Introducing: LuLu

What's in a name?
Well, what's in two?
Quite a bit
If the name is Lou.

At first glance, Lou Blackwell and Gregory Louis Candela appear an unlikely musical duo. Greg, a Professor of English, poet, and guitarist with a rich voice that can easily handle smoky vocal solos, seems a natural fit for a coffeehouse folk/blues setting. Lou, an electrical engineer, has played string bass in bluegrass, Western, Celtic, swing, and contra dance bands, but his current passion is playing old-time fiddle, with an occasional turn on mandolin and vocal harmonies.

But good music creates common ground, and so does coming of age in the same "musical generation," one that includes Paul Simon, Neil Young, the Kingston Trio, Arlo Guthrie, and the Fab Four. Greg and Lou have blended their differing performance styles with traditional tunes and nostalgic favorites to build an eclectic repertoire that can vary from a moody rendition of "Scotch and Soda" to the lively fiddle tune "Whiskey Before Breakfast."

Finding the right musical blend was easier for the duo than deciding what to call themselves. Of course, a poet like Greg would immediately note the similarity in names. After flirting with various combinations (Lou-Lou for club dates? Halle-lou-lou for church gigs?), it took another poet, Dale Harris, to point out that "Lulu" is an obvious choice if you read Webster's definition of the word: "something remarkable or wonderful." Whatever the name, come ready for a lulu of a performance.

Copy by Shirley Blackwell... always a bonus not to have to outsource copy