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HANS DOWN FAVORITE: If Tucson's favorite Olson is Lute,
then Phoenix's would have to be Hans. At it for more than a quarter
decade now, Hans Olson is a shining beacon in that cultural
wasteland to our north, a singular talent carrying on the traditions
of folk blues perhaps like no other (living) Arizonan.
Though their styles overlap only in the "solo acoustic bluesman" department, the two men shared, for a time anyway, more recognition outside of their respective hometowns than they enjoyed amongst locals. It took years before Rainer drew the crowds he deserved, even though he was simultaneously being written up in multiple-page spreads in European music rags which declared him the "greatest living dobro player in the world." Olson has quite a European following of his own, and has toured with the likes of Michelle Shocked, Dave Mason, and blues legend Brownie McGhee (an experience documented in the track "Me and Brownie McGhee," from the 1995 release Kachina Blues). In addition, he has recorded with top-notch session musicians such as Al Kooper and Albert Lee, and legendary manager/producer William McEuen.
Stylistically, there's nothing earth-shatteringly original in his stuff--how inventive can a one-man, traditional folk-blues act really get?--but sheer, authentic talent sets Olson apart from the flock. He's a hell of a fingerpicker, one of the best damn harp-in-a-rack blowers you'll likely hear in a lifetime, and his voice flows easily from smooth and lulling to backwoods grittiness, often in the space of a couple measures. In a sea of musicians who often sound like they're trying too hard to make us believe they've done enough living to deserve the bluesman mantle, it's refreshing to watch someone like Olson, for whom it all seems to flow naturally. He comes by his craft honestly, plain and simple. Olson performs from 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday, January 10, at Boondocks Lounge, 3306 N. First Ave. Call 690-0991 for more information. FEEL LUCKY, PUNK: Maybe I'm just getting old, but I can't get into the majority of modern-day punk rock bands. In particular, the San Francisco Bay Area punk scene is a favorite whipping post of mine. The dead-serious political stance that seems silly now that I'm no longer an adolescent (overthrowing the government just doesn't seem like all it was cracked up to be) vies with the defiantly stoopid "dick joke" bands for the bottom rung: Take yer pick; most of them sound suspiciously similar, anyway. So imagine my delight upon encountering San Francisco's The Gods Hate Kansas, an actually inventive punk band influenced by all things hardcore and emo. Somehow, these guys sound fresh amongst the piles of drivel flooding the marketplace. The four-piece's politics are on par with most other political punk bands, but at least they've got the smarts and the humor to make it palatable to someone beyond the wonder years. Case in point: The opening track from their debut release, Mischief Is Its Own Reward (a New Disorder Records release featuring nine songs in under 20 minutes!) is a chunk of fierce, anti-corporate rock-radio dogma tempered by the fact that its title is "Never Start A Sentence with, 'My Old Rap-Metal Band....' " (Take that, Rage Against the Machine!)
Listen big, punk rock fans and skeptics: This show just may be
the place for you to be on Monday, January 11. Show time is around
BAND WAGON: Legendary Latin percussionist/bandleader/patriarch Pete Escovedo (among his musical offspring is former Prince percussionist Sheila E.) will be stopping through town this week for a show with the Tucson Latin Jazz Orchestra.
Pete Escovedo and the Tucson Latin Jazz Orchestra take the stage UA Centennial Hall at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 12. Ticket prices are $12, with a $4 discount for students and TJS members. Advance tickets are available at Hear's Music and the TJS office, located on Fourth Avenue south of University Boulevard. Call 743-3399 for more information. Though the stellar "Multimedia Mondays" have sadly seen their last celluloid frame over at the Club Congress, the Rialto Theatre (318 E. Congress St.) steps into the vacancy with a multi-media benefit performance this week for Potential Urge Productions.
Proceeds from this combined film screening/concert will go toward
upcoming local film festivals. In addition to the chance to check
out the locally shot film Front (see this week's City Week
calendar for details), you'll be treated to performances by three
of the finest roots bands our fair burg has to offer: the down-home
rock stylings of Greyhound Soul; insurgent country by
Creosote; and the stripped-down rockabilly dance party that
is Al Foul and the Shakes, who have just released a limited
run of CDs recorded live at Club Congress. All this is yours for
$10 in advance. Things kick off at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, January
7, at the Rialto. Call 740-0126 for details.
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In 1987, when Hans won one of his many Best Bluesman awards in
the Phoenix New Times' "Best of Phoenix" issues,
they had this to say: "Every big city has one: a venerable
bluesman who's been around forever and is invariably taken for
granted on his home turf. Anyone who's spent a monsoon season
or two in the desert can tell you the old man of the mountain
in these parts is Olson." As the late Rainer Ptácek
was to Tucson, so is Hans to the Valley of the Sun.
As if this isn't enough to round out his impressive list of accomplishments,
the guy even sang the opening theme song for the lean-years-era
Burt Reynolds TV show Evening Shade.
Escovedo, who got his first real break in the late '60s when
he and his late brother, Coke, were invited to join Santana, went
on to form the highly lauded 14-piece Latin big band Azteca in
1970. As a solo artist he's released four albums on the Concord
jazz label, the newest of which, E Street, features four
of his children playing with him.
