NEWS FEATURES, August 4 edition, Acoustic Americana Music News 2008

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"Tied to the Tracks"
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC CALENDAR & NEWS
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NEWS FEATURES for Aug 4, 2008
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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The Acoustic Americana Music Calendar with updated posts and our popular “anniversaries” of things that happened each day in the history of music, entertainment, and the rest of the world, is now at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com. Myspace has made changes that limit the size of posts, and that makes it far too time-consuming and ponderous to post the calendar there in small pieces.
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Our myspace site, www.myspace.com/laacoustic is still the place to go for news of the syndicated “Tied to the Tracks” radio show, and its new TV counterpart that launches soon.
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FUTURE EVENTS are all moving to our Blogspot page. Archived NEWS FEATURES are still found on our myspace site, where you can also peruse radio playlists and other old things, back to when acoustic music was made by indigenous natives pounding on hollow logs with rocks.
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MOST RECENT News Features posted July 23, 2008.
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NEWS FEATURES:
August 4, 2008
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1) SPECIAL OLYMPICS BENEFIT AUG 30, WITH CHILI & INDIE WESTERN MUSIC
The band WESTERN STATE OF MIND is playing Aug 30 for a Chili Cook-Off / benefit sponsored by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department. Money raised will be donated to Special Olympics. The event starts at 11 am at the Castaic Equestrian Center, located near the County Animal Shelter off I-5 and Pitches Rd. The event is open to the public, with free admission, and money is raised by charging for some fine hot chili. The band will set a western tone by the entrance area.
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2) FIRE AT RATTLESNAKE SLIM’S CLOSES VENUE FOR REPAIRS
For those of you who may have booked a gig, or planned to attend a show, at Rattlesnake Slim’s, 23127 Lyons Av, Newhall, www.myspace.com/rattlesnakeslims, 661-877-4165, the venue suffered damage in a recent fire and is temporarily closed.
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The Newhall venue opened earlier this year, has rapidly gained popularity, and has been coming into its own as a home for significant concerts by local and touring artists. One recent benefit show, for arts education, starred western music queen JUNI FISHER.
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Before inviting your friends and fans to a show there, check with Gordon, the proprietor, for the latest estimate of when he will re-open. Meanwhile, if anyone has a suggestion for the Western Music Association, for where to hold the first & third Wednesday night jams, please contact Buck Corbett at 818-288-7745 or JCorbett1@socal.rr.com. WMA moved the jam from Vincenzo’s Pizza to Rattlesnake Slim’s in June, and had reported that artists and fans alike were enthusiastic about the saddle & tack shop / coffeehouse ambiance. Here’s wishing Gordon and his staff a rapid recovery and early reopening!
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3) STEVE GOODMAN BIO BOOK TOUR, WITH MUSIC, A BIG SUCCESS
We were privileged to meet author CLAY EALS (www.clayeals.com) while he was in Southern Cal. His hefty bio, "STEVE GOODMAN: FACING THE MUSIC," is the definitive work on the late singer-songwriter who is best remembered for writing “City of New Orleans,” a big hit for ARLO GUTHRIE. But Goodman was so much more, as anyone who saw him perform, or has seen one of his shows on TV’s “Austin City Limits” can attest. Appropriately, the nationwide book tour includes concerts by today’s artists, singing Steve Goodman songs. (We told you, a few weeks ago, about the opportunities to perform at the Steve Goodman events, arranged by Alyssa Archambault, www.panioloproductions.com; we’ve worked with her to host live performances on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” by BILL TAPIA for his 100th birthday, and by DAN JANISCH.) Clay Eals’ book on Goodman is hefty and formidable, packed with photos and interviews with well-known artists who tell of their interactions with the superbly-talented Goodman. Our review will appear when we finish reading it, and we’ll let you know where you can find that review. Meantime, for those who don’t want to wait, the book is available in all the national book chains, independent bookstores, and on the author’s website.
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4) NICOLE GORDON SINGS NATIONAL ANTHEM AT DODGER STADIUM
No sooner did we tell you about ANGIE STEVENS singing the anthem for a Dodgers – Rockies game in Denver, then the Boys in Blue were back at Chavez Ravine, and NICOLE GORDON sang the Anthem for the home game on Sat, July 26. Nicole has twice performed live on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks” with her “Songs of Shiloh” songwriting partner MARTY AXELROD, and their thematic album scored a “Listener Favorite” on TttT with their song, “The Boy from Crooked Creek.” Nicole tells us the call came from Dodger Stadium without a lot of notice. And alas, the L.A. TV broadcast didn’t include the National Anthem. But those who were there cheered wildly for Nicole. See www.myspace.com/nicolegordonmusic for more.
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5) R.I.P. JOSIAH ESTELLE, FINGERSTYLE GUITARIST
This summer has had far too many losses in the acoustic music world. Last week’s note from Greg Atkin, president of the Association of Fingerstyle Guitarists, told us, “I have sad news about AFG member Josiah Estelle. His sister called me today and told me that Josiah had died in a car accident this week. Needless to say, I am shocked and very saddened by the news. It was just about a month ago that we all gathered at the Fret House in Covina and Josiah entertained us by performing on stage. This performance was only his second for an AFG event and he played wonderfully. Josiah was a fine composer and songwriter, too. He was just the creative type that AFG values in the membership.” There was a memorial gathering on July 27. Those who missed it and knew him, and wish to send a message to his family, may contact Greg Atkin at gatkin@strum-n-comfort.com. Greg added, “Josiah would always end his email messages like this: ‘Your Ever Well Wisher Om Namo Bhagavata Vasudevaya – Josiah.’”
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6) BIDDING FAREWELL TO ARTIST FRIENDS
Hollywood would have you believe that cowboys (even cowgirls) are rather stoic. But when something needs to be said, especially words to find meaning or comfort for those in distress, the figure beneath the big hat, who arrives on horseback, is a welcome and often eloquent visitor. And all those who have discovered cowboy poetry probably see this coming.
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This July, we, in the acoustic Americana music community, lost Jim "Okie" Adams of the Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest and Old Time Fiddlers; L.G. Ravare of the local zydeco dance scene; fingerstyle guitarist Josiah Estelle; and a BUNCH of fine people in the western music world: Frederic Fridborg, husband of mega-award-winning singer-songwriter Belinda Gail; Jane Richardson, wife of cowboy poet Pat Richardson; Ken Griffis, author of books on the Sons of the Pioneers, Sons of the San Joaquin, and the Reinsmen; Wilma "Willie" Schooler, a founder of the Western Music Association; and Velma Spencer.
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Many writers who are unaccustomed to penning obituaries have been working overtime to note the contributions of so many lost in such a short time. Then came the transcendent effort of a cowboy (er, cowgirl) poet.
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KAREN GOGOLICK of Madison, Wisconsin, and the band, KG & The Ranger, wrote to tell us, “I wrote a poem I'd like to share with everyone. Each of us carries a unique wealth of individual memories, and the loss of any one person touches the world by the loss of that person's accumulation of experience, wisdom, and knowledge. Following the latest round of sad news in our community, this poem kind of wrote itself. There were many more folks in my heart as I wrote this, but sadly there are too many to try and name them all. I'll just dedicate it to all who have gone on before us....” FAREWELL DEAR FRIENDS The old guard all are leaving us
One by one, they are no more
And taking with them when they go
An unknown wealth of lore.Treasure vast, although its worth
In dollars can't be counted
It's only made of memories
And tales left un-recounted.By the long lives that they lived
They stored for us the past,
And made a bridge to newer times
With younger friendships fast.So now, torchbearers we must be
Our duty comes alive –
Keepers of the memories,
That cowboy song may thrive.(© Karen Gogolick, July 22, 2008)KG & The Ranger are Karen Gogolick & Rick Roltgenwww.kgandtheranger.com
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x) THIS WEEK’S MUSIC VIDEO PICKS
We live in times that make it obvious why the ancient Chinese admonition, “May you live in interesting times,” was considered a curse. The most thoughtful among us still find some kind of uneasy balance between the sometimes irreverent humor that allows us to keep going despite the absurdities, while discovering things that still command our reverence and give us hope. Most of us plan to vote in this election year, because, after all, “America – it just might work,” as the lyrics say in one of our picks this week. Accordingly, we offer you three songs from two different indie artists.
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First, ROY ZIMMERMAN is one of the best political songwriters of our time, acclaimed even by Tom Lehrer. In Roy’s song, “Thanks for the Support,” we hear a perspective from U.S. troops deployed in Iraq for the third time. Roy gave “Tied to the Tracks” the world radio premiere of the song last year. It’s now on Roy’s newest CD, and a live performance version is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlUyNmUABbc
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Also from ROY ZIMMERMAN is his song “America,” one that he performed live on TttT. A live version is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDSAmQ_AqEU
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Cowboy artist CLYDE LUCAS created our third pick. Whether to balance things, or simply to remember that we are the sum total of all our experiences as individuals and as a society, we recommend his original, “John Wayne - He's America.” It has plenty of clips and images from The Duke’s films, and offers a fine microcosm of how and why a Hollywood figure can become a larger-than-life heroic icon from the roles he plays. It is now playing on the “American Cowboy Magazine” site (videos) and on the Official John Wayne website. Congratulations to indie artist Clyde for those recognitions. His fully-produced video is at http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1630415417
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Finally, L.A. folks have two chances to see ROY ZIMMERMAN perform before the November election, one on Sunday, Aug 9 at McCabe’s, the other on Monday, Aug 10 at the Coffee Gallery Backstage. (See the calendar listings.) He’s shared the stage with such diverse talents as GEORGE CARLIN, ARLO GUTHRIE, KATE CLINTON, BILL CLINTON, ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, BILL MAHER and PAUL KRASSNER, and played a series of shows swapping songs with The Pixies' FRANK BLACK. Zimmerman founded and wrote all the material for the satirical folk quartet THE FOREMEN, who recorded for Warner Reprise throughout the Nineties. As a solo artist, he’s released five albums. A video of Roy’s performance of his song “Creation Science 101” made the front page of YouTube recently and got over 730,000 views, and 11,000 comments - many of them coherent. You can find that one when you view our picks from Roy.
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NEXT WEEK, we’ll bring lots more news.
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copyright (c) © 2008, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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Be sure to check EVERY WEEK for
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+ the extensive and always huge Acoustic Americana Music Calendar’s event listings
at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com, or at www.myspace.com/laacoustic.
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+ news of the “TIED TO THE TRACKS” radio & TV shows coming soon in syndication.
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+ the latest NEWS FEATURES from the acoustic music universe!
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WANT TO CONTACT US?
tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com
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