Okra and tomato soup at Williams Hardware cafe in TR. Good eatin’. (at The Cafe @ Williams Hardware)

Grey-ponytailed Tinsley with the ever-appearing Ted Pecchio on the bass guitar. (at The Handlebar)

with the Markus King Band flat killing it as openers. (at The Handlebar)

I promise to dry off today. I don’t know what smells like wet dog around here…

Swamp Rabbit 5K 2013- Dylan’s first race.

This has been our Shadow for 9 years as of today.

Split the banana split with Nana last night. (at Dillard’s Ice Cream Parlor)

Spring Skunk 2013. Yes, I’m trying Instagram again. (at Albino Skunk Music Festival)

Sarah Jarosz impresses Peace Center crowd

By Neil Shurley

The lights reflected off the instruments, illu­minating in flashes the large Peace Center crowd. It was the closest thing to a special effect on display, but that doesn’t mean there was no spectacle. Fingers dancing, bows flying — three musicians on a bare stage demonstrated the simple joy of hearing stringed instruments masterfully played.

Sarah Jarosz made her first Greenville appear­ance Saturday night, and was enthusiastically received by an apprecia­tive crowd. Just 21 years old and a month away from college graduation, Jarosz is already a veter­an performer, with a Grammy nomination to her name. She’s some­thing of a prodigy, dem­onstrating impressive banjo, guitar and mando­lin skills. She’s also an engaging singer and talented songwriter. On top of all that, she’s got a disarmingly pleasant stage presence. “You guys are awesome!” she told the crowd several times.

Accompanying her were Nathaniel Smith on cello and Alex Har­greaves on fiddle. To­gether, the three were simply dazzling.

Sounding like a sort of cross between folk, jazz, and bluegrass, Jarosz played her own songs as well as several winning covers, including a fan­tastic interpretation of Bob Dylan’s “Simple Twist of Fate.” The trio created complex and layered rhythms that seemed to transcend what you typically ex­pect from stringed in­struments. Smith’s cello playing, in particular, was nothing short of amazing, shifting from a flashing bow to plucked strings in an instant, propelling the music forward with practiced intensity.

Other highlights in­cluded Jarosz’s moving adaptation of an Edgar Allan Poe poem, “Anna­belle Lee,” the fiery in­strumental “Old Smitty,” and a heartfelt solo per­formance of Paul Simon’s “Kathy’s Song.”

The variety and virtu­osity on display indicated a depth and range that will serve Jarosz well in years to come. In fact, I can see her appeal ex­tending beyond country and roots music fans. It’s not a stretch to imagine Sarah Jarosz winning over classical music crowds and collaborating with imaginative groups like the Kronos Quartet, extending her own range as well as that of the classical repertoire. I look forward to seeing where her career takes her.

Jarosz told us that Saturday night’s crowd was probably the largest she’s ever had, and the Peace Center was cer­tainly the biggest venue she’s ever played. Judg­ing from the crowd’s response, she’d better get used to it.

Listen to the show here:

http://archive.org/details/sarahjarosz2013-04-06.flac24_mrsoul

Anders Osborne
YLC at the Square
New Orleans, LA
3/6/13

What a show!