Over the last 15 years, the Gourds’ productivity has been matched only by the consistency of their work. Smart, self-critical, and blessed with three tunesmiths (Kevin Russell, Jimmy Smith, and Max Johnston) to perpetually replenish the song cupboards, they rarely make a false move. Their latest, Haymaker!, finds them continuing their recent, subtle shift toward a more naked, open-hearted celebration of domestic bliss, as defined by Russell’s galloping opener, “Country Love.”
The Gourds hit San Antonio on a fairly regular basis, but they’re always worth catching. They’ll be at Sam’s Burger Joint (330 E. Grayson) on Saturday, February 28, with special guest Leo Rondeau. Showtime is 8 p.m.
KRTU 91.7 FM begins its Annual Spring Fund Drive on Friday, February 27, and the jazz station will make the donation push by temporarily replacing its daily lunch feature (this week focusing on piano great Bill Evans) with “Listener Favorite,” a special series in which local artists and friends of the station will drop by the KRTU studios and play some of their favorite jazz tracks. The fund drive runs for a week and concludes on Friday, March 6.
