Cowboy songs
For Michael Martin Murphey, who grew up riding horses on Texas ranches, playing western music has always been about as natural as breathing. “It was the music of my life and culture,” Murphey said. “I sing Western music the same way BB King sings the blues.” The love of cowboy culture and western landscapes that ignited Murphey’s musical interest all those decades ago when he was a boy has fueled a prolific and storied career. The singer-songwriter has more than 30 albums to his name, several Grammy nods and a handful of gold albums. His songs have been recorded by artists like John Denver and Lyle Lovett and his track “Geronimo’s Cadillac” secured him a spot in the outlaw country wave of the early ’70s. Murphey’s enthusiasm hasn’t dimmed, nor has the musical curiosity that has led him from commercially popular country-gold to straight-ahead western music and what he dubs buckaroo bluegrass. “I’ve always been eclectic in my taste,” he said. “I like a good song in every genre.” Murphey will bring his band and his deep repertoire of hits and cowboy songs to the Community Concert Hall on Friday for a concert. Murphey, not a newbie to Durango, says he enjoys coming to a town that still has a vibrant Western culture. After all these years, his passion for the music remains robust. “I have a lot of joy in my music,” he said. “I’m an artist. That’s in my nature, that’s who I am. I can’t stop doing it.” The concert begins at 7 p.m., visit www.durangoconcerts.com for tickets or more info.
The original party music
Back before people had iPods, record players or even phonographs, they had chamber ensembles. The performing tradition – characterized by intimate spaces and a musical conversing between a small number of players – will be celebrated this weekend in Durango with the seventh annual Chamber Music Festival. The festival will feature two concerts at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 910 East Second Ave. – one at 7 p.m. Friday and another at 2 p.m. Saturday. Festival director Scott Hagler said the event fills a gap in Durango’s music scene: “Chamber music performed in an easily accessed, intimate setting, with affordably priced tickets.” This year’s artistic directors, Rochelle Mann and M. Brent Williams, have put together two diverse performances that will feature musicians like Kristen Chen, Hagler, Ruth Katzin and Denise Reig Turner, as well as a chamber ensemble called enhake, which will play at Saturday’s show. On tap: tangos, concertos, works arranged specially by Williams and Beethoven selections. Hagler noted that any music can be chamber music, as long as it’s played by small ensembles in intimate spaces. “It’s not about any particular style or era of music; it’s not just music by dead white guys,” Hagler said. “We like to say that it’s friends playing great music for friends.” Tickets are available at www.durangochambermusic.com.
Reaching for the sky
Durango band Sky Pilot will bring its futuristic and funk-heavy jams to the Balcony Backstage, 600 Main Ave., at 10 p.m. Friday. The band, which is comprised of drummer Aaron Lombardo, bass player Jim Belcher, keyboardist Ryan McCurry and guitar player Chad MacCluskey, plays a sound they dub “electrofusion-jam-funk.” Dancing shoes are advised.
