Great gig, no retirement plan

Laurel Gladden |

8/28/2008 - 8/29/08

Richard Thompson sounds like a name you've have heard before. You can't quite put you finger on a specific song or album, but you're sure you've heard his work. You mention him to your music-loving friends, and they gush about his amazing electric-
and acoustic-guitar work; his intelligent, honest, expertly crafted lyrics; and his throaty troubadour's voice. How could you not know about him?

This is the way things go for Thompson. Over the course of four decades, he has secured a devoted following of music lovers, fellow musicians, and critics. Rolling Stone included him on its 2003 list of "Top 100 Guitarists of All Time," and the Daily Mirror proclaimed that a seat "in the guitar god firmament" was being held for him. Yet his success is marked more by his creative output, besotted fans, and a very long string of favorable reviews than by commercial acclaim.

In the late 1960s, while Thompson was just a teenager, he helped found the pioneering British folk-rock group Fairport Convention. During their decade-long collaboration, he and his wife Linda Thompson (now his ex-wife) released several critically acclaimed albums, including 1982's landmark Shoot Out the Lights (which appears on many "greatest albums of all time" lists). Thompson's prolific, multidimensional solo career, which began with the release of Henry the Human Fly in 1972, gave us the devastating "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" and "Beeswing," as well as more upbeat offerings like "I Feel So Good," "Read About Love," and "Mother Knows Best." According to a 2006 Newsweek article, "What may not be so obvious to any but the most obsessive fan is what a consistent artist he's been," yet "like all genuine art, [his music] satisfies completely."

Thompson returns to Santa Fe as part of the ninth annual Thirsty Ear Festival ("I've been trying to book him for years," admitted festival director Michael Koster). Pasatiempo interviewed Thompson via e-mail while he was on the road in the U.K.

Pasatiempo: You have a reputation for being one of the hardest-working touring musicians in the business, and you've been traveling quite a bit lately. Are you looking forward to being back in the American Southwest?

Richard Thompson: I've been in Europe playing festivals this summer, mostly in the U.K., but also Sweden, Finland, and Spain. I'm a big fan of the U.S. from the Rockies west — such beautiful country. New Mexico feels such a spiritual place, and of course the light and colors are extraordinary.

Pasa: Does your spiritual life influence your work or provide inspiration?

Thompson: What you believe in influences what you create, even if you believe in nothing.

Pasa: What's the secret for keeping legions of people interested in your music for more than 40 years?

Thompson: If I knew that, I could convert a few more legions. I suppose I work hard and try to communicate.

Pasa: Do you write with a particular audience in mind? Do your audiences expect to hear songs they know and love, or do they expect to hear new material? Are you seeing younger fans in your audiences?

Thompson: I firstly try to please myself. Then when you play [new music] to an audience, they quickly let you know if they like it or not. Audiences tend to be conservative by nature, so while playing what they want to hear to some extent, it's necessary to drag them forward a bit. The younger fans come to check you out from your reputation, and sometimes they stay.

Pasa: Do you find that you feel compelled to write more politically themed songs these days?

Thompson: These are politically divisive times, so I'm probably writing a bit more in that vein.

Pasa: On 1000 Years of Popular Music, you cover a Britney Spears hit and a song by Prince. What current pop artists are you fond of?

Thompson: We currently do a Nelly Furtado song, and every time we tour that show, we try to update the newer material. My current favorite bands are the Klaxons, the Fratellis, and Franz Ferdinand.

Pasa: Do you have a favorite guitarist? You've collaborated with many artists. Are there any you'd like to record with that you haven't?

Thompson: My favorites are probably still Django [Reinhardt] and Charlie Christian. From history there's a huge list. I got to jam with Les Paul once and Hendrix — they were rather special. [But] I've played with most of the people I want to.

Pasa: You've said that you became a vocalist out of necessity rather than choice. When did you first feel comfortable as a vocalist?

Thompson: I started to feel confident about it in the late '70s. I've always enjoyed singing, but I have improved by just doing it a lot live.

Pasa: A friend of mine loves to tell the story about an afternoon when he saw you doing an impromptu performance on a street corner. He was on his way to a business meeting and was overcome with the desire to give up his corporate career, to throw his papers in the trash, and start playing the guitar. What would you have said to him?

Thompson: I'm lucky to do the job I want to, and I chose this over security and wealth. I'd say to that man, "Go for it! But don't expect to eat."

Pasa: What do you see for yourself in the future? What do you think you'll do once you do decide to put down your touring guitar for good?

Thompson: I'll probably do this as long as I'm physically able. It's not the kind of job you retire from.

details
Thirsty Ear Festival presents Richard Thompson
6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30
Eaves Movie Ranch, 105 Rancho Alegre Road
Festival tickets $40 in advance, $45 at the gate; weekend pass $65 in advance, $70 at the gate; 988-1234

We are amazed

At the ninth annual Thirsty Ear Festival, "You will get turned on to amazing artists you've never heard of," said festival director Michael Koster, who books "lesser-known artists who I think are amazing and who I believe will amaze others as well."

For three days — Friday, Aug. 29, through Sunday, Aug. 31 — you can entertain your ears with an array of local and international performers who play blues, jazz, folk, zydeco, and other roots music on three stages at the Eaves Movie Ranch, 105 Rancho Alegre Road.

The musical mélange is all part of Koster's plan. "Somewhere along the line, probably for marketing reasons, blues festivals featuring blues artists became separate from folk festivals showcasing bluegrass or country artists," he said. "I hate that separation, which is why I started the festival — to remarry those two camps. ... I don't know of any other festival in the world that's deliberately doing this."

The music kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 29, with the honky-tonk music of Bill Hearne's Roadhouse Revue. The Pleasure Pilots provide some funky Friday-night R & B at 8 p.m.; they're followed by the Santa Fe All-Stars at 9:30 p.m. Look for side-stage performances by Round Mountain and Santa Fe All-Star Joe West. This is the night of the festival's annual food drive, so $2 and two cans of food will get you in the gate.

Little Freddie King kicks things off at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30, providing a fine specimen of "the hardcore, lo-fi Fat Possum blues on which the festival was founded," according to the Thirsty Ear Web site. Hundred Year Flood follows at 3 p.m., and blues diva Shemekia Copeland belts out some tunes at 4:30. Guitar icon and legendary singer-songwriter Richard Thompson takes the stage at 6:30 p.m. After the sun goes down (around 8:30), Richard Johnston returns to the Thirsty Ear stage with his trademark jumping country blues. Between acts on the main stage, local blues guitarist Ken Valdez and singer-songwriter Laurianne Fiorentino play sets on the Grand Hotel Stage.

Start Sunday, Aug. 31, off right with an acoustic set of "prewar blues" by Samuel James at 1:30 p.m. Junior Brown follows at 3 p.m. with a set of his special high-octane blend of country and rock, and at 4:30 p.m., longtime local favorites the Alex Maryol Band take the stage. At 6:30 p.m., Patty Griffin offers a sampling of the rich vocals and gorgeous melodies for which she's renowned. Buckwheat Zydeco leads a rousing zydeco dance session at 8:30 p.m. (you can catch a lesson in the saloon). Watch for Samuel James, Roger Landes, and the Random Family String Band on the Grand Hotel Stage.

The festival's nonmusical attractions include local microbrews and wines; tasty local food; arts and crafts; face painting, African drumming lessons, and puppet shows for kids; Cajun and zydeco dance lessons for everyone; and solar- and sustainable-energy exhibits. KSFR-FM 101.1 broadcasts the festival live from 5 to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Gates open at 6 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $40 in advance, $45 at the gate; weekend passes are available for $65 in advance, $70 at the gate; Friday-night admission is $10 or $2 plus two cans of food at the gate. Tickets are available at the Lensic box office at 211 W. San Francisco St., 988-1234. For more information, visit thirstyearfestival.com.