Friday, May 30, 2008

Mike Montiel at the Tin Star


The Mike Montiel Trio played last Thursday at the Tin Star.

The picture at the right is the cover from Mike's Lucky 13 album, released last year.







Click any picture to enlarge, click the play button to listen to the music.


When I got there at 8:30, the band was warming up.


After everybody was properly tuned, the trio started playing to a small crowd.


Here they are:

Mike

Bobby Glenn


John Curtis


The place slowly filled up as the evening unrolled. I was sitting at the bar talking to a young gentleman from Montana. He seemed to be a bit homesick for country music, because he requested that Mike do a Merle Haggard tune, which I couldn't resist jumping into as well. After that Bobby sang Credance's Lodi.

If you haven't had a chance to check out Lucky 13 you should. Courtesy of Mike, here's one of my favorite numbers from the album -- another original of his: After The Gunfight.

Enjoy,

--Doug

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Wednesday's 5-28 Tin Star Jam

We got off to a quiet, funk-jazzy start last night. Here's our opening number.

Click any picture to enlarge, click the play button to listen to the music.



Ben was enjoying his responsibilities as jam-master.


The two trumpet players definitely had a touch of the devil about them. Check out Frank's one red glowing eye & Russell's two by clicking on the pictures to enlarge.


Here's Linda getting ready to sing Stormy Monday.

It was busy last night. Lots of people showed up to listen.


And to dance.


And drink.


And play music. Tony Buford, leader of the band Steppen' Out joined us and led a few numbers. Here's one of them.


Flash, front man for The Swank, another local band, showed up to play. That's Flash on the right talking to Pete, of Controlled Burn, yet another local band.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, a couple of singers were in front of the mike leading us off on this number.

Johnny West arrived a bit later in the evening and did a few.


Prakash was wailing on harmonica.

Last, but not least: something happened that I've never seen before, and didn't think was possible: bar co-owner Tony got caught smiling while having his photograph taken.

Thanks to all the musicians who showed up to play at Ben Lucero's Master Jam, and to all the people who came to listen.

--Doug

Mike Montiel at the Tin Star Tonight


All,

The Mike Montiel trio will be at the Tin Star tonight at 9:00. Come on out!

Also, check out Mike's Lucky 13 album.

--Doug

Wednesday's 5-28 Tin Star Jam

The post for last night's jam will be up later today.

--Doug

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Jim Almand and the Rue Barbs

It was 2:00 in the afternoon today -- Memorial Day Sunday. Nothing was happening in town, so we decided to drive out to the Mine Shaft Tavern in Madrid to listen to Jim Almand and the Rue Barbs playing there.

Bikers were everywhere in Madrid. There was hardly a place to park in the whole town. I guess Madrid is a bit more popular now then it was when I was going to high school in Albuquerque a few decades ago.


Click any picture to enlarge, click the play button to listen to the music.


Randy, Lynn, and Jim were playing when we arrived.


Check out the washtub bass that Lynn plays: a stick, a knotted cotton clothesline, and a tin washtub with a microphone under it. He wails on that thing!


Jim invited me up for a few numbers during the second set. Jim's version of Tom Waits' Chocolate Jesus is definitely cool. Jim ended up the second set with this wild number by Marvin Gaye that really had me on my toes.

Kenny Valdez showed up later and played with them during the third set.

Here's one of the numbers they did with Kenny towards the end of the set as the ladies danced in front of the stage.

Towards the end of the afternoon, Jim did this beautiful version of Bruce Springsteen's I'm on Fire.


Jim Almand and the Rue Barbs: Randy, Matt, Freddie, and Lynn are playing every other Sunday afternoon at the Mine Shaft Tavern in Madrid, 2:00pm - 6:00pm. Come on out -- they are good.


--Doug

Friday, May 23, 2008

Nora McMahon at the Tin Star Last Night

Tony was our host last night while Nora, Case, and Milton played at the Tin Star.
Click any picture to enlarge, click the play button to listen to the music.


The bar slowly filled up until it was packed, at 1:00 in the morning...

Case is a pretty damn good bass player.

Milton has a nice jazz touch on percussion.


Nora's new guitar sounded great. Nice and mellow: like her voice. Here she is doing a Jimmy Cliff song, Many Rivers To Cross.
Later on, I joined them for a set. We did one of my favorite songs of hers: Postcard.

At the crowd's insistence, Nora agreed to one last song, at about 1:00am: Ain't No Sunshine.

If you missed Nora last night, you can catch her tonight at the Savoy Bar and Grill in Albuquerque, and Saturday evening on June 7 at the Second Street Brewery in Santa Fe.

You can always see her play schedule on her home page, NoraMcMahon.com. You can also check out some of her other music there.

Later,

--Doug

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Wednesday's 5-21 Tin Star Jam

Tune first.


Click any picture to enlarge, click the play button to listen to the music.



Then play.


Ray likes it that way.


That's how Tony C'de Baca prefers it as well.


Jim approves.


One of Tom's tunes.


Linda was tuned.

The bar seemed happy about this tune led by Ben.

More to come, stay tuned.

--Doug

Monday, May 19, 2008

Nora McMahon at the Tin Star This Thursday


Come on out to see Nora and Case this Thursday evening at 9:00 at the Tin Star. Also check out her new web page:

http://noramcmahon.com

--Doug

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Look Who's Reading the Tin Star Music Blog!

I just checked on where people who read this blog are coming from. Check it out.

--Doug
Click to enlarge

Wednesday's 5-14 Tin Star Jam

Well...

Things started off normally enough. By 9:30 there was a full house.

Click any picture to enlarge, click the play button to listen to the music.


The music began fairly smoothly with a jazzy funk number.

Plenty of gorgeous women were in the audience.

Freddie "Suave" Lopez introduced himself to one of those gorgeous women to make sure she knew about his band's gig Saturday at Willee's Blues Club. In fact, you all should go see The Rue Barbs*, this Saturday evening at Willee's!


I seldom look at the men, but I'm sure there were plenty of gorgeous men there too.


We had trumpets!

Frank's old horn has a few miles on it.

As the evening wore on though, in spite of our best efforts and Laura's hostess skills


the music never came together. None of our drummers showed up, and that left a big hole. When you read this, you drummers, (I know, I know. But some drummers can read. Really. Don't listen to those vicious rumors about drummers. Most of them are just plain false.); you need to realize that you were missed. I hope you can make it next week. You know who you are...

Until next time (hopefully with a drummer or three),

--Doug

*The Rue Barbs: THE TROUBADOR, THE HUNK, THE GEEZER, THE ACTOR & THE ROAD MAN..

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Sunday Night's "Cowboy" Open Mic

We had cowboys.



We had cowgirls.


We had a guy with a guitar and a guy with a wind-midi. That's an instrument that you blow into, and a computer makes it sound like whatever you want: sax, clarinet, keyboard; whatever.


And we played some music together.
Here's one that we had some fun with: have a listen.

Until next time,

--Doug