It’s early, too early for musicians, on a Friday and there’s a line formed down 4th street as Krekies prepare for the kick off to a weekend that includes a posthumous release from beloved Louisville musician Tim Krekel. The event, WFPK 91.9 Live Lunch, is a somber yet joyous and emotional family affair to celebrate the music Tim Krekel so brilliantly created while he was on earth. The Sings Up the Sun band is headed by Tim’s son, Jason, and features musicians who shared the stage with Tim throughout his lifetime, all joining together in celebration through song.
As soon as the band kicks off their first tune, a Kentucky tribute, everyone in the audience is dancing around the studio mouthing the words. The room is full of people with smiling faces, family members with tears in their eyes and spectacular musicians with nothing but soul. The Sings Up the Sun band features keyboardist Michael Webb, who produced the album Sings Up the Sun with Tim Krekel, at least most of it. The duo had a year of recordings tracked when Tim found out he was diagnosed with cancer, which took his life later the following summer before it was finished. Michael Webb was left with the burden of completing the album after Tim’s passing and brought in family members and musician friends to finalize the piece of art. When the band rolled into the fourth song, which so happened to be the title track, "Sings Up the Sun," a song inspired by the movie Black Orpheus, a movie that brought Bossa Nova to the United States, most of the family members, including Tim’s daughter Katy Krekel are on stage singing their hearts out. Drummer Brad Pemberton lays a steady groove down with Slugger’s bassist Tom Comet, while Tim Krekel Orchestra member John Mann and horn section Don Adams and Mike Murphy join in the fun, bringing audience members to their feet.
An hour later, the band finishes out the Live Lunch performance with a song that can be best described as what Tim Krekel is doing in the afterlife, "Walking in a State of Grace." For the final song, every child of Tim Krekel’s is on stage singing, the band drops out as the entire audience sings in unison “the father’s got my hand, I’m singing in the band and I’m walking in a state of grace.” When asked if she thought Tim was spiritually among the audience and musicians during the performance, wife Debbie said “oh yes, Tim has shown his presence in many ways, he was defiantly among us today.”
photo courtesy Jyn Yates
