Three Chicks Singing
at Songwriters’ Circle Event at European St.

By Rick Grant

After two months of being hunkered down fighting the forces of the evil empire, (the IRS and credit card shylocks) and meeting with my lawyer, (yeah, sometimes you need a pitbull attorney) I decided to jump back into covering the live original music scene. A hip new folk and blues scene is thriving over at the European Street Café on Beach Blvd.  It’s within minimum gas usage distance to my digs and a great place to eat and enjoy live original music. Songwriters Circle Productions is now presenting live original folk and blues music at this cool venue every Saturday night at its new time: 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm

Last Saturday night, three gifted female songwriters took turns singing their original songs–Chelsea Saddler, Sharon Pillen, and Donna Frost from Nashville and now Chicago. The estrogen rich atmosphere and clever songwriting was just the natural high I needed to uplift my spirits. Today, with the wrecked economy and high gas prices, original artists are struggling to stay on the road and remain solvent.

These three ladies continue to perform for the creative joy they derive from presenting their original music to live audiences. And they will continue to perform even if they have to take day jobs to survive. They are the true grit of the music biz

Coincidently, a year ago at the European St. Café in San Marco I lauded  Chelsea Saddler in print and on rickatnight.com on her 21st Birthday. Last Saturday,  I covered her 22nd Birthday performing her new songs from her second album due to be released soon. Chelsea has come a long way in just a year as a confident performer and exceptional songwriter. Her songs are eclectic and inspired by various stories and events, not just unrequited love. Uh, well, she does sing songs about romantic entanglements, (which at her age are many) but it does not dominate her repertoire.

Chelsea’s voice has matured into a strong, unwavering vehicle for her creative expression of her soulful songwriting. Her guitar playing has advanced and is always interesting. Her rhythm stylings are cleverly patterned to compliment her songs.
Yeah, this is coming from a grizzled old guy–a veteran of past music wars-- whose standards are high. My car CD collection contains albums by Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Tom Petty as well as blues artists such as Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, and Johnny Winter. I’m very selective about female songwriters. I love Joan Armatrading and Joni Mitchell, and a few other modern singer/songwriters such as Fiona Apple and the avant garde music of Kate Bush.

My point is, I listen to Chelsea Saddler as part of my female artists’ collection–she’s that good. Her material holds up to legendary comparisons. And, man, I’m not spewing hyperbole. This Chelsea chick has got major juice, baby. If I was still in the biz, I’d would sign her in a heartbeat. And, this is not a reaction to the testosterone gel my doctor gave me to rejuvenate my “energy.” Okay, I’m old but not dead. I’m still a dedicated female ogler.

Sharon Pillen is another talented songwriter and performer who resides in St. Augustine.  Sharon was a promising young talent but took a side path of marriage and kids. After raising her chiildren in Texas, Sharon moved to St. Augustine and reestablished her singer/songwriter career. Now she performs in the region with her husband Dan. I can only say, it’s damn good to have her back where she belongs, performing in front of a live audience.

Ms Pillen has a powerful voice and exudes joyous spirit. Her songs come from her long road of life experience, which, as in most women’s cases, is fraught with passion and tragedy. The songs she performed were interesting and bristled with catchy hooks. “I Love My Dog” sparked a common interest with me an my dogs. Never trust anyone who doesn’t love dogs or hasn’t “inhaled.”  This is one classy lady who can now expose her talent to larger audiences both in North Florida and anywhere in the United States.

Donna Frost is a veteran of the Nashville music wars. One of her songs is about being disillusioned with the Nashville system. In her younger days, Donna sang in a punk band that was part of the anti-Nashville commercial scene at the time. But for years, Donna has impressed audiences with her songwriting and singing talent. Donna is certified road dog who has dragged her ass around every folk club, bar, and festival in America as well as the U.K. and Australia. She has won numerous awards including the ASCAP Plus Award in 2006, and was a finalist in the 2004 Kerrville New Folk Festival Songwriting Contest.

I picked up Donna’s vibes as being the type of person who lives in the moment and lives to perform. All she needs is an audience to feel the joy of performing her songs. That’s why she keeps on struggling and playing out. Yes, Donna is the real deal. 

Ah yes, I live vicariously through authentic singer/songwriters like Chelsea, Sharon, and Donna. These women are hip chicks who share their joy. The Saturday night Euro St scene is a hip happening of the highest order. Hey, it’s a legal consciousness altering experience that I highly recommend.

Cody Dickinson Interview:
Performing with the Hill Country Revue at the Blackwater Sol Review at St. Augustine Amphitheater August 30, 2008

By Rick Grant

 Steeped deep in the Mississippi blues tradition, drummer Cody Dickinson and his brother Luther on guitar, along with bassist Chris Chew, formed the North Mississippi Allstars which has toured for over ten years. The group fused Mississippi blues with modern rock that won many fans (including me) from the alt rock and blues genres. Cody and Luther are sons of longtime Memphis music producer Jim Dickinson.
When the family moved from Tennessee to Mississippi, Luther and Cody hung out at clubs that featured the country blues sounds of Fred McDowell and R.L Burnside, which was the inspiration for the NMA.

Today, Cody has put the NMA on hiatus and has formed the Hill Country Revue. Call it a souped up version of the NMA with five players and more flexibility in its sound. Drummer Cody Dickinson and his friend Gary Burnside on guitar, along with bassist Chris Chew, Kirk Smithhart on lead vocals and Dan Coburn on harmonica and guitar are now the Hill Country Revue (HCR) and will be embarking on a nationwide tour with J.J. Grey and Mofro, performing at the St. Augustine Amphitheater on August 30, 2008.

At first I was confused by he fact that the NMA recorded a live album titled the Hill Country Revue. But during my phone interview, Cody set me straight that the new band is not the old album. At times, the HCR can turn into the North Mississippi Allstars, but for this tour, it will be strictly the HCR–sort of a turbocharged version of the NMA.

“Yes, there has been some confusion but we plan to deal with that on tour. The HCR is an offshoot of the NMA and it was born from our compatibility on stage and Chris Chew’s songwriting talent. We play songs and grooves and develop them by live improvisation. It’s a very creative mix of all the musicians having keen ESP on stage. We lock into the groove and the juices start flowing. Soon we have greatly enhanced the original song. We have completed a studio CD that is almost ready for release. We’re not sure of the title yet. For now it’s the Hill Country Revue.”

“The bottom line is we feel the HCR is an evolution of NMA. It’s exciting to launch a new project so close to what we were doing. Chis is a creative musician and prolific songwriter and with five players we feel we can do the music more justice. We all play other instruments and which gives us more flexibility. On stage, it’s magic and audiences really dig what we do.”

“This project goes in conjunction with the NMA and when Luther is available it suddenly morphs into the NMA. Fans of the NMA will recognize the HCR sound but with more instruments. So, we feel confident we’ll bring the  NMA fans along on this new journey. It is certainly in the same spirit as the NMA sound. The sound is lean, mean, and edgy with new ideas and sounds, but keeping our Mississippi Blues roots. You asked me what the main difference in the two bands were? Well the HCR is a big band compared to the NMA trio.”

“As HCR, we consider ourselves a live band and we thrive on the live scene, especially with J.J. Grey and Mofro. They are so pure and untainted by outside influences. Touring with them gives us a cool roots atmosphere to play our music and we attract the same youthful audiences as Mofro. Just as JJ Grey and Mofro toured the alt-rock clubs we did the same thing, so we attracted the same hip audience. So this Blackwater Sol Review is a perfect venue for us. It’s a way of bringing roots blues to modern rock audiences, which is very hip,” Cody said.
Being a fan of the North Mississippi Allstars I can understand why Cody wanted to expand his horizons with more players. I think the new Hill Country Revue will only enrich the NMA sound and give it more voltage.

The Hill Country Revue will be performing at the Blackwater Sol Review at the St. Augustine Amphitheater on July 30, 2008 with JJ Grey and Mofro, Toots and the Maytals, Lee Boys, and Nervous Turkey.

John Mooney & Bluesiana at Mojos
Original Delta Blues at Its Finest

By Rick Grant

For me, witnessing authentic blues at Mojos Kitchen while my wife Elaine and I enjoy Mojos delicious barbecue is the ultimate night out. Yes, I’m out at Mojos at least two Fridays or Saturdays a month. And yes, I love the blues. Now that I’m calling my own shots since I’m semi- retired from EU, I go where the spirit moves me. Unquestionably, delta bluesman, John Mooney turned me on with his fiercely original style of vocals, rhythm and glass slide driven guitar sound.

At 16 years old Mooney was playing with Son House. Mooney admits that Son’s rhythmic style was a strong influence on him. In 1976, Mooney moved to New Orleans and started jamming with various musicians, soaking up his Cajun roots’ influences with Earl King, The Meters, Snooks Eaglin, and Professor Longhair. His continuous jamming and playing every night with so many different styles and genres honed Mooney’s unique sound. 

Since 1981, Mooney and been touring with his band Bluesiana, performing throughout America , Panama, Europe, Australia, and Japan. Mooney’s present lineup includes Jeff Sarli on bass. Jeff has been around, having played on the Rolling Stones Bridges to Babylon album. Jeff has also played with Keith Richards, Levon Helm, and The Band. New Orleans drummer Carlo Nunccio, who played and toured with Emmylou Harris and Tori Amos is a regular with Bluesiana as is Professor Longhair and Alfred Roberts on percussion. The legendary Dr. John is a regular on Mooney’s recording sessions.

Mooney is out touring to support his latest record, Big Ol’ Fiya, with special guest Jon Cleary. Indeed, Mooney’s style is authentic delta blues with a hint of Cajun flavor. His syncopated rhythm signifies Mooney’s sound. At his Mojos performance, Mooney brought four guitars-- two Strats. a custom job, and a National all metal Dobro. His glass slide is always attached to his left hand little finger. So, his solos always include slide but it’s greatly expanded into his rhythm, inspired single note runs, and clever comping. Yeah, this cat is distinctly different from the legions of other guitarist I hear on a weekly basis.

“I’m trying to get out of this hell,” Mooney sings on the first cut “2 get 2 Heaven” from his latest CD. “To get to heaven you have to go through hell,” he adds. Its funky rhythm and heavy slide makes this a catchy ditty. The next tune is the title cut, “Big Ol’ Fiya (like fire), which opens with a gut grabbing guitar lick. Mooney’s distinctive voice comes through loud and clear on this cut. “Big ol fiya burns all night.” Mooney sings. He comes in with a killer slide solo that acts as grabby hook, and makes you want to hear it again. The next cut, “Dig My Way to China” grabs the listener with a Zydeco beat and again features Mooney’s out-front slide. “You get me down so low, I could dig my way to China,” Mooney’s voice comes through the mix with authority.

During Mooney’s live show at Mojos, his voice was sometimes overwhelmed by his stage volume, but other than that, his performance was flawless. When Jax blues fans get to know Mooney better, he’ll pack out this venue. Of course, with the price of gas affecting everything, including nightlife, last Saturday night I noticed the roads were almost empty. It’s a sad commentary on the sorry state of our economy. Everyone is feeling the pinch, especially musicians who find it hard to afford the gas to tour. For some artists, it’s cost prohibitive to travel out of the region. 

Overall, Mooney’s live show at Mojos smoked with tight rhythms and exceptional guitar wizardry. It inspired me to download his latest album from Rhapsody. He now joins my all time favorite blues artists as an original purveyor of delta blues with his own unique style. Man, it’s hard to be original in the blues genre, but Mooney has pulled it off. I hope to see him again down the road.

Interview with Josh Worden with Badlands Trio
CD Release Party July 12 at 9 & Main

By Rick Grant

Three trained musicians jammed together and something wonderful happened. They discovered that they all shared the same musical ideas and were playing on the same wave length. So, Josh Worden on guitar and vocals, Michael Valenzano on bass, and Peter Miles on drums formed the Badlands Trio to write original material together.

For  these hired guns, this was their first original project that they all believed in and were excited about. Indeed, it’s rare that a group of musicians are compatible musically or on a higher level of consciousness, that is, playing with strong ESP. So, the Badlands Trio is something special and worthy of exploring.

To get the skinny on these major dudes, I called Josh Worden. He said that in early 2007, the group jammed and immediately realized they had the makings of a something big–the stripped down purity of an original trio. The three musicians set up shop in a studio and started to write songs together as a collaborative effort, avoiding the pitfalls of politics, egos, and the cluttered sound that characterizes other larger original bands. During our telephone interview,  Josh came off as an honest, down to earth person who is genuinely enthusiastic about the Badlands Trio project. He sold me on the concept.

“I’ve  been playing professionally for ten years and this is my first original project. I’m excited about the music that we are making, in that, it represents the three of us individually and collectively. I attended UNF, but was disenchanted with the program. So I hunkered down in my studio, writing and recording my original material. Meanwhile I was working at my website design business as well as working in various bar bands and performing solo gigs around town.”

“As to how I would characterize our music-- I’d say its modern Americana with eclectic roots. Our music embodies American influences–from modern rock to jazz. We put the songs on the table and sculpt them like clay. Everyone plays an equal role. We then shape the songs and step back and shape them again. The end result is something we are all proud of and feel that audiences will relate to and enjoy. All of us have played many different genres of music but our individual ideas are close to each other’s own concepts which is something remarkable.”

“Bassist Michael Valenzano is a trained musician who has hired out to many different genres of  ensembles. His playing reflects his vast experience. Drummer Peter Miles is also a trained percussionist who tours with Doug Wamble. So our playing schedule will have to accommodate Peter’s tour dates with Wamble.”

“From the first time we jammed to the making of the CD, it seemed effortless. It came together with natural ease like it was meant to happen. In this business that just doesn’t happen. We feel like we are three music collaborators who share the same ideas. When we play together we get into a special groove that feels pure and solid. In other words, we really click.”

“As for the songs? We write songs with vocals and some instrumentals that allow for improvisation. I write the lyrics and I stay away from romantic themes of love gone bad or good. I write about the mundane things that happen in life. One of my songwriting idols is John Prine. But musically, I’m much different. Above all, we have to believe in the songs and ask ourselves would we listen to the songs if they were written by other artists? Of course, it’s difficult to step away from the music completely and be objective. But we try and work on the songs until we feel they are ready for prime time.” Josh said. 

The Badlands Trio will be performing at 9th and Main on July 12 for their self titled album release party. I venture to say that after chatting with Josh, I’m confident that this trio will deliver the goods and move ahead as a hot new band with unlimited potential. Frankly, I’m intrigued. Stay tuned for more of my commentary on the Badlands Trio.

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