NEMS News #204 - January 13, 2007

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
January 13, 2007
Issue 2007:204

E-MAIL via:
http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm
(Please do NOT click the Reply button.)


We've got Thrills, chills, Dirty Water
What more do you need?
When the big beat hits ya
Comin' from your transistor
Like the T at full speed
When the big beat hits ya...

-- "Boston Lullaby," Dudick/Naihersey.
Copyright c. 1980 by Camaraderie Music, BMI.
All rights reserved. Used with permission.


. . . . .


I just gave this issue a hasty look-through and did not see a link to
the Boston Phoenix about current activities of former members of the
Boston band,

CAVE IN.

If in fact there is no link from here to that article, I believe a lot
of our readers will want to hasten down to the Phoenix Web site anyway
and find the article for themselves.

LAST MINUTE ADDITION:

Extended family
Cave In spin off
By JEFF BREEZE
January 11, 2007 12:33:00 PM
in The Phoenix this week

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid31121.aspx


Just last evening, for the first time, I heard the new-ish "Ghost
Repeater" CD by

JEFFREY FOUCAULT

out of Greenfield, Massachusetts. It is one of New England's best
2006 releases. If you can do it, many of you will want to look through:

Foucault Speaks from the Heart
on "Ghost Repeater"
Brattleboro Reformer
Arts and Entertainment Section
Thursday, January 11

By Dave Madeloni


This week like nearly all others, we have had real difficulty with the
Web sites of the usual newspapers we check, with the Boston Globe
being particularly problematic. But we seldom have a problem with the
Boston Herald's site, a thing I very much appreciate. It is also an
added incentive to get on over there to the Herald for Daniel
Gewertz's notice of

THE BOSTON CELTIC MUSIC FESTIVAL

Jed Gottlieb's article about

BLACK HELICOPTER,

and the Michael Marotta piece about

BARNICLE.


I've got to enter a new subscription and then leave for a
public-access computer appointment, so I'm afraid this is all I have
time for. This issue will have to go out totally unedited unless the
unlikely should occur and I get public-access computer time to work on it.


We start by noting the passing of

BILL GEHMAN

of Guilford, Vermont. Bill is an old friend. But in connection with
this operation, he was many other things.

Bill was a founder and proprietor of a club, the Chelsea House, that
was a major player in the world of live music in this town for most of
the 1970s and into the 1980s. From the early 1970s through to really
not much more than days ago, Bill engineered an amazing amount of
music recording, from informal cassettes to official releases on
established record labels.

Well after the New England Music Scrapbook got off the ground, we ran
into a major computer problem at a most inopportune time. Bill fixed
it for us ... and for free. He subscribed to this newsletter and sent
news materials. The last time I saw him in person, this newsletter
was our only topic of discussion. And in the last e-mail he sent me,
he was promoting a local vocal group.

Bill Gehman was a definite part of what we do. And as far as I know,
in recent years I gave Bill most of his writeups. So what has
appeared here, along with in my Vermont Guardian articles, was the
great majority of his print notice. Or so I believe.

Years ago, Bill told me he was not at all well and he could drop dead
at any time. And it did not take long for his appearance to seem to
show a decline in health. So I simply was not going to wait until he
was gone to sing his praises as opportunity allowed.

I think it was a little over a week ago that Bill went into a coma,
and he never came out nor did anyone expect he would, as far as I can
tell.

The death notice in our local newspaper, the Brattleboro Reformer,
merely said that Bill died peacefully on Friday morning and that there
would be a rememberance on Monday at the Guiford Community Church.

This is a serious loss for this community and a real loss, too, for
this newsletter.

A lot of us are going to miss Bill Gehman. May he rest in peace.


I was totally outgunned this week. I'll spare you the details: the
story runs on WAY too long. Suffice it to say, then, that we received
an astonishing amount of e-mail and, no doubt, a lot of great stuff
got lost in the flood, to borrow a Bruce-ism.

Aside from the usual sorts of news mailings, the most apropos items in
the week's bombardment had to do with

JACK LENNON,

John's grandfather. Jack Lennon played banjo in an American band, the
Kentucky Minstrels, an outfit that toured the country for promoter

ANDREW ROBERTON.

A descendant of Roberton is researching her family's history, and she
contacted us in that connection. The New England Music Scrapbook is
one of the very few spots along the information superhighway with any
information to speak of about Jack Lennon and his banjo-plunking days
in the USA. Yet this is hardly obscure information. The author of
the authorized Beatles biography referred to it in his book.

Possibly there will be something to post on this later.

Our regular receipts of news mailings were buried so deep in the
unprecedented amount of mail which came this week that I might not
have been able to pull together this issue. But the day was saved by
Sheryl Hunter of the Greenfield (Mass.) Recorder.

We received a request for a copy of Sheryl's "Best of the Pioneer
Valley 2006" issue of her "Sounds Local" column. We procured an
electronic copy, which is posted below; and it is this piece, made up
as it is of ten related but separate items, which gave us the start
that made this newsletter issue possible.

Sheryl's column notes several personal favorite acts, such as The
Stone Coyotes, I particularly commend to you the item about "Dust of
Many Horses" by

DAVID "GOODY" GOODRICH.

Goodrich's releases do not receive a huge promotional push, and likely
the great majority of people who would really love his albums never
hear about them. But "Dust of Many Horses" was one of the best 2006
CDs issued out of New England, and Sheryl's selection of "Dust" among
her best of the Valley picks is a step toward giving his excellent
album the recognition it deserves.


I have no idea what happened to the

BOSTON GLOBE

on Friday. From start to finish of my public-access computer time,
the Globe's Leisure/Arts section was a total blank, except for the
staff photos of Globe columnists and the links to their latest creations.

It was great, though, to be looking at Joan Anderman's staff photo
over and over again as I kept trying the Living/Arts page. On this
machine, she has a decided green tint. On the public-access PC, she
looks more life-like.

The Globe's Living/Arts page linked to only one article on Saturday!

The links to Obituaries and their A&E temporary archive took two tries
to work every time, first, each time, hauling up a pop-up window whose
contents would not load. This is not good. And it is only the most
recent example of major problems with their site.


Quiet riot
Acoustic music is making a lot of noise
By BOB GULLA
January 10, 2007 4:50:55 PM
In the Providence Phoenix this week

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid31407.aspx

I had to glance through this in a real hurry. But Bob Gulla's local
music column in this week's Providence Phoenix looked to me like one
of the major articles of the week. I noticed Becky Chace's photo and,
I belive, a significant item about her.


Hotline: Label un-Charmed by album cover art
By Michael Marotta
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
In Wednesday Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=176218

THE CHARMS certainly have had a charming history. Great band. One
of my favorites. One of the best ways to slow down an album release
is to fiddle with the cover art. Make a mental note for next time.
It would be my advice.


RADIO TRACKS

At two adult rock stations, a game of musical chairs for the new year
Terry Lieberman is the new general manager for WXRV ("The River"),
based in Haverhill.

By Clea Simon, Globe Correspondent | January 11, 2007
In Thursday's Boston Globe

WXRV-FM (92.5) ("The River") and WBOS-FM (92.9)

http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2007/01/11/at_two_adult_rock_stations_a_gam\
e_of_musical_chairs_for_the_new_year/


SHERYL HUNTER'S FAVORITE
2006 PIONEER VALLEY RECORD RELEASES

As we start off a new year, I have gone through the annual ritual of
assembling some of my favorite CDs of 2006. This list will focus on
recordings of musicians who live and work here in the Valley and is
not necessarily a "best-of" list. It is more of an accounting of some
of the music releases that I have enjoyed over the past year - and
think that you might as well.

It is also worth noting that these songs are not listed in any
particular order. I also have to admit that I have not heard every CD
that was released this past year, so there are bound to be omissions
on this list.

Most of these CDs are available at your local independent record
store, but if you can't find them they are for sale on the artist's
website. (I have included the web address of each musician). And for
those musicians who have upcoming local gigs, I have posted those
dates as well. So do yourself a favor and consider giving a couple of
these a listen - you will not be sorry.

Happy New Year and happy listening!

1) Jeffrey Foucault :Ghost Repeater" (Signature Sounds)

Jeffrey Foucault holed up in Iowa City during one of the coldest weeks
of the year to record "Ghost Repeater," a beautiful and haunting
record that will stay with you long after the first listen. The 11
beautifully melodic songs here straddle the line between country and
folk, all while exploring themes of hope, love and loneliness.
Greenfield resident Foucault is joined by guitarist Bo Ramsey (who
produced the disc) as well as a host of other fine musicians. The
album is already popping up on critics best-of lists across the country.

www.jeffreyfoucault.com

2) The Stone Coyotes "Dreams of Glory" (Red Cat Records)

The first family of rock just keep on cranking out winning music.
Easily one of the hardest working and most prolific bands in the
valley, the Greenfield-based Stone Coyotes have come up with another
fine disc that's anchored by the always solid songwriting of Barbara
Keith. "Dreams of Glory" has gotten some nice support from the
Satellite Radio XM Country station, but don't worry - the Coyotes
haven't gone soft. They even include a cover of Motorhead's "Ace of
Spades" on this disc. A remix of "Any Way the Wind Blows," from the
2002 release, "Ride Away From the World," and live versions of "Whole
Lotta Money" and "Hammer on the Nail" are a welcomed bonus.

The Stone Coyotes will perform at the Rt. 63 Roadhouse in Millers
Falls on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 9 p.m.

www.thestonecoyotes.com

3) Sonya Kitchell "Words Came Back to Me" (Velour)

What a year this was for Sonya Kitchell! The 16-year-old from
Ashfield made quite a splash with this, her major label debut. Sure
the critics made a fuss over her age, but they also unanimously
praised her for the way she seamlessly blended pop, folk and jazz as
well as her smooth-as-silk voice. There were lots of comparisons to
Norah Jones, but it's worth noting that unlike Jones and others ladies
of that ilk, Kitchell writes all her own material. Kudos for local
resident Miro Sprague, whose stunning piano playing is a major
contribution to Kitchell's disc.

Sonya Kitchell and Miro Sprague will peform at the Iron Horse Music
Hall in Northampton tonight at 7 p.m. as part of the PVPA alumni show.

www.sonyakitchell.com

4) The Amity Front "Highway Bound"

The Amity Front are a new band that gained plenty of attention this
past year based on their great live performances and their debut CD,
"Highway Bound." This rootsy outfit from Amherst recorded this CD at
the Windham Hotel in Bellows Falls, Vermont, with David "Goody"
Goodrich serving as producer. The disc opens with "A Song for Suzie,"
where the band sounds like they are channeling The Band, but then
moves into a collection of old time blues and Americana songs. While
mining the past for their inspiration, The Amity Front manage to
create music that is very much their own.

The Amity Front will perform at the Iron Horse Music Hall on Thursday,
March 29 at 10 p.m.

www.amityfront.com

5) Fancy Trash "Three Cheers for the Cheated" (Nine Mile Records)

Fancy Trash is one of the finest bands working in the Valley today.
Led by Dave Houghton, who writes all of the lyrics and sings them in a
shrill falsetto reminiscent of Neil Young, this trio plays edgy,
acoustic rock that is unlike anything else you have heard before. Not
only does the band manage to create a punkish vibe without plugging
in, they also are one the few groups out there working with the lineup
of acoustic standup bass, drums and guitar. Fancy Trash approach
their music in a way that makes them one of the most original and
unique bands in the area.

www.fancytrash.com

6) The Lonesome Brothers "Mono" (Captivating Music)

The Lonesome Brothers have always benefited from having two excellent
songwriters in bassist Ray Masson and guitarist Jim Armenti, and on
this disc, their sixth, the tunes are as solid as ever. But what
makes this disc different is that this time out the Brothers (which
also includes drummer Tom Shea who also plays mandolin on "Mono") took
a unique approach toward recording. "Mono" was recorded live into a
single large microphone and the result is a stripped down set with a
relaxed, comfortable feel.

The Lonesome Brothers will perform at the Rt. 63 Roadhouse in Millers
Fall on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 9 p.m. They will also perform at the
Meadows in Greenfield on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 8:30 p.m.

www.lonesomebrothers.com

7) David Goodrich "Dust of Many Horses" (Thought so Productions)

This disc was technically released in 2005, but since it didn't reach
my ears or those of many other listeners until 2006, I decided to
include it on this list. Goodrich, who is better known as "Goody,"
has made a name for himself as producer of artists like Chris Smither
and also as a member of the acoustic group Redbird (that also includes
Kris Delmhorst, Jeffrey Foucault and Peter Mulvey). Goodrich,
however, is a recording artist in his own right and on this
instrumental disc he plays guitar, banjo, kalimba, loops & tape. Some
of the music here has a jazzy feel while some songs have more of a
folk edge. But that hardly matters as it is all beautifully
expressive music. Goordrich wrote eight of the songs here and also
includes a cover a Coltrane tune, a Kurt Cobain song, and one tune he
co-wrote with Kris Delmhorst.

David Goodrich will perform at Memorial Hall in Shelburne Falls on
Saturday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m.

www.davidgoodrich.com

8) Travis LeDoyt "Lonely Street" (****)

Travis LeDoyt has come a long way from his days of performing his
Elvis tribute act on the Greenfield town common. The Greenfield
native is considered one of the finest Elvis tribute artists working
today, and as a result he brings his act around the world. But this
past year LeDoyt decided to take a stab at writing his own material
and released his first album of his own material. The ten tracks on
this album are very much Elvis inspired, and Travis' voice is eerily
like the King's yet these songs are all Travis. From the rockabilly
sound of "Dig This Rock" to the ballad, "Last One," LeDoyt proves that
he is a talented songwriter. Anyone who has enjoyed Travis' Elvis
tribute owes it to themselves to check out this disc and enjoy a whole
new side of this talented musician.

Travis LeDoyt will perform at the Orange Town Hall on Saturday, April 14

www.travisledoyt.com

9) Sonic Youth "Rather Ripped" (Geffen)

Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore have called Northampton home for some
time now, so we are going to stretch a little and include Sonic
Youth's latest release on this list. Sonic Youth are known for their
loud, squalling feedback sound and dissonant guitars, but on this
release their 21st, they have made a record that is easily one of
their more accessible works to date. The opening track, "Reena," is a
delightful pop tune made even more so by Gordon's girlish breathy
vocals. In fact, many of the songs on "Rather Ripped" have an almost
pop feel to them. There aren't many bands that have been around this
long that can still create music that is so fresh and vital.

Thurston Moore will perform at the Iron Horse Music Hall on Wednesday,
Jan. 31 at 8:30 p.m.

www.sonicyouth.com

10) Kris Delmhorst "Strange Conversations" (Signature Sounds)

Not only does her sweet, smooth voice and fine playing make this disc
a standout, but "Strange Conversations" is based on an interesting
concept as well. Delmhorst built the album around the works of such
poets as Byron, Browning, Whitman, cummings and Rumi, at times
reworking the words of these poets into song lyrics and at other times
using them as a source of inspiration for her own writing. The result
is a wide-ranging album that spans a variety of emotions and musical
styles.

Kris Delmhorst will perform at Memorial Hall in Shelburne Falls on
Friday, March 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Honorable mention: Stephanie Marshall - "Silk & Steel," Ray Mason Band
- "Don't Mess With Our Routine," The Kennedys - "Songs of the Open Road."

We have more to look forward to in 2007 as new releases are on tap
from Winterpills, Erin McKeown, Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem, Fountains of
Wayne, The Nields, The Stone Coyotes, and many others

Sheryl's Local Favorites for 2006
"Sounds Local Column
By Sheryl Hunter
The Recorder
Greenfield, Massachusetts
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Arts & Entertainment Section
Pages 3 and 4

SHERYL'S COLUMN IS INTERESTING in a variety of ways. She has one
record on her Top 10, for instance, that I totally forgot to consider
for my own "Best of 2006" list. She also named a record by a Valley
band that I didn't even know had a new CD. And I live right on the
outskirts of the Pioneer Valley.

Then there is "Ghost Repeater" by

JEFFREY FOUCAULT.

"Ghost Repeater" didn't make my "Best of" list for one and only one
reason: I didn't hear it. It arrived this week and I played it for
the first time last evening. "Ghost Repeater" is a real honey of an
album by an exceptionally interesting performer. His notion of being
in a conversation with American musicians, past and present, near and
far, figured into my interview with Professor Dale Cockrell for this
week's Vermont Guardian. Dale, it seems, has a very similar idea, the
main difference being that he prefers the word, "dialogue."

Thanks to Sheryl Hunter for pretty nearly writing this issue of our
newsletter for us or at least saving the day.


BARNICLE

Hotline: Barnicle wields a whale of a power-pop sound
By Michael Marotta
Thursday, January 11, 2007 - Updated: 05:56 PM EST
In Thursday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=176619


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


One of the greatest and most familiar pieces of music in American
history came out of Keene (NH) High School. Can you name it?

Answer at the end of brief items.


I'm headed fast toward being totally out of time, and I have no time
later to fall back on. So here are some brief items speedily considered:

THE LOVE DOGS, who in the past have toured quite widely, have had a
member partly sidelined in an experiment in parenting. But the band
is hoping to hit the road soon, with stops in the Midwest in April and
May and a West Coast trip this summer. It's tentative. Watch their
site or this space.

FLUTTR EFFECT's latest mailing includes an extended discussion of the
PAN9 fire. I know nothing about it. But obviously this fire affected
Fluttr Effect members ... and not for the better I gather. If we can,
we'll run their story later. But it seems important to mention it
now. It appears the band could use whatever support it can get.

JOE HUTCHINSON has a new independently-released CD with the decidedly
NON-Hutchinsonian title, "Just Another Folkin' Son of a Hutch." He
had a great record years ago with a quirky sound produced by himself
and his brother, Mr. Hutchinson, and featuring topnotch songwriting.
Then he got signed by a label that seemed to think giving him more of
a plastic sound was the way to go. Hear how he has rebounded on the
new CD. Joe was originally from New Jersey, though he has been in Los
Angeles for the longest time. His wife is from Newton, Massachusetts.
So I imagine some of our readers will know about him and his music.

JAMAICA PLAIN DOCUMENTARY There was not a lot in the recent mailing
about a Jamaica Plain Massachusetts documentary that we could easily
and quickly pass along, except to say that it is called "Jamaica Plain
Spoken" and there is the inevitable Web site,

http://www.jamaicaplainspoken.com/

The DROPKICK MURPHYS' video, "I'm Shipping Up to Boston," is on
YouTube this week and will be accessible (if all goes well, I imagine)
on the official DKM Web site next week.


This town, Brattleboro, Vermont, has a radio commercial running these
days that may be quite familiar to Bostonians, but I have never heard
it before. It is an advertisement for a show by the Boston band,

BEATLEJUICE,

at Keene High School in Keene, New Hampshire.

I have checked Beatlejuice show listings in the past, and this Keene
booking I think may be farther from Boston than any I have seen.
Possibly the band has played MassMOCA in western Massachusetts.
Either way, it is great to see those guys getting out, and it is
particularly great to see them getting over our way. We need them
more than Boston does. It seems to me.


DESIREE' APOLONIO BASSETT

We recently received an e-mail about "14-year-old girl guitar player /
prodigy Desiree' Apolonio Bassett: yes, her real name. she is from
Connecticut and is quickly being recognized as a guitar wonder among
the top players in the world. see her on myspace.com/desireebassett
to see some of the people that have an interest in Desiree'. she has
endorsements from Peavy, Daisy rock, and Schecter guitars, and has
shared the stage with Kal David, Allman brothers band members, Living
Colour, Andy Aledort, to name a few. you can see her videos on
youtube.com or aol uncut videos or just type in her name and do a search."

-- E-Mail Message, Dan Bassett to Alan Lewis
January 12, 2007

WELL, I AM TOTALLY CLUELESS. Never saw the name before. But way back
in 1974 or a hair earlier when thoughts of something along the lines
of the New England Music Scrapbook were first taking their earliest
shape, I started listening to New England country artists (plus Doc
and Chickie Williams and daughter, honorary New Englanders). One of
them was a really fine Maine guitarist - but his origins were in
Connecticut - Fred Pike. Not much later, through connections with
John Coster and Jacob's Reunion, many of us in this area became
acquainted with really fine Connecticut guitarists Jeff Pevar and
Preston Reed. So we have a long history of knowing that Connecticut
can turn out excellent guitarists. We have requested a hardcopy
presskit and may have more to say later.


THE OUTERSPACE BAND

Every year we hear from

THE OUTERSPACE BAND.

Every year they tell us the same things, as though we had never heard
any of it before and all of it is news to us. But once again, Sheryl
Hunter has come to the rescue. A member of the OuterSpace crowd is
based in her coverage area, and she has given the OuterSpace Band a
feature of good size in her "Sounds Local" column of the Arts and
Entertainment pullout section of the Greenfield (Mass.) Recorder.
This ought to put the OSB in a different and fuller perspective.
Worth a look if you can get your hands on a copy of Thursday's
Recorder out of Greenfield, Massachusetts.


MEG HUTCHINSON

MEG HUTCHINSON is at Club Passim this very (Saturday) night, about
which she said:

"I've started recording a new record and look forward to sharing these
new songs with you all."

-- "Meg Hutchinson] January 2007 News,"
January 8, 2007


JOSH BROOKS

One needn't interview a lot of musicians before being told/reminded by
one of them that the first musical instrument, after the voice, was a
precussion instrument of some sort: a drum, or bones, or something.
Lately I read a Margaret Fuller poem called "The Sistrum," about an
ancient Egyptian rattle with some degree of religious significance.
Drums and drumming and rattling and beating are things worth thinking
about.

So a Vermont folkie named

JOSH BROOKS

put out his debut CD in 2001, another album in between that I never
heard, and a nifty EP late in 2006. The new record, which is called
"The White House Sessions," has a much fuller band sound. It is, all
at the same time, both markedly better, on the one hand, and just
plain different, on the other. Anyway "White House" has been playing
in the background. So Friday afternoon I gave the EP more attention.
And there was that fuller band sound ... but I wasn't actually
hearing a band. Odd. So I checked his credits and found that the
instrumentation on the new record - voice, acoustic guitar, harmonicas
- is exactly the same as that on the debut, except foot-tapping has
been replaced by drumming. And gee, the difference is REALLY amazing.

If anyone ever puts up money for a pro-percussion public service ad,
Josh Brooks and his drummer buddy,

KENT BLACKMER,

ought to become the national spokesmen. Meanwhile, if you want to
develop an appreciation for drumming real quick, give Josh Brooks'
music "before" and "after" listens. You won't regret it. Though
Brooks' music has changed in other ways, as well, the drumming has
done him a world of good.

One of the great things about the Signature Sounds DVD is that, by
getting to actually see drummer

LORNE ENTRESS,

rather than to just hear him, one gets a much better idea of his
considerable contributions to the music he is a part of. It is
another example of the potential importance of drumming above and
beyond the call of time-keeping duty.

If you recall Kent Blackmer from his Pioneer Valley and Boston days,
would you e-mail us by way of the following Web page

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

to say who he worked with or to tell any other details you remember?
I am curious as to whether he was involved with any of the acts I
followed in past decades.


MISSION OF BURMA DVD

The kind souls of MISSION OF BURMA sent the following news item:

"'Not a Photograph: The Mission of Burma Story - documentary DVD - is
now available in finer stores everywhere http://www.notaphotograph.com/"

-- Mission of Burma Mailing, January 8, 2007


BECKY CHACE

"Saturday January 13th at Stone Soup

"Our first show at RI's premiere folk club, Stone Soup, is right
around the corner. If you haven't noticed, we're trying to go folk!
We're still rock 'n' rollers but with more emphasis on our songs and
the connection we'd like to make with our audience ... thus the folk
scene and Stone Soup!"

-- "News From Becky Chace," January 6, 2007


ANSWER to Brief Items trivia question: "The National Emblem March"
by E.E. Bagley. Bagley was a former member of a little combo called
the Boston Symphony Orchestra. At the time he wrote "The National
Emblem," he was director of the Keene High School marching band. John
Philip Sousa - the March King - called "The National Emblem" one of
the five best street marches. You don't have to be a big Sousa
scholar to guess that the other four were marches he wrote himself.
But "The National Emblem" is that good: good enough to make even
someone like John Philip Sousa, with a massive ego, make room for
someone else, just once, on his favorites list.


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


LAURA INGALLS WILDER'S
"LITTLE HOUSE" CHILDREN'S BOOK SERIES
AND
DALE COCKRELL'S "LITTLE HOUSE" PROJECT

Fiddling With "Little House" Music
By Alan Lewis
Special to the Vermont Guardian

Vermont Guardian
January 12, 2007
Culture Section, Page 18
http://www.thisishardcopyonly.com

Careful observers will note that I almost always cite my information
sources in this newsletter. We have had academic ties going back
thirty years, and I give my sources of information both because I want
to and also to be helpful to people in the world of academia as well
as to independent scholars.

Our academic ties are numerous and diverse, but none has been more
long-term and regular than our connections of Vanderbilt University
professor and would-be Vermonter

DALE COCKRELL,

whose main current project has to do with the thread of music that
runs through the "Little House" childrens' books of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

I never saw the TV series and all I know about it is that one of the
girls grew up to be remarkably cute. I also have never read the
books. But it sounds to me as though the "Little House" books have
much in common with "Caddie Woodlawn" by Carol Ryrie Brink, and it
doesn't get any better than "Caddie Woodlawn."

When Dale's son was 8, they started reading together the "Little
House" books, and the wheels in Dale's researcher mind started
rolling. He found that 126 songs and tunes were referenced in the
books, and that music figured in as an integral part of Wilder's
storytelling.

A lot of the very best literature - both fiction and nonfiction - is
written for children, and this should not be taken lightly. And I'll
just make quick note of the fact that I often find myself sitting at a
microfilm machine next another machine being used by one of the greats
of children's books, Newbery Medal winner Karen Hesse. Newbery Medal
winners are in rare company.

So this past holiday season, "The Arkansas Traveler" played on
National Public Radio stations across our land, starting,
appropriately enough, with Vermont Public Radio. "The Arkansas
Traveler" is a simply marvelous one-hour broadcast based on Dale's
latest compilation CD, "The Arkansas Traveler." It is the second
release in his "Little House" series (www.pasfiddle.com).

The first release, "Happy Land," is excellent. But it is a great
example of the fact that one CD does not a series make. Now, with a
second disc out there, the "Little House" set is starting to take
shape. And this is the sort of recreation of early American music
that had a heyday in the late 1970s and into the early years of the CD
era. If you like historic American music, "The Arkansas Traveler" is
just the sort of disc to be listening to. But while the music is old,
the performers are very much alive and in various stages of music
careers: from veteran Mac Wiseman to Elizabeth Cook, who is brand new
to me.

ELIZABETH COOK

contributed "Old Dan Tucker" to "The Arkansas Traveler." And based on
hearing this one cut, it would seem absolutely astonishing if she does
any less than become a big country music star. She and Andrea Zonn
make exceptionally strong impressions.

If you can get hold of a Vermont Guardian, why not check out my Dale
Cockrell/"Little House" notice.


Shades of Grey
Roy Davis debuts with a ramshackle warmth
By SAM PFEIFLE
January 11, 2007 12:14:51 PM
In the Portland Phoenix this week

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid31544.aspx


ROCK NOTES
Primal urges, zombies, and hell rockets -- but they say it's not punk rock
By Jonathan Perry, Globe Correspondent | January 12, 2007
Sort of in Friday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2007/01/12/primal_urges_zombies_and_hell\
_rockets____but_they_say_its_not_punk_rock/?page=full

The Boston Globe certainly is hard to use online these days. I found
this at the very last minute and only got enough of a glance to think
it is about the Son of Pig Pile Records.

Some readers may remember Pig Pile Records, and Allen Bush of
Stratosphere Communications, and a favorite little band, Three Day
Threshold. They represent Golden Days of some sort, and this "Rock
Notes" column is bound to interest many of our readers, myself included.


Something borrowed
Why is an imaginative songwriter like Erin McKeown releasing an album
of covers?

By Andrew Gilbert, Globe Correspondent | January 12, 2007
Kind of in Friday's Boston Globe
in a way

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2007/01/12/something_borrowed/?page=full


HAND OF GOD
Documentary

"This coming Tuesday, Jan. 16th, our documentary 'Hand of God' will
have its national broadcast premiere on the much respected PBS public
affairs series FRONTLINE. The show airs at 9pm in most markets (8pm &
10pm in others) but you should check local listings. We are excited by
the platform this prestigious program will give our film and its
subject. It has been almost four years to the date when we first
started filming – with the closing of my parent's church. Somewhere a
God is smirking over this synchronicity.

"We are tempering our expectations since our broadcast is up against
American Idol, but our show will be repeated often, so hopefully
people will find there way to it. Here is the FRONTLINE/Hand of God
website where you can find your local station and time:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/handofgod/"

-- "'Hand of God' on PBS Frontline," January 11,
2007


POP MUSIC
She's managing
As she guides the career of her pop-star daughter, JoJo, Diana
Levesque juggles work and worries, and continues to stress books over
bookings for the 16-year-old

By Joan Anderman, Globe Staff | January 7, 2007
In the Boston Sunday Globe

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2007/01/07/shes_managing/?page=full


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I MAKE ADDITIONS AND OTHER CHANGES to this newsletter, to varying
degrees, after sending the e-mail version. For updates, you may want
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As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS. The reason is quite
simple. Our readers are spread out all over the map. Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area. Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey. The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most of our readers.

We make exceptions when show listings are part of an item of more
general interest. CD-release events are great examples. For us, the
main point of an item of this sort is that an act has a new record.
The show being announced is of secondary interest to us - if that - as
far as the contents of our newsletter goes.

We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area. Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston. We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area. But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions. Maria's Weekly Band E-Mail is loaded with show listings,
and most of them have to do with events in Boston, Cambridge, and
Somerville. We don't want to make a habit of duplicating her efforts.

So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings. In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


... Shows can be canceled, sold out, or even moved to another
date or location. We recommend checking the Web, calling ahead or
otherwise confirming details.


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Issue 2007:204

Published no less often than monthly.
We're guessing eventually we'll settle
into an every-other-week schedule.

Copyright © 2007 by the New England Music Scrapbook. All rights reserved.

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