Short Takes: Glimpse at Weekend Entertainment

TWILIGHT AND BLUEGRASS
Bottleneck blues-rock meets rip-roaring Appalachian bluegrass. Same city, different nights.
Music fans can rock with Michelle Malone on July 2, and then roll with the bluegrass of Sapling Grove on July 3.
Malone headlines Twilight Alive, while Sapling Grove leads Bluegrass On Broad, each of which occurs in downtown Kingsport, Tenn.
Malone rocks the blues. Sapling Grove grooves to bluegrass. Each features a razor-sharp, no-frills sound tailored for no-nonsense lovers of music who want it full bore and barreling.
Malone and her bottleneck guitar fit those who love a mix of the Rolling Stones’ “Exile On Main Street” era and Buddy Guy. Sapling Grove leans toward but isn’t bound by traditional bluegrass.
Win with either, blues or bluegrass, Malone or Sapling Grove.

IF YOU GO
What: Twilight Alive featuring Michelle Malone
When: July 2, 7 p.m.
Where: Broad Street, Downtown Kingsport, Tenn.
Admission: Free
Web: www.michellemalone.-com
Audio: www.michelle-malone.com/mp3store/store/
Also: www.twilightalive.com
AND
What: Bluegrass On Broad featuring Sapling Grove
When: July 3, 7 p.m.
Where: Broad Street, Downtown Kingsport, Tenn.
Admission: Free
Web: www.saplinggrove.us
Also: www.bluegrassonbroad.-com

ALL ABOARD!
Had “Captain Kangaroo” character Mr. Green Jeans the ability to sing, he may have sounded something like Jack Norton.
Billed as Conductor Jack, the heralded children’s musician will appear on July 8 at the Bristol Public Library in Bristol, Va. Make sure to bring the kids and hear such tunes as “Old MacDonald (Had a Band)” from the emerging master.
Dressed like a fun-loving train conductor, the Minnesota native and his wife Kitty host PBS children’s program “The Zinghoppers Show.”
He sounds something like “Sesame Street” meets Roger Miller. He’s clever and fun, for kids and for adults, and like a train from a child’s book features a little sound that could.

IF YOU GO
Who: Conductor Jack and Friends
When: July 8, 11 a.m.
Where: Bristol Public Library, 701 Goode St., Bristol, Va.
Admission: Free
Info: (276) 645-8780
Web: www.jacknorton.net
Audio and video: www.jacknorton.net/FriendlyAudVid.html
And: www.bristol-library.org

HOMESPUN YARNS
Time was when front-porch storytelling enthralled families and friends from Appalachia and beyond. Folks don’t tell stories anymore.
Well, that’s not quite accurate. Join the Homespun Storytelling Guild each first Monday of the month including July 6 at the Carter Mansion in Elizabethton, Tenn., for storytelling as in days gone by. Bring an empty cup and sip on supplied tea or juice.
Then, sit back and savor yarns spun from the tall to the true. Expect a mix of nostalgia and a renewed sense of the power of oral tradition.
Better yet, anyone with a fine fable or witty anecdote are encouraged to chime in with the group. That’s storytelling for you, a shared experience.

IF YOU GO
What: The Homespun Storytelling Guild
When: July 6, 6-8 p.m.
Where: Carter Mansion, 1013 Broad St., Elizabethton, Tenn.
Admission: Free
Info: (423) 543-6140

MUSIC NOTES
-- In the aftermath of the death of Michael Jackson on June 25 at age 50, the king of pop has dominated news programs and otherwise. The Internet slowed to a crawl on the day he died, as frantic fans scoured the Web for information.
Then, there were the album sales. Amazon.com reported a spike in sales of Jackson’s albums such that sales of his music alone accounted for an astounding 60 percent of the site’s sales of music.
When checked early Tuesday morning, Jackson’s albums were the top 11 bestsellers listed on Amazon and 13 of the top 15. Not one of them had been listed in the top 100 on the day before Jackson died.
Now that’s Elvis Presley-like.
-- So which album clocked in at No. 12? That distinction goes to Wilco and its self-titled new album, which was released on June 30.
-- Also new in stores this week comes Rob Thomas’ “Cradlesong,” country’s Brad Paisley with his spectacular “American Saturday Night” and former Band helmsman Levon Helm with “Electric Dirt.”
-- However, if you’re looking for country, then it’s Tucker time. One humdinger of a sleeper hit stores this week from Tanya Tucker with “My Turn.” Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer/guitarist Pete Anderson, the album features a dozen covers of such country classics as Ray Price’s “Crazy Arms” and Faron Young’s “Wine Me Up.”
-- Jazz bee-bops from this week’s free MP3 download. Simply go to www.concordmusicgroup.com/media/audio/2/ and then click the download button, and wait while a free dose of late sax legend John Coltrane’s “Mary’s Blues” makes way to your computer.
Word to all, rock on whether soft or loud with an ear to a tune and an eye on the written word. Meanwhile, stay tuned when in tune with Short Takes and Music Notes at the fingertips.

TOM NETHERLAND is a freelance writer. He can be reached at features@bristolnews.com.