Episode 133 - Billy Beard

Above The Basement - Boston Music and Conversation

When we first began this podcast and started putting together names of people we would like as guests, Billy Beard was on the primary list. Not necessarily because we had heard him play, but because we saw him playing with everyone else.

Billy got his start in Boston with the pop band Face To Face. And not to date ourselves but we totally remember their hit song and video 10-9-8.

He has worked over the years with Patty Griffin, Melissa Ferrick, Kris Delmhorst, the late Mark Sandman from the great Boston band Morphine, Rose Cousins, Lori McKenna and Kim Richey to name just a few.

Billy is part of the award-winning band Session Americana, and has toured extensively in the US and Europe and is another example of how he continues to draw amazing musicians together.

We just caught him recently at the Lizard Lounge playing with some of the same wonderful singer-songwriters with Sub Rosetta – a smaller version of the Sub Rosa collaboration with some of Boston’s great musicians. They will be at the Lizard Lounge every third Wednesday.

It is appropriate that Billy won a Boston Music Award for Unsung Hero in 2008 – in celebration of his hard work and commitment to the Boston music scene.

Our friend and drummer Jonathan Beakley joins us this time around a co-host.

Song List:

Song 1: Love Changes Everything - from Love and Dirt (Session Americana) Song 2: Around The Bend - from Into This World (Dennis Brennan) Song 3: 10-9-8 - from Face To Face (Face To Face) Song 4: Fallin’ - from Bitter Sweet (Kim Ritchey) Song 5: Little God - from Silver Bell (Patty Griffin) Song 6: Mighty Long Time - from Live at the Haybarn Theatre (Session Americana)