The October. 2004 Bluegrass News Letter Link
BGNEWSLETTER: JESSE McREYNOLDS

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  The Frank Wakefield Band

World Tour 2004

The Frank Wakefield Band in New York City West Village: The Baggot Inn

Listen to this show's first set in mp3 (1)

Listen to this show's first set in mp3 (2)

Listen to this show's first set in mp3 (3)

Listen to this show's first set in mp3 (4)

Includes: The Old Cat Sneezed ( © 2004 Frank Wakefield )
And: Moss Creek ( © 1998 Jim Moss )

* Frank's solo tunes are missing due to a malfunction of the DAT recorder at the show.

> About 90 % of the players can stream or play fast with a little buffering mp3 files, however, 10 % of the players

> must download the entire file first.  If it is taking you 8 mins to begin to play the files then you are downloading the file. 

 

More GO EAST Tour Photos

 

Frank Wakefield Photo by Akira Nagai	Jim Moss Photo by Akira Nagai
Jim Lewin Photo by Akira Nagai	Frank Wakefield Photo by Akira Nagai
left to right: Akira Nagai, Mizuno Hideaki, Frank Wakefield, Kobashi Tsukasa Photo by Akira Nagai	left to right: Jim Moss, Jon Decoste, Frank Wakefield, Dave Lawlyer Photo by Akira Nagai
left to right: Dave Lawlyer, Frank Wakefield Photo by Akira Nagai	left to right: John Spangler, , Frank Wakefield, Dave Lawlyer, Jim Lewin Photo by Akira Nagai

left to right: John Spangler, John Koutsouros, Frank Wakefield, Dave Lawlyer Photo by Akira Nagai

left to right: John Spangler, Frank Wakefield, Dave Lawlyer, Jon Decoste Photo by Akira Nagai

Dim Lights, No smoke, playing Loud, Loud Music

There is no exception in New York bars today. “No Smoking” everywhere and even in the bars
like Baggot Inn.

The Baggot Inn in West Village, NYC looked blurry from outside on a rather warm rainy winter
night of November 20th, but was vibrantly alive and clean from smoking unlike it used to be.

Frank Wakefield, legendary Mandolinist with his 1 mm thick teardrop pick was there to play his
very latest East Coast Tour performance in about ten minutes.

The audience was lively and consisting of all ages and nationality were now ready to listen as they

sat with their drinks.  The PA was being checked carefully, although during his performance

Frank had to ask PA engineer “Is it too loud ??”.  Nevertheless the PA system always worked

perfectly so did the band on the stage.

Among the audiences in the front row of Baggot Inn were a group of Japanese tourists,
including myself, a Wake-freak and fond of East Coast Bluegrass. As a matter of fact I have a
bluegrass band called “ R2” back in Tokyo that plays authentic Bluegrass music once a month
or so in a local venue.

Jim Moss, fiddled his violin with his most excellent bowing to produce crisp and clean driving sound.
He also kept an accurate back up rhythm while Frank played his F5.  For the vocals Jim Moss

sang the part of tenor and high tenor in the band.

Another Jim, Jim Lewin from Santa Cruz, played meticulous flat picking which filled the absence
of 5-string banjo in the band and also provided METRONOME-accurate bass runs on his D28-S.
This covered for the Bass that was also missing that evening.  I recommend you buy his lesson DVD !!

Jim Lewin’s singing somehow reminded me of a young Dave Nelson, who was a key feature of
the then famous "Frank Wakefield and his Good Ole Boys".

Before Act-II started my friend and I requested Frank to play several songs for us.  Although
the songs were originally from Frank’s repertoire he had not sung them for a long time, songs such
as “Dimm Light, Thick Smoke, and Loud Loud Music”.   Frank, having visited Japan to have
a good time in the year 2000, seemed to be so delighted to comply with our request.

After performing the songs and tunes that we requested, Frank’s mandolin students also sat in

and played a few more songs on the stage.  There was also bonus performances by a

Banjo-Mando unit from Ohio.  They were so good.   I paid no extra charge for all those

additional performances.

Frank, thank you for the great live performance.
I can still hear you LOUD and clear, even after I returned home in Japan.

by Akira Nagai

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