Latest listening.
Another fine edition of Austin City Limits: Los Lobos and Ratdog in the same show!
I’ve always liked Los Lobos. I remember seeing them once at Artpark with The Chieftans. An unlikely combo, but not so if you really think about their roots in folk music. The Cheiftans like to do that too: find another band that typifies another style of music and showcase their common ground. It works and makes for some great shows.
Other music: Another artist I’ve always liked is 12-string Guitar Legend Leo Kottke. I recently discovered two albums he did with Mike Gordon, the bassist from Phish. Seems like an unlikely pair too, but the duo works. you can hear the influences of both performers meld in the music. Leo can be bit mechanical sometimes in his playing. He is almost machine-precise. Amazing, but tiring. Mike Gordon seems to add that jam-band influence and seems to have helped Leo find his funky side. The effect is one of those total is greater than the sum of the parts things. I hope they continue to collaborate for some time.
I went to see Flyin’ Blind again at the Lockport Canal Tours. I got there just after they had finished their first set. It was great to see them play again and I still can’t get over how good a band they are and how I missed out on them for so long. I guess you just take the local stuff for granted.