The Steamboat Pilot & Today

CD review for The Hold Steady, “Stay Positive”

Friday, July 18, 2008

CD review for The Hold Steady, “Stay Positive” Read story.

Bumpus brings ‘Fresh’ funk

Chicago act formed out of love for Sly Stone

Friday, July 18, 2008

A few weeks ago, Chicago funk, soul and jam eight-piece band Bumpus went on a West Coast tour for the first time. For 10 years, the soul-fired band has hit up cities across the Midwest and down the East Coast.

Equal opportunity everything

E.O.E. doesn’t hold anything back, from grooves to jokes to jams

Friday, July 18, 2008

“In general, I’m trying not to kill these guys, which promotes the message of the band, which is tolerance,” says E.O.E. percussionist Gabriel Velasco, nursing a cup of coffee and reflecting on the marathon session of jovial insults that has just transpired between his bandmates.

Elissa Greene: Strings Music Festival features flamenco, Celtic, classical styles

Monday, July 14, 2008

Wednesday night at the Strings Music Festival, award-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux will give you a fandango experience to replace movie lines and movie tickets. Read story.

CD review for Beck, “Modern Guilt”

Friday, July 11, 2008

CD review for Beck, “Modern Guilt” Read story.

All in the family

Trout Fishing in America plays music for everyone

Friday, July 11, 2008

Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet have been playing music together for more than 30 years.

Some things just click

Takács Quartet draws on 30 years of classical music chemistry

Friday, July 11, 2008

Thirty-three years ago, four classical musicians came together in Budapest for one reason: the love of the medium.

Elissa Greene: There's nothing like live music

Monday, July 7, 2008

The iPod is a wonderful device. I own one — it’s a shiny black 80 GB. It’s a thing of beauty. But no combination of mp3 player and headphones can replace those chills you feel when you experience the sound waves actually entering your body while you listen. Read story.

Classical commitment

Conservatory students learn through leadership

Sunday, July 6, 2008

After years of coming to the Rocky Mountain Summer Conservatory, the program’s senior students are set on what they want to do with their lives. They don’t just want to play music; they want to be musicians.

Blues musician finds comfort in life on the road

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Roy Book Binder was not born into the blues.

Growing up middle class in Queens, N.Y., Book Binder wasn’t far from the Greenwich Village coffeehouses that would give classic Piedmont bluesmen such as the Reverend Gary Davis a second life. When Book Binder picked up a guitar after being introduced to Davis’ gravelly country blues, the marriage seemed too natural to avoid.

An orchestra for youths

Pushcart Players reinvent ‘Peter and the Wolf’ for Strings

Friday, July 4, 2008

In the 70-plus years since Sergey Prokofiev wrote “Peter and the Wolf” for his children, the fairy tale introduction to the classical orchestra has been re-imagined by some of the biggest names in entertainment: Leonard Bernstein, Sting, Jimmy Smith, Rob Reiner, Jack Lemmon and David Bowie all have played a part in its narration and performance.

CD review of Girl Talk, “Feed the Animals”

Friday, July 4, 2008

CD review of Girl Talk, “Feed the Animals” Read story.

Screamin’ and hollerin’ the blues

Charlie Parr keeps the soul of older American music alive

Friday, July 4, 2008

As a teenager, Charlie Parr must have been a sight. While the world around him was discovering rock of the classic and arena varieties, Parr was discovering music that had been dormant for decades — songs that went back to pre-Depression Piedmont blues and folk music recorded in the 1920s.

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to perform

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Since 1966, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has brought American roots music into American pop culture.

Strings celebrates new venue with gala concert

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

It is uncommon for classical music concerts to begin with standing, whooping ovations. On Saturday, opening night for the 2008 Strings Music Festival featured two such displays — rowdy ones — well before any performers took the stage.