Posts Tagged ‘Dave McCrackin’
David Gans and Friends to play Asheville, Greensboro andBoone
Posted in Asheville, David Gans, tagged April, Asheville, Billy Cardine, Bling Tiger, Bobby Miller, boone, concerts, D GAns, Dave McCrackin, David Gans, events, Folk, GDH, Grateful Dead, grateful dead hour, Greensboro, Jay Sanders, Mike Rhodes, MoDaddy's, Music, Rocket Club, Southeast on April 7, 2010|Leave a Comment »
David Gans and Friends
Tuesday April 27th ~ The Rocket Club ~ Asheville, NC
Wednesday, April 28th ~ The Blind Tiger ~ Greensboro, NC
Thursday, April 29th ~ MoDaddy’s ~ Asheville, NC
Friday, April 30th ~ The Reel House Cinema ~ Boone, NC
David Gans has had a long career as a media multi-hyphenate: singer-songwriter-guitarist-radio producer/host-author-journalist-record producer-photographer. That he can juggle so many balls in the air is nothing short of astonishing; that he does it with such skill, passion, assurance, wit and grace is even more remarkable.
Along with his stories and music, David has wrangles up a fine group of musicians to play with him while he is out this way: Jay Sanders on bass (Acoustic Syndicate), Dave McCracken on Keys (Donna the Buffalo), Billy Cardine on Dobro (Biscuit Burners), Mike Rhodes on Drums (The Blue Rags), and Bobby Miller on mandolin (The Virginia Dare Devils), amongst other special guests. There will be different configurations of musicians on the different days…
Known far and wide as the light behind the widely syndicated Grateful Dead Hour radio program, several books on the Dead and a number of intriguing CDs relating to the band and its music (see discography below), David has in recent years developed a solid following nationwide for his compelling songs and music. In fact, despite the economic downturn, David says he’s had his best year ever out on the road: “I’m having great gigs! Creatively, I’m as satisfied as I can be. I’m in complete control of my own musical destiny and I’m doing it on my own terms. I don’t have any executives telling me they ‘don’t hear a single,’” he laughs. “I’m not at anybody’s mercy.”
But “skilled solo performer” fills only one page of David’s artistic resumé. Besides playing in all sorts of bands through the years—from the fondly remembered Reptiles to the Honky Tonk Hippies, to his recent forays jamming on Beatles songs with Chris and Lorin Rowan (and friends) in a group called Rubber Souldiers—he’s also sat in with an amazing range of fine musicians, such as Phil Lesh, Donna the Buffalo, Henry Kaiser, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Ollabelle, the late great Vassar Clements, Jim Lauderdale, The String Cheese Incident, Peter Rowan, and moe., to name just a few.
He has also written songs with a host of others, including Jim Page, Lorin Rowan, and Robert Hunter. And his live repertoire is peppered with an incredibly broad (and unpredictable) range of cover tunes by old and new musical heroes. Pressed to list some of his own songwriting influences not too long ago, David reeled off Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Steve Goodman, John Prine, CSN, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Mann & Weil, Carole King, Gram Parsons, Elton John & Bernie Taupin, Robbie Robertson, and the Grateful Dead; quite a list. But he’ll also tell you that in recent years, as he’s toured extensively and played with so many superb musicians at festivals and in other settings, he’s discovered a whole new generation of songwriters and players who are inspiring him.
As both a player and a fan, he understands the indefinable transformative power of music—how it feeds our very life-force, bonds us together in obvious and unseen ways, teaches us, heals us, makes us better citizens of this fragile planet.
As David notes, “I came up in the time when we thought music could change world, and I still think it can—the only way the world can be changed: one person, one soul at a time.”
He’s definitely doing his part!
Check out this great review of David’s new single release, “Life is Jam”
David Gans on the web:
Blog: http://cloudsurfing.gdhour.com
Web site: http://www.dgans.com
Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dgans
Music: http://www.cdbaby.com/all/dgans
David Gans Show details:
The Mindtopnic Music Series: David Gans, Jay Sanders, Billy Cardine, Bobby Miller & Tim Haney
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
The Rocket Club
$5, 9pm
401 Haywood Rd.
Asheville, NC. 28806
828.505.2494
http://www.therocketclub.net
David Gans, Jay Sanders, Bobby Miller, Dave McCracken, and guests
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
The Blind Tiger
$7, 9:30 doors
2115 Walker Ave
Greensboro, NC 27403
336-272-9888
http://www.theblindtiger.com/
David Gans, Jay Sanders, Billy Cardine, Bobby Miller & Mike Rhodes
Thursday, April 29th, 2010
Mo Daddy’s
$5, 9pm
77-B Biltmore Avenue
Asheville, NC
828-258-1550
www.myspace.com/modaddysbar
David Gans, Jay Sanders, Bobby Miller & Mike Rhodes
Friday, April 30th, 2010
The Reel House Cinema
The Lost Ridge Band opens
$5, doors 10pm
828-262-3222
215 Boone Heights Drive
Boone, NC 28607
-Turn at the Burger King, they are across from the Wellness Center
http://www.thereelhouseboone.com/
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Jays Sanders Presents the Mindtonic Music Series Tuesdays at the Rocket Club inAsheville
Posted in Asheville, Mindtonic, tagged Americana, Asheville, AVAS, Bass, Ben Hovey, Billy Cardine, Bobby Miller, compositions, CX-1, Cyril Lance, Dave McCrackin, David Gans, Dog Talkers, E.Normus Trio, Jay Sanders, jeff Sipe, Mindtonic, Mindtonic Music Series, Music, roots, Sean Mason, series, Sufi Brothers on April 6, 2010|Leave a Comment »
Photo by Lewis Tezak Jr.
If there is one thing you can say about bass player, Jay Sanders, it is that he has never stopped following the path his heart leads him through music. With over twenty years in the saddle, he is still touring and recording with folk rock band, Acoustic Syndicate. He played four years with Americana roots rock legends Donna The Buffalo. Jay was one of the original members of the Snake Oil Medicine Show, CX-1, and one of the primary forces behind AVAS (The Acoustic Vibration Appreciation Society). He also currently leads the jazz band, The E.Normus Trio.
As a bass player, what characterizes Jay’s music is an overwhelming sense of space, time and genre. His compositions tend towards the melodic and sublime while improvisations can go from the most peaceful melody to full-scale free jazz and noise music. His attention to styles and versatility are the hallmark of his playing. Sanders can either be the “rock,” holding the steady rhythmic heartbeat of a song, or take you down a sensitive melodic road of adventurous organic experimentation. The element of creativity that he admires most is collective collaboration with keen awareness.
This spring, Sanders commenced the weekly “Mindtonic Music Series” on Tuesday evenings at the Rocket Club in Asheville; he brings together various collaborative players including Andy Pond and Billy Seawell from Snake Oil Medicine show, Billy Cardine (Biscuit Burners), Mark Van Allen (Blueground Undergrass), Vic Stafford (Donna the Buffalo), Jeff Sipe, Cyril Lance, Jason Krekel (Mad Tea Party), Jason Flournoy (Larry Keel and Natural Bridge), Aaron Woody Wood and David Gans amonst many others. Each week’s collaboration results in a completely different sound than the week before, always keeping a dynamic edge. Groups are assembled in order to bridge various music scenes and to showcase the co-creations that form when unlikely musical companions of contrasting styles are set free in an open environment.
Throughout his career Sanders has had the opportunity to play with many of his heroes including Ornette Coleman, Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, Paul Barrere and Fred Tackett of Little Feat, Bernie Worrel, Kirk Joseph, Vassar Clements, Jim Lauderdale, Tim O’Brien, Larry Keel, Hank Roberts and many more. He has studied with Reggie Wooten, E. Michael Harrington, Jerry co*ker and countless inspiring individual talents over the years.
Over the years, Jay Sanders has become a sought after bass player for his versatility and attentiveness. “Anyone can play the bass, but it takes keen intuition and a good ear to become a great bass player,” he says. With so many projects in the works, it will be exciting to see what shape his next musical adventure will take.
Find out more at mindtonic.net
Mindtonic Music Series April Schedule:
April 6 – The Sufi Brothers
Jay Sanders, Woody Wood, Jason Krekel, and Mike Rhodes
The combination of Jason Krekel, Mike Rhodes and Aaron Woody Wood is a powerful force. The Sufi Brothers used to play in Boone and Asheville years ago – leading to many legendary performances and bar dances. This band contains the kind of chemistry that Oppenheimer couldn’t have dreamed of.
April 13 – The Dog Talkers
Jay Sanders, Jeff Sipe, Dave McCrackin, and Cyril Lance, with special guest Ben Hovey
What can you say about the living legend that is Jeff Sipe? Long a hero with the Aquarium Rescue Unit and Leftover Salmon, it is a true honor to play with the dynamic typhoon of rhythmic drive. Whenever Jeff plays the drums, the music transcends time and space into a beautiful cosmic reality of groove. Cyril Lance is an amazing songwriter and guitarist from the Chapel Hill area who has been known for spectacular performances. What you may not know is that he is an expert in the Earth’s magnetic field, designed the new Moog Taurus pedals and can talk to dogs. David McCracken is a rare and singular musical presence, his prowess with his organ is know far and wide. These days you can find him projecting light with Donna The Buffalo when not cruising the parkway in his vintage VW bus Madame Norbert. Joining the band as a special guest is trumpeter and keyboardist Ben Hovey. Ben has been making waves with Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band and the Vertigo Jazz Project funkin’ it up in Asheville for a couple years now.
April 20 –
Jay Sanders, Sean Mason, and others tba
Sean Mason is the rhythmic mastermind behind the Vertigo Jazz Project. He is also part of the glue that has been holding the Wednseday night jazz explorations at MoDaddy’s. They will be joined by several surprise guests. Fear not if you leave with a dizzying feeling of motion when one is stationary, it might not just be the stools.
April 27 – David Gans & Friends
Jay Sanders, David Gans, Bobby Miller, Billy Cardine, and more tba
You know him as the world’s most listened to Deadhead as the host of the Grateful Dead Hour, but did you know that David Gans is also an incredible tunesmith? David will be supported by Virginia Dare Devils’ maestro Bobby Miller on Mandolin and handstands. Billy Cardine will also be joining the group on the dobro. More musicians will be announced as the day gets closer.
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Archive: Live Arts Florida Presents Donna TheBuffalo
Posted in Donna the Buffalo, tagged Americana, Dave McCrackin, Donna the Buffalo, Jay Sanders, Jeb Puryear, Music, Tara Nevins, Vic Stafford, wellington on January 2, 2010|1 Comment »
by Damon Webb 01.JAN.10
Town Crier- Wellington, Florida
Live Arts Florida’s Western Communities Concert Series will return to the Wellington High School performing arts theater on Saturday, Jan. 2 to present its next featured act, the renowned roots music band Donna the Buffalo.
Hailing from Trumansburg, New York, DTB has performed its brand of uplifting, feel-good music for 21 years. The band’s core members are Jeb Puryear, who sings and plays guitar, and Tara Nevins, who plays fiddle, guitar, accordion and scrubboard. Keyboardist Dave McCracken, bassist Jay Sanders and drummer Vic Stafford complete the ensemble.
For Nevins, there’s a simple reason for the group’s longevity — they enjoy it. Her advice to musicians seeking to become a part of the music scene was simple and true. “Do it because you love it,” Nevins told the Town-Crier from her home in New York.
DTB’s music is an eclectic mix of many genres, from folk-rock to Cajun/zydeco to reggae and country. There are also some elements of dance, inspiring listeners to really feel the sound. As a songwriting duo, Puryear and Nevins have collaborated to write more than 140 songs under the DTB moniker.
The effect the band’s music has can be clearly seen by its passionate fan base, which calls itself “the Herd,” enthusiastically following the band and supporting it through an online community and at live concerts. The Herd has become an extended member of the band. Many of the fans within the group have become close friends with the band members. The Herd has continually demonstrated dedication to the band and to live roots music.
Nevins said the band has a long history of playing various festivals and concerts throughout Florida. The crowds have always been welcoming — and the sunshine doesn’t hurt, she said.
“We always love going to festivals,” Nevins said. “We would talk about what we did and didn’t like about them. We wanted to create a unique experience.”
Nevins said she and her bandmates are looking forward to playing in Wellington and adding a new venue to their long list of stops.
2010 marks a special anniversary for the band. They will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of their Finger Lakes Grass Roots Festival in Trumansburg. The festival originated in nearby Ithaca, New York as a benefit concert for an AIDS support organization. DTB is the host band and is accompanied by a variety of other bands. The crowds have swelled to 15,000-plus people. It has become an event not to be missed in the area.
“The arts as a whole are very important to a community,” Nevins said. “It feeds the person’s whole being and creativity. Art opens up our ears, hearts and eyes to the world around us and gives it color.”
So what’s next for Donna the Buffalo? According to Nevins, there will be much more traveling and shows, as well as collaborations with a variety of bands and solo artists that are as diverse as DTB itself.
Tickets to the Wellington concert cost $20 in advance and $22 at the gate, and $5 off for members and students with ID. Tickets can be purchased by visiting http://www.tickets.liveartsfl.org or by calling (888) 841-ARTS from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
For more information about Donna the Buffalo, visit the band’s web site at http://www.donnathebuffalo.com.
photo by John Darwin Kurc
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