LONSTAR - NEWS
NOVEMBER FULL OF COUNTRY AGAIN 03.12.2009
As it turns out, November gloom doesn’t discourage the promoters from putting together country events in various corners of Europe.
To Lonstar, the beginning of November traditionally means his access at the Country Music Messe in Nuremburg, which has already become a fixed date in German country music calendar and developed its own, unique character and climate. Contrary to its bigger and older counterpart held annually in Berlin, where they host much more artists and exhibitors and where the rigid timetable is packed with more concerts and attractions, the Nuremburg fair is more of a roundup of country pickers, friends and fans who take the opportunity to sum up the summertime artistic season and to share their common passion. The Nuremburg formula is more open and laidback which allows the artists a wider and more relaxed presentation of their music. It catalyzes numerous improptu collaborations, both planned and spontaneously improvised. It also provides an invaluable forum for exchange of artistic experiences, inspirations and contacts.
Nuremburg fair has spawned the tradition of late night jam sessions past the official closing time. This year, however, the restaurant room in the basement of Meistersingerhalle hosted the gathering of a little more than just the artists alone. The rumor about the planned jam session had spread around in a flash and the room was packed beyond capacity with a crowd of fans hungry for the raw, unleashed country. As one of extatic fans put it, (quote), “Well, this is exactly what I’ve come here for!”
Lonstar took advantage of this year’s CMM to the limit: one solo recital within the songwriters’ showcase at the “Bluebird Cafe”, one concert consisting of the songs from his album "What's This Country Thing" at the “Countrymusic24” stage, as part of the roster of his mother label, Amazing Records, and next - access at the aforementioned Saturday night jam session and at the “Country All-Stars Show” put together by a honky-tonker friend, Barry P. Foley, alongside the latter plus Marty Wolfe and Pits Lentz of the Texas Heat and Michelle Conner and Andrea Groessl of the American band, Far From Home.
If you want to taste the feel of that spontaneous, energetic gig, see the link in the "video" section.
The final accent was Lonstar’s appearance in the cast of the “CMM Closing Session” – a Grande Finale which traditionally wraps up every Country Music Messe.
Below – the CMM in pictures.
Next musical event in November which showcased Lonstar was “Vilnius Bluegrass” in Lithuania, held at the Vilnius’s grandiose Town Hall. Lonstar – invited by his friend, Lithuanian virtuoso fiddler, Algirdas Klova – appeared with an alternative acoustic lineup, Lonstar Bluegrass Trio, which comprised master mandolin player Janusz Tytman and Lonstar Band’s bassist, Jerzy Stelmaszczuk.
Once more the Lithuanians confirmed their organizational perfection, cordiality and warmth. They also proved that a great festival could be done with a little money. All it took was to put a heart, passion and musical soul into it. Which is exactly what our Vilnius host, Algirdas did.
Mr. Klova - apart from being festival’s musical director - joined Lonstar on stage as a guest musician. They played country standards and Lonstar’s own songs re-arranged bluegrass style. Intelligent, country-aware audience appreciated Lonstar’s warm, intimate contact and vividly reacted to the interplay of mandolin, fiddle and harmonica licks in “High Noon Train”, Battle of New Orleans” and “Muleskinner Blues”, played at the breakneck speed by Tytman, Klova and Lonstar, respectively. The critical feedback after their concert was excellent.
Friday night was crowned with the jam session at the nearby stylish “BoBo” club, where the company of “friends in low places” comprised Lonstar and his buddies, England’s own “New Essex Bluegrass Band”, Marija Asmonaityte and her close harmony singers of the Algirdas Klova Studio and – how else – Master Klova with his musicians. Festival’s headliner, American bluegrass star, Peter Rowan, dropped in for a brief moment but, regretfully, he wouldn’t join in.
See more at Vilnius Bluegrass website. And now – enjoy the photo relay from the appearance of the Lonstar Bluegrass Trio at that event.
But the busy November was hardly ended yet. At the turn of December Lonstar (also traditionally, for the 17th time in a row) performed his multiple duties of one of the key figures at the International Festival of The Art of Cinematography “Plus Camerimage”, as a translator, Master of Ceremonies and an all-round colorful entertainer.
Lonstar’s plans for December comprise his acoustic solo gig at Warsaw’s “Lolek” pub, appearance at the annual pre-Christmas meeting of country fans at the “Alamo” club and next – a trip to Kosice, Slovakia, where he will sing at the all-star “Peter Dula Tribute Concert”, dedicated to recently deceased friend, Slovakian country artist, Peter Dula. For details of this significant artistic event go to the website of the band, THE ROWERS whos leader was recently Peter Dula.
See you at the concerts!
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