Tag Archives: folk

Eli Waltz Meet & Greet

Meet and greet folksinger, songwriter, and bandleader Eli Waltz at Vinyl Revival on Friday, September 20th at 3:30 p.m.!

Waltz will perform at Harmonie Hall in Philadelphia with Zach Zaitlin to celebrate the release of his new solo album, “October Julep” on Thursday, September 19th.  He pays a visit to Lansdowne the next day to meet fans.  He’ll have copies of his new album, and we’ll give it a listen!

Eli Waltz is a traveler and American folk artist who focuses the sum of his experiences on the road into a sound reminiscent of a different time. His music draws from the musical traditions of American Blues, Folk, “rock ‘n’ roll” and Chinese guqin music; his lyrics are inspired by the poets of the Beat Generation.

He is heralded for his philosophical lyricism, unconventional chord progressions and hard-hitting harmonica solos. He weaves in traditional Chinese music–inspired by months and years living in Beijing and Yunnan as a working musician–and even classical music to create a signature folk sound.

He has earned comparisons to musicians ranging from Ray Lamontagne to Colter Wall to Gregory Alan Isakov, and he aims to build upon and honor the legacies of his all-time favorites: Townes Van Zandt, John Lee Hooker, John Fahey and Bob Dylan.

Waltz has shared the stage with nationally-recognized artists including Willie Carlise, Andrew Combs and Rett Madison and his music has received praise from Sir Paul McCartney among other musical heroes.

He is part of a new wave of up-and-coming American Blues and Folk artists.

Check out his Spotify page.

March into Laurel Canyon

Laurel Canyon Music Scene

Laurel Canyon is a mountainous neighborhood/canyon located in the Hollywood Hills region of the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Hollywood Hills West district of Los Angeles. In the mid-sixties and early seventies, the vibe of this neighborhood was inspiration for many artists.  It was a chill environment where musicians hung out together at each other’s houses and collaborated, jamming on their acoustic guitars. The music created during this time was melodic and featured some of the best harmonies ever recorded.

Here are a couple of great albums that convey the spirit of those times.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Déjà vu (1970) – Déjà vu was the second album by CSN and their first as a quartet with Neil Young.  It features the song “Our House” which was written by Graham Nash while he was living with Joni Mitchell in Laurel Canyon. It’s an account of their day – simple and beautiful.

John Mayall – Blues from Laurel Canyon (1968) – Mayall lived in the Laurel Canyon area from 1969-1979. This album forms a record of his visit there and it was innovative for its time, especially by the standards of blues recordings. Fun fact – there were no visible track divisions on the vinyl album.

The Mamas and the Papas – The Mamas and the Papas (1966) – There was some drama in the group during the release of their second record.  Michelle Phillips was kicked out of the group, was replaced and then rejoined.  In the meantime, the album cover art which featured Michelle was re-shot with a new lineup and a new title, Crashon Screamon All Fall Down.  Some advance pressings with the new cover and title were released but once Michelle returned to the group, the original cover and title were reinstated.  Copies of Crashon are now very collectible.