january little d after dark

OPENING SHOT

Santa Rampage on the downtown DentonSquare on Dec. 8. Photo by Ed Steele

2 Little d After Dark January 2013

Photo by David Minton

JANUARY 2013VOLUME 2, ISSUE 4

>> fighting to be heard Mary Walker doesn’t accept defeat. The emerging Dallas-Denton

singer-songwriter cops to a freshman year at the University of North Texas spent in single-minded pur-

suit of a spot in a certain celebrated program. She didn’t get in; but when the jazz program closed a door,

Walker pried open a window.

five at play Think “Denton indie music” and the first thing that probably comes to mind is a folk-

rock or alt-rock quartet with an acoustic or amplified guitar, an electric bass, a drum kit and a key-

board. The Madera Wind Quintet is doing the indie thing with its music, but the repertoire is influ-

enced by classical, jazz and rock music. Pretty righteous for a collection of band nerds. >> 12

Brown and Blue was hatched somewhere between the end of one of

Daniel Folmer’s relationships and the wrap-up of a self-induced sabbatical. He headed to Canyon Lake, which he calls “the

most gorgeous place in Texas, hands down.” The artist spent a lot of time alone. Folmer started playing music as a kid, after his

grandmother gave him a three-quarter guitar with nylon strings. He still has that guitar, and he also played cello as a youth —

which might account for Folmer’s attraction to a keening loneliness that seems to settle in the belly of the most upbeat tracks on

Brown and Blue. Story by Lucinda Breeding

Publisher Bill Patterson

Managing Editor Dawn Cobb

940-566-6879 | [email protected]

Features Editor Lucinda Breeding


Advertising DirectorSandra Hammond


Advertising Manager Shawn Reneau


Classified Display Julie Hammond

940-566-6819 |[email protected]

Contributing Writer Alyssa Jarrell

Designer Rachel McReynolds

Photographers David Minton, Ed

Steele, Chris Newby

On the cover (From left) Chris

Garver, Taylor Sims, Justin Collins and

Daniel Rush Folmer of Danny Rush

and the Designated Drivers. Photo by

David Minton.

The contents of this free publication are copyright-

ed by Denton Publishing Company, 2013, a sub-

sidiary of A.H. Belo Corp. (ahbelo.com, NYSE

symbol: AHC), with all rights reserved.

Reproduction or use, without permission, of edito-

rial or graphic content in any manner is prohibit-

ed. Little d After Dark is published monthly by

Denton Publishing Co., 314 E. Hickory St.

COVER STORY

FEATURES

opening shot >> 2

good dates >> 4

editor’s note >> 5

Courtesy photo

THE ELEMENTSthe alchemist Head down to the bomb shelter and dust off

your record player; we’ve got a dirty vodka martini and some

smoky artists. >> 7

flavor junkie Resolution, schmesolution. Life’s too short to

cut carbs — especially these caramel-fudge brownies. >> 13

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Punch Brothers, Anais

Mitchell, 7 p.m. $24-$41.Granada Theater. My

Wooden Leg, Coed Pageant,

Dead Mockingbirds, 10 p.m.

$5-$9. Lola’s.

County Rexford, 7:30 p.m.

Free. Abbey InnRestaurant & Pub.Augustana, 9 p.m. $15-$17. House of Blues.

Gojira, Devin Townsend

Project , the Atlas Moth, 7

p.m. $18. Granada The-ater. Aaron Watson, 8 p.m.

$10. Rockin’ Rodeo.Centro-matic, 9 p.m. $12-$15. Dan’s Silverleaf.

Silvertonguedevil,

Primordius, Jonny Pecker

and the Beaver Bustin’

Pickle Weasels, 7 p.m.

Andy’s Bar. The Savage

Beatles, 7 p.m. Free.Abbey Underground. Lisa Markley, 7:30 p.m. $7.Dan’s Silverleaf. A.Dd+,

8 p.m. $9-$29. GranadaTheater. Pinkish Black,

Nervous Curtains, Strange

Towers, Shiny Around the

Edges, 9 p.m. $5-$7. Rub-ber Gloves RehearsalStudios.

The English Beat, Rude

King, the I-Drenz, 7 p.m.

$20-$30. GranadaTheater. Jack Grelle, 800

Mile Monday, 8 p.m. Andy’sBar. Whiskey Folk

Ramblers, Van Mazi, Warren

Jackson Hearne & Le Leek

Electrique, 9 p.m. $7-$9.Hailey’s Club. Dirty River

Boys, 9:30 p.m. $10. Dan’sSilverleaf. Tracy Lawrence,

10:30 p.m. $15-$25. BillyBob’s.

Link Chalon, 6 p.m. Free.Banter. Scary Cherry & the

Bang Bangs, Mrs. Howl,

Langton Drive, 9 p.m.

$5-$7. Rubber GlovesRehearsal Studios.

Slaid Cleaves, Adam Carroll,

6 p.m. $15-$29. GranadaTheater.

Mister Joe & Friends, Le Not

Quite So Hot Klub du Denton,

8 p.m. Free. Banter.

Earl Bates’ “Celtic

Sessions,” 7 p.m. Free.Abbey Inn Restaurant &Pub. Telegraph Canyon,

Glossary, Daniel Markham,

9 p.m. $10-$13. Dan’sSilverleaf.

Black Veil Brides, William

Control, 7:30 p.m. $18-$20. Palladium Ballroom.Johnny Cooper, Tyler and

the Tribe, 8 p.m. $10.Rockin’ Rodeo.

Lucky Peterson, Jim Suhler,

Hunter Hendrickson, 7 p.m.

$14-$32. GranadaTheater. Indirections, Even

Cameras Lie, With Shaking

Hands, 7 p.m. $8-$10.Hailey’s Club. Reckless

Kelly, 9 p.m. $17.50-$37.50. House of Blues.Orthodox Fuzz, Stone

Machine Electric, Cosmic

Trigger, China Kills Girls, 9

p.m. $7-$11. Lola’s. Soul

Police, 9 p.m. The AbbeyUnderground. Matt Dunn,

10 p.m. The Garage.

Andy Timmons Band plays

the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s, 7

p.m. $16-$38. GranadaTheater. B.B. King, 9 p.m.

$65-$125. House ofBlues. In Memory of Man,

We the Sea Lions, Rotten

Roots, 10 p.m. $8-$12.Lola’s. Sol Tax, 10 p.m.

Free. Banter. Gretchen

Wilson, 10:30 p.m. $15-$28. Palladium Ballroom.

Ben Baxter, Ol’ Jug of

Whiskey, Right on Red, Exit

380, 8 p.m. Andy’s Bar.John Wesley Coleman,

Babyfoot, H.I. Jr., Matthew

Genius, 9 p.m. Dan’sSilverleaf. Josh Abbott

Band, 10:30 p.m. $15-$25.Billy Bob’s.

Holt and Stockslager do

Simon and Garfunkel, 9

p.m. $10. Dan’sSilverleaf. Oil Boom,

Foxtrot Uniform, the

Roomsounds, 10 p.m. $6-$10. Lola’s. Jonny Gray, 10

p.m. Fry Street Tavern.Aaron Watson, 10:30 p.m.

$12-$16. Billy Bob’s.

Link Chalon, 6 p.m. Free.Banter. Dustin Perkins, 8

p.m. The Garage.

County Rexford, 7:30 p.m.

Free. Abbey InnRestaurant & Pub.Mike High Entertainment,

8:30 p.m. J&J’s Pizza.

New Year’s Day

UNT Concert Orchestra,

5 p.m. Free. WinspearPerformance Hall. Joe Ely

Band, 7 p.m. $17-$35.Granada Theater. Zappa

Plays Zappa, 8 p.m. $35-$75. House of Blues.Mount Righteous, 9 p.m.

$5-$7. Rubber GlovesRehearsal Studios. Petty

Theft, 10 p.m. $10-$13.Lola’s. Lee Brice, 10:30

p.m. $12-$18. BillyBob’s.

Mike Ryan, Mat Slovacek,

8 p.m. $10. Rockin’Rodeo. Biographies,

Pageantry, Horse Thief,

Bashe, 8 p.m. Free-$5.Hailey’s Club.

Earl Bates, 7 p.m. Free.Abbey Inn Restaurant &Pub. Carrie Rodriguez,

Mariachi Quetzal, 8 p.m.

$10-$15. Dan’s Silver-leaf. Purity Ring, 8 p.m.

$15. Granada Theater.

Calexico, Bahamas, 8 p.m.

$18-$29. GranadaTheater.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Inauguration Day

have your people call our people >> to submit an event for little d’s calendar, e-mail [email protected]

THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

National Blood

Donor Month


SUNDAY MONDAY

TUESDAY WEDNESDAY

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

30 31

27 28 29

Be Kind to Food Servers Month

JANUARY 2013MUSIC at Denton venues MUSIC at UNTMUSIC elsewhere

1 2 3 4 5

Oui Bis, 6 p.m. Free.Banter. Keane, 8 p.m. $35-$55. House of Blues.James McMurtry, 8 p.m.

$16-$33. GranadaTheater. The Virgin Wolves,

Black Cock, the Implication,

the Phuss, 8 p.m. Andy’sBar. Blackstone Rangers,

Zhora, Vulgar Fashion, Cutter,

8 p.m. $5-$7. Hailey’sClub. Jacko Suede, 10 p.m.

The Abbey Underground.Naked Lunch: A Steely Dan

Tribute, 9 p.m. $10. Dan’sSilverleaf.

Goodthingson thehorizon

She ain’t heavy

mary walker >> by lucinda breeding

Never mind the title: Mary Walker’s debut album buoyed by hope

D enton, you were busy in2012.

We expect this year to be just as busy, ifnot more so.

We here at Little d After Dark will bebusier than ever in 2013. We’ll be huntingfor the community’s best music and DIYfood, and anything else that tickles ourfancy.

We’ll be chasing the creative class withcameras (video and still), notepads and anappetite for the latest in local flavor. Andwe’ll be bringing these stories and imagesto you more directly.

We’ll be talking about the fruits of thelocal tastemakers more than once amonth.

You’re part of the plan. We need you tokeep sending us your music, invites toyour shows (in houses and “traditional”venues) and photos and videos from yourfavorite gigs.

Here’s to a 2013 full of music, good eatsand drinks and more. May it keep Dentonarts buffs full, and very, very satisfied.

— Lucinda Breeding

M ary Walker doesn’taccept defeat.

The emerging Dallas-Denton singer-songwriter cops to a freshman year at theUniversity of North Texas spent in single-minded pursuit of a spot in a certain cele-brated program.

“All I cared about was getting into thevocal jazz program,” Walker says on theeve of the release of her debut album,Heavy Hearts. “I so wanted to get into thegroup. I was meeting a lot of jazz musi-

cians and spending a lot of time workingon jazz music.”

The gatekeepers of the prestigious pro-gram told Walker she just didn’t have it.

“That’s the reaction I got with the vocaljazz people: ‘You’re just not good enough,’”Walker says.

When the jazz program closed a door,Walker pried open a window.

“I’d already spent that much time withall these jazz musicians, and I’d met all ofthese awesome people. I’d been doing myown thing the whole time, too,” Walkersays. “I just figured I’d take all of thatenergy I’d put on getting in the programand focus it on my own project.”

Walker landed a coveted spot on theroster of 35 Denton last spring — some-thing not just every local group gets. Andshe’d been spending evenings at houseshows and local venues. In the meantime,she shifted her studies to Spanish (shelived in Argentina at age 17, about the shetook up the guitar).

“I started meeting people,” she says. “I’dsee a show and walk up to people I likedand tell them: ‘I’d like to do a show withyou.’ I wanted to see as much as possibleand perform as much as I possibly could.”

Heavy Hearts hardly sounds heavy. In

Courtesy photo

>> Continued on 6

January 2013 Little d After Dark 5

We’ll be talkingabout the fruits ofthe local taste-makers more thanonce a month.

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fact, all seven tracks sound fairly sunny, inspite of some lyrical downshifts. “CherryBubble Gum Tree” finds its narrator in thedoldrums. “Got me going off the edge, now,about to burn the bridge, now. I’m feelingshady-blue, baby. ’Cause today is yesterdayis just the same in every way,” Walker saysbefore shrugging along to the chorus,which ends up with the declaration that “it’sjust the way we are.”

Walker’s keyboard is the foundation formost of the album’s seven songs. She alsomakes smart use of strings in “Love, Love,Love,” and her association with UNT jazzstudents clearly made its impact, from theeasy guitar work throughout the record toBacharach-style horns (they might even beMuzak-easy flugelhorns) to the melodies onsongs such as “Lemon Drop” and “Love,Love, Love.”

Walker don’t shy away from pop. “I think pop makes the world go around,”

she says. “I love a beautiful melody. I wantmy music to get stuck in people’s heads. Iwant them to remember the lyrics. That’swhat I try to do with my songwriting.”

Walker says she recruited former OneO’clock Lab Band drummer Sean P. Jonesto record the album in his studio. Jones

eventually recommended she finish up therecord at Redwood, the new studio ofMidlake drummer McKenzie Smith.

“They’re both just really gracious andhumble people,” Walker says.

She worked on the album for about ayear and a half, and it was released Dec. 15.The artist has her sights set on an EP shehopes to release in April. She says it will bea simple album recorded at home withfriends.

“I spent a lot of money on this record,”she says, “so I want to do something thatwon’t take so much.”

Now that the record is out, she can hearthe growth and pinpoint some spots whereshe’s matured as a musician.

“I would say my voice has gotten somuch better,” she says. “I’ve become astronger decision maker, and I feel like Ican hold my own in the studio with peoplelike McKenzie Smith.

“I’m really competitive with myself. Ifyou think this record is good, watch out.Because I’m just going to work harder. I’mjust going to get better.”

LUCINDA BREEDING can be reached bycalling 940-566-6877 or [email protected].

mary walker

Track for track: Heavy Hearts

BEAUTIFULLYThe third track on Heavy Hearts shows off Walker’s voice — a girlish mezzo that holds itstone before trailing off into a warbling little vibrato. A singularly effective song about thatscary place between flirtation and love, full stop. The song is mostly a question to the onewho matters. “You say that you want me for you/but will you love the walls that surround thetruth?/I want you to see me beautifully.”

MY FAULTWith a melody and rhythm nearly identical to the Script’s pop hit “Breakeven,” Walkeremploys a strutting drumbeat and an earworm-worthy chorus. But instead of heartsickness,Walker’s song is from the point of view of a woman who means to have the one who’scaught her fancy. “Is it really my fault you look so good?/Can’t ignore you like I should./Anddo you see me standing here, the same?”

I DON’T MINDThis track is all sun, hula hoops and roller skates. Incurably happy and hopeful, “I Don’tMind” is a tribute to the spring in your step that comes from the rush of flirting. A skippingbeat, hand claps and bouncy horns keep the song and its narrator moving right along. “A lit-tle heartbreak I don’t mind,” Walker sings before donning her would-be beau’s favorite shirtand “looking life right in the eye.” As the opening track, the song is a hint at the bright opti-mism to come.

BUY THE ALBUM ONLINEHeavy Hearts is available in Apple iTunes store for

$6.93. Sounds like: Ingrid Michaelson wrote a snap-

py, Diana Krall-inspired song for Hope Sandoval.

Or Harriet Wheeler wrote a solo album after a

steady diet of Blossom Dearie and Regina Spektor.

MARY WALKER IN DALLAS

8 p.m. Jan. 17 at The

Crown & Harp, 1914

Greenville Ave. Cover is

$3. marywalkermusic.com.

Continued from 5 >>

dirty vodka martini >> by rachel mcreynolds and lucinda breeding

The drink 3 ounces vodka1 ounce dry vermouth1/2 ounce olive brineolives

Pour vodka and vermouth into a shaker half-filled with ice.Shake well, then strain into a cocktail glass. Pour in olivejuice. Garnish with an olive (or 10).

Maybe 2012 wasn’t your best year. Maybe it was, and you’rereading this from your throne stacked high atop piles ofmoney and peasants. But, OK, probably not.

Instead of “what-if”-ing the past year and making resolu-tions you probably won’t keep, take a trip with us down mem-ory lane (or the best we can do in liquor-and-music form).Think Mad Men, but with less amputations by lawn mowerand more adultery. Kidding. More amputations by lawnmower.

The tunesWhile you’re sipping, listen to these groove-tastic artists:

Danger Cakes (this Austin band’s got an Ella Fitzgerald-EydieGormé thing overlain with punky, ska attitude and rhythm),Nina Simone (a wildly experimental jazz contralto with lyricsshot through with fervor, passion and power — check out “IPut a Spell on You”), Henry Mancini (this film composer can aseasily transfix you with the projector rolling as he can witheyes closed and a record player going — take, for example, thesultry “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”).



8 Little d After Dark January 2013 9

rown and Blue was hatched somewhere

between the end of one of Daniel

Folmer’s relationships and the wrap-up

of a self-induced sabbatical.

“I moved in September of 2009,” Folmer says. “I

basically packed up my shit and ran away.” He

headed to Canyon Lake, which he calls “the most

gorgeous place in Texas, hands down.”

The artist spent a lot of time alone. He also

spent a lot of time with one of his neighbors, a

man named Dave.

“This retired social worker lived next door and

played all these records for me. John Lee Hooker.

Early Jerry Jeff Walker. Jimmie Rodgers. The

Carter Family. A lot of early precursors for all

great American music,” Folmer says. “It is odd

because the album is not inherently like any of

those styles of music, but you can hear it more in

the structure of the chords, the writing style, and

the ‘call and response’ solos that were common

with some of these artists.”

Folmer started playing music as a kid, after his

grandmother gave him a three-quarter guitar with

nylon strings. He still has that guitar, and he also

played cello as a youth — which might account for

Folmer’s attraction to a keening loneliness that

seems to settle in the belly of the most upbeat

tracks on Brown and Blue. He was an early con-

vert to Americana. He recalls seeing Johnny Cash

and Mel Tillis in Branson, >> Continued on 10

by lucinda breeding >> features editor


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Mo., when he was just 10. Folmer was about 17 when he started

catching shows at Rubber GlovesRehearsal Studios and on Fry Street —acts like the Baptist Generals, Brutal Juiceand Little Grizzly. He recalls watchingGrady Don Sandlin and Ryan ThomasBecker gigging at open-mic nights as theyformed RTB2.

Folmer started writing songs himselfnot long after, and hit the open-mic circuithimself. He still recalls a night when JoshT. Pearson, the artistic fulcrum of theDenton-born band Lift to Experience, satin the crowd.

“He wrote me this letter, pages andpages, telling me how much he loved thesongs I wrote. That was a huge deal forme,” he says.

Brown and Blue is Folmer’s secondrelease under the name Danny Rush andthe Designated Drivers. The previous, self-titled record was “a mish-mash of differ-ent musicians,” Folmer says.

“With this album, we all come from ourdifferent places, but I think we all have acommon grasp on what our favorite songsare,” he says.

Folmer says each of the musicians bringsa certain something to the band. Drummer

Justin Collins tends to set the mood for thegroup, especially during rehearsals, whileTony Ferraro brings both creativity and aninfectious positive outlook on songwritingand recording. And Taylor Sims sneaks ajazz sophistication to the table.

“Then there’s Burton [Lee], a Jew fromMiami who plays the pedal steel betterthan any redneck pedal steel player,”Folmer says. “I know how that sounds, but

it’s the truth.”Folmer studied rehabilitation and addic-

tion at the University of North Texas andearned a master’s degree in the field. Heworks as a counselor in Flower Mound,and spent time as a caseworker for DentonCounty MHMR. Like a lot of local artists,Folmer works the old “day job” in part to

Continued from 9 >> Track for track:Brown and Blue

CHEER UPSometimes, nothing feels so good as a sar-donic song taking aim at The Power ofPositive Thinking. An easy, two-step-worthysong implores us to “wake up,” then goeson: “What are you so bummed about, man?Cheer up. What do you suppose you’refighting?” A sweet guitar solo is noncommit-tal, but that’s OK. So is the band.

PRAY & PRAYThis ditty smacks of a sloppy drunk trying tomake a deal to keep someone who left himin the picture. “Doll, if I can’t die here besideyou, I’d rather die right here and now.” Thiswould be an easy song to wring ample sapfrom, but somehow Folmer’s regret is so sin-cere it hurts.

BUFFALO MANThe standout of the album is a study inpoetic dualities. “Believe me, everyone’s abuffalo man. Burly skin and bone, wanderingthrough the plains alone. Don’t leave me. I’llbe found. Indians are all around. Don’t leaveme, leave me alone. Everyone is settlingdown.” Buffalo are hulking beasts, but in thissong, Folmer’s thinking along the lines ofbeing a massive target and utterly vulnera-ble. >> Continued on 11


produce his music. Songwriting is more ofa way of life than a project.

“I never sit down to write,” Folmersays. “I’ll be somewhere and a melodycomes to me, and I’ll sing into the phone.Or I’ll have a dream and in the dream I’llhear a song, then wake up and have to doit. You don’t write songs. They come toyou. It’s a stream-of-consciousness wayof writing.”

Take the track “Buffalo Man,” for exam-ple.

“I woke up one morning and ‘BuffaloMan’ was on my computer,” he says. “Itwas the piano part and it was called‘Buffalo Man’ so that was that. I have nomemory of waking up and doing that, butit was there.”

Brown and Blue sounds of regret, evenloneliness. Folmer’s voice is a heady tenor.If it weren’t for the Southwestern flattenedvowels (“ta-night” in lieu of “tonight”) andthe natural ease of his vocals, it could bethe grown-up voice of a kid who was amember of the St. Thomas Boys Choir ofLeipzig. His is an effortless, light tenor.But the rangy, loping pedal steel and lan-guid drumming let Folmer stretch out.

The record opens with “Brakeman,” aharmonica howling and drummer Justin

Collins beating out the rhythm of a lazyfreight train across worn tracks.“Historyectomy” is the kind of song youcould imagine Folmer conceiving whilestaring holes in the trunks of the gianttrees along the banks of Canyon Lake.Bluesy guitar meets with saloon-stylepiano as Folmer imagines a litany of stair-well retorts to the one who broke hisheart. The title track is a more folksynumber, with brush-drumming strollingdown memory lane. This trip is a sweeterone, with a major pang of agony in thechorus.

Even though songwriting is more reflex-ive than labored for Folmer, he does havea rule or two about the process. Too muchtime spent with his songs can have a cor-rupting effect, he says. Just as he writes inan immediate and instinctive way, he andthe Designated Drivers try to get freshtakes in the studio. That’s not to say he’ssloppy, or that he lacks discriminationwith his songs. It’s more that Folmerrefuses to beat the intimacy out of thesongs.

It’s a practice that follows the band evenin rehearsals.

“We rehearse once or twice before a gig.Once I’m done with a song, I don’t play it

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Musicians at playmadera >> by lucinda breeding

Denton wind quintet makes record influenced by classical, jazz and rock

T hink “Denton indie music”and the first thing that prob-ably comes to mind is a folk-

rock or alt-rock quartet with an acoustic oramplified guitar, an electric bass, a drumkit and a keyboard.

The Madera Wind Quintet is doing theindie thing with its music, but the reper-toire is influenced by classical, jazz androck music.

Pretty righteous for a collection of bandnerds toting bassoon, flute, clarinet, oboeand French horn.

Five at Play is the quintet’s debutalbum, recorded at Voertman Hall at theUniversity of North Texas College ofMusic, where the five earned musicdegrees. The record is a meaty one, too,with 19 songs, all by emerging composers.

“I think one of our main goals is not onlydoing premiere performances of scores,but for doing second and third perform-ances of scores,” says Madera flutistKatrina Elsnick. “The oldest piece on thealbum is 1999. The newest piece was writ-ten in 2011.”

Madera Wind Quintet was formed in2008, and two of the original musiciansremain. Oboist Natalie Lorch recorded hercontribution to the album before passingher chair to Andrew Gresham. Elsnick saysthe quintet gets its staying power from thededication of all the musicians who haveplayed in it.

“We just all wanted to play in a windquintet,” Elsnick says. “We all had experi-ence in larger ensembles, but none of ushad ever been in a chamber group.Chamber music is such a great opportunityfor an instrumentalist to show what theycan do.”

The group issued a call for scores abouta year and a half ago, and conducted thesearch entirely online.

“I think we were mostly looking forpieces that would be accessible to a largeaudience, and that would be pleasant to listen to,” Elsnicksays. “There are a lot of contemporary groups that playmusic that is very difficult and very technical. We don’tobject to that, but I think want it to be accessible.”

The call for scores brought in more than 130 entries.Madera’s choices included Philip Wharton’s “Five at Play”;Carl Schimmel’s tone poem of nine movements, “Towns of

Wind and Wood,” inspired by Anne Carson’s prose poem“The Life of Towns”; Daniel Nass’ short piece“Scherzophrenia”; Peter Nickol’s “Ultramarine,” which

requires the English horn; and Sean Friar’s“Short Winds.”

The album also includes Madera’s com-missioned piece “To Neinilli’s Mischief,” apost-minimalist work about the Navajogod of water that incorporates Navajotunes. Inspired rhythmically by the song“Water Dance,” recorded in 1946, compos-er Sarah Summar’s melody moves from theNavajo chant to a sound influenced by theballad “El Corrido de Wingate” andmotives from the cowboy song “CoolWater.”

“We’re all playing different instrumentsthat all have very different sounds,” Elsnicksays. “You have to find a balance whenyou’re playing together, and then you haveto balance between playing as an ensembleand solo playing.”

Madera does achieve a balance thatsounds years ahead of the youth of itsmusicians. Jorge Cruz Jr. handles the noto-riously hard bassoon with aplomb, creatinga buttery sound that is neither overbearingnor invisible when played with AndrewGresham’s oboe. In less trained hands, thebassoon and oboe (and Rachel Yoder’sclarinet) could easily affect that shrillsquawk all three woodwinds are noted forby critics. By contrast, Elsnick’s flute workis neither overly bright nor full of air — butfull bodied in tone and nimble in the notechanges. French horn player AngelaWinter lucks out a bit, playing one of thewind section’s most sensual instruments,but even Winter can coax a gritty vocaliza-tion from her horn.

Madera seems to have an intuition abouthow to apply pure tone or ornament longphrases with a light dusting of vibrato. Thatthe album tests each instrument, asking itto move just a little afield of its idiom,reveals five young musicians who are fit forthe stage but needed in the studio to men-tor the coming generation of players.

The quintet recorded the album over sixdays, stopping only to wait out a rambunc-tious Texas thunderstorm. They decided toname the album after Wharton’s piece.

“Five at Play really describes what we’re doing and whowe are,” Elsnick said. “All of us really love music and per-forming, and doing this really feels like play.”

LUCINDA BREEDING can be reached by calling 940-566-6877 or e-mailing [email protected].


BUY THE ALBUM ONLINEFive at Play is available at crescentphase.com for $13

and in the iTunes store for $9.99.

Courtesy photo/Michelle Hurt

bourbon caramel salted fudge brownies >> by alyssa jarrell

Resolve to indulgeThese caramel-fudge brownies are a good reminder: All things in moderation

Photos by Chris Newby

T he new year is a time fornew resolutions — cleaningup your life, losing weight,

forming habits that make you a happier,healthier, better person in general. Right?

Or maybe not. Let’s face it. You’re going to join a gym,

buy a bunch of workout clothes that you’llwear once, decide to cut out sugar, carbs,fat and alcohol all together — then one ormaybe two months later, your new tennisshoes will be at the back of the closet,carbs will have found their way back intoyour pantry and your time on the tread-

mill will be something you’ve completelyforgotten.

So why? Why not just forget about theresolutions that aren’t going to stick, andinstead resolve to live life a little more inthe moment? Everything in moderation,right? Including indulgences like choco-late, bourbon, caramel and salt.

That in mind, I’ve crafted the perfectbrownie with which you can practice yournew indulge-in-moderation resolution.Eat the brownie. Maybe have a spoonfulor two of the caramel (maybe three).

Let me apologize now — I realize thatlately this article has become “what elsecan Alyssa bake bourbon into?” and Ipromise to take a break from the bourbon

after this. Really. Or, at least I will in myrecipes. (Because seriously, why would Iever quit loving bourbon? I wouldn’t.)

After you have these brownies, youwill forget about my baking-with-bourbon habit and just thank me.Your friends will thank mebecause you will insist on shar-ing; then, you will regret thesharing because someone else atethe last brownie. (It’s bound tohappen.)

So, go ahead. Forget about thosesilly resolutions and indulge a littleinstead.

>> Continued on 14


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Bourbon Caramel Sauce

2 cups sugar 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1 cup heavy cream1/3 cup bourbon1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, bring the water, sugar and corn syrup to a boil over high heat.Cook without stirring until the sugar is dissolved, washing down the sides with a wetpastry brush. Continue cooking without stirring until an amber caramel forms, about 10minutes.

Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the cream. Let cool for 1 minute, then stir in the bourbon and vanilla. Bring the mixture to a boil

over medium heat and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Let the caramel sauce cool and cometo room temperature.

Bourbon Caramel Salted Fudge Brownies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa 2 cups sugar3 large eggs, room temperature2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 cup all purpose unbleached flour1 tablespoon smoked sea salt (can be found at specialty food stores; in lieu ofsmoked sea salt, Maldon sea salt can also be used)1/2 cup Bourbon Caramel Sauce (recipe above)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch-square cake pan. In a large saucepan, melt the 1 1/2 sticks butter with the unsweetened chocolate over

very low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and one at a time whisk in cocoa,sugar, eggs, vanilla and flour.

When all of the ingredients are fully incorporated, pour the batter into the preparedpan and smooth the surface. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the batter, and swirl with abutter knife. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the batter.

Bake the fudge brownies in the center of the oven for about 35 minutes, until theedges are set but the center is still slightly soft. Do not overcook; they are not the sameovercooked.

Let the brownies cool at room temperature for about an hour, then refrigerate untilfirm, about an hour. Cut into 12 squares, serve at room temperature or warm with icecream and extra caramel.

ALYSSA JARRELL is an adventurer in the kitchen who enjoys giving her culinarycreations to family and friends. Her website is thepinkantler.com.

Continued from 13 >>

anymore. The day I distance myself fromthe songs is the day I stop playing,” Folmersays. “If I notice that the band is boredwith a song, or if someone’s obviously notfeeling it, what the hell — move on tosomething else.”

Brown and Blue deals lyrically with theburned-out shell left at the end of a rela-tionship, but musically, Folmer was alsoventing some professional frustrations.He’s frank about his gripes with the evolv-ing music business. He doesn’t love thatthere’s pressure to meet markers of suc-cess, like getting teamed with a label, apublicist and a producer at some alchemi-cal moment.

Folmer was a protege of musician andproducer John Congleton (the PaperChase), recording his 2007 record Gloriawith the Dallas musician who has men-tored Sarah Jaffe, the Polyphonic Spreeand the Jessie Frye Band. But asCongleton’s star rose, Folmer’s cachetseemed to idle. It was a punch he foundtough to roll with — but roll he did, afterrocking a little through residual bitter-ness.

“The music that moves me here is themusic I play,” Folmer says. “The music Iplay is influenced by all of those bands I

discovered here at just the time they werereally doing some awesome music.”

Settling for something dimmer than thelimelight — or the fortunate collabora-tions that can come with it — is a disci-pline Folmer still has to practice a little.

“I’m jaded a little,” he says. “Just becauseyou read [about a band] on Pitchforkdoesn’t mean it’s relevant.”

Ultimately, making music is about shar-ing something with an audience, he says.

“What I like about a song live is gettinga reaction from the audience,” Folmersays. “‘Buffalo Man’ and ‘Without You’seem to get a response from people. Thelive performance is the reason I do this. Ifyou don’t share your art with anyone, whythe [expletive] do you paint?”

LUCINDA BREEDING can be reached bycalling 940-566-6877 or [email protected].

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Continued from 11 >> DANNY RUSH AND THE DESIGNATEDDRIVERS IN DENTON

8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18, at Macaroni

Island, a house show venue located at

2311 Houston Place. No cover.

facebook.com/macaroniisland/events

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