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 Laurie
Lewis, Tom Rozum,
& Lilly of the West
National
Palace of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria,
22nd November 22 2003
Another first in the
cultural renaissance of Sofia, this concert, sponsored by the
United States Embassy American Cultural Center, played to a
sold-out, standing room only crowd. They were treated to some
of the finest traditional music America has to offer. US ambassador
Mr James Pardew's opening remarks reminded those attending of
the reason for this celebration: one hundred years of diplomatic
relations between Bulgaria and the United States.
Lilly Drumeva and her
fine band then took to the stage. Lilly has succeeded in the
remarkable achievement of putting together a top-notch bluegrass
band here in her homeland, far from the origins of voice this
music. She has a distinctive voice that sails above the banjo,
Dobro and acoustic guitar instrumentation. Her set included
bluegrass standards as well as some nice original compositions.
Joining Lilly and her band for the final three numbers was Nashvillian
Al Coll. Interestingly, Al's instrument, the Dobro guitar, has
an Eastern European connection, having been invented by Slovakian
immigrant John Dopyera.
After a short intermission, headliners Laurie
Lewis and Tom Rozum took to the stage, accompanied by bassist
Laura Quigley. Laurie Lewis is a gifted vocalist, instrumentalist
and songwriter from the West Coast, who has won numerous awards
for her work.
Together with her partner Tom Rozum, they
delighted the audience with their deft musicianship on fiddle,
mandolin and guitar. The trio's voices blended together on songs
that covered a wide variety of styles, from bluegrass and folk
to contemporary country. Laurie's spirited fiddle tunes drew
cheers from the enthusiastic crowd. Laurie, Tom and Laura returned
to the stage along with Lilly of the West and Al Goll and encored
with the standard Will The Circle Be Unbroken. Then, as a finale,
Laurie's composition, the lively The Hills of My Home was chosen,
and everyone got a chance to contribute to the jam. Long after
the music was over, folks stayed around to revive old aquaintances,
make new ones and bask in the glow of friendship.
Al Goll
© Maverick Country Music Magazine
March 2004 www.maverick-country.com
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