Despite a temperature that was a little on the chilly side, Rick Yost and his band made the best of things by turning up the heat a notch and rocking the faithful Beanstock crowd of a little less than two-hundred persons. Rick started the show with a sample of his instrumental skills on guitar, but he quickly brought his band out and got down to the business of cranking out some great folk, rock and blues flavored with a healthy dose of jazz on the side. The Rick Yost Band consisted of Rick on guitar, Jay Fosha on sax and flute, New York City's Lee Arden on bass and George Kovitch behind the drum kit. Together they produced an interesting sound with a mix of several musical styles. The band ripped through some skillful covers of such bands as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steppenwolf, Blind Faith and Van Morrison to name a few. While the band was doing justice to some classic covers, they also played some of Rick's original compositions including "Wichita Falls" and the wonderful "New Orleans in the Rain" which featured Jay Fosha's sizzling saxophone. Some of the lyrics include:
You tell yourself that you
don't belong here
You try to keep warm and ignore the pain
You used to be somebody
And it's driving you insane, it feels like...
New Orleans in the rain.
Drivers lock their doors as you walk by
Headed crosstown through the mist
Everything you own is on your back
And her number's crumpled in your fist
There's a funeral wailin' down on
Bourbon Street and the sound of
A distant train, it feels like...
New Orleans in the rain.
The set ended with a rendition of the Allman Brothers,"One Way Out" in which each of the group members took a turn in the spotlight and showed their musical skills. The crowd showed their appreciation with peals of applause for the music as Rick and his band headed off the stage.
Rick Yost has played the East Dallas and Greenville Avenue musical circuit for over twenty years. He has played with a band as well as solo during those years. Rick has opened for such luminaries as "Bugs" Henderson, Robert Earl Keene, Kinky Friedman, B.W. Stevenson and Ray Wylie Hubbard. In 2001, Yost won the Wildflower Festival National Songwriting Competition. His latest CD entitled, "Life With A Crooked Eye" was released in June 2005 and is available from his website www.rickyost.com.
The festival known as "Beanstock" is situated about 55 miles northeast of Dallas near the quiet town of Tom Bean, Texas at the Coyote Ridge Ranch. There, twice a year, several hundred campers and musical enthusiasts of all ages enjoy top-rate acoustic rock, folk, and blues. The Coyote Ridge Ranch sports a natural amphitheatre that lends itself perfectly to outdoor acoustics. If you would like to learn more about Beanstock, you can go to their website at www.beanstock.org.Kirk deCordova
dallasmusic.com