 Bruce Hayes, Suzzy Roche, Banned in the Berkshires, Radio Beat
(WILLIAMSTOWN, May 14, 1998)
-- Bruce Hayes: Ragged mountain music
Bruce Hayes is one of those musicians who seemingly just ride the wave of their music, letting it take them wherever it goes. After a long stint in the Berkshires in the mid- to late-'80s and early-'90s, when he made a name for himself and his band, Wildlife, on the regional club scene, Hayes took off for Colorado, where his rootsy virtuosity blended in well with such neo-bluegrass performers as String Cheese Incident, Tony Furtado and Acoustic Junction (now Fools Progress), all of whom are coming to the Berkshire Mountain Music Festival in Lanesboro on June 12- 14 (IF the town lets the festival take place). Hayes is making one of his occasional visits back to the area this month, bringing with him a new CD to hawk at a series of gigs he has lined up at area venues. "Lunch" (Ragged Mountain Records) includes 15 tracks recorded over the past few years, mostly in Hayes's home studio in Crested Butte, but some that date back to his days in Hinsdale. The disk highlights Hayes's phenomenal instrumental talent, as he variously performs on acoustic, electric and bass guitars, harmonica, mandolin, dobro, charango and foot percussion. His songwriting ranges from self-effacing numbers such as the Lyle Lovett-like "Lucky Day" ("I'll play the olive in your martini/I'll eat the parsley off your plate") to more serious fare such as "Feast of Indecision," which finds the narrator stuck with no direction home. Hayes also supplies a bluegrass version of Jimi Hendrix's "May This Be Love," featuring some great banjo work by Tony Furtado, and several live tracks, including one recorded at Northern California's High Sierra Fest, the parent festival of the Berkshire Mountain Music Festival. In addition to Furtado, guest musicians on "Lunch" include members of Leftover Salmon, String Cheese Incident, Fool's Progress and Skin, as well as Hayes's own Ragged Mountain Ramblers, featuring Jeff Reynolds and Les Choy. Catch Hayes live this month playing solo at LaCocina in Pittsfield, on Friday night, May 15, at Tune Street in Great Barrington on the afternoon of May 23 and at Sip of Seattle in Great Barrington on the evening of May 23. Hayes regroups his old Berkshire band Wildlife, with original members Sharon Foehl and John Haddad, to perform at La Cocina on May 21 and Bucksteep Manor in Washington on May 24. Suzzy's sound What is the sound of one Roche singing? The answer can be heard on Saturday night at 8 at the Berkshire Museum, when Suzzy Roche, formerly of the singing sisters The Roches, makes her solo debut in the Berkshires. Roche stepped out from the confines of the New York-based sister trio last fall with the release of her solo debut, "Holy Smokes" (Red House). The album contains a collection of Roche-penned compositions, alternately tough and wistful, that offer a mature, seasoned look at life and relationships. In a recent phone interview, Roche said she never set out to break up The Roches and forge a solo career. "I was extremely alone in my apartment while I was writing my songs, as soon as the CD came out people were asking questions like `Have The Roches' broken up and declaring `This is a solo career.' I was, like, wait a minute! That was not the intention. It just more like, this just happened." For ticket info on the Berkshire Museum show call 443-7171, ext. 20. Stop the music! As of this week's deadline for this column, plans were proceeding for the Berkshire Mountain Music Festival in Lanesboro on June 12-14, in spite of efforts by some town officials to prevent it from taking place. Late additions to the festival lineup include sweet-voiced former Story vocalist Jennifer Kimball, Boston folk-pop singer-songwriter Barbara Kessler, and Galactic and Greyboy Allstars, both of which are featured in this summer's Newport (R.I.) Jazz Festival. In addition the promoters will be adding some more locally-based talent to boost the roster of eclectic performers, including Los Lobos, the Funky Meters, Newport Folk Festival-headliner Loudon Wainwright, neo-bluegrass outfit String Cheese Incident and Charlie Hunter and Pound for Pound, which records for legendary jazz label Blue Note. So what could possibly be threatening about such a lineup, which also includes a children's activities tent, banjo workshops and other family-friendly fun? Maybe it's the unfortunately-named Heavy Metal Horns. Hey, they're an R&B band, guys!.... Lanesboro isn't the only anti-music town in the Berkshires. No sooner did we write about Robby Baier's CD release party, originally scheduled to take place at the Housatonic Railroad Station last Friday, than did town officials shut him down, citing lack of a proper permit. Baier hopes to have all his proper papers in order for a show next Friday.... Did someone say "the Cultural Berkshires?" That phrase apparently doesn't include music for anyone under 50. Add Great Barrington to the list of towns doing their best to prevent mass gatherings of young people in order to listen to popular music. Last year the town shot down efforts for a Berkshire Mountain-type music festival at an area farm. This year they've made it clear they don't want to see rock acts at Butternut Basin. Hasn't anyone around here heard of Constitutional guarantees to the right of free speech and assembly? Or do the Berkshires no longer recognize the U.S. Constitution as the law of the land?.... For the time being, Lenox appears to be the only town in the Berkshires hospitable to popular music. This weekend, the Berkshire Country Day School's spring fair includes a Berkshire musician's showcase featuring the Big Waagh Scratch Band, Bill and Maria, Anson Olds, Viv Murray and Bob Shepard, John Sellew and Tom Ingersoll on Saturday night at 7, and a blues-jam and workshop with Northampton singer-guitarist Brooks Williams on Sunday at 2.... Additions to the summer series at the National Music Foundation include bestselling country singer Deanna Carter on July 17, the new age/world-beat sounds of the Paul Winter Consort on July 25, and zydeco artist Terrence Simien on Aug. 15. More shows are expected to be announced in upcoming weeks.... Radio Beat Another of our periodic tallies of the most-played CDs at our imaginary radio station.
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Seth Rogovoy rogovoy@berkshire.net music news, interviews, reviews, et al.
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