by Eric Bond
Ever since the House of Musical Traditions opened in Takoma Park, musicians have flocked to this area. Now that several recording studios have taken up residence here, Takoma Park/Silver Spring is quickly becoming the Mussel Shoals of Maryland. Below are some of the local discs that we have been spinning in the Voice office this year. We recommend any of them as a special gift for someone who connects strongly with real music. One benefit of becoming a fan of local music is that you may well see your favorite star stroll into Mark's Kitchen or Mayorga one day.
Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band
Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band
Recorded at Rootstock Studios in Silver Spring, Chopteeth's debut CD lives up to the group's hype as the best local band (according to a Voice survey in the summer of 2007). The jazzy African rhythms on this CD bring to mind Hugh Masekela with a bigger horn section. This album is pure joy. Assistant Editor Julie Wiatt says that Chopteeth gets her molecules jumping.
Death Must Be a Woman
Dead Men's Hollow
Moving from horns to strings, Dead Men's Hollow haunts the listener with bright, original tunes of death, treachery, and war. The angelic harmonizing of Caryn Fox, Belinda Hardesty, and Amy Nazarov will send the recipient of this CD skipping through the graveyard.
The Rest Is Yet to Come
The Double Decker String Band
If you're looking for a sprightly cadence you can't go wrong with the Double Decker String Band. The fab four of Old Time Music released this CD in 2006, but we didn't get around to reviewing it. Still, it has taken quite a number of spins on long rides around the Beltway. It just may be impossible to experience "road rage" when you are listening to Craig Johnson's raspy tenor. The Double Decker Stringband manages to keep their songs both tight and loose at the same time. Quite an accomplishment.
Dose
Billy Coulter
Resident rock star, Billy Coulter, has released a collection of energetic songs that prove that Takoma Park is not just for folkies anymore. It is refreshing to hear a local singer-songwriter who knows how to plug in. There's more than a bit of bravado to the songs on this CD, as Coulter creates melodies with layers and texture that only a confident pro can provide. Despite the rock and roll swagger, Coulter's lyrics are carefully chosen and meaningful.
When Redd is Blue
Chuck and Robert Redd
One of the most delightful turns in the history of jazz was the introduction of the vibraphone. With this CD, Takoma Park vibes-master Chuck Redd teams up with his brother Robert on the piano to create a world-class jazz album. The sound is clean, smart, and upbeat. Chuck Redd began his career playing vibraphone with Charlie Byrd, so it is unsurprising that the guitar is featured on several numbers. Piano, vibraphone and guitar make for one cool cocktail. Chuck Redd has frequent gigs in the area, including at the Red Dog Café in Silver Spring. Once you have listened to this CD, you will definitely want to see him live. He plays the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center on Christmas Day. For information, visit chuckredd.com.
The U-Liners
The U-Liners
Joe Uehlein stakes his claim as a veteran of the local music scene on track two of this debut U-Liners CD. "Down at the Half Moon Tonight" makes us wistful as Joe name-drops many of the other local stars from a few years back when Silver Spring had not yet sprung--but music was flooding out of the now defunct Half-Moon BBQ on Georgia Avenue. The U-Liners ride the rails through 17 masterful tracks on this roots-rock CD. Mindy McWilliams' soaring fiddle is just one of the many pleasures.
Get It Right
Lea
One thing that Lea truly knows is how to set a hook. The bassline she lays down on the title song to her new CD may keep you from getting to the second song for awhile. You'll want to repeat it a few times. With her gift for expressive lyrics, Lea reminds us of a warmer Suzanne Vega. But the music is anything but spare. The acoustic melodies are multi-layered and deep. Each song is a jewel polished to exactly the right sheen. Save this gift for someone special.
Takoma Park Folk Festival 2007 Live
Various Artists
As we head into the darkest of winter, don't you long for that warm and carefree day of September when you wandered from stage to stage at the Takoma Park Folk Festival? Why not share that memory with a friend by purchasing this CD with 15 performances from 2007. Professionally recorded, this CD provides a taste of many of the flavors of folk: klezmer, bluegrass, celtic melodies, blues, and good-old fashioned Takoma Park humor. Put this CD in the player and dream of a day not too long ago when you were sitting on the Takoma Park Middle School hill savoring pad thai and listening to the best in folk variety.
This Could Be You
No Compromise
No Compromise may well be the next big this to come out of Silver Spring. Noco (as their fans call them) blew away the crowd at the South Silver Spring Block Party this summer. OK, they WOULD have blown away the crowd if the heat hadn't kept the crowd indoors on that sweltering day. No matter--Noco blew us away. At times evocative of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Noco is a tight garage band that knows how to crank up the volume without sacrificing control. Your teenager will become a fan--and so will you.
The Preacher and the Teacher
David Potts-Dupre
The Preacher and the Teacher is a wonderful scrapbook of simple pleasures: dancing to the Grateful Dead, going to the state fair, or contemplating Ingrid Bergman. David Potts Dupre throws his heart and soul--and apparently half the musicians in Takoma Park into this impressive debut CD. A regular over the past decade with the Takoma Zone collective, Potts-Dupre takes center stage here, leading his merry band straight into the heart of Americana where bowling just may be a guy's greatest desire. "Give me a straight, true lane/ With two gutters on each side," sings Potts-Dupre, "Give me a ball that fits my fingers/And ten pins standing high." With Midwest values like this, it's easy to picture Potts-Dupre at some future date singing along with Garrison Keillor from the Fitzgerald Theatre in St. Paul.
But don't get the wrong idea --while this CD extolls the life and loves of the regular guy, the musicianship is exquisite, with plenty of artful flourishes. Many of the songs are original, but Potts-Dupre also sprinkles in a few fun tunes from the likes of Woody Guthrie and Greg Brown.
No Compromise
No Compromise may well be the next big this to come out of Silver Spring. Noco (as their fans call them) blew away the crowd at the South Silver Spring Block Party this summer. OK, they WOULD have blown away the crowd if the heat hadn't kept the crowd indoors on that sweltering day. No matter--Noco blew us away. At times evocative of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Noco is a tight garage band that knows how to crank up the volume without sacrificing control. Your teenager will become a fan--and so will you.
The Preacher and the Teacher
David Potts-Dupre
The Preacher and the Teacher is a wonderful scrapbook of simple pleasures: dancing to the Grateful Dead, going to the state fair, or contemplating Ingrid Bergman. David Potts Dupre throws his heart and soul--and apparently half the musicians in Takoma Park into this impressive debut CD. A regular over the past decade with the Takoma Zone collective, Potts-Dupre takes center stage here, leading his merry band straight into the heart of Americana where bowling just may be a guy's greatest desire. "Give me a straight, true lane/ With two gutters on each side," sings Potts-Dupre, "Give me a ball that fits my fingers/And ten pins standing high." With Midwest values like this, it's easy to picture Potts-Dupre at some future date singing along with Garrison Keillor from the Fitzgerald Theatre in St. Paul.
But don't get the wrong idea --while this CD extolls the life and loves of the regular guy, the musicianship is exquisite, with plenty of artful flourishes. Many of the songs are original, but Potts-Dupre also sprinkles in a few fun tunes from the likes of Woody Guthrie and Greg Brown.
