The legendary Laurie Lewis comes to Colorado with her band, the Right Hands
by Laura "Spunky" McGaughey
(Note: ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED in the July, 2008 issue of
Pow'r Pickin' magazine, the official publication of the Colorado Bluegrass Music Society,
www.coloradobluegrass.org. Reprinted with permission.)
On the morning I pick up the phone to call
Laurie Lewis, she's off the road and back at home in Berkeley, working in her garden. I ask her what she's growing and she tells me: tomatoes, romano beans, fava beans, squash, corn, basil, lettuce. Delighting in the deliciousness of garden-fresh food, I chuckle to her, "You're making me hungry!" and we have a great laugh together.
Speaking with someone like Lewis, who is one of the most iconic women in the history of Americana and bluegrass, I honestly felt a little nervous. I'm not only a fan but an admirer of her as a trailblazer for female musicians. As we began to talk, her kind, gentle nature put me at ease-she's a person with whom you can easily build a rapport.
During her 30-year career, Lewis has won a Grammy (1997's
True Life Blues: The Songs of Bill Monroe) and been named Female Vocalist of the Year twice by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA). Ask anyone in the industry about her and you're bound to hear nothing but the greatest of compliments. Most are quick to talk about her unsurpassed professional reputation and admire her for her positive influence and unique talent as one of the top female artists of our time.
Laurie Lewis will be touring this summer with her band, the Right Hands, making stops in Denver on July 11 at Swallow Hill Music Association, and at Westcliffe's High Mountain Hay Fever on July 12 and 13. We spoke of her connection to the Denver area, as she was part of the burgeoning folk scene, back when the Denver Folklore Center (DFC) produced the shows that became the catalyst for Swallow Hill's birth.
Her sister lives in Boulder and one night suggested they see a show at the DFC. The band appearing was the Drifting Ramblers, which featured future Hot Rize member Charles Sawtelle. (Consequently, Swallow Hill's recording studio, Sawtelle Studio, is named after him.) Lewis had her fiddle with her and he noticed her.
"I see you have a fiddle. Would you like to play with us?" Sawtelle asked, to which Lewis replied, "How do you know if I'm any good?" Sawtelle said it didn't matter, as the crowd, as most DFC crowds, wasn't all that large. She took him up on the offer and got on stage. She tells me that, to this day, she wasn't sure if he invited her because she was a young, blonde chick fiddler (I could see the smirk on her face over the phone), but it began a lifelong friendship between the two.
In 1994, as Sawtelle battled with leukemia, he called Lewis to ask if she'd produce his solo album. The project had to be finished posthumously as he succumbed to the disease in 1999. The result was
Music from Rancho deVille, a 16-song CD with music ranging from Cajun to bluegrass, packaged with a booklet full of photos and memories of Sawtelle's colorful life.
Lewis says he was "important in lots of people's lives," and as we discuss her return to the community at which they met, I ask her if she anticipates feeling any sort of nostalgia or poignancy. Lewis says she's sure she'll feel something, as she does "live with him" quite a bit, and that being here will probably make him even more present.
Talking about these experiences and memories, we begin to delve into the subject of how musicians, fans and the music itself create a community unlike any other. "Music," Lewis says, "isn't just a technical thing-it's a lifestyle choice." There is a sense of community that comes through communicating and relating through music, she goes on to say. Lewis is active in mentoring young musicians through several ways: coaching bands, producing demos and CDs, participating in music camps. "It's really exciting," she says as she marvels about the talent of young musicians with whom she's worked.
When I ask about her band, the Right Hands, Lewis declares "I love them!" Tom Rozum, who has been her singing partner for 20 years now and also plays a mean mandolin, is the "closest I'll ever get to a sibling sound," she says, reflecting on how none of her biological siblings have ever sung with her. Their 1996 album,
The Oak and the Laurel, was nominated for a Grammy.
Also in the band is Todd Phillips on bass, who was an original member of the David Grisman Quintet and who, in Lewis' opinion, is at the forefront of expanding string bass in bluegrass and acoustic-related music. "I feel honored to have him," she says. There's also Craig Smith on banjo. A legend among his fellow banjo players, Smith leads a "quiet career" as a teacher in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Last but not least is Scott Huffman, who was introduced to the band by Phillips when the Right Hands' then-guitarist, Peter McLaughlin, couldn't make some of the shows during a tour due to the impending birth of one of his children. After McLaughlin decided to part ways with the band, Huffman became a permanent member. "He's one of North Carolina's best-kept musical secrets," she says.
She adds, "I'm happy to be in the Denver area again. I have close ties with the area." Coloradoans, no doubt, feel the same way.
Get tickets to see Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands at Swallow Hill on Friday, July 11 by visiting www.swallowhillmusic.org or by calling 303-777-1003. Swallow Hill Music Association is located at 71 East Yale Avenue (just off Broadway) in Denver.