Bluegrass By The Bay - April 1998 Live Music Review: A Frank Wakefield Concert At The Freight & Salvage By Ted Silverman Ted Silverman is a freelance writer and columnist with the San Francisco acoustic swing sextet, The Chazz Cats. He has authorized several online bluegrass concert reviews for the UK's Nortlh West Bluegrass News including a special unannounced tribute to Bill Monroe performed by John Hartford and friends at the Freight and Salvage the day after The Big Mon's passing. WBN, available at http://members.aol.com/uknwbn covers bluegrass in northwest (and throughout) England. Ted can be contacted at kns@eariilinknet Reprinted with permission. On this stormy Tuesday evening (November 18, 1997) at the Freight & Salvage Coffee House, Berkeley, California, the sunny sounds of hard-driving bluegrass emanated from the voices and hands of musical masters. The remarkable mandolinist Frank Wakefield, accompanied by a select group of sidemen, were tossing out hot licks right and left as the rain pelted the roof of this renowned establishment of bluegrass and American roots music. Wakefield was once honored by the International Bluegrass Music Association as a 'Living Legend" and he showed glimpses of his greatness throughout the evening Wakefield's resume reads like a Who's Who of bluegrass, having played with the Greenbriar Boys, Red Allen, Jerry Garcia, The New Riders of the Purple Sage, his own group The Good Ole' Boys, and many other legends including Bill Monroe. Wakefield, looking seventy-odd years young, was clearly still in command of his formidable and irascible chops. His picking falls neatly in line with the hard-driving style pioneered by the late Bill Monroe but with an added touch of manic, exploratory quirkiness. Early in the show his tone and approach were bogged down a bit with raw and weary voicings, but as the show continued, he displayed a remarkable capacity to fire off breaks filled with lightning speed and melodic variety. With a firm command of tremolo he fanned arpeggios that pushed the melody of each tune all the while interspersing single note figures often loaded with whimsical dissonant passages. Clearly this guy has been around the frets in his forty-plus years as a premier picker. His spirit, good humor and charm were evident has he taunted the crowd with the goofy "backwardisms" which have become his trademark stage banter. Wakefield appeared to be the de facto leader of this loose-knit affiliation, but backing him were four capable players. Bob Black, a veteran of Monroe's Bluegrass Boys, was clearly the most consistent talent on stage. His banjo breaks were all strongly voiced and loaded with dynamic and playful melodic passages. His consistency added much to the early portion of the show as his musical compatriots appeared to need a bit more time to warm up their 'chops'. On fiddle was Jim Moss, a veteran of Wakefield's band The Good Ole' Boys as well as the Bay Area's own High Country. He is a fine fiddler. According to the stage banter it was Moss who gathered together this ragtag group for this rare performance Wakefield had traveled nearly 3000 miles from his home in Saratoga Springs New York. Presumably the other pickers live somewhere in the Bay Area. On guitar was 'Too Tall' Paul Squyres, who took a few select, yet very tasteful, flat picking breaks and added his bass profundo to the vocal rnix. Rounding out the line-up was Bill Amatneek, the first bassist for the original David Grisman Quintet. The opening set was a straight-ahead serving of ensemble vocal numbers mixed with Wakefield's original rags and fiddle tunes, a heaping of Monroe compositions and a touch of gospel. The picking interplay and exchange of breaks was well executed throughout the evening. One could fault the band for it's less-than-stellar vocal sound Creaky harmonies and often sour crooning could be viewed as authentic representations of the Appalachian musical style. But to be honest, the heartfelt delivery of the music made up somewhat for the weakness in vocal production. By the standards of contemporary touring bluegrass units, this group's singing pales but the hot licks, musical inter-play, stellar mandolin virtuosity, and historically interesting song choices provided the listener with enough substance to chew on. During the set break Wakefield made him self available to an adoring room full of fans signing autographed copies of his newest CD, That Was Now, This Is Then. A selection of the disc's songs was rendered throughout the evening including Mexican Stomp Waltz In Bluegrass and Wakefield's tour-de-force composition, New Camptown Races. In classic "backing talkwards" style Frank came on stage after the set break, thanking the crowd and saying good-bye instead of hello. He then pulled through classic tunes such as Highway Of Sorrow, Nine Pound Hammer, Midnight On The Stormy Deep, and Swing Low Sweet Chariot. Throughout the first set Wakefield kept inquiring whether David Nelson was in the house. He and the band rendered an old tune of Nelson 's called "Pistol Packin' Mama" and Wakefield told a few stories of playing with the New Riders of the Purple Stage in the early 1970s. During the second set Nelson himself appeared on-stage and performed the old Tex Logan chestnut, Diamond Joe, as well as I'm Just Here To Get My Baby Out of Jail and Rawhide, among others. Later, Peter Rowan of Bluegrass Boys fame appeared and picked authentic, driving renditions of The Dreadful Snake, Whitehouse Blues, and Walls of Tune (which he co-wrote with Bill Monroe). Rowan paid a moving tribute to Wakefield by informing him publicly that he was the first person ever to encourage him down the long musical road. This initial encouragement was coincidentally helped along by three-fifths of Moonshine Whiskey, which the two had long ago shared. But what a wonderful road it has been indeed. Rowan capped off his comments by indicating that Wakefield had done a fine job of carrying the hard-driving bluegrass torch pioneered by Bill Monroe. The remainder of the show brought more tight ensemble picking, duet and trio vocal arrangements and the reappearance of the evening's special guests for a two song encore of It's a Beautiful Life and a reprised New Camptown Races with everyone getting a chance to peel off a hot break or two. The happy audience strolled back out into the stormy night feeling much levity in comparison to the evening's heavy weather. It's evident that Frank Wakefield remains a humorous personality, a hot and inventive picker, a dynamic technician of his instrument, a strong band leader and remarkably long lasting figurehead of bluegrass music. His spirit shone throughout the evening and helped to ignite a fire under his sidemen and the audience as well. Altogether, a wonderful night was had by all. Frank's newest album: That Was Now, This is Then is a worthy and desirable instrumental album, available via mail order from: Rosewood Records, P0 Box 364, New Castle, Pennsylvania 16103 (USA). Recommended further reading: Bluegrass Unlimited, 18 (1) July 1983, pp 16-22, "Frank Wakefield" Bluegrass Unlimited, 31(10) April 1997, pp 38-41, "Jesus Loves His Mandolin Player." The November 18,1997 set list: (First Set) I Hear A Sweet Voice A Calling; Pistol Packin' Mama; Counting On David; Gilbert Street: White Silver Sun Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow; T For Texas(Rocky Road Blues; Alligator Man: Walking In Jerusalem; New Camptown Races. (Second Set) Highway of Sorrow, Nine Pound Hammer; Midnight On The Stormy Deep; Swing Low Sweet Chariot; Catnip; Diamond Joe*; Mexican Stomp*; I'm Just Here To Get; My Baby Out Of Jail*; Rawhide; The Dreadful Snake**; Whitehouse Blues**; The Walls of Time**; Deep Elem Blues; Lonesome Road Blues. (Encore) Its a Beautiful Life***; New Camptown Races***; (Notes: * w/ David Nelson; ** w/ Peter Rowan; *** w/ Nelson & Rowan.)