Saturday Night at Maytan- Why we are here!
One of the great benefits of my involvement with the NNBA is getting to be a participant in many group encounters that, although publicly advertised, open events, often turn into NNBA parties, us playing for ourselves. Such was the case Saturday night 1-23-10 when Westwind and accomplices took the stage at Maytan Music for a Farewell to Jimmy Ruggiere concert.
I sit here struggling for words as to my own opinion of the performance and, while, as those familiar with my writing can attest, I may often wax excessively wordy to the point of being bombastic, the most I can come up with this morning is WOW! That is what I am talkin about!
Bolted down solidly on the well matched vocals of Rick Sparks and Karen Roemmich, Jimmy Ruggiere has played as third part harmony and a more than impressive lead vocal in his own right for the last two years during his association with Westwind. I speak of the vocals first because that is the root, the strength and power of this ensemble, even over and above their many varied exceptional instrumental abilities.
We have been experiencing an increased interest in the vocal aspects of our music in the participants of our ongoing NNBA jams and workshops. As it should be: the root of bluegrass is gospel and the blues, and that is originally a working mans music, where they didn’t have an instrument, and their instrument that they could carry with them everywhere was their voice.
Westwind is a primary local example why so much interest: it just sounds so good when you get it right. And when you throw the amazing talents of Rod Phillips and Dan Baker into the mix, you begin once again to access that something-more-than-strictly-bluegrass that seems to be evolving as the style of favor hereabouts.
Every time I see Dan Baker play, I am more impressed. His ability to add an entire part to whatever he is involved with, whether it be his own band Wild Horse Drive, or as a member of the NNBA board, he is there with his whole heart. And while I know that Dan can more than carry a tune, his vocally silent stringwork on the mandolin and guitar more than made up this time.
Rod Phillips, on the other hand, was a new face to me among us: an old associate of Rick Sparks’ from Branson, MO,with an impressive musical pedigree including playing for Michael Martin Murphey, and abilities too numerous to get into here; lets just say Rod is in himself enough cause to get off your butts and get to one of the remaining shows in this series while he is still in town. The man seems to be able to play anything, but I hear the Sunday house concert features a piano in the living room.
Rick Sparks is an ever-burning firebrand for the cause of Nevada bluegrass, and his talent with multiple instruments is an inspiration to a whole generation of aspiring local pickers of many different instrumental disciplines. Rick, sometimes you show so much heart that you almost embarass me.
But this was a Jimmy Ruggiere farewell performance, wasn’t it? And damn if Jimmy, even with a case of the frog in his throat, didn’t step up and represent just why we were all there. The man’s voice is like honey, but like honey from certain flowers from a certain field. Perhaps his most important contribution to Westwind, though, has been his introduction of previously unheard of tunes that have become standard repitoire in the band, and consequently influenced the overall flavor of their music.
Not least, but intentionally last, if anyone might misunderstand and think, perhaps, this was ostensibly the Jimmy Ruggiere show. or the Rick Sparks show, or Rod Phillips or Dan Baker, let me set this mispresumption correct: Karen, you are at the center of that stage, and your beat and harmony are the heart and soul of Westwind. That show is all you.
Anyone reading this is encouraged, nay, commanded, to make it to one of the remaining Westwind shows at the Red Dog or the Sunday House Concert listed on the gigs calendar.
