I’m working on an interview with Charles, but in the meantime here’s an intro to this extraordinary classical guitarist, performing in March, and (below) almost 25 years ago.
Posts under ‘Independent Music’
Kirsten Thien (Label-Free Friday)
I came across Kirsten Thien’s music thru Twitter, and she sure can sing the blues. She’s got an amazing voice that’s at times powerful, at times intimate…but always full of soul. And as I’m reading more about her for this post, I see that she’s in great company. She just opened for Buddy Guy at the Birchmere last week, and her album features blues guitarist Arthur Neilson, blues harmonica player Billy Gibson, and blues legend Hubert Sumlin (who I just noted was a guest on Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s new album…man that guy is keepin’ busy!).
03 Please Drive (Featuring Hubert Sumlin) by Kirsten Thien
Her new release is Delicious (and that’s the name of it, too–BA DUM BUM!), and it’s streaming on her website. I say go check it out because I’m not sure how much longer it’ll be there. But her music is available at most of the usual places, including her website. Check it out!
Steve Herberman Trio (Label-Free Friday)
Label-Free Friday features independent musicians, and mostly guitar-oriented music. If you want me to consider featuring your stuff, drop me a note at 22frets (at) verizon (dot) net. All styles welcome. Thanks for supporting independent musicians!
I met Steve Herberman at an ice rink of all places, as our kids were both taking hockey lessons. Our boys seemed to be hitting it off on the ice so I wandered over and said hello. Turns out Steve is a great guy and an unbelievable jazz guitarist. Lesson learned: open your mouth, you never know who you’re gonna cross paths with! It doesn’t take long listening to him play to realize that Steve is the real deal, an exceptional talent.
He’s playing as the Steve Herberman Trio with bassist Tom Baldwin and drummer Mark Ferber, and he was kind enough to talk with me about guitar & music for a spell.
Treading Lemmings (Label-Free Friday)
Treading Lemmings
For the inaugural Label-Free Friday, I talked with Ricky from Rockville, Maryland-based Treading Lemmings about the band, guitar, & their new release, Cliff Notes. That’s Ricky on the left, the one with the impressive vert! I really like their sound. I can hear the influences, but the writing & arrangements are fresh and all their own. Quinn has a very cool & distinctive voice. The lyrics range from beautiful (All She Wrote) to fun & silly (Talula Does the Hula), and the melodic & jangly guitars complement each other perfectly (and what’s not to like about a band that has a Strat & Ric combo!). They put on a fun & energetic live show. Check ‘em out.
New Feature: Label-Free Friday
I’m starting a new feature here on 22frets.com called Label-Free Friday, the goal of which is to feature independent musicians and their work. It’s my small way of supporting the independent music community (well that and I tend to buy independent music more and more). Obviously, most of the music I feature here will be of the stringed variety, but I’m not going to put a lot of constraints on this. Truth is, I like a wide variety of music (BOTH kinds…OK, sorry). I do also intend to feature local music quite a bit (that’s the DC area music scene). I have three main reasons for doing this:
- My desire to help spread quality music & contribute to the success of independent artists (among which I count myself)
- My desire to gather and spread helpful tips and advice from and for independent musicians
- Articles like this one