Search - Sweet William :: More Than Fun

Okay, Not Great, Brooklyn, NY Country Music

John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 05/30/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"In a recent Village Voice article, Dock Oscar of Sweet William, is one of several Brooklyn country musicians extolling the virtues of the Brooklyn, NY country music scene:



http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0822,the-grand-ole-opries-of-brooklyn,451775,22.html



"'It's communal--the distance between performer and audience is narrower than in other kinds of music,' says Dock Oscar, impresario of Kings County Opry, a monthly band showcase held in the Dean Street spot, Freddy's Bar & Backroom, for the last four years. There's a self-awareness involved, too." 'Tis an interesting statement, but one which seems rather self-serving, especially since there are many venues here in New York City where one can feel quite communal with performers on stage; whether those are folk, jazz or rock or classical music too (Indeed, I have felt "communal" listening to sensational performances given by New York Philharmonic Orchestra double bassist David Grossman and his jazz trio, or by swing band leader George Gee (a high school classmate of mine) and one of his bands, or by Elton John and his band at Madison Square Garden or even during the Wiener Philharmoniker's (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra) annual visits to New York City's Carnegie Hall.). Moreover, the overall quality of the Brooklyn, New York country music scene pales in comparison with those in Nashville, San Antonio, Tucson (the home of such legendary acts as The Mollys, Giant Sand and Calexico) and the bluegrass country of the Carolinas and Kentucky (I can list only three Brooklyn, NY-based acts that are quite good, and two of them have little or no ties to the Brooklyn, NY country music scene: Citigrass, Demolition String Band and Wingdale Community Singers; a possible fourth may be the M Shanghai String Band.).



So should you purchase this CD? If you want to hear some fine New York City-based country music, then the choices are rather obvious: Citigrass, Wingdale Community Singers (in part due to the excellent lyrics written by one of its members, notable American writer Rick Moody, a college classmate of mine) and Demolition String Band. If your tastes are a bit more discerning, then your primary choices ought to include the latest releases from the likes of prominent New York City-based country musicians Roseanne Cash, Bela Fleck, Mark O'Connor and Chris Thile. Otherwise, if you're interested in fifth tier traditional country music, then this Sweet William CD may be your cup of tea."