Meridian Green & Gene Parsons |
|
Meridian GreenMeridian Green grew up during the `60's in New York City's Greenwich Village. Influenced by her father, folk legend Bob Gibson, Meridian was enchanted by the magic of live music and songs well sung in intimate nightclubs. During that extraordinary era of folk music, she learned from Odetta, Fred Neill, Tim Hardin, Josh White, Jr., Cass Elliott, the Lovin' Spoonful, the Blues Project, and many more brilliant performers at clubs like the Night Owl, Gaslight, Bitter End and Cafe Wha. As a teenager she stayed close to the music by waitressing in folk joints and nightclubs across the continent, including Max's in New York City, the Earl of Old Town in Chicago, and the Troubadour in Santa Monica. At the age of 17, Meridian landed, by another extraordinarily fortunate twist of fate, in the tranquil coastal village of Mendocino, California. Embraced by fog, sun, and a nurturing community, Meridian found her own voice. Meridian's first paid performance was as guitarist with the Gypsy Gulch International String Band, playing Romanian czardas and Portuguese fado, as well as American folk, bluegrass, ragtime and blues. Gypsy Gulch's shows evolved to feature more of Meridian's vocals and original songs. Soon Meridian moved on to solo performances. In 1986, Meridian Green and ex-Byrd Gene Parsons set out on what was to have been her first solo tour. It was the beginning of an encompassing partnership. In 1987, performing as Parsons Green, Meridian and Gene recorded the critically acclaimed "Birds Of A Feather". They have performed as an acoustic duet or with the Parsons Green Band in the U.S. and Europe ever since, although music has taken a back seat to marriage, family, environmental activism, building a business, a house, and a hometown for the past few years. Meridian Green's first solo recording, "In the Heart of This Town", was released in December, 1998, and features a collection of Meridian's original songs that speak to matters of time and place. The album also contains her father's hit song "Abilene" and Jane Gilman's "Listen to the Thunder". Players on the recording include Gene Parsons, Lily Parsons, Gib Guilbeau, Bill Bottrell, Dan Schwartz, Michael Hubbert, Alex deGrassi, Paul McCandless, and Marcy Brown, and is dedicated "to all of the inhabitants of my heart's home here on the Mendocino coast. Thank you for taking me in." taken from: www.stringbender.com |
|
 |
 |
Meridian Greeen performing at Thomastik-Infeld Booth, Frankfurt 1998 |
Gene Parsons performing at Thomastik-Infeld Night of Blues, 1988 |
Gene ParsonsGene Parsons added some much-needed muscle to the Byrds rhythm section when he joined the band in the fall of '68, becoming the band's third official drummer. Parsons, who is unrelated to fellow ex-Byrd Gram Parsons, had just turned 24 when he joined the band. Of the new crop of Byrds, he arguably was the best singer and the most versatile musician. He was a strong drummer, and just as good - if not better - on banjo and guitar. He could blow the heck out of a harmonica, play the bass, was a competent steel guitar player and was a skillful songwriter. With Parsons at the drum kit, Clarence White on blistering lead guitar, band leader Roger McGuinn on vocals and 12-string guitar and Skip Battin on bass, the Byrds built an enduring reputation as a phenomenal live band. The remarkable transformation was due in no small part to Parsons and his longtime playing partner, White. Quoted from an article by Richard E. Russell. See full article at: http://www.waxing-eloquent.com/byrds/geneparsons.html or Contact richard@waxing-eloquent.com |
|