Nancy Hanson does an annual concert at the Homestead resort every summer that I always look forward to. I've been to them faithfully for several years. I nearly had to miss this one, but due to some fortunate circumstances was able to come as close to being in 2 places at once as is humanly possible. The upshot is that I was about 40 minutes late. Thankfully this concert ran a little longer than the one last week and due to Nancy and the Miners deciding to use an in the round format per The Bluebird Cafe, I didn't miss out on too much. I was afraid the Miners would be an opening act in which case my lateness would've resulted in missing their part of the performance. So thanks guys for changing things up a bit!
Here's a picture of Tamilisa and Craig Miner in action:
Tamilisa and Craig are newly-weds, bringing together two great musical traditions. They are apparently working on starting their own tradition, laying the foundation for another Utah musical family. Keep an eye out for the Miners to become the next Osmonds! OK, they don't have any kids yet so that may be a few years off, but their contribution last night was terrific. Craig is an ubiquitous musician in the state of Utah turning up on many local recordings and projects and is best known for his spot as "Banjo Boy" in Ryan Shupe's Rubber band. Definitely one of the most in demand musicians around. He plays most anything with strings and plays it well. What an asset to have at last nights show. Their numbers were very bluegrassy as you might expect. Tamilisa even apologised for singing a lot of Alison Krauss stuff. Tamilisa is part of the bluegrass band Miles to Go where she plays mandolin, fiddle and sings. She seemed a little uncomfortable in the lead singer role last night, but was still quite good and will only improve with time. I see a lot of potential in this duo.
Nancy was her usual sweet singin' self. She has a very relaxed, easy on the ears vocal approach. To quote a friend of mine, "I could listen to her all day!". She was also assisted last night by Craig and Tamilisa. Quite a backing band! Nancy has a pretty well established repertoire, but last night layed a song on us that I hadn't heard before. I wish I knew the title, but it was about the joys of children sharing bed time with their parents, an experience every parent can relate to. It was classic Nancy Hanson, a personal story, well told, with a healthy touch of humor. Just the sort of writing she does best! I hope this was a portent of things to come. I know she's wanting to get back into writing more extensively than has been the case for awhile. The old favorites were all there and were just as enjoyable as ever. The only thing that got in the way of it being a perfect evening was a glitch with the sound system that was partially but not totally overcome with the replacement of a 9 volt battery in one of the sound system components. I've been spoiled by the great sound that is usually the case up there. Something about that big front lawn and all the trees that makes for a sublime sonic experience. Again as is becoming the case in most of the concerts I've attended this year an encore was demanded. Nancy and friends seemed a little confused about what to sing so I shouted out "Across the Great Divide". Put them into a bit of a bind, but they came through with flying colors. A little Kate Wolf is always a good way to end a concert in my world! Thanks Nancy, Craig and Tamilisa for another great evening at the Homestead!
08/09/2011 Let me add a small addendum. Since writing the above, I've learned that the unknown song Nancy sang is titled "You and me". Sweet song! So good to hear something new from her.
Also I failed to mention that in addition to her many other talents, Tamilisa is a gifted actress. She recently played the role of Marjorie Hinckley in "Gordon B. Hinckley: A Giant Among Men" and I'm telling you, she is a dead ringer for the young Marjorie Hinckley!
