 Terry White has been entertaining audiences for decades, but it feels like this master of music is just getting started, performing on the Veltway and beyond with local band favorites: the YellowHammers, Cannonball, and the Zimmermen. White's monthly solo gig at the Friendly Tap (every third Thursday, so mark your calendars accordingly!) is a treat for musicians and listeners alike, and once again, we can hear Terry White (taking the stage with Andon Davis and Chris Neville - June 4 @ 11pm) at the 2016 Friendly Folk Fest. You don't want to miss this! (Check out his website!) How did you get started in music? I got started in music listening to my dad play piano and sing songs in the basement of our house in southeast Oak Park. Then I heard the Beatles when I was five, and that seemed like a good way to spend time. Loved the music and seemed like a good way to meet girls. Who were your influences? Influences were really a handful of records my dad, brothers and sisters had. My dad liked Hank Williams, and I fell for that right away. My older brothers both were into Dylan, and by the time I was 8, I was pleasantly baffled by "Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again." I felt like his tone of voice was his way of sharing something important, but I couldn't understand. Still don't. My sister Maureen had Hot Rocks by the Stones and my sister Michaeleen got Elvis Presley's greatest hits from a TV commercial compilation. I listened to that double LP over and over. Hank, Beatles, Dylan, Stones, Elvis. Same as everybody else I guess. How do you describe your style? Sloppy singer songwriter What is your favorite part of performing? Favorite part of performing used to be about talking to women after shows. Now it's reduced price liquor. What is something surprising about you? Something surprising about me is that I was not asked to leave St Ignatius high school and actually graduated. I kept trying to get booted, but the principal wasn't gonna let me off that easy. Want a taste of Terry's music? Here's a video for "Roosevelt Road" (music and lyrics by Terry White, performed with the band Cannonball). A Fan's Two Cents: I have to disagree with White's style response. I'm not a musician, but I do appreciate a talented artist who knows how to create a tune worth sharing. I'm not a songwriter, but I do appreciate solid lyrics that create vivid images and make the listener want to sing along. That's how I feel about Terry White's 2012 album, Cannonball Fodder. In "Godmother," the story is sad but sweet as hell (oxymoron intended), "Yourself in History" blows me away with its understated message and beat, and "What's Her Name" has me thinking that Johnny Cash couldn't do a better job. White's music is artful, and art demands more descriptive depth than White's humble reply. Replace "sloppy" with folk-hearted; replace "singer" with crooner; replace "songwriter" with composer. That's it. In my opinion, Terry White's style is that of a folk-hearted crooner and composer. Agree or disagree? Feel free to comment below.
- GHM How did you get started in music? I was writing songs before I bought my first guitar at the age of 13. With two older siblings who were totally into Top40 (Rock ‘n Roll), I was influenced by the beat (music) before any of my friends. I’d fall asleep with a big transistor radio (the size of a shoe box) under my pillow and hear music as far away as Windsor, Canada on CKLW. I knew there was a whole world of music waiting to be discovered and made out there. My parents loved music from Big Bands to Sinatra, from Mario Lanza-Student Prince to Gospel and Polkas. We were always listening to different kinds of music growing up. Who were your influences? All styles and genres of music swayed me, some more than others. I believe they all have something to offer. To say I’m just a Beatles fan or a Ventures fan or Led Zepplin fan, etc., wouldn’t be fair to all the different kinds of music I listen to—Jazz, Blues, Rock, Rock-a-Billy, Country, Big Band, etc. Each type of music has credited me with a variety of sounds. If I had to mention people in general who influenced me, it would be ALL the great musicians I had the privilege to work, watch, and play with in the last 50 years. I’ve learned a lot from them all. How do you describe your style? I try to incite, sway, impel, and stir. Style? Hmmm. I voraciously attack my guitar and vocals, whether it’s a blistering, rockin’ song or a sweet ballad. Raw. Broad. Progressive. It has to be an eclectic sound of motion and music. Keep what works and disregard what doesn’t. What is your favorite part of performing? I'm the type of guy who likes to work a crowd. I love everything about performing. Beyond the smiles, the audience's body language gets to me. Whether it's their obvious enthusiasm by groovin' to the music, or their subtle awareness of a tune with swaying while socializing, being in that music moment with an audience is rewarding, and when they sing along with some of my originals, it’s extremely exciting! What is something surprising about you? A lot of people don’t know that I’m a professional actor. They have seen me on commercials, print work in magazines and billboards, television shows and movies, and have not known it was me, even when I was sitting right next to them. Surprising Tidbits:
DUKES & PEARLSGroup members: Joe Krowka (Guitar/Vocals), Tammy Value (Violin/Vocals), Cliff Killion (Guitar/Vocals), Maggie Dahlberg (Stand-Up Bass/Vocals), Danny Mayor (Drums) How the group originated: Joe, Cliff, and Danny had already played together, and when their most recent band, the Blue Lincolns, went on hiatus, they asked another local musician, Tammy Value, to join them for a St. Paddy's Day gig in March 2015. Maggie soon joined the group, and DUKES & PEARLS was born. Style: DUKES & PEARLS is a hot, exciting band that meshes the sounds of Rock-a-Billy, Country, Modern Retro Twang, Contemporary, and Good Ol' Rock 'n' Roll. Original songs are blended in with standards for a variety of grassroots music.     You might know Ian Leith as the Friendly Tap’s trusty BoozeDay Tuesday host, but he’s on a mission to do more than just play good music. This Berwynite is passionate about the local music scene and hopes to bring attention to the incredible music offerings of the FoOakParkwny area. How did you get started in music? I began playing seriously at 13, but there were always guitars in my home. My mother sang mariachi music, and she would play a little Spanish guitar that I still play to this day. As I got older I would sneak into my brother's room to play his electric guitar and amp. He stopped getting mad at me when he heard me playing songs he liked by Aerosmith and Zep. I played metal with some friends but always made time to practice my acoustic fingerpicking chops. I play guitar, bass and can keep a couple beats on drums, but give me a minute with any instrument, and I’ll give you baa baa black sheep at least. Who are your influences? Daily minutiae of life like dreams, movies, books, family history, loss, fortune, sacred geometry, the serenity of balance. Oh, MUSICAL influences. I try not to mimic, but I find myself admiring and trying not to steal from artists like Paul Simon, Jose Gonzales, Norah Jones, Mike Patton, Tool, Rush, Police, Nick Drake, Josh Kauffman, Patrick Kevil, David Byrne, Danny Elfman… I better stop; this could go on. How do you describe your style? My style….hmm my style. I lived in LA for a few years attempting to be a composer for film and TV, so I was always trying to write completely different songs to fit any scenario. I range from classical to rockabilly to folky to instrumental melancholia. I would say that finger-style guitar is a dominant attribute to my playing style, but I’m on an endless quest of possibilities with that formula. What is your favorite part of performing? When you play the exact right song for the exact right moment. It doesn’t happen that often, but when it does, it’s magic. What is something surprising about you? People might be surprised to learn that I am half-Scottish and half-Mexican. Or that I was almost an eagle scout. A Fan's Two-Cents: I picked up Ian's CD a few days after Friendly Folk Fest 4, and on a rainy afternoon, I slid the disc into my car player. For this writer-at-heart, the driving & listening experience was nothing more than poetic, as the sounds of light hail echoed that finger-style guitar Leith refers to in his interview. His instrumental selection, "Au Contrair," seemed to be backed up by the windshield tings, creating a marriage of melodies that kept me riding with a smile. But it was "Brandice," that sweet and catchy "Brandice," that found the repeat button three times over; it's the kind of song for which you want to know the lyrics. So, when Leith posted his video for this tune, well, it got a lot of hits from this fan. And now I've got the words down pat, and they sing in my head throughout the day. "Brandice, you're a brave little girl/someday you're gonna see the world/ and capture awesome things on cameras/ to fill a million picture frames." I strongly encourage every Friendly supporter to come out to Boozeday Tuesday to see Ian in his element, he never disappoints! -GHM  Get your toes tappin’ and your sway on for a Green Mill experience at Berwyn’s own Friendly Tap. The Packastanleys offers a collaboration between six, unique musicians melding their sounds into a cohesive jazz ensemble. Meet Tim Teclaw, the band’s talented saxophonist who has a personality that shines brighter than his brass. While listening to the Packastanley’s rendition of Duke Ellington’s “C-Jam,” Tim’s energy moves the song, and smiles abound when he and lead guitarist, Gil Wieczorek, move into a horn and string give-and-take, as playful as a game of tag. Though Gil claims shy moments when performing, there’s nothing timid about his solo with a series of picks and strums that vibrates off the walls. Add rhythm guitarist, Bob “Hoya” Anast, into the mix, and the audience feels blessed by a musical embrace. Crossing paths at Friendly Tap years ago, Tim (a lifelong Oak Parker and veteran teacher at Morton West High School) and Hoya (another local resident and former drummer for “Dawn and the Knights”) found that their connection ran deeper than their locale—their music meshed. The two started practicing together and soon Gil (a Northlake resident who was invited to an open jam and ended up jammin' with Tim and Hoya) joined in. “C-Jam” continues, and this time bass player Cliff Killion’s sound makes its way front and center; his heartbeatific thumps draw this listener’s eyes to a close to experience the pulse of each pluck and vibe. Again, the sax enters along with the picks and strums until a light cymbal brushes against the echo. Ben Tucker's “Comin’ Home” brings percussionist Sean Cassin into the limelight as he goes solo with a heavy beat and follows up with hushed tings, and Charlie Parker’s “Ornithology” coos and warbles like the master Bird intended with classic keyboardist, Erin Spear, keeping perfect tempo and adding a touch of feminine complexity. “I lived in the apartment upstairs and heard these guys. One day I just came down and asked if they’d mind if I played,” says Killion (who once performed at the Palmer House with the OPRF Stand Up Bass Symphony Orchestra, is currently in several bands, and also teaches bass and guitar at the Friendly School of Folk Music). When Sean, another regular, inquired about adding a drummer to the group (a self-taught musician who created Erfbeats, an ongoing electronic music project), the blend worked. Then, “Hoya got to talking to my mom at the Tap one night, and my name came up,” said the only female member. Minoring in music at Illinois Wesleyan, Erin Spear has her roots in Oak Park, and that seems to be the common thread that brought together these unlikely musicians. However, it’s their passion for recognizable jazz that brought harmony to the Packastanleys.
** Name origin: The Packastanleys was affectionately named by longtime patron, Dickie Jamison, when referring to the original group of predominantly Polish gentlemen. The last tune I hear is the band’s version of a song from Sound of Music. It’s upbeat, whimsical, catchy— a selection that would work best with a glass of wine and dancing, candlelight shadows. As the players pack up their instruments, I find myself grateful for the opportunity to meet this crew and sit in on a rehearsal. I encourage you to come on out to hear the joy of Packastanleys, because they just might become one of your “favorite things.” - GHM |
July 2017
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