Blues torch bearer Rory Block, with new Son House tribute CD, plays Iron Horse Sat. 1/9 at 7PM

Rory Block was 15 years old when she met Son House. Two improbable people. A young teenaged Greenwich Village guitar prodigy and an older black man, 62, who had recorded nine of the most powerful blues pieces ever for the Paramount label in 1930.

Years later, she recalled the moment: “Backstage at the Village Gate in 1965 Son House virtually radiated a golden light. As I watched him perform, rolling his head back, slamming the strings and almost choking on the intensity, I learned a deep lesson about the power of the music which became an inseparable part of me.”

“Later I had a chance to play for him. I will never forget his amazement as I played Willie Brown's Future Blues. He was asking people “Where did she learn to play like this?”

“He was beautiful looking; smooth skin, tall and handsome, his face filled with a million stories of the music, a life lived in hardship and cloaked in mystery.”

Now, more than 40 years later, the guitarist has paid Son House an ultimate tribute: A collection of 13 songs associated with the legendary blues singer titled “Blues Walkin’ Like a Man” on Stony Plain, the international roots music label based in Edmonton, Alberta.

Rory Block’s life-long involvement with the blues has reached a new high point with this release.

With encouragement and support from Dick Waterman, who helped discover Son House and managed him until the singer died in 1988, she cut 13 tracks, mostly with her own solo acoustic guitar, and three with the support of one of her oldest friends, The Lovin’ Spoonful’s John Sebastian, on harmonica.

Revered songs like Preachin’ Blues, Death Letter, Grinnin’ in Your Face and Jinx Blues are loaded with the power — vocally and instrumentally — that marked Son House’s recorded repertoire and live performances.

Rory Block’s first recordings (under the pseudonym Sunshine Kate) were made for Elektra Records; she didn’t record again until 1975, when she recorded for RCA Victor and Chrysalis before signing to Rounder Records, for whom she cut more than a dozen albums. She has also recorded for a number of other labels, in between endless tour schedules that have only recently begun to slow down.

Along the way, she has won five W.C. Handy Awards (now known simply as Blues Awards) from the Blues Foundation, two for “Traditional Blues Female Artist,” and three for “Acoustic Blues Album of the Year,” the most recent just last year. She’s earned a gold record in Holland, and toured from one end of the United States to the other end of Canada, not to mention Poland and Norway and Italy and a half a dozen more European countries.

Everywhere she plays, audiences are touched by the depth of her commitment to her music; Critical plaudits follow the applause: The New York Times put it plainly enough: “Her playing is perfect, her singing otherworldly as she wrestles with ghosts, shadows and legends.” And Guitar Extra, a publication that knows what it speaks about, added: “Rory Block has become one of the world's most important preservers of the roots of American music. She has become a national treasure in the form of an uncompromising mature blues artist.”

And her peers echo the praise; Bonnie Raitt put it this way: “Rory has been an inspiration to me since we started out years ago. Her guitar playing, singing and songwriting are some of the most soulful in traditional and modern blues.”

And Dick Waterman, listening to the test pressings of the new record, summed it up: “She is a true messenger for the blues; an artist who can bring this music to people — perhaps in the same way that Mr. House brought it to Robert Johnson and countless others.”

Rory Block’s own watchwords are simple: “Life is short, and fragile, and I know we all have a mission. Don't forget that it is a great privilege to be in this miraculous place, and that if you're here, you're chosen."

“Bottom line: there’s nobody like Rory Block... Rory Block is the blues... one can hear the actual historic blues tradition write itself into the new century... one of the music’s few living legends.” -Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

"... Rory Block is currently stretching the limits... hugely talented... She is one of our national treasures." - Richard Ludmere- The New York Blues & Jazz Society "Rory plays the blues like a force of nature with astonishing power and passion. Her guitar chops have chops, and she is certainly among the top living blues guitarists extant, male or female." -Bruce Menin, Merrimack River Current "

"Today, she's arguably the greatest acoustic slide guitarist around." -Tuscaloosa (AL) News

Post Robbie Robertson Guitarist for The Band, Jim Weider bring his Fenders to the Iron Horse Thursday, January 28th

Jim Weider is a guitarist best known for his work with The Band. He joined the reformed version of The Band in 1985 to replace original guitarist Robbie Robertson. He is a master of classic telecaster and traditional blues slide guitar techniques. He is one of a select group of musicians to have an endorsement from Fender, and has built an international reputation among fellow musicians worldwide.

A native of Woodstock, New York, Weider was born in 1951 and began playing guitar at age 11. Some of his early influences included Chuck Berry, James Burton and Scotty Moore. While still a teenager in Woodstock, he became acquainted with Levon Helm and was exposed to The Band's music. Weider went on to become an accomplished studio session player in cities such as Atlanta and Nashville, but eventually returned to Woodstock and was invited to become The Band's sole guitarist in 1985, remaining until the group's dissolution in 2000 following the death of Rick Danko in late 1999.

In addition to his work with The Band and his own musical group The Jim Weider Band, Weider has performed and recorded with numerous other musicians, including Bob Dylan, Los Lobos, Robbie Dupree, Doctor John, Taj Majhal, Mavis Staples, Paul Butterfield, Scotty Moore, Keith Richards, Hot Tuna, Bob Weir/Rat Dog, Kim Wilson, Paul Burlison, Lee Rocker, and Graham Parker. Following Jimmy Vivino's departure in early 2009, Jim Weider has been appearing with the Levon Helm Band.

ProJECT PERCoLAToR features RODNEY HOLMES on Drums, (Santana & Steps Ahead ), MITCH STEIN on Guitar (Steve Kimock Band), and STEVE LUCAS on Bass.

Guitar Geek Info:

Weider's main instrument is the Fender Telecaster, but he also plays a vintage 1960s Silvertone electric guitar (primarily for slide) and a vintage 1960s Guild Starfire III. For amplification, Weider uses a combination of Fender amplifiers and his own signature series JW40 amp, designed in conjunction with Fargen Amplification, Inc. He is also the co-designer of the AnalogMan King Of Tone pedal which you will find on his pedalboard.

Jim Weider's PRoJECT PERCoLAToR at the Iron Horse Thursday, January 28th at 7PM. Get your tickets here.

Danny Holt, who has local roots, is the classical music equivalent of an extreme sports athlete. He plays the Iron Horse on Wed. January 27th.

Pianist Danny Holt is one of a new generation of innovative young musicians ushering classical music into the 21st century. Hailed as one of the local heroes of the Los Angeles music scene, Holt brings his boundless energy and wit to unique interpretations of new music, 20th-century music, and obscure, unusual, and neglected repertoire. He is equally at home whether performing on the concert stage, in an intimate house concert, or in one of his elaborate multimedia performances where classical music meets rock concert aesthetics and a performance art sensibility.

Holt has performed nationwide in venues as diverse as Carnegie Hall, REDCAT (Los Angeles), MASS MoCA, Machineworks (Portland, Ore.), and Tonic (New York), and he has performed and given guest lectures at music schools and universities across the U.S.and abroad.In 2001, Holt became a Yamaha Young Performing Artist, a distinction reserved for only ten musicians each year.

He grew up near Springfield, and went to Hampshire College and taught at Smith College. While he was in Amherst/Northampton from 1999-2004, he developed quite a following and got great coverage in the local media. John Montanari at WFCR is a big supporter, as well as Jerry Noble from The Republican.

What critics say about Danny Holt:

"…exceptional…" -Los Angeles Times

"Steeped in the avant-garde and joyfully curious about music in all its forms, Holt is known for his simultaneously insightful and whimsical interpretations of the classical concert experience…a performer to keep an eye on." -The Springfield Republican

"…simply outstanding…The closing piece, British composer Graham Fitkin's 'Relent,' in its U.S. premiere…brought the audience—who had shrieked, shouted and whistled after many of the numbers—to its feet." -Daily Hampshire Gazette

"As a pianist, Holt is the classical music equivalent of an extreme sports athlete." -The Record (Waterloo, Ontario)


"Pianist Danny Holt has been blurring and bursting musical barriers for years." -Springfield Union-News

"Danny Holt aims to point out that serious music needn't mean staid and tedious." -New Haven Advocate

"If his upcoming concert of classical music is met with a mosh pit, pianist Danny Holt wouldn't mind at all." -Daily Hampshire Gazette

"An artistic maverick who isn't afraid to tackle tradition." -Sy Becker, WWLP-TV (NBC) (Springfield, Mass.)

"Expect the unexpected." -Amherst Bulletin

Praise from Contemporary Composers:

"Danny Holt is young, talented and on fire. He has the passion, the energy, the chops and the smarts to make it in this world. I am so happy that he plays my music!"
-David Lang, composer & co-founder of Bang on a Can

"As a composer, it's rare and incredibly refreshing when I come across a performer who seems to intuitively understand my music without any guidance. Danny Holt is indeed one of those people. Not only does he play with vibrancy, excitement and a deft touch but he tries to get right inside the piece and once there has the ability to communicate those other less easily described facets of music to the listener." -Graham Fitkin, composer

“Danny Holt is an outstandingly gifted musician, extremely bright, and a superb human being.” -Augusta Read Thomas, composer

Don’t Do Me Like That: A Tribute to Tom Petty featuring a who’s who of local musicians. Thursday January 7th at 7PM at the Iron Horse

The early January tribute night at the Iron Horse is in its fifth year. Previous subjects of local interpretation include The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, and Johnny Cash. Before settling into its January home, there were tributes to Neil Young and Gram Parsons. (I’m lobbying for Joni Mitchell in 2011!)

Tom Petty goes to work in a Van Nuys warehouse next to an auto shop and an upholsterer. His band the Heartbreakers rehearses there, still looking for ways to improve after more than 30 years together. Mr. Petty rivals other acts who’ve lasted and remained relevant for decades, like Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young. He's sold some 60 million albums, is ubiquitous on classic rock stations, and has collaborated with music legends from Bob Dylan to George Harrison. Last year, he played the Super Bowl and much of the nation knew every chorus. Whether he belongs as one of the faces on rock’s Mount Rushmore is still the subject of colorful barroom debates but with the assumption that he does, The Valley’s finest local musicians will pay tribute to Mr. Petty with a set-list drawn from the 70s to the present. Maybe even a Mudcrutch or Travelling Wilbury’s song.

Whether the night’s title track, Don’t Do Me Like That, will be performed is up to Jim Armenti, Ray Mason, F. Alex Johnson, Rocky Roberts, Jason Bourgeois, Ryan Quinn, Golden Bloom, Orange Crush, Matthew Carefully, Henning Ohlenbusch, Brian Akey, Sitting Next to Brian, Thane Thomsen (The Figments), The Fawns, Group Deville, Rusty Belle, SwillMerchants, Levin Schwartz of the Amity Front, Spouse, National Carpet, Frank Manzi , Ben Demerath, Erik Alan (The Amity Front), Fancy Trash, The Grownup Noise, Bob Hennessy and Carrie Olson.

Each artist will perform a Petty song but they also have the option of doing an original. This means not only is the night a Petty-fest but a Whitman’s sampler of local talent; a chance to get a taste of some of the Valley’s best musicians in one sitting…minus the stomach ache.

Tickets are available at the Northampton Box Office, 413-586-8686. Online at IHEG.com

A Fredhead's delight with Fred Eaglesmith at the Iron Horse this Wednesday and Thursday at 7PM. Tix going fast and we're not just saying that.

Fred Eaglesmith (left) is a more than a singer or a songwriter and stands for a whole lot more to the fire-breathing rabid fans that call themselves Fredheads. Working outside the pop music radar, Eaglesmith had forged one of the most unique and eminent careers in contemporary music. His 16+ albums have won him comparisons to such major talents as Woody Guthrie, Bruce Springsteen, John Prine, T Bone Burnett and Steve Earle.

"Eaglesmith's music burns with a fearsome focus on the small detail's of lives spent far from the places where Entertainment Tonight shines it's lights."
- Tower Pulse

"Walking in the same shadowy streets as Neil Young, Tom Waits and Steve Earle, Canadian Eaglesmith mixes an edgy blend of folk, country and rock."
- Entertainment Weekly

Don't Do Me Like That: A Tribute to Tom Petty featuring the Valley's best talent, Thursday, Jan 7th at 7PM at the Iron Horse

Tom Petty goes to work in a Van Nuys warehouse next to an auto shop and an upholsterer. His band the Heartbreakers rehearses there, still looking for ways to improve after more than 30 years together. Mr. Petty rivals other acts who’ve lasted and remained relevant for decades, like Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young. He's sold some 60 million albums, is ubiquitous on classic rock stations, and has collaborated with music legends from Bob Dylan to George Harrison. Last year, he played the Super Bowl and much of the nation knew every chorus. Whether he belongs as one of the faces on rock’s Mount Rushmore is still the subject of colorful barroom debates but with the assumption that he does, The Valley’s finest local musicians will pay tribute to Mr. Petty with a set-list drawn from the 70s to the present. Maybe even a Mudcrutch or Wilbury’s song will make an appearance.
The line-up: Jim Armenti and Ray Mason, F. Alex Johnson, Rocky Roberts, Jason Bourgeois, Ryan Quinn, Golden Bloom, Orange Crush, Matthew Carefully, Henning Ohlenbusch, Brian Akey, Sitting Next to Brian, Thane Thomsen (The Figments), The Fawns, Group Deville, Rusty Belle, SwillMerchants, Levin Schwartz and Erik Alan (Amity Front), Spouse, National Carpet, Frank Manzi, Ben Demerath, , Fancy Trash, The Grownup Noise, Bob Hennessy & Carrie Olson.

Melissa Breor, Smith student, IHEG intern, reluctant hipster, talks about Wye Oak who play this Saturday at 10PM at the Iron Horse with Fiesta Brava.

Wye Oak, coming out of Baltimore’s indie woodwork, has been named “Hot New Band” by Spin and “Band of the Year” by the Baltimore City Paper over the course of this year. The twenty-something duo (couple? friends? does it matter?) of Jenn Wasner (vocals and guitar) and Andy Stack (drums, keyboard and bass) was signed to Merge Records, home to the Arcade Fire, She and Him, Dinosaur Jr., Polvo, and Spoon, in early 2008.

Formed in 2006 under the moniker Monarch, Wasner and Stack were basement recorders, making music to fill in the lulls of unemployment. Their self-released debut album “If Children”caught the eye of Superchunk frontman Mac McCaughan of Merge who was taken by the song, “Warning.” The label suggested they choose a more distinct name, and so they chose Maryland’s official state tree and largest white oak in the U.S.

Wye Oak is unlike bands that use noise like a wide paintbrush, covering all that they do with dense feedback and volume--surprisingly so, too, coming from the spasm and flash music scene of Baltimore, home to Dan Deacon and Ponytail. Their music is a fusion of folk, keyboard-laced indie-pop, and straight-ahead rock with ethereal atmospherics. If Children” leans more to the shoegaze side of things with wistful guitar and voice that the Baltimore City Paper said “erupt like pent-up animals, as vicious as a grizzly bear, as graceful as a swan.”

“The Knot”(7/21/09) became Stack’s senior thesis project at the University of Maryland Baltimore Country where he is a recording major. The whole album was recorded in Stack’s grandfather’s house and their living room. The album brings out the droning Americana that has always informed Wye Oak’s sound, such as the dark and harrowing “Mary is Mary”or the melodica on “Talking About Money.” Wasner’s sorrowful croon especially stands at the forefront on this album, delivering lyrics about youth, dreams, and hyper-personal experiences. Tinged with hope and regret, Wasner’s voice is an instrument well suited to the album’s lyrics, which track various relationship dynamics and the singer’s affective response to them.

A band whose recorded sound is rich with layers often has difficulty playing live, but that is not the case for Wye Oak. Wasner stands boldly at the mic with her guitar, while Stack takes on the job of three musicians, playing drums with one hand and keyboards or bass with the other, and creating loops for the set. Check out a live, and wobbly, video to catch a glimpse of how Wye Oak performs

Wye Oak plays the Iron Horse at 10 p.m. on Friday, December 5 with Northampton indie band, Fiesta Brava.