Many things, and much of life, is 'awesome' these days, the words to over exaggerate our perception of this or that moment abound and are often made into nonsense by their inappropriate use.  Of course, for some people, exaggeration may be a way to escape the dull thud of another unexciting day. So here am I, I cannot say I need to punctuate another boring day, I simply cannot remember having a boring day, but I do need, here and now, some big word to describe something that really was 'extraordinary'. So I reach for my Roget's Thesaurus, purchased in Foyle's book shop, Charring Cross Road London, in October 33 years ago. It only cost £0.65 pence back then, probably a lot of money for me then, but look what it gives me now 'THAUMATURGIC'  'that which has the power to work miracles' - my MicroSoft spell checker wants to correct the spelling but my Oxford Dictionary knows better....How on earth would you pronounce it ?

Thaumaturgic is a word that can really describe the powerful concert which, Steve and Cindy gave.  Two parts of about 50 minutes and more than twenty beautiful songs. Cindy has a voice of which any angel would be proud and she compliments and contrasts the several voices which are Steve's.  It was a very 'Folk' sounding concert Cindy squeezing conzertina's and Steve playing the guitar in a way which many of us, so called guitarists, would love to be able to achieve. 

The material was rich and deep and full of stories, with powerful melodies and strong hooks, 'Here's to the Rocky Road' has been buzzing around my head for nearly a week now.  Steve wrote some, and Cindy wrote some, and Steve wrote some with some other people, and some other people wrote some without Steve and Cindy so there was a huge range of ideas with each song thaumaturgic  it's own right.

The audience sat memorised, tapping feet, laughing at the jokes and the extremely funny, and very clever, song ' I'm My Own Grandpa' by Moe Jaffe and Dwight Latham, from 1947 and based on a Mark Twain anecdote. http://users.cis.net/sammy/grandpa.htm (you can hear the tune on this linked page but it is not Steve and Cindy playing the music).  Both Steve and Cindy are possessed  of large enough self images to make the audience feel comfortable and their vast experience in live performance meant that everyone present became emotionally involved. Another thaumaturgic moment.

I have been getting to know Steve, through e-mails, for about 8 months now, however, it is so much more powerful when one meets face to face. My head full of the information gleaned from the http://www.compassrosemusic.com  a nervousness came over me knowing that I to must perform in the same concert and I wondered if these people, with so great an history, would be kind or honest.  So we sat, guitars in laps, wondering where to begin then it struck me. Tom Paxton was the link between us so I started tickling the strings with 'The Last Thing on my Mind', 'Just how Tom does it' said Steve,  nice, may be honest, anyway the ice was broken and off the three of us went swapping songs swapping stories, it was obvious that we had all come up that rocky road, so another thaumaturgic experience took place. 

When it was all over, and it was time to go, like a child finishing Christmas, I had that longing that it would just last a bit longer.  Great concert, great people they are always touring so look out for them, for if you miss them you may well have missed one of the thaumaturgic concerts of your life.

Almond Greenway

after concert Zurich Switzerland with Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen 'Compass Rose Music'  October 2005

I have been getting to know Steve, through e-mails, for about 8 months now, however, it is so much more powerful when one meets face to face. My head full of the information gleaned from the http://www.compassrosemusic.com  a nervousness came over me knowing that I to must perform in the same concert and I wondered if these people, with so great an history, would be kind or honest.  So we sat, guitars in laps, wondering where to begin then it struck me. Tom Paxton was the link between us so I started tickling the strings with 'The Last Thing on my Mind', 'Just how Tom does it' said Steve,  nice, may be honest, anyway the ice was broken and off the three of us went swapping songs swapping stories, it was obvious that we had all come up that rocky road, so another thaumaturgic experience took place. 

When it was all over, and it was time to go, like a child finishing Christmas, I had that longing that it would just last a bit longer.  Great concert, great people they are always touring so look out for them, for if you miss them you may well have missed one of the thaumaturgic concerts of your life.

Almond Greenway

after concert Zurich Switzerland with Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen 'Compass Rose Music'  October 2005

In the far of times of the 1960's, when 'special' performers were selected by record companies, to produce records, that could be sold around the world, the transfer of music was controlled by those who chose which music to put on records, and they chose that which they thought would sell the most copies, and by public taste, which was fuelled by the records available, and by the methods of transfer of the music records - radio - television - live performance, it was ok if you could afford a gramophone and the records. The choice was limited. In the computer age of internet, and very reasonably priced recording equipment, it is now possible to offer far more choice, to many more people, which is great,  but I wonder what the consequences are for the nebula of the music business where new stars are born.

I have read stories of Rap Singers, so famous, that when they end up in court for some misdemeanour they hit the front page of the national newspaper, yet I have never heard of them.  Take names like Bob Dylan, or Simon and Garfunkel, or Mozart, or The Beatles, Queen and even though these names have been around for a long time they are still very well known in the general population of many parts of the world.

The thought is, with such a mass of communication and transfer available, which can detect and satisfy the smallest market, is it now, and will it be possible to produce stars in the future, who's ability shines across the barriers of genre to become, and stay, as household names, around the world. In other words is it possible to produce a new 'Bob Dylan'  in the 21st Century ? Are there any candidates available for such a position ?

If you know me and something of my history you will know that I had my first professional gig in 1973, it took 8 years to get on national radio, it took 20 years to have a full page in a national newspaper about my work and although I was well known, I was never as well known as Dylan, the Stones or the Beatles. 

I learned to play guitar because of a singer song writer named Tom Paxton, his sound holds me captivated today, 37 years later, and although I love the music of many different artists, until a few days ago, when I opened a concert for Jonathan Byrd, I had never come across an artist as great as Tom Paxton. When Jonathan Byrd brought his music to my life I realised that here was a man of the stature of Tom Paxton, and Paul Simon, and the Beatles, and Mozart, and Beethoven. For the past six days, whenever there has been time, I have been listening to his CD's. Each time I listen I think 'wow this guy should be a new Bob Dylan', not because he sounds like Bob, he doesn't, he sounds like himself Jonathan Byrd.  

He has such clever ideas for songs and such brilliant twists in the words and tunes you have to think 'that was clever'.  As a songwriter you think 'boy how can a man think like that'. As a guitarist you say to yourself 'when I can make the time I will learn to play like that, I wonder how he learned that ?'. As a person concerned about issues of society and environment you think 'I wish I could have expressed myself in such an eloquent way.'

In England there is a saying 'Poacher turned Game Keeper',  the person who steals the game animals turns in to the person who helps create and nurture the animals, so one becomes completely the other.  It is a bit like that for me, for years I travelled country to country show to show, airport to airport and hotel to hotel as the poacher the singer songwriter off to another show.  Now I have my own venue and can ask wonderful people to come and give wonderful concerts for my guests, I have become the game keeper the concert promoter. So I can review the poachers shows, and can review them from the perspective that I was once, and I still am, a poacher. So I will say this 'if I had met Jonathan Byrd's songs 37 years ago they would have had the same effect on me as the songs of Tom Paxton.'  I am hoping to make time to learn one or two of Jonathans songs soon. Which to choose ? 'You're my Waitress', 'True Companion', 'The Ballad of Larry', 'My Generation'.

I cannot say that it isn't tough to meet up with such a talent, after all I still have aspirations myself,  I will continue to strive for them, but I can be humble in the presence of genius.  I hope that the genius inside Jonathan Byrd can find his way to the main stage and cross the genre barriers so that he becomes a household name, I hope that his beautiful words and melodies are hummed by the man in the street in countries around the world.

Together with Jonathan, when I introduced him, were two fine musician's Andrew Reissiger und Rob McMaken they call themselves 'Dromedary'. They provided some of their, brilliant, own work and accompanied Jonathan in his songs.  Very fine and wonderful. The difference between the original masterpiece and a print. 

Masterly song writing and technical ability to play musical instruments is only apart of the story, the ability to play the emotions of the people in the audience is another. In my, many years of performances given to American military personal, I noticed often their ability to hide their own emotions. Jonathan was in the US Navy, and face to face seems to have this ability, although our time together was limited. There is a great book called 'The Greatest Sales Man in the World' by Og Mandino, in it it says 'I will become the master of my emotions'.  Even when Jonathan told his audience that his grandfather had been murdered by the person who was the subject of his next song, he stated it clearly and objectively, with not a wisp of emotion.  Have you ever wondered why a man like Elton John reaches the fame he has ? Well of course there can be many reasons, but I would suggest to you that an important factor is that Elton John is able to use is technical skills to play the emotions of his audience. In the song 'The Ballad of Larry' there is a line 'Larry show me what you got', Larry, an old pianist, plays an old broken piano 'from sea to shining sea'  and suddenly the piano sounds as if it had been repaired !  Why because the emotion, Larry's love for the music and for the old time piano, make the broken notes disappear. 

Just let the people a little closer Jonathan, just a notch on the emotional side so they feel just a bit more of the love you hold inside and there could be no reason why you are not held in the same esteem as Sir. Elton for me you are easily the next Bob Dylan.

http://www.jonathanbyrd.com

One of Jonathans Albums

Jonathan Byrd and Diana Jones

Almond enjoyed working with Jonathan Byrd again 7 October 2007, Jonathan Was accompanied by Diana Jones, both made wonderful performances. Almond has recorded one of Jonathan's Songs 'True Companion' it appears on 'I'm the Boy Who Played Tom Paxton's Guitar'. Almond said 'For me Jonathan could be the new Bob Dylan, he has an eye for the words in his songs with clever lyrics that take you places you may never have thought of going. I wish I had written many of the songs he has written.'  take a look. Diana Jones who is a very fine writer and performer went on to tour with the renowned Richard Thompson of Fairport Convention  take a look.