August 14, 1999
Tom Faulkner is a Texico original with a rare ability to capture the diverse spirit, medley of cultures, and beauty of the region. The complexity of influences Tom opens his soul to are masterfully blended and skillfully delivered. Each live performance is offered with a unique passion and grace that draws his listeners to a musical journey…he calls it “Getting Lost”. Experience the pride and majesty of Texas, dance to Zydeco rhythms, taste the romance of Mexico, and walk the streets of New Orleans without ever leaving the deck.

Faulkner brings an outstanding band to the stage. Jamey Perrenot provides unmatched lead guitar licks while Adrian Cabbello literally rocks the keyboards, accordion, and whatever else he brings along. Together they produce an incredible sound and essential musical experience. The technical complexity of Faulkner’s production is concealed by the unrestrained versatility of their performance together.

Faulkner and company graced the TNHC stage last December for their debut house concert performance. Those that were here were treated to a fantastic show and a magical Texas night. The requests to bring them back have been overwhelming, so folks, here they are. Come get “Lost in the Land of Texico” one more time and bring some friends along for the ride.

Edward Grigassy opens
Edward Gigassy studied with Adam Holzman at the University of Texas, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in classical guitar. He received his Master’s Degree at the New England Conservatory in Boston, under the tutelage of world-renown guitar virtuoso Elliot Fisk. Edward is an extraordinary talent as a classical guitarist and arranger. He specializes in Latin music, but Bach is in his repertoire, too.

Concert review

Jamey Perrenot and Adrian Cabello
Edward Grigasse opened
August 14, 1999

It was hot! The Texas Gulf Coast in the middle of August…DUH. But, the crowd kept coming. All the equipment set up during the heat of the day now stood silent on the deck in anticipation of things to come. The shadows stretching across the yard started making things a little more bearable. We waited as long as we could to let things cool down as much as possible; besides, folks were still coming in.

Finally, it was time to get started and Edward Gigassy quietly took a seat in the middle of the deck. After a brief introduction of the songs he would begin with, Edward lifted the neck of his guitar and flew into an amazing demonstration of what an instrument can do in the right hands. He took us on a musical journey around the world playing everything from good old American standards to Colombian folk songs. Edward is truly a master on the guitar and must be counted among the best surprises of the 1999 TNHC series. We sure hope that Edward will come back when his CD comes out later this year.

After a short break it was time to introduce the guys. Faulkner opened with a new piece, “My Ophelia”, in a rare solo acoustic style. As Jamey and Adrian took to the stage, Tom softly picked a rocking guitar lick. Jamie jumped in on lead followed by Adrian on accordion to fill things out as they broke into another new song, “Raise the Roof”, promised to be on the next CD (to be released by January…or it’s free!). Their third song, “Nobody There to Love Me”, is on the first CD, but was just released as a single. Tom proudly announced that it was the seventh most added song on Adult Contemporary radio in America that week. It’s a great single, but can’t compare to the live version given up on the deck. Tom thanked Mary Rameriz from KPFT fm for being the biggest help he’s had keeping the CD on the air. We’d like to thank Mary for making it to the show and for being the first to introduce us to Faulkner’s music.

From that point, the guys hit a groove they would ride the rest of the evening. (Tom commented later that this was the best they’ve ever played together…just something about the deck). Rocking productions like “Get Out of Austin” followed soft melodies like “Bound and Determined”. Blues such as “Blues Across America” and “River on the Rise” was mixed with Zydeco in “Do Bea’s Dance” and good old Texas roots in songs like “Why Should I”. Then there was the original version of “Fried Chicken Skin” and an unbelievable offering of “Vaya Con Dios”. The heat was unavoidable, but the music transcended the discomfort and was all that moved the air. Everyone here now knows exactly what Tom means by Getting Lost!

We heard some new stuff last December, but this show was proof that Tom has been busy. Long time Faulkner fans like Mark Rice, Mark Ross, Mary Rameriz, and us quickly realized that something important has happened over the past few months. Tom has obviously been through a period of exploding creativity expanding the boundaries of Texico. The new CD promises to be awesome, worthy of the Faulkner tradition and second only to a live performance like the one we were graced with that night. Sometimes everything just works.

Thanks to John and Karen for coming along to provide sound and lights that pulled it all together. We’d also like to thank all that came to support the music and make the show such a success. As the crowd started thinning out, Bill jumped in to help with the cleanup…thanks, my friend. The equipment was all packed up around 1:30 am and we sat around the kitchen basking in the afterglow of another fantastic Texas Night. Finally, at 5:10 am, as my head hit the pillow, the last thought was, “Is it time to go to sleep, or time to wake up from the dream?”

For the love of the song,
Barney and Beverly Goodman

Visit Tom Faulkner online
http://tomfaulkner.com