from the desk of the Black Twig Pickers

Hello, all: Black Twig Pickers are on tap for 2 shows Saturday, Oct. 6 --

First is noon to 2 p.m. or thereabouts at Wasena Park in Roanoke, where the Twigs have the mission of adding some string-and-board whatsis to the great river cleanup celebration;

and second is the 6:15 p.m. dancing slot at the Roanoke Fiddle & Banjo Club's monthly shindig at Mount Pleasant Elementary School. Directions are pasted at the bottom of this email. See http://www.roanokefiddleandbanjoclub.org/Home.html for more details, but note that the Twigs switched to an earlier slot -- looks like a music-packed evening with a bill that includes Baker & Honeycutt, the Old Dominion Cloggers, Deep South, Floyd & Friends and Just Us.

And mark your calendars for Oct. 26-28, when old-timey country blues shouter (and ace songwriter) Charlie Parr returns to play a few shows with the Black Twigs in Roanoke, Blacksburg and Charlottesville. If you haven't caught Charlie's few appearances in the Southeast before, be prepared -- this is strong stuff: excellent singing and fingerpicking on National steel, 12-string and banjo in an exceptional mix of traditional and tradionally-based original material. See www.charlieparr.com for more info, or check the NPR interview he did about his new album "Jubilee" that we've posted at www.klang.org. We think Charlie's one of the best people still living who plays this sort of material.

Word at press time is that washboardist/percussionist Lane Prekker will be riding with Charlie on this swing, so expect plenty of clatter as Nathan and Lane continue the double washboard conversation they began last spring when the Twigs accompanied Charlie to Kentucky, Georgia and Richmond. Also expect plenty of Charlie + Twigs ensemble action.

Here's how the show lineup is looking:

• On Friday, Oct. 26, Charlie and the Twigs will be at Blue 5 in Roanoke;
• Saturday, Oct. 27, is scheduled to be a couple party-type appearances in Blacksburg, details TBA;
• and Sunday, Oct. 28, is a Charlie, Black Twig Pickers and another band bill at Outback Lodge in Charlottesville.

Expect more emails closer to the shows, or check the shows listing at www.klang.org for more details.

And last, here are directions to the fiddle & banjo club throwdown this Saturday, taken from the club's website:

From Franklin County: Take Rt.116 north from Burnt Chimney across Windy Gap mountain to Mount Pleasant. Turn Right onto Mount Pleasant Blvd. Go about a quarter of a mile the school is on the left. You can’t miss it. If the parking lot is full you can park across the road at the church on the right.

From Roanoke: From Elm Ave. take either 9th street or 13th street in SE Roanoke to Riverland Road (aka: Rt.116). Turn left onto Rt.116 and go about 1.5 to 2.5 miles from the intersection with 13th street. Turn left onto Mount Pleasant Blvd. Go about a quarter of a mile the school is on the left. You can’t miss it. If the parking lot is full you can park across the
road at the church.