From: owner-jangle-poets-digest@smoe.org (jangle-poets-digest) To: jangle-poets-digest@smoe.org Subject: jangle-poets-digest V4 #144 Reply-To: jangle-poets@smoe.org Sender: owner-jangle-poets-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-jangle-poets-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk jangle-poets-digest Wednesday, December 11 2002 Volume 04 : Number 144 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [JP] Nields-Kennedys 12/5/02 Cutting Room NYC [Nieldsforever@aol.com] [JP] Nields-Kennedys-Susan Werner 12/6/02 Birchmere [Nieldsforever@aol.co] [JP] Toys for Tots (NNC, NKC, NDC & a crosspost) [Libby Wiebel What an awesome show. Even before the show started, I felt the >Falcon Ridge vibe as I saw Jeff from Charlotte, Lawrence, Rhiannon, >Charlotte, Bruce, Sheila, Bob, Larry, Cone, Joann, Libby, Jonie, of >course Patty with Amelia, as our forces slowly gathered into a true >mini-folk-festival. Bern, you were missed. Bruce Yea, verily. I was saving Bern's seat at first, thinking that she might come late. Bern for her part has done me many the good turn in the past. But meeting the famous and fabulous Libby Wiebel for the first time helped me to assuage my pain. She's even nicer than I'd thought she'd be. I figured out who she was at long last when I caught her red-handed fobbing off a copy of her new CD to Pete & Maura. :-) Rebecca >All of the sets were, truthfully, fairly standard on the most part; each >group didn't have a whole lot of time to play a bunch of different songs >thrown in with the standards. But the Birchmere vibe made everything >sound really good, and all of the performers were quite "on." > >The Kennedys went first, playing Life is Large; Didn't It Rain; River of >Fallen Stars; a traditional Irish tune => Down, Down, Down; Get It Right; >Sirens => Life is Large. Bruce Nerissa and Katryna sort of ran onstage during "Life is Large" to join TK for their last number --- it was cute, like they were on a TV show or something. :-) Rebecca >Lots of amazing jamming; I can't tell if it was more impressive than usual >or if I'm just amazed each time that guitars can make those sounds. The >awesome Kennedys jangleyness was definitely there. Bruce The way TK pump out the jams, they have the ability to do lots of different things with even the old warhorses. Sometimes they merge seamlessly from one song to another; there's no telling what TK will do in any given show. I just can't say how many times Pete has had one of these "onstage epiphanies," and starts doing something that surprises even Maura --- though she is astoundingly resilient in her own way, almost reading Pete's mind and adjusting instantly without missing a beat even when he does something they hadn't planned. And at other times the two of them will huddle off-mike quickly while they're still playing, just before launching into something quite unexpected. The living muse is very much a part of the Kennedys' live wire vibe. E-lec-tri-ci-ty! :-) Rebecca >The Dashboard Buddhas made an appearance, both on stage and two in >the audience. And Maura's outfit was all glittery and cool. Bruce I thought she looked like Rita Hayworth. :-) Rebecca >Susan Werner came on next. The Kennedys stayed on to play/sing >backup on Time Between Trains. Then she played Shade of Gray; >Yellow House; something; Bruce "St. Mary's of Regret." Rebecca >Barbed Wire Boys; Big Car; and a nice piano set [I'd Be Good for You; >Maybe if I Sang Cole Porter; something]. Bruce Something like "My Baby is a Light Sleeper," and "I Can't Be New." Rebecca >This is the first time that Susan Werner has really "clicked" for me; >maybe it was seeing her closer up and feeling her energy. I was >especially impressed with her amazing jazzy musicianship. [You will >be sari if you don't check her out.] Bruce Yes, I found her irresistible, compellingly good, and spell-binding. I even worked up the courage to talk to her after the show, coming completely out of left field as I was. :-) Rebecca >The Nields sisters came on stage with big slaphappy grins on their faces; >this is so obviously their home. The started with a Christmas song (the >'Our King' one), with JOHN Nields singing harmony! Bruce I committed one of THE cardinal sins of Bruceness in missing this rare and one-of-a-kind Nields Moment, lingering too long to gab with Pete in the merchandise area. Bad Baggins! To my credit (or discredit maybe), I grilled Mr. Nields after the show to make sure what it was that I had missed. It's the old carol about the hunting of the wren, the king of birds, that goes, "Joy, health, love, and peace be all here in this place; By your leave we will sing concerning our king. Our king is well dressed, in silks of the best, In ribbons so rare, no king can compare. We have travelleds many miles, over hedges and stiles I search of our king, unto you we bring. We have powder and shot to conquer the lot, We have cannon and ball to conquer them all. Old Christmas is past, twelve time is the last, And we bid you adieu, great joy to the new." This song was traditionally sung in procession with a dead wren all decked out in ribbons in Pembrokeshire (in Wales) on St. Stephen's Day ("Old Christmas," December 26). Nerissa and Katryna learned it from growing up with their dad, who sang in the DC area Christmas Revels. I asked Mr. Nields if he was on any of their records, but he said that the Christmas Revels records were the product of a different Christmas Revels group who make their home in Cambridge. This song, sometimes called "The King," is also the title track from Steeleye Span's legendary pioneering folk-rock 1971 album, "Please to See the King." Nerissa and Katryna have sung it around the holidays upon occasion in past years in 2-part harmony. The version with John Nields featured Katryna on the melody; Nerissa on the alto or middle part; and John Nields on the tenor part. It would've lacked only the bass part, which I actually know. :-) Quite a lot of detail I know, about a song that I didn't even hear. Note to Self: *Never* miss Rare Nields, by Dobbs! Who's Sari Now! :-) Rebecca >Then came a bluegrassy Tailspin; Snowman; Christmas Carol; Suite >for Washcloth Animals; This Town is Wrong; Chestnuts Roasting/Have >Yourself a Merry Little Xmas; Bruce N&K sang "The Christmas Song" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" as far as they could do it, simultaneously, before they said the harmony didn't work any more. :-) Rebecca >100 Names (with Susan Werner of course); Bruce I told Cone that it was like hearing "100 Names" for the very first time ever, the way it was originally intended to be played, as originally conceived. What a wonderful revelation to me, of a previously unimagined splendor within the Nields Canon itself. Rebecca >Jeremy Newborn Street (w/ The Kennedys); and The Sweetness (also >w/ The Kenendys). Twas a nice and very comfortable (albeit a bit >L&C-heavy) set, and their Christmas stuff is really good. > >The encore was really the pinnacle of the show though; that's what all of >this was really leading too. All five of them on stage, singing together... >wow. That's what it's all about. They sung a gorgeous rendition of >Orphan Girl; Bruce Since this was the first time TN & TK had ever done this w/ SW, it was yet another Rare Nields Moment --- Pete guitar solo; Maura v.1; N&K v.2; Pete guitar solo; SW v.3; All *five* v.4. Rebecca >Yuletide Poem => Easy People (with The Kennedys leading!); Bruce As Cone has already pointed out, TN have graciously conceded to do it TK's way, with the arrangement TK use, and in the key that Maura sings it in. This is the prudent "Path of Least Resistance" that allows the creative juices to flow. :-) Rebecca >For What It's Worth; and Dona Nobis Pacem. FWIW was mindblowingly >powerful, and the fullest of all the pieces, with everyone singing heartedly, >three guitars, piano, and a drum. Bruce Susan Werner didn't know either "Easy People" or TN's arrangement of "For What It's Worth" at the Birchmere as well as she would've liked to be completely comfortable with either. But by the Titusville show the next day she was singing and playing along on both, even doing her own verse on FWIW. Susan Werner rocks, folks! :-) Rebecca >I always thought of Dona Nobis Pacem as a standard chorus song, but I >was really moved last night; the whole audience sang so purely and >Pete's "Give Peace a Chance" banner was so perfect. Bruce At the Titusville show one of them said that the folk scene was a last refuge for idealism in this world of ours. "Dona Nobis Pacem" is Latin for "Grant us peace." They divided the audience up into three parts, and did this song as a singalong, even teaching it to the audience first, with N&K leading one part, P&M leading another part, and SW a third part. It's actually a round, although they didn't teach it to the audience that way. Rebecca >I am sure that these shows are only going to get better and better as >the musicians become more comfortable playing with one another and >start jumping into each other's songs more and jamming, >FR-workshop-style. So keep your ears open and hear the music. Bruce It's been a pleasure collaborating with you, Rebecca. "I choose you, because you're funny and kind, I want Easy People from now on." Susan Werner is *so* Easy People, and about as funny and kind as could be. SW, TN, and TK!!! What will they think of next?!? Stay tuned and find out. To be continued... Bruce Check out the Kennedys' Official Home Page: http://www.KennedysMusic.com/ Fab photos, the Official tour diary, dashboard Buddha haiku, groovy merchandise...what more could you ask for? ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 10:19:12 -0800 (PST) From: Libby Wiebel Subject: [JP] Toys for Tots (NNC, NKC, NDC & a crosspost) Crossposted... but few to no apologies. :) Am taking a second out at work today to delurk and mention... giving has been down this year for "Toys For Tots". We were informed at work today that Northern Virginia has only received about 1/4 of the toys this year that it has other years. My team here at work has decided that instead of bringing holiday gifts for each other to our holiday party coming up, that we will all take our $20 and bring in some toys to donate instead. http://www.toysfortots.org/2002/nr120302.html -- There's the press release with the national stats and stuff for anyone who wants to read more or has place to publish it. So haul out the holly for some kids this year... Back to work I go... Libby ===== - ----------- libbywiebel@yahoo.com http://www.libbywiebel.com http://www.mp3.com/LibbyWiebel "Right now, baby, why don't you just concentrate on being you." (Heroes) Check out the Kennedys' Official Home Page: http://www.KennedysMusic.com/ Fab photos, the Official tour diary, dashboard Buddha haiku, groovy merchandise...what more could you ask for? ------------------------------ End of jangle-poets-digest V4 #144 **********************************