I really enjoyed this interview with Jerron Paxton from Down Home Radio
We were lucky enough to hear Mr. Paxton play at Merlefest this year. I think he’s one of the most interesting young players (even if he claims he sucks at fiddle) to come along in a long time. Check it out.
Thank you Salah and Jacob for a great evening!
Here’s the Savoy Family Band for a Saturday night…
Tuffy P did some Christmas baking today, with the help of our nanogenarian neighbour, the amazing Alma.
Now that I have done my bit for men’s health and raised some dough for Movember, I’ve decided to keep that moustache for a while. I’m thinking about a little Hercule Poirot fashion statement here. Tuffy P is helping me surf the cutting edge of that fashion experience. Yes friends, she bought me a bow tie. Now I have to learn to tie the darn thing. Fortunately, you can learn to do almost anything by consulting YouTube.
Since I grew the ‘stache, I keep getting asked the same question over and over….”Hey Eugene, did you get new glasses?”….to which I answer, “why yes, like a year ago”….The response to that is invariably, “oh c’mon now, you DID get new glasses.” These are the slings and arrows of being a fashion maven.
I wish I was in California for this one….
I’ve had a tune called Duncan & Brady stuck on my brain today. I don’t know why. I haven’t even listened to it for quite a while, and it isn’t like it’s a big hit popular tune or anything. Oh well, the only thing to do is share it, so here it is, your Daily Dose of Duncan & Brady…
Here’s the mighty Dave van Ronk
And check out the Smokin’ Fez Monkeys…very nice job
Last night we ventured out to Hugh’s Room here in Toronto for a performance by The Kruger Brothers, who are among our faves. We first saw them live at Merlefest back in April, and I confess there was a tear in my eye when Uwe Kruger sang Carolina in the Fall. The Krugers consist of Uwe (say Ouvay) Kruger on guitar and lead vocals, Jens Kruger on banjo and Joel Landsberg on bass. All three are masterful musicians, but the Krugers are not so much about 3 individual stars. Together, they make magic. Here’s a nice example I found on the YouTube machine, captured earlier this year at a show in NC. It’s a cover of the Sting song (whoever thought I’d be listening to a Sting song….) Fields of Gold….
The show at Hugh’s Room was generous and rich and creative and fun. It included part of Jens Kruger’s Appalachian Concerto, some of Uwe’s songs, and some nods to their friend the late Doc Watson, including Streamlined Cannonball and Black Mountain Rag. Here’s Black Mountain Rag, also picked off the YouTube machine…
I’ve enjoyed a lot of live music over the years, but The Kruger Brothers is more of an experience than a show. They whisk you off to their unique world from the first note and keep you there for the whole performance. If you ever get a chance to attend one of their shows, jump at it.
We watched Emperor of the North on DVD the other night, starring Lee Marvin as A No. 1, Ernest Borgnine as Shack and Keith Carradine as Cigaret, directed by Robert Aldrich. This 1973 flick features Marvin as the king of the hobos vs Borgnine as the violent and ruthless railroad bull, who will do anything to ensure nobody rides for free. Keith Carrodine plays a talented young hobo, full of piss and vinegar, who thinks one day he can take over as king. This movie has trains and hobos and Lee Marvin, not to mention a theme song by Marty Robbins, a recipe for success if you ask me. It’s very stylized in parts and the violence in it is quite nasty, but overall both Tuffy P and I enjoyed it. Tuffy remembers seeing it on television years ago, but this was the first time I saw this film.
27th Street 