American Music

Over the past week I've seen 3 excellent concerts that show the wonderful variety of American music.

I first saw a concert of cowboy poetry and music headlined by the great cowboy singer Don Edwards. So few people today have ever heard cowboy poetry or music live and it's a wonderful thing. Let's face it, this is a lifestyle that if it's not dying, it's not exactly thriving. Why someone would decide to be a rancher today is beyond me. It's a dead-end economically. The work is both extremely difficult and dangerous. On the other hand, there is something wonderful about being that independent I suppose. In any case, like many American folk traditions, cowboy music evokes values and places both past and present that can resonate even with modern urban audiences. Cowboy music might be the most regionally based music still left in America today. At least bluegrass and Cajun musicians tour nationally--even Don Edwards, perhaps the most famous cowboy singer around today, along perhaps with Riders In The Sky, doesn't often play outside of the West I don't think. So see this kind of thing if you get the chance. Don Edwards is a wonderful singer and a surprisingly excellent guitar player. Also, for a truly wonderful album, check out High Lonesome Cowboy, which Edwards did with Peter Rowan a couple of years ago. It's a great combination of cowboy and bluegrass.

Then I saw something called Fire Into Music, from the creative jazz scene in New York. William Parker was on bass, Hamid Drake on drums, Jemeel Moondoc on alto sax and Steve Swell on trombone. This is a folk music of a different kind. It's really indigenous to a small group of musicians in a few of our large cities. There's not a hell of a lot of money to be made in this kind of music so see this when you get a chance at well. I suppose this could be considered a descendant of the kind of free jazz that Coltrane was playing in 1966 and 1967. But it's more than just noise. The complex levels of sound and sheer talent it takes to play this way is truly overwhelming. The energy and spirituality coming out of these musicians served as an almost conversion experience the first time I heard it. It's not conventional music by any means. And it's more appreciated in Europe than it is in the US. But this kind of creative music is a wonderful form of American music and one that continues to thrive and evolve at the same time that mainstream jazz has become a form that appeals to mostly middle-age yuppie white men.

Finally, I saw perhaps the greatest American music form, good old rock and roll played by the great Dave Alvin. Alvin, formerly of the Blasters, has a wonderful understanding of what rock and roll should be. He can do many things, from traditional American songs to rockabilly to country to punk and he understands that all of this can make some really great music. He is also a top-notch guitar player and a great songwriter. This was probably the best rock and roll show I've ever seen. To compare him to most rock acts today shows his real understanding of the music and the limited understanding many other bands have. So many rock bands today really haven't listened to much outside the genre except for maybe blues. And you can make some really great music if your influences are older rock and punk bands and maybe some blues. But you can make such greater music with influences from border music, jazz, folk, country, etc., along with rock and blues. And that's what Dave Alvin does.

A wonderful week of music here in New Mexico. I am lucky to have been able to experience it.

The sheer variety of American music is amazing. How many other places on the earth have developed as many music forms as America, especially ones that are still active. Even as the music industry becomes more and more under the control of corporations with bland money-driven acts, beautiful music is being made all over the nation for those with the curiosity to find it.