You know when guitar master, Steve Kimock, hits the stage magic will fill the air. On Saturday, Ardmore Music Hall, nestled on The Main Line, was the place to be for an after Thanksgiving musical journey.
Thanksgiving is time to get together and enjoy the people who make our lives so special.
“My Favorite Things”, a classic, composed by Richard Rodgers, featured some great interplay by the Zero/KVHW guitarist and Railroad Earth, Tim Carbone, the back-and-forth brought a huge grin to the AMH crowd. Sitting stage left, legendary saxophonist, Ron Holloway added in a tasteful solo to the mix.
The set took off into another dimension with a head bobbing, foot tapping rendition “Big Railroad Blues” (Noah Lewis), made popular by The Grateful Dead. Steve’s long time friend, Billy Goodman, took the lead (vocals) on this number, and honestly, “knocked it out of the park”. Kenny Aaronson, who’s one of the most sought out bass players in the scene, keeps the groove going throughout the set.
The beauty of music is bringing different numbers to the table from other projects. Written years ago by drummer John Morgan Kimock, “Mother’s Song”, closed out the first set. As the song was building, everyone was locked in and taking the crowd on a musical journey.
The opening number of the second set,“You’re The One”, clocking in at over twenty minutes, was the perfect way to grasp the audience’s attention. Some local folks may have noticed a very familiar face onstage, Mike Borowski. Tastefully adding his keys and backing vocals, throughout the night, he knew exactly when to chime in. For all The Deadheads, Kimock and his all-star bandmates delivered a rousing rendition of “New Speedway Boogie”, led by Billy Goodman on lead vocals. During the Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia penned number, the audiences’ ears perked up when the band teased “The Other One”, but alas, it was just a tease.
The beauty of a Steve Kimock & Friends live performance is the arrangement of the original and cover songs. “Rainbow’s Cadillac”, written by Bruce Hornsby, gave the supergroup time to hone in and let loose with their solos and interplay. You could hear a pin drop on the Ardmore Music Hall floor, as the beginning of “Tongue ‘N Groove”, brought the magical evening to a close.
As fans drifted into the brisk November evening, they knew that whenever Steve Kimock (and his top notch friends) come to town it will always be a night to remember.
The all-star cast of musicians that joined in on the fun:
Billy Goodman: Guitar/Vocals
John Morgan Kimock: Drums
Kenny Aaronson: Bass
Mike Borowski: Keys/Backing Vocals
Special Guests:
Tim Carbone: Fiddle
Ron Holloway: Saxophone
Recording:
Steve Kimock: 11/27/2021
Taper: Rich Stoler
Photographer: Brett Armstrong
