WPA
Where: The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road, Vienna
When: 8 p.m. Wednesday
Info: wolftrap.org
Sometimes the things you just develop ad hoc are the best.
Consider Glen Phillips — who founded Toad the Wet Sprocket when he was still in high school — who has enjoyed success as a solo artist for several years. Through happenstance, Phillips met and played with a group of other musicians — including Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek), and Luke Bulla (Jerry Douglas Band, Ricky Skaggs, Lyle Lovett) — which has morphed into the Folk collective WPA (Works Progress Administration).
“We rehearsed three days, and recorded for five days. We resang three songs that are on the record but mostly did it live, with minimal overdubs,” Philips said of the band’s recently released self-titled debut which the band now tours behind. “If anyone had been inclined to showboat it wouldn’t have worked. But everyone was inclined to do what was bet for this band.”
The result is a CD by the group — that includes guests Benmont Tench (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek), Greg Leisz (Joni Mitchell, Bill Frizell), Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello and the Imposters, Randy Newman) and Davey Faragher (Elvis Costello and the Imposters, Cracker) — that sounds something akin to the casual gigs played by Cass Elliott, David Crosby and other 1960s folkies. Not surprising when you consider this group of minstrels forged its bonds through informal friendships and playing at the Los Angeles club Largo.
And like the musicians of the middle of the last century, this group is more about the music than the personalities. That’s evident by the way the band formed, without managers or record industry execs.
“It’s easy,” Phillips said of recording and playing together. “If someone had the idea of pulling rank, it would be a pretty dumb thing to do. These are people I study and admire; they are among my favorite musicians. Nobody came to this looking to grandstand.”
The spontaneity shows in the music which shifts from pure country (“I Go To Sleep”) to more of a bluegrass tone (“Always Have My Love,”).
The 12 songs selected for the album are among the 17 that were recorded during the sessions. The session were done much as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers records — record live in the studio and use the best of the lot.
“That’s how Toad started making records,” said Phillips. “I like making records quickly. When people make a record they want it to feel that way instead of [over producing] and feeling like all the live performance was sucked out of it…This has a sound all its own.”
