Jean Reid (winner of the New Zealand folk album of the year) opened the concert. Her pure vocal range impressed …. drawing from the British folk tradition. Singing in D, Bminor, and sometimes as high as E. Her guitar fingering was interesting … playing notes of a chord instead of strumming a whole chord.
RAILWAY PIE
Jack Craw – vocals and harmonica
Terry Toohill – guitar,banjo,and fiddle
Al Young-guitar, chrome plated steel guitar,mandolin and vocals.
Garry Trotman – double bass and kazoo
Railway Pie draws on the blues/jug band tradition of the 1920s , where the blues met appalachian folk music.
There is a story how Blind Lemon Jefferson was popular with the hillbillies of the Appalachians. A railway conductor on a train going into the region would bring quantities of his recordings to sell from the train (in every station the trainstopped at.).
Railway Pie have been playing in New Zealand for over fifty years They opened with “I’m through with love” featuring funky blues harmonica …. like hip chick strutting down boogieville doing the ghetto stutt.
On “Sun Brimmers blues” Terry and Al rocked out on guitar and mandolin
Garry on the bass rocking like Ray Brown with the Quincy Jones orchestra.( As I was told by the older NZ jazz musicians the bass was implied.).
“Jim Canans”( about a black gangster in 1920s Memphis )featured an inspired soaring fiddle solo .Then Al brought out the chrome plated resonator guitar…. pure musical magic, “Bootleggers Blues”, Viola Lee blues” ,and “Stealing…. Banjo like walking a dusty road in the American South….Jack Craws powerful expressive vocal range…Al walking the blues on the mandolin like hip chickwalking 1920s Memphis coolstruting to the sweelbeat of the street.
It was mentioned how popular “The Memphis Jug Band” was in the 1920s…
The second set started with a very expressive and funky“On the road again”.
“Railway Blues featured Al Youngs very impressive high range vocals.
“Rooster crowing blues”.(originally performed in 1928 by Cannons Jug Stompers) about a bad boy who goes from woman to woman.
“Highway 61 blues” Al on the Chrome plated resonator… Terry on the fiddle… walking the blues highway from New Orleans to Canada.
“Sales tax blues”(about the unpopular introduction of that tax)
The Walter Lewis number “Turn your money green “ the band rocking out.
“KC moan “again a Memphis Jug band number…. a two hand finger snap to the funky rhythm…about a train whistle and a woman.
A Bukka White tune “Shake em on down”….Washboard Sam’s “Sophisticated Mama” featuring hard rocking lyricial harmonica…. about a woman and a bad boy Chad.
The band took the evening out with “Early in the morning.
These days you can find those original recordings on your I phone ,yes they still live on U tube. I think those musicians would have been delighted people were still listening to their music 100 years in the future.
GT
