Time Warping at the Calgary Folk Festival

Day 2 and the weather continues to be perfect, as does much of the music.

The opening group, Carolina Chocolate Drops, picked up exactly where Sam Roberts left off the night before, with a very passionate and high energy set. Three young musicians, classically trained, who have dedicated themselves to meeting surviving musicians from the great black string bands of the 1920's and recreating that music. There was, back then, and was last night, much to enjoy in that tradition. The female singer has a voice to match the great Ella Fitzgerald. If she ever takes up jazz or blues, the Ella in Berlin concert will be surpassed. The first CD frenzy occurred right after this group's set.

Next up one of the great Chicago blues men: Charlie Musselwhite. We already know from the Carolina Chocolate Drops that he is one of the musicians who has helped them with their discovery of the past. It is such a pleasure to hear a master at work, even this late in his career. The Blues are best when there is a little rust in the voice; there was no rust in the harmonica.

Wendy McNeill was the first 'tweener.'' Think ABBA reunited to sing folk songs scored for the accordion by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Yes, unfortunate and immediately forgotten.

The Be Good Tanyas did not improve things. Great musicians trying to keep alive the droning monochrome music of the fortunately extinct Lilith Fair tradition. I suppose someone could like this, but not I. If you were not in touch with some feelings when you write the song, you will not access any feeling or energy when you perform it. Sucked the energy right out of the place.

How to describe Andrew Bird? Travel back to about 1910; enter the Palm Room of any of the great railroad hotels to hear the house orchestra and have some tea. Take the 'special' lump of sugar out of your pocket and stir it into the tea. Enjoy how the music warps on the trip. This guy has a cult following and I can see why. However music that does not resolve, because the psychedelic chemicals are in play will have the same fate as the music of the atonal composers of the last century. It will only be heard if it finds its way into film scores when the director wants to underscore a sense of discomfort. Too bad this very talented guy does not perform straight up anymore.

Another 'tweener," Basia Bulat who starts to restore the evening. She presents the classic folk sound in full bloom. Her performance style is infectious and her sound easy on the heart.

What can I say about Calexico? They have taken their name from a California border town. Part of their rep is a celebration of the classic Mexican band sound. However they mix this with haunting tunes that could only come out of a dark night, lost in the desert outside Phoenix where they are now based. I don't know which of their sounds I like best. I love to dance to that lively music. However I like to contemplate the reaction of the heart to meditative soul music. I will have to check out their CDs (food bank here I come) and explore their rep some more.

The next short set came from Gurf Morlix. A master in the storytelling tradition of southwest folk. Hearing him you are instantly at the campfire during a cattle drive just falling into the night sky. But that does not completely do him justice as his tales are of the modern Texas nomad driving the back roads of life. Definitely someone to check at the weekend workshops.

To close, Bedouin Soundclash. I simply love this band's reggae inspired indie rock sound. Those are inadequate words for a sound that is as complex as life lived as a movie plot twist (*). You want to get up and dance but at the same time you want to lean in and absorb the melding chords and lyrics. Energy and introspection wound together in a spellbinding set.

The (*) is intended to give credit to the author. That phrase comes from a poem by our MC tonight. He is a young poet named Shane Koyczan who performed a number of his poems, which turned out to be excellent. There is something magic about a poem that is no longer on a dry page but given to an audience with all the verve and intonation of the author's voice. Of course it helps that he is politically radical as well as a keen observer of the human condition.

Saturday is a full day - as much as 13 hours are possible on site. I do not think I will attempt that, as one of my missions is to actually survive to hear the last act on Sunday night. I have never made it that far before!