Airwaves

by Brian Goslow

This Saturday (December 5) David DiBiasio celebrates his first anniversary as host of Against the Grain, heard Saturdays from 8 p.m. to midnight on WICN (90.5 FM). "I was driving down the Mass Pike from Boston when I came upon Dave Ritchie [host of Friday's Against the Grain]. He played something that really interested me, and I gave him a call when I got home to Rhode Island. He mentioned they needed people to fill in. The next thing I know, I was on the air."

Like Ritchie, DiBiasio plays lots of Americana, along with plenty of British folk and Celtic music, including Altan's major-label debut, Runaway Sunday (Virgin), and June Tabor's Aleyn ("Yiddish for alone") on Green Linnett Records. "She has a gorgeous voice. On most of the songs, she's accompanied by just piano and violin. They're beautiful in the old traditional storytelling style." He also digs into the British folk catalogue for old (but still kicking) favorites like Fairport Convention and Pentangle.

"My interest in music started with British Pop -- I was one of those people hooked on music after seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show." Current Brits getting airplay include the Lightning Seeds and Seahorses, along with older gems by the Zombies, Small Faces, Elvis Costello, and Squeeze.

He's a huge fan of American storytellers, including the master. "I just love the whole feel of Bob Dylan's Time Out of Mind (Columbia), especially Dan Lanois's ethereal production. It's real electric blues." DiBiasio always has his ear to the ground for new discoveries. "A friend of mine turned me on to Greg Brown. I saw him at the Newport Folk Festival and saw what she was raving about. I love how he uses his voice and song arrangements to tell a story. I saw him at the Iron Horse last month [supporting his new release, Slant Six Mind (Red Horse)] with guitarist Bo Ramsey, who has his own CD out, In the Weeds (Trailer Park)." Waiting in line before the show, he overheard people raving about Fred Eaglesmith. "The next time I was at the station, his new CD Lipstick Lies and Gasoline (Razor and Tie) had arrived. He's another one of those storytellers I love."

He's also fond of Ry Cooder's Buena Vista Social Club (Nonesuch), which was recorded in Cuba with Cuban musicians. "It has a mariachi sound, much like Los Lobos' Spanish album." Steve Earle's El Corzon (E2) features a strong supporting cast. "It's another storytelling album with diverse styles, going from bluegrass to straight rock and roll and everything in between."

DiBiasio's anniversary show will feature performances by John McKeag and Little Joey Matthews. "I caught him at an open mic a few weeks ago. He plays electric guitar and writes these off-beat stories he sings with a gravely voice like Dylan and Tom Waits. He knocked me out."

STUDIO 3 HOST TONI BALLARD recently picked up the New England Chapter of Women in Cable's "Best Cable Program in New England Produced by a Woman" award for her production of a July '96 Brown Bag concert featuring Lynne Jackson and Mike Palter. The long-running jazz showcase continues the week of December 8 with an encore presentation of last year's visit by the United States Air Force Band of Liberty's Symphonic Winds division (who'll be at Mechanics Hall on December 10). The second portion airs the week of December 22. The Silver Leaf Gospel Singers of Roxbury, who've empowered audiences since the late 1950s, are featured the weeks of December 15 and 29. Studio 3 airs Mondays at 8:30 p.m., Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., and Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. on WGMC-TV 3.