BERKSHIRES MUSIC BEAT USA ! 27

With Gene Christy & Rod MacDow

episode twenty-seven . . .

What I do – takes a bit of tender, loving care.

If you believe this, as I do, or as much as I do, you will understand. It’s a joy to spend your time traveling the Berkshires USA listening to all the local bands—and never ceasing to be amazed that there is yet more out there!—waiting to be discovered. It’s a joy to realize that every year, every summer, in the Berkshires USA, is devoted to the music love-in which is Tanglewood in Lenox—where the Boston Symphony and the Boston Pops and a lineup of international recording stars come out to the beautiful, blessed hills to make a summer sojourn—every year!—devoted to music!

This week—well, let’s start with last Friday night. I enjoyed the sounds of Patrick Gray, Jr, doing his solo act at the Adams Ale House—the next night Pat joined his dad, Patrick Gray, Sr, in the JP Murphy Band trio at the Freightyard in North Adams. On Wednesday, Pat Gray and I met for lunch and told stories from the illustrious past to one another and shared our mutual love of song and story that will eventually be featured here on

BERKSHIRES MUSIC BEAT USA !

Located on your online dial at genechristy.com.

Thursday night was spent at the Olde Heritage Tavern in Lenox listening with great pleasure to the Malibu Bros with the extra added attraction of Jeanne Laurin taking up the middle with her lead vocals. Friday night at Portsmitt’s—after my own gig at the Marketplace Café—went round to pick up some delicious wings to take home!–and catch part of a set by the Jeff King Blues Band!

They all have been or will be featured on this blog—and we haven’t yet even scraped the tip of the iceberg!

Berkshire County USA! – – blessed with bands you can dance to!

And one of the best is the 3D Trio–our Featured Artist of the Week here at

BERKSHIRES MUSIC BEAT USA !

L to R Dave Healey, Dave Lincoln, and his father, another Dave Lincoln!

Dave, Dave and Dave – – is it any wonder they’re called the Three Ds?—

Let’s listen up—because I really like this band!—especially their harmonies on vocals!

AND just in case you thought the Berkshires was some unsophisticated backwater, or that bands here couldn’t boogie down the dancehall or slap that backbeat, we’re gonna start the show with a Las Vegas lounge lizard opener by none other than Louis Prima himself, a blazing hot version of a very cool number called

JUMP, JIVE ‘N’ WAIL

DAVE HEALEY, back in the day . .

However, that being said, or sung, the Berskhires ain’t nothin’ if it ain’t country—as you’ll soon find out at one of the local dances—so, here we go with a big hit song written by Don Williams

LIVIN’ ON TULSA TIME

DAVE HEALEY today–still lookin’ good!

Of course, if you really wanna get them to rush the dance floor, in the homey hills that surround us here in the western end of Massachusetts, or just about anywhere in the good ole USA—or the world, for that matter—just crank it up on Johnny Cash’s

FOLSOM PRISON BLUES

Did I mention that—without benefit of a harmonizer!—the 3D Trio put out some awesome harmonies on their choruses?—I just have to include this next number, one of my all-time faves (used to do it down the Cape with Bill McElaney and Tom Neville back in the 80s!)—by Bob Dylan—

KNOCKIN’ ON HEAVEN’S DOOR

And of course, the night would not be complete—the 3Ds did a first set lasting 57 minutes and change!—without Mary and me dancing to another of my all-time personal No. 1s, which I do myself in my solo act these days—John Fogerty’s

LODI

And now, I’m going to break all the rules—and go to a number 6 selection from the 3D Trio, for today’s blog—we never do this!—but I guess I just love this band—and to end the set—what better than to dance with your sweetheart cheek-to-cheek on Van Morrison’s slow, and tender, romantic ballad—dancing alongside the floor-to-ceiling picture windows framing the 3-mile long mirror of Lake Pontoosuc, with 3,491 foot-tall Mt Greylock ten miles off in the distance—absolutely the most beautiful spot in Massachusetts for dancing—to Van Morrison’s

HAVE I TOLD YOU LATELY THAT I LOVE YOU

Thanks for being with us here at

BERKSHIRES MUSIC BEAT USA !

It’s the place to be!

Coming up next week—Cory Zink’s band, County Line! Don’t miss it!

. . . and remember, upcoming features will include such outstanding, notable, listenable performers as Tom Gardner, Dave Healey, and the Gypsy Jazz Ambassadors—as well as return visits from The Malibu Bros, this time with lovely lady lead vocalist Jeanne Laurin, Bill McElaney, currently touring his home-base of Ireland—and of course—the summer season at Tanglewood, which this year, we will cover here at

BERKSHIRES MUSIC BEAT USA !

@ genechristy.com

visit our friends:

Bobby Sweet at http://bobbysweet.com/
Rakish Paddy at http://www.rakishpaddyband.com/

Eddie Dillon at http://clancybrothersandtommymakem.com/ed_01.htm

EDDIE DILLON WILL BE COMING TO THE BERSKHIRES THIS FALL! THAT’S IN THE AUTUMN OF THE YEAR! ALL YOU DEVOTEES OF THE CELTIC SCENE OUT THERE – WHO KNOW EDDIE AS A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL TOURING CAST OF THE CLANCYS -STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER DETAILS, TO BE ANNOUNCED AS SOON AS AVAILABLE, HERE ON

BERKSHIRES MUSIC BEAT USA !

And don’t forget
Jessica Roemischer at http://pianobeautiful.com/
And

Robin O’Herin at http://www.robinoherin.com/

And

champagnejam.org

You can also follow all the doings at Tara’s Tipperary Tavern at

http://www.tarasfamilypub.com/

from Belfast, in the north of Ireland . . .