Volume I, Number 5
In this issue:
Barry Phillips, William Coulter and Shelley Phillips are the touring arm of the Shaker Ensemble (which, when it performs in and around Santa Cruz, sometimes expands to include other players including Lars Johannesson and Neal Hellman). They'll set off on their third annual tour of Shaker villages this summer in what has become an ongoing treat for everyone involved.
Barry, Shelley and Bill will also present a special preview performance for their local fans on Saturday, July 6 in the Mission Chapel at Holy Cross Church in Santa Cruz. Tickets are $10, available in advance at Gateways Book and Gift in Santa Cruz. For more information, call (408) 427-2980.
This summer's tour dates so far:
Todd Phillips recently played with long-time fellow members of Psychograss at the Strawberry Festival in Yosemite. He'll be gigging around and about this summer, and we'll keep you posted as Todd gives us more details on his schedule.
We were all thrilled to open the June issue of Acoustic Guitar to read this review by David McCarty of In the Pines:
"Todd Phillips' superb In the Pines is another superpicker instrumental CS that brings together some of bluegrass' most well-respected players, but its focus is on tight, ensemble-based arrangements of great old fiddle tunes and folk ballads, not on demonstrating technical virtuosity. Supported by Phillips' pulsating bass lines and focused by guitarist Scott Nygaard's empathetic accompaniment and resonant solos, the performances here draw the listener into the core of the music, evoking strong emotional responses. With a cast that includes Mike Marshall and John Reischman on mandolin; Stuart Duncan, Tim O'Brien and Laurie Lewis on fiddle; and Tony Trischka on banjo, Phillips is able to go beyong conventional musical forms to develop his own approach to these 14 traditional tunes. The title tune, normally sung as a ballad, receives a beautiful acoustic introduction before shifting into the melody. Hear Nygaard's lyrical guitar intro to "Down in the Valley to Pray" and be uplifted."
And here are a few excerpts reveiws kindly translated and faxed to us by friends in Japan:
"Before you listen this album, your image about Todd, Todd is New Acoustic player, because he worked with D. Grisman Q., Tony Rice Unit for long time. But In the Pines, he find a roots of REAL Acoustic Music!! It's a lonesome and a elegant, but it's a Powerful!!!" -- High Lonesome
"Great fiddle tune and traditional ballad. They are playing and creative clear sound and tone up-to-date!! You can listen your favorite songs with great bluegrass ensemble and real acoustic sounds and their own great technic! When you listn "Midnight on the Stormy Deep," you make a smile!!!" -- BOM Newsletter
The big news is that Music on the Mountain, our third collection of Shaker music, has been released. This completes our Shaker trilogy -- though never our love for, and continuing interest in, this treasury of song.
Watch for a Music on the Mountain songbook from Barry Phillips and William Coulter to accompany the new disc (but don't hold your breath!! These things take time...). Neal Hellman is also hard at work on his newest opus, Music of the Shakers for Mountain Dulcimer, which will include over 30 arrangements from all three of our Shaker albums complete with dulcimer tab and performance tips. Both will be published by Mel Bay.
Shelley Phillips' recent Gourd recording Pavane was honored as a Finalist in the Best Acoustic Instrumental category at the recent INDIE Awards ceremony at the annual NAIRD convention in Baltimore.
Gourd Music continues to pop up on Celtic compilations -- we open all three of Narada's instrumental Celtic Samplers: the first two tracks of Celtic Odyssey are from Northern Lights and Orison; the opener on Celtic Legacy is William Coulter's "Einini" from Celtic Crossing; ... and Narada's newest, an all-O'Carolan sampler entitled Celtic Treasure starts off with Shelley Phillips and Friends performing "Planxty Burke/Planxty Drew" from The Fairie Round, while later on William Coulter contributes "Si bheag Si mhor," another gem from Celtic Crossing.
Later this year, Hearts of Space will release Celtic Lullaby (the follow up to their Celtic Twilight), featuring Lagan Love, also from Celtic Crossing.
Neal Hellman will also be on the road here and there, including at:
Augusta Heritage Center - Dulcimer Week
Davis & Elkins College
Elkins, West Virginia
Contact: Margo Blevin -- (304) 637-1245
July 28 - August 2
Dulcimer Festival
Dana Point, CA
Contact: Cyntia Smith -- (714) 895-3396
September 28
Read back copies of the Gourd Gazette:
Vol. I, No. 4 includes excerpts from Danny Carnahan's first musical mystery novel, Death Dances in Jig Time and Tales of the Highway, the first in an occasional series of exciting adventures of Gourds on the road.
Vol. I, No. 3 - has reviews of Pavane and Celtic Crossing from Dirty Linen Magazine and a review of the Simple Gifts songbook from The Shaker Messenger.
Vol. I, No. 2 - includes Danny Carhahan's amazing tales of Madagascar and Neal Hellman's review of Martin Simpson live at the Fillmore.
Vol. I, No. 1 - includes Neal Hellman's elegiac baseball poem Autumnal Lament.
Email us at Gourd:
neal@gourd.comReturn to Gourd Music Home Page.
Last update: June 10, 1996.