Alex Maryol

It has been a crazy whirl wind of a couple of weeks!  I am happy to be back in New Mexico but certainly had some great times in Colorado at the Telluride Blues and Brews Festival.  I had two “tweener” performances which are sets timed in between mainstage acts.  I performed the first day of the festival right before Jimmie Vaughan and his Tilt a Whirl Band and again on Sunday after T-Model Ford.

Looking out from the Blues and Brews stage is quite fun as you see 6 to 8 thousand people framed by the sky scraping peaks of the rocky mountains.  This was my 10th year performing at the blues and brews and it’s better each year that I play it.  A pleasant surprise for me was George Thorogood and the Destroyers who I thought would be totally lame but surprisingly turned out to give a fantastic performance.  George could rival Mick Jagger for Stage presence… I would like to see them on the same stage together… the crowd might not get out alive if that were to happen.

Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks gave a solid performance.  Derek’s slide playing reminded me of Robert Randolph‘s style which I think is pretty cool because Randolph plays a pedal steel while Trucks plays a standard six string guitar.  I would find it harder to play Randolph’s style on a six string because of the physical set up of a standard guitar… i.e. its position is upright and your left hand is fighting against gravity to play all the super cool ornamental notes that are characteristic of this style.  These ornamental notes are especially difficult because though in some styles of music a player may get away with sloppy ornamental playing, this style requires precision and accuracy.  The thing I was most impressed about Tedeschi and Trucks though was the fact that they had J.J. Johnson (Ian Moore, John Mayer) on drums and Ryan Shaw singing back up vocals.

J.J. Johnson is one of my favorite drummers ever!  Hear him on Ian Moore’s “And All The Colors”.  If you live in Santa Fe and want a taste of J.J. take a trip to listen to Michael Chavez play drums as both drummers have a similar feel and style.  Michael performs Tuesday Nights at El Farol on Canyon Rd. in Santa Fe.

Ryan Shaw performed the mainstage at B and B in 2009 with his own band.  His performance was incredible… he has one of those super stupid ranges like Mariah Carey combined with incredible vocal control.  More importantly he sings with a lot of passion.  He actually performed a fantastic rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” during that performance.

The final performance of the weekend was by B.B. King who had just turned 85 years old.  Festival Director Steve Gumble and crew delivered a Lucille-Guitar-shaped birthday cake to the legend on stage and prompted the entire crowd to sing Happy Birthday to the King.  Since B.B. King has been singing for us for so many years it seemed right that we get to sing to him for his 85th.  Good times.

We performed a welcome back show for students returning to the Santa Fe University for Art and Design.  This is the former College of Santa Fe where I spent four years working on my Bachelor’s Degree in Contemporary music.  Willy, Andy, and I performed in the Driscoll Fitness Center Gymnasium.  Usually Gyms are not so conducive to performances but the floor was lined with a protective plastic of some sort to protect the basketball court and it helped to control the sound-waves from bouncing around like crazy and making us go insane.
SFUAD has a plethora of new students at the college and they greeted us warmly by cutting up a rug, er’ plastic rug I guess… we had a lot of fun performing for the 18ish to 23ish year olds.  It made me nostalgic for my freshman year.  I most certainly would go back to school.  The only reason I haven’t is that  I have no idea what I’d study.

I was asked by an old band-mate and friend Todd Lovato to perform at the Revlis Art Space last Friday night as a part of a solo artist showcase.  We had a wonderful night that seemed doomed from the moment we stepped into the space but instead turned out to be very enjoyable.  The space was seemingly abandoned and not set up to standard working order upon arrival.  We even were at a loss as to where the owner was as she wasn’t there to open the door for not only us but those who came to see us.  Fortunately an artist from the gallery next door let us in through the back entrance and we began to set up the space as best we could.
Super-extra-special thanks to Todd’s wife Mariann and Cali Soberanes’ girlfriend Nicole for going to the Getto-Smith’s to get refreshments and popcorn for our listeners.  The night was most enjoyable with music from Leah Black, Cali Soberanes, Zack Freeman, Hakim Bellamy, Todd Lovato, and yours truly.  Everyone brought their A-game which was fitting as our crowd was enthusiastic, eager and attentive. The event was an Albuquerque Alibi pick so it was fortuitous that the space turned from potential disaster to a gig that will forever stand out in my memory of favorite gigs.
I was especially happy that Cali suggested that we line the stage with candles and turn off the lights in order to rid ourselves of the Walmart neon florescent lights that we were assaulted with.  I was even more excited by Todd’s performance which combined banjo and organ pedals.  His banjo playing was not typical.  It was very motivic and would make a Led Zepplin fan proud of the cool use of such a delightful instrument.  Accompanied by his own bass work -with the organ pedals-, drums, and melodic vocals his sound was a body mover.

I went to one of Chicago’s most funky and hidden gems the other night to check out JT and the Clouds.  The Hideout is located in between some warehouses where Wabansia meets Elston.  My roommate and I actually got lost driving to it even though you could practically throw a rock from our back porch and hit someone drinking a PBR on the front patio.  Silly us.  Anyway, my new band-crush… oh, did I just say that?  uh, yes I did… JT and the Clouds were preceded by Flagstaff’s Dave McGraw, who wooed the crowd with their americana country goodness.  If you need to know if I was impressed or not, I never say americana, country or goodness in the same sentence.  Dave’s warm low-register voice was well complimented by lead-guitarist Mandy Ferarrini who shined bright with well placed melodic lines which were free from the common place guitar wanking that is all too prominent.   Mandy’s playing and musicianship was a breath of fresh air.  She played more than “just the notes” and her phrasing was fitting while not being overbearing.

JT and the Clouds took to the stage in the form that I expected: high energy, positive, and soulful.  Uh, did I say soulful?  Yes I did… Jeremy “JT” Lindsay is a soulful, soulful man with a voice that is nobody’s but his.   I could compare his music to the greatness of Otis Redding or Ray LaMontagne.   What places JTATC in the same breath as Otis or Ray for me is that JT has his own sincere sound and style like they do/did.  File the Clouds somewhere in between Otis and the Rolling Stones or wherever else but make no mistake that they are the sincere uniqueness that we as artists strive for.  Their song-writing, melody, arrangement, and performances all stand out.

Guest musician Allison Russell of the band Po’ Girl joined JT on the stage with banjo in hand and sublime vocals to lend.  Allison’s stage presence is amazing and her voice ventures to where all singers long to go: your heart.  She left the stage to help sell JTATC’s new release Caledonia.  Russell told me she had to catch a flight the next morning at 6 a.m.  for a gig the next evening in Maine… lucky Maine.

And I’m back in Chicago.  I didn’t think this would happen but it feels like home here now.  I walk down the streets and they feel more familiar to me than I ever thought they would.  It is a little eerie but a very welcome feeling.

I had a great trip back to New Mexico for some shows.  Our performance at the ABQ Museum for  the New Mexico Jazz Workshop’s production of Blues under the Stars was most enjoyable as I got to make music with my band-mates Willy Magee and Andy Primm.  Willy, Andy and I have an unspoken way of understanding each other musically and though time may go by between performances we click in ways that not so much surprise me but rather are A LOT of fun to experience.

The day after the Blues under the Stars show, we performed in Montgomery Park in ABQ at 3 in the afternoon.  It is very refreshing to perform in the afternoon in such a setting where there is so much green from the grass and trees to be seen.  Those who were at our shows were very responsive and lively.  I have been very excited to be offering our new live CD since our live show is definitely where we shine.  And, we captured such a good performance for this release.

Be on the look out for my next performance at the REVLIS art and music space, 712 Central, Albuquerque on August 27th.  I will perform solo and be a part of a most exciting evening that will include Todd Lovato, Cali Soberanes, and Leah Black to name only a few.  This is a show produced by Todd Lovato (Felonious Groove Foundation) who I played in a band in High School with.  Todd writes that, “The event was organized to give prominent local musicians a platform on which to share their new, intimate or solo creative talents with a friendly audience.”  This will be a rare opportunity to hear our music in a context that strays from the norm of the New Mexico music scene.  Come out and enjoy!

AM: Blues is a very emotional sounding music… I felt the blues from a very young age… from the first moment I heard it when I was around 4 or 5. Blues is a music -like all music- that is not in the “notes” but rather that is in the person.

NMJW: You site musicians like Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Elvis Presley as people who’ve influenced you. When did you first become aware of these artists and how?

AM:I first heard these artists on my dad’s radio in his truck as he drove me to kindergarten when I was four. He would then play more of these artists for me on his record player in our living room.

NMJW:You mention being the son of Greek-American restaurateurs in your biographical information. Were you expected to enter the family business? When did it become clear that you were charting your own course through music?
AM: I was never expected to be or do anything in particular. I always had the freedom to choose what I wanted to do… however, growing up in the restaurant is a very important detail in my life. I always wanted to be involved with music. My mom tells me that I would pick my head up in the crib when I was a baby to “see what was going on” when there was music being played in the room.

NMJW: Tell us about Face the Day. How have you approached the material on this record, in contrast to your earlier releases?

AM: Face the Day is an album that deals with my experience of life through my mid 20′s.

NMJW: What’s your favorite guilty pleasure in terms of music?

AM: Kelly Clarkson, Shania Twain, and Cindi Lauper.

NMJW: Who would you most like to share the stage with?

AM: Leslie Feist

NMJW: If you weren’t a musician, where else might you focus your creative attention?

AM: Running, Bicycling and Swimming.

Many of you have been asking me about the time that I have been spending in Chicago.  I have been there on and off for about a year now.  It has been very on and off as I spent a couple of months in Nashville checking out the music scene and another one of those months back in Santa Fe reconnecting with my hometown.  In addition to this, I had to make some trips back and forth between Chicago and New Mexico for various performances.

Chicago is an amazing city as many of you know.  There is so much to do.  Attending neighborhood street festivals is high on the list as well as bicycling on the lake front.  Eating is most enjoyable… one of my usual haunts is Butterfly on Chicago Ave.  It is a Thai restaraunt with the addition of a sushi bar.  Butterfly has the best Basil Fried Rice I’ve ever had.  It may be ordered with beef, chicken, tofu or shrimp ($1 extra).  My favorite is the tofu as it is fried just right so that the outside is slightly crisp with a meaty flavor… not that I’m trying to substitute meat or anything!  The portion is enough for two at the least and at a measly $7 you can’t beat it.  Not to mention the place is beautifully decorated in a hip orange atmosphere.  The Summer sushi roll is rockin’ as well.  With a mixture of different fish topped with shiso leaf it is very reffreshing and tingling to the tounge.

There are countless gems in the city.  This one kept me dreaming of dinner through many of my runs and bicycling trips on the lake.  I even happily sat through lunch at Butterfly a couple of weeks ago when the power went out and the air conditioner stopped working.  That proves how good it is considering the awful Chicago heat.

The band’s performance on the Santa Fe Plaza this past Thursday July 22nd was an amazing experience. I was

Live on the Plaza 07/24/2010

accompanied by my long time friends and soul brothers Willy Magee (bass) and Andy Primm (drumms). It was a perfect Santa Fe evening. The air was fresh and the sky was painted with the the light shadows of rainclouds. Although the beginning of our set started dry, it ended dripping wet… and fun.

We began the night with much anicipation as this is one of our most looked forward to shows of the year as it is basically our homecoming show. Santa Fe’s diverse and lovable demographic was well in attendance and I felt that there wasn’t one person that I didn’t know there. We performed many of the songs from our newly released live album such as, “Sometimes You Gotta Do What You Don’t Wanna”, “The Fishing Song” and The Black Keys’ “Set You Free” which we recorded on the Santa Fe Plaza last summer. We were about three songs from finishing our set when the rainclouds let loose. It was at this point that I stole a little something that I saw Billy D from the Hoodoos do in a similar situation. I asked the crowd to join us on stage where it was dry provided that everyone give each band member a couple of feet to work and to mind our equipment. This made for a most pleasant and enjoyable end to our performance.

Video from last year’s performance on Santa Fe’s world famous Plaza…