Tag: Folk

The Golden Age — Dan Hazlett Celebrates the Era of the Hollywood Musical in “Only a Songwriter: The Life and Music of Winston Coleman”

Dan Hazlett at Trinity House Theatre in Livonia, Michigan. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Dan Hazlett never intended to write a musical.

The folk-jazz singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist felt inspired to create one after seeing a revue with daughter Grace Hazlett at Meadow Brook Theatre in Rochester, Michigan.

“She was working at the theatre and would get us free tickets sometimes, and we went to a revue of ‘30s and ‘40s songs. There’s no dialogue, no plot—they’re just doing these songs—and I just had a great time,” said Hazlett, who’s from Waterford.

“I was thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun as a songwriter to try and write a revue of songs like this in that style?’ And that’s an oxymoron because it wouldn’t be a revue, but that idea was kicking around in my head.”

What resulted is Calling Winston, an original musical Hazlett co-wrote with Grace Hazlett, a theater professional. It revolves around Winston Coleman, a fictional Tin Pan Alley songwriter and jazz musician who spent most of his career trying to get his songs featured in Hollywood musicals.

At age 85, Coleman reflects on his life and career while spending time with J.P., his great-nephew. During their visits, J.P. learns about Coleman’s past and the nation’s history through several references to famous Hollywood musicals.

While Calling Winston takes place in 1990, the musical’s 20 songs span nearly three decades—from 1929 to 1956—with the final song being Coleman’s latest creation.

“I needed to come up with someone who wrote the songs because it couldn’t be me,” Hazlett said. “I had to come up with a fictional songwriter, and I came up with this guy, Winston Coleman, and started filling in his details.”

To bring the musical to life, Hazlett will perform songs from Calling Winston during a February 28 show called “Only a Songwriter: The Life and Music of Winston Coleman” at Livonia’s Trinity House Theatre.

The show will feature Hazlett performing the musical’s songs in a concert format with narrator/singer-songwriter Marty Kohn and singer-songwriter Amy Petty.

“Grace is gonna come up here [from Cincinnati], and [she’s] gonna do some costumes and dress us,” Hazlett said. “I’m playing all the instruments and doing the male vocals, and Amy is doing the female vocals. We’re going to have a [visual presentation] by Wolf Tytschkowski and Margaret Hazlett to show credits, photos, and movie posters. It’s going to enhance the experience.”

To learn more, I spoke with Hazlett about Calling Winston ahead of the show.

Continue reading “The Golden Age — Dan Hazlett Celebrates the Era of the Hollywood Musical in “Only a Songwriter: The Life and Music of Winston Coleman”” →

Changing Course — The Steve Taylor Three Ponders New Beginnings and Closed Chapters on “Temporary Heart” Album

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Bryan Frink, Steve Taylor, and Carey Weaver of The Steve Taylor Three. Photo courtesy of Steve Taylor

The passage of time weighs heavily on Steve Taylor’s mind.

The Metro Detroit singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist ponders new beginnings and closed chapters on The Steve Taylor Three’s new album, Temporary Heart.

“The songs were all written in the same period, so there were certain themes that were on my mind—certainly aging,” Taylor said. “I’m 51 now, so turning 50 was a big deal from an age standpoint.”

Alongside bandmates Bryan Frink (bass, guitars, keys, vocals) and Carey Weaver (drums, percussion, vocals), Taylor explores changing family dynamics, fluctuating relationships, and childhood memories on the trio’s fifth release.

“A good friend of mine that I grew up with got married very young and then got divorced,” Taylor said. “That’s what the song, ‘Anymore,’ is about and love comes with age. I keep saying that the topics that are most on my mind right now are aging and the weather.”

On Temporary Heart, The Steve Taylor Three features a dozen heartfelt tracks bursting with rich harmonies, ruminative lyrics, and vibrant Midwest Americana instrumentation.

While the songs reflect on the fleeting nature of change, the album’s universal themes and infectious soundscapes remain deeply embedded in our hearts and minds.

To learn more, I spoke with Taylor about Temporary Heart ahead of the band’s November 29 album release show.

Continue reading “Changing Course — The Steve Taylor Three Ponders New Beginnings and Closed Chapters on “Temporary Heart” Album” →

Tale From the Darkside — Blockhouse Valley Shares Bewitching Rendition of “In the Pines” Traditional Folk Song

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Blockhouse Valley’s Danny Steinkopf, Cody Cooper, Ashleigh Glass, and Jon Howard. Photo courtesy of Blockhouse Valley

Blockhouse Valley fully embraces the dark side on “In the Pines.”

The Metro Detroit quartet of Ashleigh Glass (vocals), Cody Cooper (mandolin, guitar), Jon Howard (guitar), and Danny Steinkopf (upright bass) explores a wicked tale about a sinister woman and her late husband on its bewitching rendition of the traditional folk song.

“This song contains a lot of imagery in the lyrics that’s unapologetic in its darkness,” Glass said. “You don’t always see that in traditional tunes that have survived through generations of public sensibilities.”

Surrounded by vigilant acoustic guitar, mandolin, and bass, Glass sings, “Her husband was a hardworking man / Just about a mile from here / His head was found in a driving wheel / But his body was never found.”

“We wanted to highlight that darkness in this recording and the sense that the woman in this song is not a person that should be taken lightly,” she said.

To learn more, I spoke with Glass about the Americana group’s latest single ahead of a September 21 live set at Adrian’s Artalicious Fine Arts Fair.

Continue reading “Tale From the Darkside — Blockhouse Valley Shares Bewitching Rendition of “In the Pines” Traditional Folk Song” →

It’s ‘About Time’ — Dexter Singer-Songwriter Jim Bizer Releases First New Solo Album in 20 Years

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Jim Bizer features evocative lyrics and earnest folk instrumentation on “About Time.” Photo courtesy of Jim Bizer

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.

After two decades, Jim Bizer realized it was time to release a new solo record.

The Dexter, Michigan singer-songwriter hadn’t focused on his own album since 2004’s Connected and had spent ample time working on several collaborative projects, including a duo with Jan Krist and groups The Yellow Room Gang, Diamonds in the Rust, and Floyd King and The Bushwackers.

“It’s crazy that I’ve taken that long,” said Bizer about his new folk album, About Time. “I’ve done things in between, and the thing I did the most was the duo with Jan, but I wound up in a few different bands and made records with some of them.”

Even as he worked on different projects, Bizer’s songs for About Time started brewing in 2005, and they began accumulating.

He eventually landed on 13 tracks for his third solo album and noticed a theme of time had emerged. On About Time, Bizer brings that theme to life through evocative lyrics and soundtracks it with earnest folk instrumentation.

“Not that every single song deals directly with time, but a fair number of them do. I got a kick out of writing ‘Going Nowhere’ about slowing time down and what that could mean and how that would work,” said Bizer, who produced About Time and played guitar, bass, and guitjo.

“There’s also the fact that it’s been so long since I put out my last record, and time played a piece of that. And I think of these songs as a time capsule of the last 20 years, so time was so much on my mind as I was putting the record together.”

To learn more, I spoke to Bizer about his latest album ahead of a July 7 show at Livonia’s Trinity House Theatre.

Continue reading “It’s ‘About Time’ — Dexter Singer-Songwriter Jim Bizer Releases First New Solo Album in 20 Years” →

Detroit’s Mike Ward Brings His Inspirational Folk Songs to AADL April 28

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Detroit folk singer-songwriter Mike Ward. Photo by Danny Ward.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.

The state of the world weighs heavily on Mike Ward’s mind.

That concern prompted the Detroit singer-songwriter to pen a new folk song called “Why Not,” which sends an encouraging message to help others.

“When I have played it, people get how the song starts out small, gets broader as it goes on, and ends at a point where it’s up to us on a personal level,” said Ward, who’s also a University of Michigan alumnus.

“One of the things I have to work hard at is trying not to be too preachy, especially when I’m writing about things on a political level. It’s one of the areas where I try to find a balance.”

Backed by hopeful acoustic guitar and cello, he sings, “Why not do some good today with the time that we’ve got / Start with something simple / A lesson learned or to be taught / Plant a seed or lend a hand / A little helps a lot.”

“I’ve also been looking at not only how that affects the world in general, but also how it’s affecting people’s relationships,” Ward said. “It goes as broad as the country, but as narrow as some relationships and the struggles that people are having.”

“Why Not” is one of several songs Ward will be performing with Sara Gibson (cello) and Annie Bacon (vocals) at an April 28 show at the Downtown branch of the Ann Arbor District Library.

Ahead of the show, I spoke with Ward about his current state, his career transition from advertising to music, past albums, his latest songwriting efforts, his setlist for the AADL show, and plans for new material.

Continue reading “Detroit’s Mike Ward Brings His Inspirational Folk Songs to AADL April 28” →

Everyday Monsters – Fangs and Twang Shares the Horrors and Delights of Michigan and Out-of-State Creatures on Latest Album

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Fangs and Twang’s Joe Bertoletti, Billy LaLonde, and Andy Benes uncover a new group of beasts on You Monster. Photo courtesy of Fangs and Twang

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.

After years of writing about monsters, Fangs and Twang didn’t expect to find them in human form.

The country-rock trio of Billy LaLonde (drums, vocals), Andy Benes (guitar, vocals), and Joe Bertoletti (bass, vocals) discovered some people started spreading monstrous misinformation at the height of the pandemic.

In response, Benes channeled that disbelief and frustration into the Ypsilanti, Michigan band’s opening track, “You Monster,” from its fourth album of the same name.

Alongside explosive electric guitar, organ, and fiddle, he sings, “It’s hard to be you and me / When we can’t tell what’s true / It seems to me that we can’t agree / Even that the sky is blue.”

“That song came to me … and it was done in 20 minutes,” Benes said. “All of the lyrics and all of the music just came out, and that was what was on my mind. [It’s about] not having a common set of facts or a common language that we’re speaking anymore as people and how horrible that is.”

The title track also lays the groundwork thematically for the horrors and delights Fangs and Twang uncovers on You Monster.

Continue reading “Everyday Monsters – Fangs and Twang Shares the Horrors and Delights of Michigan and Out-of-State Creatures on Latest Album” →

The Voice Within – Mike Green Follows His Instincts on ‘Listening for the Bell’ Album

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Mike Green sings about life choices and lessons on Listening for the Bell. Photo courtesy of Mike Green

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.

Mike Green listened to his inner voice but wasn’t sure where it would take him.

The folk singer-songwriter, guitarist, and booking agent ruminated for years about how to share his life experiences.

“I always thought as a younger adult that I wanted to write a book of my personal philosophy, but I never had anything to say,” said Green, who resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “Then when I started writing these songs [during the pandemic] … and all these things I’ve always thought about, they just sort of came out in poetic ways.”

What resulted were 12 insightful tales for his debut album, Listening for the Bell, which explores the ups and downs of following your instincts.

“There’s a bunch of those songs that were written that way, and I just trusted it,” said Green, who started as a touring musician in 1978. “And then what I realized early on—after studying all of this—is that I had been in songwriting school for nearly 40 years.”

That schooling came from representing artists like Utah Phillips, Carrie Newcomer, Jesse Winchester, and John McCutcheon as a booking agent and listening to singer-songwriters like Greg Brown, Kenny White, Chris Smither, and Stephen Fearing.

“Chris Smither, probably more than anybody, is the gold standard to me on how you marry lyrics and words and have them come out … to be that way,” said Green, who started as a booking agent in 1986 and opened his own agency in 2004. “There’s no other way you can say it, and if you don’t say it just the right way, it doesn’t fit.”

Continue reading “The Voice Within – Mike Green Follows His Instincts on ‘Listening for the Bell’ Album” →

The Archivist’s Tale – Evan Haywood Digs Through His Past to Help Define His Musical Future on New Live Album

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Evan Haywood features a compelling juxtaposition of sound and genre on his latest live album, “Canterbury Tales.” Photo – Doug Coombe

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.

Evan Haywood remembers his first live solo show at Canterbury House in 2014.

The producer, musician, songwriter, rapper, visual artist, filmmaker, and digital archivist recalled feeling nervous about sharing vulnerable folk songs and playing a nylon-string guitar at the Ann Arbor venue.

“It was such a jarring experience almost to go from performing in sweaty clubs and bars where everybody’s dancing … and having a good time to this very stark, acoustic performance where I’m baring my soul,” said Haywood, a University of Michigan alumnus who had previously performed live with the local hip-hop group Tree City.

“I feel like that performance was some sort of watershed moment for me because I had to prove to myself that I could do it. I had never done a performance like that with just an acoustic guitar and myself.”

Fortunately, Haywood’s intimate performance was recorded on cassette by Fred Thomas and initially released on limited-edition tape through Thomas’ Life Like label in 2015. Today, part of that performance now appears on Haywood’s latest live album, Canterbury Tales.

“I spent the past 10 years or so honing them and working on the mixes and cleaning up some of the noise and things like that to get them to the point they’re at now,” Haywood said.

“When you’re dealing with tape, you have fewer options, so you really have to work in a detailed way to be able to massage those recordings and get the good stuff out and take some of the noise down. That’s something I’ve been tinkering with—those Canterbury House recordings—and I feel like now my tinkering is done.”

Continue reading “The Archivist’s Tale – Evan Haywood Digs Through His Past to Help Define His Musical Future on New Live Album” →

Virtual Airwaves – Brian Maloney Features Michigan Artists and Music on The Sonic Coast

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Brian Maloney runs The Sonic Coast, an online radio station that plays Americana, roots and rock music by national and local artists. Photo courtesy of Brian Maloney

In 2014, Brian Maloney instantly reconnected with his hometown and its musical legacy.

The Sonic Coast founder and chief music curator visited the Motor City to attend a Crain’s Detroit Homecoming and started pondering his next life chapter.

“I was in downtown Detroit for a couple of days with the event, and everywhere I looked, I was reminded of what a remarkable place this city and state are in the music industry,” said Maloney, who spent 40 years working in radio and now resides in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“The following ‘revelation’ about what to do in retirement happened in February of 2020 when I brought The Gasoline Gypsies down to North Carolina for a couple of shows and a media tour.”

The band sold out two shows 700 miles from Port Huron, Michigan and reminded Maloney about the draw of Michigan-made music.

“It became clear I was going to focus everything I had learned over the past 40 years on my two favorite things: Michigan and local music,” Maloney said. “So when I retired, The Sonic Coast was born.”

Today, Maloney oversees the burgeoning online radio station, which plays Americana, rock, folk, country, roots, soul and funk from national and Michigan artists.

“I saw a tremendous opportunity in the state to play local artists (abundant!) on a meaningful platform to give them exposure next to national acts that were getting limited exposure in Michigan. Unfortunately, traditional commercial radio doesn’t invest in/support local artists much anymore,” he said.

“It’s honestly more important than ever for a band to get played and promoted on a platform. Spotify, Pandora and others are simply a database of music for consumers. Sonic Coast plays, promotes and interacts with the artists.”

To learn more about The Sonic Coast, I chatted with Maloney about becoming a DJ, working in radio, taking leadership roles with several stations, growing his new online radio platform, celebrating Michigan artists and music, adding curators and supporting live music.

Continue reading “Virtual Airwaves – Brian Maloney Features Michigan Artists and Music on The Sonic Coast” →

Weatherproof – Annie and Rod Capps Celebrate Life’s Highs and Lows on ‘Love and Rain’ Album

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Rod and Annie Capps explore the importance of gratitude on “Love and Rain.” Photo by Jen Prouty.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.

Annie and Rod Capps weather life’s sunny and stormy moments together on Love and Rain.

Those moments also serve as lighthearted and serious reminders about gratitude on the married duo’s latest album.

“There’s an overarching theme of love and rain being that contrast and balance of life,” said Annie Capps, the duo’s vocalist-guitarist, who’s based in Chelsea, Michigan with her husband Rod Capps. “It’s about not taking the rough stuff too seriously, yet it’s also about being grateful for the good stuff and not taking things for granted.”

The Capps demonstrate that mindset personally and professionally on Love and Rain, which features 10 tracks filled with perceptive lyrics, vibrant Americana instrumentation, and rich harmonies.

“Annie is fortunate because she has an outlet to write songs about these things,” said Rod Capps, the duo’s guitarist-violinist-violist, who will celebrate 30 years of marriage to Annie Capps in June. “My role in the songwriting is to color around the edges. Annie builds these structures, and I help flesh them in and put filigree in.”

I recently spoke to the Capps about celebrating their anniversary, working with their bandmates, exploring different themes on the album, writing and recording tracks for Love and Rain, preparing for their annual Valentine’s Day show at The Ark, and planning for other performances and projects.

Continue reading “Weatherproof – Annie and Rod Capps Celebrate Life’s Highs and Lows on ‘Love and Rain’ Album” →