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So where did that leave me on the definition of Americana?
Certainly I'd heard wonderful music with soul. And the songs were such that they thoroughly satisfied in the simplest form (at least in the hands of these talented purveyors), just voice and acoustic guitar, though they work equally well in full band renditions and the more layered arrangements they're often given on CD. Sure, a kind of thread was apparent, something almost like a family link, that tied the artists together. There was country music in there... and folk... and blues.... and r&b… and jazz. Also hints of whichever brands of pop music the songwriters favoured as teens, along with what their parents had on vinyl during the artists' formative years. Was that it? Probably not. I sought out Monica Ferguson, the Chief Executive of The Stables, and spoke with her about the venue's music policy and how the Americana gig came about, eventually getting around to the big question.
"The Stables was really set up to expose people to as many different types of music as possible, but also in particular to break down barriers between certain types of music--classical and popular, jazz and popular, classical and jazz. And really to get people interested in genres that were perhaps less popular. That was John and Cleo's vision for the place. [John Dankworth and Cleo Laine] They love playing concerts where they have a classical pianist onstage with themselves. Our music policy is an extension of that, with the idea that there's no one type of music better than another. As long as the music itself is good, it should be worthy of being heard."
The Americana Bill itself has roots back to the BBC's champion of Americana, the wonderful and ever-groovy presenter Bob Harris. Monica explained further: "Bob used to present an Americana gig on a Monday night, with a very low ticket price and a plug via his radio show. When John Peel died, Bob's radio commitments increased, so he couldn't give us the Monday night any more. The promoter of those concerts then suggested this triple bill as giving that audience something that we'd not done for some months." (It had been under the auspices of a Bob Harris Presents... gig that Dolly Varden had played at The Stables.)
And what was Monica's take on the A-word?
"Americana is as difficult to define as any category of music. In my work, I have one large category of 'unclassified.' I view Americana very much as contemporary country. Contemporary songwriting that draws on a folk tradition. American roots music, effectively, but one which has a contemporary appeal." I liked that definition. It fitted well with the music I'd been hearing and seemed to cover the broad church that Americana is, at least to our British ears.
