Indigo Girls and Saint-Amant Grangeneuve

Although I was a professional bassist when I was younger, I took up the acoustic guitar because playing the bass by myself was boring. I used take my Martin D-35 and play regularly at a particular coffee house in college. So, although I’m a jazz/blues musician by training, I have always loved the folk scene.

Amy Ray and Emily Saliers make up what I consider to be one of the premier duos to ever hit the music scene—the Indigo Girls. The only other due that comes close to their melodies, harmonies, and lyrical beauty is Simon and Garfunkel. They first met at Laurel Ridge Elementary School near Decatur, Georgia. They didn’t become friends until high school because Emily was a year older than Amy. While attending Shamrock High School, they recognized their musical love and started performing together, first as “The B-Band” then as “Saliers and Ray.”

After graduating, they went their separate ways, Saliers to Tulane University and Ray to Vanderbilt. Both became homesick and returned to Georgia where they attended Emory University and reunited as a musical duo. They needed a name and began going through the dictionary looking for words that struck them. Indigo was the winner and they began performing publically under the name Indigo Girls.

Around 1988, the duo seemed to fit into the category of “the next big thing,” following the success of artists like Tracy Chapman and Suzanne Vega. As a result, Epic Records signed them to their first major recording contract. Their first release, “Indigo Girls” contains one of my all time favorites, “Closer to Fine.” The album won a Grammy award for best folk recording.

While their guitar and vocal harmonies are captivating, don’t miss the poetry of their lyrics starting with “Closer to Fine.” Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Closer to fine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUgwM1Ky228

Galileo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI1keSSwdcI

Least complicated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOBZ_dkGpJ4

Power of two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj0yVN8pFNw

Blood and fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIDyGTD6EZw

Prince of darkness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY9-98tkfvg

Hammer and a nail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTI2GGNFR_U

Romeo & Juliet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEcMzxLxSgo

Chickenman/Bitter root: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-rxBU5p2cs

Tangled up in blue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PKoMxd3Idk

Share the moon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBGPAwHHHpQ

Bus bus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1ZMkqdgzI8

Opened a bottle of one of my favorite wines recently, which is very appropriate since the Indigo girls are one of my favorite folk groups. The 2009 Saint-Amant Grangeneuve Beaumes-du-Venise is a Southern Rhone crafted from 60% Grenache, 35% Syrah, and 5% Viognier. In the glass it’s dark purple with aromas of red raspberries and spice. Its tastes like a bowl full of raspberries and cherries with a bit of pepper due to the Syrah. At $17.00, it also a bargain. Get your local wine shop to order a case and enjoy it with the music of the Indigo Girls.

Cheers!

Bruce Cockburn & Château Cadillac Cuvée du Pin Franc

Bruce Cockburn, born May 27, 1945, is one of the finest folk singer/guitarists of the modern day. His style ranges from jazz to rock to folk and is infused with poignant lyrics that harken back to the days of protests against the Viet Nam war. But he pushes the concept farther to protest the stupidity of any war.   

Raised as an agnostic, Bruce became a devout Christian early in his career and many of his recordings from the 70s refer to his Christian beliefs, which forms the core of his concerns for human rights and environmentalism expressed in his later works. Through the 1980s Cockburn's songwriting became more urban, more global, and then more political; he became heavily involved with progressive causes. These concerns became more evident in 1984, with Cockburn's US radio hit, “If I Had a Rocket Launcher.” He wrote the song a year earlier following a visit to Guatemalan refugee camps in Mexico that were attacked by Guatemalan Helicopter gunships.

More recently, Bruce added two more awards, contemporary album of the year and solo artist of the year, to his long list of honors. And lastly, for you guitar buffs, Bruce plays acoustic guitars custom made by fellow Canadian Linda Manzer.

Pacing the cage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAcqr3MYMmM

The last night of the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02TUsZzF6es

If I had a rocket launcher: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOjHior0RfU&feature=related

Lovers in a dangerous time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKjgJ3oLJqE&feature=related

Iris of the world: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XCw4juhAdI&feature=related

Call it democracy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68zccrskOqQ

After the rain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ8X8YvKLAY&feature=related

Incandescent blue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URRkJv2RY_E&feature=related

Wondering where the lions are: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL4CdHd9ma4

Night train: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvPYnYup47I&feature=related

Get up Jonah: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bwlLGsl-TY&feature=related

Maybe the poet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcUiOADXfsI&feature=related

Drive away: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGQL21dIUAA&feature=related

Château Cadillac has become one of my favorite Bordeaux Supérieur producers. The estate crafts excellent-quality wines for the price, but its 2009 vintage stands out as one of its recent best. This wine has an abundance of fruit and spice and the perfect balance of concentration and complexity. Unfortunately, it’s not often found in the U.S., but check on line as I did/do.

Cadillac's wines are Merlot driven, 70 percent in this case, with smaller portions of Cabernet Sauvignon (28 percent) and Cabernet Franc (2 percent) rounding out the blend. Given the spectacular 2009 vintage, the fruit was more complex and intense than usual, allowing winemaker Patrick Soye to use a higher percentage of new oak barrels for this wine, providing great spice and long, gorgeous length.

While its price ($16.00) may imply that it's a Tuesday-evening sipper, this Bordeaux is really much more. Pair this at your next dinner party with steak or duck, gift it to a good friend and certainly park a few bottles in your cellar for savoring later.

The 2009 Château Cadillac Cuvée du Pin Franc is a dark brick-red, with an intense, spicy nose of plum, cherry, boysenberry, anise and earth. It’s a medium-bodied wine, soft on the palate, with round, berry-fruit flavors complemented by vanilla, cocoa and a touch of oak. Soft, silky tannins lead to a smooth, round finish on black cherry flavors. It’s a great choice for kicking back on the weekend with the music of Bruce Cockburn.

Cheers!

Richie Havens & Rockledge Pinot Noir

Tonight I’m featuring one of my favorite folk/guitarists from the 70’s, namely Mr. Richie Havens. Born in Brooklyn on July 21^st, 1941, Havens was the eldest of nine children. At an early age, he began organizing his neighborhood friends into street corner do-wop groups and was performing with The McCrea Gospel Singers at 16. At age 20, Havens left Brooklyn, seeking artistic stimulation in Greenwich Village. He saw the Village as a place to escape to, in order to express himself. He had first went there during the beatnik days of the 1950s to perform poetry, then drew portraits for two years and stayed up all night listening to folk music in the clubs. It took a while before he thought of picking up a guitar.

Havens' reputation as a live performer earned him widespread notice. His Woodstock appearance proved to be a major turning point in his career. As the festival's first performer, he held the crowd for nearly three hours (in part because he was told to perform a lengthy set because many artists were delayed in reaching the festival location), and was called back for several encores. What is incredible to me is that the song, :Motherless Child/Freedom that became both Havens and a Woodstock anthem was completely improvised after he ran out of tunes

Following the success of his Woodstock performance, Richie started his own record label, Stormy Forest, and delivered Stonhenge, one of my favorite albums of the 1970’s. Havens uses open tunings and, although his chords are not difficult, his rhythms are incredible. You might notice, as I did when I sat ten feet from him at a concert he gave at my alma mater, DePauw University, that he sings without his upper false teeth. It’s an interesting little fact, but doesn’t diminish the virtuosity of one of the great folk guitarists of modern times.

Woodstock opening:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1pMeyy__r0

Freedom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA51wyl-9IE

Here Comes The Sun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBbXKsKXyNU

Fire and Rain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol4O61bxzoA&feature=related

What You Gonna Do About Me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxahJlMI6NQ&feature=related

Wonder Child: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdCx-1afCgM&feature=related

I Can’t Make It Anymore: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpfpFKzA4h8&feature=related

Handsome Johnny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyBS39ybcEE&feature=related

License to Kill: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JltNLkh03ME&feature=related

All along The Watchtower: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEEtohsNX0E&feature=related

High Flying Bird: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hptrdJ7Xvic&feature=related

Lady Madonna: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg7fYblgnNk&feature=related

What About Me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZmkIa89SgQ&feature=related

Tombstone Blues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOQXvUiKnYM

I’m going to pair Richie with a 2010 Rockledge Pinot Noir ($20.00). This is a concentrated wine with Burgundian balance rarely found in a Carneros Pinot Noir. It’s deep ruby color explodes with a nose of cherries, raspberries, and cranberries, while the palate is full of intense red fruit. Nice long finish with moderate alcohol content. Very nice for listening to vintage folk guitar on a cool night that signals the end of summer. Enjoy!

Cheers!

Richard Thompson & Stolpman Vineyards Syrah

Tonight I’m featuring a musician whose guitar skills rank with the likes of Clapton and Page and whose song writing is on par with Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Richard Thompson has long been a favorite of mine. Born in 1949 and influenced by Django Reinhardt, Fats Waller, Les Paul, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, he started his career as one of the founding members of the 1960’s folk/rock group Fairport Convention. His songs are poignant, provocative, and a life full of experience. His style ranges from traditional English Celtic to rocking blues. One of my all time favorite songs that he performs is 1952 Vincent Black Lightning, with its intricate Appalachian-style guitar work and mournful tune. It’s often at the top of internet polls for folk/rock ballads. I’ll let his music tell the rest of his story. Enjoy!

1952 Vincent Black Lightning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lCH5JgWCZY&feature=related

Beeswing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HApy-Xoix-g&feature=related

I misunderstood: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gyWTihnVjQ&feature=related

Persuasion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3DS6xglAfQ

Woodstock Tribute: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h54rRq2SAv0

Black Crow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-T_mvE8slk&feature=related

On Austin City Limits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M799A4Hc4Y&feature=related

Waltzing for Dreamers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9-lAOdQrGo&feature=related

Cooksferry Queen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGKkhUkxvc4&feature=related

Sunset song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucboYlQrv9o&feature=related

Turning of the Tide: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THkeSeWg0eI&feature=related

Oops, I did it again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAS4ltt7DzI

Where the drunkards roll: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arqRV1RWXGI&feature=related

Dad’s gonna kill me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyV8gV7HYp4&feature=related

When the spell is broken: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dk2G0yCvR8&feature=related

Dimming of the day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC-5vpJNlUk

Complimenting Richard, I suggest a very special wine, a 2009 Stolpman Vineyards Syrah Estate Grown Santa Ynez Valley. I bought four bottles through WineAccess for about $22.00 each. This is a deep purple wine with a nose of wildflowers and raspberry and succulent flavors of red current, cassis, and black cherry. It was great from the bottle, but really opened up after an hour. Wonderful wine if you can find it and it perfectly complements the rich textures of Richard Thompson’s music. Enjoy!

Cheers!