Baron Dave Romm
Lehto and Wright
By Baron Dave Romm
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Lehto and Wright
Lehto & Wright are a Minnesota-based Celtic/Country group. They transplant celtic music into the American idiom, in the along the lines of (but uniquely different from) The High Strange Drifters, Another Country by the Chieftains, Blackmore's Night or The Boondock Saints, to name but a few. Mostly, Lehto and Wright are a guitarist/bass duo with Matt Jacobs frequently on percussion. They are superb musicians who love instrumentals as much as traditional songs.
I had a chance to hear Lehto & Wright live at the 2010 Minnesota State Fair. Might as well review all three CDs I have. None are their most recent release, Children's Songs, so I'll be brief. All photos by Baron Dave Romm (but you knew that).
Elisa Wright staffing the
merch table for Lehto & Wright
Minnesota State Fair, August
26, 2010CE
Ye Mariners All
Ye Mariners All is the debut CD by Lehto & Wright. I really like their almost arabic swirling version of "Skewbald", the standard about a horserace between American and British entries. This is, I think, at least partially a political song, where the colonies establish equality if not dominance in a field dear to the home country. "The Drinking Gourd/Miss Brady" is a great choice. "Follow the drinking gourd to freedom... river bank makes a mighty good road". Code words for the antebellum Underground Railroad in the US, "the drinking gourd" is not only a slave/poor man's water vessel, but is code for The Big Dipper which points North. The "river" is the Tombigbee, in Mississippi. This slips into an Irish jib, "Miss Brady"/ The whole piece is played deliberately, with a dash of jazzy rock like King Crimson. "The One Legged Man/ The Cock on the Wall" is a tuneful instrumental with odd rhythms and nice drums by Matt Jacobs.
Steve Lehto of
Lehto & Wright
amid many of the instruments he
played
Minnesota State Fair August 26, 2010CE
A Game of Chess
A Game of Chess has a good mix of styles and shows maturity in their long instrumental breaks. The first song "The Long Peg and Awl" is not about industrial unemployment, but a song about a fair maid falling in love with a cobbler (one who uses the long peg and awl in their trade). That's followed by an a cappella version of "I Wish I Was Single Again/I Buried My Wife and Danced on Her Grave" (which they did at the Fair). Lehto mentions in the liner notes, "All due apologies to my wife of thirteen-and-a-half wonderful years. I only sing the harmony."
Two cuts are traditional songs with long instrumental breaks. Only the first section of "I Wish I Was in England/Reaping the Rye/ The Basket of Turf/ Nothing Will Sadden Us/ Gan Ainm/ Gan Ainm" has lyrics before the rest of the 10:04 song kicks in. "Ten Long Years" is a darker piece lasting 14:34, "serving time for another man's crime" lyrics as lead-in to an instrumental comprising the sweet and harsh. "The Silver Tip/ The Merry Tailor/ Thompson's Reel" is about as poundingly electric as Celtic Folk/Rock gets.
The Thrashing Machine
John Wright of
Lehto & Wright
Minnesota State Fair, August 26, 2010CE
The Thrashing Machine continues their use of traditional songs to launch instrumental interpretations. An electric, nearly psychedelic, version of East Virginia Blues claims to be inspired by Pete Seeger and uses those lyrics, but is reminiscent of The Grateful Dead's Dark Hollow.
"Manassas" is an original John Wright instrumental, very sweet, stately and antebellum. "Comiciamento di gioia" is another sweet tuneful instrumental; according to the liner notes, "a piece from medieval Italy here arranged for two guitars". They tackle Richard Thompson's Down Where the Drunkards Roll with the aid of the Artaria String Quartet.
Recommended
Steve Lehto of
Lehto & Wright
relaxing after their first concert at the
International Bazaar
Minnesota State Fair August 26, 2010CE
Lehto and Wright are some of the best musicians it has been my pleasure to hear. Recommended, especially live. I'd start with Ye Mariners All, or at least a few cuts. They add to the folk process, doing variants of traditional songs. Mostly, The more I listen, the more I like Lehto & Wright. A slightly different song choice or getting a bit more adventuresome in arrangement might take them out of their comfort zone and into mine, but I'm happy with what they do now. I will probably collect all their CDs, and will watch for local concerts. I'll watch for the John Wright solo albums as well.
Baron Dave Romm is a conceptual artist and a noble of Ladonia who produces Shockwave Radio Theater, writes in a Live Journal demi-blog maintains a Facebook Page, plays with a very weird CD collection and an ever growing list of political links. Dave Romm reviews things at random for obscure web sites. You can read all his music recommendations from Bartcop-E. Podcasts of Shockwave Radio Theater. Permanent archive. A nascent collection of videos are on Baron Dave's YouTube channel. More radio programs, interviews and science fiction humor plays can be accessed on the Shockwave Radio audio page.
Thanks to everyone who has sent me music to play on the air.
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Garry Wills: Outstripping the News (New York Review of Books)
Doonesbury's characters are now in their third generation, and we have lived with them through four decades of turbulent times-wars, scandals (Watergate, S and L, "Koreagate," Iran-contra, Katrina, and others), and political campaigns, many of which Trudeau covered as closely as any journalist while catching the essence of each era in unfailingly funny ways.
Jeannine Stein: Amy Sedaris, so crafty (Los Angeles Times)
As much as crafters hate to admit it, not all craft projects are created equal. Some are absolutely hideous.
Charles McNulty: Stephen Sondheim is back in the spotlight, this time for a new book (Los Angeles Times)
and rumpled, Stephen Sondheim descended from an upper floor of his elegant East Side townhouse and submitted to the interview as though it were a necessary barber shop shave. He's used to these intrusions - the artist obliged to natter on about his work was one of the themes of "Sunday in the Park With George" - but this year the distractions have gone to a harrying new extreme.
BARRY MAZOR: Billy Sherrill, Icon and Iconoclast (Wall Street Journal)
The famed country-music producer-songwriter-notorious for shunning the spotlight-is finding 2010 to be the year he can avoid country's highest accolades no longer.
DJ Screw: from cough syrup to full-blown fever (The Guardian)
When he died, 10 years ago next week, DJ Screw's druggy, ultra-slow sound was a regional craze. Two decades on and his influence can be felt from chart hip-hop to Swedish electronica. By Jesse Serwer.
Can Emma Watson hold on to the magic? (The Independent)
Hollywood history is littered with fallen child stars - but smart, savvy Emma Watson isn't about to join the list, says Alice-Azania Jarvis.
Ryan GOSLING: Interviewed by STEVE CARELL (Interview Magazine)
"IT FEELS LIKE NOT THAT LONG AGO THAT I WAS ON A SHOW CALLED YOUNG HERCULES IN WHICH I HAD A FAKE TAN AND WORE TIGHT LEATHER PANTS AND FOUGHT IMAGINARY MONSTERS."-RYAN GOSLING
Chick Norris: Pillar No. 3: Eat Living Foods (Creators Syndicate)
If you want to live optimally, you need to consume fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products daily. Walnuts and almonds are the king and queen of the nuts. And try to eat fish twice a week, especially salmon. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which lower the risk of coronary artery disease. Reduce your consumption of foods and beverages that are high in calories, salt, sugars, trans fats and saturated fats.
Dr. David Lipschitz: The Benefits of Aspirin Outweigh Side Effects (Creators Syndicate)
Despite the risk, the benefits of aspirin far outweigh its potential side effects. Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, take an aspirin a day. It can save your life.
SANDY BANKS: At an age when luxury can't hide the future (Los Angeles Times)
Upscale retirement community offers posh amenities, but the gilded path can't camouflage a route we would rather not take.
David Bruce has 39 Kindle books on Amazon.com with 250 anecdotes in each book. Each book is $1, so for $39 you can buy 9,750 anecdotes. Search for "Funniest People," "Coolest People, "Most Interesting People," "Kindest People," "Religious Anecdotes," and "Maximum Cool."
The Weekly Poll
Current Question
The 'Pelosi Problem...' Edition
The new year will begin with a new Speaker of the House (No doubt, 'Tan-boy' Boehner, R-Orange). Nancy Pelosi, the outgoing Speaker, has announced her intention of running for Minority Leader of House... Some Democratic Representatives think this is not such a good idea. Rep. Albio Sires (D-NY) said, "We need some new direction, and I think the best way is for her to move on."... Others support Pelosi, "I am confident that under her leadership we will never abandon our principles," said Rep. Robert E. Andrews (D-NJ).
Speaker Nancy Pelosi to seek minority leader post
What say You?
A.) Pelosi should be Minority Leader...
B.) Pelosi should step aside...
C.) Get back to me after the holidays...
Send your response to
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From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
BadtotheboneBob
Go Fishin'... Bring home venison
Fighting bucks drown near friends' fishing boat
BENTON TOWNSHIP -- Two Berrien County men ended up with more than fish during a trip earlier this week on the St. Joseph River. Bryan Ammeson and Scott Stoney were fishing for steelhead from a boat Wednesday when they spotted a pair of bucks fighting near shore. The bucks' antlers locked and they fell into the river and drowned. "I ended up hooking them up to the side of the boat and we took them back to shore", Ammeson said. "One ended up being a 17-point with two drop tines, and another one is a perfect 10-point rack that's just absolutely massive"... (Wow!) Ammeson said the bucks were processed for meat, but the heads will be mounted with the antlers interlocked. (That I gotta see!)
Fighting bucks drown near friends' fishing boat | freep.com | Detroit Free Press
Thanks, B2tbBob!
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
BadtotheboneBob
Jon Savage
Jon Savage and the lost history of California punk
They were fast, loud and furious - and when things got out of hand the police sent in the snipers. Alexis Petridis pays tribute to America's west coast punks
'It was scary' … the Avengers
Javier Escovedo is remembering the day snipers turned up at a Zeros gig. "We played Larchmont Hall, this place run by senior citizens," says the frontman of the 70s California punk
Jon Savage and the lost history of California punk | Music | The Guardian
Thanks, again, B2tbBob!
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny and warmer than seasonal.
Honorary Awards
'Early' Oscars
Oscar organizers began giving out film industry gold on Saturday when they bestowed honors on four movie veterans, including groundbreaking directors Jean-Luc Godard and Francis Ford Coppola.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science gathered a who's who of Hollywood A-listers -- including Clint Eastwood, Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Oliver Stone and Robert De Niro -- for their annual Governors Awards to give honorary Oscars to Godard, actor Eli Wallach and film historian Kevin Brownlow, for their work in the industry.
"Godfather" director Coppola was given the night's biggest honor, the Irving G. Thalberg Award, for visionary producing.
This marked only the second year the Academy has given away the honorary Oscars and a Thalberg statuette at the Governors Awards at the dinner. Until last year, the group had always handed out the honors on the same night as the Academy Awards.
But in an effort to speed the annual ceremony for the world's top film honors, which will take place on February 27, the Academy moved it to November to launch Oscar season.
'Early' Oscars
Playing for Change Foundation Benefit
Lennon Tribute
Lauper, Browne headline rousing Lennon
NEW YORK - Juggling to "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"? Modern dance, to "Free as a Bird"? Perhaps not the usual stuff of a John Lennon tribute concert.
But looking at the wry, quirky smiles on Lennon's face as classic photos of the Beatle great alternated all evening long on a screen at the Beacon Theater, one couldn't help but think he would have thoroughly enjoyed himself.
Lennon, it's still startling to think, would have turned 70 last month - and so even though Friday's tribute was the 30th in a series, this one had a special feel. Produced by Theatre Within, a nonprofit arts group, the evening was a benefit for the Playing for Change Foundation, which builds music schools in poor areas of the world.
Among the big names this year: Cyndi Lauper, who performed "Across the Universe," a song she said had gotten her through some tough times. Then she recalled how, singing Beatles songs long ago with her sister, she would "be" John and her sister would stand in for Paul.
Lennon Tribute
Canada's TV Awards
Geminis
British actors and shows were the big winners at the Geminis, Canada's TV awards, on Saturday night.
Scotsman Robert Carlyle was named the best actor for his star turn in Syfy's "Stargate Universe".
Musician Elvis Costello, took home the Gemini for best Canadian talk series for "Spectacle: Elvis Costello With..."
And the night of British triumphs also saw Showtime's "The Tudors", a Canadian-Irish TV co-production about English monarch Henry VIII, named best Canadian drama.
Geminis
Honored At High School
Sally Field
Sally Field's high school still likes - really likes - the actress.
The 64-year-old Oscar and Emmy winning star of ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" was honored Friday at the Birmingham Community Charter High School in the San Fernando Valley community of Lake Balboa. Students and faculty gathered at the school's performing arts center, originally built in 1976, to dedicate the auditorium in Field's name.
Field graduated from the school in 1964 before starring in "Gidget" on television and later winning Academy Awards for her roles in the films "Norma Rae" and "Places in the Heart." She said that the school's drama department "quite simply saved my life" and was the place that she could "most truly and absolutely be me, where I lost myself and found me."
Field reminisced about the school being a former Army hospital, then a cluster of rickety buildings "made out of pine wood." She also recalled waiting in the wings during the dress rehearsal of a production of "The Miracle Worker" in 1963 when another student leaned out of the sound booth and quietly announced that President John F. Kennedy had been shot.
Sally Field
Top Words
2010
"Spillcam" and "vuvuzela" were the top words of 2010, reflecting the global impact of the months-long oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the noisy South African horns at the World Cup soccer tournament, according to a survey released on Sunday.
"Refudiate -- a word coined by politician Sarah Palin in a cross between refute and repudiate -- also made the top 10, according to the annual Global Language Monitor survey.
The Texas-based survey uses a math formula to track the frequency of words and phrases in the English-speaking world of more than 1.58 billion people.
It declared that President Hu Jintao of China and Apple's new iPad were the two top names of the year on a list that also featured "Chilean Coal Miners", reflecting the worldwide fascination with televised rescue in October of 33 men trapped deep in a mine.
2010
Labor Unions Step Up Dispute
"Biggest Loser"
Hollywood labor unions are stepping up their dispute with production companies behind TV reality show "The Biggest Loser", calling for picket lines on Monday to confront replacement workers hired last week.
The 50-member crew of the NBC show has been on strike since last week, seeking a union contract primarily in order to obtain pension and health benefits. The picketing was initially low-key, starting with just a dozen picketers on Wednesday and growing by the end of the week to several dozen.
Monday may be much larger. This time, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) said in a statement that picket lines will be mounted at the production location in rural Calabasas, outside Los Angeles.
The "Biggest Loser" production crew voted 100 percent to support the labor union. According to IATSE, the producers refuse to recognize the labor union as the bargaining unit for the crew. The TV performers union AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America (DGA) already have agreements with the show.
"Biggest Loser"
Settles Suit
Sugarland
The two members of the country duo Sugarland avoided a nasty public trial with the group's founding member, settling a lawsuit over claims that she was owed an estimated $14 million of the band's profits after she left to pursue a solo career five years ago.
Sugarland, which last week was named the Country Music Association's vocal duo of the year, was set to go to trial Monday with founding member Kristen Hall over claims she was owed one-third of the band's profits even though she quit the band in December 2005.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Batten signed a court order Friday saying the parties reached a settlement. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but Batten gave both sides until Dec. 13 to complete the agreement. Attorneys for the parties could not immediately be reached for comment.
Hall sued Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush in 2008, claiming that she should have been given a third of the group's profits - a sum her lawyers said could exceed $14 million.
Sugarland
"Tailor-Made" Versions
"Sex and Zen"
Up to a dozen "tailor-made" versions of erotic 3D film "Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy" are set to spring up across the globe come the film's release in the summer of 2011.
The film's producers will offer differing cuts to cater to the censorship standards and cultural tastes in different regions.
Buyers are encouraged to "pick and choose" edits, not only for their regions, but also for theatrical and DVD releases, to address the censorship concerns of various territories.
The tactic has proved effective, as the rights to the title have been snatched up for Italy, France, Peru, Russia, and Singapore during the American Film Market, after an eight-minute preview in 3D was screened.
"Sex and Zen"
Safe Haven
Nazis
A report chronicling the history of the Justice Department's Nazi-hunting unit criticizes the government for knowingly allowing some Nazis to settle in the United States after World War II.
"America, which prided itself on being a safe haven for the persecuted, became in some small measure a safe haven for persecutors as well," says the 600-page document.
The New York Times obtained a copy of the report, which the National Security Archive, a private group, posted on its website. Earlier, the Justice Department had declared dozens of pages from the document off-limits to the public after the archive sued to get it.
The long-secret report provided new details of many of the major cases handled by Justice's Office of Special Investigations. The report reflects the ways in which American officials, who were assigned to recruit foreign scientists after World War II, circumvented President Harry S. Truman's order that they not bring in Nazi Party members or people who had actively supported Nazi militarism.
Nazis
Nightlife Dilemma
Paris
When Paris banned smoking in bars and clubs three years ago, no one planned on a sneaky side-effect: legions of party-goers spilling onto the streets to smoke, chat -- and keep the neighbours awake.
Bad blood between revellers and residents already grouchy at noise levels in the capital's trendy quarters has curdled since the smoking ban took effect in nightlife spots in January 2008, a year after other public places.
Last year a group of DJs and club promoters launched a petition warning that nightlife was dying out in the City of Lights, after a rash of lawsuits against bar owners and steps by city authorities to shut down noisy clubs.
Since then rows have simmered on, and this week Paris city hall hosted a big-tent conference to try to get the warring factions -- club owners, police, residents' groups, local authorities -- to see eye to eye.
Unlike a city like London -- where trendy clubs and bars tend to be located in business districts, with most people living out of the centre -- in densely populated inner-city Paris everyone shares the same space.
Paris
World Cup
Quidditch
More than 40 broomstick-riding teams are competing in the two-day Quidditch world cup tournament in New York City.
Long a fictional fixture of the Harry Potter novels and movies about teenage wizards, the sport features players who fly on broomsticks. But in real life, the rules have been adapted to a ground game for "muggles" - humans without magical powers.
Teams from around the world that competed in a Manhattan park Saturday with rules similar to the sport created by J.K. Rowling in her books. The matches call for chasers, beaters, keepers, seekers and a snitch. Goals must be score and the snitch caught.
The tournament continues Sunday.
Quidditch
Weekend Box Office
'Megamind'
Will Ferrell's dastardly schemes continue to succeed, with the animated "Megamind" staying at the top of the box office.
The DreamWorks Animation 3-D comedy, featuring Ferrell as the voice of a super villain, made just over $30 million in its second week in theaters, according to Sunday studio estimates. It's now made nearly $90 million total. "Megamind" also features the voices of Brad Pitt, Tina Fey and Jonah Hill.
Opening in second place is the 20th Century Fox action thriller "Unstoppable," starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine as railroad workers trying to stop a massive runaway train. It made $23.5 million. The movie is based on a 2001 Ohio incident in which a train carrying hazardous cargo traveled 66 miles without a crew.
Last week's No. 2 film, "Due Date," fell to the third spot with $15.5 million. The Warner Bros. comedy features Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis as opposites stuck together on a cross-country road trip. It's now made $59 million in two weeks.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Megamind," $30 million.
2. "Unstoppable," $23.5 million.
3. "Due Date," $15.5 million.
4. "Skyline," 11.7 million.
5. "Morning Glory," $9.6 million.
6. "For Colored Girls," $6.75 million.
7. "Red," $5.1 million.
8. "Paranormal Activity 2," $3 million.
9. "Saw 3-D," $2.75 million.
10. "Jackass 3-D," $2.3 million.
'Megamind'
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