Legacy

Since moving to Austin I have learned a lot about music and the musicians, mostly Texas artists.  At times I have considered finding some avocation with music.  I cannot play music and cannot read music.  I tried in high school to learn how to play the flute, but by that time my cohorts had been reading and playing music for four years or longer.  As a result of my struggles I have a deep and sincere appreciation for musicians and their craft.

In the last year I have gotten to know Van Wilks.  At the time I was living in New Braunfels and he was playing a free show at Gruene Hall so I went.  I had heard great things about him and had seen him years ago with Eric Johnson at the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar.  I was blown away and continue to be amazed.  Van Wilks music takes to me to a different place when I go to hear him and the band.  It is a place I cannot explain.  It is not drug induced.  The music feeds my soul in a way very few things are able to do.  Maybe this is what psychedillic music is and I'm just now experiencing it.

This past week has been the SXSW festival.  Something like 2,000 bands have converged on the city.  I know few of the bands and those I know are so large and well known I likely could not have gotten in to a show without dropping a lot of money I do not have.  On Saturday after working at the coffee shop I wandered downtown to see what the scene was like.  I had no one to go with me or meet me, so I was flying solo.  I found myself on the UT Campus following the sound of music.  It lead me to the Bob Bullock Museum where the Texas Tornadoes were playing.  I saw them earlier this year at the Wildfire Benefit Concert, but it was great to stumble on them.  Not familiar with them, one of the songs they made famous was "Hey Baby Que Paso?"  The band used to consist of Doug Sahm, Freddy Fender, Augy Meyers and Flaco Jimenez.  Doug is now deceased but his son Shawn Sahm.  I have enjoyed this band and the legacy they have left on Texas Music.  As I watched Flaco play the accordian I was reminded of my great Uncle Joe who used to play the accordian. 

Shortly after this show I called a friend who has a friend who was playing a show for the festival and I was uncertain if I had missed the show.  I met my friend and her friend's band at Ross' Old Austin Cafe, a new venue for me.  The band was the Blue Squeezebox, or 3 of the 6 band members.  The band has a drummer, stand up bass player and accordian/keyboard player.  They were good and put a great deal of effort in to the show.

One of the things I often find myself reflecting on is the legacy of many of the musicians who have shaped my musical tastes, who have inspired me to keep going and who bid me welcome.  Having grown up in a small town around Lubbock Buddy Holly and Joe Ely are towards the top of the list.  It was in moving to Austin that I was able to add musicians with Tejano tastes and legacies.  A friend lent me their first two compilation CD's of Los Super Seven with songs of strong Tejano influence.  Rick Treveno has said that working on this series encouraged him to explore his Tejano musical roots.  Lately I have been listening to Los Lobos.  They did the soundtrack for the movie about Richy Valens. 

It is through conversations with my brother and his wife that I have added the likes of Willie Nelson, John Prine and Hank Williams I, II and III.  Before I just thought of Willie as a man with a guitar that could not carry a tune.  I have found some of John Prine's songs to be very romantic, especially regarding long term relationships.  John Prine covered a song of Blaze Foley's and introduced me to the legacy of John Prine.  Earlier this week I heard Gurf Morlix speaking of the legacy of Blaze Foley.  Gurf covered several of Blaze's songs on an album he calls, if memory serves me right, Blaze Foleys 113 Wet Dream. 

Austin has some amazing radio DJ's that speak of many local musicians.  Many of them have taught me much of what I know about several of these musicians.  I appreciate the DJ's who are able to speak about the musicians because they know the musician and not just the music.  I have been exposed to music I would have heard of otherwise by listening to John Aielli on Eklektikos.  In recent months I have had the opportunity to meet this man and exchange greetings.  I also have a great deal of respect and admiration for Jody Denberg who is now on the same station. 

I could go on and on, but the hour has drawn late and I fear I have bored you with tales not at all regarding life in an RV, so I'll bid guten abend