VOA标准英语2011--Tom Principato's Family, Friends Inspire

Guitarist Tom Principato has been a mainstay on the Washington, D.C. blues¹ scene for more than 40 years. Tom's new CD was inspired by family, friends and collaborators who helped shape his life on and off the stage.
Like many kids growing up in the 1960s, Tom Principato dreamed of playing guitar in a rock and roll band. As a teenager, he honed his guitar and vocal² skills while modeling his style after the era's great Chicago blues musicians. Tom says he became a serious blues fan after hearing such legends as Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters.
"In those days some of those guys were still alive and performing and you could see them," he said. "Their records were pretty obscure, so it was a challenge to try to find them. But, in those days, you could still get 78s and 45s, and that's where a lot of that music was found."
Tom began his career with the blues-rock band Powerhouse in the 1970s, while working as a sideman with Big Mama Thornton and Sunnyland Slim. Tom later launched a label under the name Powerhouse Records, releasing his own albums as well as albums by other top Washington-area blues artists.
His latest effort "A Part Of Me" is a culmination³ of his many years in the studio and on tours around the world. Tom says the album is mostly autobiographical...which explains why old family photos grace the cover.
"The title cut and actually a couple of other songs on the album are basically about lost loved ones," he said. "My father was a professional photographer so my childhood was well documented."
Joining Tom are noted⁴ keyboardists Chuck Leavell and Brian Auger⁵, Memphis Horns trumpeter Wayne Jackson, guitarist Sonny Landreth, bassist Willie Weeks, and drummer Jim Brock.
In support of the album, Tom and his band will tour Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, before heading to Europe for concerts in Germany, Denmark, and Norway.
Still one of today's busiest blues musicians, Tom believes that interest in live music actually peaked about 30 years ago.
"Everyone went out and supported live music, and the nightclubs thrived and there were a lot of people going out," he said. "A typical gig would be for a week in a club. Now, far fewer people are going out and a typical gig is just one night instead of a week. People have a lot of things that are vying⁶ for their entertainment attention and most of them are free."
For more on Tom Principato and other recordings⁷ on his label, check out tomprincipato.com, or go to powerhouserecords.com.

1 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

2 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

3 culmination   

n.顶点；最高潮

参考例句：

• The space race reached its culmination in the first moon walk.太空竞争以第一次在月球行走而达到顶峰。
• It may truly be regarded as the culmination of classical Greek geometry.这确实可以看成是古典希腊几何的登峰造级之作。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 auger   

n.螺丝钻，钻孔机

参考例句：

• We make a hole in the ice with an auger.我们用螺旋钻在冰上钻洞。
• Already the Snowblast's huge auger blades were engorging snow.扬雪车上庞大的钻头叶片在开始大量吞进积雪。

6 vying   

adj.竞争的；比赛的

参考例句：

• California is vying with other states to capture a piece of the growing communications market.为了在日渐扩大的通讯市场分得一杯羹，加利福尼亚正在和其他州展开竞争。
• Four rescue plans are vying to save the zoo.4个拯救动物园的方案正争得不可开交。

7 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐