Denver, Davis and a little disappointment

by Chris Aaland

For whatever reason, John Denver is a polarizing figure in American roots music annals. From his early days in the Mitchell Trio and his seminal hit “Leaving on a Jet Plane” to his string of highly acclaimed albums as a solo artist in the 1970s, he was one of the top songwriters of his generation. Tunes like “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” and, of course, “Rocky Mountain High,” stand the test of time. But much like compatriot Jimmy Buffett in the ’70s, Denver fell victim to questionable PR moves. Bob Dylan and the Muppets wouldn’t have been a good mix. The same goes for Denver, which is sad. The ill-fated career moves, while introducing him to countless new fans, cost him street cred. Then again, even Kiss sold action figurines and lunch boxes at its peak. Thanks, Gene.

Lest we forget, Denver was a spokesman for his generation. Long after the political activists of the ’60s quieted down, Denver caught fire. He performed charity events to tackle world hunger and countless environmental issues and was among the first to acknowledge the African AIDS crisis. He lashed out at the Reagan administration, the National Rifle Association and — in an odd yet brilliant alignment with Frank Zappa and Dee Snider of Twisted Sister — the PMRC’s campaign to censor music.

John Denver was a champion.

He died piloting an experimental aircraft in 1997 off the coast of California. In doing so, we were deprived a powerful voice that would have sounded off during the political unrest of the past decade.

While Denver may have been silenced, his words and music weren’t. The John Adams Band brings “John Denver: The Tribute” to the Community Concert Hall at 7 p.m. Saturday. Ever since Denver’s death, Adams has been committed to keeping the songs alive, performing the iconic artist’s material true to its original intent and sound to audiences across the globe. As a high schooler in the early 1970s, Adams was in a Dutch cover band performing songs by the Beatles and other European rock acts when he discovered Denver. Enamored with the man’s music as well as his humanitarian and environmental efforts, he dedicated his life to the poet. He even had the opportunity to perform with Denver more than a dozen times.

Robin Davis has been a fixture of the local music scene for more than a decade, performing in such outfits as the Broke Mountain Bluegrass Band, Wayword Sons and, currently, Waiting on Trial. A multi-instrumentalist whose chops on mandolin, fiddle and guitar have caused acclaimed Nashville bands to come calling numerous times, Davis always finds his way back home. His latest outfit, the Robin Davis Band, includes Hap Purcell on banjo and Jimmy Largent on bass.

“It’s great to be in a power trio,” said Davis, who acknowledged that the current lineup allows him to play guitar again. “It’s nice because you can listen to each instrument at the same time.”

His new trio also allows Davis to focus on his original tunes, spanning his early days in Broke Mountain through his outstanding 2008 self-titled solo album to new material. Catch the debut performance of the Robin Davis Band at 8:45 p.m. Friday at the Derailed Saloon.

“The Met: Live in HD” continues to screen live performances by New York’s Metropolitan Opera at 10:55 a.m. Saturday in the FLC Student Union’s Vallecito Room. This time around, Mozart’s “La Clemenza di Tito” is featured. Mozart’s final Italian opera is a rarely-seen classic about a Roman emperor subjected to a vengeful woman’s assassination scheme.

The Summit’s slate features a couple of free shows from two of Durango’s hardest working bands. Red Eyed Djinn does jammy rock at 9:30 p.m. tonight (Thurs., Nov. 29), while The Scrugglers get down on tubgrass at 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

Moe’s highlights include Levin’s 21st birthday bash with DJ Thumper at 8 p.m. Friday and live music and dancing to the sounds of the Dirty Habits and Phantom Cloud at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Also of note: The Pete Giuliani Trio plays Ska’s Chili Night from 5-7 p.m. tonight; the Jelly Belly Boogie Band rocks the Billy Goat Saloon at 8:30 p.m. Friday; and Andrea’s Fault does the Durango Winter Sports Foundation Gala at 6 p.m. Saturday in the FLC Student Union Ballroom.

A few weeks back, the Community Concert Hall announced that Texas sensation, the Josh Abbott Band, would be appearing on Jan. 19. That feather in the CCH’s cap blew away in the wind, though, when Abbott pulled the plug on his tour. Call 247-7657 or visit the Concert Hall’s Ticket Office at 8th and Main for a refund.

If Abbott tickets were on your holiday shopping list, consider these as possible replacements. This week’s Top Shelf list is my Top 10 albums of 2012.

1. J.D. McPherson, “Signs and Signifiers.” Horn-infused ’50s-style rockabilly at its finest.
2. J.P. Harris & the Tough Choices, “I’ll Keep Calling.” A honky-tonk record that would make Merle Haggard proud.
3. Ray Wylie Hubbard, “The Grifter’s Hymnal.” The gritty Texas legend gets better with each album.
4. Janis Martin, “The Blanco Sessions.” Martin was a ’50s rockabilly queen before her husband forced her out of the music biz. Rosie Flores rediscovered her and produced this effort in 2007 just a few months before Martin died of cancer. It took five years for Flores to find a label willing to release this gem.
5. Muddy Waters & the Rolling Stones, “Live at the Checkerboard Lounge, Chicago 1981.” This DVD/CD set features rock & roll royalty backing the blues legend.
6. Chuck Mead & his Grassy Knoll Boys, “Back at the Quonset Hut.” A vintage Nashville studio and classic songs done lovingly by the ex-BR5-49 frontman and friends.
7. Town Mountain, “Leave the Bottle.” Robert Greer is to bluegrass what Pavarotti was to opera.
8. The Ramblin’ Ambassadors, “Ramble On.” Punk-ass Canadian surf doesn’t get any better.
9. Iris DeMent, “Sing the Delta.” Hard to believe it’s been 16 years since the Americana diva recorded her last album of original songs.
10. Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass, “Road into Town.” The new incarnation of the band rocks, but it’s far different from what you saw at the Meltdown seven years ago, with hot young blood replacing the band’s classic lineup.

I’ve seen it raining fire in the sky? Email me at chrisa@gobrainstorm.net.