Metro Pulse Online: Eye on the Scene

Local CD Review
Robinella and the CC String Band (Big Gulley Records)

We know the CC String Band will be successful; we just don't want it to be too awfully soon, because we won't be able to see them free at Barley's or Union Jack's. We're selfish that way.

This band, which has no peer in this area, has been astonishing local nightclubbers for several months. They flabbergasted a bluegrass audience who showed up at the old WNOX Auditorium at Whittle Springs last summer and got a stronger ovation than some of the bigger stars the folks came to see.

This young family band is composed of Cruz Contreras on mandolin, soprano Robinella Contreras on vocals, Taylor Coker on bass, and Billy Contreras on fiddle. Billy's just a teenager, but you wouldn't guess it from his elegantly confident style, which can remind you of Stephan Grappelli.

Not exactly bluegrass, the Contrerases play something that might best be described as old-time string jazz. They did throw a little country-sounding stuff in here, as if to appease the record stores who will always file all string bands in the country section anyway, but there's really more torchy jazz than anything. It's urbane music with a country accent.

How many string bands do you know who cover Ellington? The Duke's minor-key Mid-East mood piece, "Caravan" is on here, an instrumental. Sure, the Southern Appalachian classic "White Lightnin'" is on here, but it's done slowly, as if it's a torch song.

There's more of those than any single genre here, standards like "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me" and "Love Me Or Leave Me" and a very bluesy version of "In the Dark."

In fact, the closest thing we noticed to a country song is the opener, "Feelin' Good." But if you want to believe it's country, be sure you don't read the songwriting credit. It was penned by Anthony Newley and Lewis Bricusse, who wrote Broadway hits in the '60s. (If that's not strange enough to contemplate, remember that Newley, the British pop star, was an influence on David Bowie.)

Robinella Contreras sings as if she were on the verge of a giggle. She sings not perfectly, but affectingly; even when slightly off-key, her soprano voice, just this side of Allison Krauss, has a quality to it that stops you in your tracks.

Then, the longest cut is a fine mandolin version of "Wave," the Bossa Nova tune by Carlos Antonio Jobim. (If you've never heard the piece, you were never in a swanky hotel lobby in the '60s.) The late Jobim would be proud of this version.

It's one of only a couple of breathers Robinella Contreras gets on this record, one of which is her husband Cruz's own composition, the near-bluegrass instrumental, "Chilhowee Rumble."

This is CC's first album, and a wonderful piece of work. My only complaint is that it's too short; the whole thing's over in barely over half an hour. You wish you could listen to it all night, and maybe you do. But you can still go to Barley's for that, too.

Live Shot
Pegasi 51 (Sat., Feb. 12, 2000)

The classy yet dank loft over Patrick Sullivan's Saloon is hosting rock shows once again, and last week's performance by Pegasi 51 proved that Patrick's really could be a feasible venue.

Being oh so hip (and not being able to tear myself away from the engaging thrall of the Internet), I didn't arrive at the show until the bewitching hour of midnight, thus missing the opening acts. I did manage to hear most of Pegasi 51's performance, and the band just seems to get better and better. Its post-post-punk sound mixes the influence of seminal gloom band, Joy Division with occasional metallic tendencies and a reverbed-out, swampy guitar sound that is oddly reminiscent of the Gun Club or Scientist.

There were also some welcome changes at Patrick's. It seems that the guys in Pegasi had brought along a good P.A. system, so the sound was good in there for once. And it was nice to see people actually dancing to a band for a change instead of having to dodge teenage males who are intent on running in a circle, bashing heads, and spilling everybody's beer. I hope this dancing angle continues.

Another highlight of the evening's festivities was an impromptu rave/sermon by Reverend Jack. To his credit, Jack did a spoken word bit that was actually engaging, funny, and didn't go on too long. Unlike the usual dreck that passes for spoken performance, there was no talk of personal demons, teenage suicides, or black souls. Instead, the right reverend delivered a short rant about how mortals have it better than vampires, punctuated by drum rolls and cymbal crashes by Pegasi's drummer for comic effect.

Just Do It

Thursday: Mac Daddies at Hawkeye's. Get the weekend rolling with some foot-stomping swamp sounds.

Friday: Sara Jordan at KMA Live After Five and/or Sassy Ann's. The Queen of Blues gives it up twice for your listening enjoyment. You have no excuse.

Saturday: Knoxville Speed Game. We like hockey. We really do. The blood. The sticks. The speed. Plus, a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Columbus Home, a shelter for abused and neglected kids. Then, The Boogeymen at The Spot. We like them. We really, really like their blend of blues-y, jazz-y, rock-y sounds. Really.

Sunday: Atomic City Rhythm Rascals at Borders.Coffee, a paper, some Appalachian soul, and thou.

Monday: Ebony Image Art Show at Oak Ridge Art Center. African-American work takes the stage in that nuclear town.

Tuesday: Einstein Simplified at Manhattan's. Fast becoming a Tuesday improv. comedy tradition.

Wednesday: Have a happy hump day.

—Zippy "Don't ever spill my beer" McDuff