Helen Gillet’s return to the Northwest gave me an excuse to talk with her on air and feature her music. But there’s lots of other fun songs to appreciate on this show.
Gillet and her magic cello will perform at Octapas Cafe, Sunday at 7:30 p.m. This will be her third visit to Olympia but her first time to perform at a public venue in town. (Helen’s website)I play three of her songs on the show, including Carolina — a song about the extinct Carolina Parakeet that was inspired by a mural painted by students from a school for the blind. She tells the story in our brief conversation which you can catch about an hour into the show.
But first, you’ll hear a fun show opener by Lil’ Buck Sinegal called “Monkey in a Sack.” If you’ve never heard Sinegal perform then just playing the first song from the show should be worth your while. (have you clicked the sideway arrow above to start the show yet?)
Other audio treats include a raspy banjo-inflected “Hound Dog,” the Boswell Sisters “Put that Sun Back in the Sky,” David Egan’s “Funky Dreams,” and Louis Prima rocking it with bandleader, saxophonist and fellow New Orleanian Sam Butera. And that’s just the first full set.
Some of my other favorites in the show include Kirk Joseph, sousaphonist, performing an original “Not Yet, Son” and Ecirb Muller’s Twisted Dixie’s take on “Sunnyside of the Street.”
As usual, the show flows from R&B to Jazz to Funk to Swing as if you enjoy it all, which if you listen to my show — you pretty much have to. Thanks for tuning in and please subscribe.
Sweeney's Gumbo YaYa 