City Scene: Northampton, MA
by Mark Nomad

They call it the "Happy Valley" and in many ways it is just that. Nestled in the foothills of the Berkshires, the Pioneer Valley in western Massachusetts is a destination for many students, tourists and families- not to mention musicians. The cultural center is the city of Northampton which has graced many a top-ten list over the years such as Best Small Arts Town in America and Best Place to Raise a Family. Its school system and hospital have been ranked in the top 100 in the country.

One of the main reasons there's so much culture here is the presence of five colleges in the area: Smith College in Northampton, University of Massachusetts, Amherst College and Hampshire College in Amherst and Mount Holyoke in South Hadley. There are also community colleges in Greenfield and Holyoke and three colleges in nearby Springfield.

Northampton is known for its many fine eateries and there is live music seven nights a week, much of it from nationally touring acts. The Iron Horse, Pearl Street Night Club, Calvin Theater, and the Basement are all music venues that happen to be owned by the same individual. There are also "indie" type clubs such as the Elevens, Bishop's Lounge and the newer Sierra Grill.

Many musicians have settled in the valley over the years, this writer included. Though known for singer-songwriters and indie bands, there is a diversity of music including reggae, blues, jazz, Klezmer and Andean. The sheer number of musicians and bands has kept wages modest but there are gigs to be had, including those in the nearby hill towns.

Dinosaur Jr and the Pixies sprang from the Valley as well as Dar Williams and the Nields. Members of Sonic Youth and Fountains of Wayne have re-located here as well as Terry Adams from NRBQ, Michael Gregory, Cliff Eberhardt and Martin Sexton.

Dynamite Records and Turn It Up, which boasts several locations, sell CDs by local artists as well as more obscure CDs and vinyl. There are a host of music stores to shop and some offer instruction. Downtown Sounds is a full-line music store in Northampton with a knowledgeable staff and a lesson program. Around the corner, Blue Note Guitars caters to the used and vintage guitar market. Across the Connecticut River heading east on Route 9 are two stores in downtown Amherst. Fretted Instrument Workshop specializes in acoustic instruments and Amherst Music House is known for its vast selection of sheet music.

The city of Easthampton is located just south of Northampton. A quaint burgh situated at the base of Mt. Tom, Easthampton has enjoyed a veritable renaissance over the last several years and has attracted many artists and musicians (yours truly included) who have sought a little relief from the higher-priced rents and real estate of its northern neighbor. The city sports many of its own restaurants and three music stores. Luchessi's Vintage Instruments is located on Cottage Street. Its legendary founder, Frank Luchessi, sadly passed away last autumn but his legacy lives on as his staff, trained by the master himself, who continue to provide expert repair.

Frank had worked on virtually every one of my several guitars over the past twenty years and his protégé, Shane Loiselle, recently repaired a crack on my '66 Epiphone Riviera. Walking into their store is like stepping back in time with old instruments, pictures and sheet music decorating the place. Sharing the space is a stringed instrument shop offering sales and service on violins, cellos and the like.

Down the street is the Rhythm Section music shop which sells guitars and drums and provides lessons. Between these two music stores is Night Owl Records which sells a comprehensive mix of CDs and supports local artists. The owner is also a principal in the Brass Cat, a music club across the street which features original bands only. Nearby is the Mt Tom Creamery. Though not a music store, I've sworn I've heard music as I've sampled their exquisite homemade ice cream! A third music store, Mojo Music, has recently opened on Union Street close to the Time Machine which lives up to its name selling old vinyl and pop-related artifacts. Across the street is Pioneer Art Center of Easthampton better known as PACE. Housed in an old theater, PACE sponsors mostly acoustic concerts and open mics.

Easthampton remains committed to its Arts Walk which happens the second Saturday of each month. Many artists and shops display their wares and the streets are filled with patrons of the arts who go from place to place to view art and listen to music. Many of the valley's residents are college students who never left and visitors who become enchanted with the place and move here. I personally know several families who relocated here from the West Coast after researching great places to raise a family.

There are many fine musicians in the valley. As the leader of a blues-based outfit, I've been able to keep a couple of rhythm sections going as well as maintaining a long list of players should I need a substitute. While the pay gets higher the further south you go towards New York City, there is something to be said for the openness to all types of music and lifestyles in the Pioneer Valley.

If you've never visited this special region of the country, I heartily recommend you see and hear the Pioneer Valley for yourself. The only bluesier counterpart that comes to mind is Austin, TX. I've lived here for almost sixteen years and plan on staying for years to come. It's a wonderful home base for this blues traveler.

Click to hear an excerpt of Hannah Lee from the CD Electric Church.

I used a '62 Fender Strat through a '70's Fender Princeton Reverb amp and a 1955 Gibson GA6 amp and ran those in stereo live with bass and drums for the rhythm track. I fattened that part up with a '59 Gibson Les Paul Re-issue through a British made Vox AC-15. I put the acoustic Gibson J-45 on the choruses and bridges to add chime. The slide solos were done with the '62 Strat through the Gibson amp with heavy compression courtesy of a Yamaha DG Stomp with pre-amp disengaged. I seldom, if ever, use external compression but a little voice told me use it on this and I'm glad I did. The delay effect on the slide was from the internal effects library in the Yamaha AW4416 hard drive recorder which is what I used to record the entire record in my studio.

"Hannah Lee" ©2007 Mark Nomad, Giani Marg Music.

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About the Author

Mark Nomad is a contemporary bluesman and writer. Acoustic Land, a compilation of his solo acoustic work and Electric Church, a louder record, were both released in 2007 on Blue Star records. Nomad is a vintage guitar enthusiast and tone maven. He contributed biographies of fifteen bluesmen to the African American National Biography published by Oxford University Press. Nomad's website is www.marknomad.com