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Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile To Release First CD Together

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Double-bassist Edgar Meyer and mandolin phenom Chris Thile are set to release their first CD together on September 23rd on Nonesuch Records.  Entitled – appropriately enough – Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile , the new release brings together two of the most amazing instrumentalists of their respective generations of acoustic musicians. 

My friend Scott Gerloff and I had the chance to see Meyer earlier this year when he played in Washington with Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas.  The show was terrific and Meyer was phenomenal.  We were both slack-jawed.  And I’ve written to countless friends through the years following Nickel Creek concerts with accounts of some amazing piece of musicianship from Thile.  Needless to say I’m looking forward to this collaboration.

The Nonesuch site provides a good background on both musicians:

Throughout a lifetime of performing and composing, Edgar Meyer has turned the double bass into a modern virtuoso instrument that is equally at home in classical music and in the American vernacular. In 1994, Meyer became the first bassist to win the Avery Fisher Prize. He is also a recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Award and three Grammy Awards. Meyer has found devoted audiences through a vast range of projects, from his own double bass concertos that he continues to perform regularly to recital collaborations with Emanuel Ax and Amy Dorfman and performance and recording projects with artists including Joshua Bell, Yo-Yo Ma, Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Mark O’Connor, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Mike Marshall, and many others. The New Yorker calls him “the most remarkable virtuoso in the relatively unchronicled history of his instrument.”

Widely regarded as one of the most interesting and inventive musicians of his generation, mandolinist Chris Thile has elevated his instrument from its origins as a relatively simple folk and bluegrass instrument to the sophistication and brilliance of the finest jazz improvisation and classical performance….As the San Francisco Chronicle asks, “Why didn’t someone think about mixing bluegrass, jazz and classical music together sooner? Chris Thile … is doing it with his new outfit, Punch Brothers, and the result is totally mind-blowing.”

There are a couple of good videos on You Tube of the Meyer/Thile duo.  Check out the one above.

More to come…

DJB

Help End Breast Cancer

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My mother died of cancer more than 10 years ago at the age of 68, so like just about every American family ours has been touched by the disease.  A colleague from work is participating in an upcoming 3-Day walk to raise money to fight breast cancer.  I’m posting her most recent email on the topic to encourage you to donate…but also to encourage you to take a look at her blog from last year’s walk, which is a joy to read.  Click on her personal page and read Dolores’ stories from the Boston walk (begin at the bottom and work up).

More to come…

DJB

I write this email tired but happy — I actually trained today!Yes, that’s right, I’m back in training for the Breast Cancer 3-day to raise money for Komen for the Cure. Some of you saw my email of about a month ago announcing my 3-Day redux. This email is just a short update on how things are going — and oh yeah, a fundraising request of course!As I last reported, I dutifully bought shiny new sneakers, going to a running store in downtown Silver Spring. Decided to spring for the expensive shoes since let’s face it, I’m 50 and these ankles have seen a lot of miles.I was all hepped up to start training and then of course, life got in the way. Before I knew it, I had only a month to train and I figured I’d better get the lead out. So last week I attempted my inaugural "walk home from work" regimen (a lovely 6-mile jaunt up 16th Street). After about a mile, my toes were numb. At 1.5 miles the numbness had subsided, only to be replaced by searing pain. Damn, damn, damn. Will I EVER find a pair of sneakers that fit?I hopped on a handy Metro bus and limped home from the metro station, ready to call it quits. I mean, maybe 50 is just too old, right?But them a funny thing happened. I got an email that someone had made a donation toward my $6,000 goal. And then, I got another one — one that put my fundraising total at $2,217 ($17 more than minimum required to participate in the event.) So much for quitting.

Those donations — and some encouragement from Jamie and a colleague at the office — convinced me to give it another go. So today I dug out my OLD sneakers and hit 16th Street one more time. I am proud to report that I more than doubled my first training walk and logged 3.7 miles!

But I’m not stopping at 3.7 miles. And I’m certainly not stopping at $2,217 (what kind of a fundraiser would I be if I did that???)

Last year, dedicated family, friends and colleagues like you helped me raise $5,400 for the Boston Walk. This year, I’ve set a goal of $6,000 to help fight breast cancer. Won’t you help me meet this ambitious goal by making a donation today?

Just follow the link below to visit my personal fundraising page and make a donation.

Just in case you missed my account of last year’s walk, follow the link below to visit my personal page, where I tell my story. This event isn’t easy, but I promise you, I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t believe 100% that it was worth every muscle ache (and after today’s walk, that whole "every muscle aching" thing is definitely coming back…)

If you have any questions or want to hear more about what I’m doing, I love talking about the event. Thanks for all of your support. I’m incredibly lucky to have people like you in my life!

Never give up, never surrender,

Dolores

P.S. Don’t wait – donate today!Click here to visit my personal page.
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/Walk/WashingtonDCEvent?px=1338211&pg=personal&fr_id=1192&et=w4KgPqvYWoOsoYVxUd9QQw..&s_tafId=6386
For more information about the Breast Cancer 3-Day, Susan G. Komen for the Cure or the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund, visit http://www.the3day.org/ or call 800.996.3DAY.

Speaking in Memphis

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Later in September I’ll be in Tennessee to speak as part of the Memphis AIA’s Architecture Month Celebration .  My talk will include an overview of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s annual listing of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places (see 2008’s Boyd Theatre listing at left) and I’m looking forward to seeing friends and colleagues from Memphis Heritage.

I wouldn’t want to return to my home state without letting family and friends know I was in the area.  (“In the area” is a bit of a stretch, I’ll admit.  Here’s a bit of useless trivia for you:  Bristol, TN is closer to Canada than it is to Memphis, TN.  It is a looooong state.)  So if you can drop by Memphis on September 24th, it will be great to see you.

More to come…

DJB

Nats vs. Mets – On Any Given Night

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One of the great things about baseball is that on any given night, the worst team in the league has a decent chance at beating the best teams in the league.  You may believe that’s true in any sport, but think about how often you see a lousy NBA team give a top-notch NBA team a close game.  I can’t think of many times.  However, with baseball you see it virtually every night.

And tonight’s no exception.  I’ve been doing chores and keeping my eye on the televised game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Metropolitans .  The last time I checked, the Nats were battling the Mariners and the Padres for the worst record in baseball.  The Mets, on the other hand, had the third best record in the National League and were leading the East.

So the Mets jump off to a 2-0 lead and you think to yourself, “Uh-oh, it is going to be a long night.”  Well, that’s true, but not for the reason you think.  Everytime the Mets pull ahead the Nats battle right back.  They tie the game 2-2.  The Mets go up 5-2.  In a crazy 4th inning, the Nats send 9 batters to the plate when they could be excused for folding their tent and they end the inning leading 7-5.  But the Mets are good, and the very next inning they come back to tie the score at 7-7.  (That’s right, 7 runs scored between them in the 4th.)  In the 5th the Nats add another run to go up 8-7…and that’s where it stands as they head into the bottom of the 6th.  I have no idea how it will turn out, but it is a fun game to watch.

As retired Orioles manager Earl Weaver said, “This ain’t a football game.  We do this every day.”  And because they do it 162 times a year, when you check in on a game you’ve got a decent chance of seeing a good game, no matter the seasonal stats of the participants.

Whoops – Mets go up 10-8 in the bottom of the 6th with their 4th home run of the game.  Go Nats!

More to come…

DJB

PNC in 2013

Monday night thoughts – about baseball

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“It breaks your heart.  It is designed to break your heart.  The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone.  You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.

“The Green Fields of the Mind” by A. Bartlett Giamatti

While channel surfing past the opening telecast of Monday Night Football, my thoughts naturally turn to the winding down of the baseball season. This year I picked up a new book by Garrett Park, Maryland author Paul Dickson entitled Baseball’s Greatest Quotations . Here are some samples to whet the appetite:

Choo-Choo Coleman would…give you the sign and then look down to see what it was. – Roger Craig quoted in “Bad Beyond Belief”

Blind people come to the park just to listen to him pitch. – Reggie Jackson commenting on Tom Seaver.

Fans don’t boo nobodies. – Reggie Jackson

Out of what? A thousand? – Mickey Rivers on hearing Reggie Jackson brag about having an IQ of 160

I cussed him out in Spanish and he threw me out in English – Lou Piniella as a Yankee, on an argument he had with umpire Armando Rodriguez

Hating the Yankees is as American as pizza pie, unwed mothers, and cheating on your income tax – Mike Royko

Don’t quit until every base is uphill – Babe Ruth

The only good thing about playing in Cleveland is you don’t have to make road trips there – Richie Scheinblum

But they had a Bob Uecker Day Off for me once in Philly – Bob Uecker on his lack of recognition

I made a major contribution to the Cardinals’ pennant drive in 1964.  I got hepatitis. – Bob Uecker

The average age in Sun City, Arizona, is deceased – Bob Uecker

Good pitching always stops good hitting and vice versa – Bob Veale

Don’t know, they were wearing a bag over their head – Yogi Berra (you knew I had to include at least one) when, after seeing his first streaker, he was asked if the person was male or female.

A fun read. 

More to come…

DJB

In Praise of Independent Coffee Houses

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Dolores emailed me this morning to say that our neighborhood coffee house here in Silver Spring – Kefa Cafe – was having a customer appreciation day with free food.  Candice and I had been looking for a time to have a coffee together, so we braved the remnants of Hanna that are making their presence felt in Washington today and enjoyed our coffee, pastries, and good company.

There’s a nice post on Kefa on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s This Place Matters site where Dolores tells why this is her Third Place in Silver Spring.  Run by two sisters since 1996, it is a great place to hang out, enjoy good food, and meet interesting people.  Candice and I shared our table today with two middle age guys who just returned from their weekly basketball game at a local gym…a tradition they’ve continued for 20 years.

Support that special independent coffee house in your town.  Like all unique and special places, they are going too fast.

More to come…

DJB

How do those bluegrass guys (and gals) play so fast? The true story!

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(NOTE from 2021: Since I wrote this post way back in 2008, the website referenced is no longer active. Nonetheless, since it saw some recent traffic, I decided to keep it here as I think you can get the gist of the report from this now-departed Onion-like online site.)

Thanks to a heads up from The Bluegrass Blog, I was introduced to the perfect post-convention antidote that puts all the postings from The Daily Kos (or insert your favorite right-wing blog) in perspective.

Want to know how all those bluegrass phenoms play so darn fast?  Steroids!  Check out this stunning revelation from the incredibly funny Bluegrass Intelligencer which reports on the government-funded study to uncover rampant performance enhancing drug use among all the major bluegrass bands, including Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder (see photo at top).  As one “fan” put it,

“I mean, when you go to a festival and you see Cody Kilby playing those guitar solos with Kentucky Thunder, you know that it’s not naturally possible, yet everyone just looks the other way,” said Thom Thoreau, bluegrass fan.

The Intelligencer does include some balance in the story, however, by quoting another fan as saying that he actually thinks performance-detracting drugs are a bigger problem, noting that at many festivals the bands are either “drunk or high a lot of the time, especially in the second set.”

For those of you who like your humor along the lines of the Daily Show or The Onion and know a little about bluegrass and acoustic music (or just pop culture references) you’ll get a kick out of the Intelligencer.  The editor’s note under the headline about the Chris Thile/Dolly Parton Scandal which says,

“It has recently been called to our attention that no part of this article is even barely true”

applies to every single article.  (So a disclaimer — Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder DO NOT to my knowledge use performance enhancing drugs!)  Enjoy, get a few laughs, and then read your political blogs with more of a sense of humor. 

More to come…

DJB

Montpelier’s Restoration and the Importance of James Madison

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Many of you know that the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Montpelier Foundation have undertaken a complete restoration of Montpelier, the historic home of James Madison in Orange, Virginia.  The home will be opened Wednesday, September 17th, after a five-year restoration.  Preservation magazine has a terrific story on this work in the September/October 2008 issue. 

The Father of the Constitution’s house will be reopened – appropriately enough – on Constitution Day.  The opening also comes three days after the extension for yet another year of the national state of emergency first declared on September 14, 2001.

Madison – one of our most underappreciated Founding Fathers – is still very relevant today.  To see Madison’s warnings about “experiments with our liberties” read his Memorial and Remonstrance. 

More to come…

DJB

Tom Dews Concert

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My friend Tom Dews has a concert coming up this month at the historic Athenaeum in Alexandria, Virginia.  This is a nice venue in the heart of Old Town. 

Tom’s concert is set for next Thursday, September 11th, at 7 p.m.  Tickets are $10/person and The Athenaeum is located at 201 Prince Street.

If you aren’t familiar with Tom’s music, let me quote from the website:

Tom Dews soaked up roots rhythms and fished the great rivers of the southeast growing up in south Georgia and central Florida. After sojourns in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, he resides in Northern Virginia, still churning out his brand of original guitar with simultaneous harmonica and vocals from a lived-in and karma-buffeted voice. His three CDs, EPIPHANIES & EPITAPHS, BUTTONS BALLADS BLUES, and the new DRIVING DREAMS are available at CDBaby.com. Dews holds an endorsement from the M. Hohner Co. for harmonica studio work, and has contributed as a sideman to the work of a number of other artists. Hear Tom Dews @ tomdews.com

For his day job, Tom is a librarian at Andrew’s school, but in the evenings and on the weekends he’s a first rate singer-songerwriter and – as you can gather from the above – he plays a mean blues harp.  (As the son of a librarian who loved to sing, I’m partial to this work/life combination.)  If you’re around Old Town next week, check Tom out.

More to come…

DJB