Black Swamp Arts Festival is at hand, and as usual it promises so much art to look at, and so much music
to listen to.
Usually when people ask me what I’m most anticipating I hedge – several acts pop to mind. How could I
select one from what Kelly Wicks annually declares as “the best show ever.”
For the 2009 edition though I have an unequivocal answer – Parno Graszt. This Gypsy band from the village
of Paszab in eastern Hungary’s Northern Great Plain is not so much a musical ensemble as an extension of
their
community. So many performers, including many who grace the festival’s stages, draw inspiration from
Gypsy music – guitarist John Jorgenson, who plays the last set of the festival, is a disciple of Gypsy
jazz icon Django Reinhardt. While so many will say they have roots in Gypsy music, Parno Graszt is the
roots, the authentic expression of the joys and sorrows of their people.
Their music is full of keening laments and romps played as fast as humanly possible. Their exuberance
can’t be contained in just words and music, they dance and well. They can’t be contained on one stage,
either. Saturday they will play the Main, Acoustic and Family stages.
Parno Graszt is dash of the latest act brought to the festival through the good offices of Ben Yonas, of
Yonas Media. Starting in 2007, he’s been helping to add an Eastern European seasoning to the festival
and to the BG musical scene. One of the favorites, Little Cow, who played last year’s event and then did
a reprise engagement in front of a packed house at Grounds for Thought last fall, is back with its
tantalizing mix of quirky pop, art rock and Hungarian folk. It even has some Gypsy in its soul. In fact,
the Little Cow band members are the ones who recommended Parno Graszt to Yonas. They’ll also play three
stages Saturday, starting with the early show at 11 a.m. on the Main Stage.
Friday Night will demonstrate the variety of the blues starting with the rock edge of the Kinsey
Brothers, from Gary, Ind. Next will be Ruthie Foster. Though they are quite different in style, I expect
Foster will have the same impact Shemekia Copland had at last year’s festival. Foster blends her early
gospel experience into everything she does.
Closing the show will be John Nemeth, who in August gave a preview of his powerful soul song chops. His
take on the blues is heavily indebted to early rock and rhythm and blues, with just a touch of country.
Another big soulful voice belongs to Curtis Salgado who sings at 6:20 p.m. Saturday.
After Salgado, it will be time to rock with the aptly named Lee Rocker, pounding out his own
rockabilly-inspired hard driving blues. The closer is Cowboy Mouth. Don’t let the band’s beat detract
from its clever, off-beat lyrics.
I remember when Sunday was kind of a slow day on the Main Stage. No longer. Great guitarists take the
fore. Noon seems a mite early to rock out, but that’s when Black Flag founder Greg Glinn will play,
pushing the sonic limits of alt-rock. Glinn also headlines the electronic stage on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Andrew “Jr. Boy” Jones’s colors his sound with tones as smooth as polished stones delivered with
sling-shot power.
And then the afore-mentioned Jorgenson promises to bring the show to a swinging close.
