Last weekend was fun. Friday night we went to Nightfall to hear Claire Lynch, and the Bluegrass Pharaohs. After Nightfall we were feeling the intenseness of the scooter invasion in Chattanooga, so we decided to head out to the more tepid and conservative crowd at the tattoo convention. That was fun, but I decided against adding to my collection of one. From there, we went to see The Velcro Pygmies at the Pavilion. It was a great show, and according to my audiologist, I should have my hearing back in a few days. Huh? What? Saturday night we found an oasis in the desert – Christabel and The Jons at Barking Legs Theatre. (See review, below) It was soooo nice. Sunday, I went to the Chattanooga Market to get my usual 4 homegrown tomatoes and to listen to some great music. All in all, it was a relaxing weekend.

Back to Saturday. Getting to spend a half hour on the phone with the legendary Merle Haggard made me really appreciate my job as a music writer. Getting to see and hear the performance of Christabel And The Jons at the Barking Legs Theater Saturday made me appreciate my job as a music critic and lover of music.

I was there early and caught their sound check. I already had heard their CD and this opportunity reinforced the reason why this is one high quality recording. The sound check was interesting in that it gave me insight into the level of musical perfection these artists strive to achieve. The result was a perfect match of their particular sound and the studio quality sound system at Barking Legs Theater.

It’s a bit hard to put their music into a certain genre. I suppose one could call it a sultry, Southern swing sound. This Knoxville based band calls Chattanooga their second home, playing here often. Christa DeCicco fronts the band and plays acoustic guitar most of the time, but also played the banjo and the accordion. Seth Hopper plays mandolin, trumpet, accordion and Violin. John Whitlock plays drums, and Vince Ilagan plays the upright bass. DeCiccio does the lead vocals, with background vocals by Hopper and Whitlock.

When listening to this band, I could immediately transport my mind to another place and another time. I found myself in the 1930’s, maybe at a speakeasy in Chicago. This band dresses the part, too. The beautiful Christa DeCicco had a pretty dress on, with a string of pearls and a spray of baby’s breath and small pearls in her hair. The gentlemen wore suits and ties, with two of the guys wearing fedoras. I half expected Elliot Ness and Al Capone to be sitting in the room with me. DeCicco’s voice is crystal clear, sultry and with a hint of southern belle.

They performed mostly original tunes from their CD and upcoming new CD, but did do a few covers. My favorite was the George Gershwin song “Summertime”. Is it a coincidence that this song was originally done in 1935? I think not. St. James Infirmary was another cover, also made famous in 1928 by Louie Armstrong. This band masterfully covered both songs. I could go on and on, but your best bet is to listen to their music at click here. Or even better, go see them live! They will be at JJ’s Bohemia on September 11, so mark your calendar.

This weekend, I will be a judge in the “Chattanooga Idol” competition Saturday at The Colonnade in Fort Oglethorpe, right off Battlefield Parkway. The winner gets a guaranteed audition before the American Idol producers in Jacksonville on August 13. Contestants must be between 16 and 28 years of age. For more details, go to click here. You must bring legal ID to prove age, and if under 18, must be accompanied by a parental unit or legal guardian that has proof of guardianship. If you know anyone who can sing well, and they are in the target age group, tell them to come out and maybe they will be on the next American Idol!

Live! In Chattanooga

Thursday, July 31

Rhythm & Brews – Brad Passons, with Emily Grace

The Palms at Hamilton – Gentleman’s Jazz Quartet

Midtown Music Hall – Channing Wilson

T-Bones – Pee Wee Moore

Chattanooga Live on WAWL 91.5 with Host Bob Payne

Friday, August 1

Nightfall at Miller Park – Dumpstaphunk, River View Assault

Rhythm & Brews – Who’s Bad (Michael Jackson Tribute Band)

Table 2 – Live Jazz by the Ben Friberg Trio (Jazz)

Market Street Tavern – RiverView Assault

Buds – Roger Alan Wade

Blues Train Café Dalton – Buckner Brothers

T-Bones – Mudville Mafia

Deadwood Station – Austin Earl

Saturday, August 2

Barking Legs Theatre – Bruce Baldassari Benefit, with the Dismembered Tennesseans, Lou Wamp, and many more musicians! 8 p.m.

Charles & Myrtles – Ron Fetner

T-Bones – Bud Lightning

Riverfront Nights @ Ross’s Landing – Randy Pavlock

Rhythm & Brews – 8OZ Enuff

Blues Train Café Dalton – Cherry Vendetta

Midtown Music Hall – Behind the Sun (Red Hot Chili Peppers Tribute)

Market Street Tavern – The Dirty Guv’nuhs

Deadwood Station – The Mudville Mafia

Snowhill Bluegrass Jamboree – Corner of Snow Hill Rd and Mahan Gap Rd. 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Sunday, August 3

Chattanooga Market – Kylie Harris, Jennifer Brantley, Dana Rogers

Deadwood Station – Shani Hedden Group

Tuesday, August 5

Table 2 – Live Jazz by the Ben Friberg Trio (Jazz)

Wednesday, August 6

Rhythm & Brews – AutoVaughn, with the Cringe and Traces ARC

Market Street Tavern – Live Jazz by the Ben Friberg Trio (Jazz)

Buds – Mudville Mafia

To have your venue’s live event listed, just email us at davrik@aol.com

See You There!