Friday, March 22, 2013

James Taylor: my favorite concert.



This is an amazing concert. I have posted parts of it before. I think half of my amazement is how wonderful the experience must have been to those in the audience. It was back when audiences listened to folk music and didn't have to participate other than politely applause. They pondered, their attention on the artist not on what they themselves could contribute. Today's concerts are hard to bear for me. Just once, say, I would love to relax and sit through a concert of a favorite performer. The best recent experience I have had was in Biloxi, the Beau Rivage, which has a small intimate theatre. Intimacy is a huge part of this James Taylor BBC production. I never get tired of it.

My first appreciation for folk music was in listening to a neighbor who used to sit outside in the apartment square his back up against a tree and play his guitar and sing. He was rather accomplished, at least to me, in my preteens. He taught me frets, and notes, and capotes, and techniques, and story telling, and the sounds of different guitars. He especially loved his twelve string guitar which really did have an awesome sound but I prefered it when he played simple songs on simple guitars. He really contributed to my understanding and appreciation of music. I think this went on for about 2 years but eventually, in the apartment life, people move on.

Friday, March 15, 2013

Minstrel in the Gallery



Easily the most consistent Tull album. I find myself stuck on re-listening to this album on my walks.