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TERRY LAWSON

Love was the song they sang

September 23, 2007

BY TERRY LAWSON

FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

The frontispiece of Rhino’s gorgeous, book-bound four-CD set “Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970″ ($64.98) might be the closest thing rock music has to the famous 1958 photograph commonly known as “A Great Day in Harlem,” when 57 of the great jazz musicians of the era gathered for a group portrait.

Taken by Jim Marshall, the Rhino shot depicts the members of the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Message Service, Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother & the Holding Company beneath a tree in Golden Gate Park. Near the center, where they belong, are Big Brother’s Janis Joplin and the Airplane’s Grace Slick, the vocalists who would be dubbed “the fire and the ice” of what would soon be known as the San Francisco Sound.

Standing out, though, are the Charlatans, duded up in vintage cowboy and city-slicker gear, the only band here that most people have never heard of.

The Charlatans’ music — which mixed jug band, Western swing and music hall with rock ‘n’ roll in what could be described a precursor of Americana — never reached many ears outside the Bay Area. That puts them in the company of bands like the Mystery Trend, the Stained Glass and the Family Tree, all of whom are represented on this collection.

More than a few compilations have been released this year to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the year that thousands of American youth descended on San Francisco to get their hippie on, and when millions more turned on, figuratively or literally, to what was being called psychedelic music.

As “Love Is the Sing We Sing” makes clear, not all of the music that grew out of the greatest geographical scene in rock history — surpassing Memphis and Liverpool in quantity and stylistic influence — was suitable for freaking out to. But taken together, it is a piece of not just time and place, but of an attitude of freedom, rebellion and celebration — when each of those aspirations could be expressed in a single lyric line or guitar solo.

The 77-track set, which has been assembled chronologically, opens with what is often called the anthem of the era; “Let’s Get Together,”as performed and recorded in 1964 by its author, Dino Valenti, who allegedly sold the publishing rights to raise bail after one of his multiple drug busts. His version reappears in its 1969 hit version by the Youngbloods.

Like most of the other songs on Disc 1, subtitled “Seismic Rumbles,” it is pure folk-rock, although the term had yet to be coined.

The 12-string jangle and sweet harmonies of folk-rock supplied the foundation of the sound, recalled here in recordings from one-hit wonders like the Mojo Men and the Vejtables as well as in early offerings by the Airplane, who had some local success in 1966 with “It’s No Secret,” sung by original vocalist Signe Anderson.

But the same year, the Great Society, recorded “Somebody to Love,” a song that addressed love as a righteous requisite for social reform, personally and collectively.

Society singer Grace Slick took that song with her when she replaced Anderson in the Airplane, and the brace of that and the band’s following single, “White Rabbit,” put San Francisco on the charts. It announced the agenda to the outside world: Feed your head, and your spirit will follow.

Along with endorsing illegal substances, they also paved the way for FM underground radio, where the improvised soloing of the Dead (cerebral but funky) was often heard back-to-back with the jazz of John Coltrane and ragas by Ravi Shankar, the only classical musician to appear at 1967’s touchstone Monterey Pop Festival, which was the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end, depending on which side of Haight-Ashbury you scored on.

Like the other volumes in Rhino’s beautifully annotated “Nuggets” series, this one leans heavier on the songs you never heard on the radio, or the songs you’ve never heard at all. This is likely to be the only place you’ll rediscover forgotten gems by the Loading Zone and the People, or be reminded that Moby Grape’s first album was as great as anything ever released by Buffalo Springfield.

And if hearing these songs again or for the first time makes you feel like you want to smile on your brother, well, that won’t hurt either.

It’s been more than a decade. I’ve been addicted to punk rock since I was 15 years old, constantly on the prowl for my next auditory fix, trying to recapture the intense high of discovering a new band.

It’s like a first kiss. Your heart beats impossibly fast, your skin tingles, and you step lightly, like you’ve grown wings. Everything glows as if life has been dipped in a radioactive haze.

The more time you spend chasing this intoxicating euphoria, the easier it is to fall into the trap of cynicism, and I was worried that I was crawling down that path. Eventually the same power chords and songs about girls just didn’t cut it. Everything sounded the same. I was spoiled on music.

Then I found myself in a developing rural Chinese town.

Folks still haul buckets hanging from a sloping pole across their shoulders, like the old man who comes by every morning hollering, “Toe-fah!” He sells tofu out of two small dangling wooden shelves. His deep and scruffy voice carries in between the buildings and up into my third-story window, toe-fah, and it’s the only live music I hear daily.

Daniel called.

“You’re coming to Changsha and we’re gonna go to a punk bar,” he said.

That was all I needed to hear.

I made the five-hour trek on buses and motorbike taxis without even knowing what band was playing, or even if a band was playing. Just the prospect of live music was enough for me to endure the ass-numbing trip. When you’re starved, you’ll go to great lengths to eat.

Changsha is a developing city mired in old-school Chinese dilapidation. The well-known bars in town blast Top 40 songs from five years ago, and many people go to the clubs only to get shit-faced on cheap liquor. I had never heard of a place to catch live music. Daniel knew the owner of the club, Fang Yao, because both had day jobs at the same school.

Remember when punk rock was dangerous, when you were worried about your welfare and your livelihood because of the music you listened to?

Nope, me neither. I haven’t been around that long. I wasn’t even born yet when mohawks were sprouting across the heads of the socially disenfranchised.

Being called a weirdo and a freak because you had green hair in high school doesn’t count, especially since punk rock has been dolled up, commodified by tattooed rockers on MTV’s TRL, and sold back to us by clerks with heavy eyeliner at Hot Topic.

Dangerous? Not unless you fear choking on your own vomit after a long night of chugging Sparks and eating shrooms.

But the Four Six Bar felt like a secret, with dim lights, clouds of cigarette smoke, and a couple dozen punk kids who were seeking the same escape. It overwhelmed me, and I felt like I was 15 years old again, touched for the very first time.

“This is a shit show!” Daniel hollered at me over the choppy drone of buzzing guitars. We watched a group of shirtless dudes flail at each other while the hardcore band, Last Chance of Youth, blasted through their set. I had never been so stoked to see a pack of sweaty yellow bodies running into each other, as if their sanity depended on how hard they could jerk around. It was punk-rock poetry in motion.

I had to talk to Fang Yao about how this came to be.

Setting up a punk club in China isn’t like collecting stamps or flying a kite. It is an endeavor not to be taken lightly in a country with state-controlled media.

Even though we had just watched a band calling for revolution with a record titled Kill or Be Killed, we were still in a communist country where you watch what you say and to whom. As I interviewed Fang Yao on the dry lawn across from his club, he answered with an undertone of reticence that I could sense even through a translator.

Fang Yao, unassuming and eager, opened the Four Six Bar a year ago. His love of punk began when he was an 18-year-old university student. He discovered Nirvana, which was a gateway band to Green Day, the Ramones, and the Sex Pistols. He and his friends delved into the underground scene that was seeping out of Beijing.

The Chinese students I teach are singularly obsessed with contemporary pop. Chinese kids have been born and bred to think alike, so how did he deviate from this?

“Pop music is shit,” Fang Yao replied, adding, “There are many Chinese students who will listen to different music but they don’t talk about it.”

Running the club, he said, “is difficult. It’s expensive. But I like it. It’s my passion.” We were surrounded by a small group of showgoers who spilled onto the lawn, nursing warm beers as an elderly woman waited nearby to collect the empty Tsingtao bottles. “Only a few people like punk music, so it’s hard to get people to come. It’s too underground.”

Punk in China will continue to grow, he said, “because the music belongs to the world. Because they will be more free to listen to it. The Chinese people will get to know more music.”

Lots of Americans enjoy punk rock for its message. What about him?

“I like good music and the message of peace and love. I’m against war.” I pried a bit more, mentioning that most punk music is anti-establishment. “I know there are a lot of punk bands that are against the government, but there are many types of punk music,” he said.

I scribbled notes beneath the orange glow of the street lamp while Fang Yao struggled to express the attitude and essence of punk music in English. It was and is about survival, but for me the message wore thin, like a threadbare band T-shirt, as I grew older and more content with my discontent. But punk rock is still a threat. Trust Fang Yao.

“Punk’s not dead,” he declared.

Amy Adoyzie blogs at Amyadoyzie.com. From the punk zine Razorcake (#38), the first nonprofit music magazine in America dedicated primarily to supporting independent music culture. Subscriptions: $15/yr. (6 issues) from Box 42129, Los Angeles, CA 90042; www.razor cake.org.

At his age (a year and a bit shy of 60) Nick Lowe sounds pleasantly surprised and not a little bemused to be contemplating the benefits of his ever-improving currency in popular music.

"Short careers are the norm in this game," the British songwriter, proto-punk producer (The Pretenders, Elvis Costello, The Damned, Graham Parker), chief yob in 1970s pub rock bands Brinsley Schwarz and Rockpile, and provocative pop auteur in his own right (Jesus of Cool, Labour of Lust), says over the phone from Boston.

"I thought mine was well and truly over by the 1990s. I’d had good innings as a producer and as a recording artist, but it was nothing I could brag about. I didn’t think I’d done anything good at all," said Lowe, who performs tonight at the Mod Club, with Teddy Thompson opening.

"I mean, it was pop music … disposable rubbish. It’s not like jazz or blues or, till recently, country music, where age gives you gravitas."

His career in ruins, his marriage – to Carlene Carter, stepdaughter of Johnny Cash and daughter of June Carter Cash – evaporated, his liver and brain cells awash in alcohol, Lowe somehow managed to gather the strength and purpose to clean up his act and find a new path, a kind of salvation in his post-pop dotage.

"It would take time, I knew that. And I set about it quietly, almost anonymously as the dregs of my pop career wound down. I set about trying to use age as part of my arsenal, not to deny it or make excuses for it.

"Most people in this business have a brief moment of brilliance when they’re young and spend the rest of their lives going slowly downhill. I started out shite and got better."

Three events contributed to Lowe’s makeover: First, working with Ry Cooder, John Hiatt and Jim Keltner on 1992’s Little Village.

Then the disastrous end to "a miserable love affair" that yielded a handful of brutally honest, soul-searing confessional masterpieces on 1994’s acclaimed solo album, The Impossible Bird. One of them, "The Beast in Me," written for Johnny Cash, was used over the closing credits of the first episode of The Sopranos and became the series’ unofficial theme. And finally there was a huge cheque for 1974’s "(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding," which had found its way onto the album for the movie The Bodyguard. Released in 1992, the soundtrack sold more than 40 million copies over the next two years.

"Suddenly I had the money to pay for The Impossible Bird, and to pay for decent hotels and a decent bus to tour in," Lowe says. "I had money for my next record (Dig My Mood, released in 1998), and enough left over for a couple of decent suits.

"And because money breeds money, I was suddenly in demand for movie commissions and all kinds of paying work."

No longer compelled to churn out songs to justify his existence Lowe could at last concentrate on work that met his new standards, recording only when he felt ready. Lowe’s current CD, At My Age, comes three years after Untouched Takeaway.

"Somewhere back there I realized I could write a credible pop song that contained a credible truth. And if I did it well, I could turn on its head the idea that you get worse with age.

"It’s not that I take myself more seriously," he adds. "But my approach to the work is more serious. I want these songs to stick around."

The times may be a-changin’, as folk music icon Bob Dylan wrote in 1964, but
Dylan will always be known as the voice of his generation. His lyrics stirred
the souls of baby boomers during the turbulent social-cultural revolution of the
1960s.

What’s a little surprising, though, is that Dylan’s words are inspiring
a whole new generation of musicians. Many of today’s pop-rock recording artists
mirror the sounds of music they heard as youngsters on records their parents
played on the home turntables.

As Dylan prepares to perform with his band
Tuesday night in Norfolk, we spoke to some young local musicians about his
influence on their work:

Zentz puts Dylan in a class with William Shakespeare.

“He’s kinda prophetic in a way,” she said. “I feel like the words he has to
speak are always ones that both inspire and get people fired up about things,
and that’s something that’s really important and something we’re missing in a
lot of the pop music that’s out today.

“There’s plenty of talking about broken hearts and people who’ve done us
wrong, but there’s not a lot of talk about what we’re going to do to make this
world a better place. Bob Dylan had a way of blending those two things, like
talking about love in a poetic way but also finding a way of connecting a
relationship situation to something that was more global.”

Live music and more, tonight through Thursday, compiled by Tom Di Nardo, Shaun Brady, Sara Sherr, Jonathan Takiff and Damon C. Williams.

POP

Kings of Leon: Southern rock gets its edge back in the personages of these wild and woolly sons of a preacher man who’ve surely got the spirit (and the devil) in them. There’s plenty of smoke and howl, too, in featured act Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, bringing their twisted take on greasy garage rock. Simple Kid opens. Tower Theater, 69th and Ludlow streets. 8 tonight, $35, 215-336-2000, www.livenation.com.

Kim Richey: Darling of the Nashville alt-country scene, this craft-conscious singer/composer is much appreciated by Americana fans and by peers (Mary Chapin Carpenter, Trisha Yearwood) who’ve covered her work. Peter Bradley Adams opens. World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., 7 tonight, $20-$35, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com.

Apples in Stereo: Robert Schneider’s group is back with their first album in five years. Their name and sound nods joyously to their favorite group/record label (the Beatles and Apple). Fans of the Beach Boys, XTC, ELO and Oasis will also connect to the lush, bright, anthemic airs. So will viewers of current New Balance and Target ads, which deploy the group’s tunes "Energy" and "Go." World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., 11 tonight, $15-$25, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com.

Soulive: Their jamming instrumental swirl of blues, jazz and funk often comes off like a latter-day Booker T. and the MGs. And, as with their predecessors, it works better live. Kindred spirits Burndown AllStars open. Fillmore at the TLA, 334 South St., 9 tonight, $20, 215-336-2000, www.livenation.com.

Collective Soul: Their collective impulses embrace classic-rock influences. Lead singer Ed Roland often sounds like Englishman Bryan Ferry on a good day, while their melodic sense harkens at times to Beantown bands Boston and the Cars. Techy rhythmic flourishes keep it contemporary. Collective’s punchy new indie-made set, "Afterwords," is sold exclusively by Target. Go figure (and find it). Spiritually minded, regional band Live co-headlines, with support from Seether, Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace. Tweeter Center, 4 p.m. Sunday, $39.50 and $65, lawn seat four-pack $120, 215-336-2000, www.livenation.com.

Bat For Lashes: A finalist and reportedly odds-on fave, Bat for Lashes was recently denied the Mercury Prize as Britain’s best new pop act. Amy Winehouse lost, too. What the hell were those judges thinking? Fronted by the lovely and exotic Natasha Kahn, Bat dwells in the audaciously artistic world of chamber folk, where childlike visions and grandeloquent music comfortably coexist. Also worth discovering: opening act Lewis and Clarke. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9 p.m. Sunday, $10, 215-739-9684, johnnybrendas.com.

Southern Culture on the Skids: Let this eccentric, hell-bent rockabilly trio put a big ole silly smile on your face with twisted originals and a newfound love of covers, including wicked remakes of "Rose Garden, "Oh Lonesome Me" and "Tobacco Road." Greasy and good! Very worthy and entertaining Jim Lauderdale shares the stage. World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., 7:30 p.m. Sunday, $15-$17, 215-222-1400, worldcafelive.com.

Rilo Kiley: Fronted by former child star Jenny Lewis ("Troop Beverly Hills") with guitar chores and songwriting shared with another ex-thespian, Blake Sennett. Not your typical actors’ side project thing, but a truly delightful alt-pop band comingling elements of folk and country. With Grand Old Party and Art in Manila. Trocadero, 10th and Arch streets, 7 p.m. Tuesday, $15 (all ages), 215-922-LIVE, www.thetroc.com.

Birdie Busch: Her music is as winsome as her name. Philly fave will showcase music from her new "Penny Arcade" album. With Chris Kasper and Adriene Reju (Lowlands). Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9 p.m Tuesday, $8, 215-739-9684, www.johnnybrendas.com.

Nikki Sixx: Greet this rock ‘n’ roll survivor at a book signing party for "The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star." Former Motley Crue bassist also will sign his new companion disc, likewise inspired by druggy tales of debauchery. Borders Books and Music, 1 South Broad St. 7 p.m. Wednesday, free, 215-568-7400, bordersstores.com.

Machine Head: Get your rivets rocking at this metal-minded show, also featuring Arch Enemy, Sanctity and Throwdown. Trocadero, 10th and Arch streets, 6 p.m. Wednesday, $18-$20 (all ages), 215-922-LIVE, www.thetroc.com.

Lucinda Williams: Distinctive alt-country fave is always a welcome arrival. Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie Louvin is her very special guest. Keswick Theatre, Easton Road and Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, $49.50-$59.50, 215-572-7650, keswicktheatre.com.

Hanson: Brotherly rock band just keeps on growing, with the newest music on "The Walk" CD sharing a little bit of soul and musical influences (and choir) they picked up in South Africa and Mozambique. Electric Factory, 7th and Willow streets, 8 p.m. Wednesday, $30, 215-336-2000, www.livenation.com.

Regina Spektor: As much performance artist as musician, Spektor’s leadership stance in the "anti-folk" scene embraces elements of blues, jazz and classical (she’s a trained pianist), as well as her Slavic roots. Spektor gets compared to Fiona Apple and Tori Amos for the florid pianistics they share. Yet in vocal texture, biting wordplay and brash attitude, she’s a die-hard outsider. Only Son opens. Tower Theater, 69th and Ludlow streets, 9 p.m. Thursday, $25-$29.50, 215-36-2000, www.livenation.com.

JJ Grey & Mofro: Florida gators swim to shore with biting, Southern-fried funk, blues and party-time rock. Worthy show openers Assembly of Dust evoke the crunchy granola vibes and tune sense of the Grateful Dead, Neil Young and the Band. Fillmore at the TLA, 334 South St., 9 p.m. Thursday, $20, 215-336-2000, livenation.com.

HIP-HOP

Flava Fest: Promo arms Freshout and Goodie Goodie have teamed up fora splendid evening of pure hip-hop with underground-tested emcees Pharoahe Monch, Reef the Lost Cauze, Philly Slick and the Juggaknots. Plus a freestyle face-off. Nice. Trocadero, 1003 Arch St., 7 p.m. tomorrow, $18, $21 DOS, 215-922-LIVE, thetroc.com.

Flava Fest: Promo arms Freshout and Goodie Goodie have teamed up fora splendid evening of pure hip-hop with underground-tested emcees Pharoahe Monch, Reef the Lost Cauze, Philly Slick and the Juggaknots. Plus a freestyle face-off. Nice. Trocadero, 1003 Arch St., 7 p.m. tomorrow, $18, $21 DOS, 215-922-LIVE, thetroc.com.

Simply Dillaful: Music producer J-Dilla left an indelible mark before his untimely death almost two years years ago. Producers and DJs have gathered annually since then to honor him. This year, DJs House Shoes, Jay Ski and Statik spin up the tribute. Oronde hosts. Fluid, 613 S. 4th. St., 10 p.m. Monday, $7, 21+, 215-629-0565, www.fluidnightclub.com.

Midnite: Those into the live and local reggae scene should check this rescheduled show. The Midnite crew will link with the consistent El Feco B. Summer Angel, Major Crisis, Natty Talawah, Ambulance and Ras Professor pitch in as well. Fillmore at the TLA, 334 S. St., 8 p.m. Wednesday, $25, 215-922-1011, livenation.com.

Hip-Hop 101: He’s a lawyer by day, but don’t let that fool anyone into thinking Michael Coard’s not a hip-hop head. His "Hip-Hop 101" class, back for another semester, breaks down the culture while aggressively promoting its roots. Temple University, Anderson Hall Auditorium, 11th and Berks streets, 7 p.m. Thursday, no cover, 215-204-3449 or e-mail MichaelCoard@msn.com.

ALTERNATIVE

Subhumans: Legendary UK anarchist punk collective returns with the 10-member punk cult circus revival World Inferno Friendship Society. Boston hardcore band Toxic Narcotic and just-moved-to-Philly Witchhunt open. First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 7:30 tonight, $12, all ages, 267-765-5210, www.r5productions.com.

Circle: Finnish band is the missing link between Can and Judas Priest. Labelmates (on Philly’s No Quarter Records) Endless Boogie are New Yorkers with a jones for John Lee Hooker, Canned Heat and English metal. Philly’s Birds of Maya open. Latvian Society of Pennsylvania, 531 N. 7th St., 8 tonight, $10, all ages, 267-765-5210, www.r5productions.com.

An Almost Feelies Reunion: Two groups featuring members of the classic post-punk act: the Glenn Mercer Band and Wild Carnation. Successful Failures and Daymakers open. North Star Bar, 27th and Poplar streets, 9 tonight, $10, 215-684-0808, northstarrocks.com.

Robbers on High Street: New Yorkers channel the Kinks’ take on street life on their latest, "Grand Animals." They open for fellow Gotham residents Longwave. World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., 9 tonight, $15, 215-222-1400.

Sex Dwarf: Eighties New Wave dance party focuses on rockabilly resurgence from the Me Decade, celebrating bands like the Cramps and Stray Cats. Prizes for best rockabilly duds. Fluid, 614 S. 4th St., 9 tonight, free before 10, $5 after, 215-629-3686, www.fluidnightclub.com.

Mountain Goats: One of indie rock’s most talented songwriters, hyper-literate rock critic John Darnielle, accompanies his lyrics with high-energy strumming and a great sense of humor. Bowerbirds open. North Star Bar, 27th and Poplar streets, 9 p.m. tomorrow, $14, 215-684-0808, www.northstarrocks.com.

Found Magazine Live Presentation: Magazine celebrates weird, scary, salacious and sad items readers send in. Found’s, well, two founders are on a sort of show-and-tell tour. Board Room of the First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 7 p.m. Sunday, $5, all ages, 267-765-5210, www.r5productions.com.

Pocket Myths: Collaborative project interprets Homer’s "The Odyssey" through queer, trans and female writers, poets, artists and filmmakers. Kelly Writers House, 3805 Locust Walk, 7 p.m. Monday, free, all ages, 215-573-WRIT, pocketmyths.com.

‘The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story’ DVD Screening: Documentary chronicles the rise and fall of Pink Floyd’s colorful and influential original frontman. Khyber, 56 S. 2nd St., 8 p.m. Monday, free, 215-238-5888, www.thekhyber.com.

John Vanderslice: Tech wizard and able songwriter drifts in a direction akin to the Decemberists or Neutral Milk Hotel. Prolific and peppy Bishop Allen opens. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9:30 p.m. Monday, $12, 215-739-9684, www.johnnybrendas.com.

Girls Rock Girls Rule: Traveling showcase of lady rockers also spotlights bands formed at New York City’s Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls. Locals Prima Donna and Shooting Ropes also play. Khyber, 56 S. 2nd St., 8 p.m. Tuesday, $10, 215-238-5888, www.thekhyber.com.

Diplo: Former Hollertronix DJ, producer and Brazilian music fan makes his all-ages debut in Philly, with MIA producer Switch, and Baltimore rapper and producer Blaqstarr. Starlight Ballroom, 460 N. 9th St., 8 p.m. Wednesday, $10, all ages, 267-765-5210, www.r5productions.com.

Shapes & Sizes: Montreal group is the latest signee to Sufjan Stevens’ Asthmatic Kitty Records. NYC’s Yeasayer and Philly’s Papertrigger open. Khyber, 56 S. 2nd St., 8 p.m. Wednesday, $8, 215-238-5888, www.thekhyber.com.

Fujiya & Miyagi: Peter Bjorn and John tourmates and blogger faves return with orch-poppers Dirty on Purpose. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9 p.m. Wednesday, $12, 215-739-9684, johnnybrendas.com.

JAZZ

The Philly 5: The name says it all - a quintet of local jazz mainstays, most of whom double as music educators: trumpeter John Swana, vibraphonist Tony Miceli, saxophonist Chris Farr, bassist Madison Rast and drummer Dan Monaghan. Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th Street and Ben Franklin Parkway, 5:45 and 7:15 tonight, free with museum admission of $14, 215-763-8100, philamuseum.org.

Lafayette Gilchrist: Young, powerhouse Baltimore pianist, a favorite of prolific saxophonist David Murray, stripped his horn-heavy sextet down to a trio for his third album, "3" (Hyena). The three-piece features a funk-heavy bottom end, over which Gilchrist solos with abandon. Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom St., 8 and 10 p.m. tonight, $12, 215-568-3131, www.chrisjazzcafe.com.

Terrell Stafford: In-demand trumpeter, professor and director of jazz studies at Temple squeezes in a date for his own quartet between near-constant sideman duties. Ortlieb’s Jazzhaus, 847 N. 3rd St., 8 p.m. tomorrow, 215-922-1035, www.ortliebsjazzhaus.com.

From Between Trio: Always inventive improvising saxophonist Jack Wright leads an experimental, concentration-rewarding trio featuring French saxophonist Michel Doneda and Japanese-born percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani. Philadelphia Art Alliance, 8 p.m. Sunday, $10, www.arsnovaworkshop.com.

Don Preston’s Akashic Ensemble: Best known for his stints in various incarnations of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, the prolific jazz and rock keyboardist has played with an endless list of notables from both genres. His ensemble features guitarist Andre Cholmondeley of Zappa tribute band Project/Object, and he’ll be joined here by local saxophonist Elliott Levin and students of the Paul Green School of Rock Music. Black Lodge, 1508 Brandywine St., 8 p.m. Monday, $15, www.blacklodgeproductions.com.

Dan Loomis Quartet: St. Louis-born bassist leads a pianoless, two-saxophone foursome, a somewhat unusual line-up ideal for the group’s collectively devised modern jazz. The quartet’s celebrating its new CD, "I Love Paris." Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom St., 9:30 p.m. Thursday, $8, 215-568-3131, chrisjazzcafe.com.

CLASSICAL

Philadelphia Orchestra: Season opener has Christoph Eschenbach leading two symphonic masterpieces: Stravinsky’s visionary "The Rite of Spring" and Tchaikovsky’s First Symphony, subtitled "Winter Daydreams." Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 8 p.m. Thursday, 2 p.m. Sept. 21 and 23, 8 p.m. Sept. 25, $38-$113, 215-893-1999, www.philorch.org.

Relache: The contemporary-music ensemble kicks off with a new commission plus "Changing the System" by Christian Wolff. Also, John Cage’s "Ryoanji" and "Living Room Music," and Earle Brown’s "December 1952" and "4 Systems," the latter by visiting New York-based avant-rock group the Zs. Fleisher Art Memorial, 719 Catharine St., 8 p.m., $20, 215-574-8248, www.relache.org.

Lyric Fest: Launching their fifth season, co-founders Suzanne DuPlantis, mezzo-soprano; Randi Marrazzo, soprano; and pianist Laura Ward offer an imaginative evening of songs set to Shakespearean texts. They’ve invited some guests to widen the already-vast scope: sopranos Kiera Duffy and Laquita Mitchell, mezzo Jody Kidwell, tenor Bryan Hymel, bass-baritone Mark Moliterno and actor Jim Bergwall. First Presbyterian Church, 21st and Chestnut streets, 3 p.m. Sunday, $20, 215-432-5946, www.lyricfest.org.

Ladyfest Ottawa isn’t just for women. It’s also for guys and anyone who takes an interest in the feisty, female-fronted music and art that the four-day festival presents.

After five successful years in the capital, Ladyfest 2007 kicks off on Thursday night with the usual strong bill of female-headed rock bands. But this year the ladies have extended their reach to include hip-hop, a comedy and animation night, and even a rock camp for girls.

“We wanted to keep the momentum going, but also keep things fresh,” explains, an organizer with the festival.

“We have both new and returning members on the steering committee. And when new volunteers come to the table and have ideas, we want to help them grow.”

This cultivation of new ideas resulted in more hip-hop-focused acts like, who performs Friday night at Mavericks.

“We had thought about [including hip-hop on the bill] before, but no one on our steering committee knew enough about the hip-hop community,” Sedki says. “The first Ladyfest was inspired by the Riot Grrrl movement, which focused more on rock music, and so we continued along those lines.”

Rock ‘n’ roll is still the heart of a lot of the Ladyfest music, including performances by. But after a successful comedy fundraising night last year, Ladyfest is venturing into other arts as well. In co-operation with the Ottawa International Animation Festival, Saturday night at Barrymore’s will feature “Animated Women And Chicks And Giggles,” an evening of female comics and animation by female artists.

The rock camp aimed at teenage girls on Sunday at Capital Music Rehearsal Studio is an attempt to reach out to a younger audience.

“We’re always trying to involve youth,” Sedki says, “so that young people can be inspired to get involved in this stuff.”

To that end, the rock camp will feature lessons on bass, guitar and drums to teens who pre-register for the camp.

Whatever the entertainment, Sedki says the focus of Ladyfest remains the same.

“We keep growing, but it’s the sense of community that people feel at Ladyfest events. That extends to our audience, and people feel excited to be there.”

That excitment extends toward the performers, too., who plays an all-ages show at End Hits on Saturday afternoon, says that “any festival that creates a positive atmosphere is important. If people leave a festival thinking ‘I can do this too,’ then I think the event is a success. Some friends and I ran a rock camp for high school students in Kingston this year. There were 24 boys and one girl. That crystallized for me the importance of having a wide variety of female role models in music.”

Though inspiring the younger generation of girls is a big goal for Ladyfest, it’s seen its audience grow more diverse over the years. Sedki recounts a harmonica workshop hosted by Sturton last year that featured everyone from an 11-year-old girl to an 80-something grandmother.

“Ladyfest is by women, for everyone,” she says, “and now we’re really seeing that come to fruition.”

For the complete Ladyfest Ottawa schedule, check out their website.

That’s because Gunn and Netrebko, both 36, are opera stars, who happen to get as much attention for their pulchritude as they do for their vocal prowess.

Mind you, neither has exactly discouraged the ogling. Netrebko, a Russian-born soprano, poses for sultry photo spreads in glossy magazines and has a well-documented fondness for designer fashions, particularly those that flaunt her voluptuous frame. American baritone Gunn has shown even more skin on stage, where he is frequently asked to appear bare-chested and is happy to oblige, “if it’s the right show.”

Who can blame him? Younger classical musicians have been marketed with an emphasis on their sex appeal for years — think mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli or violinist Joshua Bell — though few have so captivated the media with their natural assets.

“I’m fine with it,” Netrebko says simply. “It’s nice, thank you very much.” And it doesn’t hurt in promoting her various projects, from appearances at the world’s leading opera houses to albums. Her new disc, Duets, pairs the diva with Mexican tenor Rolando Villazon, no slouch himself in the glamour department. The two have teamed for a Romeo et Juliette that opens Tuesday at the Metropolitan Opera, in which Gunn plays Mercutio.

Netrebko describes Duets, which includes selections by Puccini, Verdi, Donizetti, Massenet and Gounod, as the culmination of “something very special” that sparked when she and Villazon first sang together. “There was a chemistry between us, and in the way our voices matched.”

Gunn collaborates with theater star Kristin Chenoweth and piano prodigy Eldar on his recently released Just Before Sunrise. In lieu of classical pieces, the collection features material by popular tunesmiths.

Gunn prefers not to describe Sunrise as a crossover effort, because that term “suggests to me somebody performing something they shouldn’t.” He realizes that opera fans “might say, ‘Well, this isn’t real music.’ But I’m convinced that if I had done the CD in German, they would have no idea that I was singing Billy Joel or Sting. It’s just great music.”

Amy Winehouse and Justin Timberlake are high on Netrebko’s playlist, but for her, pop music “is to listen to, not to sing.” She and Gunn differ in other respects, too: She’s single and “loves to meet new people all the time. It’s one of the best things about my profession.” He’s a married father of five and gets home to Champaign, Ill., as often as his schedule allows.

And though both are fitness buffs, Netrebko says that “to stay in shape is more and more difficult as I get older.” For Gunn, a lifelong martial-arts enthusiast, keeping fit is not only a compulsion but also a passion. His hobbies range from motorcycles (”I tend to go really fast”) to, “on the more Zen side,” golf.

“I like to develop a character in every way, and I’ve always been athletic, so I suppose that leaks into what I do on stage,” Gunn says. Still, he attributes directors’ eagerness to have him rip off his shirt at least partly to plot nuances. “It happens a lot when I do Billy Budd, because there’s a bathing scene,” he says.

If Gunn and Netrebko can credit relative youth for at least some of their physical allure, they don’t seem concerned about maturing beyond their prime. “For an opera singer, usually the best years are after your 30s,” Netrebko says. “Plus, it’s important to have life experience in your singing.”

A friend of Gunn’s wife remarks upon “all these references to ‘Nathan Gunn, the sexy baritone,’ ” he says. “She said, ‘He’s not sexy, he’s just (a) dad.’ “

He was born in Oklahoma/His wife's name is Betty-Lou Thelma LizIt took me a while to warm up to country music although I'm sure a lot of that had to do with timing more then anything else. When I first started to seriously listen to pop music in the '70s, Country was going through its very heavy "Rhinestone phase" while trying to appeal to the popular music crowd at the same time. As a kid I remember Glen Campbell having a variety show, Hee Haw was still a staple, and in Canada every Friday night for the longest time was the The Tommy Hunter Show. Tommy's show was probably the worst of the lot as far as I was concerned: big hair, rhinestones, and stiletto boots – and you should have seen what the women were dressed like! Okay so that's cruel and unfair, but to be honest I almost couldn't tell any of the songs or people apart. It seemed like Country music on television at that time was a never-ending procession of cowboy hats, slow mournful dirges about broken hearts, and people talking about Jesus all the time. There's nothing wrong with any of that I suppose, but it wasn't my idea of entertainment at the time, or now either.You know he loves to drink that Lone Star beer/Chases it down with that Wild Turkey LiquorMy first inkling that there might be something more to Country music than what I had been seeing on television was my older brother's record collection. In amongst the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, and The Band albums were mixed in stuff by Kris Kristofferson, Hank Williams, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and one album recorded live in Luckenbach Texas by this guy named Jerry Jeff Walker.When I listened to the Kristofferson records, I didn't notice that much difference between him and some of the folk music to which I liked to listen. I was surprised to see that he was referred to as a Country musician. This made me wonder about what was on that really country looking album by Jerry Jeff Walker.He's got a '57 GMC pickup truck, with a gun rack and I'd rather step in shit than smoke it bumper stickerWell what I heard on that record just blew me away. Side one was mostly studio music and featured one of my favorite songs of Jerry Jeff's to this day "Desperados." It was only years later that I found out he had also written the song "Mr. Bojangles", which had been a hit for him on the pop charts. The thing was that alongside of those country folk songs, he was also playing music that sounded suspiciously like Rock and Roll, but with a hearty country twang.Now as part of their Vanguard Visionaries series Vanguard Records has released Jerry Jeff Walker with ten songs reflecting all aspects of his repertoire. Although he only released two albums originally with Vanguard, the material on them provides examples of every type of music that he has recorded over the course of his career. From the more typical folk/country sound of "Morning Song To Sally" to the highly unexpected "Lost Sea Shanty" with its very San Francisco Bay area sound, complete with jangling guitar, pop vocal harmonies, and incessant tambourine.He's not responsible for what he's doing, his mother made him what he isI'm quite sure how I feel about that song, but it doesn't seem to have played a big part in his career. Thankfully, the disc gets back onto more recognizable ground soon enough and you start to hear the country boy in his voice start coming through. "No Roots In Ramblin'" is a definite precursor to later material like. But, it's on "North Cumberland Blues" that we hear the Country/Rock sound that would become his signature. There's the obvious comparison that can be made with Gram Parsons and The Flying Burritos, but Jerry seemed to have a lighter attitude towards the music then Gram ever did. Than again perhaps he wasn't carrying the personal baggage that Parsons lugged around with him until it ended his life. Walker's influence seems to have been overshadowed by Parson's glamorous death, which was unfair for both of them.Perhaps people held Jerry Jeff's commercial success against him, as if somehow scoring a hit with "Mr. Bojangles" (included on this disc and still a great song as far as am I concerned) excluded him from exerting an influence on the music that followed in his wake. But listening to the diversity of sound and the quality of the music that's on Jerry Jeff Walker it's hard to see how anyone could make that case.However, that doesn't stop me from feeling that Jerry Jeff Walker gets unfairly overlooked and often forgotten about when people talk about the various influences on popular music today. He paved the way for people like Hank Williams Jr., and most of the Country/Rock bands that have played since that time. He may not have been the first to do things, but he was the one who provided the valuable transition between the pioneers and people like Charlie Daniels. Besides, without Jerry Jeff we would have never met:"It's up against the wall you Redneck Mothers/Mothers who have raised their sons so well/He's thirty-five and drinking in a honky-tonk/ Just kicking hippies asses and raising hell/ M is for mother/O is for the oil she gave me for my hair/T is for T-bird/H is for Haggard/E is for the eggs she serves me for breakfast/and R is for `Redneck.'" "Redneck Mothers" by Jerry Jeff WalkerJerry Jeff Walker is a unique figure in the annals of popular music in that he has successfully managed to have a career while playing music that never was easy to drop into any category. He was too Rock-and-Roll for Country purists and who ever heard of a pedal steel guitar in Rock music. The thing is that there turned out to be a huge audience for that type of music and he's never looked back since. Like any true visionary he's carved out his own path to success and it suits him just fine, and it's given music fans all over something to be grateful for. The songs on Jerry Jeff Walker in the Vanguard Visionary series will give you a good enough indication of what type of music he plays today that if for some reason its the first of his albums you buy, I can pretty much guarantee it won't be the last.

Because of the Times brings back sweet memories

Kings of Leon’s latest album is an awesome anomaly from this decade’s musical trends

Ah, renewed faith! I had started to seriously question the future of rock-and-roll until I heard Kings of Leon. The southern-bred quartet reminds listeners not to confuse Nickelback for true rock-and-roll. My affinity for rock and roll started with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Jackson Brown vinyls. I’d sit next to the record player flipping sides until I fell asleep and awoke to the sound of the needle ticking. 

My first introduction to my generation’s music was an Ace of Base tape and the rewind function of walkman. Next came Jagged Little Pill in CD form and with the ability to skip there was no need to listen to all the songs. Technology didn’t make music better, just more convenient. The beauty of the record player is that there isn’t a shuffle, repeat, fast forward or rewind function. I’d listen to the whole album as it told a story. 

The smell and feel of vinyl is lost on a culture obsessed with singles, diets and packaging everything in plastic. However, Kings of Leon’s latest album, Because of the Times, is a refreshing divergence from the whining  anthem of an over-privileged audience and seemingly self-loathing musicians. They are reminiscent of the 1970s when bands didn’t make music to cater to the largest market segment, but rather focused on originality and making music for the sake of music. 

The band’s sound is rooted in lead vocalist, Caleb Followill’s, ability to narrate the guitar riffs. Rather than using his Steven Tyler-esque histrionics to dominate, there is a balance between the music and vocals, in a dialogue that doesn’t require a response. The lyrical story unfolds with tempo changes, backup vocalists and electronic and acoustic variations. “On Call” and “True Love Way” illustrate the band’s ability to fuse slow baseline development with bursts of rock punctuated by its southern twang. 

“Ragoo” breaks from the bluesy tunes and tambourine calamity of the 2005 album “Aha Shake Heartbreak.” On its Web site, drummer Nathan Followill describes the band’s growth.

“We weren’t scared to try anything. I think that’s the difference between this album and the last. We weren’t timid at all. Every song showed us something we had inside of ourselves that we didn’t know existed, which enabled us to be even bolder on the next song,” said Followill. 

Because of the Times is a testament to the versatile musicianship of Kings of Leon. They break from the structure of pop music (two lines, chorus, two lines) in favor of patterns, rhythms and silences that create mystery in songs like “Knocked Up.” The quieter moments allow listener appreciation for the individual contributions from the rhythm guitar, bass and drums. 

Kings of Leon represents the difference between good because it’s popular and being popular because it’s great. Perhaps I can look forward to my children discovering this hidden treasure in my iTunes collection. 

Kings of Leon headline, with opening acts Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Simple Kid, at the Charlottesville Pavilion on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007.

Kate Griendling is a senior communications major.

Although Glen Campbell has a well-known history as a big country music star, with mega-hits such as "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," and "Wichita Lineman," a lot of today's music fans might not realize that he started in pop music. They also might be surprised to learn that he's a talented songwriter, and a serious guitarist who was so dedicated that he even studied the work of jazz pioneers like Django Reinhardt.

Those were the kind of thoughts that were going through my mind while watching a new music DVD from Time-Life, Glen Campbell: Good Times Again, a 60-minute disc that combines many excerpts from his hit TV show. Although it's mostly filled with his duets with a number of well-known guest stars (more later about those), it was the talents of Glen himself that often caught my attention.

In the early days of his career he was mainly involved in the pop music side of things, and played with a variety of performers that include the Monkees, the Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, and even Elvis Presley. But the formula for his own success was built around a lush, pop-oriented country sound that took full advantage of his talent, and that's on full display in this DVD.

Glen provides an introduction to every performance on the disc, reminiscing a little but keeping it brief. There is something to be said for just allowing the performances to spin along without interruption, especially if you're interested in immersing yourself into a nostalgic exercise, but I suppose the producers are doing it the right way. And if Glen's weathered current face is a little jarring to the mood the first time or two he shows up, a comfort level is soon reached.

As with many DVD's of TV shows from the 1960s or 1970s, the roster of guest stars is fascinating for a number of reasons, including the opportunity to see many superstars in their early years, almost as if you're watching them on live TV. (Keep an eye open for Willie Nelson — you'll hardly recognize him.)

Some of those performers are no longer around, and the chance to see someone like Rick Nelson in his prime, teaming up with Glen on "Louisiana Man," or Ray Charles performing "Cryin' Time," is not to be missed. Also of note, Johnny Cash and Glen doing Johnny's big hit, "Folsom Prison Blues."

Other highlights include Glen and Linda Ronstadt performing "Carolina On My Mind," and another duet with a female mega-star, Cher, on "All I Really Want To Do." Also of interest, Glen teams up with Bobbie Gentry and spotlights an album they did together.

There are some performances you could predict. Glen teaming up with B.J. Thomas on his trademark "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head," was nice but unexceptional. Others were a nice surprise. The composer of "Gentle On My Mind," banjoist John Hartford, sits down with Glenn on the hit song and we hear it in a different way. Good stuff.

A nice DVD for both content and quality - sound is good, colors sharp and true - and recommended for anyone who would like to experience a snapshot of the era's pop music.