The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/23825
Local Music Scene Local musician Mike Herman, who is performing Friday in Oneonta, answered a few questions for the O-town Scene. Hurt, Blind Boy Fuller, things like that. There were a lot of great blind players back in the ’30s; they develop such a great sense of hearing. OS: You’re also a music teacher; where do you teach, and what is your approach to teaching? MH: I’ve been teaching in Oneonta for about 20 years. I work at the Music Square in Oneonta, and I do a guitar workshop at SUNY Delhi. I also do a guitar workshop and performance the first Friday of the month at the Kaaterskill House in Stamford. The area I have the most to offer is in finger- style blues. I’ve transcribed more than 100 acoustic blues songs, which are all avail- able on my website (mikehermansolo.com). Students pick the ones they like, then I provide them with a copy of the transcriptions and a CD with me explaining how to play the piece. Contributed Mike Herman’s a man with his heart in the blues. With performances, guitar workshops, teaching lessons and record- ing in the studio, he keeps himself busy on the local music scene. Herman’s third solo CD, titled “A Rain- bow of Blues,” will be released in spring. He’s playing his brand of acoustic roots and country blues at 9:30 p.m. Friday at the Autumn Cafe on Main Street in Oneonta. There is a $5 cover. OTOWN SCENE: You normally play acoustic guitar and sing. Do you ever play electric or with a full band? MIKE HERMAN: I play in a bluegrass band on the side, The Catskill Mountain Boys. We get together in the summer and play some festivals and shows. Other than that, it’s just me playing solo. OS: When you play covers, who do you like to play? MH: Mostly the old-time masters, going back to the ’20s and ’30s. Mississippi John 18 O-Town Scene Jan. 27, 2011 OS: Do you have any upcoming shows aside from your Autumn gig this Friday? MH: I’m playing for the Polar Bear Jump on Feb. 19 at the Elk’s Lodge. I usually play for a few hours when everybody comes back from the jump (at the awards ceremony and dinner in Oneonta). It’s an incredible thing to be a part of; I don’t think there’s a dry eye in the audience when they give out the checks. OS: Got any idols? MH: All my favorite musicians are idols. Back in the ’60s when there was a folk and blues revival, (some of my favorites were) John Hammond, Chris Smither and Paul Jer- emiah. I want to be there when they pass off the torch. Somebody’s got to keep it going. OS: Hit us with a surprising fact. MH: I named my puppy Jeremiah after Paul Jeremiah before a few friends pointed out that she’s actually a girl. I guess when they’re that small, it’s hard to tell. But the name stuck, and now we run about three miles a day together. _ Michelle Pietrafitta Slammin’ Doris and Dirty Paris bring their raw, danceable riffs to packed Black Oak Why does Josh Rosh, the bassist and frontman for Slammin’ Doris, always feel at home onstage in the Black Oak Tavern? To him, there’s just no place that smells like it. And there isn’t any place in Oneonta that exudes the kind of energy that was trapped within the sold-out, fogged-up windows of the Black Oak last Friday night. Slammin’ Doris (Ross – bass and vocals, Michelle Pietrafitta – drums, Kurtis Moffet and Rob Christian – guitars) stomped and shouted through a frenetic set of originals that, though rife with free-spirited jams, often settled into over- driven prog-rock grooves. They set into motion a sense of emotional urgency and harmonic movement that would dominate the night. Ross, who in classic form un- buttoned his pants in response to a joking request that he zip his fly, screamed his vo- Dirty Paris rocks a concert in this contributed photo. cals to the ceiling and drove the band harder than his more psychedelic persona (as a member of the jam band Mother Mcree’s) might have. Although he and his new group were also able to function at lower tempos and volumes, they found their voice in biting, odd-time riffs. If Slammin’ Doris displayed a heavily raw sense of the avant-garde, Dirty Paris (Dmitriy Bolotny – pianos and synths, Chris Duffy – bass, Thomm LaFond – guitar, Franz Celestin – drums) produced one of organic liquidity. Equal parts modal jazz and dance-oriented electronica, the Albany-based quartet has no trouble controlling a packed room with sheer technical ability. Celestin was a short-notice replacement for Rob Morrison, who recently left Dirty Paris to pursue a professional career. He filled in seamlessly and effec- tively, and though his face at times betrayed the fact he had only had several days to practice with the band, his playing generally did not. From the outset, the four voices wove lyrical tapestries of unique texture and complexity. After introducing material featured on the group’s self-titled debut album (released in November 2010), the musicians’ extended flights of impro- visation fed off of the atmosphere of a pulsing crowd, swelling or modulating alongside the humidity of the bar. With Bolotny acting as a musical captain, joyously barking and gesturing through each dynamic transition, Dirty Paris becomes a machine of varied influ- ences, from old-school jam bands to high-tech trance. A spirited and extensively funky rendition of Soulive’s “Outrage” was a highlight, bringing the collective vibes to an ultimate plateau. So, there really is no place that smells like the Oak; like sweat, breath and well- used talent pumped through an amplifier. Maybe in 20 years I’ll be talking about the time I saw Dirty Paris there, back when they were just kids. _ Sam Spokony