Flanfire

Just got back from MOMO's on another beautiful evening in Austin. Went there for a reason, but when I got there I found more reasons than ever to have gone. But I digress. Let me take you back to yesterday, when I decided it was too beautiful a day not to drive to Gruene the back way (through Dripping Springs, down Ranch Road 12 through Wimberley and then on down 1002 to Gruene Hall, just touching on the outskirts of San Marcos). All the way down we listened to the Cowboy Junkies' renowned Trinity Sessions CD - which features my friend Kim Deschamps on pedal steel, dobro and maybe even some accordian.

The official reason for the trip was to catch up with (a) Bonnie Whitmore to pick up a copy of her new CD she made with singing partner (Tuesdays at Tavern in the Gruene and elsewhere) Jamie Blythe (www.bonnieandblythe.com) and (b) Floramay Holliday to pick up a copy hot off the presses of her long-awaited CD, Trouble and a Truer Sound. The BONUS was getting to hear Bonnie join Guitar Stud Kyle Judd in playing with Perry Drake and the Shelley King Band -- revisiting the place where they made their brand-new CD Live at the Dance Hall. The weather in Gruene and all of Central Texas was superb - and Nancy and I could not help but speculate on how soon we will see our first bluebonnets of the season.

Bonnie and Jamie will have their CD release sometime in April - but more on Floramay, who is off with Shelley to South Carolina (her ancestral home) to play a couple or three gigs and make progress toward planning her wedding to backup singer and fellow songwriter (we learned this from the liner notes on the new CD) Gabor Racz. OKAY, so Gabor really runs a medical supply business on the side. SHE will be having CD release parties at the end of March when she is back in town. I have personally been waiting a long, long time for this CD to be availale, and to be sure, Floramay endured a host of hardships along the way to its release.

Sister Nelson Holland did the layout and design graphics work for the CD book and also sang backup vocals, and brother Dewey Junior played harmonica on at least one track. Both are also members of the Roseneath Ramblers, named after the little shanty in which the family has long lived. The CD was recorded at Bismeaux Studio, and Ray Benson himself sings one duet (Baby's Back in Texas) with Floramay and plays lead guitar on another track. Also showing up is the legendary Guy Clark (who sings a duet of his own song, Anyhow I Love You - I remember the night that Floramay first sang on stage with Clark at a gig I did not see, because she had stopped by with her dad to do a few songs at a benefit being put on by my pal Tammy (www.honkytonkangels.com) Sajak at Mercury Hall - the soon to be scene of my daughter's wedding. Willie's own piano player, Bobbie Nelson, contributes to two tracks, and Caspar Rawls from the Leroi Brothers and Toni Price's Hippie Hour gigs (and others) brings his talents to the show as well.

Various other excellent musicians also make contributions, but one would be remiss not to single (or double) out Shelley King, who cowrote and co-sings two of the songs and does more backup vocals, and violinist/fiddler Eleanor Whitmore (older sister of Bonnie, daughter of Alex), who is currently toiling away at the newly opened Arlington office of a major environmental organization. Eleanor, who formerly toured with Slaid Cleaves, also plays all over the Bonnie and Blythe CD, and is simply wonderful!!!

Floramay, however, is the heart of this recording, along with her regular band members Mike Rieman on bass and Arty Passes (who cowrote one or more of the songs) on pedal steel guitar -- and (and this is where it gets tough) the gone but never forgotten Kris Van Robbins on drums. If you did not know Kris, just ask someone who did about this guy - or better yet, listen to Floramay's powerful tribute - the hidden track at the end of the last official song on the CD. When you hear her sing, you will know (and you can also get a glimpse in a band photo) how much this guy was loved.

Not being content with just hearing one band all afternoon (including a break set by Bonnie and some duets with Floramay), I strolled on over to the grand opening of the Lone Star Music Store - a few doors up the road. On the bill (along with free Lone Star Light) was the South Austin Jug Band (followed by Micky and the Motorcars, the SKBand, and others later in the evening), and after their set (which I just caught a little of) I visited with mandolinist Matt Slusher - and met his lady friend, Jen Obert (who formerly played fiddle with Cooper's Uncle). They and flat picker Willie Pipkin and bassist Will Dupuy and fiddler Dennis Ludicker and even front man James Hyland all said they had been missing seeing me at their shows and invited me to come to Momo's because they are now playing an earlier set - at 9:30 pm Sundays.

This was too good to pass up, especially since I also promised to try to bring Brennen Leigh and brother/guitar slinger Seth Hulbert to the show to talk about Jen playing some fiddle with them. Somewhere in the middle of my conversation with Matt and Jen, we started talking about Kim Deschamps, whose CD was prominently displayed just where we were standing. After handing the happy couple a copy of Brennen's first CD to listen to, I drove off into the sunset with the beautiful wife at my side and listened to Floramay's CD all the way home. FOLKS -- Fishin' (which contains the CD title as a line in the song) is five stars, and the whole CD is just a joy to listen to (and dance to live). BUY NOW IF YOU CAN!

Skipping onto Sunday night, I show up at Momo's a little after ten, say hello to Seth and his lady friend, and to my joy and surprise there is Bonnie Whitmore sitting at the bar. Jen strolls on over, and talks with Seth, and later with Brennen, and also meets Bonnie and begins to strategize about playing fiddle with Brennen and getting Bonnie to play bass with her and Kathleen O'Keefe (of Country Line magazine) in yet another ensemble in its infancy. ALL GOOD SO FAR -- and then as I stroll around the club, I run smack dab into --- KIM DESCHAMPS! Seems he and Willie Pipkin have been working on a bluesy gig for early week shows, playing Muddy Waters and stuff like that. Sounds scrumptious!!!

Much more conversation - and lots of great music - later, it was time to go. Mission accomplished. Proof -- stop by Threadgill's North (on North Lamar) on Tuesday evening at about eight and find out. Brennen and Seth will be playing with their band and special guests.