Missouri Bluegrass At The Star

Last Saturday night we had special guest band, Missouri River, join the stage with Lost River Bluegrass at The Star Theater in beautiful downtown Willow Springs, Missouri. This was a great show that many deer hunters missed out on! Alvin Deskins, co-owner of Morgan Music in Lebanon, Missouri is the banjo player, and a regular guest at the The Star Theater with his other band, Liza Bluff (one of my personal all time favorite bluegrass bands).

Missouri River was hyped up to me to be a "high dollar" band coming to town. Jim Orchard, former fiddler with Bill Monroe, is a regular guest as well as patron at The Star, and he also hyped up Missouri River to me. Jim's band, The Ozark Bluegrass Boys, is quite a band themselves, so it means a lot to have a compliment from Jim. He knows good bluegrass.

Mr. Orchard had recommended the band from the previous month, Curry Korn, and they were truly fabulous. So, with two hyped up recommendations I was expecting quite a performance from Missouri River...

Well, Missouri River lived up to the hype. Each musician is truly a skilled master craftsmen in their trade. Banjo, guitar, bass, mandolin, fiddle were all excellent. I decided to record their song set, and I will upload that music sometime and make a post about it here.

The bottom line is that you missed out on a great show if you didn't make out last Saturday night. Hope to see at the next show in December!

Apologies To The Ozarks Bluegrass Crowd

I have to apologize to you. I have not blogged on this site in far too long. I have been very busy, and I've allowed that to be my excuse. Truth is, I know I could take just a few minutes to at least jot down some thoughts after each show every month.

In fact, that is my new resolution. I plan to write up a review of the show during the show or right afterward on my drive home (I can record myself talking and then type my message from there).

Let me just say that we've had some excellent artists out to The Star Theater in downtown Willow Springs over the past several months. One of my personal favorites is Liza Bluff. They came back for a visit and again put on a great show. These folks are terrific!

Last month (October 2009) we had the pleasure of hosting Curry Korn, a family bluegrass band from near Columbia, Missouri. I never know what to expect from a family band that features a father, mother and several of their kids. Sometimes a band like that is only "cute and quaint", but not necessarily very good.

Well, Curry Korn was cute, quaint, and excellent! These folks could flat out play and sing! If you missed the show - you missed out on a great performance! You need to make a point of seeing this family band at your next earliest opportunity. They are worth it!

A special thanks to Jim Orchard for bringing this band to the attention of The Lost River Bluegrass band, so they could book them for the show. Thanks Jim! I told Jim at the show, "I don't know what rock you pulled these folks out from under... but you need to go look under that rock again and find some more!"

The oldest daughter in Curry Korn is 17 and she is a competition award-winning fiddle player. She could make that instrument sing! Plus she was also a great lead singer! I look forward to see what she does with her musical future. She will do just fine if she stays with her family band, but I wouldn't be surprised if a bigger act out of Nashville pulled her in. She is that good!

But don't be mistaken into thinking the daughter was the only talent in this band. The oldest brother was an excellent mandolin player and the father was equally adept at the six string guitar as well as the dobro. Mom was a solid bass player and a very kind lady (she was forgiving when she learned I did not have a "direct box" to plug her bass into - we aren't used to anything but pure acoustics, so a big dog house bass with an electric pickup inside was a little out of my league).

One of the little brothers also played banjo, sang a little and could clog dance! And he was only 9 or 10! They also had another younger sister and another brother. This is a big bluegrass family! Next time they come to The Star - make sure that you come to the show! You will NOT be disappointed.

Next month...
Alvin Deskin and The Missouri River Band. Alvin is a part-owner of Morgan Music in Lebanon, Missouri and an excellent musician (and his other band, Liza Bluff, is one of my all time favorites!). I can't wait to see what he's got prepared for us in November!