I couldn’t let the opportunity to go out and see my old friend Ivan Wilson play, despite the fact that he was not utilizing his familiar stand-up bass, but instead playing lead acoustic guitar for the lovely and talented Courtney Daly. I ventured out to the Mexican place in scenic downtown Ringgold, Los Reyes. It is located behind the Cracker Barrel and next to the Holiday Inn Express.
Courtney sings about any and every cover song on earth, and does them well. While I was used to Ivan playing his famous Willie Nelson stand-up bass (It resembles Willie’s old guitar in the sense that it has a scratch or two on it and looks like it has seen better days, but sounds great, especially when Ivan plays it) In this duo setting, Ivan shows he is multi-talented, playing lead on a beautiful Martin guitar. The crowd made a few requests, and Courtney and Ivan handled them with ease.
They will be at Becky’s, which is right across the road from the Sugar’s BBQ on the side of Missionary Ridge, tonight. Tomorrow night they will appear at Hamilton’s in Dalton, right there in the historic district. It’s a fun time, so you may want to give them a try this weekend. They often have great guest performers, so you might even get an extra surprise.
For more info, just click on https://www.facebook.com/courtney.smithdaly and make friends with Courtney. Ivan lives in the 16th century and has yet to discover the internet.
New Year’s Eve celebrations are planned everywhere and for a complete list of the festivities, check back here on Monday. Also planned for the next couple weeks is my 5th Annual Chattanooga Music Awards. There are some new folks on the list this year, so be ready to find out which acts I enjoyed the most in 2012. Also included are the Chattanooga Music Hall of Fame announcements, recognizing those folks who have given us great music spanning at least 3 different decades.
These are among my highest read columns, most controversial, and my most dreaded writing task for the year.
There is live music in every corner of this great city – tonight, tomorrow and every night! Go out and have a great meal, appetizer, or a drink and have a great time supporting our hard working local musicians. Your support is what keeps music alive in Chattanooga. Without your support, the silence will be deafening.
For local music info, try www.chattanoogaentertainers.com or www.chattanooganightscope.com. They both have great local music info and schedules. For whlocal info on Country music, try Jim Boles’ site www.chattacountry.ning.com.
Email Bob Payne at davrik2000@yahoo.com or catch him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/davrik2000 .
Bob Payne
- Photo2 by Ivan