CENTERblog

Wheeler and Tyminski Uniquely Americana

By Woodruff Laputka - University of Alaska Anchorage

Cheryl Wheeler and Dan Tyminski offer genuine originality for American Country Bluegrass. Portraying years of experience in each song, both artists present genuine passion at their co-op performance from Whistling Swan Productions. The evening promises an interesting blend, with southern country-style bluegrass juxtaposed along an east-coast take on contemporary lounge-style acoustic, making for a credible blend of personal and professional, with neither smirk, joke nor even a moment of silence failing to come across as sincere.

In Cheryl Wheeler’s opening act the audience is introduced to a short, plodding little woman with messy hair and a Massachusetts attitude that doesn’t fail to impress you from the beginning. Mostly auto-biographical, her self-written music encapsulates years of experience as a musician on the road, ever seeking a silver lining on some of life’s most personal experiences (i.e. gay marriage, old parents, pets). Her style is very simple, her songs rather brief. Yet with the stories that introduce each song, Wheelers east-coast attitude of a no-nonsense, “tough old cookie” give way to real charm, charisma and even sentimentality that grabs the audience and makes you wanting more. By the end you do not feel like you’ve heard music. Rather, you feel like you’ve heard a life story.

Dan Tyminski, headliner of the evening, is the sort of artist that comes across very plain and simple. “Hi, my name is Dan,” he says, grinning and tuning is guitar. He appears rather nervous, assuring you that he’s, “not used to this whole solo thing.” It’s humorous, considering Dan’s abilities have taken him several decades to the height of what is the current Country Bluegrass music scene. Yet his mixture of an elegant playing style and a “homegrown” country sound delivers an atmosphere of professionalism that easily brings the artist above the amateur. With a voice that holds traces of Kenny Rogers, Tyminski has been known for years for his acoustic accompaniment and voice, recognized recently for his work on the “O, Brother Where Art Thou” soundtrack as the dubbed singing talent of, Everett, played by George Clooney, in the song, “Man of Constant Sorrow.” His lyrics hit hard, his complex acoustic notes striking with mathematical precision.

Truly, the only complaint that can be had is how incredibly shiny Tyminski’s guitar is, flicking spats of light into the dark of the seated audience, obviously distracting several patrons who are trying harder and harder to focus on the music. Perhaps next time a different style guitar, Mr.Tyminski, would suffice.

Over all Tyminski’s themes are traditional, referring to country homes and growing up in the south. And though the music might touch on topics long transcribed musically, you can tell he loves what he sings about, thematically as well as conceptually. As he plays, as is also the case with Ms. Wheeler, the feeling of what can be described as uniquely Americana, both old and new, transforms the spotlight-lit stage into something of a museum, telling the audience, “here is a piece of uniquely American culture, folks!” This achieves person ability, identify and ultimately relateability with the audience that is so important in any style of music.

Cheryl Wheeler & Dan Tyminski

Whistling Swan Productions

October 30, 2010 at 7:30pm

Discovery Theatre