As 2023 ends, this writer will also take his leave. Since 2005, I’ve written mostly about acoustic music primarily in the Barre-Montpelier area, but also about musicians and musical events closer to Rutland. It’s been a fun ride. To sum up my 18 years writing about music for The Times Argus and Rutland Herald, I’d say Vermont is a very nurturing and giving state for musicians of all stripes, but, in my case, this is especially true for acoustic traditional music.
Few musicians in Vermont make enough income to support themselves solely via their music. The ones that come to mind, Phish, Grace Potter and Anaïs Mitchell, are super-talented people whose ambitions made them national stars. For most of the musicians I’ve met and reviewed in these pages, a solid weekend gig was enough. They had day jobs and families and preferred not to tour.
The state also has a number of excellent music venues, which feature local and national talent. The Barre Opera House, under the direction for many years of Dan Casey, brought top acts to the area as part of its long-running Celebration Series. In Rutland, the Paramount Theatre has also been a strong music venue. But there are others including small clubs such as the Whammy Bar in Maple Corner, Calais, The Den at Harry’s in Cabot being examples of very small rooms, often packed by locals who appreciate not having to drive long distances to catch local talent.
We also have a goodly number of professional-grade recording studios, where musicians can create their albums. During my years writing about music I’ve listened to and reviewed hundreds of local albums. I must report that the great majority of these recordings were professionally done and worthy of mass exposure and listening. Often these studios are run by musicians who found the recording environment more to their liking than playing gigs. I wonder how many states can boast a recording studio in such far-flung locations like South Lincoln, where Kristina Stykos runs her Pepperbox Studio. One of the most popular studios in central Vermont is run by Colin McCaffrey at his home in East Montpelier.
Vermonters are adapters and make the best use of whatever space is available to them to perform or record. We are also very appreciative of the people who make music here. We will support musicians who are new to us because the Vermont imprimatur means something good is being presented. We’re such a small state that performers can build an audience because there are folks eager to hear new and, especially, homegrown talent.
In 2005, I instituted the Tammie Awards (Times Argus/Rutland Herald) Grammies. Today, the production of CDs by national and local performers is way down as streaming has supplanted the sale of albums in acoustic and popular music. This trend has hurt our local performers’ bottom line, but many continue to release CDs. As a result, we received few albums to review.
As I close up shop, rather than award a Tammie for 2023 I’d like to acknowledge some of the notable performers and others in the Vermont music world for their achievements:
— Patti Casey, of Montpelier, has sung on many albums solo and with groups. She is the female voice of Vermont. Perhaps her most memorable performance was on the steps of the Capitol singing the day the new statue of Ceres was raised in November 2018.
— Keith Murphy and Becky Tracy are the linchpins of acoustic music in the Brattleboro area, along with singer-fiddler Lisa Schneckenburger.
— Taryn Noelle from Stowe gets a nod for her recordings. She’s not Americana, rather more a club and theater voice, although she also sings with Rick Norcross and the Ramblers, a Texas swing band. She’s brought some uptown to Vermont.
— Norcross and his band are noted for their music which has received national attention and awards. They have been around for decades and show no signs of slowing down.
— Spencer Lewis, from Bethel, has shown that a violin, a guitar, and a musical vision can maintain a career now into its fifth decade. Lewis’ sound is singular and iconic.
— Dana Robinson from Cabot is a fine solo performer and in duo with his wife Susan. But his major contribution to Vermont music in recent years is as a music promoter for the town of Cabot as head of Cabot Arts. He’s brought musical acts, festivals and a regular old-time jam to this town noted internationally for its cheese.
— Colin McCaffrey from East Montpelier is a multi-instrumentalist who performs with a variety of groups and has several solo albums. However, his best contribution to Vermont music is as a record producer and engineer. He’s the go-to person for acoustic music recordings in central Vermont and beyond.
— Banjo Dan and the Mid-nite Plowboys retired as a working bluegrass band several years ago after a career that began in the 1970s. Their influence on Vermont has been laudable. The Lindner brothers, Dan and Willy, along with their bandmates were able to translate southern bluegrass music into a New England vernacular and helped popularize bluegrass in Vermont.
— Mark Legrand, a country singer-songwriter from Montpelier has released several albums that bring social awareness to country music. His smooth baritone makes him one of the most talented local performers in this genre.
— Dave Keller, from Montpelier, has been the voice of the blues in Vermont more than 25 years. He’s released a number of fine albums and performs nationally. His songs also have a social consciousness aspect.
We also lost several outstanding performers throughout the years I’ve been writing. We should fondly remember fiddlers Pete Sutherland, David Carpenter, Mark DiStefano and David Kaynor. Each in their own way and style, they helped grow Vermont’s and New England’s interest in old-time fiddling.
Banjo virtuoso Gordon Stone, formerly of the Pine Island String Band left us too soon. Franco-American singer Martha Pellerin, and singer-songwriter Rachel Bissex are gone. Each had a singular sound and strong following.
I’m sure I’ve left off many worthy musicians in this short list of notables. As I put down my keyboard for this final column, I simply want to thank all the musicians and promoters who made my job writing about Vermont’s acoustic music community so pleasurable.
