A while back I read an article in the Houston Chronicle about a new phenomena - LA musicians were packing up their bags and moving to the Texas Hill Country. The musician they happened to be interviewing said that he had grown tired of life on the road and the crazy pace in LA. He and his wife were ready to start a family and wanted a better quality of life. They had heard that Austin was the "Live Music Capitol of the World", and decided to check it out for themselves. Sure enough, not only were they happy with the life they found waiting for them here, they also started a chain reaction amongst their friends and fellow musicians. Every time someone came to visit them here, they ended up deciding to move themselves. It's not just Austin that has a plethora of live music venues, either. Almost every town in the vicinity has several as well. Even tiny little Wimberley.
A few weeks back we finally made it to Cafe Susannah. Once a month the fellowship hall in the Methodist Church is transformed into a coffee house with live entertainment, and refreshments provided by Wimberley Pie Co. and Gringo Gourmet Tamales. The band that night was called Kat's Meow, and I was unfamiliar with it, which made for a delightful surprise. Our friend Cheryl said two of the band members were her neighbors, so she, Debi and I all decided to bring our husbands and meet up there. When they started introducing the band members - lead singer Kat Edmondson, Francie Meaux Jeaux on bass, and guitarist Slim Richey - I thought "Woah, wait a minute, I have heard of him. He's been around for ever!" He bills himself as "the most dangerous guitarist in Texas", and claims to have been banned from performing in Sun City due to playing "such explicit notes".
Slim is a prime example of someone who's figured out the key to livin' the good life. He and Francie live here in Wimberley, but manage to follow their passion by playing in multiple bands around the Hill Country, most started by Richey himself, who is internationally recognized for his distinctive southwestern swing/jazz style. In addition to Kat's Meow, he has The Jitter Bug Vipers (think Chicago nightclub in the 40's with Billie Holliday and Gene Krupa), Monster JazzGrass Band (bluegrass players playing jazz, swing and beebop on acoustic instruments), his Dream Band (jazz) and Yo Gadjo - a gypsy jazz band.
The biggest surprise of the evening came when pixie-like Kat Edmondson opened her mouth. All I knew about her was that she had been on season two of American Idol, which I didn't watch. I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this smoky, sultry blend of Julie London and Madeleine Peyroux. One review I read described her as "a fresh new voice with an old, familiar sound." All I know is, you really ought to hear her singing songs like Fever, Just in Time, and I Thought About You.
A few weeks back we finally made it to Cafe Susannah. Once a month the fellowship hall in the Methodist Church is transformed into a coffee house with live entertainment, and refreshments provided by Wimberley Pie Co. and Gringo Gourmet Tamales. The band that night was called Kat's Meow, and I was unfamiliar with it, which made for a delightful surprise. Our friend Cheryl said two of the band members were her neighbors, so she, Debi and I all decided to bring our husbands and meet up there. When they started introducing the band members - lead singer Kat Edmondson, Francie Meaux Jeaux on bass, and guitarist Slim Richey - I thought "Woah, wait a minute, I have heard of him. He's been around for ever!" He bills himself as "the most dangerous guitarist in Texas", and claims to have been banned from performing in Sun City due to playing "such explicit notes".
Slim is a prime example of someone who's figured out the key to livin' the good life. He and Francie live here in Wimberley, but manage to follow their passion by playing in multiple bands around the Hill Country, most started by Richey himself, who is internationally recognized for his distinctive southwestern swing/jazz style. In addition to Kat's Meow, he has The Jitter Bug Vipers (think Chicago nightclub in the 40's with Billie Holliday and Gene Krupa), Monster JazzGrass Band (bluegrass players playing jazz, swing and beebop on acoustic instruments), his Dream Band (jazz) and Yo Gadjo - a gypsy jazz band.
The biggest surprise of the evening came when pixie-like Kat Edmondson opened her mouth. All I knew about her was that she had been on season two of American Idol, which I didn't watch. I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this smoky, sultry blend of Julie London and Madeleine Peyroux. One review I read described her as "a fresh new voice with an old, familiar sound." All I know is, you really ought to hear her singing songs like Fever, Just in Time, and I Thought About You.
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