Señora – aka Robin – is down to singing in only two choirs, the Allegro Choir which is for persons 50 years and older and her hospice choir. She sang for 22 years with the choir at the Center for Spiritual Living until its director became too old to lead them and they discontinued it. The Allegro choir has grown to over a 100 souls.
This is Allegro’s holiday concert. It includes a mixture of songs from various traditions… and many familiar tunes. Señora is sitting down to the left of the piano in a green blouse. Ain’t she prutteee.
“As part of a group of “red dirt” musicians who migrated to Stillwater in the late 1970’s – a rag-tag outfit that includes Jimmy LaFave, Tom Skinner, Bob Childers and the Red Dirt Rangers – singer/songwriter Greg Jacobs helped set the standard for great Okie songwriting. His latest CD, “Encore” serves as proof this standard is still alive and well.”
Greg, Randy Pease, and Grammy nominated John Fullbright were gracious enough to do a house concert at our abode here in Chesterfield 10 or so years ago. After they completed their regular set, John started playing Robin’s 100 year old Mason & Hamlin piano and wowed everybody again.
So many of the images he uses in his music videos remind me of being in Checotah, Oklahoma at my grandmother’s house in the 50s and 60s. Greg is a long time resident of Checotah where he taught history in the high school. One of his students was Carrie Underwood. It always amazes me how many really talented musicians never make the big show.
Pete Morton is one of Señora‘s and mine favorite folk singers. He is British and gets over to the States only on rare occasions, and fortunately for us that is frequently at the Focal Point. We have seen him three times. Señora may be up to five times now as she “discovered” Pete before we were the hot item that we are now.
Pete made me a hero a few years back. I had taken a picture of him and Señora together when he was playing a house concert here in St. Louis. I sent to him, in England, an 8×10 copy of the photo, along with money for postage, and asked him to autograph it as I wanted it for a Christmas present for my wife, the esteemed Señora. He was gracious enough to do so.
Señora and I have this fantasy about going to England and seeing him in a club there. Some day.
Enjoy. We did.
Señora who is Jewish with more of a Chicago accent has this thing about doing accents. She has several that she does. Among them are New York Jew and Southern. I will admit, as a Southerner, her Southern accents sets my teeth on edge a bit, but then there are more than a few actors who do Southern accents that do the same.
One of her accents is British. Once when Pete was at the Focal Point she went up to talk to him after the concert and dropped into her British accent.
Pete remarked to her in his natural accent, “Are you mocking me?”
Señora replied in her Señora British accent, “No, I’m not mocking you.”
One of Señora‘s and I favorite musicians, the British folk singer Pete Morton will be at the Focal Point March 16. We will absolutely be there. Hope to see you there too.
One more video of a song we heard performed at the Woodyfest in Okemah, OK. Grant Peeples was a last minute replacement for an act that became sick. His claim to fame is that he opened for Dan Berns one time at a famous venue in Atlanta, GA. The singer-songwriter career path is a strange and frequently a not-for-profit journey. But there does seem to be a lot of these troubadours out there, struggle though it may be.
About the time I have completely written off Oklahoma as hopeless and a no man’s zone, I run across something gives me a glimmer of hope that all is not lost in my native state.
The Red Dirt Rangers are hugely popular in Oklahoma, especially around the Stillwater region. It always amazes that bands like this are not bigger nationally. We heard them perform this song Thursday night at the Woodyfest in Okemah, OK.
Again after this horrible, horrible week in our nation’s history I need some lightness. Three national treasures singing one of my favorite Neil Young songs. If I had a shrine in my abode, Dolly would be there, right next to Buddha.
