Last Night's Folkey Monkey Guest...

...was Andy Robinson. He gave us a night full of wonderful surprizes and the first time the Folkey Monkey has been treated to mountain dulcimer music. Not only that, Andy brought his friend John to duet with him on kalimba, or thumb piano (relative to the African mbira). The dreamy gentle percussive plucking sound of the kalimba is both soothing and entrancing and perfect for any meditative moment. The rhythms and counter rhythms of each of their parts played off each other to great effect, taking the listner to an exotic far away place indeed.

Andy's first instrument is the dulcimer and play it well he does. He gave us such classics as Long Black Veil, and Act Naturally, and Last Night I Had the Stangest Dream, as well as many original compositions such as the humorous My First Car, the poignant Hy and Kay (a touching song about missing his parents), and the fanciful The End (a song about the end of the world as it would be in a bad sci-fi novel). A good storyteller, Robinson kept our attention all night while keeping a smile on our faces all the while.

His latest CD, Exotic America is one of my favorites. A lighthearted compendium of driving melodic instrumental masterpieces showcasing the dulcimer, pecussion, and non-lyric vocals, its very uniqueness makes you smile at every turn. I highly recommend buying this CD, slapping in your car stereo and hitting the highway for a while. It was a pleasure to share the stage with him.

Keep on pluckin', Andy, and we'll see you back soon we hope.


	The New Monkey Musings The Official Newsletter of Joe Rathburn's Folkey Monkey et al