A
Winter's Day
Back
in July I wrote a column after the Master Musician's Festival in
which I mentioned only a few of the performers who had been
particularly effective at leaving me rapturous. I ended that column
with a promise of more later. I love promises like that because they
are so open ended that it is hard to accuse me of defaulting on the
promise. Well, now is later.
Another
band that was on the bill was Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds. I
had never heard of them prior to this day but when they came out on
stage I knew it would be all right. They were fronted by a lithe,
smallish woman but what I really noticed was the HORNS. Horns just
do the trick for me. And with the type of music this band delivered
the horns were a existential part. This little woman started off
with a low growl that one would not have expected and built it to a
roar with a voice sort of like Beth Hart or Susan Tedeschi and set
off prowling non stop about the stage in the stifling heat. There
are a lot of bands running over with good music that we just never
get to see and some of them benefit greatly from being seen live.
This band is one such band. I caught them a few weeks later on the
TODAY SHOW and the music lacked that edge that was present at the
Master Musician's Festival. Rock and Blues almost has to be
delivered with an edge that almost betrays the musicality inherent in
the song. It is the attitude and empathy that accompany the song
that cuts right to the heart. This band calls Brooklyn home but the
music is straight out of the Southern Soul Sound that is so familiar
to aficionados of the old Stax and Muscle Shoals sound and that sound
carries me away. I never tire of it.
It
was a strong festival showing. From the Bluegrass of Sam Bush to the
traditional Mountain sound of Abigail Washington. From the jazz
influenced banjo of Bela Fleck to the Caribbean influenced sound of
Ben Sollee. From the nontraditional Americana sound of Ben Knight
and the Well Diggers to the soulful blues and raucous delivery of
Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds.
I
once asked Carol Young of the Greencards what it was that caused her
and her bandmates to leave Australia to play the festival circuit in
the United States. She told me that it was the opportunity to
practice her art. She said that such a festival circuit did not
exist in Australia. Playing the festival circuit is not an easy
lifestyle but nowhere else is such freedom of expression afforded an
artist willing to pay the toll. The chance to get to see bands like
these is a treasure. Personally, I think the very best music being
made is heard at the festivals outdoors. We are very fortunate to
the the Master Musician's Festival call Somerset home.
Already
thinking about July. And that's My Take for this cold January day
when reverie drifts to a more pleasant and joyful time. See you
there.
I have made many discoveries over the years at MMF. Gabrielle made us consummate festival goers, too.
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