By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
The Yardbirds
Any credible list of the 10 all-time best rock guitarists should – without question – include Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page.
Amazingly, three of them got their starts in the same band – the Yardbirds
The Yardbirds, who are playing Sellersville Theatre (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com) ON April 3, are like the Energizer Bunny – they just keep going and going.
Original lead guitarist Top Topham left and was replaced by Eric Clapton and then Jeff Beck replaced Clapton two years later. It was this line-up that recorded the group’s signature hits “Heart Full of Soul”, “I’m a Man” and “Shapes of Things.”
In 1966, bassist Paul Samwell-Smith left the group. Jimmy Page joined, and the band used a double-lead guitar format for a brief while. Then, Beck left, and Page remained – but only for a short while before leaving to form Led Zeppelin.
In 1976, vocalist Keith Relf died in an accident leaving the band with just a pair of original members – drummer Jim McCarty and rhythm guitarist/bassist Chris Dreja. The group seemed to quietly fade into history.
Then, in 2003, the Yardbirds regrouped and recorded their latest album “Birdland.” The band’s lineup included McCarty and Dreja along with other young British musicians.
Dreja sat out the US spring 2012 tour to recover from an illness. It was announced in 2013 that he was leaving the band for medical reasons and would be replaced by original Yardbirds guitarist Topham. Then, Topham left.
On August 12, 2015, it was announced that Boston guitarist Johnny A. would become the newest member of The Yardbirds. He was with the band for a while and then he too departed.
The Yardbirds’ current line-up features critically-acclaimed original drummer/composer/Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jim McCarty; lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist John Idan, whose tenure with the band began in 1992; bassist Kenny Aaronson, who has worked with Billy Idol, Joan Jett, and Hall and Oates; lead guitarist Godfrey Townshend, who has performed with rock luminaries such as John Entwistle and Jack Bruce; and Myke Scavone, (who is also lead singer in The Doughboys) on harp, percussion and backing vocals.
“It’s the same line-up we’ve had for a while except for our guitar player Godfrey Townshend, who is the musical director for the ‘Happy Together’ tours,” said McCarty, during a phone interview last week from his home near Nice in southern France. “The rest of the guys have been around since 2015.
“This line-up has been together longer than the original line-up. As far as the original line-up, Chris (Dreja) is still alive but unable to play. He’s had some strokes and is still struggling. Paul (Samwell-Smith) gave up playing years ago and Keith Relf died in 1976.”
Additionally, Jeff Beck died just over two years ago.
“This show is a bit different than our previous tours – more talking,” said McCarty. “I’m talking about the history of the group. It goes back to 1963.
“In addition to my talks, we also have a multimedia show with slides, pictures and videos. It’s a bit of an experiment.”
McCarty’s autobiography, “Nobody Told Me,” was released to great acclaim in 2018. Volume two of his memoirs, “She Walks in Beauty,” was released in 2021 and was also widely acclaimed.
When COVID hit a few years ago, McCarty got slammed.
Many bands lost time, momentum, tour revenue and record sales during the pandemic. McCarty lost a lot more.
“The lockdown coincided with me losing my wife, Lizzie,” said McCarty. “I ended up doing another book.”
The book, “She Walks In Beauty..My Quest For The Bigger Picture,” was released in August 2021.
According to McCarty, “My last book — ‘Nobody Told Me’ — was the story of the best days of my life, and a musical career that took me from a holiday camp in the English west country to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
“This book, on the other hand, begins on the very worst day of my life, June 7, 2020— with the death of my wife Elisabeth. Lizzie.”
“She Walks In Beauty” is the tale of McCarty’s lifelong quest to unravel the mysteries of the world that exists beyond the world in which we live.
Beginning with a childhood fascination with the paranormal that only gathered strength as he grew older, this book explores the world hidden just out of reach, the shadows that are just out of sight and the certainty that there is an enduring connection between the living and the dead.
“The book is about paranormal things,” said McCarty. “I communicated with Lizzie after she died.
“We were married for 16 years. I knew her for about 23 years. We were very close, and I couldn’t believe she wasn’t around somewhere. I studied mediumship.
“I did research and looked into near death experiences. I discovered a medium Suzanne Giesmann. She taught me ways to connect with Lizzie.
“I was able to communicate with her and get hard evidence. I asked her things about people she didn’t know, and they proved to be true.”
The Yardbirds’ personnel may change every once in a while, but the set list with a slew of classic songs remains constant.
“People realize what a great repertoire it is,” said McCarty. “They love to hear this music. It’s hard to put something new in the set list.”
The Yardbirds’ most recent albums are “Birdland,” which was released back in 2003, and “Making Tracks,” which came out in 2013.
The current band just recorded a new live album, “Mind the Gap,” which will be released soon. A special compilation featuring the original band recordings – “The Yardbirds Psycho Daisies — The Complete B-Sides” — was released in 2024.
“The chemistry with this line-up is good,” said McCarty. “There are no egos and they’re all good guys. They know the music and it’s quite authentic.
“We go back to the originals. It is important for us to go back to the originals. That’s the music that the fans have loved all these years.”
For a band that really wasn’t around that long (just over five years in its original incarnation) and never really had a string of monster hits, the Yardbirds left an indelible imprint on rock music.
Taking their name from Jack Kerouac’s writing (“yardbirds” were hobos that hung around railroad yards and hopped trains), the Yardbirds evolved from the Metropolitan Blues Quartet, a seminal British band put together by guitarist Paul Samwell-Smith and vocalist Keith Relf.
They added Chris Dreja (guitar), Jim McCarty (drums) and a 16-year-old guitarist Tony “Top” Topham to complete the original Yardbirds’ lineup.
“Paul Samwell-Smith and I went to the same grammar school,” said McCarty. “Then, we met up with Top, Chris and Keith. They were all in art school together.
“We used to hang out at a pub in Surrey called The Crown. We heard a lot of blues back then. But Top never recorded with us. He started in art school and we got another guitarist to take his place.”
Topham was pressured by his parents to return to school and a then unknown British blues guitarist named Eric Clapton replaced him.
Clapton was the first of three “Guitar Gods” to handle lead guitar duties for the Yardbirds. His tenure lasted for one very blues-oriented studio album and a live album of the band when it backed blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson.
“Eric did the live album,” said McCarty. “But he didn’t like ‘For Your Love’ so he left. We asked Jimmy (Page) to join but he was too busy with sessions. He suggested using Jeff Beck.”
The Yardbirds’ final guitarist was Jimmy Page, who was with the group for one album. Page then formed the New Yardbirds — a band that was the embryo of Led Zeppelin.
Most of the Yardbirds’ groundbreaking music came during the three-year period when guitar master Jeff Beck was the group’s lead guitarist.
Beck’s innovative and emotive style of playing stretched the boundaries of traditional rock and opened the door for new improvisational and experimental aspects of rock and roll.
“The original band was together for five years,” said Dreja, during a previous phone interview. “But it felt like 20 years with all the miles traveled and music played. It started to fade around 1968.
“After we did the last tour with the ‘Little Games’ albums – which was a good tour — Jimmy and Keith wanted to come off the road. Then, Keith and Jim left to form Renaissance and Page went to Led Zeppelin.
“Paul had left a while before. I had already started my career as a professional photographer. So, I went to New York and learned the craft of studio photography.”
Dreja and McCarty brought the Yardbirds back to life in 2003. Now, with Dreja sidelined, it is up to McCarty to carry the banner – and he is carrying it well.
Video link for the Yardbirds – https://l2-disco-data-us.s3.amazonaws.com/media/trackfiles.
The show on April 3 at the Sellersville Theater will start at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets start at $49.50.
Other upcoming shows at the Sellersville Theater are Marc Cohn on April 4, Fleetwood Mask on Aril 5, the Mighty Manatees on April 6, Martin Barre on April 8 and Live Dead & Brothers on April 9.
Mike Baggetta is a talented guitarist who is versatile enough to go from swinging modern bop chops that flow like John Abercrombie to whammy bar pedal steel licks influenced by David Torn.
Baggetta has worked with many top artists including Jerome Harris, Mike Watt, David Torn, Darcy James Argue, Jim Keltner, Satoshi Takeishi, Stephen Hodges, Donny McCaslin, Dominique Eade and Nels Cline.
Mike Watt is a highly-acclaimed bass player whose wide-ranging career spans work with Iggy Pop and the Stooges and fIREHOSE – and original Minutemen bassist.
He also plays or has played in Porno for Pyros, The Black Gang, The Secondmen, Unknown Instructors, Anywhere, Mike Watt + The Missingmen, Funanori, Floored By Four, Flipper, The Secondmen, Unknown Instructors, Anywhere, Il Sogno del Marinaio, Dos, Banyan, Hellride and Big Walnuts Yonder.
Stephen Hodges is an American percussionist and composer who is known for his work with Tom Waits.
Hodges has also had musical partnerships with Mavis Staples, David Lynch, Jonathan Richman, John Hammond, Angelo Badalamenti, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bruce Cockburn, Dave Alvin, Charlie Musselwhite and T Bone Burnett.
mssv
The three masters are at their best when they are playing together – especially as mssv.
This weekend, mssv will make another visit to Philadelphia. On April 4, mssv will be rattling the walls at Solar Myth (1131 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, www.arsnovaworkshop.org) – the same venue they played in October 2023.
The trio released its latest album, “On And On,” on March 7. The album, features artwork by John Herndon (Tortoise), came out on BIG EGO Records on 12” LP vinyl, digital download and streaming services.
“On And On” features brand new songs that were written by Baggetta before their 58-show 2023 US tour and performed every night.
It was recorded and produced by Chris Schlarb at BIG EGO Studio in Long Beach, California immediately after the conclusion of the tour.
The digital versions of the album feature eight separate, boundary-pushing tracks. The vinyl features these pieces joined into two continuous side-long movements by six band-improvised interludes.
These improvised, then recomposed, instrumentals had their parts recorded separately by each member, then edited down, recombined and arranged by Baggetta. They serve as an important connective tissue between the songs on each side.
“Having the extra music on vinyl makes for a different listening experience – something different than files streaming,” said Baggetta, during a phone interview last week while travelling between shows in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Jacksonville, Florida.
“On and On” is an album where all the works combine to create an endless episodic journey through the temporal and seemingly fleeting nature of society, personality, music, and life and death on Earth, only to realize that all of these are also endlessly repeating.
Seven of the eight new songs feature vocals from Baggetta, now much more comfortable in his vocal role from the previous mssv album,
“Human Reaction.” The wordcraft goes a lot deeper than his previous lyric writing, while still remaining wholly individual in its exploratory playfulness.
The subject matter here, while being universally relatable, is rife with personal references, stories of his and the band’s friends and relationships, and one song — “Despair & Hilarity” — with lyrics written by one of Baggetta’s most important musical collaborators, Steve Gigante (7 Year Rabbit Cycle, W-S Burn).
“We prefer to record the music at the end of the tour – after it was played in front of people a lot,” said Baggetta, who has built a reputation as a road warrior.
The band will have had a lot of opportunities to play in front of people on this tour. It got underway on March 13 at the Sardine in San Pedro, California (Watt’s home turf) and will conclude on May 3 at Zebulon in Los Angeles.
“Working on this has been pretty much all-consuming,” said Baggetta, a Massachusetts native who attended Rutgers University where he received his Bachelor of Music degree and Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies. “Everything is focused on mssv. From May 29 until June 14, we’ll be doing 17 shows in the U.K. and Ireland.
“The audiences have been willing to be challenged. It’s fun to play every night. We get a good chance to work out new music and make it sound better. And we get to work on new improvised parts in our live show.”
According to a press release from the band – “The music they create together is utterly unclassifiable; calling it post-genre-improv-jazz-rock may come close but still doesn’t even begin to touch on the wild electric textures Baggetta’s guitar alone brings to the table.
“There’s no telling which way this heretofore unimagined hybrid of a punky power trio and a dreamy experimental rock band will turn at any given moment, a proposition that becomes a promise when they break down and reassemble these songs live with an instinct for restraint and an openness to anarchy.”
The name mssv comes from “main steam stop valve,” which was the name of the band’s second album which was released in 2020.
A main steam stop valve connects the boiler steam system to the steam main/header. When the valve is open, it connects the boiler to the steam main. When the valve is closed, it isolates the boiler from the steam main.
It sounds like it could have been a song from Watt’s “Contemplating the Engine Room” album. Watt’s father was a machinist’s mate in the Navy and that album was made in honor of engine room folk,
“That album has been a big influence on me,” said Baggetta.
“It’s a wonderful record. It’s great for a lot of reasons. It mixes all types of music into one cohesive statement.”
The same could be said for mssv’s “On and On” album.
Video link for mssv – https://youtu.be/n-Iy7oe7kSo.
The show on April 4 at Solar Myth will start at
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 day of show.
Other upcoming shows at Solar Myth are Brìghde Chaimbeul on April 7 and Jenny Scheinman’s All Species Parade on April 9.
The Candlelight Theatre (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, 302- 475-2313, candlelighttheatredelaware.org) is presenting the first full weekend of its latest production, “Bright Star.”
“Bright Star” is a musical written and composed by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. It is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in 1945–46 with flashbacks to 1923. The musical is inspired by their Grammy-winning collaboration on the 2013 bluegrass album “Love Has Come for You” and, in turn, the folk tale of the “Iron Mountain Baby.”
“Bright Star” is billed as “an uplifting theatrical journey that holds you tightly in its grasp – as refreshingly genuine as it is daringly hopeful.”
Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings (8 p.m.), Sunday afternoons (3 p.m.) and Wednesdays (11 a.m.)
Tickets, which include dinner and show, are $73.50 for adults and $35 for children (ages 4-12).
“Bright Star” will run through April 19.
Jamey’s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985,www.jameyshouseofmusic.com) will present Mississippi Earl Brown on April 3, Ty Stephens and Souljazz on April 4, the Resurrection of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins Band on April 5 and the Philly Blues Kings with Clarence Spady on April 6.
On March 20, Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) is presenting Lauren Calve on April 3 and Know Return on April 5.
Elkton Music Hall (107 North Street, Elkton, Maryland, www.elktonmusichall.com) will host Jeff Daniels on April 4 and the Grateful Allman Band Experience on April 5.
