November 2010 VOCAL Showcase

VOCAL  Showcase #232  Nov. 15, 2010

Drizzly skies couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm  at O’Toole’s pub, this Monday night, as the assembled crowd was treated to a series of musical performances by three fine musicians.
First up, was VOCAL member Steve Effinger, who kicked off his country/pop set with a song about New Orleans, “Vieu Carré”, then continued on with a couple of tunes about love. “Sing my Song to Jesus”  a P&W tune, was followed by “Full Time With a Part Time Wage” a humorous look at life’s conditions. Accompanying Steve thoughout his set, was Chip Butterworth on the mandolin, which added an extra depth to the material Steve presented.
After a brief intermission, Darryl Ellyson took the over the mike and launched into his set of guitar-driven blues tinged material. There’s no question he delves into the arena of heartbreak and lovelorn sentiment, as evidenced by his opening song “Teardrops” which took the audience on an emotional rollercoaster ride. His big voice immediately captured the attention of the crowd as he led them through a couple more bluesy songs. Next up was a new creation “Love Refugees” which detailed the relationship between two spurned lovers who find each other. Closing out his set was “Cause My Heart To Bleed” an upbeat, rousing song that drew the audience in to the performance. Darryl plays his music around many Richmond area venues, so be sure to look for his name in your local listings.
The featured performer of the evening, was the well known composer and pianist Steve Bassett. His one hour set consisted of fifteen songs, many of which came with an anecdote about how it came to be created. “Sing Loud” was the opener and it got the audience immediately involved in Bassett’s jazzy, R&B oriented vocal and playing style. “Election Day” was based on a true story of his experience at a voting site, and had humorous overtones. Inspiration for the next songs came from a mens room graffiti, a request from the Chamber of Commerce to write a song about Richmond and a bumper sticker (“Save The Bay”). “Trust Me” was a gospel tinged tune that was designed not to offend anybody, and “Start with My Heart” was a song written by request to effect a reconciliation among various ethic and racial groups. A plea to “Clean Up Your Own House” was written to make us consider thinking first about our own short-comings before criticizing others. All through the set, Bassett backed himself with prerecorded tracks that enhanced the impact of his material.  No performance would be complete without his, perhaps, most well known song, “Sweet Virginia Breeze” (co-written with Robbin Thompson) and Steve did not disappoint. He closed his set with an upbeat version that had the audience clapping along.
Once again, VOCAL provided the audience with a fine selection of, and a wide variety of music to satisfy all tastes.

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VOCAL Showcase October 2010

VOCAL Showcase Review – October 18, 2010
231st consecutive showcase!

Markiss Blowfish (Mark Branch) and Chuck Kerwath opened the show with a wonderful dose of blues to please the crowd. The two musicians met through VOCAL and have collaborated since then, with Chuck recording Mark’s new CD “Come Along With Me”. Chuck accompanied Mark with a cool “dobro-ish” acoustic slide guitar on their first number “Hard Times”. This song was the 2010 VOCAL Song of the Year (when your bag’s unpacked, nothing to eat, holes in your shoes, paying child support, hard times indeed!) “Betty Lou” followed with Chuck on lead acoustic guitar (she’s from the South – my kind of girl – what am I supposed to do? – she had a glow – with blue eyes). The duo followed with “Tumbleweed Rag”, an instrumental with Mark on harmonica and Chuck tickling the open strings of his guitar. This was a free-spirited number, and I could picture myself traveling down a peaceful country road with this song playing in my ear. The title track “Come Along With Me” was next, which was reminiscent of a B.B. King style – I’ll buy you diamonds and rubies, lunch and dinner with fine wine – meet me down behind the old oak tree. “Messin’ With Her” tells us he couldn’t eat or sleep all week because he’d been messin’ with her – they had been very discreet, found a place to be alone, until he came home… They finished out their set with “Honey-Do Man” with Chuck doing the honors on lead guitar again. Don’t ask me to do all these things – spend all my money, honey – don’t tell me to take my pressure pill or to turn the other cheek.

Russell Lawson then took the stage, joined by Dave Berry on fiddle and guitar. Russell treated us to some fine homespun tunes with topics ranging from prison songs to tunnel collapses (not while tunneling out of prison…). He led off with “Certain Freedom”, a “minor-key prison song” about a murderer on death row dreaming about a certain freedom once his debt is paid. “At the edge of moonlight, out past the razor wire, freedom’s like a river racing quiet through the night, far beyond the walls of tempered steel and stone around the place that murder made my home”. “Whole Lotta Gone” brings us a John Prine-ish tale of a cold-hearted former lover who turned from good to bad – “I thought that I could change you and I got what I deserved”. “Days Gone By” is a somber reflection of a loved one with a troubled life, with hope waiting in the wings, a story many of us can relate to – “get on your knees and lift your voices high, ‘cause there’s a place above where every tear is dried”. Dave swapped his fiddle for the guitar on “Swell”, a story of being overwhelmed by someone’s love, to the point that you’re fearful and cannot comprehend its power “if you would love me just a little, my heart might never touch the ground, but you pour in me like a river, so deep I feel I’m gonna drown”. Yes, you can get too much of a good thing! “Church Hill Tunnel” recounts the story of the collapse of the railroad tunnel that ran to Church Hill in Richmond, where many workers rode the rails to the end of their lives. The tunnel was sealed for safety, but the story is still alive and well. This song won 2nd place in a recent lyric contest in American Songwriter Magazine, quite an honor for Russell! Russell’s wife Katherine joined him on his last “country breakup” number, “Where are Your Tears”. As we’re on the verge of a breakup, where are the tears you said you’d shed if it ever came to this? Was your love really true, or were you faking it all these years? “I could change the wine, but I couldn’t quench your thirst”. Russell and Katherine ended the song with some beautiful a cappella harmony!

The headline performer, Bill Wellons, then took the stage, and was joined by John Ellis on guitar, Larry Cody on bass, and his son, Todd, on drums. “Long, Long Time Ago” recounts the good old days when things were more carefree and innocent (The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, the Age of Aquarius had not yet arrived). In light of today’s new stories, those good old days do seem like long, long ago. His next solo piano piece was untitled, but I felt I could be listening to a movie score or taking a helicopter ride through a pristine river valley with the feeling it conveyed. “Some Other World” brought out John Ellis on guitar, and the synthetic French horn sounds from Bill’s piano. This is an optimistic story of hope, where it would be great if “everyone cared, no one was angry, no one scared”. “Hurricane” followed with the band of John, Larry, and Todd. This is a colorful blues song about life along the river “my mom gave birth to me in this room, my daddy and granddaddy were born here too”. “Lickety-Split” was an up-tempo instrumental that I thought was reminiscent of the Allman Brothers of my yesteryear. Those familiar tones were pleasant music to my ears! Jack the hound dog was featured in “Doggone Blues”. He chewed up my sweater, peed on the petunias, doesn’t come when I call him, and even bit the FedEx man! Bad dog! John Ellis played some bad-dog electric slide guitar worthy of harmonious hound-howling on this song! John Ellis’ song “Blues # 1” was featured next, with Larry “Stanley Clark” Cody on the driving bass. I detected possibly some AC/DC influences in this song, and perhaps a dash of Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze”. “The Old Folks” is probably my favorite Bill Wellons song. It openly deals with the effects of war, but it is not an in-your-face protest song nor a lethal “call-to-arms” anthem. It simply tells it like it is, the “old man sitting in the old folks home, his wife got sick, now he’s all alone”. Their son Sam won a lot of medals in Viet Nam, but that damn war took their boy away. The next number, “Better Stay in Tonight”, is an all-too-familiar story about someone who feels like a prisoner within their own house – “lock the deadbolt, draw the drapes, the government just makes this worse”. I’d move out if I could – I hate this neighborhood. The finale was “Dueling No-Banjos”, another hard-driving instrumental featuring John on lead guitar, Larry on bass, and Todd on drums. Bill delivered the organ sounds of some of the early Allman Brothers tunes, and they really rocked the house with their closing number. The crowd called for more, but the group had exhausted their repertoire, so we’ll just have to wait until their next performance to satisfy our appetite!

– Steve Nuckolls

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Sept. 2010 Showcase

Sept. 20th. 2010 VOCAL Showcase

A smaller than anticipated. but enthusiastic crowd, were in attendance at O’Toole’s tonight for the 230 th VOCAL showcase. Drew Routh, scheduled to appear, had to cancel, and Gerry Laverty kindly agreed to extend his set to fill in the time. Gerry gave the assemblage a great show with his crisp picking and wide range of musical styles. Fans of social commentary and contemporary references appreciate the images in Gerry’s lyrics. Among some stand out songs were “84th Floor” a look back at 9/11 from a 9/10 perspective with a total innocence of events about to occur and how everybody was going about business as usual. “Lonesome Blue Eyes” a crowd favorite, drew us in to a sad eulogy. A country waltz, “Watching the Walls’ gave way to a singalong of “Home on the Range” which seemed to fit right in with tempo of his song and engage the audience. Closing out his set, Gerry ended with “Zion Crossroads” one of his most recognized songs. Gerry never fails to entertain and educate his strong following.
After a short break, the featured act of the night, The Taters, set up and began their show. As fans of this group know, their music is influenced by classic rock styles from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Echoes of the Beatles, Donovan and others can be heard in some of their tunes. Craig Evans (bass and vocals) kicked it off with “Without Your Love” accompanied by T. Bradley Tucker (acoustic/rhythm guitar), Greg Mars (electric lead guitar) and Buzz King (drums). Throughout the performance there was lots of friendly, humorous banter to entertain the audience. The group showed off their chops on various tunes, featuring songs from new and old CD’s. “By Myself” had the feels of a 60’s era folk song, “Raphael” (co-written by VOCAL member Steve Fisher) took us to the tropics with it’s island aura, and great atmospheric picking by Greg. In between the slower numbers, they infused uptempo pop and rockish tunes including a cover of “We Can Work It Out” giving it a fresh approach.  “The Wolfman Told Me, Tonight” celebrated Halloween with its eerie lyrics. Closing their set was “Such a Good Day” which seemed apropos to the whole evening of musical entertainment. Between the two acts, no one in the audience could have been left unsatisfied, such was the selection of music presented.

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VOCAL Showcase August 2010

The “curtain” opened on the August 16th, 2010 Showcase precisely at 8:05 p.m. Jeff and Stephanie Boarman, a husband and wife musical team and long-time VOCAL members, set about to entertain the good-sized crowd with an eight-song set. Describing their music as “Americana”, they opened with a gentle tempo train song entitled “Bittersweet”, with pleasing vocals by Stephanie. A tongue-in-cheek honky-tonk tune followed: “I’ll Toast to Your Sobriety” which featured the lyrics “I ain’t here to think, I’m here to drink, I’m right where I’m supposed to be!” Jeff’s delivery of this tune had the audience grinning and chuckling, and featured expert mandolin work by Barry Lawson.

A minor sonority framed the song “Miner’s Prayer”, telling of a father’s hope that his infant son not have to live the life of a miner. “Cappuccino Cowboy”, the set’s only waltz, told of a cowboy’s new life (and diet!)r his son to not follow in his footsteps. chucklinged to be!”. g vocals by Stephanie. a toungue-in-cheek honky as a married man. Stephanie sang of a man “broke and branded” and how “she did it single-handed”. Clever concept and writing!

More minor sounds from the duo in “Don’t Take My Baby Away”, a lover’s lament, followed by a switch to major in the witty “Baby, How About You?” This duet, a male-female discourse, speaks of the man’s practicality and the woman’s seductive approach. The audience responded with generous applause to yet more of Jeff and Stephanie’s fine writing.

“My Kentucky Flower” was given an up-tempo bluegrass treatment, speaking of “hillbilly justice” and included the warning “don’t mess with Daddy’s little girl!” Jeff mentioned this song was once pitched to superstar Ricky Skaggs. “He swung…and missed!” said Jeff, drawing laughs from the songwriters in the crowd. Once again, Barry Lawson’s fine mandolin work greatly added to the song.

“Bury Me in Kentucky” painted a picture of a beautiful rural area and closed the first half of the show. After a warm round of applause showing their appreciation for this trio, the audience responded with even more as the Boarmans were presented with the
Co-Songwriters of the Year Award from VOCAL.

Doug Patrick, the evening’s featured act, left no time for the crowd to even fasten their seat belts, instead launching into his first song with nary an introduction! The familiar “Make It Work” opened his nine-song set and featured backup from the Boarmans, Barry Lawson on mandolin, and long-time ‘Vocalonian’ Larry Cody on bass guitar. Larry would be on stage for the entire performance, as others would come and go throughout the evening.

“Full Time Love” featured the same lineup laying down a good backbeat, and told of a fickle woman trying to get a relationship into high gear. Sharing the spotlight, Doug brought up his good friend Eddy Kitchen to sing a self-penned song titled “Good Loves Can Die”. This tune captured the essence of what many call “pure country music”.

One of my favorites followed: “Put Him in the Lineup” tells the story of a young “Tee Ball terror” from the viewpoint of a proud grandfather. This tyke is a switch-hitter like Pete Rose, a slick fielder a la Brooks Robinson, “can run those bases like Willie Mays”, and “can hit the tater for a country mile”. A pure bit of genius from the pen of Doug Patrick!

Louis Millhouse and Gary Shaver grabbed trumpet and clarinet respectively and lent a hand on the song “New Orleans Nights”, another well-known and well-loved song from Doug’s catalogue. A highlight of the evening followed: Kelly Kennedy’s lead vocal of Doug’s new song “Till the Boys Come Home Again”. Her delivery mesmerized the crowd as she sang of two families connected by marriage, each with men fighting on opposite sides of the Civil War. Andy Cleveland’s fiddle tenderly underscored the song’s message.

Continuing with the Civil War theme, Doug offered “One Lone Georgia Pine”, a moving story of a soldier’s exploits on the battlefield and his final resting place. The war cycle was completed with “Molly”, a quick waltz describing a soldier’s love for his wife. One lyric was especially powerful: “when the fighting gets heavy, you can hear grown men cry”.

The closer was Doug’s ode to the famous Virginia racehorse, Secretariat. “Watch That Red Horse Run” told of Big Red’s feats at Churchill Downs and beyond. While the rest of the field was “hotter than a Maytag range”, Secretariat was “cool as ice” and set a record clocking in at “one fifty-nine and change”. Doug did justice to the horse’s great career with this well-written song. Many who lent musical support during the evening squeezed on to the stage for this final tune.

The VOCAL Showcase has been a mainstay of our group and the Richmond music scene since July 1991. We are proud of its longevity and the many talented members and appreciative fans who make it possible. Here’s to songwriting and VOCAL’s upcoming 25th Anniversary in July 2011!

– Gary Shaver

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July 2010 Showcase

July 2010 Showcase

The July 2010 VOCAL showcase was held at O’Toole’s Irish Pub as it has been for the past few months now. Like the weather, there was a hot and steamy crowd in attendance, perhaps, the largest crowd yet to show up for one of these events. James Lester, on solo guitar, opened up the night with a set of blues tinged songs. As a member of The Richmond Blues Society, James demonstrated his adroitness with the genre deftly picking out various forms of blues, from standard 12 bar based tunes to some atonal blues. A lot of his material focused on contemporary issues, such as his first number which described becoming a baby boomer. “Golden Rule” his final song featured references to Palin, Rev. Wright and Obama. Overall, a fine set from James, well received by the audience. After a short break the next performer up was Sarah Kane with back up help from Leigh Giza. Sarah, beautifully decked out in a black gown and stunning necklace, started off her folk leaning set with “Polka in the Parking Lot” and picked her way through a few more songs, until inviting Leigh up to accompany her on vocals and rhythm instruments. Among the stand out songs were “Coffee” and “Crimson Sky”. The enjoyable set ended with an a’Capella reading, backed by the somber drumming of Leigh, of “A Gun” a solemn and haunting recitation on the devastation a gun can cause. Sarah is one of the newer members of VOCAL, and a welcome addition to the showcase. Another short break ensued while the featured performers of the evening set up. Final act of the evening, Norman Roscher and the Clackwells (Known as AL Sal and Blinky), a novelty act of gigantic proportions, came on. If you haven’t heard or attended a performance by these folks, you are sorely missing one of the most enjoyable groups in town. Norman kicked it off with a couple of solo tunes on his funky sounding piano, paying homage in one, to his daughters, with “My Little Girl”. Switching to guitar and joined by the Clackwells( really Evan, Liza and Deanna) Norman and the group romped through a series of uplifting and funny tunes, highlighted by “The Train” which featured onomatopoeiac guitar strumming and (Al) Evan’s thumping stand up bass accompaniment. “I Don’t Play Doctor, Anymore” featured visual aids held up at various times by Blinky (Deanna) and some deft washboard playing by Sal(Liza), Audience participation was encouraged for “Bip Bop On The Top” (pat your head). Urged on by the wildly enthusiastic crowd, The performers launched into a couple of closing novelty tunes “The Hat” and “Mr. McCall’s Pink Balls” leading to a vigorous demand for an encore, which was gladly granted. Norman and The Clackwells end the riotous night with the ever popular “Boobs” singalong. It was a fitting close to a great evening of varied and professional entertainment.

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VOCAL May 2010 Showcase

VOCAL May 2010 Showcase Review

Not even a steady downpour could deter the small but enthusiastic crowd that gathered at O’Toole’s pub for the VOCAL, 2010 May showcase. The bill consisted of three performers. First up was John Ellis, who entertained the audience with a set of original acoustic material that included two instrumentals, one, titled “Just What You Were Looking For” was expressly composed for his brother’s wedding. Another “A Time Piece” featured some well executed arpeggio runs. As an encore, John covered “Crying Shame” a song written by VOCAL member Gary Shaver and gave it a good country feel. After a short break, Richard Hinman took the mike. This was Richard’s debut showcase performance for VOCAL. Once wired up, he started his nine song set off with a boogie tune “On The Levee” which, as you might guess was about love down by the Mississippi river. Richard demonstrated a great command of various musical styles as he moved through his set list. Folk (“Lonnie Mae”) bossa nova (“Oh Rio”), reggae (“Reggae Band”) which featured a solo break that imitated the sound of a steel drum, and some more jazzier pieces (“Crazy For You”, “Purple Passage”). All-in-all it was an auspicious start for Richard in his first VOCAL performance. Last, but certainly not third rate, by any means, was the featured performer of the evening, Darryl Ellyson. Accompanied by Josh Wortham on electric keyboards, Darryl wowed the crowd with a set of old and new tunes. Mostly thematic in nature, songs of broken hearts and love gone awry, he used his big booming voice to mesmerize the audience wih blues riffs and minor accents. Kicking off the set was “Newsman Blues” a self explanatory saga of unfulfilled love. “I’m Still In Love With You” was highighted by a great musical fill from Josh. Among the new tunes, “When I Close My Eyes” stood out for its soulful bluesy quality. Another new one “Comes a Better Way” also stood out. As a closer, Darryl gave us “When I Get Home” which got a large round of applause from the appreciative gathering. This was the 226th consecutive VOCAL showcase, and the performing artists demonstrated the breadth and scope of the talent that exists within it’s members. OUr next showcase, again at O’Tooles, will be on June 21st. Make plans to be there.

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Paul Reisler workshop

All VOCAL members and others interested in writing good songs should attend the Paul Reisler workshop.  I’ve attended a workshop of his in the past, and I can assure you he’s quite professional, talented, and a good teacher, who can benefit your efforts in writing or just learning to better enjoy music.  VOCAL exists, in part, to improve the writing of its members and others who do original music, so this is a must-attend workshop.  We VOCAL members are never satisfied with mediocre songs anyone could dash out on the kitchen table.  We want to write solid, enjoyable songs.  And we love having an event like the Paul Reisler workshop to help us do that.

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