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Over the last several years a mighty wind has blown
from Colorado to the Midwest, carrying with it a bluegrass/folk sound that
echoes across the prairies. Fans of Drew Emmitt and Vince Herman, founding
members of Leftover Salmon, sprouted up all around here, drawn to this
organic acoustic music flavored with a twist of experimentalism. The Yonder
Mountain String Band is yet another group from Colorado that flourished in
the wake of the bluegrass/newgrass/jamband/cramband movement, loosely
founded on a combination of Grateful Dead influences and folk-music
traditions. In 2003 YMSB released Old Hands, which became one of their most popular studio CDs. All of
the songs were written by Benny “Burle” Galloway, a friend of
the band. Galloway, who continues to write and record, walking
a glorious line between old-time folk standards and progressive modern
acoustic sounds, released Poor Boy’s
Delight in 2006. The tunes sound timeless,
incorporating common chords and progressions in slightly uncommon ways. The
lyrics are heartfelt without leaning toward the insipid or opting for easy,
cheesy rhyme.
The Wayword Sons, Galloway’s group of talented
musicians, create a tightly woven fabric to surround Galloway’s
songs, a natural fabric that breathes and moves with the nature of the
tune. The instrumentation of the band, somewhat standard with Dobro,
acoustic guitar, and upright bass, takes a turn toward diversity with the
addition of an electric keyboard. It works well for the band and the songs,
bringing a unique mix to an otherwise predictable acoustic-instrument
lineup, much as the songwriting takes a fresh look at old melodies and
subjects. They call this “genre-bending” in the press kit as a
way to describe a conscious effort to create a different sonic texture
while staying within the prescribed boundaries of timeless Americana music.
The Wayword Sons, featuring Benny “Burle”
Galloway, bring their catchy Colorado sound to the Forty-Niner (518 Bruns
Lane, 217-787-4937) on Friday, April 27. The show starts around 8 p.m. with
C4 Junction and Luke Turasky’s Bourbon Bluegrass Band opening.
• What’s this? Bad Bill Robinson has a
mother nicknamed Peetie? And she’s going to celebrate 80 years on Earth this April
30? Wow. Somehow — and stop me if I’m out of line —
surviving the raising of Bad Bill in itself merits a celebration. According
to her darling boy, Peetie “has got a few poems and jokes of her
own.” Imagine that. Now we know where he gets it. Don’t tell me
she likes to get crazy and blow harmonica, too. Hipbone Sam, Bill’s
partner in music, adds his guitar and voice to the soaring and
irrepressible harmonica of Baby Bill Robinson at the Hill Prairie Winery
(off Route 97, near Oakford, 217-635-9900), 2-5 p.m. Sunday, April 29.
Happy birthday, Peetie!
Contact Tom Irwin at tirwin@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Apr 19-25, 2007.
