Thinks happen: Music Monday - John Ford Coley and Terry Sylvester

John Ford Coley and Terry Sylvester appeared at the Simmons Center, Saturday night September 18, 2010.
A very satisfying set.
In the '70's the duo of John Ford Coley and England Dan recorded "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight" and "We'll Never Have To Say Good-bye Again" and "Love Is The Answer." After retiring that duo, Coley has been active in radio, music production and touring. He has worked with such well known artists as Vince Gill, Eddie Money, Tom Wurth and Lynn Bryant. He has written a book, “Backstage Pass” and is working on another. His down-home Texas style humor made the concert sparkle with laughter.

Terry Sylvester from Liverpool, UK, started things with his group "Escorts" sharing stages around Liverpool with the Beatles. Then in 1968 he joined the "Hollies" and recorded such songs as "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" and "The Air That I Breathe" and many others. The Hollies recording of “Long Cool Woman In a Black Dress” has been heard in several movie sound tracks including “Lovely Bones” and the Denzel Washington movie “Remember The Titans.” Sylvester has five platinum, nine gold and six silver records ...so far. He and the rest of the Hollies were inducted this year into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The second half of the program was filled with Fran Cosmo and an assembly of young musicians playing mostly rock group Boston music. The music seemed bland, monotonous and boring to me. I guess you had to be a Boston fan to really enjoy it. It didn’t help that Cosmo telegraphed an unhappy-to-be-here attitude throughout the set and complained of some sound problem between EVERY number.

There was one glitter during the set. Cosmo’s son Anton Cosmo played a fine twelve string solo while all other band members took a break. It was fine musicianship. He is left-handed so it was performed on an upside down guitar. The rest of the set he played a lefty six string.