Al's Blog-o-Sphere

This very cool show apparently is catch-as-catch-can. I caught it again this week. Actually, my Replay-TV caught it for me. It opened with one of my favorite artists of late: Richard Thompson. (Fairport Convention) It then went on to Tommy Emmanuel, an artist I have heard of and have an album of his music, but the visual experience was new, fixing him in my memory now with an image to go with the music. They also had Stephen Fearing, who I had seen play with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. It was cool to see someone from the nearby Ontario area represent Canada in a show about music around the world. Continue Reading…

I was reminded earlier when I posted about Mountain Stage of Kaki King. I saw her play this summer and was simply mesmerized by her playing.

There is a video on one of her CDs that I happened to copy to my laptop and I decided to play it. All the impressions of her playing came flooding back. Continue Reading…

Why are all the good shows on PBS after midnight?

Well, they are. I caught Soundstage tonight with Chris Isaak. I don’t remember exactly how or when I became a Chris Isaak fan, but it was long before the show on Showtime.

Anyway, he was on Soundstage for a full hour. Great show. All the band members from the TV series too. I don’t know quite how to categorize Isaak’s music. Not really Rockabilly, not exactly Rock, definitely not country. Maybe that’s what I like about it, it is unique. A style of his own.

I don’t know how cool it is to be known as a Chris Isaak fan, either. Probably not very. But I don’t care. I like the music. Don’t tell on me, okay?

Farewell Kilbrannan

Kilbrannan held it’s final show at the Buffalo Irish Center last night. They left with nary a dry eye in the place. After nine years of performing their unique brand of Celtic-Folk music they have called it quits. Continue Reading…