We had a glorious anniversary day. The weather could not have been better (Carol would have liked it about 3 degrees warmer – she’ll get that today). The music was fine and waiting in line for 2 hours at Kilbourn was much more fun as we were on Jazz Street and could watch the crowds and the many people headed for the 4 o’clock Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers show.

Jazz Street from the line outside Kilbourn

 So we got in to hear Jason Marsalis and his Quartet, we even got seats with leg room, the performance was very good, however it seemed to us a bit laid back. It wasn’t until the last third, just as we were contemplating leaving, that he went up tempo and seemed to get into the performance.  As it was we left before the last number to head on over to Abilene to see if we could get into hear Woody Pine (yes that is someone’s name) and get some dinner.  Wonder of wonders we just walked in and had time to pick up meals and stand at a table midway back in the tent.

As we were standing there another couple asked if they could share the table top. I kept looking at the man, knowing I had seen him some place. Then I looked down at his Club Pass and noted he had written his name on it “Paul” at the same moment he noted the “Paul” on my pass and we started to sort it out.  We served on a subcommittee studying electronic medical health records in Monroe County for the Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency something like 15 years ago. We really were on the bleeding edge and as one might expect the project went no place at that time. But I digress: Woody Pines took the stage with his cohorts on guitar (and Kazoo!) string bass and Woody himself on Dobro guitar (at least a resonator top guitar that looked like a Dobro), harmonica and from time to time drum. I don’t think anyone left during the show.  It was solid country very musical and very humourous. We were dancing in place throughout the tent to his enthusiastic beat and everyone with a pulse was smiling.

Still bouncing we headed to Xerox to see and hear Flat Earth Society. Where do they get these names? This group of 14 musicians filled the hall with a lot of sound.  Note I said sound, not music. I guess you can call it music as much as you can call John Cage’s work music. Before we could get to the hall we had to pass through the crowd gathering in front of the Chestnut Street stage to here Lou Gramm. I took Carol’s hand and forged through the mob pulling her in my wake. About half way there I found myself behind Doug Gallant who is bigger than me and we played icebreaker delicately pushing people aside as we continued to advance against the grain (trying to see how many metaphors I can mix in one sentence).  Once in Xerox we stayed for three or four numbers before deciding that enough was enough and we really wanted to hear Two Siberians in Montage.

Fortunately we did not have to pass through the Lou Gramm mob again as Montage was on the same side of it as we were. Two Siberians are actually two Siberians with limited English on the part of the guitar player and none on the part of the electronic violinist. Somehow we found our way to the front of a table at the stage. I am not sure how I got in and certainly had no hope of leaving before everyone else. Since I was facing away from the stage, I had to gradually turn my chair, slowly dislocating those in contact with me.  We found ourselves sitting next to Sally Hirst and her daughter, Sally had been at our apartment just before the festival to present a project she has been working on which we had funded in the past.  The world just doesn’t get much smaller than XRIJF. It was just as well that I was trapped, I had no desire to be anyplace else. The two men from Siberia had the place jumping from the very first. The bass line had everything in the hall vibrating and the violin soared above and blended with so beautifully that we were transfixed.  I would go to hear them again, unfortunately this was the last of their four performances. I guess I should mention that well into the show the violinist broke a string and continued the piece playing around the broken string so that it was not noticeable other than the string hanging from the peg box.

We streamed out into the balmy air unable to let go of the performance we had just heard. Carol and I were tired and decided to give the Jam Session a pass for the night.  There is a bit too much standing around wondering who is going to perform, when, in a very tight crowd. We went home to gather our strength for today, Day 3. We still need to refine our choices as I note we have three groups listed as Green and six groups listed as Yellow. In our system Green is must see and Yellow is we want to see if we can. We are not going to get to nine performances.  Unless we make more than one bad pick it is unlikely to get to more than five.  Last night was four. The Green choices are Brubeck Brothers at Harro East, Rachel Brooke at Abilene and Cecile McLorin Salvant at Kilbourn.

Count so far is 9 – the passes are paid for.

See you on the Street or in tomorrows post.