Durango Herald
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Jubilee audience welcomes departure from usual fare
June 26, 2000

By Stephanie Spear
Special to the Herald

SILVERTON – A crowd of some 1,500 music lovers at the Silverton Jubilee Folk Music Festival welcomed a foray into stinging blues jams Saturday, while a young segment of the audience embraced a high velocity funk-jazz-soul sound.

This year’s Jubilee, the 13th, followed a trend begun two years ago and offered more than traditional bluegrass and folk.

One example was the Wise Monkey Orchestra, the weekend festival’s first-day headline act. Fronted by belter Alley Stewart, the band offered high-energy dance tunes that escape easy categorizing.

"We don’t do the folk thing, we do this thing. We’re a dance band," announced a cheerful Stewart after the opening bossanova-flavored "Are You Ready," which featured an extended flute, guitar, electric keyboard and bass improvisation.

The six-member San Diego band also mixed in Latin and blues influences. The performers had buoyant teens and 20-somethings clearing the tent’s folding chairs for dance room during a more than 90-minute set.

"Waitress Song" featured happily angry lyrics about the perils of restaurant work. Flutist Andy Geib took up the trombone for some brassy solos, and guitarist Marty Schwartz offered energizing riffs. "Colorblind" showcased the band’s funk, with Chad Stewart’s pounding electric bass, Sean Hart’s kinetic keyboards and Bruce Stodola’s relentless drums.

Bluesman Otis Taylor of Boulder provided momentum for Wise Monkey with Mississippi-influenced blues. At one point Taylor left the stage and danced hulkingly through the aisles in a growling call and response.

Lead guitarist Eddie Turner incited audience cheers with burning solos during "Ninth Calvary Blues" from the album "When Negroes Walked the Earth." He provided a hilarious contrast when he shot into the mike during a solo, "I know this isn’t folk."

"Resurrection Blues," another showcase for Turner, came to an somewhat abrupt ending when Taylor was out of tune. Veteran bassist Kenny Passarelli assisted Taylor in guitar tuning several times.

More standard folk music fare balanced the day’s presentation. Sweet-voiced Tish Hinojosa, of Austin, Texas, was an audience favorite. The bilingual singer-songwriter offered 70 minutes of her smart Tex-Mex songs – including a rollicking "border polka" – from her eight albums. Thanking the audience for "air conditioning" – a reference to the overcast skies and cool temperatures – the Austin, Tex.-based singer-songwriter opened with the Spanish "Corazon Viajero/Wandering Heart," backed by guitarist Marvin Dykhuis and Chip Dolan on keyboards and accordion.The polite Hispanic activist and a daughter of Mexican immigrants, Hinojosa delivered thoughtful tunes with minimal banter. "Love is on our Side" spoke about goodness overcoming struggle. "Wildflowers" asked to learn about "everything that heartbreak teaches." Hinojosa closed with the Irish blessing, "A Song for the Journey."

The Gaels, three college-aged musicians from the Twin Cities, invited the crowd to dance to their driving Irish reels, jigs and pop tunes. Though no one took them up, the crowd offered appreciative applause for the group’s Celtic compositions. Bodhran drummer Eric Carlson’s "Play, Patrick, Play" was a moving tribute to his late mentor, Patrick Ryan. Carlson was backedup by fiddler Karl Espe and guitarist Brian Miller.

Singer-songwriter Karen Savoca, accompanied by guitarist Pete Heitzman, offered a fun set of witty and rhythmic story-songs.

Also on the early Silverton lineup were Bruce Hayes and Ragged Mountain, GaryGackstatter and the Renters and the Montrose band Midnight Mesa.

Robin and Linda Williams and Their Fine Group took the stage Sunday with a folk and bluegrass set that included gospel. The couple are regular guests on A Prairie Home Companion.

Also scheduled to perform Sunday were Dya Singh of the Sikh mystical musical tradition, cowboy poet and musician Brenn Hill, New Orleans-based Three Twins, the Tony Furtado Band, singer-songwriter Patty Larkin and headliner Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks.