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Knocking it out of the ballpark!
“Take a chance on me, If you need me, let me know, Gonna be around.” - ABBA
This week I took a chance on two musicians from England - Icky and Sum - who were recommended to me by a friend (hence the link to ABBA’s song, “Take a Chance on Me, which I can’t seem to get out of my head). I listened to some of the duo’s recordings and was on the fence about inviting them to perform until a conversation with Icky convinced me I absolutely wanted them on the Music Road Trip stage.
Icky, you see, has not had an easy life. After a serious car accident, which resulted in TBI, he finds it difficult to remember, and conversations can be hard unless the person he’s talking to asks lots of questions. “When folks ask me questions they trigger memories and I’m able to find the words,” he says. Since this is not something he immediately volunteers about himself, I was a little puzzled about why our conversations seemed rather one-sided and short.
Icky, however, is anything but low key or withholding. Genuinely kind and interested in others, he was as curious about me as I was about him. We spent the hour prior to the start of his show swapping stories and laughing about the differences between British and American English (ask him about the word “fanny” sometime). Icky is also devoted to music and interested in all aspects of how a song is written and can be performed.
What about Icky’s friend, Sum, you ask? Let’s just say I’m still working on ferreting out his story, so more on his life and music will have to wait. But never fear. Icky and Sum will be returning to the Music Road Trip soon. Below is the link to Icky and Sum’s performance. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did:
Icky and Sum were followed by Raspbury Rearwin. Raspy, as friends fondly call him, has been performing weekly at The Music Road Trip. Why? Because I have never heard him sing the same song the same way, and because he has an uncanny ability to take himself and his listeners down intriguing musical rabbit holes. The recording below is a prime example of not only his imaginative approach to music but his talent as well. Enjoy.
P.S. I will do a full post about this soon, but wanted to give you all a heads up and encourage you to save some time to listen to some STELLAR female singer/songwriters on International Women’s Day on March 8th. It will be a full day of female musicians performing live in the virtual world of Second Life that will also be streamed live to the web. Stay tuned for details.
Copyright 2022 by Jena Ball. All Rights Reserved.