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Ross Thorn performs at Glensheen on Aug. 21. Photos by Jill Fisher.

Carmody was abuzz on Tuesday, Aug. 20. It was the 52nd Tuesday night that Bruce Woodman and the Time-Outs have performed at the Irish Pub, along with a revolving set of musicians who have sat in with him on these evenings. 

Woodman usually begins these weekly jam session at 9 pm in order to accommodate the schedules of service industry workers who get off work late and typically have Monday and Tuesday off. Plus he says “who never sleep.”  

Those invited and performed included favorite local talents (Paul Metsa, Misisipi Mike Wolf, the Mahon brothers, Lee Martin, Teague Alexy, Steve Solkela, et al). 

This evening began at the much earlier hour of 5:30 pm with several young talents new to the Twin Ports music scene kicking it off.

Among these younger folks was Ashe Berton, who grew up in Merrill, Wis., but who fairly recently relocated here from Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Although she has been here only since this past January, she’s played gigs with Austin Castle since May. 

Accompanying herself on both acoustic guitar she sang her original song “Zugunruhe” in a lovely, lilting voice that sounded much like Sonja Martin’s. She also played keys. I will look forward to seeing her again.

Yuya Mix

Another new voice was Will “YuYa” Mix who moved to Duluth from Sioux City, South Dakota. He told me that he wanted to get out of there and it was either Omaha or Duluth! He’s been around for three years now, surprising to me since this is the first I’ve heard of him. I think we are the lucky ones, for he has a strong, distinctive voice and engaging stage presence, playing acoustic guitar and harmonica. He really put it all out there. I will definitely keep him on my music radar. 

Two other folks who took the stage early on this evening were Cole Forcier and John Saaristo (AKA Yellow Cloud Rising). Both of these young men would be worthy of hearing more from in the future. I couldn’t stay to listen to the entire extensive lineup, since lots was happening on this Tuesday evening, but there were even more performers I haven’t seen before. Perhaps I’ll manage to stay out late enough some Tuesday and rectify this situation in the months ahead.

The following evening, Wednesday, Aug. 21, Ross Thorn headlined Glensheen’s Concert on the Pier. It was one of the loveliest summer evenings one could ever wish for in Duluth. Certainly not very hot—73 degrees—but sunny with the colors of the clear sky reflecting on the water. Surrounding the pier were vessels of all types, the most I’ve ever seen, floating and/or anchored, to hear the concert. The boaters revealed their appreciation by tooting their horns.

Much is expected of Thorn, who received the 2023 Palomino Award, presented annually by Trampled By Turtles. Thorn did not disappoint on this evening. Backed by his top-notch band of fine musicians poached from other bands (Jacob Mahon, banjo; Nate Hynum, mandolin; Cliff Nesseth, fiddle; Jen Krussow, standup bass), he was in fine form. 

Thorn began his performance with an emotional rendition of “Edmund Fitzgerald” followed quickly by the frisky tune “Sweet Corn Shuffle.”  

Alternating between sad ballads and jaunty ditties, he commented that folk music has always been political and prefaced his song “Gimme A Coin” by saying “the rich keep getting’ richer, then there’s death.” "Mariner's Lament" was another of Thorn's originals.  

Chatty and joking, he sprinkled his original compositions amongst a few covers that included “Old Black Train” by Woody Guthrie, a talkin’ Conway Twitty number, “Hello Darlin,” and John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery.” 

Also sung was Jacob Mahon’s original composition “Another Day in Paradise.”  When Jacob was asked to comment on it, he responded “in the key of C.” 

Toward the end of the set was a special, if somewhat silly, song “Can I Pet That Dog?” Those were the only lyrics; the audience was encouraged to sing along. A young lady, April, joined the band to play percussion on it with whisk and mugs.

Since I was late in arriving at the Pier I missed seeing most of Life Parade’s opening set. However, I heard  lead singer Cameron Mathew singing the Beatles’ “I’ve Got A Feeling” to great effect. That guy has a unique voice and I hope to hear more of him in the future.  

The Jayhawks

Next up, on Thursday, Aug. 22, The Jayhawks, a Minneapolis-based band, performed at the West Theatre. It was a concert I hated to miss but fortunately they played outdoors at Silver Bay’s Music in the Park the following evening and what a pleasant summer evening it was. 

The band is cited as “one of the most enduring and beloved bands of the last 30 years” which accounts for its dedicated following. 

The show at the West was sold out and by all accounts was great. On this evening they drew the largest crowd I’ve yet seen at Silver Bay’s City Park. The four-member band is currently comprised of Gary Louris (electric guitar), Marc Perlman (bass guitar), Karen Grotberg (keys) and Tim O’Reagan (drums). All of them sing – that’s always good for variety.

The Jayhawks have been around since the mid-1980s, have had 10other rotating members since it was formed, and a long list of original songs recorded on 11 albums released since 1986. The band has toured extensively both nationally and internationally. 

Since this was the first time I’ve heard them and not having researched them prior to this concert (typical for me) my expectations were off the mark. I thought perhaps they were hard-driving rock and rollers. Not so, as I lately discovered, they have been labeled alt-country and country rock. Really? 

I couldn’t hear a whole lot of “country” in their performance. Rather, their original music struck me as laid back pop/soft rock. Most of the songs they performed (all original) were off four of their albums: Tomorrow The Green Grass (1995), Smile (2000), Rainy Day Music (2003) and Xoxo (2020). 

The crowd was ecstatic, calling out requests for their favorite tunes. And after prolonged applause, the group responded to the encore and performed three of them (all of them far more upbeat): “Save It For A Rainy Day,” “Bad Time To Be In Love” and “Last Cigarette.” This last number was the most country sounding with some nice honky-tonk riffs. 

A friend assured me their recordings are great, so I just might have to do some closer listening to this well-regarded band.

The week’s musical grand finale for me was “Cookin’ At The O,” a jazz dinner concert at the Oldenburg House in Carlton that featured the wife and husband team of Jennifer Grimm and Joe Cruz. But it wasn’t just them, drummer Glenn Swanson (co-owner of OH with his wife Emily) together with pianist Ryan Frane and standup bassist Gordon Lewis backed them up. 

Jennifer Grimm and Joe Cruz

You may recall that Frane and Lewis played in the Kind of Blue candlelight concert at the West back on June 13. They were just as fabulous this time around. Lewis was terrific on several bass solos.

Cruz was mesmerizing in his guitar solos. which included some alluring Spanish flamenco licks, while Grimm provided searing vocals. Her first number, “On The Street Where You Live,” which tuned us in to her big voice as well as her humor as she added lyrics suggesting the creepiness of some so-called admirer hanging out in the vicinity of one’s abode and calling the song “the stalkers’ national anthem.” 

Grimm’s comments about those flamenco tunes leading to the birth of their son also caused lots of laugher. 

On “Bésame Mucho” (Spanish for “Kiss Me A Lot,” one of the most important songs in the history of Latin music) Grimm held a beautiful note longer than I’ve ever heard anyone. She ended it with the slightest controlled vibrato which inspired lengthy applause.

The 1965 hit song “”Ooh Baby Baby” by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles got a jazz treatment, supplemented by everyone singing along on the chorus. It was followed up by Irving Berlin’s classic 1935 “Cheek To Cheek,” a jazz number written specifically for Fred Astair (dancing with Ginger Rogers). The group was definitely showing off the versatility of jazz. 

Then Cruz performed his original “Arizona Moon,” a hauntingly beautiful instrumental that had something of a calypso beat. 

Joe Cruz

Finishing off the first set, Grimm explained that there’s a genre within a genre called “vocalese” and demonstrated it with the Billie Holiday tune, “All of Me.” A standing ovation from the attendees at the break tells you all you need to know about the quality of this night’s performance. And there was more to come!

The break allowed us to eat a delicious dinner and chat with our tablemates before the second set began with another Spanish number (couldn’t catch the title of that). Grimm’s own composition “Minneapolis and St. Paul” was her contribution to songs about specific cities. It was quite nice and deserves to be in Minnesota musicians’ repertoires. 

The song “Our Love Is Here To Stay” by George and Ira Gershwin was next followed by the jazz standard, “Embraceable You,” also by the Gershwins and recorded by Judy Garland, one of Grimm’s vocal influences. On this piece Frane improvised a long piano solo that was very well received. 
Grimm elicited more laughs with her comments about dedicating “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” to the son she was (previously) pregnant with. 

By way of demonstrating her musical versatility and abilities as a vocal impressionist/impersonator, Grimm sang “Crazy” in the manner of several female vocalists – Patsy Cline, Cher, Dolly Parton, Judy Garland and Christina Aguilera! That was amazing. And she can whistle too, as she did at length on one the last numbers causing the Swansons’ dog, Sukie, to bark to the delight of all, including Grimm who quickly noted it was a duet!

I can’t praise this musical event enough – from Cruz singing “Norwegian Wood” and Grimm’s rendition of “What’s It All About Alfie?” to the sublime bass playing by Lewis and cool percussion by Swanson, it was simply a superb evening that has cemented my addiction to jazz. 

Upcoming: You can bet I won’t miss The Tannahill Weavers at the West on Wednesday, Sept. 4, nor should anyone who, like me, adores the sound of bagpipes. Here’s what the Winnipeg Free Press had to say about this band: “The music may be pure old time Celtic, but the drive and enthusiasm are akin to straight ahead rock and roll.”  

Have it good this Labor Day Weekend – remember to thank the laborers!