Foliba wows the crowd

Energetic and tight as a drum (ha), Foliba wowed the crowd last night with the rhythm Marakadon, also called Maraka:



From left to right, the drummers are Dave Winningham, Dan Craig, Bob Miller, and JoLynn Gates.   These rhythms are infectious and inspiring ~~ I love soaking them into my bones to get the knick and knack of what to do during band sessions when I'm banging on the djembe.

Drum circle is a week from Saturday!

The video was captured by Burt Chojnowski (YouTube handle = coolburt) at Wednesday's Open Mic at Cafe Paradiso in Fairfield, Iowa.

Giglet: Open Mic July 24

This is a reminder about our giglet tomorrow . . . .

Wednesday, July 24, 9 pm - 9:30 pm at Cafe Paradiso.

We're doing a half-hour set for Open Mic starting at 9 pm at Cafe Paradiso, featuring our new drumless* sound ~ some original, some cover, all smoky sweet.

* No drums yet, but I've been shaking the tambourine lately and snapping my fingers when I'm not singing, and I welcome you to join in, too.   As a matter of fact, snapping your fingers is the special Burnt Sugar Blues call for encore.   A snap a second ~~ that's the way we start Fever, one of the first songs we did as a group. 

A donation of $2 supports Open Mic and other musical affairs at 
Cafe Paradiso, 101 North Main St, Fairfield, Iowa

Giglet: July 24

Wednesday, July 24, 9 pm - 9:30 pm at Cafe Paradiso.

We're doing a half-hour set for Open Mic starting at 9 pm at Cafe Paradiso, featuring our new drumless* sound ~ some original, some cover, all smoky sweet.

* Maybe drumless, but not entirely percussionless:  I'll snap my fingers when I'm not singing, and I welcome you to join in, too. 

Cafe Paradiso, 101 North Main St, Fairfield, Iowa

Gigletto

Last year I gave the word "giglet" another meaning: a short performance of two songs, like 10 minutes at an Open Mic.   I decided to change it up a bit . . . so the new word for a 2-song gig will be "gigletto", a tiny little gig, while the term "giglet" is reserved for a half-hour gig, like a feature performance at Cafe Paradiso's Open Mic night.   Like the one we'll be doing on July 24.

July 3 giglet-party

Announcing our next Open Mic giglet at Cafe Paradiso:

Wednesday, July 3, a ten-minute spot between 8 pm and 9 pm.

We've been drummerless for a few weeks so we arranged songs with no drummer ~ some original, some cover, all smoky sweet.

Chocolate chips for everyone!

At our last rehearsal, Russ said, "How about we do Open Mic on Wednesday after next?"

We all agreed, and when I got home and looked at my calendar, I noticed that Wednesday was July 3, my BIRTHDAY  ~~  a happy way to celebrate!   I'll bring chocolate chips for everyone.

Cafe P is at 101 North Main Street in Fairfield, Iowa.   A $2 donation helps keep nights like this happening at the cafe.

* * * Update: July 1
I'm now calling this kind of performance a gigletto: a tiny little gig. 

Foliba headlines Open Mic

Back during a 10-month dry spell on this blog, Foliba headlined Open Mic at Cafe Paradiso on October 10, 2012, playing traditional West African rhythms.  Dave Winningham handed me his camera to record some rhythms, so it's my fault the video is kinda shaky and beheads the players.

In the first video below, Open Mic host Keith DeBoer introduces the group and they begin with "a celebratory rhythm", Sinte.   From left to right the players are Dan Craig, David Winningham, JoLynn Gates, and Bob Miller.



Later in the set, they electrify the room with Jansa ~~ tremendous, vibrant energy swells to the ceiling and bulges the walls!   From left to right the players are Dan Craig, David Winningham, Bob Miller, and JoLynn Gates.  



These players anchor most of the drum circles in Fairfield.

Both videos were uploaded to YouTube by David Winningham.

Monster Bassist Duffy

I've been wondering how an Open Mic feature set of Burnt Sugar might sound with minimal to no drums and only core players on stage.   I got my chance to hear a really cool rock/blues/folk/country/reggae band tonight as the feature at Open Mic ~ no drum kit ~ so I checked it out.

Bassist Tim Duffy of the
Jefferson County Green Band
(and guest player with 
Burnt Sugar Blues)

Cafe Paradiso's Wednesday night Open Mic featured the Jefferson County Green Band, who promoted an "unplugged" set although each of them had at least one mic or amp, sometimes two.   They did not, however, have a drummer.   Bassist Tim Duffy held down rhythm in fine form.   Most of their songs were new, some from their latest album Great Spirit (including the title cut) and some from their next album (as yet unnamed).   Duffy spends most of his time brokering hotels while living in Cedar Rapids, 95 miles away, so he heard JCGB's newest songs for the first time at 5 pm . . . four hours before taking the stage with the band.   This man is a master!   Tim Duffy monsters the bass!

Lead singer Steve McClain sounded buoyant and the 45-minute set was full of easy, happy vibes.   Fatherhood looks good on Steve ~ radiant, actually.   His wife, Michaela, sang two songs with the band ~ one was a really beautiful calypso version of Islands in the Stream (sung in 1983 by Kenny Rogers/Dolly Parton) . . . calypso because they "had to spice it up."   Mmm, scrumptious.

The Green Band will be at the Neil Young tribute at Red Rock tavern tonight, Thursday night.

So . . . I'm excited about doing a feature set for Open Mic sans drum kit.   We have some songs that would be perfect.   :)

*** Update: Friday 12:02 am ~ I changed Tim's career info above to hotel brokering.   He handed off hotel management last summer.

Backing at the Festino

Dick DeAngelis is a great friend of music in Fairfield and last December he hosted a party for musicians.   He said musicians support causes with free performances throughout the year, and this was his way to thank them for their generosity.   Dick cooked up some great Italian food, brought red wine, and collected the cool of Fairfield to evoke a special atmosphere for making music.   Several entertained us with solos and a few of us jammed with them as back-up players.   I did a few backing vocals.   Here's an 8-minute jam from that night ~ ~ ~



Players (left to right): Keith DeBoer, Christy, David Hurlin, Jon Estrin, Trina Neal, Tim Britton
Video posted by FairfieldRocksMe

Undrummed

We're doing a new sound for our first appearance at Open Mic this Wednesday, April 4.   "Undrummed" is softer and more relaxed, and a whole different sound than what we did in February.     Only the core songwriters will be on stage ~ Russ, Mike, and me ~ so we can get on and off the stage in the 10 minutes allotted per group.   That leaves a lot of space between the notes in these three songs.

We'd love to share these with you at Open Mic in Cafe Paradiso.   Don't know exactly when we'll be on stage; performances start at 8 pm.

Here we are! The band is OUT!

Photographer Tim Laughrin captured a moment early in the evening.
Pictured are Ark-Hal Karns on congas, David Haworth on keyboard, Christy Ann Welty on mic, 
Mike Scanlon on lead guitar, Tim Duffy on slide guitar, Russ England on bass guitar, Ken Ross on drums.
Watching over all of us is the beautiful Delphic Sybil of Cafe Paradiso.

The first Saturday night of February 2012 was our "coming-out" party to introduce ourselves as a band plus a chance for me to say "Thank You!" to the many folks who helped music become a fulfilling part of my life.   Special guests Ark-Hal Karns, Tim Duffy, and Will Gunn added their sonic flourishes throughout the evening.   Headliner Josy Ylene Welty (my daughter) sang ballads from her heart, and newcomer Shane P Welty (my son) warmed up the crowd playing his guitar with the boys in the band (Russ, Ken, Mike, and David).