It's all in the family for the Guthries; Kudu; Klezamir; Maggie and Terre Roche
By Seth Rogovoy

(GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass., May 15, 2001) - Whether they are singing with their dad, backing him up instrumentally, or holding down the fort back home, the members of the greater Guthrie clan all chip in and play a role in Guthrie Inc.

The marquee product is still Arlo Guthrie, who kicks off the Troubadour Series at Trinity Church, home to the Guthrie Center and Foundation, with shows on Friday and Saturday night at 8. On Friday Guthrie will be joined by son Abe, daughter Sarah Lee, and her husband Johnny Irion; on Saturday night, Guthrie will be backed by Abe's band Xavier, which also includes Randy Cormier, Tim Sears and Dan Teichert.

"The family has grown to include some wonderful musicians and songwriters," said Arlo Guthrie last week. "Those who are better off not singing are doing all of the business. Those better at not doing business are singing. It worked out well for everyone."

Still a road warrior at age 54, Guthrie spends much of the year traveling, performing some shows solo, some with Sarah Lee, some with Xavier, some with both his daughter and Xavier, and still others in his newest guise, accompanied by a symphony orchestra. "It's a lot of variety, and a lot of fun. Must be the water," said Guthrie.

Guthrie and his clan are looking ahead toward a busy year, with a flurry of album releases sure to generate even more interest in the ongoing drama of America's first family of folk. Guthrie expects to release four new albums, including a collection of Woody Guthrie songs he recorded with the Dillards, a tribute album to Derroll Adams featuring contributions from Donovan, Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Hans Theessink among others, and two recordings with the Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, including live cuts from a concert at the Kennedy Center scheduled for next fall.

Also, both Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion will have solo albums released on Guthrie's Rising Son label this year, and Xavier is preparing to record the follow-up to their "Full Circle" reunion album of last year.

As for whether or not this weekend he will be performing that most-requested song, "The Alice's Restaurant Massacree," at the very site where much of the original drama that inspired the song took place (as the song says, "Alice didn't live in a restaurant; she lived in the church nearby the restaurant"), Guthrie said that he hadn't settled on a set list yet.

For ticket information for this weekend's concerts and the Troubador series, call the Guthrie Center at 528-1955.

Kudu

Sylvia Gordon punctuates her own sneering, jazzy vocals with her thumping bass notes on the song "Surprise" and others by her group, Kudu, on the quartet's self-titled debut album. Gordon handles lead vocals, bass and songwriting duties on the album, a delirious blend of electronic funk, state-of-the-art r&b and hip-hop. Gordon's rich, creamy vocals recall Sarah Vaughn, but her attitude is more Me'Shell Ndegeocello. Kudu performs at Club Helsinki on Saturday night. Call 528-3394 for more info.

Klezamir

With its new album, Der Bloyfoygl of Happiness (The Bluebird Fun Freyd), Pioneer Valley klezmer outfit Klezamir may well join the front ranks of modern klezmer bands. The brand-new CD, which will be celebrated with two concerts at the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst on Sunday (call 413-256-4900 for more info), features a compelling blend of original, inventive instrumentals and vocal numbers by Klezamir's new singer, Felicia Shpall.

Previously heard as lead vocalist with the Bashert Klezmer Band, Shpall is the hottest newcomer to Yiddish song. Shpall's background in theater and jazz and her cantorial training combine to give her vocals a soulful sensuality that will undoubtedly put Klezamir in the forefront of contemporary klezmer bands.

Included on the new CD is a luscious, accordion-inflected tango version of "Mayn Yidishe Meydele" and mainstream fare such as "Oy Mame Bin Ikh Farlibt," which begins with a soulful vocal improvisation and ends in a full-band Dixieland arrangement, featuring the swinging clarinet of Jim Armenti.

Juggling duties as composer, clarinetist, and guitarist, Armenti is the group's other secret weapon. He wields his electric six-string -- an instrument not always suited to Old World-rooted klezmer -- with delicacy, using it to paint suggestive colors on the "Rumenisher Hora," and to push the Serbian folk dance "Nishki Cochek" - which also features a lively flute solo by Amy Rose -- into Dick Dale territory.

Maggie and Terre Roche

Those who crawled under their blankets back in 1997 when the singing sister trio The Roches called it quits and swore they would never come out again have reason to cease mourning, pull down their blankets and go out on Saturday night, when two-thirds of the offbeat trio, Maggie and Terre Roche, perform two shows at 7 and 9:30 at the Van Dyck in Schenectady, N.Y. Terre Roche recently released a solo album, "The Sound of a Tree Falling," which boasts all the trademark signatures of classic material by The Roches, including the Philip Glass-like minimalist repetitions, the witty portraits of urban life, and the delicate, wispy vocals. Maggie Roche helps out with harmonies on several tunes, including "New York City Pakistan," which contains the immortal couplet, "If you want to meet a man from Pakistan/You might try riding in a New York City taxi cab."
For more info call 518-381-1111.

[This column originally appeared in the Berkshire Eagle on May 18, 2001. Copyright Seth Rogovoy 2001. All rights reserved.]