|
Dec. 12, 2009
‘Yulegrass’
brings a nice present to The Gorge
When I got the e-mail from Madison House
publicity last month, I almost fell out of my chair. I mean,
really. I couldn’t believe it. Here was an announcement that not
only said there was going to be a top-notch string band forming
for the sole purpose of jamming on some holiday music, but the
band would be making a stop right here in Hood River.
I had to read this e-mail two or three
times before it finally sunk in that this was not a spam-pyramid
scheme-third-world country bank loan scam e-mail. Nope. It told me
that musicians Darol Anger, Sharon Gilchrist,
Billy Nershi and others had formed a band called Yulegrass and
would be doing a handful of shows in the Northwest. And as luck
would have it, Hood River was scheduled to be the first stop on
the tour.
I couldn’t help but think how considerate
this was of this band. I thought to myself “I don’t even have to
drive to Portland to
see these guys play.” I mean, for a band this big, I’d totally
expect to be getting tickets for the Aladdin, or Roseland, or even
the Wonder Ballroom, But nope, they’re making a stop right here in
the Hood on Dec. 16.
And that got me to thinking about one of
the “things” about the bluegrass scene. The people who play it are
remarkably accessible. They’re never surrounded by body guards and
whisked away in limos before and after the show. They’re not
hounded by paparazzi and reporters (well, I guess some
reporters try not to hound these guys too much…. J) and they never
seem to be tired of meeting folks and signing CDs after a show.
These folks are out playing music for the sake of playing music,
and the size of the stage or the size of the crowd is not the main
concern. They know the music matters first and the rest will
eventually follow.
Let me just give you a sense of why I’m so
glad Yulegrass is coming to town. The band features people I’ve
seen over the years at festivals and venues in Northwest and
beyond. I saw mandolinist Sharon Gilchrest with Peter Rowan in
Portland a few years ago. When I say her
playing is exquisite, I’m not kidding. She was also onstage last
year at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, which I attended.
Darol Anger was a member of the David
Grisman Quintet for years and works with the likes of Mike
Marshall, Mark O'Connor, Tony Rice, Bela Fleck and
the Yonder Mt. Stringband. I’ve seen Darol at the Wintergrass
festival in Tacoma, at the River City Bluegrass Festival in
Portland (which by the way, is not happening this year but returns
in January of 2011 at a new venue), and at the NW String Summit.
His playing is steeped in jazz and bluegrass, and I get the
feeling he’s kind of an inventor/experimentalist in music. I think
he likes to throw things together, just to see how it all turns
out. And this band is certainly one example.
Guitar player Scott Law has been on the
Portland scene for a long time, but I don’t
think I’ve ever seen him. I keep hearing good things about him,
though. And Bill Nershi was a member of the iconic String Cheese
Incident, a Colo.-based band that’s been on the scene since the
early 90s.
What’s exciting to me about this band is
that the formation is so new; I can’t even find a picture of the
ensemble online. And you know why? It probably doesn’t exist yet.
I looked at Darol’s online schedule and this week he’s in
Portland, Maine with
some kind of holiday concert gig. Sharon’s
web page says she’s performing in Santa Fe,
NM this week. Bill Nershi — I have no idea
where Bill is. I submitted a question to him for my interview —
but he never answered. Bill apparently played a few months ago at
Madison Square
Garden in celebration of Pete Seeger’s
birthday. He may still be there.
Scott Law, I discovered, is
actually on the road with Darol. This, I hypothesize, is the first
concrete evidence that at least two band members have met up and
are actually playing music together in preparation for Yulegrass.
And I also think the River
City Saloon show on Dec. 16 may be their first official “band
practice.”
I can’t wait!
Cascadia Yulegrass brings its
Acoustic Holiday Bluegrass Celebration to the River City Saloon on
Wednesday, Dec. 16, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18 at the door or at
Ticketswest. (21 and over)
For an interview with Cascadia
Yulegrass, click
here:
|
