ARL Roots Review 69

Hint... Not just for musicians anymore!

Actually, it never was but truth be known, there have been more music makers than music fans at American Roots Live with Nasty Ned lately as word spreads within the musician's community that ARL is the place to be if you're a musician who wants to have fun playing with other musicians (not that that's a bad thing, but duh... there are deserving music fans out there missing some seriously over the top sound and performance - if you know them, please notify them.)

Because when top notch musicians get together with other top notch musicians, well... it's where you want to be if you are a music fan - then, when you consider the good food and drink at Orphan Annie's and the cool music prizes we give away on stage and... well... there is no other show like it anywhere!

Here, The Congregation filled our room with a higher power of sound Sunday night at ARL 68. You wanna talk about fun - OMG! A music fan's prayers answered.




Then, Thursday we picked up right where we left off the previous week with American Roots Live 69 as Carlo Trentacosta did his Blind Willie Johnson slide thing - and we all came together again in the name of music at Orphan Annie's.



Groove bassist extraodinare, Todd Lanka had more than just fun on his mind when he showed up Thursday night carrying a guitar. Wanting to air it out on the six strings - he then eyed Bertha laying across the floor.






So he put down his guitar, picked up Bertha and slapped her around for awhile as I blew harp and Bradfield plunked Stumpy...

No. No big women were hurt in the celebration of roots music this night - Bertha is JR Bradfield's upright acoustic bass and Stumpy is the guitar he built using a banjo ring, dobro resonator, a few wires, some snakeskin and a hunk of tree stump from his back yard. (JR and Todd pictured below with Stumpy and Bertha.)



















Then, Sunday night's ARL 69 was down right dilly-icious as Basking Ridge, NJ's Frank, Neil and Amanda showed up to perform their newly formed trio called Dilly. Brightly twanging acoustic guitars and Amanda's soaring voice kept a good sized crowd satisfied.


We hope Dilly comes back soon as I forgot to have them autograph the ARL All Stars signature guitar - which will be raffled-off at the end of the summer.

Raffle tickets are going fast for the September drawing, so please don't say I didn't warn you. If you want to win that autographed guitar, come and get your $3 raffle tickets before they're all gone. You don't have to be present to win and you can buy as many tickets as you like before the roll runs out - only what's left of this first role of tickets will be sold.

American Roots Live 69's playlist read: Bones Sanford, Ed Pampani, Len DePiano, Robert Zee, Carlo Trentacosta, Mimi Nowak, Keith Autocuna, Lisa Batruch, Jerry Fabris, Garry Hodgson, Peter Maillis, Amy Franza, Ron Seiberg, Todd Lanka, Paul Obremski, Ed Avilia, Bob Del Rosso, JR Bradfield, Phil Leibergal, Jamo Flynn, Dilly, Joe Salerno, Gene Goodman, Chaz, Mike Carroll, Doug Deittmann and young Joe the singing bartender.








Me and JR Bradfield would like to thank everyone who make this celebration of roots music possible: Orphan Annie's, Rick, Karin, Frank & Annie, BluezKid, Win and Ed Pampani for the photos, John Powers, Stevie and, well... you. Thanks.


Hope we see you again soon and if you know any music fans - do them a favor - bring 'em.

Keeping it real,

Ned