Pat Malone at The Bishop's Lodge

While photographing a wedding last weekend at The Bishop's Lodge, I had a chance to dig Pat Malone's jazz duo playing in the main lobby. Pat and bassist John Blackburnet fielded my request for "Green Dolphin Street" with one of the grooviest arrangements of the venerable jazz standard ever... these guys are cool.

Pat Malone perfoms Thursdays and Saturdays at La Posada, Sundays at La Fonda, and Fridays at The Bishop's Lodge. Call (505) 983-6377 for more info and for more about Pat, visit his website at patmalonemusic.com.

Butch Crouch CD On Sale

Butch's long awaited CD I Got So Close is finally here. You can pick up your autographed copy on Sunday nights at El Farol on Canyon Road. For more info click HERE to visit Butch's myspace.com page.

It ain't a perfect world folks but you'll feel better about it after you listen to Butch sing about it all with compassion and humor. After all these years and all the things life has thrown his way Butch still has that magic sparkle in his eye and his gravelly whiskey baritone just gets more soulful with every passing season. Go have a couple of beers and listen to Butch. I bet before long you'll be smilling through the tears.

Busy McCarroll at Gig Performance Space

Santa Fe music scene mainstays Busy McCarroll, Kevin Zoernig, Justin Branford and Joel Fadness will appear Saturday, March 24 at Gig performance space at 1808 Second Street in Santa Fe. The show begins at 8pm and seats can be had for a modest $10-$15 donation at the door. It's an intimate venue and there isn't a bad seat anywhere in the house. For more info visit www.gigsantafe.com.

Chuscales releases new CD

Chuscales is a soft-spoken man with a kind, gentle manner about him... until he picks up his guitar... then his guitar speaks. It sings, shouts, whispers and cries with passion, fury, tenderness, melancholy, mischief, loneliness...

Chuscales' guitar has loved and lost, it has tossed and turned in an empty bed, it has gone hungry without food, and stayed out all night drinking... it has tiptoed barefoot up the stairs at the break of dawn and laid down in it's case without waking a soul.

You can hear Chuscales on Friday and Saturday from 5-7pm in the lobby bar of Santa Fe's legendary La Fonda hotel. Be sure to pick up a copy of his new CD, Guitara Flamenca. You won't be disappointed. Chuscales in concert more than lives up to his reputation as a master of the Spanish and Gypsy guitar.

My only complaint about his CD is that it should be one of ten... instead of the only available recording.

Pete Springer & Whatsisname at the Tin Star Saloon

Last night I dropped by the Tin Star to catch Pete Springer with drummer par excellence Andy Pimm. In my last write up of the band I failed to mention that Pete Springer trades off on lead vocal and harmony vocal with his partner... whatisname... er... uh... Don Curry.

Seriously, this band is driven by it's tight vocal harmonies and strong instrumental backing. Curry and Springer do an admirable job of harmonizing on a wide variety of material. Last night I was fortunate to catch them performing a standout version of the the old Randy Newman song You Can Leave Your Hat On.

There is one thing lacking however, and that is a CD that you can purchase and take home to Cleveland. How about a Live at the Tin Star recording? What about it guys?

I've been searching for the dolphins in the sea and sometimes I wonder do you ever think of me?

Something about a snowy winter in Santa Fe that can have you waking up with Fred Neil on your mind. For those of you who are also dreaming of palm trees, golden days, and purple nights here are some Fred Neil links.

www.furious.com/Perfect/folkniks.html

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAmZF79wvu8

www.richieunterberger.com/neil.html

www.home.zonnet.nl/jim2873/fredneil/hitparader.html

www.fredneil.com/

www.home.zonnet.nl/jim2873/fredneil/rushevans.html

Butch Crouch at El Farol

Butch Crouch is much more than a singer of folksongs. He is a troubador in the tradition of Woody Guthrie, Cisco Houston, Hoyt Axton, and Ramblin' Jack Elliott. Butch has lived the songs he sings and he brings them alive on stage where performs them with authority and sensitivity. Butch is a skilled raconteur and you might find yourself so caught up in one of his humorous, rambling tales that you almost forget that he's a damn good guitar player and singer. A man of many talents, he's also an accomplished songwriter who, after a lifetime spent entertaining live audiences, has finally put some of his own songs on a CD which is planned for release this Spring (2007).

You can catch Butch every Sunday night at El Farol at 808 Canyon Road beginning at 8:00pm. El Farol is one of Santa Fe's oldest cantinas and restaurants and is now smoke-free throughout the establishment.