A charity event raising awareness & money for musician’s health care.
On Labor Day weekend, the most significant players in the alternative music scene will gather for a three-day event at Safari Sams. Singer/songwriter Dave Alvin and friends are putting this event together to raise cancer awareness and money for Duane Jarvis, Candye Kane and Drac Conley, who are suffering from the deadly disease. Most musicians are really working class people who make just enough to get by, if they are playing everyday it usually is not enough to cover a catastrophic illness’ like cancer.
Alvin noted that the past has been hard on members of the California music scene, which included the loss of western soul singer, Chris Gaffney to cancer. Gaffney, Candye, Jarvis, and Conley were all diagnosed with different forms of cancer and are struggling with the expense of the their various treatments.
“Instead of putting on four different benefits” Alvin explained,” I thought it might make more sense to do one big one featuring many of the bands and musicians that have played with Chris, Duane, Candye and Drac through the years. Thus, the Dog and Pony Show was born.”
The name Dog and Pony Show was what Gaffney called the shows in which he performed with Alvin. All the money raised at the Dog and Pony Show will be going directly to Jarvis, Candye, Drac, and in the case of Gaffney, his survivors, to cover their medical expenses.
The three day event will take place at Safari Sam's located at 5214 W. Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, featuring such artist as The Kitters, and Tex & The Horseheads, Dave Alvin and the The Guilty Men, Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys, and more. There will also be BBQ and a silent Art Auction and raffle. General Admission is $30 per day or $70 for 3-day pass. VIP Table seating is $50 per day or $125 for 3-day pass.
Cliff Wagner and Old Number 7's new release is an excellent CD of bluegrass infused Americana. Cliff and his group use the old traditions, reworking this music into a modern accessible sound for today’s alternative country/roots audience. Hobo’s Lullaby is a 15 track collection of originals and covers they performed on The Next Great American Band.”
The opening track “Shake It Up” kicks the disc into high gear, if you're used to traditional bluegrass, first thing you're going to notice is that the drums throughout the recording adds to the fresh flow of this music. Normally you do not hear percussion in old time/ or bluegrass music. The bass, and the accompanying rhythm instruments hold down the beat.
Elton John’s “Honky Cat” gets a new needed jolt of life from Old Number 7. This is one of the songs they did on the Fox T.V. show, followed by one they did as an audition piece in the first episode of the program “Lil’ White Chapel” the ultimate Las Vegas love ballad.
The next track for gets a little deeper here with a very personal and pensive “Same Old Me” a beautiful song, this tune can hang with any Dylan or Johnny Cash song, and Craig Fergusons slide work is sublime.
Track five “Castleneck” is one that Fairport Convention could have done in its hey day, this original tune by Mr. Wagner, taps into the roots of your soul in that special place that only people like Dylan, “John Wesley Harding” Album or Garcia/Hunter did with the Grateful Dead in songs from “American Beauty” or “Workingman’s Dead”. This is a song of love, passion, murder, and retribution, great story telling with fat word pictures and taunt textural instrumental play through the piece.
He does great covers of Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice” and Muddy Water’s version of “Rolling and Tumbling.” Not since Cream did this in the 60’s, have I enjoyed this song so much.
The centerpiece to the album “Hobo’s Lullaby” is placed well in the soundscape of the CD--a solid rendition of this soulful lament.
The band does a send up of Lieber and Stroller’s “Poison Ivy,” and Billy Joel’s, “You Maybe Right” is finally given the type of sound that it has needed since the piano man first recorded it.
Shaffertown Road II has a ska feel to it-- very danceable with great instrumental breaks being driven by bassist Lucas Cheadle and drummer Steve Mugalian. Devitt Feeley’s mandolin playing is subtle accenting the playing throughout the disc adding, spice to this very special gumbo of roots music album. We wind up with a Cajun flavored number “Carroll County Blues,” featuring Cliff on the Fiddle.
The vocal and backing vocals on this well recorded CD are sumptuous and rich regional tonality. This is the best work yet by this journeyman group on their latest venture into the market place.
You can get this CD at www.oldnumber7.net or you can pick a copy of “Hobo’s Lullaby” at the bands next shows. Cliff Wagner and Old Number 7 are playing “Bluegrass at the Ford” at 7 p.m. Sunday, September 7, 2008. The Ford Amphitheater is at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA 90068.
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