Playing for Change - Dayton

by Sandy and Michael Bashaw

Michael Kotur sings the blues

Just about a year ago, we met with Kathleen and Jean at Cityfolk to talk about the creation of “Playing for Change, Dayton.” They had gotten a green light from Playing for Change co-founder Mark Johnson and they asked us to help them produce a regional version which would demonstrate the diversity of musical genres & cultures in the Dayton area, while keeping with the mission of Playing for Change - “connecting the world through music.” As we have long listened to and loved world music, we were thrilled to be asked.

Briefly, the process is that everyone plays their own interpretation of a single song and the performances are edited together. The song we chose is “Where There is Love,” which our own ensemble Puzzle of Light has been performing for years. The lyric is simple:

Where there is love, let love be:
Where there is hate, let love grow.

Sandy Bashaw with Jay Martinez, preparing for
a take out in front of EbonNia Gallery.

We enlisted the talents of David Sherman for the video and Tim Berger for the audio, and shot the “basic” track in Michael's Linden Avenue artist loft in late March 2013. In early May 2013 we recorded/filmed the other artists at various locations around Dayton. We're now reviewing the recorded tracks, and I can't begin to tell you how excited we are about this project! We filmed and recorded 10 very different artists in 3 days, who each added their artistic voices to "Where There is Love." We had merely sent them the basic track and encouraged them to interpret it, and with the exception of a sketch of Rick Good's banjo treatment, we did not hear anybody's version before recording. As we heard each one for the first time, played along to Puzzle's basic track, layers of depth and meaning and the intention of this simple song were revealed.

Ray Roach & Michael Bashaw at SunWatch.

In the coming weeks, we'll be editing together performances from musicians who play salsa, reggae, blues, old time/country, jazz, spoken word, singer/songwriter music, a Native American drummer and drummers from Burundi. We've got additional singers and even some dancers.

"Playing for Change, Dayton" has been recorded with great love and care, and the end product is going to clearly demonstrate the breadth and diversity of art and music in our great little town. Visit the Culture Builds Community Mosaic City tent at the Cityfolk Festival to see it for yourself on Saturday and Sunday. Many of the performers who have contributed to "Playing for Change, Dayton" will perform on the Main Stage on Sunday at 1:00 PM.

Burundi Drummers

Spotlight on Son del Caribe

For the past twelve years, Cincinnati-based Son del Caribe has been dedicated to the authentic style of classic salsa of the 1970s, incorporating repertoire from the "salsa greats" like Willie Colon, Gran Combo, Hector Lavoe and Celia Cruz. The eleven piece ensemble is widely acknowledged by both dancers and listeners as the top salsa band in Ohio, thanks to their dedication to the authenticity of the traditional, improvisational style of the music. One element of that is that lyrics are often changed to fit what is happening in the moment in soneos. Although Son del Caribe may throw additional genres of Latin music into the repertoire to please the crowd, by and large their specialty is TRUE and traditional SALSA. Always a favorite at the Cityfolk Festival, Son del Caribe will return this year on Saturday only.

Spotlight on Too Slim and the Taildraggers

Tim "Too Slim" Langford, with his band the Taildraggers, have created an eclectic style of blues and rock that cannot be classified. When they are on stage, you could hear everything from down home blues to funky blues rock, Americana and southern swamp rock. The band's latest CD Shiver was nominated for Blues Rock Album of the Year by the Blues Foundation at the 2012 Blues Music Awards in Memphis TN. Too Slim and the Taildraggers will release their newest CD later this year. They will be here on Friday night only. Don't miss it!

Spotlight on Seefari

SEEFARI's music mixes the soulful sound of classic reggae of the ‘70s and ‘80s with healthy doses of dub, rock, jazz, Latin and African influences. His masterful musicianship, soulful singing and charismatic stage presence appeals to fans of all ages and backgrounds. SEEFARI's numerous independent recordings have received radio airplay around the world and his music has been featured on TV and in films. SEEFARI is scheduled to perform on Saturday and Sunday.

"SEEFARI was nothing short of a roots sound power who brought man, woman and child to their feet!"

-- clevelandreggae.com

Spotlight on Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

2013 marks the 20th Anniversary of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's remarkable arrival onto the music scene. In it's first years, they reminded the world—in the middle of the grunge era, no less—that it was still cool to swing, big band style. Today the high-energy nine-piece ensemble continues the party and takes things to the next level with the release of Rattle Them Bones. Recent projects have helped the band further hone it's ability to honor the great musicians and music of the past while pushing the genre forward through interpretation and vision.

Leader Scotty Morris says, “Weʼve never tried to put on airs or make people think weʼre something weʼre not,” he adds. “Thereʼs an integrity that comes from writing and playing songs the way folks did in the old days, when they did it to capture the audienceʼs imagination; not simply to click with a specific demographic. Our fans always know theyʼre getting the real thing from us and true emotion that comes from the heart. We have no interest in being pop stars, but we have an absolute love of American music and a strong desire to share that with people.”

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will close the Main Stage on Saturday, June 29. Here's a taste of what you're in for!

Spotlight on Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out

Now celebrating its 22nd year as a band, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out is one of the most successful and celebrated bluegrass ensembles of the last quarter century. Along the way they have won a slew of IBMA vocal awards, and Moore has been named Male Vocalist of the Year five times. Along the way, they’ve made a whole new generation of fans, and with the release of their newest CD, Timeless Hits From The Past… BLUEGRASSED by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, the quintet are poised to deliver their distinctive kind of music more widely than ever.

Moore and his band will return to Dayton on Friday, May 10 as part of "Bluegrass Tymes II" at the Dayton Masonic Center. The Sons of Bluegrass will open the show.

Spotlight on the Sons of Bluegrass

Mentored by award-winning guitarist Tim Stafford of Blue Highway, the Sons of Bluegrass are heralded as one of the best upcoming bluegrass bands in the country. The Sons are garnering recognition on a regional and national level at unprecedented speed, including a feature in Bluegrass Today, grants from the Tennessee Arts Commission and being named the 2012 Championship Bluegrass band by the State of North Carolina. This talented young band will open for Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out on Friday, May 10 when Cityfolk presents "Bluegrass Tymes II" at the Dayton Masonic Center.

Guitar Gals in Kalamazoo

Years ago, author, law professor and musician John Thomas stumbled upon a photo from the 1940s of about 70 women posed outside of the Gibson Guitars factory in Kalamazoo, MI. The official line from Gibson at the time was that no guitars were made during World War II, but Thomas slowly unraveled the truth: well over 100,000 guitars were produced by women, while the male staff was off at war. He delves into this mystery and the story behind it in the newly-published book Kalamazoo Gals: A Story of Extraordinary Women & Gibson's 'Banner' Guitars of WWII.The book has been receiving a fair amount of attention since its recent release. Gibson has since acknowledged this era of their history.

This story on WNYC's Soundcheck is pretty long -- the first 22 minutes of the program -- but very interesting. The host interviews the author and a woman who built guitars during this time period, and they play recordings made recently on these vintage guitars, on a companion album to the book.

Guitarkadia presents the book in more bite-sized chunks, interspersed with photos and audio clips.