A
few weeks ago, we had a visit from a troupe of musicians and artists from New
York City. Professional photographers Henry Lopez and Anna Campbell took some great shots we wanted to
share with you. Many thanks to
them and to Neal and Elizabeth for the great tunes!
Molasses Creek joins Si Khan & the Looping Brothers for Two Concerts
We are very excited about two concerts on Monday, September 30 (Deepwater Theater, Ocracoke Island, NC) and Tuesday, October 1 (Washington Civic Center, Washington, NC). Renown American folk musician, Si Khan, is celebrating his 40th year as a recording artist and is on tour with the German bluegrass band, the Looping Brothers. They have just released a new album, Aragon Mill: The Bluegrass Sessions. It features some of Si's most beloved favorites, including “Aragon Mill,” “Gone Gonna Rise Again,” “Wild Rose of the Mountain” and
“Blue Ridge Mountain Refugee.”
"While some people may think of Si Kahn as primarily a folk songwriter, he’s been writing, performing and recording bluegrass music since the beginning of his music career. As Tim O’Brien notes, “Si Kahn’s fine songs have always held a mirror to the hardships and hopes of southern working men and women, which is why they fit so well with the string band sound on Aragon Mill: The Bluegrass Sessions. These are true life stories in a real hands on setting.”
But who ever imagined that Si would make his “greatest hits” CD with a German bluegrass band? The Looping Brothers (think Ira and Charlie Louvin) are one of Europe’s most respected, experienced and best-loved bluegrass bands, having worked and toured with such bluegrass legends as Bill Monroe, the Osborne Brothers, Kenny Baker, Josh Graves and Dan Crary.
Bluegrass artists who’ve recorded some of the songs on this CD and others by Si include Kathy Mattea, Hazel Dickens, Dry Branch Fire Squad, the Krüger Brothers, Molly O’Brien, Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum, Charles Sawtelle, The Gordons, the Red Clay Ramblers and Robin & Linda Williams.
Si’s bluegrass songwriting has received serious critical acclaim. According to Dave Higgs, writing in Bluegrass News, “In a world rife with many talented songwriters, Si Kahn stands alone. And his deeply thoughtful, elegantly simple, sometimes majestic, often achingly moving and always hard-hitting songs have stood, and will continue to stand, the test of time.”
Bluegrass legend Laurie Lewis adds, in her introduction to Aragon Mill: The Bluegrass Sessions, “But the treatment here, in the capable hands of the Looping Brothers, casts each of these in a new light…All the material was chosen for the project by the Looping Brothers, who have placed each song in a shining bluegrass setting, surrounded by the intricate filigree of banjo, fiddle, mandolin and guitar. Si and his songs are jewels here on Earth.”
To take a listen, visit www.airplaydirect.com/music/AragonMill/. Concert tickets will be available through the Beaufort County Arts Council at www.beaufortcountyartscouncil.org. Hope to see you there!
Soundside Studio Update
Gary recently upgraded the
mixing system of Soundside Studios to computer. Previously, he mixed albums live in the recording room (an
organic art form), but now he is working on a whole new level of detail on the
computer! We are very excited
about the remixes of the national version of the 2013 Molasses Creek Festival
release he is sending our way (Due out late this year!). He even hooked up his touring cycle so
he can power the whole thing by riding his 12 speed. For mixes that require his complete attention, he has the
system powered by his dog, Abner, in a large hamster wheel.
Molasses Ocracats
Molasses Creek fan, Cynthia Hall, recently
adopted two Ocracat kittens when they were on Ocracoke Island. She came out to a Molasses Creek
performance at Deepwater Theater and was inspired by the music to name her
kitties. . .
Jobell & Captain Molasses!
Here they are recovering from an exhausting vacation.
Ocracats is an Ocracoke non-profit organization that works
to control the feral cat population of the island. They capture and “fix” Ocracoke’s wild cats and kittens and
find homes on and off the island for many of these fine critters. For more information visit
http://www.ocracats.org
Razor Coast Release
Although Molasses Creek has yet to have any music placed on
The Big Bang Theory, the next best thing has just occurred! Roleplaying gamemaster and Molasses
Creek fan, Nicolas Logue, has just released an incredible 500 page campaign
called The Razor Coast. In the
introduction he gives a nod to Molasses Creek for musical inspiration! His kickstarter campaign raised over
$123,000 to fund the release. Below is excerpt from the description on the
Kickstarter page. For information
on how to order visit Frog God Games at http://talesofthefroggod.com/. Thanks for letting us be a part of your
magic Nick!
Razor
Coast is the long anticipated Caribe-Polynesian flavored, Age of Sail
swashbuckling RPG campaign envisioned and designed by Nicolas Logue. It has
been praised for its ambitious and original design, its epic flavor and its lurid,
full-color art – including a cover by the award winning Wayne Reynolds.
Logue
tapped a team of veteran designers to help develop and write Razor Coast,
including Lou Agresta, Adam Daigle, Tim Hitchcock, and John Ling. Razor Coast
isn’t just an adventure, it’s part setting, part adventure path, and part
toolkit to build your own unique campaign. It’s non-linear and will never play
the same way twice.
We
filled it with corrupt municipal Dragoons, dastardly smuggling rings,
weresharks – lots of weresharks - desperate naval battles, oppressed tribes
craving heroes, witches, cursed islands, legendary treasure troves, an
impending apocalypse or two, demon pirates, retired assassins, undead worms,
gator men, failed heroes waiting to be redeemed, dark conspiracies brewing in
the oceans depths, vengeful ghosts…oh – and mutating cannibal pygmies. Who
doesn’t like those?
Cecil Train Heads West
This newsletter's listening track comes from Fiddler Dave's first instrumental recording, Cecil Train Heads West. At the time of its release in 2004, Molasses Creek was comprised of Gary Mitchell & wife Kitty (who created the artwork for the album), and Fiddler Dave with occasional appearances by other guest performers. Lou Castro and Marcy Brenner were fairly new to the Ocracoke music scene and this album represents one of the first musical collaborations between Lou and Fiddler Dave. Lou added some mighty fine slide resonator guitar to this original fiddle tune by Fiddler Dave. Folks who are signed up on the Molasses Creek e-News list received a link to download an mp3 of the tune (you can sign up at www.molassescreek.com/news-signup). If you are not on the list and would like to receive the tune, just email Fiddler Dave at info@molassescreek.com. The album can be purchased through the Molasses Creek store or by clicking this album picture.
Upcoming shows
 |
| Molasses Creek performing in Washington, NC |
(not including September Deepwater Theater)
Sept 21 ~ Molasses Creek performance at the Intercoastal
Waterway 85th Celebration, Belhaven, NC (Afternoon, Time TBA)
Sept 28 ~ Carolina Country Stampede, Williamston, NC, 6PM
Sep 30 ~ Molasses Creek in concert with Si Kahn and the
Looping Brothers from Germany, Deepwater Theater, Ocracoke, NC, 8:00 PM
Oct 1 ~ Molasses Creek in concert with Si Kahn and the
Looping Brothers from Germany, Washington Civic Center, Washington, NC, 7:30 PM
Oct 5 ~ Molasses Creek concert with Music on the Delaware,
Walton, NY
Oct 6 ~ Molasses Creek at the Carroll County Arts Council,
Westminster, MD, 7 PM.
Oct 19 ~ Outer Banks Seafood Festival, Windmill Point, Nags Head, NC
Hope to see you folks on Ocracoke Island or out on the road!
Molasses Creek
Gary, Fiddler Dave, Marcy, Lou, & Gerald
