(Note: this series was originally published elsewhere.)

Something in music: origin

One evening at a hot, trendy L.A. nightclub on a rare solo outing, yours truly found himself standing alone at the bar preparing to review the upcoming act. Before he had taken more than a few notes, however, he was bookended by a pair of vivacious vixens who insisted on engaging your rockin’ writer in cozy conversation. Strangely, the subject of “marriage” arose.

One of the young ladies noted that when a gal is about to get hitched, she needs “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” Your provocative penman was immediately inspired. After all, those very same terms could be applied to music too: “Something old” or classic, “something new” or recently released, “something borrowed”, a cover, and “something blue”, a blues song or a song with “blue” in the title. The rest is history.

‘Something’ in Music 310

Something Old

Our “something old” in this edition is the classic cut "Midnight at the Oasis" written by American songwriter and composer David Nichtern and first recorded by American blues and folks singer Maria Muldaur for her self-titled platter which hit the record racks in 1973. If you’d like to hear Muldaur perform live and are in the area, you’re in luck! She will be appearing at the New Blues Festival IX in Shoreline Aquatic Park on the Ocean in Long Beach, California on Sunday, September 3rd, 2023 as part of the Labor Day weekend music event running Saturday, September 2nd through Monday, September 4th, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily.

According to a recent email, other “headliners for [the] New Blues Festival IX include multiple Blues Award winner, Tommy Castro and the Painkillers; multiple Grammy award winners, Phantom Blues Band; and Grammy winner Micki Free (a.k.a. The Gypsy Cowboy), a member of the chart-topping group, Shalamar. Additionally, fifty-plus top Southern California-based blues/roots artists" such as the "Queen of Steam" Michele Lundeen, the Los Angeles-based artist Freedom Heartsong, and Phoenix's Until The Sun will also perform. The festival will feature “a Main Stage and Ocean Stage, with musicians performing on each stage simultaneously. Emcees are Ann The Raven (KCSN-FM; Main Stage) and Catfish (KLBP-FM, Ocean Stage).”

Singer and musician Bill Grisola, also the festival curator and promoter, spoke of the event in a recent e-communique. He said: “This is the ninth New Blues Festival, the seventh in Long Beach, and the second time the New Blues Festival will be held in the prime entertainment destination of Shoreline Aquatic Park, which is a peninsula of land surrounded on three sides by water. One side of the Peninsula is located in the Pacific Channel, which leads to the Los Angeles River tributary."

He added: “The other side is Rainbow Harbor, which includes both working fishing and charter boats as well as all types of pleasure crafts. Across from the tip of the Peninsula is the tip of Shoreline Village, with its iconic Lighthouse Restaurant. Shops and restaurants highlight the Shoreline Village experience including the original Yard House Restaurant.

“Next to the park is the Aquarium of the Pacific, with its $53 million Pacific Visions addition. The Aquarium is known throughout Southern California for its Rescue and Rehabilitation efforts and work with school children from across the Los Angeles and Orange County areas.” The festival will also include “some of SoCal’s best food, arts and crafts vendors.”

General Admission Tickets are $50.00. Gold Tickets are $100.00 and V.I.P. Tickets are $150.00. Tickets and further information are available at the official festival website.

Something New

Our “something new” this time is the new single and music video “Six Feet Underground” recorded by the Los Angeles, California-based band Leland And The Silver Wells. It’s the first single of their upcoming new release, Riverboat, due to drop in November of 2023. (Watch for a possible review of the full album on this website!)

Care to catch a live performance? If you're in the Los Angeles area, you're in luck! Leland And The Silver Wells will be playing at Historical Monument 157 in Los Angeles, on Saturday, September 9th, 2023, at 8:00 p.m. For more information, visit the group's website.

Something Borrowed

Our “something borrowed” in this edition is the song “Peace Like A River”. This is an old African-American spiritual and Christian hymn written by slaves in the 1800s. This audio adaptation was recorded in 2017 by New York City-based singer-songwriter Jaime Garamella and vocalist Carmen Gill.

Garamella briefly discussed the 2018 piece on social media. He said it was the “second in the Songs with Friends series -- fresh new recordings of old songs with friends with whom I had never before recorded. The common thread is that the songs have messages of positivity and hope.”

He concluded: “Carmen suggested this song, and it was a perfect choice. The simplicity of the lyrics belies the depth of the message.” It features Gill and Garamella on vocals, Skip Brevis on piano, and Andrew Koss on cello and keyboards.

Something Blue

Last but not least, our “something blue” in this edition is the song “Brother To The Blues” recorded by Louisiana singer-songwriter and blues guitarist Tab Benoit and the ensemble known as Louisiana’s LeRoux. It’s off his 2006 album of the same name. Tab Benoit leads the way on guitar, pedal steel, and vocals.

It also includes Louisiana's LeRoux. The ensemble features Tony Haselden on banjo, guitar, and background vocals; Nelson Blanchard on Hammond B3, piano, other keyboards, and background vocals; Leon Medica on electric bass and background vocals; and David Peters on drums, percussion, and background vocals. The song’s composer/lyricist is Ed Rowell.

If you’d like to hear more of Tab Benoit’s music, you’re in luck! Benoit is out on his Summer 2023 Tour. His opening for part of the tour will be the Louisiana act known as The Rumble featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. For further details and ticket information check out his official website. Here are some more tour dates:

Sept 5 (Tue) - Phoenix AX@MIM
Sept 6 (Wed) - Phoenix AZ@MIM
Sept 7/8/10 (Thur/Fri/Sun) - Las Vegas NV@Big Blues Bender
Sept 28 (Thur) - Baton Rouge LA@Manship Theatre
Sept 29 (Fri) - Rayne LA@The Crossing at Mervin Kahn
Sept 30 (Sat) - Silsbee TX@Honky Tonk Texas
Oct 2 (Mon) - Memphis TN@Lafayettes Music Room
Oct 3 (Tue) - Nashville TN@City Winery
Oct 4 (Wed) - Nashville TN@City Winery
Oct 6 (Fri) - Jackson MS@Martin's
Oct 7 (Sat) - Helena AR@King Biscuit Blues Festival
Oct 12 (Thur) - Biloxi MS@Hard Rock Live
Oct 13 (Fri) - New Orleans LA@Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival
Oct 19 (Thur) - Dallas TX@Longhorn Ballroom
Oct 21 (Sat) - Ruston LA@Dixie Center For The Arts

Did we mention your favorite “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”? If not, let us know. Don’t forget to send us your bride photos too!

(Images courtesy of Doug Deutsch Publicity Services, Rock n Roll Bride and/or original owners)