Sometimes all it takes is confidence. Many musicians are gifted. That's why
they've taken to music for a living. Many musicians know what it takes to
conceive a song and get it written. There are musicians all over the area who
can do that. One thing, though, that many performers lack is the confidence to
take it to the next level. Illustrious Day, a rock trio starring
frontwoman/guitarist Jackie O'Brien has, with their new CD, Dizzy Fell
Down, done just that.
"I've finally gotten more comfortable with myself, especially in the studio,"
says O'Brien. "I finally have come to realize that I have this gift." It took
her a long time to own up to the gift and understand she had every right to
have confidence as a musician and artist. It shows in her performance, and you
can hear it on the new record. "I believe now that it's O.K. to be less
inhibited about performing and it's O.K. to think differently about musical
ideas."
Those musical ideas show up in spades on Dizzy Fell Down, whether it's
in O'Brien's accomplished, rhythmic guitar chords, her diverse vocal style,
which veers in style from Debbie Harry to Kristin Hersh, or her songwriting.
"Sometimes knowing yourself, knowing your limitations, helps the songwriting
process and sometimes the songwriting process helps you know yourself," says
O'Brien. "It's all a process of finding something out about myself."
Which is why being a musician is an all-consuming way of life, more life, in
fact, than lifestyle. When you're a musician, everything you do (or don't do)
is influenced (or colored, at least) by how it affects your music. Is this
episode in your life a song? Is that noise you heard on the street a tempo? Is
that phrase a lyric? A song title? Everything you encounter in your life
becomes a musical concept.
"Music has opened doors for me as far as being a person, too," says O'Brien.
"It's hard to separate music from life. It's my life, if not physically at
least emotionally." And it has been emotionally exhausting as well. Two years
in the making, Dizzy Fell Down represents a long road, a journey the
likes of which many bands take as they attempt to get their music on CD. Two
years ago this December the band, which also includes drummer Art Rossi and
bassist Jim O'Brien, went in with studio pro Lee Brown up in Bedford,
Massachusetts to lay down the original tracks. From there, they had a
foundation on which to build an album. But then, life, as it does so often, got
in the way.
"A lot happened," Jackie admits, not the least of which was her husband Jim
leaving the band to finish school. Bassist Mark Plasse filled in. "We had a lot
of delays, scheduling problems, financial problems," she adds. "And then I
injured my hand right before I was supposed to lay down guitar tracks." A
problem for guitarists, playing with one hand. With her head totally into the
process, those unseemly delays at least allowed Jackie to write some of the
best songs on the album, gems like the grooving, super-atmospheric "All I'm
Asking," the richly textured "Angela's Voice," and the galloping "This Is Your
Life." Many of these songs were demoed at home, where Jackie and Jim often
fiddle with an 8-track Tascam to get some preliminary song ideas down. "Jim is
the idea man," she admits, counter to the idea that Jackie herself is the star
of Illustrious Day. "He had a lot of input behind the production and the
writing. He can hear something immediately and tell me how to tweak it to make
it really work."
Finally, nearly two years down a long road, Illustrious Day found out how to
make the album "really work." They pulled it together once and for all. You can
bet there will be a serious celebration when they get together for their CD
release party this Saturday night.
"It was a great experience," says Jackie, in retrospect. "And we're really
looking forward to everybody getting to hear the album. We've discovered that
if you follow through on something, eventually it will happen. And it did."
Illustrious Day will celebrates the release of Dizzy Fell Down on
Saturday, November 17 at the Century Lounge. The show, which is all ages, also
features Emery Vesch, M-80, and State of Corruption.
WANDERING EYE. I have a huge list for you, so let's get right to it.
Geri and the Jeepsters rock and roll Gator's Pub in North Smithfield on
Friday. There's a breast cancer benefit that same night at the Safari. Pete
Rock presents Tung, Room with a View, Oversight, and
Dark Flowered Music. Proceeds go to Dana Farber. Also on the same night,
you can go to AS220 and catch a sweet all-ages bill that features V for
Vendetta, Q and Not U, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, and El
Quapo. Another adventurous night of absurdly diverse rawk at the venue, all
for $6.
Speaking of adventure, the folks at the Blackstone must be doing something
right because they've assembled some titillating bills of their own up north.
Tonight (the 15th), you can catch the Amazing Mudshark and Spiney
Norman for free. On Friday you can catch the MockingBirds hanging
with up and coming Wetherbelly for a $3 bill. On Saturday, Atlantic
Caravan plays with Seven Bridges, and on Sunday the Maggie
Salzberg Band, from northern RI/Mass, led by the lovely and talented
Maggie, apparently works a crowd pretty good -- an important skill on Sunday
nights.
Down in West Kingstown, a stone's throw off 95, the Courthouse Center for the
Arts presents "An Evening of Great Guitar," on Saturday at 8 p.m. This night
features three talented duos "performing dazzling and unique guitar styles."
Steve DeConti (North Star Jazz Ensemble) and Jon Damian (Berklee
professor) attack the jazz idiom. Mark Davis (UConn) and Beverly
Roy (Providence Mandolin Orchestra), playing a matched set of guitars, will
present traditional English folksongs. And the duo of Jerry Miller and
Bob Zuck (both of the Hatfield McCoy Trio) will showcase Texas swing,
old-time country and bluegrass guitar. For more information, call 782-1018.
The Fantastics have a valuable opening slot this Sunday night at the
Green Room. They will set the stage for national notables Black Rebel
Motorcycle Club and Sub Pop upstarts the Vue. Songs from the
upcoming Fantastics disc will be in order, certainly.
Finally, there's a great bill of local notables at the Green Room on
Wednesday, November 21 featuring the Colonel and his Lucky Diamonds,
the Itchies, and garage rockers the Magnums. How could you
possibly go wrong?
E-mail me with your music news, please, at b_gulla@yahoo.com.
Issue Date: November 16 - 22, 2001
