Great performance of “Two” by a clean looking Ryan Adams. The song is off his recent release Easy Tiger and was filmed on June 27, 2007.
Here is another great Adams performance from the DVD documentary Ryan Adams: Music In High Places. For those wondering, this was filmed in Jamaica.
Tom Rush is a folk singer who has easily gotten misfiled in the classic folk-singer collection by many people, most particularly my X-generation of music listeners. Rush entered the folk scene in the early 1960s while he was a student at Harvard University studying English Literature. As the popularity of folk in America grew Rush was eventually signed to Elektra Records in 1965. Although primarily known for his perfect choice in cover songs, Rush did leave his mark on the folk scene in 1968 with his own composition, No Regrets, which has since become a folk standard. Although very popular in the 1960s and early 1970s, Rush has primarily been forgotten, even though he still tours and releases albums from time to time. The one album I recommend is his self-titled release on Colombia from 1970.
Here is the first song on this album. It is called Driving Wheel.
Trey is releasing a new album next month, The Horseshoe Curve, which should tame the hunger for many of his hardcore fans who enjoy hearing him test the boundaries of musical exploration rather than deliver albums full of 4 minute rockers. The fully instrumental album will be a departure from his last few solo efforts and feature a Afro-Cuban sound, complete with five-piece horn section. I am really looking forward to this release and hopefully late-summer tour to follow. Read below for the offical press release:
On July 24, composer, bandleader and guitarist Trey Anastasio will release his new album The Horseshoe Curve via his own Rubber Jungle Records on both CD as well as a limited pressing of Vinyl. Instrumental from start to finish, The Horseshoe Curve showcases Trey’s Afro-Cuban-influenced compositions, replete with five-part horn arrangements, tight breaks, multiple percussionists and Trey’s signature guitar work. The Horseshoe Curve is a journey, an inventive exploration of the big band funk that Trey has been steeped in for the larger part of the decade.
The Horseshoe Curve was recorded with producer Bryce Goggin at The Barn, as well as Trout Recording in Brooklyn, NY. Alongside Anastasio, the band includes sax players Dave Grippo, Peter Apfelbaum and Russell Remington; trumpeter Jen Hartswick, trombonist Andy Moroz, keyboardist Ray Paczkowski, drummer Russ Lawton, percussionist Cyro Baptista and bassist Tony Markellis.
As a bonus, Rubber Jungle Records will also release the Lucius Beebe EP, a five-song live CD available free to customers who pre-order the album from Anastasio’s website. The EP features live versions of three songs from The Horseshoe Curve and two songs from Seis De Mayo along with special guest appearances by Jon Fishman and John Medeski.
The album artwork features an illustration by Scott Lenhardt (who also did Seis De Mayo), a Vermont artist who recently spent time at the Barn as part of the Seven Below Arts Residency Program. A Portion of the proceeds from “The Horseshoe Curve” will benefit the Seven Below Arts Initiative, the arts education non-profit that Anastasio founded last year. For more information visit Trey.com/nonprofit
Visit Trey’s Online Store to preorder The Horseshoe Curve
THE HORSESHOE CURVE:
Sidewalks Of San Francisco
Olivia
Burlap Sack And Pumps
The Fifth Round
The Horseshoe Curve
Noodle Rave
Tube Top Tony
Porters Pyramids
Ran into Brett Dennen by accident this past weekend as an opener at the Ben Folds/John Mayer show at Red Rocks. Never heard the guy play until he took the stage and I have to say I was fully impressed. In fact, I didn’t even know what the band’s name was, but five songs into their set I knew I really liked it. Even turned to a friend and said, “I think I am going to buy this band’s CD at set-break.” Before his final song in the opening set, he said he was going to playing up in Boulder the following night. Turned out I already had tickets and didn’t even know it as a friend asked me if I wanted to go check him out a few days prior. His set ended, he got a standing ovation as an opener and I went and bought his CD along with the new overly-priced, 20-ounce Red Rocks beer for $7.25.
Brett Dennen is not 19-years-old like everyone is saying. More than a few people mentioned to me that he was in his teens. He is actually 28 and even though his childish face shows a younger age, being older doesn’t make his songwriting and unique style any less impressive. He has released two albums; his self-titled debut album in 2004 and So Much More this past November. I ended up buying So Much More and listened to the entire album on the drive back to Boulder from Red Rocks. This album is very much instantly likable. It is an acoustically driven album that focuses on Dennen’s knack for clever lyrics and self-introspection. The sound of the album does differ from his live show, which features an equal amount of electric and acoustic guitars, but it is still a solid piece of work and should be put on the radar for anyone who enjoys James Taylor, Tracy Chapman, Paul Simon or Jack Johnson. I would also like to point out that if Jim Henson created a folk-singer Muppet he would have created Brett Dennen. Go see him live and you will know what I am talking about.
Check out a few of his tunes here:
http://www.myspace.com/brettdennen
Check out his website here:
Or watch a in studio performance here:
Gillian Welch, David Rawlings and Old Crow Medicine Show put a nice treatment on this classic, which was written by Robbie Robertson. The original version appeared on The Band’s debut album, Music From Big Pink, which was released in 1968.
