The Good Stuff

If you go out to listen to music, no matter how skilled the player or how good the sound, it seems like there's distractions you have to zen through, things like people talking, and other people talking, and the people next to them talking. The better the performer, the more annoying this becomes. The problem is that there is no unity of intent in the audience. I intend to listen carefully and enjoy the song. The couple next to me intends to entertain each other and ignore the music, no matter how fine.

There are moments, all too rare, when this problem goes away and you have the convergence of a great performer, a quiet room, and an audience who values the music over conversation. Friday night was a perfect example.

You've never heard of Joe Crookston until now. He's a gifted songwriter, engaging storyteller, off-the-hook guitarist and, between sets, a great guy to hang with. Bill Nork introduced me to his music. Bill and Joe Milsom aka Robert Bobby met Joe Crookston at NERFA, sort of a Millennium Conference for folk singers, and maintained contact over the years.

Mr. and Mrs. Bobby graciously opened their basement for a house concert featuring Joe Crookston. All basements are not created equal. Mine is filled with crap. Theirs is a first-rate venue for acoustic music. Around 25 people sat facing a small, well-lit stage, with acoustics so good that Joe didn't even plug in.

After introducing himself, Joe played a beautiful song about why we were together, what we could expect, sort of an opening hymn whose theme was, "We have all we need here." That song, and the encore, a deeply moving song about Michelangelo's David, bookended the best concert of 2010 so far and one that will be hard to top. Neither of those songs are recorded yet, but hopefully that will be remedied on Joe's next album.

For the second set, Joe invited Mr. Bobby and Bill Nork to sit in on a Robert Bobby song, "Sweet Potato Vine."



Bill stayed up to play a few more songs with Joe Crookston, including "Red Rooster in the Mash Pile."




I'm an old Peter, Paul and Maryite, so for me "folk music" comes pre-loaded with some expectations. Joe Crookston meets and exceeds all of them. Folk music to me implies stories of real life, taking actual events and true stories and presenting them in such a way that they become universal. When every head in the audience nods in recognition and agreement at a line, you know you're getting it right. When a performer makes this process look effortless and natural, you can bet there's tons of back-breaking work that went into it. Go to Joe's website and look at his schedule, and imagine keeping that pace for a while.

Again, thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Bobby for their hospitality, and to the audience for zipping their lips. Jefferson Pepper, seated next to me, did sing a little harmony now and then, but he did it quietly and perfectly in pitch, so that was cool. Karen Gray (hey, girlfriend!) was in discussions with Mr. Bobby about doing a one-woman show there. If and when that happens, it will be a tough ticket, so talk to Ms. Gray about that deal.

Check the news on Robert Bobby's site for a reunion of The Speedboys in Lancaster on May 22nd. Unless you just signed a contract to play somewhere else (#%$#*!), mark your calendars and don't miss it.

It's been an amazing musical week. Two new songs showed up on my doorstep and were debuted at the Midtown Arts Center open mic on Wednesday, and then last night I experienced once again the beauty and power that can be created with "Hands, Metal and Wood." In the words of the prophet Zappa, "Music is the best."