Entertainment For Lively Minds
Tom Russell
Posted by pedr0 on 16 January 2012 - 10:48am.
When:
15/01/2012
Where:
Cecil Sharp House
Comments:
What a fantastic evening. If you don't know Tom's work he is one of the greatest storytellers playing music today. Songs about Bob Dylan's childhood, child actors playing Peter Pan & drugs being swapped for guns on the Mexican border. Every song has a preamble that's as least as long as the tune & always wry & witty. Tales about illegal Mexicans being employed to build walls to keep the illegal's out, you couldn't make it up. With a great blues pickin' guitarist to back him up you could not fault it. More theater than rock n roll.
The Audience:
What an amazing venue. Tucked away in a corner of Camden Town the home of the English song folk & dance society (yes I know, morris men)is a church built to the spirit of folk music. As Tom said you could feel it coming out of the walls.
Food & Drink:
£2.80 for Greene King IPA. The smell of fresh cakes in the oven. Seemed like a piece of heaven to me.
It Made Me Think...:
Why is it the Americans who combine the tall tale telling with songs?
I saw him at the Luminaire
last time he came through town (and aren't those who ran that great venue now running Cecil Sharp House?) I'm really sorry I couldn't see him again, sounds like a good 'un and I'm very keen to see this venue (I think Dawes are there next month). His stories are great (I believe he's had an 'eventful' life). As for your final question...
Luminaire / CSH
Hello.
Nope, we don't run it... just use it to promote occasional shows that we used to have at Luminaire. Recently Tom Russell, Eilen Jewell, Sam Baker, and Chris Smither coming up at the end of February.
AD
Tom Russell
is a genuine talent both as a songwriter and as a writer in general - witness the vignettes he wrote about each track of his latest album on his own blog. Saw him in Lichfield 2 years ago and was bitterly disappointed he didnt play anywhere near me on this latest tour.
Although it doesnt contain his best songs Hotwalker is the work of a genius. It pieces together a fascinating picture of the lost Am,erica of the 50's and 60's through his songs and stories of the characters of that time such as Buikowski, Kerouac, Dave Von Ronk et al.
Anyone want to listen to it rather than buy it I will gladly burn you a copy as it really is that good.