The End of My Era

Today, the Post published two Live! stories. And they are my last.
Last week, I got a note from my (fairly new) editor, telling me that the paper is reorganizing (again!), that there would be no more Extra sections, and that they wouldn’t need my column. Can’t say I’m totally surprised, can’t pretend I’m not disappointed. It was a great outlet and gave me some cachet with publicists.

I hope I might be able to contribute to other sections of the paper as a freelancer, but I doubt I’ll ever have as much freedom as I had with the column to choose and write about artists that I personally care about. In the past year, I pretty much chose preview subjects at will, with minimal editor veto. The examiner column gives me that freedom but at lesser rates of exposure and pay. But it’ll do, pig, it’ll do. (It will have to, for now.)

So, let’s wrap it up with a summation of the last few months in my Post history and, where relevant, the O/CD tally of the music sent with ‘em:

The last columns:
Andrew McKnight at the Athenaeum
Lloyd Dobler, Maia Sharp at Jammin’ Java
MAIA SHARP – Echo (Crooked Crown)
Fine new discovery; looking forward to seeing the show next Wednesday.
MAIA SHARP PROMO COMPILATION – Various Artists
15 tracks that she wrote, as performed by the stars who recorded them, people like Bonnie Raitt, Cher and Dixie Checks.

And the ones that came before that:
Andrew Belle and Ten Out of Tenn
I love this guy’s stuff and went to the show basically to see him. It turned out to be one of the best live shows I’ve seen all year. So much talent in these ten musicians and so much joy as they played together, swapping instruments, harmonizing and generally having a blast.
The group offered a sweet deal at the merch table – the complete set of albums or EPs from each of the players (minus terrific guitarist Jedd Hughes, alas, as they’d run out), plus the TOT compilation; all 10 CDs for $45. I haven’t had this much fun buying cheap, good music since the clearance days before Tower Records went under. (I still miss that yellow and orange music fan’s hangout.)
I haven’t gotten into all of them yet, but so far none of them has disappointed. Seriously, these are all extremely talented folks:
TEN Out of TENN, Vol. 3 – Various Artists (Ready Set Records)
K.S. RHOADS – Dead Language (Alex the Great Recordings)
JOY WILLIAMS – Songs from This/Songs From That (Sensibility Music)
Two CDs, each with six tracks, in a simple but charming design. Two songs of note: “I Hate It When We Fight,” a duet with David Mead, and “Charmed,” a track was used on the “Grey’s Anatomy” finale (like I care).
KYLE ANDREWS – Real Blasty (Elephant Lady Records)
The above are full-length albums; those below are EPs:
SARAH SUSKIND – Say It Louder (Red Request Records)
MIKKY EKKO – Strange Fruit (self-released)
This guy has an incredible voice, and in concert he has the intensity of the late Jeff Buckley. He’s giving away all five songs from this EP through his web site, but I’ll sent you to get it through my examiner story .
TRENT DABBS – Your Side Now Lights (self-released)
Eight tracks; is that still an EP, or have we entered album territory?
ANDREW BELLE – All Those Pretty Lights (self-released)
MADI DIAZ – Ten Gun Salute (self-released)
ASHLEY MONROE – S/T (self-released)
Five songs, three performed with Trent Dabbs.

And back to those Post-ings:
Brian Stokes Mitchell at GMU Center for the Arts
Rusted Root and the Kin at State Theatre
RUSTED ROOT - Stereo Rodeo (Touchy Pegg/DKE Records)
The KIN – The UPside
Holly Cole and others at the Rosslyn Jazz fest
Living Colour at the Birchmere
Wolf’s Blues Jam at Bangkok Blues
Eddie Jobson at Jammin’ Java
UKZ – Radiation (Globe Media Arts)
Prog-rock fans know Eddie Jobson for his keyboard/synth and violin work with Roxy Music, Jethro Tull, UK - and UKZ - and such. His limited solo tour started in the DC area. I can appreciate prog to a degree – Yes, some ELP and what the Decemberists are up to - but this one isn’t my cuppa.
Caravan of Thieves at the IOTA

adding in the two CDs I picked up last night, we now have the YTD O/CD Tally: 285