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SIERRA VISTA — It was “Double Dynamite” at the Buena Performing Arts on Friday night.
In an entertaining concert that featured the pairing of longtime musicians and good friends Michael Grande and Dolan Ellis, both artists performed a wide range of selections, from soft, soothing ballads to more upbeat pieces.
A benefit concert for the Sierra Vista Symphony Orchestra, cowboy poet Bud Strom injected his wit and wry sense of humor throughout the evening as the event’s emcee.
Following Storm’s introduction, the evening opened with a solo set by Grande, where he launched into a guitar prelude featuring his unique, five-fingered picking technique. The prelude was to “Five Brothers,” a song by Marty Robbins about anger and revenge.
  
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Grande’s second choice, “The Picture,” told the story of the love shared between a brother and a sister while growing up. “Second Hand Dog” was the third song in his repertoire, a story about the bond between man and his dog.
Throughout his set, Grande had stories to go with each song, from growing up in a fishing community in Brooklyn to life on the road, promoting CDs and booking performances.
In his solo set, Ellis opened with “You Heard My Voice” and “You Know My Name.” A multi-talented performer, Ellis is known for his storytelling abilities, which he skillfully weaves into his song’s lyrics. He composes music, sings, writes poems and is a talented photographer.
Ellis’ storytelling abilities came through in “Fools of the Trade,” a song about musicians and why they love what they do, in spite of the hardships they often endure through their careers.
One of the crowd-pleasers was “Sheriff Joe,” a song about Maricopa County’s tough Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Ellis said he wanted to write a song about one of the great lawmen of the West, and decided Arpaio, with his tent city, pink underwear, chain gangs and green bologna stew, would make an excellent choice.
Following an intermission, both performers returned to the stage together for their final set, where they performed “This Guitar is for Sale,” the Kingston Trio’s “Scotch and Soda,” and “Joy and Wild Goose Cry.”
The encore performance included the symphony association’s vice president, Lloyd DuVall, who accompanied Grande and Ellis on an upright bass, closing the evening with “This Land is Your Land.”
Grande and Ellis have been good friends for about 13 years. Both have colorful backgrounds in music.
Ellis was one of the founding members of the New Christie Minstrels, a popular folk music group that got its start in the ’60s. He founded the Arizona Folklore Preserve, located in Ramsey Canyon. The preserve is now owned by the University of Arizona, with Ellis as the resident artist. Ellis has been Arizona’s official state balladeer for 42 years, a tribute to his love for the state and ability to convey its story.
Grande always knew he wanted to be a cowboy. A self-taught musician, he performed at the original Woodstock Music Festival in 1969, where he was picked up by Richie Havens. He had performed with other well-known musicians.
The concert’s attendance was light, a disappointment to members of the symphony association. Richard Anderson, who is the association’s general manager, attributed the unusually attendance to the time of year.
“Our snowbirds are gone this time of year,” he said. “If our snowbirds had been here, we would have packed this place.”
DuVall, the symphony association’s vice president, said, “Both musicians are excellent and are giving us a top quality performance. I’ve heard nothing but great comments.”
While he agreed attendance was a disappointment, he said the decision to have the concert was made at the last minute to help boost the symphony financially.
“It costs between $18,000 and $20,000 for one of our productions, and we only recoup about a third of that money through ticket sales,” DuVall said. “So, we hold fundraisers and campaign for more members.”
REPORTER Dana Cole can be reached at 515-4618 or by e-mail at dana.cole@svherald.com.
opsy wrote on Jul 19, 2008 8:53 PM: