Flanfire

Steve Ulrich is coming back home to Austin - April 1 (how appropriate!) at Ruta Maya with Mark Ambrose, Brian Beattie6 and Steelbeam .... Then on Thursday, April 6, the brave and rowdy will gather at Trophy's, including Duane's Burden (featuring Matt Silaski on bass, Perry Drake on drums, and "Duane?" on slash guitar) - and there will doubtless be other gigs. BIG NEWS - the traveling minstrel Matt Williams will be at the Trophy's show along with other "special guests." [Bring your own chemical toilet.] The occasion is the release of Steve's brand-new CD, partly recorded during his sojourn in Guatemala but mostly done here with the afore-mentioned Mister Silaski. Perry Drake is on drums and Silaski on bass where being played except as noted below.

This record celebrates the life and music of Huddie Ledbetter, who was born outside Shreveport but became famous after being let out of a Texas prison Governor Pat Neff (whose MOM has a park named after her). Leadbelly was a HUGE influence on the very young Steve and remains one today... The new CD - "Leadbelly and Me" - starts off with the legendary Leadbelly tale of heavyweight champion (and native Texan, son of former slaves) Jack Johnson's revenge on the owners of the Titanic who would not let a black man on board. The basic tracks on this cut were laid down in Panajachel, Guatemala, by Chris Jarnach; the song features Ted Lindland on banjo and vocals, and Silaski added additional harmonies. This cut has that old-timey feel - you'd think Pete Seeger was singing harmonies.

Steve is an Austin legend - a man who MUST be seen, a man who shared stages with Townes Van Zandt and Blaze Foley (and lots of others, too). Next up on the CD is the Beth Richard (Quatropaw era) song, "Rachel's Dream," with Steve in dark voice and backed by Tony Velasco on bass and Richard Parke on violin. "Joy Today" - which Steve says comes from God - follows an introduction by Steve about his getting picked up by Joe Ely's chauffeur on the way to the Kerrville Folk Festival. Steve says the song was inspired by and written for Stevie Ray Vaughan but put away after his tragic accident until he had a good experience on a bad day in Guatemala.

Then it is back to CLASSIC Steve (aka Steve Duckfoot, Zeus Muldoon, and Steve Convenience - the guy who brought us Salamander Man and many other folk tales) - he's "Savin' My Nickels" so he can play the lotto. Mark Ambrose is on guitar with Steve on this one - a great, funny song.

Goodbye Old Buddy features Jarnach on accordian, (Michael) Jackson on mandolin, Tony V on bass, and Brad Clifford on drums. On Leadbelly's "Good Night Irene," Parke is back on violin, and then Steve goes back to the "Kerrville Security Blues," another tale of the folk festival follies and foibles (with Tony V). Then it's back to solo Steve for Leadbelly's "Midnight Special." Next up is another original - Light a Little Candle, with Jarnach on organ. For good measure, Steve throws in a new version (solo and bluesier) of his classic "Jaded and Bored," and closes with perhaps the best cut on the entire record - his paean to the beautiful Senora Ulrich - Elizabeth.