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The Cowtown Hot Club has been hailed by some as "the crossroads of jazz and blues," but for the band's singer and fiddler, Elana James, their music has little to do with labels.
"Distinctions are purely commercial because users need a way to identify and market your music. I think that our group is in many ways a guilty pleasure for us. When you have a guitar, a bbad and a violin, there is almost nothing that this combination can do, "explained James.
The Cowtown Hot Club, now in its 21st year, is testing James' theory by teaming up with Los Angeles American swingers Dustbowl Revival for a special 50th anniversary celebration. mutual musical influence: the group.
Rockers of Canadian-American origin The Band were mainly active in the 60s and 70s. Under the wing of Bob Dylan, they exploded in popularity with their iconic song 'The Weight', ranked 41st since on the list of the 500 greatest songs of all time (Rolling Stone). The band toured with the bands Grateful Dead and Crosby, Stills and Nash before calling in the late 90s. In 1994, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2008, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Although the group's monumental success is reason enough to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his debut album, James' personal connection to their music has been the impetus for a collaborative tribute tour and EP.
"I was in Bob Dylan's band and I toured with him. When I played with him, I was getting closer to some of the songs he had written for The Band. We even have a few songs in our current list, but for our hot fans of the Hot Club of Cowtown, it will be a different series than they might be used to, because it's something else than what we really are . known for what's exciting, "James said.
Although the music may be different from the typical Cowtown Hot Club repertoire, James was adamant that they chose songs for which they could do justice.
"We tried to choose stylistically affordable songs as a trio and songs that I thought I could sing quite well and understand what I was doing instead of sneaking into a masterpiece," joked James.
Of course, with two Ameripolitan Music Awards in his name, it is unlikely that there is something that James can not succeed.
The same goes for James' touring compatriot, Zach Lupetin. As a singer and founding member of Dustbowl Revival, Lupetin has been performing The Band covers for over 10 years.
"They have really been a source of inspiration for us, and we have been playing their music for years so you can say that it's just a part of our lives at this point," Lupetin said.
Covering The Band may be old for Lupetin, but playing music alongside the musicians who inspired him to start playing is something that does not get old.
"I've been a fan of the Cowtown Hot Club since college and it's actually one of the bands that gave me the incentive to want to play. It's always surreal when I think of the first time, I have to play with them, "said Lupetin. "In fact, we only played this particular list once a year ago, so this week marks the beginning of the tour."
Currently, the tribute tour, which began Wednesday in Vancouver (Canada), has 16 stops, but others may be added later. But it's not the commercial success that will determine the duration of the tour.
"You certainly do not have people who think vintage Western Swing will be a big livelihood and the attitude that characterizes it tends to marginalize it and give the illusion of an unfounded genre that, when in fact , the music is filled with an incredible amount of joy and power, "said James. "We abandoned the traditional meaning of commercial music years ago. All I know is that we play this music because we love it and I do not think there is another band like us, which I'm really proud of. "
You can attend the Cowtown Hot Club and Dustbowl Revival on Saturday, January 19th at 7:30 pm in the Atwood Concert Hall. Tickets start at $ 33.50 and are available for purchase at AnchorageConcerts.org. The groups will also give a free lecture before the show at Atwood Concert Hall at 6:30 pm.
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