From: "Doug Bright" <75366.2463@compuserve.com> To: Subject: Article, July, 1982 Date: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 10:46 PM JULY, 1982 PLUMBARRIE: FRUITFUL AND STILL GROWING By Doug Bright If you hear people singing the praises of something called PlumBarrie, don't rush off to your favorite supermarket to ask the produce manager about the new horticultural breakthrough: you'll only confuse him. The place to look is in the nightspots of Pioneer Square as well as a growing number of other places. Barrie Russak had spent his formative musical years playing rock and country with various bands in his native Yakima. The PlumBarrie seed was planted when he went to Eugene, Oregon and met Carolyn Plum, who had financed her college education in the late Sixties as a cocktail lounge folksinger. What do you get when you cross Carolyn Plum with Barrie Russak? Why, PlumBarrie, of course, not to mention a very exciting instrumental and vocal blend. I first heard PlumBarrie in 1978 when Victory Music's open mike events were held at a homey little place in Auburn called The Other Side of The Tracks. They did a swinging medley of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", "In The Mood", and "Lullaby of Broadway", and I was impressed with their exuberant vocal blend and their obvious understanding of the essence of swing at a time when it was only beginning to be fashionable among local musicians. PlumBarrie was then just breaking into the Seattle music scene after having lived and worked in California for a time. Since that memorable evening when I first heard them, their reputation and workload have grown steadily. Listening to these two competent and versatile musicians, it isn't hard to understand why. Toward the end of May, PlumBarrie played two weekends at the Pioneer Square Tavern, and it was there that I was able to make my first in-depth examination of their act. The swing and show-tunes for which they are perhaps best known are still very much a part of the show and as powerful as ever. The swing medley that introduced me to the act is still one of its delights. An irresistibly rhythmic rendition of "House of Blue Lights" features the typically solid piano accompaniment and strong duet harmony. In the swing medium Carolyn takes a good portion of the spotlight with a showy, sophisticated style that sounds a bit reminiscent of Carol Burnette. Though neither Barrie nor Carolyn has had any experience in musical comedy, it's one of the strongest influences in their performance. This kind of showmanship is at its best in the Wizard of Oz medley that has become a PlumBarrie trademark. A depression medley combines a clever Steve Goodman song, "Over-educated and Unemployed", with a timely update from ANNIE in mock salute to Mr. Reagan. Along similar lines is Randy Newman's delightful caricature of American militarism, "Let's Drop The Big One". Like Baby Gramps, however, PlumBarrie can't easily resist the temptation to overdo a good thing. "Honeysuckle Rose", for example, could do with fewer antics and more attention to the unpretentious, hard-driving swing that characterizes their classic original "I've Got To Syncopate". Though the jazz standards and show tunes are a vital part of PlumBarrie's repertoire, I was amazed to discover another side to this versatile duet that ranges all the way from country to jug-band blues to Dan Hicks. Their folk mode is, in its own way, as exciting as their sophisticated, piano-based pop-swing if not more so. The guitars come out of the cases and Barrie's dynamic lead voice is perfectly complemented by Carolyn's strong harmony. The song may be a lyrical Beatles selection like "Blackbird" or "I Will", or it might be a good-time Memphis-style jug band tune like "Barnyard Dance" or "Fishin' Blues" punctuated by Barrie's hot guitar solos that border on western swing. The vibrant intensity of Barrie's voice on the gunfighter ballad "Big Iron" ought to be enough to make Marty Robbins himself sit up and pay attention. In fact, this duet's perfect vocal blend and wide range of material compares with Ian and Sylvia in the mid-Sixties. Original compositions include a fine Midwest country song called "On The Dark Moon Prairie" and another selection that has to be the best tribute to the Emerald City ever written. With just a touch of Gene Autry's influence, it's entitled "Back In Seattle Again" and contains the classic comparative line, "I've seen Vancouver, Portland, Frisco, And L.A.'s just one big disco." Need I say more? Unfortunately, however, the comic overkill factor occasionally threatens PlumBarrie's country mode, too. Unlike the other Marty Robbins tune, "El Paso" is all but destroyed by this emphasis. Patsy Montana's western classic "Cowboy's Sweetheart" is sung adequately by Carolyn, and Barrie adds his harmony to the yodeling chorus. However, neither of them can really yodel, and the up-tempo ending only intensifies the impression of superficial flashiness. Despite this the crowd loved it, and sadly enough, that seemed to be all that mattered. Fifties rock material such as The Everly Brothers' "Wake Up, Little Susie", though energetic, bears only a casual resemblance to the sound of the original and portrays early rock more as a fad than as the artistic triumph it was. In summary, Carolyn Plum and Barrie Russak are two wonderfully dynamic, competent, and versatile musicians who seem to be trying very hard to decide whether they are primarily artists or entertainers. If showmanship becomes the dominant factor, it will destroy the musical credibility of one of the best teams Seattle has ever nurtured. But if they allow their music to speak for itself and let their theatrical abilities fulfill the role of seasoning rather than main course, Barrie and Carolyn will pick up where the great folk duets like Ian and Sylvia or Reilly and Maloney have left off. ----------------------------------------