Category Archives: Uncategorized

Soaring Afro-Cuban Jazz Concert

I was minimally familiar with Roy Hargrove before this show at Scullers, but all I needed to know was that his style has been Afro-Cuban with forays into funk, hip-hop, and bop. Afro-Cuban is arguably my favorite form of jazz so I was all in for this show.

Roy Hargrove

Roy Hargrove

I apologize for the darkness of the photos; I was sitting very close to the stage, which was perfect for sound and the view, but not so perfect for photos. Read the rest of this entry

Funky/Jazzy Evening at Scullers

This show was another unexpected pleasure for me.  The Matt Wilson Quartet was performing with special guest John Medeski, who I knew and enjoyed when I saw him perform with Medeski Martin & Wood.

The Quartet Watching Matt Wilson

The Quartet Watching Matt Wilson

What a treat this evening turned out to be! Read the rest of this entry

Two Amazing Blues Guitarists Shared A Stage

It can be incredible seeing one fabulous guitarist doing a solo show, but adding a second one can bring a show to a whole other level as it did last week with Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar.

Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar

Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar

I’d seen Sonny perform a number of times over the years (including a previous show or two at Regattabar where this show was also held) but had never seen Cindy. What a duo! Read the rest of this entry

A Bluegrass Ball??? Who Knew?

The show was billed as The (First Annual) Deadly Gentlemen’s Ball. This show, held at The Sinclair in Cambridge, was hosted by, you guessed it, The Deadly Gentlemen.

The Deadly Gentlemen

The Deadly Gentlemen

I knew this was going to be an evening of bluegrass, but I had no idea how much fun it would be! Read the rest of this entry

A Jazz Saxophone Treasure

I had never seen David Sanborn perform; when we noticed he was doing several shows at Scullers, we had to go. We had another show to attend earlier in the evening, so we rushed to Scullers for his 10 pm show. I generally prefer the late show for jazz; the band is completely warmed up and is generally looser for the later set.

David Sanborn

David Sanborn

We got there a few minutes after the show started, but the audience was already fully engaged. One of the things I love about jazz audiences is that they tend to be very respectful of the musicians.  Read the rest of this entry

An Evening of Hard-Driving Blues

I saw an unexpectedly excellent blues show at Johnny D’s on Friday night! If I’d been familiar with all the acts, I would not have been as surprised.

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Of course I am familiar with Charles Neville, saxophonist for The Neville Brothers. I love their music and their spirit, together and separately (the band as it existed for many years is no longer). I was not familiar with Jeff Pitchell & Texas Flood, other than by name and reputation.

Charles Neville

Charles Neville

Read the rest of this entry

Dancing with The Gipsy Kings

I have enjoyed listening to the Gipsy Kings for a number of years, but never had the opportunity to see them in person until this show at the Lynn Memorial Auditorium.

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The band is touring this year for their 25th annivesary, and has released a new album, Savor Flamenco, as well.

IMG_3254  Read the rest of this entry

Carrie Rodriguez Bares Her Soul

Several years ago, a friend who has worked in the music business for many years told me that I would enjoy seeing Carrie perform.  I had not been able to attend any shows up to now, so I made sure not to have any conflicts when this show was announced.

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From the moment Austin-based Carrie Rodriguez took the stage with Luke Jacobs at Johnny D’s last Sunday evening, the audience was completely captivated by her. Read the rest of this entry

Recent Concert Announcements!

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I’ve slacked off the last couple of weeks – blame it on going to many shows and keeping up with the reviews!

Stanley Clarke at Tupelo Music Hall – Saturday, February 22

The Infamous Stringdusters at The Paradise – Wednesday, March 26

Shawn Colvin and Steve Earle at Berklee Performance Center – Friday, March 28

Girls, Guns & Glory/Sarah Borges at The Narrows Center for the Arts – Friday, March 28

Carolina Chocolate Drops at The Narrows Center for the Arts – Monday, March 31

Lake Street Dive at The Royale – Sunday, April 6

The Psychedelic Furs at The Sinclair – Sunday, April 13

Alejandro Escovedo and the Sensitive Boys at Brighton Music Hall – Friday, April 18

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings at House of Blues – Saturday, May 31

Newport Folk Festival – July 25 – 27

2013 By The Numbers

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A friend thought that it would be fun to put together some statistics about my year in music. When I do 2014 statistics, I will add the average cost of the shows I see (I did not track that in 2013).

If any reader has a suggestion for other interesting statistics, please leave a comment for me!

14,801 – Largest-capacity venue I was in (TD Garden)

214 – Most expensive show I saw (Prince on 12/29 at Mohegan Sun Arena)

205 – Different bands I saw

146 – Bands I saw for the first time in 2013

129 – Shows I saw

101.29 – Miles to the furthest venue (Mohegan Sun Arena)

86 – Age of the oldest performer I saw (Tony Bennett)

80 – Smallest-capacity venue I was in (Lizard Lounge)

42 – Different venues in which I saw shows

25 – Most bands I saw in one venue (Lowell Summer Music Series)

20 – Performers I saw more than once

14 – Venues I was in for the first time in 2013

14 – Age of youngest performer I saw (Quinn Sullivan)

13 – Most shows I saw in one venue (Lowell Summer Music Series)

5 – Most times I saw one band (Great Big Sea)

5 – Least expensive show I saw that wasn’t a free show (Bap Kennedy on 1/6 at Club Passim)

3.94 – Miles to the closest venue (The Sinclair)

0 – Least expensive show I saw (Outside the Box Festival shows and Roberta Flack concert)