Author: Ken Paulson
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Americana Music Festival opening night: Spanning the decades
There’s plenty of time-tripping to be done tonight as the Americana Music Festival opens in Nashville. It’s a measure of the genre’s wide embrace that performers who first hit their stride in every decade since the ’60s – and songs that were written years before that – are in the mix of showcase performances. At…
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Review: Chip Taylor and the Grandkids
Chip Taylor’s new album is a family effort, teaming him with his grandchildren for a refreshing and engaging kids’ record. Golden Kids Rules (Smithsonain Folkways Recordings) features songs they wrote and performed together. The title song sets the positive and loving tone: “5-6-7-8 who do we appreciate? Kids, even if they’re breaking some rules.” “Big…
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Saluting Buck Owens and the Bakersfield Sound
Fans of the Bakersfield Sound have plenty to celebrate. First there’s the just-released Buck Owens collection “Bound for Bakersfield 1953-1956: The Complete Pre-Capitol Collection.” The Rockbeat album collects songs that Owens recorded for the Pep, Chesterfield and La Brea labels before a much more successful run on Capitol. It’s a mixed bag of honky tonk…
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Concert review: Elvis Costello at the Ryman Auditorium
Roy Acuff wouldn’t have approved. There on the stage of the legendary Ryman Auditorium tonight was a go-go dancer moving to the music of Elvis Costello and the Imposters. The dancer’s cage – and the multi-colored “Spectacular Spinning Songbook” that drove the setlist- contributed to a carnival-like atmosphere and an entertaining and outlandish show. This…