Episode #6 of the Woodsongs Show was with John Latini, Marla Harris, and Steve Davis. The local paper gave it generous coverage the day of the show and deemed it a “Fitting Finale” to the regular season. That turned out to be the prescient Truth.

As you’ll see when you hear this show, John Latini is as dextrous in conversation as he is on the guitar. His is the kind of persona that alters everything nearby with its power and charisma. Latini’s presentation is absolutely irresistible. The ultimate extravert, he exudes confidence, good humor, wit, and an affectionate attachment to life. It hard not to be taken with his left-of-center observations and his gentle intimations of the absurdities of the world. At the same time, he courageously reveals himself in songs like “Yesterday I Painted Your Room”, a touching song about the time of life when children begin to leave home. We heard the blues in its truest form, a man putting his emotion into song form. And loving life all the more from doing so. I could talk here about Latini’s guitar skills, but you’ll have to listen to the recording yourself. Let me just say this – he plays passing chords that have “13th” in their names – one after another.

I knew that Marla Harris was going to give a memorable performance. I’ve heard her before and loved everything she did. But there is something about the Woodsongs stage…I don’t know whether it’s my perception, the proximity, the setting, the sound, the ambience…but I had never heard Marla like this before. It goes without saying that the timbre of her voice is rare and exceptional. And her delivery is intuitively immediate and beautifully natural. But what struck me this night was her skill. That is, the ability to hit unusual notes, to effortlessly slide around the tune, to play with phrasing in ways that made people like Frank Sinatra a legend. And like Sinatra, as I noted on the program, Marla did so without flash or brass. It was all just as if it was supposed to be that way. Understated brilliance.

I have to say a word about Steve Davis here too. He accompanied Marla on the piano. This guy is so good that John Latini said to me on the intermission, “I was going to do some fancy blues progression stuff the next half of the show, but Steve here is ripping me a new [insert body part here].” OK, bringing that kind of humility to Latini’s reality was worth the price of admission. Steve is so good that, in rehearsal, he started playing the tune used to introduce me (Lover’s Waltz) without having heard it before. Money can’t buy that kind of talent. We will figure out a way to get Steve back on the show again.

The closing tune was the Sam Cooke classic, “Bring it on Home” and I’ll just say this – listen to the studio audience response at the end. These three musicians delivered it!

It’s easy. A $20.00 value, for nothing! Just get a “Henhead” card (available from any Henway or Ken) and stop in at 10 shows with KH and the Henways. Get the card initialled by Dan or Dennis each time. When your card is full, turn it in for a free Ken Hardley and the Henways t-shirt! True Story!

It was a snowy spring day and a perfect evening for a night inside the coffeehouse. This is the first show that started out with a little daylight coming in the Labyrinth windows, making for an entirely different ambience to begin the show.

We opened with a version of David Bromberg’s “Danger Man“, capably backed up by my daughter Bess and Connie Deming.

Connie’s sets were absolutely beautiful. I’ve seen her lots of times in Rochester, NY and am driven to say that the Woodsongs venue and situation suited her perfectly. I have never heard her voice clearer and used with more effortless range. When I asked her what her main instrument is, she said, “my voice”. She underestimates her own ability on the guitar; she actually plays it with creative ability and nice finesse, sometimes hitting the body of the guitar with her hand or fist for added percussion. As well, she is a fine pianist, although she was all guitar on this show. This is the first time I have ever actually been on the stage in this kind of proximity to her when she played and she exudes a sphere of engagement that gets more palpable the closer you get to her. She is obviously an extravert, finding herself energized in the presence of others. Connie looks at the audience and fellow performers while playing, inviting people in to her emotional world. This is clearly what music is about for Connie. She feels things with immediate strength and is not given to rational analysis. Allowing oneself to become temporarily swept along with the chaos and beauty of Connie’s music is a brave act in itself, one that proves worthwhile in the end.

Also, we had our first Woodsongs medical casuality this night. Connie hurt her knee on the last song of her set to such an extent that she couldn’t fully put her weight on it after the show. But, turning down an offer to stop the show and regroup, Connie bravely played through the finale as if she had two good knees.

Reese Campbell was a lively, curious, and concisely intelligent interview. I knew his songs were going to be worthy additions to the Jamestown Woodsongs catalogue of tunes, but his razor sharp observations and Twain-esque approach to pointing out American incongruities and tragedies were, at times, disarming. He combines on-the-mark indignation with intelligent clarifications of important issues. With a mere musical phrase or off-the-cuff comment in conversation, Reese can be like getting hit on the head with a soft shoe. If open to it, the listener can get quick enlightenment into the soulless greed of hydrofracking, the absurdity of legal Uzi’s, and the undeniable wackiness of some aspects of distance learning. Presenting it with humor and as a master of satire, Reese ventures into territory only inhabited by the most capable and courageous purveyors of this art – people like Jonathan Swift, Randy Newman, and Erskine Caldwell. I must say also, he summed up the “college girlfriend” thing pretty nicely for me. It comes to that, doesn’t it?

The closer was “Stand by Me” written by King, Stoller, and Lieber. This is such a fitting song for Woodsongs because paying tribute to Stoller and Lieber recognizes the valuable contributions they made in the early days of rock and roll, having authored such classics as “Hound Dog” and “Kansas City”. Connie took the lead as Reese played his accordian, Bess played percussion, and Your Humble Narrator followed along on guitar and wailed a bit in support of Connie’s delightful vocal interpretation. Reese’s accordian solo was a work of art and the texture he provided throughout this song made it an entity heretofore inconceivable. Connie’s spirited beauty carried the song to unexpected heights. There is no doubt, the closing tune is becoming one of my favorite parts of the show. It is truly jumping off the high board. There is no telling what will happen and on this night, as you will hear on the pod cast, the audience agreed that it all came together as a fitting climax to another great Woodsongs evening.

This show was, in typical Woodsongs fashion, a unique experience in and of itself. Each show unfolds like a story that has no script. After this show and upon reflection, I found myself thinking that each of these men could fill an entire interesting hour on the radio just talking. They each, in their own ways, articulately brought insights and deep experience onto the Woodsongs stage.

John C. Merino was an amazing guest. In some ways, John’s music and stories are bigger than life. One gets the feeling of visiting with an old, important friend sharing his rich life experiences. As he mentioned, his music often speaks to mid-life concerns and, I must say, it does so with eloquent beauty. “Lead and Follow” touched me personally and with immediacy. As long as I have listened to music, that has rarely happened for me. John mentioned after the show that Woodsongs allows artists to play music that doesn’t comfortably fit in other settings. John clearly thrives in this milieu.

Scott Regan showed us why he is a Rochester cultural figure. The story about his Leon Redbone interview was hilarious and oddly poignant. Scott selected songs from his songwriting catalogue that displayed his wry, deep insight. His songs are distinctly and readily recognizable as his own, not only because of his interesting tune structures, but also because his unique worldview is revealed in each lyric. His comments about songwriting and what makes a good song are must-listens for anyone interested in the creative process.

Thanks to my good friend, Rhonda Harp, for lending her beautiful voice to the intro song. She and I were musical partners as a duo in 2009 for a too-short time. It sometimes, but rarely, happens that a musical chemistry evolves such that you no longer feel like two people on-stage but rather, you have a sense of being integral parts of a larger, unified organism. It becomes a symbiosis. Rhonda and I were easing in that direction when the association had to end because of my compulsive need to work a lot. (Rhonda likes to do other things like see her family once in a while and get to bed before 4:00am). Whenever we do play together now, it’s a bittersweet reminder of what we bring out in each other musically.

Email/on-line interview with Chautauqua Star staff Dusten Rader, submitted 4-29-10:

Dusten Rader: Who are Ken Hardley and the Henways?

Ken Hardley: We are three musicians brought together by our lifelong habit of playing music in front of people. I suppose, at our advanced ages, it has become a matter of being comfortable with doing the thing we have always done. Between us, we have almost 100 years of experience on the stage, a statistic to which I am a bit hesitant to attract attention. The good news about that is that we have proven at least adequately proficient to stay afloat in this difficult business. The bad news is that other people now have to pick out our clothes or we’d look like Cheech and Chong hanging out with an old golfer.

My compadre Ernest “Aardvark” Henway plays bass and is the glue of the band. He and I worked together for some time in the 90’s and, after two years of my occasional bribing and haranguing, he finally consented to emerge from his solitary retirement to once again provide the rock solid bottom every rock and roll band needs.

A few years ago I had the good fortune to run across drummer Don “Cliffie” Henway in another musical project (The Hogs). I was immediately struck, as everyone is, by his relentless energy and irresistibly driven, forceful drumming. After years of touring with club bands and a stint with the Greg Allman Band, Cliffie settled in Limestone, NY and consented to join me in this endeavor.

DR: What is your hometown?

KH: I think we consider ourselves based in and around the Jamestown area. I live in the city and it feels like home to me, at least on weekend nights.

DR: What genre or style of music do you play?

KH: The label “classic rock” has become so broad it probably needs a little explanation for each entity it’s attached to nowdays. We are really a dance band and tend to play songs with a variety of danceable rythms, from rockabilly to straight ahead rock and roll to reggae. Part of the benefit of having a monster drummer like Cliffie is that we can pull off almost any rock-ish style with chest-thumping vigor. As a unit we offer an evening of recognizable, much-loved classic rock tunes mixed in with songs that are heard less often but are equally danceable and compelling. There is a station on SIRIUS radio that defines itself as representing “a generation’s musical stash”. I think that suits us. Except that we represent the musical stash of three generations.

DR: Who are your influences?

KH: In a sense, this band pays tribute to almost every aspect of what has made rock and roll lasting and great. Certainly, the mainstream giants of classic rock are influences: Tom Petty, the Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Elvis Presley, Elvis Costello, the Beatles, the Grateful Dead, Van Morrison. But at the same time you’ll get a lot in a night with us by musicians you hear less often in our circles: Link Wray, Jenny Lewis, the Velvet Underground, Johnny Cash, Bob Marley, David Bromberg.

DR: What is your favorite album?

KH: Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited” is a work that reveals itself differently with each listening. “Nilsson Schmillson” is pristine and strikes me as almost perfect. Rickie Lee Jones’ “Pirates” breaks my heart every time I listen to it. Tom Waits is my favorite songwriter and every album he made is my favorite. But I have to say Vampire Weekend has just done a cd that really struck me.

DR: What is your favorite song to perform?

KH: Probably Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” because there’s this element of mortal danger whenever we perform it. I think it is my destiny to actually die while playing this song. I thought it happened last month but as it turns out, I just broke my guitar strap.

DR: What is your favorite gig?

KH: The truth is that I’ve played concert halls, parties, wedding receptions, gymnasiums, living rooms, and coffeehouses but I feel most at home in bar venues. From a sociological/anthropological perspective, every bar is a cultural island unto itself. I love the legendary Bullfrog Hotel in Jamestown because it richly displays humanity at its most genuine, confused, lonely, and unpredicable. The Bullfrog is an unashamed glimpse into what it is that brings people to bars – no pretense here. The Double Diamond in Ellicottville is always full of tourists looking for a good time and people who find interesting music something to celebrate. And it’s a great room for sound. Root 5 in Hamburg is great for its dressy, recreational atmosphere. Every bar has its own mosiac of factors that makes it unique and I love them all.

DR: Who is your favorite local band?

KH: For a lightly populated area, we have an astonishing abundance of musical talent. Two original bands stand out for me. I have unmitigated respect for the Bogarts. These guys have fine songwriting, the chilling interplay of two ballsy guitarists, and a truly unique and steady rhythm section. The other is blues-oriented King Rail. My buddy tiny b is the can’t-take-your-eyes-off-him front man surrounded by two of the best (Jamie Trussler and Matt Baxter) in the world.

As for other great local bands, I don’t think there’s a cover band anywhere that surpasses the musicianship and energy of Two for Flinching. I also like to see the fabulous Charity, Allergic Reaction, the Pennsyltucky Peach Pickers, the Steve Johnson Band, and my good friend Cindy Haight whenever I get a chance.

DR: Do you play originals, covers, or both?

KH: We focus mainly on covers but I hasten to add that we make no attempt to sound like the originals. We have our own power-trio ambience and strive to keep it that way. As our bassist, Aardvark is fond of saying, “less is more.” He and I tend to carry that attitude into each song, giving Cliffie the green light to pretend he is Keith Moon (the Who’s near-mythological drummer) whenever he feels like it. It works. We take inspiration from such great cover artists as Ry Cooder and Bonnie Raitt. I’ve never been able to stay away from odd interpretations of other people’s stuff. The band recently added “Ghost Riders in the Sky”. The combination of that iconic guitar riff, a motor-like beat, and the frightening plod forward makes for an almost hypnotic experience.

I’m finding the Henways to be a worthy vehicle with which to experiment and concoct new looks at old material. From a primordial ride through Sonny Bono’s “The Beat Goes On”, to the purposefully moving “Ring of Fire”, to a stomping, leaping version of Weezer’s “Keep Fishin’”, the Henway’s wide conception of rock rhythms seems to be a bottomless pit of inspiration for me.

While only a three-piece band, I’m reminded of John Hartford’s observation. “Style is based on limitations”. This band has a truly unique style and I’m having a lot of fun. I suspect, maybe, too much fun.

DR: Do you have a web site?

KH: www.kenhardley.com Thanks for the chance to visit.

We’re working on putting the finishing touches up on the NEW KEN HARDLEY MUSIC website.
Hope you like it!

A little over a year into it, and after finding just the right personnel (adding drummer, Dan “the Dutch Ninja” Vanderzyden), the Henways have blossomed completely into the rock and roll project we envisioned early on. Being a three-piece means that each member has a huge part to play and adding Dan changed everything. His flawless skill and range of styles allow the band to do things we couldn’t think of before. We can still be a power trio but have jelled into something beyond that. At this point, we also have to express humble gratitude to the many wonderful friends we have made over the past year. We count ourselves among a fortunate few bands that has loyal friends who always appear at our shows. That kind of support is something money can’t buy.

I recently ran into the trombone player for the band “They Might Be Giants”. I asked him how things were going for the band and he said they were getting ready to go back into the studio to record another cd. He was considering quitting the band because he hates studio work so much. I think he was kidding and I heard a very cool cut from a recent release of theirs recently. I hope he was on it.

The Henways and I spent the day in the studio yesterday to do a few tunes for a demo. We got that accomplished in a few hours, a literal blink of the eye in studio time I think. The result was, as Aardvark observed, “A fair representation of the band’s sound.” Suitably ambiguously stated I think. I have never talked to an artist who was completely happy with a finished track. We resolved to return someday for a more serious attempt at this worthy endeavor, but in the meantime, will post what we did yesterday hoping that someone at least dances in their living room to it. Thanks to Dave Berg for his generous help in getting this done for us.

After my most recent stint of performing as a solo and duo act for a couple of years, I had the good fortune to convince a couple of old bandmates from my musical past to join me in a new endeavor. “Aardvark” and I played together for the better part of a decade and I met the Doctor of Styx when we played with the Hogs together beginning in the early part of this millenium. Aardvark and the Doctor very quickly bonded as a tight and driving rhythm section, The Henway Brothers, Don and Ernest.To maximize a musical entity’s creative potential, it makes sense to play together and see what evolves. With this band, it didn’t take long. Stripped down classic rock came naturally to this trio and we also found we shared a taste for more than just the standards. We tend to mix in more unusual and esoteric music from the last six decades. While we resolved never to play “Mustang Sally”, we do interpretations of Tom Petty, Elvis Presley, Bob Marley, Link Wray, Grateful Dead, Elvis Costello, the Who, Van Morrison, and many more.
This band represents an entirely new concept for me, just when I thought I’d done everything. I don’t remember being so excited about any musical project.