OLK FESTIVAL ISSUE F FREE Volume 1 Number 3 May/June 2001 A BI-MONTHLY NEWSPAPER ABOUT THE HAPPENINGS IN & AROUND THE GREATER LOS ANGELES FOLK COMMUNITY “Don’t you know that Folk Music is illegal in Los Angeles?” –Warren Casey of the Wicked Tinkers FLOOD TIDE on NICKEL CREEK BY FRANKIE FARRELL abor Day weekend 1965, a small but appreciative duced recording is, with mind-opening crowd of players and fans gathered at Cantrell’s instrumentals, gorgeous vocal leads and Horse Farm in Fincastle, Virginia, for the Roanoke harmonies, and seamless ensemble Blue Grass Festival. This first bluegrass festival playing, their live show was that much brought together Bill Monroe, the “Daddy of Blue better. Musical inventiveness, ease, Grass Music,” and a stream of former Blue Grass humor, and pure delight in the sharing Boys to recreate the tunes that helped to define this of extraordinary music well played, L music. Locals and “city billies” joined in the music filled the evening. Nickel Creek consid- making and, after several days on non-stop work- ers Largo their L.A. home and it’s an shops and performances, the Sunday gospel concert and finale ideal venue for this band, intimate and show, the format for future successful bluegrass festivals, from welcoming with excellent sight lines, Monroe’s Bean Blossom to Huck Finn in Victorville, was born. well-run sound, a friendly staff and tasty Bluegrass festivals have grown in popularity, with 500 food. worldwide today, and they have played a central role in keeping With Chris on mandolin, Sean on guitar and mandolin, Sara this music alive and popular. The 60’s led to a bluegrass revival on violin, Nashville’s Byron House on bass, and Sara, Chris and and in the 70’s bluegrass grew in the new festival environment, Sean on vocals, the band opened the show with a Keith Whitley supporting established performers and nurturing the next gener- gospel tune, “You Don’t Have to Move the Mountain.” Chris ation of traditionalists and “newgrass” fusion bands such as took the vocal lead on his “The Lighthouse’s Tale” and then they Washington DC’s Seldom Scene, Kentucky’s J.D. Crowe and the launched into Chris and Sean’s Irish-tinged “Road to Wrigley.” New South, The New Grass Revival, and California transplants, Sara’s strong, clear vocal lead on “Seven Wonders” and Chris The Dillards. and Sean’s edgy vocal duet on their “matrix song” matched the In the ‘80’s musicians like David Grisman expanded the def- high standards of their instrumental work. inition of bluegrass, folding folk and jazz into the mix.” New tra- Nickel Creek comfortably powers through alternating ditionalists” like Ricky Skaggs echo the hard-driving sound of meters, trading strong solos that irresistibly fuse elements from the founders and Strength in Numbers came together for the bluegrass, gospel, jazz sensibilities, Celtic expression, and the annual Telluride festival to celebrate ensemble playing at its harmonic richness and formal complexity of Strength in finest. Today, traditionalists like The Lynn Morris Band and The Numbers sessions. They can also play with an understated sweet- Del McCoury Band and leading progressive players like Alison ness, as with Chris’s song resetting of Robert Burns’ “Sweet Krauss & Unions Station and IIIrd Tyme Out share the forefront Afton” and set the stage on fire with traditional tunes like “The with Southern California’s premier young bluegrass band, Nickel Cuckoo’s Nest.” Creek. Taking bluegrass to the next level, Nickel Creek is leading The balancing of Sara’s singing of “Reasons Why,” with tight the charge in a spectacular fusion of the best of bluegrass, jazz, soaring harmonies, elegant solos and quietly compelling pop, Celtic and even classical music. rhythms displayed the band’s credentials in contemporary song. This mature, dynamic band has its Chris’s blazing “House of Tom musical roots in North County San Bombadil” catapulted the listener through Diego. In the best tradition of Old NICKEL CREEK’S UPCOMING the piece with references to “Peter and the Time and Bluegrass music, Nickel FESTIVALS & LOCAL Wolf,” gestural accents, mixed meters, PERFORMANCES: Creek is a family-based band. Chris and inspired arpeggiation. Sara’s slow, 5/25 Torrance Cultural Arts Complex, Thile and Sean Watkins studied with Torrance sweet, swinging “Ain’t Misbehavin’” was IN THIS ISSUE Bluegrass Etc. mandolinist/guitarist, 5/26 Lobero Theater, Santa Barbara followed by mando pingpong, as Chris John Moore, and Sean’s sister, Sara, 5/27 Strawberry Music Festival, and Sean tore up their “For All It’s studied with the band’s fiddler, Camp Mather Worth.” Sara’s singing of “La Luna” from EDITORIAL ......................................2 Dennis Caplinger. Saturday nights the 6/14 Coach House, San Juan Capistrano Nickel Creek’s soon-to-be-released new RAYNA GELLERT ..........................3 Thile and Watkins families would go album, gave the audience a promise of INTERVIEW 6/15 La Paloma Theater, Encinitas, DEAR ALICE.................................... 4 to a local pizza parlor to hear their things to come and Chris’s singing of 6/16 Huck Finn Jubilee, Victorville KEYS TO THE HIGHWAY..............4 teachers play. During the breaks the O’Brien and O’Keefe’s “When You Come 6/29 Greek Theater (opening for Vince AMERICAN MUSIC ........................5 kids would get together and jam. The Gill), Los Angeles Back Down,” added to the evidence of Rooted in Cultural Fusion jams led to a spot at a local festival this band’s song mastery. TOPANGA BANJO FIDDLE and, in 1990, with Chris’s dad, Scott, RECORDINGS: The show ended in fireworks. CONTEST .........................................7 on bass, Nickel Creek was formed. Little Cowpoke - Nickel Creek, Sean took the lead on his “Robin and ON-GOING MUSIC self-produced, 1993 Continued hard work on their Marian” which resonates with HAPPENINGS ..................................7 Here to There, Nickel Creek, instruments while growing together Renaissance overtones, a hint of Mozart, CALENDAR OF EVENTS ..............8 self-produced, 1997 as a band plus time on the festival cir- a Celtic overlay and the rhythmic drive ON-GOING DANCE Nickel Creek, Sugar Hill, 2000, HAPPENINGS ................................10 cuit led to a 1993 Mandolin produced by Alison Krauss and open harmonies of Strength in LIVE OAK FESTIVAL ..................11 Championship at Winfield for Chris, New Nickel Creek CD to be released Numbers. Then Chris grabbed “The Fox” IRISH FAIR and finalist status at Winfield on both Summer 2001, Sugar Hill by the throat and roared through a tour de & MUSIC FESTIVAL ....................11 mandolin and guitar for Sean. Sara Chris Thile, Leading Off, Sugar Hill, force performance, deconstructing the STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL ..........12 won the 1996 Arizona State Fiddle 1994, produced by Pete Wernick melody, tossing in “Soldier’s Joy,” rapping FROM LA. TO L.A. Championship and in 1994, while all Chris Thile, Stealing Second, Sugar Hill, Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” TWO CAJUN FESTIVALS ............12 three were still in their early teens, the 1997, produced by Sam Bush Bach and a Cajun close. The audience HUCK FINN GETAWAY ................12 band won the SW Regional division sang Chris “Happy Birthday” for his 20th, FEATURED ORGANIZATION.....13 Sean Watkins, Let It Fall, The California Traditional Music Society of Pizza Hut International Bluegrass Sugar Hill, 2001 and with two encores, Chris’s “Lullaby” ON-GOING STORYTELLING..... 13 Band Showdown. and his Grammy nominated Best Country VIDEO: FOLK FESTIVAL GUIDE ............15 Their double Grammy nominated Instrumental, “The Butterfly,” a night of Chris Thile, “Essential Techniques for THE 19TH ANNUAL SUMMER Sugar Hill recording, Nickel Creek, Mandolin,” Homespun Tape, 2000 exceptional music concluded. SOLSTICE FOLK MUSIC, DANCE brought the band to Los Angeles for & STORYTELLING FESTIVAL ..15 this year’s Grammys and for a show of WEBSITE: Frankie Farrell plays mandolin and other SPECIAL EVENTS .........................16 their own at Hollywood’s Largo. As www.nickelcreek.com assorted instruments. A Listing of Upcoming Folk Events excellent as this Alison Krauss pro- Page 2 FolkWorks May - June 2001 EDITORIAL olk music is people’s music. It is But you know what, even if you acoustic music. It is music that is don’t live close to the events, you are not PUBLISHERS AND EDITORS Fpassed on from generation to out of luck. Getting to these festivals is Leda & Steve Shapiro generation. Back in the days before we not difficult. Get up early, beat the mid- had the ability to preserve and play morning L.A. traffic and you will be LAYOUT & PRODUCTION back sound artificially, we had to do it there in no time. Stay late or rent a hotel Alan Stone by ear. We had to listen and remember. room, once again you will miss the traf- We experienced music in a way that is fic. FEATURE WRITERS much different than we do today. Photo by Judi Lubeek What you will experience will be a Alice, Advice Column The ability to record and play back by LEDA & STEVE SHAPIRO pants off, top-of-the-line surround sound Roger Goodman, Keys to Highway Gaili Schoen, Interviews music is a mixed blessing. Without it we either created our stereo system. You will experience some of the best live music Dennis Stone, CD Reviews own music or learned from our friends, neighbors or visitors. in the world. No kidding. And you can get up close and per- Recorded music has given us the ability to listen to what folks sonal. At the CTMS Solstice Festival you can sit in on music EDITOR created a hundred years ago. This gives us a glimpse into the classes or go to small concerts or dance. At the Topanga Banjo Kathy Qualey past. The recording media has also become a reason to create Fiddle Contest, you can listen to up-and-coming musicians as music.