BRINGING ENERGY-FILLED BLUEGRASS TO THE MASSES.Byline: Reed Johnson Reed Cameron Johnson (born December 8, 1976 in Riverside, California) is an outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of the American League East division of Major League Baseball. He weighs 180 lb (82 kg) and is 5'10" tall. Daily News Staff Writer Alison Krauss' dog just had eight teeth pulled. It's a perfectly ordinary mutt, ``a little rat-dog'' named after her favorite musical, ``Annie,'' says Krauss, speaking by phone from Nashville. Admittedly, this isn't the type of factoid fac·toid n. 1. A piece of unverified or inaccurate information that is presented in the press as factual, often as part of a publicity effort, and that is then accepted as true because of frequent repetition: likely to pop up on ``Entertainment Tonight.'' But it's the type that perhaps best illustrates the wry, homespun appeal of the 25-year-old bluegrass bluegrass, any species of the large and widely distributed genus Poa, chiefly range and pasture grasses of economic importance in temperate and cool regions. In general, bluegrasses are perennial with fine-leaved foliage that is bluish green in some species. artist. Practically since she first picked up a fiddle at age 5, Krauss has been marked for success. Her prodigy status was confirmed at 12, when she expertly plucked her way through music contests across the Midwest. Two years later she signed with independent Rounder Records Rounder Records, originally of Cambridge, Massachusetts but now based in Burlington, is an independent record label founded in 1970 by Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin and Marian Leighton-Levy, while all three were still university students. , whose owner, Ken Irwin, had the horse sense to spot Krauss' angelic soprano and adroit sawing on a demo tape. Back then, the mass media saw bluegrass as music to plant soybeans and fix pickups by. Nowadays, you'll find Krauss and her crack Union Station quartet at such cosmopolitan venues as L.A.'s art deco art deco (ärt dĕkō`; är dākō`, ärt) or art moderne (är môdĕrn`, ärt) Wiltern Theatre The Wiltern Theatre and adjacent 12-story Pellissier Building are an Art Deco landmark located on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue in Los Angeles, California. The entire complex is commonly referred to as simply the Wiltern. , where they'll play tonight with guest Michael Johnson Michael Johnson or Mike Johnson may refer to:
Still, Krauss' roots in Central Illinois Central Illinois is a region of the U.S. state of Illinois that consists of the entire central section of the state, divided in thirds from north to south. It is an area of mostly flat prairie. , where her parents remain, anchor her as an artist and as a person. If she could, she says, ``I probably would go home more.'' It's fine with Krauss if urban sophisticates are clasping clasp·ing adj. Botany Denoting a leaf whose base partially or completely surrounds a stem. bluegrass to their pressed denim shirts. As self-effacing as she is direct, she continues to profess amazement at the sudden popularity of a musical genre once confined to Blue Ridge hollers. Reared on Lennon and McCartney more than Flatt & Scruggs, Krauss heads a small group of contemporary musicians who've infused bluegrass with new energy by introducing the styles and sensibilities of pop, Cajun, blues, jazz and even classical music. In Krauss' view, the art crowd is now the band's natural constituency. ``I think we're artsy-fartsy,'' she says of Union Station. Superficially, Krauss was an unlikely candidate to mingle with the zinfandel-and-brie crowd. Growing up in Champaign - skater Bonnie Blair's hometown - Krauss dreamed of being a choir director. ``I always wanted to pick the songs,'' she explains. An instant critics' darling with her 1987 debut album, Krauss took somewhat longer to gain Nashville's approval. She picked up her first Grammy for Best Bluegrass Recording in 1990, and copped her second in 1995 with the Cox Family for the upbeat bluegrass-gospel collection ``I Know Who Holds Tomorrow.'' The same year, Nashville officially blessed Krauss with three Country Music Association awards, including a ludicrously outdated Horizon Award for top emerging artist. En route to becoming the Grand Ole Opry's first bluegrass inductee in 19 years, Krauss has undergone a quiet but telling makeover. She has traded in her Loretta Lynn shag shag see cormorant. for a spikier 'do, and ditched her peasant dresses for basic, chic black. And why not? No doubt the Wiltern audience will include more people in Doc Martens than Stetsons. Anything Krauss remembers about L.A. audiences? ``Yeah,'' she responds, ``I don't think they yell.'' The Facts Who: Alison Krauss and Union Station. Where: Wiltern Theatre. When: 8 tonight. Tickets: $27.50. Information: (213) 380-5005. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Alison Krauss and Union Station - featuring Dan Tymin ski, left, Barry Bales, Krauss, Adam Steffey and Ron Block - bring their eclectic bluegrass blend to local audiences tonight at the Wiltern Theatre. |
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