Clavius Productions presents a night of acoustic guitar and banjo exploration in the spirit of Takoma and Vanguard Records. This is also my last night in DC before I become a full-fledged Philly resident, so even though there will be great shows in the coming months (20 Buck Spin festival, DMBQ, Homosexuals, Han Bennink), don't expect too much promo spam from me. Check the Velvet Lounge website for information, as we have no plans to discontinue booking some of the most challenging and exciting music in the world. And thanks to all who have supported fringe live music in the past five years...all of this work has been for you:
Tuesday, October 7
Velvet Lounge
915 U St NW WDC
http://www.velvetloungedc.com 202-462-3213
$8, doors at 9pm, 18+
George Stavis (legendary avant-banjoist on Vanguard)
Cian Nugent (from Ireland, Tomkins Square)
Ben Reynolds (from Scotland, Strange Attractors/Tomkins Square)
George Stavis: A shadowy figure from decades past, seemingly undiminished by time and ripe for re-discovery, is the mysterious banjo picker, George Stavis. He recorded one album for Vanguard in 1969, Labyrinths, subtitled Occult Improvisational Compositions for 5-string banjo and percussion. This LP is the oddest and best banjo album of the period, only rivaled perhaps by fellow 5-stringer Billy Faier's 1973 Takoma album. Good luck finding an LP copy of either; however, Labyrinths is available on CD. Stavis is pictured on the cover wearing a medieval robe and holding a glowing crystal ball. The record is a wonderful devil's brew of ethnic, old-timey and psychedelics. He returns to the stage for the first time in decades.
Cian Nugent: 19 years old, from Ireland. His debut EP is a CDR (ltd. ed. of 100) with six tracks recorded on a '70s reel-to-reel machine, and the crude nature of it harks back to those early recordings of Davey Graham at Hull University. It even includes a re-working of Buell Kazee's "Wagoner's Lad", famously covered by Bert Jansch. His debut for Tompkins Square is set for the first half of '09.
Ben Reynolds: From Scotland. "Here Toucheth Blues", a highlight of 'Imaginational Anthem vol 3', is lilting and elegiac, a bit surprising as his fans are likely more familiar with his angular, raga-charged works. Ben is building a fantastic catalogue of solo recordings (and a multitude of side projects and collaborations), most recently Two Wings on the Strange Attractors label. His Tompkins Square debut surfaces in early '09.
www.benreynolds.net
