What fires the rockabilly filly? tête-a-tête with Rosie Flores The dynamic Texan Rosie Flores played two songs live in a special extended hour-long ‘Wordy-Gurdy’ segment.
We also reviewed the orgy of steel guitars that ensued in the Legends of Steel gig, Saturday 19 March, as part of the Brunswick Music Fest.
It was an orgy of octaves when four steel guitarists took to the stage at the East Brunswick Hotel. The night kicked off with young multiinstrumental Chris Altmann on pedal steel in a rich and warm set channelling Parsons–Byrds–Young 1970s, with an uncannily Gram vocal by acoustic guitarist Dave Ong (Joni Lightning; also engineered Altmann’s album Que Paso) with Fee Brown doing Emmylou and the small combo completed by Tommy X (bass) and Dave Rose (drums). After the likes of ‘Streets of Baltimore’ and ‘You ain’t goin’ nowhere’ and the classic Santo & Johnny’s ‘Sleepwalk’, the audience was so mellow as to be yellow. Look out for Chris Altmann’s April Tuesdays solo gigs at Labour in Vain – one gig will see the reunion of this outfit and it’s highly recommended.
The curtains closed and charming host Andy Baylor – who was there to keep those steel players from fretting – continued the hoopla as the drapes drew back to reveal Ed Bates, Rick Dempster and Garrett Costigan arrayed across the stage, with Baylor playing bandleader to the hot little backing combo of Sam Leman (guitar), Andy Scott (bass) and Sharky Ramos (drums) as well as playing rhythm guitar or fiddle.
The first two numbers saw steel surfeit with everyone on stage for ‘Steel guitar rag’ and ‘Blues stay away from me’.
Rick Dempster took the stage with his Dobro-National lap steel and later twin-neck Fender for early hapa-haole Hawaiian marches and blues ranging from ‘Twilight blues’ to ‘La Rosita’ with Leman showing off his ukulele prowess, recently enhanced with some lessons in Hawai'i. Dempster’s been honing his skills since learning lap steel from Oz greats Les Adams and Jim Jensen. Along with Baylor, he formed the Dancehall Racketeers in 1981 and also played steel in Tom Forsell's Moonee Valley Drifters in the ’90s.
Ed Bates took us into the later half of last century from the Speedy West–Jimmy Bryant era, such as ‘Jammin’ with Jimmy’. Bates’s played/recorded pedal steel with the Crummy Cowboys, Joe Camilleri, Mark Seymour, Dan Warner, Michelle Nicolle and Maurice Frawley.
Garrett Costigan blasted the evening into psychedelic ’90s mode with some classic E9th pedal steel and guests Steve Hoy and Michelle Lang. David Lindley–influenced Costigan has played/recorded with Lisa Miller, Don Walker, Cyndi Boste, Stephen Cummings, Black Sorrows etc.
We were finally sated with steel after the grand finale ‘Hard time blues’. And the winning aloha shirt? Prize goes to Ed Bates, with a red-and-white-embroidered hula dancers on black.
And so to the brilliant Rosie Flores, award-winning singer, songwriter and guitarist. The most generous of performers, she gave us two songs live with guitar, and spoke of her life in Texas (there's even her own Rosie Flores Day!), as well as being the first Latina country artist, and refusing to be pinned down into categories. Try these for influences: for guitar, somewhere between Jeff Beck and Albert Lee; for songwriting, somewhere between Merle Haggard and Bob Dylan; and for singing, somewhere between Ella Fitzgerald and Tammy Wynette.
Listen to the interview here.
Songs
‘Chitlin con carne’, Andy Baylor, Hometown stomp (indie)
‘Steppin’ out’, Moonee Valley Drifters, Moonee Valley Drifters (Larrikin)
‘Coconut Island’, Junior Brown, 12 Shades of Brown (Demon Records)
‘Wheels of fortune’, Flatlanders, Wheels of fortune (New West)
‘Get Rhythm’, Rosie Flores, Girl of the century (Bloodshot)
‘This cat’s in the doghouse’, Rosie Flores, Girl of the century (Bloodshot)
Rosie Flores live, guitar and vocals:
‘Boxcars’ (Butch Hancock)
‘This little girl’s gone rockin’’ (Mann Curtis, Bobby Darin)
Next show 9:30–10am Wednesday, 20 April
