Calvin Cooke is approximately my favorite musician ever.
There have been other good ones, certainly -- Clapton and Hendrix and any Marsalis. But what Cooke does stirs emotions in special ways.
If you aren't familiar with him, you can catch him Sunday (Aug. 14) -- if you live near East Lansing, Mich. That's when the National Folk Festival wraps up.
(Yes, I usually prattle about TV; see previous blogs. But this one and the ones around it deal with the festival, this weekend.)
Today, I caught a fiddle confluence. There were great moments from Chris Segura of Feufollet and others, plus witty comments from Dudley and Jacqueline Laufman. Dudley explained that his music isn't really meant to be listened to; if you're listening, you're not paying enough attention to your dancing.
Then came Cooke, who is truly sensational. His wife, Grace, has a triumphant gospel voice, but the real joy comes when Cooke plays his steel guitar. Called "sacred steel," this is a style different from anything else; steel notes slowly soar, stirring passion.
Until recently, this was only heard in churches, in a few places -- Detroit, Cleveland, Florida, some others. Now it's in public; you can aee Cooke at noon Sunday on the MAC state; at about 3 p.m. in the "Re-Skilling Tent," he gets a Michigan Herigage Award.
Also Saturday, I heard Los Bandits de Michigan. The band had some troubles connecting with the audience between songs; the music, however, was excellent -- hard-driving accordion, guitar and drum sounds, giving Tex-Mex music a rock flavor.
And then -- well, right before the next round of Feufollet, the lighting and thunder exploded. At least, there's one more crack at Feufollet, on the dance stage at 4:20 p.m. Sunday -- after the don't-miss Calvin Cooke set. Here's the Sunday schedule:
– Sunday, MAC: Cooke, noon; Jacqueline LaPrelle,
1 p.m.; Detour, 2; George Kahumoky, 3; Reveillons, 4:05; Teada, 5:15.
– Sunday, City Hall: Stephen Greeman Klezmer Ensemble, noon;
Gia Hong, 1 p.m.; Teada, 2:10; traditions (details pending), 3:20;
LaPrelle, 4:30.
– Sunday, Dance: Reveillons, noon;
Pan Franek & Zosia's Polka Towners, 1:30 p.m.; Laufmans, 3;
Feufollet, 4:20.