Category Archives: Bands

Jazz Lover on Your Christmas Shopping List?

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Check out his Web page, which brings you directly to a little movie he produced. Watch the whole thing. It’s only 9 minutes but it’s a delightful 9 minutes. I dig his moviemaking too.

Here’s how he describes himself in the bio page on his website. Gregory Page is a product of his own imagination. He was born in London, England on Easter Sunday in 1963 to Armenian and Irish parents who met while they were on tour with their bands en route to the Middle East.
No wonder I like him so much. He’s a mongrel. I heart mongrels. That and the fact that his mother was in a sixties band called the Beat Chicks. How cool is that?

You can listen to him talk about his mom, his thick glasses, and a whole lot more in a great interview with a Dutch radio station.

You can also check out all his songs from his latest CD, Once & For All. My two faves are Bon Voyage Mon Cheri and Love Made Me Drunk. If you like the songs as much as I do, buy a CD–it’s only $10. And then buy one for everyone on your Christmas list.

Head to the Listening Room Tonight to Hear Happy Lucky Combo

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How lucky am I to have the Happy Lucky Combo boys performing on my very birthday evening. You can hear them too–having a birthday is not required for admission. In fact nothing is required for admission–it’s FREE! Just head down to the Listening Room tonight at 1133 W. Franklin (next to St. James Church). Doors open at 7:30 and music begins right at 8.

 

Exebelle  and the Rusted Calvacade and The River City Band will start things off and Happy Lucky should start right about 9:15.

 

I wouldn’t miss it I I were you. You won’t find better entertainment on a Tuesday night.

 

See ya there. If you don’t know where it is, check out this map.

 

 

My hood…and other things that make me a happy lucky girl

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I worked some long, exhausting hours this past week and I was one tired puppy come Friday night. Part of me wanted to just flop in bed…at 7pm! But the other part (the smart part) knew that Happy Lucky Combo was performing just down the street at Elwood’s Coffee–luckily, the smart part prevailed. I whipped up a quick dinner (turkey deli meat rolled up with a slice of cheese and chased with a swig of milk) and walked the four blocks down the street to the corner of Elwood and Thompson–I love my neighborhood! I can wander to any number of places within blocks of my house, have a beer or two (that’s exactly what I had–2 beers) and listen to a great band or chat with buddies. So I was already happy going in. Then I got instantly happier. You can’t help it when you’re exposed to the carnival-like sounds of Barry, Pippin and Dave.

But don’t take my word for it. Here’s just a taste of their happy lucky sound in their song Peanuts and Popcorn. And since like attracts like…this accordion, drum and bass trio often attract some wicked talented musical guests…this time it was Emily Avesian on the clarinet and baritone sax. Richmond belly dancer Khalima also joined in and completed the magic. Holy belly jiggle, she can dance! Check out this video posted to YouTube by one of the many spectators that night. That coffee shop was packed to the rafters with happy, clapping and stomping folk, me being one of them.

Happy Lucky Combo posts their upcoming gigs on their blog. I strongly suggest that you catch the next one.

The Boss digs accordions

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Bruce is cool enough to know that accordions add richness and depth to all kinds of music and smart enough to have had two kick-ass accordion players (Danny Federici and Nils Lofgren) in his E-Street band.

In this version of Springsteen’s Wild Billy’s Circus, you can listen for the haunting and beautiful strains of Federici’s accordion playing throughout, especially at the beginning. One of the Boss’ coolest songs from his first LP, “Greetings from Asbury Park.”

Or check out Bruce’s concert in Ft. Lauderdale last year, where he’s got three accordions on the stage at once. Lucky concert goers!

And for the trifecta of Bruce and his love and appreciation for the mighty accordion, we have the amazingly talented Nils Lofgren playing Flight of the Bumblebee. You can make fun of accordion only if you can do this. Otherwise, shut your mouth–it’s a damn hard instrument to play. And as an added bonus, here’s Nils at some strange little backyard party in Sweden jamming with some fiddle players. What’s up with the flower-power headband???

R.I.P Danny Federici (January 23, 1950 – April 17, 2008). Melanoma ended his life and his music too soon.

Laissez les bon temps roulez

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The good times were rolling at Shenanigans last night when Cajun masters Jesse Lege and Bayou Brew along with fiddle player Joel Savoy came to town. I totally dig Cajun music. That’s probably no surprise since accordions are king in Cajun land. Cajun music without an accordion is…well…um…it sure as hell isn’t Cajun. But add a fiddle, a triangle, and some sweet nasal singing to the glorious sounds of the squeezebox and you’ve got a foot-tappin’, twirlin’ around the dance floor good time.

I took a couple of friends and we had a ball, along with everyone else in the room. The thing is, you can’t sit still when you listen to this kind of authentic French Canadian Louisiana music. You get up and you dance, even if you don’t know what you’re doing. In this picture I’m trying to teach my friend Theresa how to do the Cajun-two-step.

Sadly, I didn’t have a video camera so I have no live footage of their fabulous performance last night. But here’s a great YouTube video of Jesse Lege and Joel Savoy performing live at a radio station in Seattle. Here’s another one you can practice your two-step to. And if you want to expand your knowledge of Cajun/Zydeco and Louisiana Swamp music, check out Talia Moser’s radio show, Louisiana Dance Hall, on WRIR right here in Richmond every Monday night from 9-11. Then grab your roommate, your neighbor, your husband or your girlfriend and dance, dance, dance.