Greetings all! It’s late, past my deadline, I’m tired, there’s not much of anything new and exciting (other than Reservoir Music’s move to a new and exciting location at 711 Route 28), and not much live music to recommend this week, so I’ll just say goodnight and see you next week! Psych! Actually, all true, except the last part. So, I’m gonna be brief and to the point.

Bob Dylan will be receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian honor given by the United States! President Bush gave this award to guys like Paul Bremmer, the overseer of the Iraq reconstruction. Obama’s giving it to Dylan! Other recipients this Spring will be Shimon Peres, President of Israel (two Jews blues?); Toni Morrison, the Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winning novelist; Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State under President Clinton; John Glenn, the first American in outer space; retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, and 7 other luminaries. They’re in pretty good company! I’m sure Obama will want to sing with Bob, the only question is, will it be “Blowin’ in the Wind”, “Chimes of Freedom”, “The Times They are A-Changing” or “Mister Tambourine Man”. Time will tell! I’m voting for “Tombstone Blues”!

The offerings of live musical faire this week actually is kind of slim, but here it is.

Thursday, May 10 – For upstaters, SARAH LEE GUTHRIE AND JOHNNY IRION will be at The Bearsville Theater in Woodstock. Sarah Lee is Arlo’s daughter and, obviously, Woody’s granddaughter. Johnny is her husband and musical collaborator. They’re quite good, as you might imagine. If you’re in the city and you like Rock n Roll, I highly recommend MARK LANEGAN, the former frontman of Screaming Trees, one of my favorite 90’s rock bands, who’s at Webster Hall.
Friday, May 11 – Again, we’ve got one good show if you’re upstate, one if you’re downstate. At The Falcon in Marlborough, the ED PALERMO BIG BAND will be performing the music of Paul Butterfield and Mike Bloomfield, and some damn good music it is! At the Brooklyn Bowl, extended Grateful Dead family guitarist STEVE KIMOCK has teamed up with Parliament/Funkadelic keyboard player, BERNIE WORRELL, and an all star band, for what promises to be an extremely interesting juxtaposition of talent.
Saturday, May 12 – Concluding our weekend pairings of upstate and downstate shows this weekend, THE MAHAVISHNU PROJECT returns to The Bearsville Theater, playing the jazz fusion music of John McLaughlin, Jeff Beck, Jan Hammer, and Billy Cobham. (What, no Tony Williams? LOL). And Austin’s own Americana rockers, RECKLESS KELLY, pull in to The Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan.
Sunday, May 13 – Well, I think we’ve found this week’s Pick of the Week! It’s just gotta be the great, the immortal, the icon, the great American, WILLIE NELSON!!! That’s right, Willie’s comin’ to Kingston at UPAC!! This is just what we need, coming fast on the heels of the loss of our own great, immortal, American icon, Levon Helm! Maybe Willie can make us feel good again!
Tuesday, May 15 – Another American icon rides in to The Highline Ballroom in Manhattan for a very rare appearance. He’s getting long in the tooth, so who knows how many more there will be, but the Brooklyn Cowboy, RAMBLIN’ JACK ELLIOTT, is a man who influenced Bob Dylan, and therefore, a generation or three! His daughter made a fine documentary on Ramblin’ Jack a few years ago, and I haven’t heard of any live performances for at least ten years, so this is special!
Wednesday and Thursday, May 16 & 17 – WILLIE NELSON bestows his grace upon his downstate fans with an appearance at The Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ. Nuff said!

I just wanna conclude by reprinting the lyrics to a song written as a tribute to Levon by TJ in the Hills of Woodstock, which I think captures the spirit of the man quite well. Here ‘tis.

Levon Helm, Levon Helm, These hills won't be the same, without Levon Helm

Rice Puddin and "hand jive" Willy

Country Blues Gospel and Rockabilly

Green Coke bottles stacked from the ceiling to the floor

You spit in the eye of that wolf at your door

Levon Helm, Levon Helm, These hills won't be the same, without Levon Helm

Levon Helm, Levon Helm, There'll never be another, like Levon Helm

From poppin wheelies on that ole tractor

To Hollywood, bein an Actor

Founding Father of Americana

Ya never did anything, ya didn't wanna

Levon Helm, Levon Helm, These hills won't be the same, without Levon Helm

Levon Helm, Levon Helm, nobody banged that drum like , Levon Helm

Always your own man, your own master

A voice as unique as that cowbell Telecaster

Friends in every state of this land

Playin with Bob and Muddy and The Band

Levon Helm, Levon Helm, there'll never be another like Levon Helm

Levon Helm, Levon Helm, nobody sang a song like, Levon Helm

These hills, won't be the same without Levon Helm

Have a great week. More later!

Fred Perry is the owner of Reservoir Music Center on Route 28 in Kingston, and founding member of Alt-Country supergroup, The Brooklyn Cowboys, is from a 3rd generation musical family and lives in the Hudson Valley, where he does what he can to promote live music.