Just recently (at the great coffee house Burlap and Bean) I heard a threesome named The Stray Birds that I wish could come to the Writer's Festival in Woody Point, Newfoundland. I would say this trio is just as talented as The Once, another wonderful trio I heard for the first time last summer.
After The Stray Birds' performance, I bought their two cds and told one of the members that I thought the sound and performance was really "cd perfect!" And of course what I mean here is that every instrument and sung harmony note was played perfectly. And it was all acoustic. They had this one rectangle shaped microphone in front, and the trio leaned in when the harmonies were needed. There were smaller mics for the banjo and fiddle, but it was a pleasure to hear this great natural sound coming from the instruments.
The girl in the trio, Maya de Vitry, is very gentile looking when she talks and plays her fiddle and claw hammer-style banjo at the side. But when she leads a song from the middle of the trio, her entire face and body take on a deep expression of desire to create musical poetry, and her voice is a real surprise. It's powerful and comes from deep within. She's fascinating to watch, but she's not in any way distracting or contorted. She is just 'singing perfection'!!
I wish I could play bass like Charles Muench. He plays it with perfection. It's a pleasure to watch him both pluck and bow this old friend. I like the way he finds every possible note to add to the music, but he's not showy. And his vocal harmonies are awesome as he leans in. He has real stage presence.
Oilver Craven, the lead singer, is a genius on guitar, fiddle and vocals. He plays his guitar with great expertise and it's a joy to watch his strum or finger picking. A master at work.
The trio played many of their original songs, and the lyrics and instrumentation all blended in wonderfully. Every now and then they would play a song like No Part of Nothin' that really stirred up the room with amusing lyrics and a great beat. You can't ask for a better show with something for everyone. Even their rendition of The Saint Anne's Reel with two fiddles competing as well as the big bass taking a turn at it, was a fascinating show of musicianship.
My wish? I would really love others to see this trio and experience the wonderful evening they offer. Let me know if you do.
One final mention concerns the venue Burlap and Bean. Not only is the coffee wonderful, but the place knows how to present a great atmosphere. No bar scene here! The audience is here to listen and enjoy! Wish there were more places like it.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RxMn8OvYvY
Hope you enjoy it. Let me know if you can at mike_madigan@yahoo.com
Cheers,
MikeMadigan of The Sharecroppers of Newfoundland
PS. As for the trio mentioned above called The Once, here's a youtube with Newfoundland photos that captures this group's ability to deliver a great song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TZRXMqbLII
PS. As for the trio mentioned above called The Once, here's a youtube with Newfoundland photos that captures this group's ability to deliver a great song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TZRXMqbLII
