By Michael Swanger michael@dmcityview.com

Pleased to meet you Mr. Baber’s Neighbors

If it weren’t for the hint of country, folk and roots-rock music in their Midwestern bluegrass sound (not that that’s a bad thing), you might be tempted to check the IDs of Des Moines’ Mr. Baber’s Neighbors to verify that they hail from Iowa and not Kentucky because they’re so dedicated to the high-lonesome sound founded there years ago by Bill Monroe.

Then again, a love of music need not be tethered by geographical or generational bounds, as Mr. Baber’s Neighbors guitarist Jeff Blanchard — who grew up in Wisconsin, then moved to Des Moines in 1994 — will attest. “I heard a lot of country and watched a lot of ‘Hee-Haw,’” he says. “I still have a cassette of the ‘Deliverance’ soundtrack.”

Bluegrass music didn’t resonate with Blanchard until he stumbled across the Grateful Dead while attending college. Like a lot of new-grass musicians, the 36-year-old Blanchard was attracted to the Dead’s organic, acoustic sound. So he attended their concerts, bought their albums and traced their roots to their jug band origins, unveiling founder Jerry Garcia’s passion for bluegrass and other Americana forms.

“The idea of Jerry being such a complicated musician in that one minute he could play ‘Dark Star’ and the next he would play banjo intrigued me,” Blanchard says. “I wanted to learn more about him, which led me to Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs. Those traditional songs touched a lot of people because they were simple and people could relate to them. They touched something in me I haven’t let go of yet.”

Fast-forward to 2001, when one night Blanchard, bassist Jerry Hoehle and banjoist Paul Perkins are casually picking tunes on their acoustic instruments. Their jam-rock group the Norman Stagger Band had just splintered but they soon found a common interest in bluegrass. “We realized we had something, but we weren’t looking to jump into anything or play any shows,” Blanchard recalls. One week later, they were playing their first gig, opening a show at a club in Ames, and their path was set. “Everything just fell into our laps,” he says.

During the past five years, the group’s founding trio has stayed intact while rotating musicians for a fourth spot. Mandolin player Mike Tallman joined the group after an impromptu jam one evening. Though he plays on the band’s 2006 debut album “The Solar String Band (see photo),” Tallman is mostly devoted to his world-music group Euforquestra, giving Mr. Baber’s Neighbors the opportunity to play with guest artists.

“Mike’s a very talented musician and he’s helped us make strides,” Blanchard says. “But it’s enabled us to play with other good musicians and fine fellows, too, like Larry Beem [dobro], Bob Black [veteran banjoist who played with Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys during the ’70s] and Rob Wheeler [Lefthand String Band which later became Leftover Salmon].

“That’s what’s great about bluegrass music. It’s not about the business or the egos, it’s about the music.”

That selfless, ensemble approach is what drives “The Solar String Band” to such impressive heights. It’s the group’s debut album on their own label, Baberhood Records Inc., and its 14 tracks include admirable renditions of traditional tunes like “Little Cabin Home on the Hill,” “Nine Pound Hammer” and “Whitehouse Blues.” They co-exist alongside original foot-stompin’ instrumentals (“Sugar,” “Polk County Breakdown”), witty ditties (“Just Like A Country Song”) and heartfelt vocals with tight harmonies (“Midnight Run,” “Deep River Waltz”).

“We’re a band, we’re not about individuals,” Blanchard says.

They’re also not content to be mere imitators, he says, as they strive to put their own stamp on the music.

“We didn’t want to copy anybody,” Blanchard says. “We wanted to be in the styling of bluegrass, but do it our own way.”

Mr. Baber’s Neighbors has carved a niche for itself with its own sound, but it’s also universal enough to attract fans of all walks of life and all ages.

“We want people to have as much fun listening to it as we do playing it,” Blanchard says. “It jumps boundaries of ages. It’s everybody’s music.”

Halloween tunes

Several Halloween concerts like Slaughterhouse 6’s Skalloween (see City Picks) are planned this weekend. Here’s a sampling of shows submitted to Cityview to celebrate the annual event: The Court Avenue Halloween Party runs from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday night at a variety of venues, including Court Avenue Brewing Co. (Tony Bohnenkamp), Buzzard Billy’s (Deja VooDoo), Royal Mile (DJ Tim Grimes featuring The Nuggets), Hessen Haus (Brother Trucker), Johnny’s Hall of Fame (Mr. Baber’s Neighbors), High Life Lounge & El Bait Shop (Ben Eaton & The Dirt Cheap Band) and The Lift (Brad Goldman). A $5 cover admits you to all venues. Cash prizes will be awarded for best costumes. … The Vaudeville Mews hosts a Halloween show Saturday at 9 p.m. featuring performances by Sedalia, DJ Richie Daggers, Jayvee and Brandon Paul Moses, Buck Bowen and The Dunafieds, Oh Possum, Beat Strings and Articulate. Admission is $5 or free with a costume. … Organists Ruth Harris and Tom Harvey team up with dramatist Mark Gruber for a Halloween concert Friday at 7 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 4114 Allison Ave. Call 274-1534. … Eighties metal hair band L.A. Guns (sans Tracii Guns) plays Keysters on Saturday for the Hair-Raising Halloween Show at Keysters at 9 p.m. The Gibbs Brothers opens. Advance tickets at the club are $10 or $15 at the door. Call 252-1403. … The Raccoon River Brewing Co. hosts a costume party and concert Saturday at 10 p.m. Floodplane performs and prizes for best costumes will be awarded. Admission is $3 or two canned goods to be donated to the Food Bank of Central Iowa. … Spookapalooza, a benefit concert sponsored by the Des Moines Symphony Academy featuring performances by Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players, will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Scottish Rite Consistory. Tickets are $15. Call 280-4017.

Scene notes

Pop star Justin Timberlake’s “FutureSex?LoveShow” tour plays March 9 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. Pink opens. No ticket info yet. … Contemporary country music singer Steve Azar, whose “You Don’t Know A Thing” video plays on CMT, performs today (Thursday) at 7 p.m. at the 7 Flags Events Center in Clive. Tickets are $25 through IowaTix.com. Kids under 12 and adults named Steve (with proof of ID) are admitted free. … The Des Moines Playhouse hosts “Ron Furr: A Touch of Elvis,” Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $27. … The Mis Quinces Bash, a fundraiser fashion show and dance with Latin and reggaeton music by DJ Sergio, will be held Saturday at the Hotel Fort Des Moines. Doors open at 6 p.m. Admission is $12. Proceeds benefit Hispanic Educational Resources. … Gospel singer Bill Gaither and his Homecoming Friends play Saturday at 6 p.m. at Wells Fargo Arena. Tickets are $19.50 - $35.50. Call (866) 553-2457. … The African Children’s Choir performs three shows in Des Moines on Sunday: the first two at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. at Cornerstone Family Church; the third at Walnut Hills United Methodist Church in Urbandale at 6 p.m. Admission is a free-will offering. … San Jose Taiko’s Rhythm Spirit, celebrating Asian music and culture in a high-energy theatrical show, plays Stephens Auditorium in Ames on Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $14.50-$30.50. … Des Moines native and New York City jazz saxophonist Frank Perowsky sits in with The Des Moines Big Band on Monday at Adventureland Inn at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $6. CV

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