On Saturday, April 12th, 2008
Concerts on Bonnie Branch
Presented
First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who came to the show and not only made the concert a wonderful success. Second, thanks too for making my 45th birthday a blast! It was a birthday to remember!
I can safely say this about Rob Thorworth: he's interested in doing more house concerts! And I can safely say this as well: we'll definitely be able to accommodate him here on Bonnie Branch in the future. Rob performed the opening set like he'd been doing them for years. Considering that he spent his formative musical years touring bars and clubs with a band, his transition to the singer/songwriter world of house concerts was pretty smooth. Great vocals, unbelievable guitar playing (those years playing blues licks paid off!), and an easy rapport with the crowd; exactly what's needed to be a house concert success. Carolyn and I saw him backing Bob Sima at another house concert, so he's getting a good taste of life-in-the-living-room. But in the meantime, you'll have to continue looking for Rob as he performs regularly in the Baltimore and Annapolis areas. And please do look for him.
I think performing on Bonnie Branch convinced Debbie Deane to try a few more house concerts as well. Debbie told me she's done many as she toured Germany years ago. (Her first record label was German based.) But Bonnie Branch was her first American house concert. And Debbie did a spectacular job. With bassist Jim Whitney, Debbie put on a show to be remembered. Her powerful vocals filled the room and her dancing fingers made her vintage Wurlitzer electric piano sing along with her. Jim's bass playing was grand and the perfect accompaniment for Debbie. In fact, after hearing Jim backing Debbie, and Stephan Crump backing Jen Chapin last September, I think I like having an upright bass in my living room. Look for more in the future.
Debbie's performance spanned the full spectrum of her music. She selected tunes from both her her albums as well as several new pieces and a couple covers as well. On guitar Debbie gave us songs from her latest album Grove House, including Pie, You Know Me and Sailor Song. To show off Jim's talents she chose songs like Poseidon from Grove House and from her first, self-titled album, the song Baby. (Seems that Baby, which was written in the late 90s, was rather prescient because Debbie is pregnant with Jr. Just so happens that bassist Jim is also the father and Debbie's husband as of April 26th. Can't wait to see what kind of talent Jr. has!) Debbie also had fun on the Wurlitzer as well, jazzing things up quite a bit on songs such as Down, Down, Down, Mother Mary and Hit The Rewind.
Debbie, a Brooklyn native, has a lot on her plate coming up, what with a new child and husband changing her life. So you might now see her out touring in the very near future; you'll have to take a trip to NYC to hear her play. But I'm betting that in the next year or so, she'll be back in the studio and on the road with lots of new music based on her new experiences. Maybe she'll be at a house concert near you.
Thanks again Debbie and Rob for ending Season Four on a high note and for giving the wonderful gift of music for my birthday. And thanks to all of you who attend my shows and make them all worth while!
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More Photos»
Jim Whitney & Debbie Deane and Carolyn & Ryan
Debbie and Jim performing
Rob Thorworth opens the show
Sorry Rob, it was a bit too late when I realized the autofocus switch on my camera was on "manual" — ooops!
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