As many took to the larger venues and stages for the revelry of the Halloween weekend, Santa Fe got a special treat on one of the smallest stages it has. Billed as Sweet Folk, Lauren Barth, solo artist and most recently bassist in the Pearl Charles Band, and Jesse Aycock, slide extraordinaire of the alternative roots jam rock band The Hard Working Americans, brought their brand of folk music to the local watering hole, The Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Mixing both originals, penned together and independently, and covers, this duo played two sets of well-crafted and often moving pieces to the enjoyment of the crowd, including Bonnie Raitt’s “Angel of Montgomery”, James Taylor’s “Rainy Day Man”, and the Grateful Dead’s “ New Minglewood Blues”.
Speaking with the pair offstage, it turned out that they were vacationing in the Southwest and decided to book some gigs to continue two things they love the most: spending time together and playing music. A long standing love interest is apparent when seeing these two perform, as they trade glances and smiles throughout and even more so when singing songs that have connected the two during late-night composition sessions. Equal in their partnership, each handles the tasks of performance and vocals, both in independence and by accompaniment, and leaves space for serendipity to unfold, sometimes evolving to extended acoustic interlude. They play as much for each other as they do the crowd and their professionalism is not lost on their admiration.
As they both tour independently, each have big things turning in their wheelhouses. For Lauren, her first album is set to release in 2017 and this evening’s sets included many of those tunes, such as a Joni Mitchell inspired number “Learned It From The Sky”, “Getting High”, “I Won’t Let Love Make A Fool Out Of Me”, and the album’s title track “Forager”. Although this will be her freshman album, these tunes resound an old-soul edge and define this lady in black as much more than newcomer to the scene.
Jesse’s gig in the Hard Working Americans is on pause at the moment, with many members being called to their day jobs, but this aspect of his career does not keep him still. He currently also tours with his own band and a number of “Tulsa Sound” guitar aficionados, Paul Benjamin and Dustin Pittsley to name a few. He also tirelessly writes his own material and contributes to, as he puts it,” the family chemistry” of writing new music for Todd Snider’s penned lyrics with his fellow HWA band mates.
If opportunity should come one’s way to see these two, take note and heed its call. This enterprise is accessible, enjoyable, and filled with the nuances of well-fashioned material that is often lost on the music products of the world. Delivering great vocals and impeccable transitions, this show was like the day after All Hallow’s Eve, where one gets to sit back and enjoy the sweet treats of journeys unfolded, devoid of the unfruitful trick of just staying at home.
Setlist: Jesse Aycock & Lauren Barth at The Cowgirl Hall Of Fame, Santa Fe, NM – 10/28/16
Set One: Wheels, First To Last, Sin City, I Won’t Let Love Make A Fool Out Of Me, Rainey Day Man, Getting High
Set Two: Forager, Learned It From The Sky, Angel of Montgomery, House of Love, First To Last, New Minglewood Blues, When The Day Crawls Out of The Night
