THE BEAT
Paul Kleinwald: Banjo Americana
With "From the Hills: Old Time Banjo for the New Millennium," Paul Kleinwald has given us a long overdue personal statement of his musicianship as well as a major contribution to our musical heritage. The recording, available on both CD and cassette, consists of a baker's dozen tunes, including old-time ballads, instrumentals and novelty tunes, played and sung by Kleinwald, of Great Barrington, who handles guitar and banjo duties on the solo effort.Kleinwald's album could not have come at a better time. With renewed interest in the forgotten folk music of America spurred on in part by the recent Smithsonian Folkways re-release, Kleinwald's recording is not some work of archival interest released into a vacuum, but a vital expression of a living Americana plunked down into a lively, spirited context.
This spirit is felt throughout in Kleinwald's performance. Deceptively simple and straightforward, Kleinwald's vocals and playing -- particularly his banjo work -- eschew the sort of nostalgic stylization of period efforts in favor of respectful, intelligent and at times virtuosic renditions of these forgotten classics.
In a sense, Kleinwald's CD is as much a recording of American classical music as any other. Uncle Dave Macon, Stephen Foster, Obray Ramsey, Blind Alfred Reed and Woody Guthrie are as much our Beethovens, Mozarts and Handels as anyone, and Kleinwald delivers their compositions with the grace and integrity of an Itzhak Perlman.
Perhaps Kleinwald's greatest accomplishment in "From the Hills" is the way in which the album as a whole defies categorization as old-time, folk, bluegrass or country music.
Rather, these quiet, resonant, starkly lyrical songs are delivered as timeless expressions of the American spirit, both belying and justifying the album's modest subtitle: "Old Time Banjo for the New Millennium." For mail-order information about purchasing "From the Hills," write to: Paul Kleinwald, Box 594, Great Barrington 01230.
Frank Manzi: Heartland rock from the valley
Just over the hills in the Pioneer Valley, Frank Manzi has been making a name for himself for over a decade, first as a member of the Breakdown, one of Springfield's most popular bands, and now as a solo performer with a great new album under his belt, along with a bulging folder of rave reviews. A few years ago, Manzi worked with the Berkshires' own Kenny Aronoff on a demo project, which is endorsement enough, but now Manzi's songs on "Going Home" (Poor Rider) speak for themselves. His straight-ahead approach puts him squarely in the Springsteen/Mellencamp/Petty school of heartland rock, but in one of his own songs he puts it best: "I wanna be like John Prine." As admirable a goal as any. Catch Manzi at the Iron Horse in Northampton on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 7. Call 586-8686 for tickets.
Carl Bowlby: Back with Black 47
Nearly a year to the day that Pittsfield singer-songwriter Carl Bowlby inaugurated the stage at the Studio -- the once-thriving, now seemingly silent, downtown entertainment venue -- Bowlby reprises his role as opener for Black 47, this time on the Irish-American band's home turf at Paddy Reilly's in New York City on Saturday, Oct. 25. Bowlby's New York debut will be preceded by a two-hour, in-studio interview and performance on radio station WBAI's "Nightflyte" show. In case you want to make the trek down to the Big Apple to cheer on the hometown hero, Paddy Reilly's is at 29th Street and Second Avenue. Bowlby is scheduled to go on at 10:30, followed by Black 47 at 11:30, but get there early, because Black 47's shows at Paddy Reilly's typically pack them in tight early on.[This column originally appeared in the Berkshire Eagle on Oct. 23, 1997. Copyright Seth Rogovoy 1997. All rights reserved.]
Seth Rogovoy
rogovoy@berkshire.net
music news, interviews, reviews, et al.
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