The Coyotes was what they called themselves. They’d sent me a packet with the usual glowing look at themselves, a live CD, and, still fairly unusual, a DVD of the band performing. That’s when I noticed that they were an all-woman band. That in and of itself didn’t mean they were good, bad or just average, but we do try to book as many such bands as we can.
Like Big Bad Wolf, The Cadejos and Trickster’s Choice, who we’ve all booked over the years, it turned out that they were from the Southwestern USA, an area that’s had more than a few great bands that mixed music from the Celtic tradition with the accordion-centered music of the Tex-Mex tradition. It’s not quite the first sort of music, nor is it truly the second musical tradition either. Instead it’s a wild combination that merges the traditions together in some of the best music you’ll hear ever.
(I always meant to book The Mollys, another great band playing this music. They broke up messily when the two women in the band fought over matters I’ll leave to your imagination. It’s a matter that, like the unpublished Sandy Denny biography, that the less said of it, the safer for all involved!)
So I watched the DVD, enjoyed their music and their stage presence. They’d cut three recordings, two in the studio and recorded live in their home venue, a bar called charmingly Mojo Rising. So I emailed them, suggested some dates and offered a suggested fee for their being here a full week doing a concert and workshops as well. It was generous enough that I heard back from them within hours.
They arrived here with bags and instrument cases in hand, settled into the yurts they were staying in, and, since they had three days before their concert, joined in helping out the kitchen, working with Gus in the gardens, and being part of the Neverending Session. They were obviously having a great time.
Their concert was a resounding success but their workshops on various subjects ranging from playing the accordion in the Tex-Mex style to cooking New Mexican breakfast food (which won the heart and stomach of Reynard and many others) were well-attended and was what really got everyone excited. Need I note that they brought a large bag of chilies, dried and some smoked, with them? And other culinary goodies as well.
They were very happy with their time here as were we. We sent them off on their next leg on their European tour which I helped book using my contacts and said that they were welcome back again.
Now I’m headed off to the Kitchen as I can smell smoked chilies and peppers and garlic all the way up here in my office which means something Tex-Mex is being cooked!
