3 posts tagged “norman wright and the travelers”
21 February 2009 - Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Herndon, Virginia
Norman Wright and The Travelers
We finally found the right date to make it out to Herndon to catch the Bluegrass Concert Series at the Holy Cross Lutheran Church, and we couldn't have picked a better selection than this one - Norman Wright and The Travelers constantly provides a "You never know what to expect" kind of evening's top-notch entertainment. Ever-changing, the band line-up for this evening's performance consisted of Norman Wright, Kevin Church (Banjo), Brandon Johnson (Bass), and Darren Beachley (Rhythm guitar and vocals). The real shock was the addition of Darren Beachley, recently departed from Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. Like I said, you never know what to expect from Norman. But concerning the surprise appearance of Darren, the story continues: Darren will soon launch The Legends of the Potomac Band in the coming months, and the band line-up features some of the most recognized talent in Bluegrass music. Will wonders never cease. We'll all watch this development real close. You can get plenty of additional information on Darren's future plans if you google his name.
Norman Wright and Kevin Church have always formed the bedrock of The Travelers with some variations over the years. But the last three times I've seen them perform together I've gotten the additional "Norm and Kevin Show" along with the price of a ticket. It's obvious to all that these two guys are basically good friends who love to play music together and they come equipped with a long history in the Bluegrass business - the ups and downs - struggles to find listeners - and an incredible list of Big Talent that both these guys have played with. It was a heck of a night of great music with Darren Beachley and Brandon Johnson providing superb solo vocal work, and then all four joining in for rich, full, high-harmonizing in the old-fashioned single-mike style. Never a dull moment at a Norman Wright performance - just solid good music served up with a lot of fire and unpretentious emotion.
Norman Wright, 21 February, 2009 ( photo by Ed Henry )
"Coming Soon to a City Near You!"
The yellow sheet of paper with the large font proclaiming the above caught my eye on the CD table in the vestibule of the Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Herndon, Virginia last night. I picked up a copy of the announcement and read on - In amazement! "Darren Beachley and The Legends of the Potomac, featuring Darren Beachley, Mike Auldridge, Tom Gray, Norman Wright, and Mark Delaney - for more information and a schedule of upcoming events, please go to: www.legendsofthepotomac.com "
For any bluegrass fan this kind of news is earth-shaking. I was hooked and wanted to know more. The perky blonde lady behind the table (it happened to be Darren Beachley's better-half Sherri,) saw that look on my face and was kind enough to engage me in an interview/conversation on the evolution of the new group and the group's optimistic future. Sherri introduced me to Darren, who was in preparation to take the stage as part of Norman Wright's "Travelers" group, who appeared last night at Holy Cross Lutheran. I didn't want to bug him at that point - I know what it's like to go in front of an audience 15 minutes before show-time. There are only a few Pantheons in the different genres of the world of music. This particular line-up in the genre of Bluegrass is one of them. I couldn't wait to get home and click on to the new website to see what it offered. The group is obviously off and running with plenty of performance dates into 2009 and 2010 and that must make them feel awfully good at this point. They're going to be busy and I'll have more information in the coming months about local appearances here in the Northern Virginia Area.
Thanks to Sherri and Darren for the picture, and a chance to talk to them about the new venture.
4 October 2008 - Saturday Night
There's a chill in the air. The Old School House in Lucketts opened its 2008/2009 season with Norman Wright and the Travelers and Ken Rickett and Recent Addition. It's fair to say that Norman Wright and his group stole the evening, although Ken and his group also provided some good, solid music. Fiddler and vocalist Warren Blair was the focus of Ken's group, for reasons which will become evident. I had caught Norman's act here last season and to tell you the truth, wasn't very impressed. This time around he came up on the venerable School House stage with a new configuration consisting of Mark Delaney on Banjo, John Miller on guitar, and Brandon Johnson on bass. What can I say? Those who were fortunate enough to catch this evening's performance have scaled Mount Olympus. I think I figured out why I was a little disappointed last season: Norman Wright is carrying around so much talent that he's on a continual quest to go out and recruit the best. He found it Saturday night with his current line-up.
Everything fit. Everything worked, from the basic musicianship to the extraordinary blend of the vocals. Norman's also not afraid or intimidated by those who support the cause. He took a lot of time show-casing Mark Delaney and John Miller. We used to call that smart leadership in the Marine Corps. I think they're both from another planet. More than a few songs, Wright let the audience know, "I'm just going to unleash these guys on you!" What ensued were sessions of note-bending like I'd never heard before in Bluegrass. Miller is a flat-picking force to be reckoned with. I googled Mark Delaney on the usual sites and didn't find much. That's a sad commentary on the state of Bluegrass - Mark Delaney should be on the top of the list of anybody's roster of U.S. Banjo pickers. The amount of sound and force he could muster from a simple 5-stringed instrument was astounding, and even more astounding was Miller's matching of Delaney's playing, note for note. And yet it never slid into a competition or a contest, again owing to Wright's musical leadership. I would be amiss in not mentioning two highlights of the performance and they were the songs "Old Rugged Cross" and "Dark as a Dungeon" which again show-cased the incredible blend of voices and finely crafted instrumentals of all four members.
The audience wouldn't let them get off the stage at closing time. Two standing ovations, two encores. There's an old saying: "Don't leave five minutes before the miracle happens." That old saw seemed to fit the mood last Saturday night at Lucketts. This is as good as it gets - and if you missed it, well, maybe you should just stay at home and be contented with your $4,000 plasma TV. You're missing out on the good things in life, My Friend!
Coming up next: Norman Wright and Fellow musicians join to raise funds for Warren Blair at a full day's musical event in Vienna, Virginia.
Fiddler and Vocalist Warren Blair Needs Your Help . . .
It was announced at the Lucketts School House Show that there would be a special Fundraiser for Warren Blair the following day at the local Moose Lodge in Vienna, Virginia. Norman Wright and Kevin Church would be the headliners along with a whole raft of Virginia and Maryland musicians who have supported each other over the years in the mid-Atlantic country music and bluegrass scene - a rich legacy of talented people who have contributed mightily to keeping this style of music alive and kicking. Blair played his heart out Saturday night with the Recent Addition and apparently he is not well. On top of that he's burdened with the financial problems that accompany this kind of situation. It's a double whammy no one should ever have to face. The call went out, I was intrigued, and decided I could devote a little time and money to the cause. I didn't expect to stay as long as I did.
The deal was contribute $10 and come and listen to some music for as long as you like from 12 noon until 8:00 pm. How could you go wrong with that? I've lived right near the Moose Lodge for 35 years and had never been in it. I never knew the Lodge had a huge entertainment hall attached to it. It's hidden by a lot of trees. I was met at the door by the organizer of the event, Allen Case, and he made me feel at home. Walking into the place was like stepping into some of the places I hung out at in National City near San Diego in the early 60's. I expected at any minute to run into Clint Eastwood and his Orangutan 'Clyde.' Don't get me wrong. I've gone on record as not being particularly thrilled with today's idea of "Country Music.". But what I heard wafting through the rafters was not today's country music. It's been said that real country music should evoke some sense of loss in an individual, and it should also evoke a sense of that loss being replaced with a more pleasant memory. Maybe that's why I keep digging a deeper hole into Bluegrass. Up on the stage were the Hall Brothers and they were really digging deep into some ancient cover songs. I had come to listen to Bluegrass - but these guys were really good.
Soon Norman Wright strolled in and joined up with Kevin Church and his group of friends. Norman said hello to me and I asked him how he could still be on his feet after the 4-hour fire and brimstone performance at Lucketts the previous evening. Always with a smile on his face, Wright just laughed it off. There was a cause to be met and a friend was in trouble. With more mandolin and banjo cases arriving I knew the place would soon get cooking. The group Mill Run was up next and soon all the musicians on hand (including Warren Blair, who was in rare vocal form throughout the afternoon,) were switching off in different combinations until I left at 4:30. Along for the ride were Mark Clifton, Terry Pearson, J.D. Dawson, Lynn Healey, Bob and Billy Sue Goff, Chip Clemmer, Chris Hall, Chick Hall, and a host of other friends of Warren Blair. If I missed anybody, please e-mail me so I can correct the record. The afternoon, all-day event was an amazing array of talent and support for a fellow musician. Thanks for a really great time. If I hear of any more of these events for Warren I'll post notices on this site.
Donations may be sent to:
Warren Blair, 706 Middle River Road, Baltimore, Md. 21220
View My Photos of this Event in the Photo Section
