Each month guitar picker and Webmaster
Bob Howe brings you the latest Country Music happenings on the
Internet.You can surf your way from month to month, or why not bookmark the main index for the complete contents! Why not join our mailing list below for notification of each new column? |
"ABC of WWW"
![]() ALECYE SIMMONDS A is also for Aleyce: When the TELSTRA ROAD TO TAMWORTH Grand Final was in full swing, it wasn't just the sell-out crowd at West Tamworth League Club watching the event. Country music fans around the world were logged on to watch the high quality Webcast and see who would be the winner and three top-flight Nashville recording executives were also watching on-line, joining the expert local industry judges who were at the show. With the aid of this hi-tech hook-up, they decided that ALEYCE SIMMONDS would be catapulted towards stardom. At her first Web page, you can find out about Aleyce's many early achievements, and we'll all look forward to following her exciting progress in the future at her own brand new site. B is for Bella: Karen O'Shea, Kate Ballantyne and Lyn Bowtell now have a stylish combined Website, as befits their double Golden Guitar winning group BELLA. Find out about their new album Gravity and enjoy a good selection of their videos and television appearances which you can view on-line. C is for Chambers: On the night of the 33rd Toyota Golden Guitar Awards, fans of KASEY CHAMBERS (affectionately known as Swarmies, after the name of Kasey's Message Board) were on-line to congratulate her after each of the three Golden Guitars she collected. The Swarmies are a dedicated crew who regularly tip each other off about Kasey events and help newcomers become initiated into the Kasey experience. Here at the Cowboys In Cyberspace site we'll be providing you with links to all the post-Tamworth Festival photos, reports and video replays that appear in the next few weeks. More links... |
DVD REVIEW
Any country leanings in the work of NORAH JONES are definitely amplified here on this DVD, filmed live at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. No forced emphasis though, just a natural rustic, down-home feel brought to the fore by several well chosen cover versions (Gram Parsons, John Prine) and interesting guest artists. DOLLY PARTON comes along to reprise their duet Creepin' In which is nominated for a country collaboration Grammy this month. Larger than life and in fine form, Dolly certainly breaks the mellow tone of the concert and almost steals the show! Norah by contrast, is laidback and still slightly bemused when the audience recognises the intros to her own songs, despite her swag of Grammys and multi-platinum awards. All this before she even hits her mid-twenties, which happens on the last date of her forthcoming Australasian tour.
THE HANDSOME BAND is no mere back-up group and in the band bio section we learn how they evolved into the organic unit that not only plays her music but also writes many of the songs. Other extras include rehearsals and outtakes, a day on the road and a look at the guitarists' arsenal of instruments. The concert highlight is her singing in trio with GILLIAN WELCH and DAVID RAWLINGS on the Townes Van Zandt song Loretta. Gorgeous.
Blue Note (EMI) 123 Mins |
Until next time, happy surfing!
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each month on the radio waves with
Barbara Morison
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and listen for Big Bob from Bondi every Saturday night with
John Nutting on Saturday Night Country (your Local ABC Radio and the Web).

