Lonesome Ace Stringband's John Showman & Chris Coole knocked out a few tunes from their new recording at the Tranzac.
Here's the scoop...
John Showman and Chris Coole are known both on the planet and the internet as unique and skilled purveyors of a music that lurks around the fringes of old-time and bluegrass. Recently, they celebrated the release of their new album "Afield - 11 Fiddle and Banjo Duets Recorded in The Great Outdoors" with a performance at the venerable Tranzac Club in Toronto. Although they won't be outdoors for this performance, they will perform many of the tunes featured on the new album, as well as some new original songs, and some chestnuts thrown in for good measure.
Check out a few other recent performances by John Showman & Chris Coole at Roncesvalles United Church below. For more information, or to get their new CD, go to: https://chriscoole.com/new-album-afield
John Showman, Max Malone & Chris Coole are putting out a 14-song live album recorded at Vancouver's Anza Club back in 2019.
Here's the scoop...
"Lively Times - Live at the Anza Club – out November 26 – is a collection of 14 songs and tunes taken from a show we did in Vancouver in November 2019 for The Pacific Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Society Community Group. We had the show filmed by Approach Media, and luckily, we got Andrew Smith at Vancouver Live Sound to multi-track record the show so we had some mixing capability.
"We weren't planning to do a live album and had sort of forgotten about the show until earlier this year. When we did get back to it, we loved what we heard and realized we'd captured a special night. We choose our favourite tracks from the two sets, John Showman mixed them, then Andrew Collins mastered the whole deal. Now, we have an album that we're really proud of, and we think you're going to like!
"The 14 tracks cover some of our favorite songs from our first 4 albums. Over the next 6 weeks we will release 6 videos of tracks from the album as they were played the night we recorded it!"
1. The Hills of Mexico – We’ve been playing this tune since the very beginning. In fact, it’s the very first tune on our first album. There are many versions of this classic folk song, but this version owes its roots to the great KY banjo picker and singer Roscoe Holcomb. We first heard it on a recording by The Renegades which featured the wonderful singing of Carol Elizabeth Jones.
2. Laketown Blues - Richard Inman is one of Canada’s great contemporary songwriters. Everyone in the band is a big fan. Laketown Blues is just one in a vast catalogue of moving songs he’s written.
3. Long Hot Summer Days – John Hartford’s style of stringband music, especially his “windows approach” has had a very big influence on the way we play as a band. We also love his songs, which has prompted us to record quite a few of them. Although Coole was utterly aghast to have flubbed one of the first words of this song (“towboats” should be “empties”), we thought the crazy spirit of the performance more than made up for it! Watch a performance of "Long Hot Summer Days" below.
4. The Only Other Person in the Room – Who says you can’t honky-tonk with just a banjo, fiddle, and bass? This song comes from the great Texas duo Noel Mckay and Brennen Leigh. It may not be that old, but it’s already a classic to be sure.
5. Black Lung – A moving piece from the great W.V. songwriter and singer Hazel Dickens about the trials and tribulations of life in the coal mines. This piece was originally recorded (by Hazel) as acapella, but we have taken some liberties and interpreted some chords. Watch a performance below.
6. Cluck Old Hen – This version is based on the playing of the great KY (or WV, depending on who you talk to) fiddler Ed Haley.
7. Stone Walls and Steel Bars – Originally recorded by The Stanley Brothers, this song was written by Ray Pennington and Roy Marcum. We’ve changes the chords here a bit from the Stanley’s version to make it even more dark sounding. This is a great example of a song that paints a vivid picture with very few words! Watch a performance below.
8. Highlander’s Farewell/Monroe’s Farewell to Long Hollow – The first tune in this medley comes from fiddler Emmet Lundy (1864-1953) from Galax, Virginia. The second tune is one that Bill Monroe wrote but never got around to recording. Thankfully, James Bryan save this amazing piece from obscurity by putting it on his album “Lookout Blues” back in the early 80s.
9. Damned Old Piney Mountain - Craig Johnson was an amazing fiddler and banjo player who performed with The Double Decker Stringband in the 80's and early 90's. He was obviously also a great songwriter as he wrote this song based on a conversation he had with an old logger he met in West Virginia.
10. Going to German – This song comes from the repertoire of Gus Cannon who recorded widely in the 20s and 30s with his band “The Jug Stompers”. Apparently, the German in this song was referring to a prison.
11. Big Iron – It’s easy to overlook what an amazing songwriter Marty Robbins was. Even if he’d never sung a note, his catalogue of songs would still immortalize him. This is one from his classic 1959 album “Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs”.
12. Too Much Water – Speaking of great songwriters whose singing overshadowed their songwriting ability, this under-known honky-tonk classic comes from George Jones.
13. Cherry River Live/Gauley Junction – The song in this medley comes from West Virginia banjo picker and singer Jenes Cottrell. Fun fact - apart from being a powerful singer and player, Mr. Cottrell was known for making banjo rims using the aluminum torque converter rings from 1956 Buicks. The second tune in the medley was written by John and named for the beautiful confluence of The Gauley River and the New River in Fayette County, West Virginia.
14. Mississippi Dew – We wind things up with another great John Hartford song played in high-gear!
Durham, NC's Jake Xerxes Fussell and Toronto's Lonesome Ace Stringband each owe a bit to Roscoe Holcomb's take of "Hills of Mexico"
Sez Jake Xerxes Fussell...
“Hills of Mexico” is one of many narrative ballads where the singer-narrator is approached by a stranger in transit with a business proposition that turns out to be not so great for singer-narrator. Many of the European ballads of this kind deal with highwaymen and their exploits, mostly in the 17th and 18th centuries. In this particular (19th century) instance the proposition entails going to Mexico to work the cattle drive. Many regional variants from this family, alternately known as “The Trail of the Buffalo,” have been sung in a variety of musical contexts and communities. My version borrows heavily from Roscoe Holcomb’s narrative, which is mysterious in that it omits the Mexico part itself almost entirely.
Thanks to Kevin McNamee-Tweed for the artwork: “Steamboat,” 2018, Glazed ceramic, 9.25” x 7”.
In January, Toronto's Lonesome Ace Stringband raised the roof of the Deep End Ranch in Santa Paula which you can see below. Get their music right here.
Watch John Showman, Max Heineman and Chris Coole perform a couple of faves. They're on stage at The Dakota from 7 m to 9 pm.
Toronto's own Lonesome Ace Stringband – comprised of fiddler John Showman, banjo picker deluxe Chris Coole and bass boss Max Heineman – will always call The Dakota Tavern home. The band was formed to fill a residency at the bar's "Bluegrass Brunch", and have played many hundreds of sets there over the past 12 years. Due to a busy touring touring schedule, they don't get a chance to play in Toronto much any more, so don't miss the chance to see them throw down back where it all began!
"These are three powerful musicians, playing and singing some powerful music"
– Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine
"three of the most accomplished old-time musicians on the planet, The Lonesome Ace Stringband does a masterful job of melding their talents"
Lonesome Ace Stringband picker deluxe Chris Coole has recorded some tunes about fishing for a good cause.
Here's Chris Coole's statement about his new project
"I wanted to let you know about a new project that is very special to me. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a bit of a nut for fishing. It's something I've done my whole life, and there's always been a connection between music and fishing to me. Over the years, on several different albums, I've recorded music that has in one way or another been inspired by fishing and the places I fish. I've always wanted to put them all together in one place, and add some newer ones that I hadn't had the chance to record...the result is Road to the River - A Collection of 14 Tunes and Songs Inspired by the Fishing Passion.
"The album features 9 previously recorded tracks, and 5 brand new ones, and is a benefit for the Elk River Alliance (ERA). Based in Fernie BC, the ERA is a community-based water group that aims to connect people to the Elk River ensuring it is drinkable, fishable and swimmable for future generations. 100% of the profits from this album will go directly to the ERA. Fernie has become a home away from home for me when I'm on the road and there's nothing I like more than fishing in the Elk River and its tributaries. I know some of the folks who work with the ERA and I respect their dedication and inclusive approach to protecting the water in a way that serves the whole community (not just, but including, fisherpeople).
"You can read more about the project, hear the album, and hopefully order a copy (or download) off the website: www.road2theriver.com. This is the only place to get it, and once again, all the money from your order goes directly to the ERA. If you know have any friends that you think might be interested in supporting this project, please forward this email along.
"I think this collection is some of my best work. I'm joined by some amazing musicians such as Andrew Collins, Ben Winship, John Showman, Chris Quinn, Erynn Marshall, Arnie Naiman, Brian Wicklund, Max Heineman, Burke Carrol, Brian Kobayakawa, and Andrew Downing, just to name a few. I hope you'll take the time to check it out!" – Chris Coole
For more information about Chris Coole and his upcoming gigs, go tohttps://www.chriscoole.com. Check out "Deer River" below, of which Chris says "The Deer River (as it is locally known) flows into Belmont Lake, and is where I like to be in May when the pickerel (walleye) season begins."
