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Matter of FAQ: So what's it (normally) take to have your CD mentioned in Wendy V's Local Blend? Click here for the guidelines! The address is always at the end of the issue! Singer/songwriters, venues: Have a web page full of gig dates? Send me your link for the gig calendar! |
12/9/04 Special Edition T.D. Mischke- Whistle Stop
OK, let me start at the beginning. In 1992, I was working at the University of Minnesota. I was on the phone one day with someone at work, and this person asked me if I ever listened to KSTP-AM because the guy on the radio in the afternoon was pretty funny. I checked it out, agreed that Don Vogel was very funny indeed. I also noticed the bumper and theme music, done by Vogel's sidekick Tommy Mischke and a guitar played named Michael Loonan, and thought it was pretty good. This peaked my curiosity enough to go hear T.D. Mischke at a solo piano outing months later at the old Music City Cafe. As I said before, that night was a defining moment for me. I had discovered "a 30 year old jukebox" who I thought was one of the best singer/songwriter/pianists I'd ever heard here since arriving in MN from the East coast. I was lucky enough to find a rare cassette copy of Mischke's one album "Better Man", which remains on my "desert island album" list a dozen years after its release. And, it made me want to come back to the Cafe and explore more coffeehouses, to find out just how many other great, undiscovered talents were out there. There were. Folks like Peter Mayer, Barb Ryman, Paul and Tim Frantzich (who fronted the band Ruby and/or Ride Ruby Ride at that time) Pat Shelby and the aforementioned Mr. Loonan, to name but a few. This began an incredibly rewarding journey of support of local musicians who touched my life and my spirit...one that continues to this day. So, there's your history and explanation of my need to shout about this release. On to the album itself. I remember some years ago reading an article in which George Thorogood described his feelings upon getting a copy of John Fogerty's "Centerfield" album. It had been 10 years since Fogerty released an album. Thorogood said he was so thrilled to have it that he just stared at it for a while before he played it. That pretty much summed up my thoughts on the release of "Whistle Stop." The first thing which delighted me about "Whistle Stop" was noting that Mischke recorded new versions of three of the "Better Man" tracks--"Like A King", "Grandpa" (originally titled "Nicholas"), "Money" and one of his finest older songs (but not previously recorded), "Last of the Faithful". The songs in their newer incarnations retain their charisma, though of the four, the latter has evolved the most stylistically from the original version. The other point about this album is that Mischke and producer Jared Rush successfully maintained the simple, unadorned rock/roots/blues/folk feel here that made "Better Man" so captivating. Mischke's vocal style, musicianship, and songwriting are as compelling as ever. "Whistle Stop" brings together a mix of the old and new in player lineup. Some of the players from the past project are back for this one (Loonan, Chris Miller, Donna Fellows) as well as a host of other accomplished folks (check out the full lineup here). Yes, this album was worth the dozen years wait. Mischke can be as proud of this work as we who have followed both his musical and radio careers can be of him. ****************** By the way, the "Whistle Stop" CD release party was a huge success, to say the least. Nobody anticipated the size of the crowd which packed wall to wall into O'Gara's Garage. Besides a solid hour of music from TD, fans of the "Mischke Broadcast" got to meet regulars like Undertaker Fred, Sam Hawk and "Tommy's rabbi".
******************************************************************************** ******************************************************************************** What are YOU up to? Let me know!
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Wendy Vickers, #206, 2136 Ford Parkway, St. Paul, MN 55116-1863
All original written material ©2001-2004 Wendy Vickers