Some time had passed since I played the EMP Liquid Lounge open mic. I had been a regular there for a while, enjoying the company of Gil and the whole family of musicians who play there. I was looking forward to seeing old friends and jamming with people I had never seen before.
I settled in as another fine night of music was unfolding with singer/songwriter Val D' Alessio, who always gives it up—a woman and her guitar, giving a veteran performance of finely crafted tunes.
The EMP open mic is attracting other notable musicians, too. The Duhks, a fine group of musicians all the way from Winnipeg, recently came to grace the stage at EMP. And grace the stage they did, with drums, banjos, guitars, fiddle and lots of vocals, even overflowing on to the floor in front of the stage as singer Jessica Havey set up her mic in front, where she is a natural. Being a multi-instrumentalist, I was excited to see the varied complement of instruments. We were about to be treated to a guest performance by this world-class ensemble that kindly stopped in while on tour through the USA, promoting their new self-titled CD "The Duhks."
They started off their set rockin' out on "Death Came A Knockin'," a traditional blues sung by Jessica with gutsy dynamic vocals. She shows her respect for the history of her music in the song, drawing from the roots of her style, paying tribute to the blues.
Jessica has created a voice of her own, one of passion for her music and one of compassion for humanity. Tania Elizabeth played sweet rockin' fiddle through out the set, adding harmony vocals and singing lead on "The Wagoner's Lad." Jordan McConnell played some awesome acoustic guitar, pulling it all together and even throwing in these massive bass lines somehow from his acoustic six string guitar. Leonard Podolak is a masterful banjo player with endless, percussive runs that span traditional music, blues and jazz.
Scott "Sénor" Senior made his way into the house drum set and laid down solid percussion, from soft and light cymbal work to rockin' grooves.
The Duhks' music covers a lot of ground, including the traditional, jazz, blues and folk genres. They mix them up in a very lively show. They are a high-energy group of entertainers and a great group of very friendly folks who truly love their music. They rocked the house at EMP's Liquid Lounge for a lucky audience that night in Seattle. Thank you DUHKS!
The Duhks' CD is awesome! You may have heard it on the radio lately. It's produced by Bela Fleck and Gary Paczosa, with guest appearances by Victor Wooten and Bela Fleck, and is on the Sugar Hill label. Packaging is top drawer all the way. More than 60 minutes of killer tracks that will have you dancing and singing to a great variety of acoustic, rockin' and soulful sonic pleasure. It's available in a store near you. Check them out on the Web at www.duhks.com, or head on over to your local Silver Platters store.
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You never know who you might see at one of Seattle's many open mics, so come on out and support this thriving resource. You may want to check out Victory Music's new open mic in Everett, WA. Mary Grider sent this note in to the Ramblin' Mike: "On the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month we have a wonderful new open mic at the Espresso Americano in the Everett Public Library, on the corner of Everett and Hoyt in downtown Everett. The venue is very elegant, the room having previously been the museum of the late Senator Henry M. Jackson. A friendly and charming fellow named Joe Misiuda has been an excellent master of ceremonies, and there has been enough time for the musicians to have 3 songs per performance. We have attracted several outstanding entertainers who live closer to Everett. Signup time is 6:00 PM."
Ron Dalton has also been raving about his open mic. Here is what he has to say about it: "This open mic is a gem for Victory Music's open mic circuit. I'm not sure which is warmer, the beautiful room with it's dark wood walls and cathedral ceilings, or the people who come to listen and appreciate acoustic music, or the owner Ron and his wonderful staff at the Espresso Americano. When you combine these together you have a wonderful experience that is well worth the short trip up north."
Thanks, Ron and Mary! The Ramblin' Mike welcomes comments from any and all readers.
Michael Guthrie is a singer/songwriter who regularly plays venues in the Northwest, and he is also a Victory Music sound volunteer. He has produced his own CD and run his own coffeehouse/cafe, The Village Green Cafe in Kaslo, BC from 1973-79. He studied sound engineering and recording at Sound Master Recording Studios in North Hollywood, CA in 1987. Contact: moorafa@mindspring.com - www.moorafa.com