Chris Heim’s Music Roundup 11.7.11

Click Image to Enlarge

The full list of regional concert dates from over 100 regional venues can be found in the Comprehensive Concert Listings.

Wichita and regional picks, benefits, series shows and more in this week’s music roundup. Oh, yes, and one of the great gospel groups of all time.

WICHITA PICK OF THE WEEK

Wednesday the Blind Boys of Alabama with Sara and Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek perform at the Orpheum Theater.  The Blind Boys are one of the legendary groups in gospel music, originally formed at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in 1939, in an era of influential a cappella gospel groups including the Fairfield Four, Dixie Hummingbirds, Swan Silvertones and the sublime Golden Gate Quartet.  They first began recording in 1949 and have released albums in every decade since. They began to reach a wider audience with an appearance in the award-winning musical The Gospel at Colonus. From there, their fame continued to grow with appearances and music in films and television, a string of Grammys, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and induction into the Gospel Hall of Fame. More recent projects have found them exploring new sounds and collaborations, including on the new country-gospel release, Take the High Road. Founding member Jimmy Carter still leads the group (and another original member, Clarence Fountain, still works with them as his health permits) and their live performances are, in many senses of the term, a religious experience. (The Blind Boys also have a date Saturday at the Midland Theater in Kansas City.)

Blind Boys of Alabama with Tom Waits’ “Way Down in the Hole”:

ALSO THIS WEEK IN WICHITA

Friday American and French bluesgrass players Phil Lancaster and Philippe Charlot perform in a College Hill House Concert. For more information: barneybyardpromotions.com

SOMEWHERE

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will perform in a benefit for the Bartlett Arboretum on Sunday. The location, however, depends on the weather. A nice day brings an outdoor concert at the Arb in Belle Plaine; inclement weather moves the show to the Orpheum. They also have a date Saturday at the McPherson Opera House.

Nitty Gritty with Johnny Cash, Roy Acuff, Earl Scruggs, Randy Skaggs, Levon Helm, Emmylou Harris and more with “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”:

REGIONAL PICK OF THE WEEK

Former Fleetwood Mac member and pop songwriting whiz Lindsey Buckingham has been getting solid reviews for his current tour, mixing music from a new solo release, Seeds We Sow, with Mac favorites. He’s at the Stiefel Theatre in Salina Saturday.

Live version of the title track of Buckingham’s new release, Seeds We Sow:

OTHER REGIONAL DATES

If you missed bluesy and swinging KC Hammond B3 player Everette DeVan here in town, he’s at the Blue Room in Kansas City Monday.

Bluesman Damon Fowler has shows Tuesday at Knuckleheads Saloon in Kansas City and Wednesday at Uncle Bo’s in Topeka.

Wednesday is the first of several regional shows with Bob’s son Jakob Dylan. He plays the First Council Casino in Newkirk, then the Lucky Star Casino in Concho Saturday,  and the Midland Theater in Kansas City Sunday.

Friday ‘70s country rock favorites, the Amazing Rhythm Aces (“Third Rate Romance,” “Never Been to the Islands,” “Ashes of Love”) begin the first of two nights at Knuckleheads Saloon. Also Friday Lucinda Williams is at Liberty Hall in Lawrence and there’s a first-rate singer-songwriter double bill at the Folly Theater in Kansas City with Iris Dement and Greg Brown.

Iris Dement with “Let the Mystery Be”:

Saturday it’s a world beat double bill of Toubab Krewe and Euforquestra at the Bottleneck in Lawrence. Also that night alt-country favorites (and recent Strange Currency featured artists), the Jayhawks, play the Beaumont Club in Kansas City and drummer Max Weinberg (E Street Band, Sting, Conan O’Brien house band) brings his Experience to the Carlsen Center in Overland Park for his Basie to Beatles to Boss tribute to great big bands.

Finally on Sunday two regional concert series have shows. The Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts Series hosts the acclaimed classical ensemble, the St. Petersburg Quartet, at Memorial Hall of Bethel College in North Newton, and the Topeka Jazz Workshop’s next show features trombonist John Fedchock and clarinetist Ken Peplowski (with drummer Todd Strait, bassist Bob Bowman and pianist Joe Cartwright) at the Downtown Ramada in Topeka.

Ken Peplowski (with guitarist Frank Vignola) with “Tiger Rag”:

Details on these shows and the full list of local and regional concerts from over 100 regional venues can be found in the Comprehensive Concert Listings.