Is it Good?

I got this crazy idea in my head that I wanted to check out every single band in my city, one per week. I have no idea why I gave myself a routine since I get bored with them so easily, but I opened up the paper and got started. This is what I've found.

[heatherkropf-blog]

Happy New Year!

This year I am dedicating my blog to exploring the edges of the music scene in my city, in this case the edge that is women in music. I feel like it deserves a spotlight and I certainly need to educate myself. 

I’ll re-post my “is it good?” definition as my blog description soon, rather than the 1 band per week, and get started on the adventure! 

Up this week  |  I plan to check out open stages and just see what turns up in the motley mix. 

[heatherkropf-blog]

Merry Christmas! This is the closest thing I've got to a new Christmas song. I've been confronting some stuff with this latest hit to my head (concussions have kept me from doing much posting to this blog for the past year or so) and it seems fitting to post. Darkness and confusion own you as long as you let it. Hold the the light and space no matter what. Make friends with all of it. Let it flow. It'll get better.

Meanwhile, I did have a pretty good year exploring music! Here’s my recap of personal moments. Hope to post more regularly in 2016.

14 MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS of 2015

In some ways 2015 has been a year outside of time for me, suspended in an unreality of transitions and the long unwinding. Music as usual has been the thing that keeps me Here, and thank god for that.

Throughout the year I've been noticing myself gravitate towards moments. It’s not really important to be good for good’s sake, is it? What’s important is can you be good enough to transcend yourself and connect with the moment? It’s a practice, not a goal you can check off your list, and reminds me of that Sufi saying about how you don’t find it by seeking but only the seeker’s will find.

Sometimes I lucked out.

1. Blink at James Street - Jeff Berman's quartet one night months ago just dialed it in and I think everyone knew it. It was pretty magical.

2. Lera Lynn at Club Cafe - her bridges and turnarounds back into the songs had me slack-jawed.

3. Silk Sound at Bellefield Hall - Chris Parker's guitar intro into a song early in the set was heartbreakingly beautiful, assured, so exquisite.

4. Kate Tempest at Brillobox (with Christiane D opening) - Fierce and gorgeous and intense and human and holy heck. The Beigeness!

5. Lizz Wright at Highline Ballroom - 4 women's voices in harmony singing pop/neo-soul and gospel, and it doesn't get much better than that.

6. Daryl Fleming at Pittsburgh Hospitality House Concert - the world does not hear enough of Daryl Fleming. He's one of our planet's many hidden gems.

7. Speaking of PHH Concerts I must also add Jesse Prentiss - comparisons are kind of dumb and yet listening to his set was as satisfying as listening to Jeff Buckley, Fred Astaire, and Tom Waits. Like all of them, in ONE PERSON.

8. Brian Blade at Joe's Pub - who has a few new songs that, months later, still linger like a good dream I can't quite remember. Please release your new album soon so I can hear them again!

9. Matthew Tembo at Mansions on Fifth - Matthew's music with his trio, featuring Colter Harper on multiple instruments and loops, is pure audible joy.

10. Maureen Budway at the New Hazlett Theater - at the WQED Live from Studio A Christmas show they played a clip of one of Maureen's performances and I was in tears like I had just learned the news she had died. May her album win a Grammy and the whole nation know her lovely voice.

11. Daniel Marcus at Andy's - every time we played my song "Got to Go" he said it in a way that just cracked me up. Playing with Dan is always a good time. Got ta GO!

12. "Lights are Kennywood" at Club Cafe - I got a taste with the whole band on this song. It'll be one of those tunes that I probably don't play live that much but holy heck I can't wait to record it. C a n n o t wait.

13. Chris Parker's, with Jeff Berman, arrangement of my tune "Rain Quilt" at Rockwood Music Hall - it's just so damn right on

14. "Out of Our Atmosphere" with Bruce Lebovitz at Club Cafe - electric violin and Rhodes duo as a pop song? Yes please. That was fun.

Anyhow. That's my list. Thank you one and all for the music and the moments. Keep doing what you do!

[heatherkropf-blog]

Week of August 26, 2014

This was a showcase of women artists curated by a music fan.

Interspersed throughout the night was spoken word by Joanna Lowe. Most of her material is ernest and profound and often goes to the edge of tears. If you don’t allow her to take you there it can feel heavy. But if you suspend disbelief and follow her into her world, it is raw and crafted and takes you somewhere. Her intensity paired well with the intensity of the other artists.

Crystal Morgan has a lovely voice, clearly trained. She had some really interesting musical moments, all weakened by her choice of instrument to accompany her. I’d go for a full-sized acoustic guitar to suit her voice. I’d also be a fan of electric.

Morgan Erina was in the finest form I have ever seen. She reminds me of Sinead O’Connor and PJ Harvey. Usually there is something so ethereal about her music and voice that I imagine her evaporating into the ether. Not at this show. She was fiercely grounded, like granite, but with reckless alt rock edges. Like a steel weapon. I’ve always liked her but at this show I felt like she transcended to that rarified space— the league of great national artists. No joke. And I’m a real fan now.

Jasmine Tate has been getting tons of buzz; I’m glad I finally saw her live. She’s got extraverted rockstar charm, playing groove-based songs with lyrics that go from rap to bluesy/rock sung choruses.

I would definitely lose the cello and the idea of noodling, and play up the bass/drums backing her. Because her song don’t “go anywhere” in the sense that verse and chorus are over the same chords with few, if any, bridges, the foundation has to effing swing as hard as she does.

I had to leave before hearing her whole set but I’d like to hear more, and especially hear her develop a less jam-band sound. Add some real riffs and some arranged shapes, keep it tight, because she’s totally got it.

Is it good? Yup. I heard some new artists and became bigger fans of old ones. Yet another showcase night to display how my city is rich with young and developing talent.

[heatherkropf-blog]

Sometime in August Yes indeed, more Space Exchange from Thunderbird Cafe. It was a refreshingly new combination: Soy Sos and Erik Lawrence. The crowd was light and I was warding off a head cold but the music was interesting. One could hear them feeling out the relationship...and I felt it was most strong when Soy Sos moved away from responding to Erik's playing and into his own textural context and beats. The beats were key. I had to head out early due to my head but I felt I got a good sense of the edges of where they would go before I left. Is it good? Mostly. As are many early iterations and partnerships it felt too new to really fly, but there was potential and interest.

[heatherkropf-blog]

Week of August 8, 2014 Well, this is not my city although it's one of my favourites. I visited NYC to see a friend play Rockwood 1. This is Brooklyn's Daryl Shawn and LA's Pi Jacobs. And it was thoroughly enjoyable despite the glass of wine that nearly cost as much as a bottle. Good.

[heatherkropf-blog]

Sometime in July Whoever this is keep an eye out for her. Saw her at an open stage. A real talent (but I didn't catch her name)

[heatherkropf-blog]

Week of July 20, 2014

This week started with Lake Street Dive at Hartwood Acres. All I can say is that I get it now.

This band has worked my city for a few years and developed a feverish following. On YouTube I couldn’t figure out the appeal but live is different. They have that secret extra something that makes you happy to be there and makes you want to cheer them on.

I didn’t always care for the retro throw-back vibe — I didn’t always care for that vibe the first time around — but the musicianship and excellent harmonies were a treat….so creative and so polished.

I probably wouldn’t buy their records because I can’t imagine all that translating to tape but I would see them live again, in a heartbeat.

Yup, good.

[heatherkropf-blog]

Week of July 12

Ok I apologize for the bad photography. These are pics from the 2nd Annual Deutchtown Music Festval. I went to 3 venues (instead of 1 last year) and saw a larger variety of acts. A few on my list included Grand Piano and Andre Costello & The Cool Minors. But I also caught Nameless in August, Route 28, Harlan Twins, and D.o.B.

This is a cool festival for bringing together a huge slice of my city’s music community. And I kept running into people who weren’t performing that were a part. What a great gift for everyone. I hope they keep it local and don’t dilute with an urge to pull in National acts.

Nameless in August and Andre Costello were my favorite. I was so glad to catch a few songs from D.o.B. on my way to the car just for the diversity; up until then I was overwhelmed by the lack of it.

I wasn’t terribly blown away by Grand Piano, the band with arguably the biggest buzz, and Route 28 was doing cover tunes and proving themselves to be an adequate bar band and without much new to offer. The Harlan Twins were solid as usual!

Is it good? A resounding yes. The event, in itself, is great! Musically it wasn’t the most amazing thing I’ve seen. Next year I’ll be seeking out women rock bands and the acts who offer all kinds of musical diversity.

[heatherkropf-blog]

Week of July 6, 2014

I had a chance to see Maxwell at Heinz Hall. I couldn’t stay for the whole thing because the house mix was so boomy it flared my brain injury symptoms, but while there I enjoyed a great audience. The music itself left me a little flat — was hoping for better interpretation and less superficial gloss. The mix was super annoying in the house, but he’s a mighty incredible singer and the wardrobe malfunction was pretty amusing.

All in all I’d say I was disappointed. Not so good. His talent wasn’t served by the show and context….for as long as I was able to be there.

[heatherkropf-blog]

Semi-Annual Review

The first half of my year was interrupted by a re-aggravated brain injury and my own CD release, which meant I couldn't get out and about much or be in computer screens to update my blog.

Now that I'm up for live music again I hope to pick up my blog where I left off. In the meantime a very short review of what I've seen and where I've been:

(top photo) Tony Grey and Brett Williams - James Street - This is a reason why jazz works in my city. Here's a venue that enthusiastically supports it and players who bring it when they are on stage and crowds who turn out.

(photo 2) Avi Diamond - CD Release at AVA - AVA used to be located in another neighborhood and joined forces with The Quiet Storm, which also relocated, to form the new AVA. The food is exceptional. I went to see young women musician/songwriters. Opening the night was Velvet Heat, a mighty impressive jazz ensemble fronted by the mighty impressive Arianna Powell. Avi took the stage with a collection of players, most of whom I didn't know, and presented her collection of songs. They weren't really to my taste but I felt she's creative in a Fiona Apple kind of way and young. My city and venues like AVA, owned by Justin Strong, are exactly the kinds of places where young artists can develop and grow. I was glad to support the new venue and a new artist.

(photo 3) Christopher Mark Jones - CD Release "Atlantica" - This man's stage presence and songwriting as just so damn classy. The songs shuffle along with a maturity and grace and his jagged bluesy voice weaves stories and imagery in English and French. The album is super solid. He was joined by his band which includes Vince Camut on pedal steel (in the picture)

(photo 4) Clinton Clegg - Ok, this man's voice and songs are among my favorite that my city has to offer! His performances are mature, funny, soulful, insightful, and a good time. He was joined by some of the players from City Love Story at the AcoustiCafe Open Stage.

(photo 5) The Gathering Field - this is a band that was hot in the 1990s and has reformed with frontman Bill Deasy. They are working on a new album and I wanted to check out a band in the Pittsburgh Winery to see how it sounded. A little scouting. :-) The band sounds solid as usual and packed the house.

(bottom photo) Heather Kropf - CD Release @ Pittsburgh Winery - So the venue was my pick for my release party. What a fun night! Here's the first of what I hope will be a few live videos: http://youtu.be/342g3Rx73x0

[heatherkropf-blog]

For this week’s excursion I had the pleasure of doing an opening set for Matthew Ryan at the Hospitality House Concert series. The house is a large affair powered by solar panels with an urban farm/garden adjacent. One of the owners is a musician so the entire downstairs is littered with instruments, extra beds for traveling artists, and a few stray recording devices. The house concert involves potluck food and home brew and a sliding scale donation for students/artists.

Matthew Ryan apparently has a story of his own but he doesn’t bother too much with that in his songs. He’s too intent on telling the stories of others. Siting admiration for The Clash and Replacements, I could hear the rock n roll in his music and voice even stripped back. And lyrically it was like listening to high art. Not as a direct comparison but I thought of Springsteen and Dylan. Clearly Ryan is a writer first.

My city is lucky to have such an artist recently relocate to our area. The audience hung on every word.

Good? Um, more like great.

[heatherkropf-blog]

Week ? — So good! I checked out the Songwriter Circle hosted by Max Somerville at the Pittsburgh Winery. The guest songwriters were Guy Russo, Arianna Powell, Justin Endler, and Derek Krystek.

Something about the combination of artists headed by an obviously heavy weight host who was generous with his love and respect for everyone set the night up for a really human, authentic musical experience. I swear I teared up more than once.

Highlights were that each artist had at least one hit song or moment, Justin’s arty obscurity (and that Jeff Buckley/Jimmy Somerville voice!!) really offset the loveliness of Russo’s folk writing and Max Somerville’s soulful accessibility. Derek gets props for being the most vulnerable with his between-song banter, and Arianna is why I went. She is a fully formed guitarist at 23 and has incredible stage presence. I was curious about her writing and I wasn’t disappointed. While she’s a young performing singer with tons of room to grow, her songs are as cleanly and fully formed as her playing. They offer a simplicity and emotive rawness that obscures the songs’ intelligent and sophisticated foundations. She uses the rhythm and imagery of words creatively and for maximum emotional impact. Honestly, it was beautiful stuff and I hope to hear more.

From a personal perspective what struck me most was how different this generation of song makers are from mine. Gen Xers (me) and Millennials are really different. And it’s a good difference; I came away feeling like the creative heart of my city is in pretty damn good hands.

So yes, this was a good week.

[heatherkropf-blog]

Week #7: I headed down to Club Cafe to hear Caroline Smith and was happily surprised to hear two opening acts from my city that I’d never heard of before. Lyndsey Smith in the video was the second opener and I loved her voice and song selection. I was really happy to hear an Anita Baker cover, and the original song she did was beautiful. I’ll have to be sure to catch her with her band Lyndsey Smith & Soul Distrubution.

Major props to her for getting up there in heels and singing while far along in a pregnancy!

[heatherkropf-blog]

Week #6: this week held 2 brand new things for me (new ensemble, new venue) and one brand new thing for my city. Silk Sound a 6-piece Asian-American jazz band, performed their debut (and as of now, only) concert at Bellefield Hall. They played seven pieces, traditional melodies and original compositions, weaving Asian sounds with Jazz forms.

I could hear the newness of the group and sense their commitment and investment. The music was better than the room or the mix in the sound system. I had expected - without anticipating - that I might be emotionally undone by the music: Asian music and Jazz are on my list of favorites. If they ever add Persian I might just leave my body.

But I digress. The point is that I did not find it to be spectacular. There were some beautiful tones and moments, some lively conversation, some incredible emotion (Mimi Jong on Erhu can capture more feeling in a single note than I hear nearly ever by anyone in my city) and clear intention and presence by the musicians.

But it felt new and was inadequately mixed for the room. I had to listen past both of those things and couldn’t quite relax. In this way did the concert fall short. I expect it was actually much better than what I heard from where I was sitting.

I would like to hear their 5th or 6th concert in a great space with a great mix.

It’s qualified, but on the whole week 6 was very good.

[heatherkropf-blog]

Week #5: sometimes music is funny, and being good has nothing to do with being good. Dicey Stewart & Paprika LaRue are a comedic lounge act in my city (although they would consider themselves a world-traveled hit). With egos the size of a giant rubber duck and fashion to match, they order their stageboy around and reinterpret show tunes and pop songs (Nirvana, Pink Floyd, Moody Blues) to an accompanying pianist.

Their shows indicate a dedication to humor, craft, and detail. There is some inconsistency as to the success of each number, but there are usually a handful that are so brilliantly hilarious that it makes the show worth it. They pack the house every time, which is a testament to the the value of laughter and entertainment with a capital E.

This act may not tickle everyone’s funny bone, but for those who’s it does it’s an annual spectacle worth attending.

Not good, but so good.

[heatherkropf-blog]

Week #4 - A songwriter circle at Pittsburgh Winery with host Morgan Erina, Chet Vincent, Judith Avers and Kevin Garrett (in video).

I finally made it to the Winery after seeing a solid line-up of artists advertised for a few months. I thought I'd check out the Valentine's Day show.

The space has a really nice feel tucked away in the basement with strong reds and stringed lights. I felt as if I were coming to a happening rather than just a show. I helped myself to a glass of their white wine and found a seat.

The line up was a really sweet pairing of ethereal and soulful voices, songs ranging from old-school folk, to contemporary singer-songwriter, to astute rock, to soul. Although the artists rarely jumped in to play on other people's songs like many songwriter circles, they held their own with humorous banter and chemistry in between the tunes.

A snapshot of Kevin Garrett is my video choice. He's from Brooklyn so technically it's not a "band from my town" but his songwriting, playing, and vocals were so damn sic, sick, sique -- aw hell, however you spell it -- that I couldn't resist posting a clip.

On the whole, Week #4 is good. I seem to be on a roll.

[heatherkropf-blog]

Week #3

I took a friend out for his birthday to see Texas Tex, Jim Relja and the regulars at Thunderbird’s Space Exchange this past week. Pete Freeman, pedal steel, called it Outlaw Country, and I have to say there is something about this music that makes sense to me and makes me happy. It’s a fine line though…just a small shift in any direction or derivation from the classics and I lose interest at a soul/gut level. A few songs went there off the Making-Me-Happy wagon, but for the most part it was right in line with what great bar music should be. As one patron told me during the break, “I hear this kind of music and all my troubles melt away.”

There were some volume issues between instruments and some weak links from time to time, but the spirit was strong and apparently the spirits were strong, too, with the lead singer as the night wore on.

A highly enjoyable live music experience. Week 3 is good.