15 Aug 2010 - Music Weekend

Last Friday night we went to the Dillon Bluegrass Festival and listen to : Spring Creek Bluegrass Band from Lyons, CO,  Chatham County Line  from North Carolina, & Grammy-award winner and five-time Grammy nominee, Peter Rowan.  We really enjoyed both bands but Peter Rowan was not accompanied by a band and the Dillon Amphitheater is not a great avenue for a single performer.

Saturday & Sunday, we were at the Copper Mountain Guitar Town Weekend.  We have attended this free event several times during the past years and once again it was terrific music and the weather was perfect.  Saturday they have the acoustic guitars (amplified) and Sunday is the electric guitars.

On Saturday, we listen to 19 year old guitar virtuoso Joe Robinson  winner of 2008 Australia Got Talent.  We got to see him two years ago and were blown away by his talent, which was even better this year. He was followed by  Kaki King from Atlanta Georgia.   King is known for her energetic live shows,unique playing, use of multiple tunings on guitar and lap steel.

Bryan Sutton "Guitarist of the Year" by IBMA in 2000, 2003, and 2004. Best of Saturday's performers was John Jorgenson and his Gypsy Jazz Quintet .

After his performance we left to drive back to Frisco for more free music.  On our favorite groups, Subdudes, were playing at 5:30PM.  We heard them several times "Little Bear" and at the Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans.  The weather was great and the street packed with people.  They were followed by Booker-T which attracted more people.

Sunday we were back at Copper for more in-creditable music.  Mark Selby , followed by John Jorgenson with special guest Albert Lee.  They were joined on stage by several others (did not get their names).  The jam session was the best part of the day.  We were able to stay for part of the Sonny Landreth. He is an American blues musician from southwest Louisiana who is especially known as a slide guitar player.

We then headed to Breckenridge where we were volunteer ushers for the Mark Cohen show.  There over 650 people that had purchased tickets to this show and it was the perfect show to end our "Music Weekend".  All that music was free except we had to work taking tickets at the Mark Cohen show.  Tough life.....

Helen's Brother is in London

Helen's brother David, from Knoxville TN, is in London visiting us for 2 wks. Yesterday, we went to the Tower of London. Today, David and I went to the Science Museum and the met Helen at the Royal Albert Hall for a lunchtime music concert. The photo is across the street at the Royal Albert Monument.

We then went to the Victoria and Albert Museum. We walked by Harrod's Department store where David and I found a 45,000 pound sterling cell phone. Yes, 45K ($90K). Looked like something that Elton John would purchase.

Tomorrow we are renting a car and driving to Brighton and Eastborne along the southern coast.

Bus 148 , 31, 607 - Ealing Blues Festival

On Saturday, 21 July, we caught the 148 bus just outside our flat to Shepherds Bush getting off at the Noting Hill Holland Park stop. Then we caught the 31 bus and got off at Shepherds Bush Green Stop-T. Then we caught the 607 bus to Uxbridge and got off in Ealing Broadway stop-K. We were now in Ealing to attend the Annual Ealing Blues Festival. The cost was 1 gbp each. They expected 10,000 people over the weekend to attend this festival that has been in July for the past 20 years. Two large tents were set up with music from 2PM- 9PM.

Anyone remember Manfred Mann from the 60's? Do WahDiddy Diddy.... Well, Paul Jones (top photo) was the front man for Manfred Mann and Dave Kelly (another legend) play a wonderful bluesy set. I remember Manfred Mann but did not remember that they played a bluesy style. Paul Jones is an excellent harmonic player and has a weekly BBC radio program.

There were several other great artists that played in our tent while it poured down rain and made a mess of the festival grounds.

Using the local bus transportation was really a great way to travel. We were able to set in the upper level and view parts of greater London that we would not see using the tube (which we did on our return trip). We went through Shepherds Bush and Acton on our way to Ealing. These areas appear to be heavily muslin populated area where store signs were in English and Arabic. Ealing is where our friends Mark and Kelly live and is a really nice area.