Piano, Robin Batteau on Violin and Marshall Rosenberg on Percussion. It made for a big sound. Buskin and Batteau also did a few numbers of thier own. B&B used to be Tom Rush's back up group. Real nice guys. We had fun trading Tom Rush stories. Tom is one of our all time favorites.

Saturday March 26 Chely Wright- To say that Chely has a rabid fan base would be understating the obvious. To give you a an idea, 4 fans showed up at 11:30 am after leaving Maine at 6:30 am for 8:00 pm show. When she hit the stage it had a Beatles on Ed Sullivan feel. Chely is a great country singer and writer. She has a warm an inviting personality and sang beautifully. Local guy Chad Burdick played a nice opening set and made quite a few fans.

A lot of blood, sweat and beers went into this week. And by all accounts a good time was had by all. We presented some fabulous acts and our fans were treated to some fabulous music. Thanks to everyone who came out to the shows. It is much appreciated. Special thanks to Deb and Kathy who went above and beyond to make it all look easy and feel good

A Day in the Life of the Narrows Crew

Putting on a first class rock and roll show requires a lot of work. I thought I would give some insight as to how it all gets put together. Let me start by saying that the Narrows has the best crew in show business. I know I am biased but we here it from the bands, road crew and I see it first hand in the passion, professionalism and enthusiasm of the crew. Most of the crew are volunteers.  Without the volunteers we simply could not make it happen. Last Wednesday, we did the Robert Cray Band. This show requires more than the usual production and attention to detail, so it will give you an insight as to how the big boys do it.

12:00 Narrows staff arrives (Pat, Deb and Kathy) Deb's probably been there since 8 am. We go over whose doing what and what the volunteer assignments will be. Kathy is the hospitality specialist, she makes the band and crew feel welcomed and appreciated. As I have stated in the past, being on the road is not easy. Musicians appreciate it when you go the extra mile to take care of them and we pride ourselves in doing just that.

12:30 Robert Cray 's crew arrives. The crew would include: a tracter trailer driver, tour manager, sound engineer, guitar tech and monitor tech. The tractor trailer guys job is to get all the gear from place to place. He is more of a hired hand who goes from band to band. The rest of the crew comes in the bus. The Band stays back at the hotel until soundcheck. The crew eats lunch. Let me say the Cray crew is top notch, real pros and good guys to work with.

1:00 Narrows volunteers arrive. They would consist of : JP(very love able, been with us awhile, he does alot of driving the performers and crew from the hotel and back as well as loading gear and security),  Carl(Rock and Roll junkie, been with us awhile, usually does green room security, loads gear and whatever else we ask of him), Milt(resident Dead Head, also a long standing member of the crew, usually merch or door guy, loads and has fun), Ron(newer member of the crew, usually door, security,  loads gear, quiet but solid) Norm(crew virgin, he takes over elevator packing in the first 5 minutes, we got a keeper)

We load the gear in from the trailer, fills the elevator 5 times, these guys have alot of gear. The good news is it's all on wheels and moves fairly easy.

2:00 Cray's crew and our crew unpack gear. The Cray crew begins to set the stage up. This takes about 2 and 1/2 hours. A few of our guys leave. I work with their sound guy to get the system ready to roll. Two of our guys change the gels in the lights

4:30 JP leaves to pick the band up. The Cray crew begins sound check so that when the band arrives they just pick up their instrument and every thing works and sounds great.

5:00 Band arrives, Robert is a super nice guy, shy but friendly. The rest of the band are also nice and are appreciative of thier crew and our crew that everything is flowing smoothly. Band warms up for about 45 minutes. They sound great. One of the bennies of being on the crew is checking out soundcheck and really feeling part of the gig.

6:00 Opener Mark Small arrives for his soundcheck. Our other ace tech Eddie also arrives to help with Mark's check. Eddie is a real techie, great guy. We work really well together.

6:30 Rest of Narrows volunteers arrive. Another half dozen people who will run the door, cafe and security. We know have 12 making it all happen.  People have paid alot of money to come to the show. We are very appreciative  and aware of this. we aim to make this a great night of music and friendship.. Life doesn't get much better than that combination.

7:00 Doors open, everything going smoothly, smiles abound.

8:05 Steve our emcee does his schtick. Always good. Steve is the longest tenured member of the crew. He has been with us pretty much from the beginning. In the early days, it was just me,Steve and my wife Maggie running the whole show.

Mark Small plays a hot opening set, gets a standing ovation. Mark is one of the finest purveyors of acoustic blues guitar. a real showman.

9:00 Robert and his band hit the stage. Brilliant musicianship and feel. Robert possess a silky smooth voice and a stinging guitar attack and his band is dead on. Really great show

10:45 Show ends, lights go up and the smiles and good feelings are everywhere. We thank everyone on their way out and begin the break down. It takes about an hour to break it down and another half hour to load the truck

12:15 The crew and band are packed and gone. The Narrows crew exits the building A good time had by all. The camaraderie and the love of music make it all so special