Busking Seattle – Ballard Farmers Market – 8 May 2022
A busy day! Chatting with Dunworley after I finished his sketch, I learned that he specializes in songs about Irish/Americans participating in the US Civil War. Talk about a niche! His propaganda says that he does requests; I tried to arm-twist him into “Whiskey In The Jar” with an offer to sing along. This despite his having just done a different tune with identical chord progression. Somehow he didn’t take the hint, nor the tip that would have followed. Cronin is quite a character; for starters she signs her name backwards! Some of the bass work seemed plucked from the ether, other pieces had a more classical bent, read from music on a stand. Later in the day she had switched to guitar. Salzano comes from a family of musicians; he pulled a Rahsaan Roland Kirk, playing quite well two reed instruments at once. When I came upon this duo they were between numbers; Brudi announced, “We’re waiting for Johnny…” I was tap tap tapping my foot, (with impatience, not rhythm), so I called out, “Waiting for Johnny!” After the reward of that first double-blowing number, I gave ’em a “Worth the wait!” shout-out. Soggy Possums had a mix of old-time and contemporary (“Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”).
Connor Dunworley
Harmony Cronin
Johnny Salzano & Conrad Brudi
Soggy Possums