LISTEN: “Waiting for a Melody” by Alan Griffith

Boone County troubadour Alan Griffith, along with Jay Hill and Andy Lewis, have a new CD out that  resurrects the music of the long-time group Blue Million. Gazz music reviewer Michael Lipton weighed in with a review of that disc at the NewSounds gazzblog right here. (which also includes links to some Gatecrasher blog video of Griffith performing live in local clubs. For today’s “Song of the Day” we take a listen to the Griffith song “Waiting for a Melody” off the eponymous Blue Million CD. The band’s next performance is 9 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 16 at the 19thHole in Madison, W.Va., on the corner beside the Boone County Courthouse. For more on Griffith’s music, visit www.alansongs.com.

Mike Arcuri at Nashville’s legendary Bluebird Cafe. He returns there this Sunday.

SONG OF THE DAY: LISTEN: “The Ghosts of Hank & Hendrix” by Mike Arcuri

Today’s “Song of the Day” features Charleston singer-songwriter Mike Arcuri. He’ll perform this weekend at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, a storied venue for singer-songwriters and a tough nut to crack — but he’s cracking it. Below, he explains the origins of his delightful story-song “The Ghosts of Hank & Hendrix” and the mathematics of playing at the Bluebird. P.S. — You can also catch Arcuri in his duo incarnation with Keith Lahti (that’s Lahti’s electric guitar on “Hank and Hendrix”) as Holy Cow in area clubs and open mics.

STORY OF THE SONG: Mike Arcuri: One night while driving south on I-65 just outside of Nashville, I pulled into a truck stop to pick up some oil for my automobile, which had a bad leak. I’d been on the road for about six hours, having left Charleston earlier that day. I was traveling to Nashville to perform at the Bluebird Café songwriter’s night the next evening. Read the rest of this entry »

SONG OF THE DAY: “Is It Christmas Where You Are?”
ARTIST: Song written and performed by John Lilly

Charleston-based singer-songwriter John Lilly talks about the story behind this song:

This song was written in 1990, during the first Gulf War. I was living in Nashville, and the word went out that people in the music community there were putting together Christmas “CARE” packages for the service men and women overseas. Many people donated recordings and poems and baked goods — I wrote and recorded this song, visualizing the hot desert and inhospitable scene that would greet the soldiers in Iraq and Kuwait on Christmas morning. (Funny note, the original demo of this song, the one I sent overseas, featured a trio of me on guitar and vocal, a friend named Mike Garvey on piano, and the great David Ball on bass. Soon thereafter, David had a huge hit record called “Thinking Problem” and continues to be a popular traditional country singer. But he was doing demo work at the time and played on my session.) Read the rest of this entry »

Kay Graham and her Harold Hayslett cello. Photo by Douglas Imbrogno. Click to enlarge

SONG of the DAY: “Allegro Scherzando” by Felix Battanchon
PERFORMERS: Kim Graham (on Hayslett cello No. 47), with her student Dean Pauley (on Hayslett cello No. 54).
CD: From “The Hayslett Collection: A Musical Tribute.” The CD is for sale locally at Taylor Books, Frog Creek Books, Cornucopia, Gorby’s Music and Ferguson Tea Room in Hurricane and online at cdbaby.com/cd/hayslett

By Douglas Imbrogno
Got cello? Kimberly Graham does and it’s not just any old cello. Read the rest of this entry »

Colleen Anderson, Julie Adams and Karen Vuranch have teamed up on the new CD “Potluck,” featuring songs and stories celebrating wise women, community and home cooking. Hear them perform the CD in an hour-long, family-friendly show at 8 p.m., Friday, Dec. 14, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 502 Kanawha Blvd. West, Charleston. The show is followed by — what else? — a dessert potluck. There’s no cover, but please bring non-perishable foods to donate to the Covenant House Food Pantry. If you feel like bringing a dessert to share afterwards, you’re encouraged, but it’s not required. The CD is available at Taylor Books in Charleston, at Tamarack and at  www.potluckshow.com

Take a listen to a story and song from the CD:
–”Miss Grace” (by Karen Vuranch: a true story about Grace Haught of Wetzel County, W.Va., as told to Vuranch by Grace’s grandson, Jeff)

–”Get Me to the Chocolate” (by Colleen Anderson)

LISTEN:
“March of the Magi,” traditional French melody. Recorded Dec. 14, 2006

IF YOU GO: This year’s “Joy to the World” is 8 p.m. Dec. 13 at the Cultural Center in the state state Capitol Complex. Tickets $20.50 plus service charge by calling (800) 594-TIXX or visit wvpubcast.tv/joy.html. They can also be purchased at Taylor Books. Tickets $25 at the door, although the show usually sells out in advance.

Fans of Bob Thompson’s annual “Joy to the World” music celebration can now get a CD compilation of past highlights from the holiday show. Bob Thompson Productions just released “More Joy to the World” on the Colortones.com label. A compilation of performances from past editions of the annual holiday show, the disc was released to coincide with this year’s event, which takes place 8 p.m. Dec. 13 at the Cultural Center Theater.

The recording features jazzy renditions of holiday songs by the Bob Thompson Unit from the years 2000 to 2006. It also features a performance by the Appalachian Children’s Chorus with guest vocalist Toni Lynn Washington. Read the rest of this entry »

LISTEN:
“Run Rudy Run by Kodac Harrison (4:34 min.)

Kodac Harrison is an Atlanta-based singer/songwriter and spoken-word artist with some prior roots in West Virginia. At one time, he lived here in a community with “Mountain Stage” Band members Ammed Solomon, Steve Hill and others and has recorded with them, Julie Adams, Steve Payne and other area performers. He has a new CD out, “Dreams and Nightmares,” from which we sample a song. In a piece titled “Poets, Writers and Madmen,” an Atlanta writer describes Harrison this way: “Local beatnik bluesman Kodac Harrison sure is a Renaissance kinda guy. Whether he’s performing spoken-word poetry, grooving with his band, or doing the singer-songwriter thing, he has a totally compelling style. Harrison is one of Atlanta’s most creative and inspiring musicians.”

For more on Harrison:
A) his website; B) his Myspace site

Blind Alfred Reed is at center in the photo

Click to hear Kathy Mattea sing “We’ve Got to Have ‘Em, That’s All”

The W.Va. Music Hall of Fame had its debut induction ceremony Nov. 17 at the Cultural Center in the state Capitol Complex. It was an impressive event (watch for an upcoming gazz slideshow) honoring a powerful roster of performers: Billy Edd Wheeler, Hazel Dickens, Little Jimmy Dickens, Bill Withers, Molly O’Day, Leon “Chu” Berry, George Crumb, Johnny Johnson, Clark Kessinger and Blind Alfred Reed. To mark the occasion, the Hall of Fame also released a tribute CD of Blind Alfred Reed songs, sung by a notable list of performers, including Grammy-winning West Virginia native Kathy Mattea. Mattea sings the Alfred Reed song “We’ve Got to Have ‘Em, That’s All” — and you can hear it right here.

Read the rest of this entry »

Listen to ‘Sweetheart’ by Sarah White

Virginia singer-songwriter Sarah White hails from Charlottesville, Va., but spent her formative years in Monroe County, W.Va. With influences ranging from traditional bluegrass to new wave, she’ll sing a Carter Family gospel song as easily as a Blondie cover. After releasing two solo records, Sarah put out her first record with her rock band The Pearls last year. The record, entitled “White Light,” has earned her compliments from no less than Dave Matthews: “Sarah’s music kills me,” he says, “beautifully from the ground up, no plastic. I got stuck behind a logging truck today. I was listening to Sarah. It was great.”

In September, she won ‘Best Song‘ at the 2007 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest international finals in New York City for her song “Sweetheart,” which you can listen to right here. In December, she’ll bring her Fourth Annual Country Christmas show to the Purple Fiddle in Thomas, W.Va., with a troupe of her favorite Charlottesville musicians. For this show, you can expect traditional songs of home, hearth and warm fires, all done in the old country way.

For more on Sarah White, click here to visit her Myspace page and here for her website.

The Voodoo Katz perform at Capitol Roasters and the Empty Glass on Saturday to mark the release of their new “Glimpse” CD. Photos by Jeff Pierson

Listen to the title cut off the new Voodoo Katz “Glimpse” CD

By Adam Harris
For the Gazette

When the Voodoo Katz release their new CD “Glimpse” this Saturday, Nov. 3 they’ll be celebrating more than their own musical accomplishments. “Glimpse” contains some of the last recordings made by local music luminary Derick Kirk (at right), who played in numerous area bands before succumbing to cancer at the age of 28 in July.

It’s a bittersweet celebration. The album stands as a worthy testament to a talented musician. The sound reflects the positive outlook he personified in the face of his illness. Read the rest of this entry »