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GET GREAT BRANSON DEALS sent directly to your phone! Text BRANSON to 82928 Message and data rates may apply. Text STOP to cancel. Go to taponitdeals.com/terms for privacy and terms. MARCH 1-7, 2020 WHAT'S UP! 5 On The Whimsical Side Barbaloots add dimension for Shore and Cockram BECCA MARTIN-BROWN NWA Democrat-Gazette I t all started with a song named "Sawdust John" — not the friendship between Michael Cockram and Ezra Idlet, but the idea that Cockram's song should become a record. And that Idlet wanted to be the one to produce it. "I was sitting in a song circle, and Michael played this song, and it just took my breath away," remembers Idlet, the taller half of Trout Fishing in America. "I told him, 'if you had about 10 more songs like that, it would make a great album.' He took it to heart and started writing songs in the tradition of magical realism, and well, I have a studio right here, and I've got the best bass player I know working with me, so…" The result was a new band name for Cockram and his wife, Susan Shore, and a CD that features the duo as the principal musicians — Cockram on guitar, banjo and vocals and Shore on mandolin and vocals — with some help from friends Idlet on guitar, percussion and harmony vocals; his musical partner Keith Grimwood on bass; J.T Huff on lap steel guitar; Jim Jernigan on clarinet; and Franklin Evarts on harmonica. The Barbaloots will celebrate the release of "Possum Came to Town" with a performance at 2 p.m. today at the Fayetteville Public Library. "The Barbaloots are basically the whimsical side of our duo Shore and Cockram," says Cockram. "The name came from Dr. Seuss' story 'The Lorax.' The Barbaloots were little bear-like creatures that were driven from the forest by the greedy Once-ler when he cut down all the Truffula trees. Using a Dr. Seuss character's name seemed to fit our playful approach to the subtle environmental and social themes of many of the songs." Cockram calls "Sawdust John" an "Ozark tall tale song" and says "when a Grammy- nominated musical hero asks if you want to do a project together, the answer is: YES!" It was Idlet's first venture as a producer — one he seems to have enjoyed thoroughly. "Michael was very flexible on this project," he says. "He basically gave me permission to do what I wanted. Of course, I wanted Keith in there to lay down the bottom." Grimwood says he's proud of his longtime partner and the project. "When it comes to the [mixing] board, I try to stay away from it," he jokes. "But Ezra is getting better and better. And he knows [the other musicians] because we've been doing this so long, he's got this catalog in his brain of who plays what." Asked to describe the music, Cockram says it's "all-ages music in the folk tradition in which there's no clear line between kids' music and adults'. This recording is very eclectic — the all-original songs cover the range of all the music genres that I love: old time, swing, traditional country, country blues and a hint of Celtic." "What I find particularly inspiring about these songs — other than their beautiful construction, wonderful melodies, humor, compassion, intelligent wordplay and striking internal rhymes — is that they don't 'talk down' to children," adds Shore. "The songs are appealing to any age group." "Music has always been our passion," puts in Cockram, who met Shore at a house concert at Mike Shirkey's Good Folk House on Block Street on March 5, 2010, according to his wife, who adds: "The rest is history." Although both had previous success in various career pursuits, "for me, it was love at first song," Cockram agrees. "We got together to play music at Susan's house a few days after we met, and … one song led to another." Although Idlet and Grimwood say they're on board only for the album release party — because there are a finite number of hours in the day! — Cockram says he and Shore would "like to play out more regionally. Playing the Barbaloots material broadens our potential audience so that we can play kids shows and for folks who think they've grown up. House concerts and other small venues are our favorite gigs, so for most shows we'll likely mix the whimsical material with more serious songs. Now that the CD is finally here we can turn our focus to booking." FAYETTEVILLE FAQ The Barbaloots: CD Release Party WHEN — 2 p.m. March 1 WHERE — Mountain Street Stage series at the Fayetteville Public Library COST — Free INFO — shoreandcockram.com The Barbaloots release their first CD today. (Courtesy Photo) Listen for more nwaonline.com/podcast