Not a seat was left vacant at the
Musco Center for the Arts on the beautiful campus of Chapman University. The whole crowd was buzzing with excitement as Bob Wills, Merle Haggard, and Asleep at the Wheel played over the speakers. We all were here for one thing:
The Time Jumpers.
From the moment they walked on the stage, the crowd was giddy with excitement. Or maybe that was just me. It's not often I get to see Paul Franklin, Vince Gill, Ranger Doug, Joe Spivey, Kenny Sears, Larry Franklin, Jeff Taylor, Andy Reiss, Brad Albin, and Billy Thomas perform together on stage.
Actually, I've never seen any of them perform before. This was my first time, and I certainly hope not my last. There is no word in the English language to accurately describe the musicianship, brilliance and showmanship of the Time Jumpers. If there was one, I'd use it.
There is something to be said of Western Swing in that it will find a way to lift your spirits even on the sad songs. I don't believe I ever stopped smiling once. I felt like a rich kid at Christmas, or a chubby kid at Thanksgiving.
Ranger Doug (Idol of the American Youth, Governor of the Great State of Rhythm) played the archtop guitar, Billy Thomas played the drums and Brad Albin played the bass. Together, they were the rock solid rhythm section. Everything these three played was brilliant, and absolutely tight.
Jeff Taylor played the accordion and piano. Each solo was nothing short of extraordinary, and the backup riffs he played were true to the classic sound of Western Swing.
Larry Franklin, Joe Spivey, and Kenny Sears played triple fiddles. Sometimes in impeccable unison, sometimes in tight harmony, or sometimes separately showing their prowess and "setting fire to the stage" as Joe Spivey later described it.
Vince Gill and Andy Reiss played twin guitars. Together and separately, their solos were absolutely amazing. Guitarists of all skill levels sat upright in their seats when they played.
Paul Franklin was on the pedal steel. There is no sound quite like the pedal steel. It is one of the finest sounds in country music. Paul Franklin is the champion of that sound and brought applause with each and every solo he took.
With the perfect blend of instrumentals, originals, and classics, the entire night of music brought something fresh, exciting and at the same time, vintage. From the moment Paul Franklin kicked off "All Aboard", a tune he wrote for the pedal steel, to Billy Thomas' "Blue Highway Blue", which is featured on the Time Jumpers' most recent album, the audience was delighted by the seemingly endless creativity of the band's members.
Vince Gill told the story of naming his daughter "Corina" after his favorite song. His wife, Amy Grant, was not too enthusiastic about the idea and they ended up waiting several days to name their baby. Much to Amy Grant's dismay, when they told her father about their predicament Mr. Grant started singing the song and the matter was settled. Now, it's a story they all laugh about and Vince Gill sings "Corina" every night.
In tribute to the late Dawn Sears, their 11th member, Vince Gill sang an original song she recorded called "Faint of Heart". Kenny Sears, her husband, wrote "Too Much Heartache for this Heart to Take" after her passing and performed it in the country shuffle style she loved so much.
The Time Jumpers revisited some old classics from the vintage catalog of Western Swing and old country. From their bluesy rendition of "Pipeliner Blues", featuring the soulful vocals of Vince Gill and moving bass lines of Brad Albin, to the re-imagined Hank Thompson "Six Pack to Go" (which I was surprised wasn't about 24 Hour Fitness), and Ranger Doug's baritone on Bob Wills' "Deep Waters", the range of styles was as diverse and epic as the talent on stage.
I may be biased, but the best song of the night was Larry Franklin singing "That's What I Love About About the South", a song about southern food. I may have to make a separate blog post about that. I love southern food.
There were so many more songs that night but it would take me centuries to talk about how awesome each one was. I lost track of all of the standing ovations the Time Jumpers got. They closed the night with Ranger Doug yodeling "Give Me a Pinto Pal" which brought the crowd to their feet yet again.
Every member of the group was so nice to those that met with them after the show. They all made time for us, even Vince Gill who literally just came back from Arnold Palmer's funeral and had had no sleep for the past two days.
As much fun as the audience had, the band members assured us they were having an even better time. Joe Spivey said "I'm 60 years old and I'm still having fun doing this. It really is a blessing."
I made sure we picked up their most recent album "
Kid Sister" and we listened to it in the car. Let me just say this once:
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THEIR NEW ALBUM, DO YOURSELF THE BIGGEST FAVOR OF YOUR LIFE AND
GET IT NOW! YOU WON'T REGRET IT, IN FACT, YOU WILL BE THANKING ME FOR TELLING YOU TO
GET IT!
Okay, now that the commercial is out of the way, and I have urged you to make your life a whole lot happier and richer by buying The Time Jumper's "
Kid Sister" album, I shall leave you with the lyrics to the Time Jumpers Theme, which they performed that night, and even released on the "
Kid Sister" album. I believe this embodies exactly who the Time Jumpers are.
Three fiddles and a steel guitar
an accordion and twin guitars
That rhythm section, they can play anything
Well we're here from Nashville, Tennessee
We love the way it used to be
We're the Time Jumpers, we play Western Swing
