Aubrie Sellers talks about her musical roots and how her music continues to evolve in this Americana One interview on WMOT Roots Radio. (Available for a limited time.)
John Prine, Crystal Gayle, Charley Pride and Shawn Camp salute Cowboy Jack Clement at Country Music Hall of Fame
The late Cowboy Jack Clement’s Gibson J-200 guitar was donated to the Country Music Hall of Fame today, and his old friends John Prine, Crystal Gayle, Charley Pride and Shawn Camp were on hand to sing some of Clement’s favorite songs.
The guitar, a constant companion in Clement’s career as a songwriter, producer and artist, was purchased in the early 1950s.
Camp kicked off the mini-concert with a performance of “Gone Girl” and Gayle did her hit version of “When I Dream,” a song Clement didn’t write, but loved. Pride performed “Just Between You and Me,” his breakthrough record produced by Clement, and John Prine, fresh off his “All the Best” Festival in the Dominican Republic, closed with Clement’s first hit as a songwriter, “Ballad of a Teenage Queen” while paying Clement’s guitar.
Cowboy Jack was inducted into the Country music Hall of Fame in 2013.
The donation of the guitar was made possible by a grant from the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation. – Ken Paulson
Review: For the Sake of the Song – The Story of Anderson Fair
By Paul T. Mueller –
It can be tricky to capture the magic of a particular era, or a particular music scene, or a particular venue, but Bruce Bryant was up to the task. Bryant directed and co-produced For the Sake of the Song – The Story of Anderson Fair, a 2010 documentary about Houston’s legendary Anderson Fair Retail Restaurant, better known simply as Anderson Fair. The small club was instrumental in nurturing the careers of such notables as Townes Van Zandt, Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl Keen, Lucinda Williams and Nanci Griffith, whose album One Fair Summer Evening was recorded there in 1988.
The 88-minute film got the big-screen treatment on November 14 at Rice University’s Media Center, about four miles from Anderson Fair, which opened in 1969 in Houston’s eclectic Montrose neighborhood. The club, which began as a restaurant and evolved into a singer-songwriter-focused listening room, remains a mecca for aspiring and established musicians to this day. The free event, sponsored by Rice’s Fondren Library and the Houston Folk Music Archive, was preceded by a reception and followed by a brief performance by singer-songwriter Vince Bell, prominently featured in the film, and a Q&A session with producer-director Bryant.
The enthusiastic audience, most of which appeared old enough to have hung out at the Fair in its early days, braved what was for Houston a chilly and damp Thursday night. Attendees included such notables as James Gilmer, longtime percussionist with Lyle Lovett’s bands and another of the many musicians interviewed in the film; Houston musician and producer Rock Romano, also known as Dr. Rockit; Norie Guthrie, director of the Houston Folk Music Archive; Bill Moore, the film’s editor, and a sizable group of current and former Anderson Fair volunteers.
For the Sake of the Song tells the story of Anderson Fair – named for its two original owners, Marvin Anderson and Gray Fair – with a mix of archival photos and film footage, more recent performance clips, numerous on-camera interviews with musicians, and some original music by Gurf Morlix. Some of those featured in the film – Lovett, Williams, Griffith, Keen and others – are still alive and performing. Others, including Guy Clark, Richard Dobson, Steve Fromholz and Houston folkie Don Sanders, have died since the film was released, adding poignance to their words and images.
The film is more than the story of one music venue, though. At one point, Anderson Fair is compared with the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco, where the Beat poets of the ‘50s hung out, as the epicenter of a community of like-minded people, a sanctuary for the hippies and free thinkers who didn’t feel quite at home in mostly conservative southeast Texas. Things change, of course, and today there’s little left of the funky, bohemian Montrose that gave birth to the club. But Anderson Fair persists, true to its roots and its values (the latter personified by longtime proprietor Tim Leatherwood), and the film’s inclusion of younger artists such as Matt Harlan and Greg Klyma illustrates the continuity of those values.
12 special moments at John Prine’s inaugural “All the Best” Festival
By Ken Paulson –
John Prine’s music – and life – have always been marked by courage, compassion and integrity.
Now imagine a music festival just like that.
All the Best, a Prine-curated Sixthman festival in the Dominican Republic, wrapped up tonight after four days of inspired and inspiring music from some of the top songwriters in the world, including Prine, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Gretchen Peters, Lori McKenna and Brandi Carlile.
More important, the performers at this festival were hellraisers and truth tellers, just like their host. When you write a line like “Jesus Christ died for nothing, I suppose,” you don’t invite the meek to your festival.
Kentucky songwriter Kelsey Waldon said it was a treat to perform where “people care so much about the lyrics . . . awesome.”
12 special moments:
- The day after the Country Music Awards featured “Independence Day, Gretchen Peters proudly performed her indelible anthem, smiling broadly and exultantly declaring “My words came out of Dolly Parton’s mouth!”
- Throughout the festival, artists covered Prine’s songs to often stirring effect. Perhaps the most moving, though, were Emmylou Harris and Ruby Amanfu’s respective takes on “Angel From Montgomery.” Prine noted that when artists perform the song, they always base it on Bonnie Raitt’s version instead of his.
- Much like Prine, Paul Thorn is always wildly entertaining, but then he’ll draw you up short with a song that makes you look at something in a fresh way. “You Might Be Wrong” couldn’t have been more timely.
- Given the line-up, the festival was full of songs that reflect the news. Todd Snider joked that surveys indicate that only 50 percent of the audience should like his topical songs, while Steve Earle’s “City of Immigrants” received a rousing response.
- In the spirit of the festival, Iris Dement and John Prine performed what appeared to be a thoroughly unrehearsed version of the spouse-swapping tune “Let’s Invite Them Over Tonight.” The real lyrics showed up about 30 seconds in. Pure fun.
- Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – The Dirt Band was a late addition to the line-up, and happily so. It’s hard to imagine a more joyous band than these guys, and that’s been the case for a half-century. Sometimes you want self-reflection . Sometimes you want to dance. The Dirt Band has been around for more than a half-century, but remain as vibrant as ever.
- Keith Sykes performed “You Got Gold,” a number of times during the festival, but added the inside story during a guitar pull at the Breathless Plaza. He and Prine felt so good about the song they had written that they were “overserved” and ended the night being “picked up by two women” – Memphis police officers – who promptly took them to jail.
- Tyler Childers’ swift career ascent has been amazing, and he played two crowd-pleasing sets, but the real treat was seeing him cover fellow Kentuckian Prine’s “Yes, I Guess They Oughta Name A Song After You” and “Please Don’t Bury Me
- Lori McKenna unveiled a brand new song “In it for Love.” “I’ve only heard it twice myself, she said. She played the near-anthemic song in back-to-back sets and the audience roared. Sometime, somewhere and in the hands of someone to be determined, “In It For Love” is going to be a hit.
- Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats played a raucous set on the final night and then Rateliff returned to the stage for a closing segment of Prine songs. Wiping away tears, Rateliff sang “Summer’s End” and was then joined by Prine for a touching “Sam Stone.”
- Brandi Carlile was fresh off the Country Music Awards, where she had performed with her new group the Highwomen. Her All the Best set was high energy and compelling, but two solo turns stuck out: Her rendition of the yodel-intensive “Lovesick Blues” and “Highwomen,” the gender-revised version of Jimmy Webb’s classic “Highwayman.”
There was much more, including fine sets by Emmylou Harris and the Red Dirt Boys, Courtney Marie Andrews, Jason Wilber, Lucinda Williams, Rita Wilson, Senora May, Ruston Kelly, Kristi Rose and Fats Kaplin.
- But everything was eclipsed by John Prine’s revisiting his very first album, playing the LP in order, start to finish. This was the astounding debut album that gave us “Sam Stone,” “Angel From Montgomery,” “Paradise,” “Donald and Lydia” and “Hello in There, ” and signaled the emergence of an extraordinary new talent. Prine noted that the album didn’t chart or win any awards, but that it was eventually inducted into the Grammys Hall of Fame along with Neil Young’s Harvest and Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks. “I’ll take that,” Prine said.
Prine later joked that it took 40 minutes to play the album and another hour for him to talk about the songs. Of course, that’s what made it so special: A great American songwriter standing steps from the ocean, exploring his groundbreaking first recording under a full moon. Now that’s Paradise.
Review: Dee White’s “Southern Gentleman”
By Ken Paulson – It wasn’t until about the fourth track on Dee White’s new album Southern Gentleman that I realized that something special was going on.
“Crazy Man” is a highly melodic song about redemption and a revived relationship, and is representative of the sound that works so well on this new release. Produced by Dan Auerbach and David Ferguson, the collection melds Countrypolitan with pop sensibilities circa 1968-72.
“Bucket of Bolts” is a good song about a bad car and great memories, while “Oh No” explores the opposite territory: the sheer despair of knowing that the person you love coming back. Yet even that has its earworms.
Sitting in are Ashley McBryde on “Road That Goes Both Ways” and Molly Tuttle on “Weary Blues From Waitin’.”
This could easily have been my favorite country album in 1970, but it sure sounds fresh in 2019.
New: Bonnie Bishop’s “The Walk”
If I ever find myself referring to Bonnie Bishop as Bonnie Bramlett, it’s not age or alliteration. Ms. Bishop’s soulful voice and approach very much brings to mind the vibrant sound and style of Ms. Bramlett.
It’s welcome news that Bonnie Bishop has a new album produced by Steve Jordan and featuring co-writes with Gabe Dixon (Their “Love Revolution” is a highlight), Rebecca Lynn Howard and Emory Dobyns (including the title cut, performed in this video:
Show #39 Raul Malo on “The Mavericks Play the Hits”
The Mavericks Play the Hits is to be taken literally. The band plays the hits. Other artists’ hits.
In this edition of the Americana One Podcast, Raul Malo tells us why the Mavericks decided to cover songs like Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart,” Elvis Presley’s “Don’t Be Cruel” and Freddy Fender’s “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” – all with new arrangements and in delightfully tacky packaging.
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Review: Chuck Hawthorne’s “Fire Out of Stone”
By Paul T. Mueller – Austin-based singer-songwriter Chuck Hawthorne’s sophomore effort is an eclectic collection of nine originals and a cover, exploring themes as diverse as Native American lore, the struggles of growing up in the shadow of a famous father, the loss of comrades, and the hardships of life on the road. Hawthorne’s writing is personal but accessible, combining literalism and metaphor to explore a range of human experience.
The opening track, “Such Is Life (C’est la Vie),” is a tribute to a fallen buddy that draws on the language of music and motorcycles. Dealing with a friend’s death isn’t easy, but Hawthorne finds positivity and acceptance at the end: “His holy wind, I gave him back/Now he’s riding on the zodiac/And such, my friends, is life.” Another farewell song, “Worthy of the Sea,” reflects Hawthorne’s military background – a couple of decades in the U.S. Marine Corps. “May your gift be sailing through the end,” he sings. “Calm seas and fair winds keep her steady as she goes.”
“Arrowhead and Porcupine Claw” is a coming-of-age tale featuring a young Native American acquaintance trying to find his place in the world, and the narrator’s efforts to help him along. Fittingly, one of Hawthorne’s own mentors, singer-songwriter Ray Bonneville, contributes of harmonica to the track.
“Broken Good” is about as happy as this collection gets. It’s a lively shuffle and a celebration of imperfection, describing a couple who make music together and don’t care that it “don’t get much farther than the neighborhood.” Hawthorne closes with a fine rendition of Richard Dobson’s “I Will Fight No More Forever,” based on the story of Chief Joseph, leader of the Nez Perce tribe of the Inland Northwest.
Producers Walt Wilkins and Ron Flynt do a fine job of letting Hawthorne’s songs speak for themselves. Contrast is used to good effect – Hawthorne shifts easily between full volume and a voice barely more than a whisper, between fast shuffle beats and slower tempos. The small but capable cast of musicians yields a sound that’s clean and textured, but not cluttered. Both producers also play, mostly guitars; other notables include Libby Koch on vocals, Ray Rodriguez on percussion, and Geoff Queen on pedal steel and dobro.
Brooks and Dunn, Ray Stevens and Jerry Bradley enter Country Music Hall of Fame
By Ken Paulson – Nashville’s a town full of awards shows where artists are honored and their songs are showcased. But the annual Country Music Hall of Fame Medallion Ceremony is no awards show. It’s history.
Tonight, Brooks and Dunn, Ray Stevens and Jerry Bradley were inducted into the Hall of Fame in an evening filled with solemnity and joy, touching tributes and surprising guest performances from Country and Americana artists.
Brooks and Dunn went from an arranged marriage – Arista executive Tim DuBois teamed them up on a hunch – to becoming the most successful duo in country music history, recording 41 Top 10 hits.
Success came quickly, Brooks said.
“It was just weird” that the two could be teamed up and write their first two number one hits in their first week together, Brooks said.
Luke Bryan, talked about personal gestures from each of the men, and then unleashed an inspired “Red Dirt Road.” The Brothers Osborne performed “Brand New Man” and then Trisha Yearwood performed a stirring rendition of “Believe.”
Ray Stevens didn’t have extraordinary chart success in country – just three top 10 singles in the genre – but he has been at the heart of Music City for decades as a recording artist, songwriter, session player on classic records, producer, arranger, label head and entrepreneur.
Covering Ray Stevens’ comedy hits is daunting. but Keith Bilbrey and James Gregory made a valiant effort on “The Streak,” while Rickey Skaggs nailed Stevens’ 1975 bluegrass arrangement of “Misty.”
The best piece of trivia of the evening came after County Music Hall of Fame staff discovered that three of the McCrary sisters had been among the children singing on Stevens’ biggest hit “Everything is Beautiful.” A considerably taller group of McCrarys reprised their role with a stirring gospel rendition in Stevens’ honor.
Jerry Bradley had a bit of a head start in the music business. His father was legendary producer Owen Bradley and his uncle was the respected musician Harold Bradley, both of whom are already in the Hall.
With Jerry’s induction, it’s time for a wing. In his years running RCA Records, Bradley signed and launched the Hall of Fame careers of Alabama and Ronnie Milsap, and oversaw very successful recordings by Dolly Parton and Charlie Pride.
Bradley also found a way to repackage and market songs by Waylon Jennings, Jesi Colter, Willie Nelson and Tompall Glaser as “Outlaw Music,” paving the way for a movement.
He was honored by Marty Stuart and Travis Tritt with their take on “Good Hearted Woman,” Old Crow Medicine Show (with Molly Tuttle and Jerry Pendergrast) performing “Dixieland Delight” and a show-stopping Yola covering Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”
New: The Mike Duke Project
It’s the rare album cover that makes you laugh out loud, but that was our immediate reaction to Mike Duke’s “new” album …took a while. On the front is a young bearded man singing his heart out. On the back is a photo of the current-day Duke, all 71 years of him.
This engaging project from the Little Village Foundation features demos and a handful of more recent tracks from Duke, who wrote a number of hits for Huey Lewis and the News, but never had an album release of his own.
Here’s Mike Duke, before and after:
Show 38 : Felice and Boudleaux Bryant honored at the Country Music Hall of Fame
By Ken Paulson –
There’s a remarkable new exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville celebrating two of the most successful songwriters in the history of country music – or any genre for that matter – Felice and Boudleaux Bryant.
We Could: The Songwriting Artistry of Boudleaux and Felice Bryant chronicles the writing of such indisputable classics as ” All I Have to Do Is Dream,” “Devoted to You,” “Rocky Top,” “Love Hurts” and “Wake Up Little Susie.” The Everly Brothers alone recorded 29 of their songs.
The exhibit tells the couple’s story through a wide range of artifacts, but most impressive are the bound ledgers containing their hand-written songs. They’re a compelling reminder of how painstaking the process of writing truly great songs is.
In this edition of the Americana One podcast, we’re privileged to hear from Del Bryant, a longtime music industry executive and one of the Bryant’s two sons, and Dr. John Rumble, senior historian at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
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Review: Marty Stuart, John Prine and “Songs That Tell A Story”
By Ken Paulson –
Throughout his performance last night at the Country Music Hall of Fame, Marty Stuart emphasized the unique nature of the concert, saying “This is never going to happen again.”
That’s true of course, because this was the final evening of Stuart’s Artist-in-Residence series, but it would be a shame if the Country Music Hall of Fame doesn’t find a way to create a new role for him, something along the lines of Ringmaster in Chief.
Stuart brought three rings of entertainment and insight to the Hall of Fame over the past three weeks, showcasing everyone from Chris Stapleton and Emmylou Harris to go-go dancers.
He and the Hall staff masterfully put together three distinct evenings and then populated them with extraordinarily talented people.
Last night was no exception. The theme was “Songs That Tell A Story” and Stuart’s guests included John Prine, songwriter Dallas Frazier, Brandy Clark and Doug Kershaw.
Among the highlights:
Stuart’s first guest was Dale Jett, the grandson of A.P. and Sara Carter of the Carter Family. Jett’s back-to-basics performance was a revelation, particularly welcome in a week in which America is caught up in the history of Country Music via Ken Burns’ documentary. Jett did one of his own songs about compassion, pulled out a rarely heard A.P. Carter song about a cyclone killing children at a local school and then joined Stuart for a robust “Sunny Side of Life.”
Stuart and the Superlatives performed a breathtaking rendition of Marty Robbin’s “El Paso,” a song the band worked up for Grady Martin’s (he played guitar on the record) induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Great harmonies and guitar work throughout.
- Legendary songwriter Dallas Frazier delivered his classic “There Goes My Everything” in fine voice. He explained that the song was inspired by Ferlin Husky’s divorce. Husky had the publishing rights on the song, so his pain was eased a bit when it became a hit, Frazier noted.
- In a night filled with music veterans, Brandy Clark was the newcomer and more than held her own. She told of seeing John Prine at the Americana Music Honors event at the Ryman a few years back, and how after he received an extended ovation, Prine said he wished he was “who you thought I was.” That led to Brandy’s song of the same name and a soaring, resonant performance.
- Prine received another warm welcome last night, with many audience members aware of this recent medical setback and grateful for his return to the stage. After his opening song “Egg and Daughter Night,” the always gracious Stuart complimented Prine’s guitar-playing. Prine, not known for his guitar work, seemed taken aback and said “I’ll show you if you have five seconds.”
Review: Marty Stuart’s “Psychedelic Jam-Bo-Ree” takes a musical trip to the ’60s
By Ken Paulson –
You know you’re in for a particularly spirited evening at the Country Music Hall of Fame when Marty Stuart and the Fabulous Superlatives tackle the Surfaris’ classic “Wipeout” and drummer Harry Stinson plays a solo on his face.
That was just one example of a night full of surprising and highly entertaining performances on the second night of Stuart’s three-week run as artist-in-residence at the Hall of Fame in Nashville.
There’s nothing conventional about Marty Stuart and this series reaffirms that. On this particular night, he declared it to be a “Psychedelic Jam-Bo-Ree”, essentially crafting a lava lamp of country music: free flowing, mesmerizing and colorful throughout.
How did one qualify to appear on this stage? Stuart explained that every guest had to meet three criteria. They would have to come from the ‘60s, wear rhinestones and have a personal relationship with Jesus. That led to some pretty exclusive company, including the Old Crow Medicine Show, Connie Smith, Buck Trent, Jim Lauderdale and two members of the Byrds.
Stuart, who is on every PBS station in America this week as a particularly thoughtful commentator on Ken Burns’ Country Music documentary, skillfully curated his own show, bringing the audience back to the look, sounds and vibe of the ‘60s.
Highlight included Stuart’s performance of “Six White Horses, a top five country hit for Tommy Cash in 1969. Written by Larry Murray, the song mourns the passing of John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy.
Early on, Stuart recalled how much he treasured watching Porter Wagner’s TV show in the ‘60s with his father. He then introduced former Wagon Master Trent, who performed with great joy, and showcasing both jokes and suit coat lining from the ‘60s.
And what would the 60s have been without drugs? (Probably the ‘50s) Charlie Worsham’s performance with Old Crow Medicine Show of his “I Hope I’m Stoned When Jesus Calls Me Home” was particularly apt.
The evening came to a stirring close with Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman joining the Superlatives for a mini-set of Byrds classics, including Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man, Pete Seeger’s “Turn Turn Turn,” Gene Clark’s “I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better” and Chris Hillman’s “Have You Seen Her Face,” which he told the audience was inspired by a blind date that David Crosby had set up for him.
It’s the third time we’ve seen the Byrds-Superlatives connection in the past year, including Marty Stuart’s Late Night Jam and the Ryman performance on the “Sweethearts of the Radio” tour, but no complaints. In truth, the Superlatives are a better band than the Byrds ever were and every performance was transcendent.
Marty Stuart’s third and final performance of his residency, comes next Wednesday, September 25th, with special guests John Prine, Brandy Clark, Dallas Frazier, and Doug Kershaw. Tickets are still available from the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Review: Amy Speace’s “Me and the Ghost of Charlemagne”
By Paul T. Mueller –
Amy Speace is a keen observer of humanity, and of all the good and bad humans are capable of. She’s also a gifted songwriter and performer, able to translate her observations into beautiful and moving songs. Speace’s latest collection is titled Me and the Ghost of Charlemagne, and it’s full of the excellent writing and singing we’ve come to expect from this New Yorker turned Nashvillian.
The title track is a description of the traveling musician’s life, drawn from Speace’s experiences and using the aftermath of a show in Aachen, Germany – said to have been the birthplace of the medieval German emperor – as a jumping-off point. Amid the architectural remnants of centuries of European history, Speace reflects on her hopes for her own legacy. “We all want to leave behind/A thing that says that we were here before we die,” she sings.
Speace moves into more uncomfortable territory in “Ginger Ale and Lorna Doones,” an account of a woman’s experience at the kind of medical clinic that draws protesters and worse. For all its social and political implications, the decision this unnamed character has made is a difficult and lonely one, softened only by small gestures along the way. “Closest thing to kindness/Who would ever think of this,” Speace sings about the products in the song’s title. “Little bit of sweet and fizz/Filling up the emptiness.” The song’s emotional impact is the more devastating for its understated nature.
“Icicle King” is another disturbing trip to the dark side, a first-person account of a child’s escape from domestic violence through fantasy. That’s sad enough, but toward the end the words hint at a more ominous possibility: “I sailed from the port of Ohio one night in December/Snuck out of the back from the door leading west to the creek.”
Speace is happy to acknowledge good in the world as well. “Grace of God” is a gospel-flavored ode to redemption, and “Both Feet on the Ground” is a declaration of commitment that can be heard as a lullaby to her young son or as a hymn. The album closes with her rendition of Ben Glover’s “Kindness,” a musical benediction whose verses end with “May you know kindness and may kindness know you.”
The rest of the album’s 11 tracks are of similar high quality, fueled by her powerful and expressive voice (she was a theatrical actor before her musical career) and her capable playing on guitar and piano. Speace’s fine supporting cast includes guitarists Will Kimbrough and Kris Donegan, bassist Dean Marold, violinist Eamon McLaughlin and drummer Neilson Hubbard, who also produced the album.
Show 37 Jason Ringenberg Stands Tall
Jason Ringenberg is spending his September touring Europe with Dan Baird and the Kentucky Headhunters (now that’s a show), but we caught up with him recently at the 895 Fest.
Jason Ringenberg © Gregg Roth.
His latest album Stand Tall is outstanding and we have a special fondness for “God Bless the Ramones.” Jason’s still a punk after all these years. Here’s our conversation with the Scorchers frontman.
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Americana’s “first couples:” Buddy and Julie Miller, Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis
By Paul T. Mueller
“First Couple of Americana Music” may be a fictitious title, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some real contenders out there. Two such duos, Buddy and Julie Miller and Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison, stake convincing claims on recently released albums – Breakdown on 20th Ave. South and Beautiful Lie, respectively.
Of the two, the Millers’ Breakdown – their first joint effort in 10 years – is the more personal. All 11 songs were written by Julie Miller (her nephew Alasdair MacKenzie gets a co-writer credit on one). The lyrics reflect Miller’s poetic leanings as she explores love in its various forms. Some are cryptic – “Feast of the Dead” begins with “Send the drummers down every street/The hurdy gurdy drones loud and sweet.” Others are brutally direct and confessional. “I run my fingers up and down the edge/Of my time out on the ledge,” Julie sings on the title track. After “Thoughts at 2 AM,” a heartfelt declaration of religious faith, the album closes with “Storm of Kisses,” a tribute to Julie Miller’s brother; the title is one MacKenzie came up with, at age 4, for a song he had yet to write.
The words on Breakdown may be Julie’s, but Buddy Miller helps bring them to life with fine vocals and guitar work throughout; songs such as “Till the Stardust Comes Apart” and “Spittin’ on Fire” come closer to the country sound he’s known for. The Millers did most of the playing themselves; other contributors include drummers Marco Giovino, Brady Blade and Steve Hindalong and bassist Rick Plant.
Robison and Willis are both fine writers, but, as with their previous collaborations, much of Beautiful Lie consists of songs written by others. But the two always manage to put their own stamp on whatever they record; they’re aided this time by Robison’s skillful production. The focus here is romance (“If I Had a Rose”), and, more often, the end of romance (“Nobody’s Perfect,” “One Dime at a Time,” “Lost My Best” and the title track, among others). All are performed with a distinctive sound that walks the line between traditional country and Americana.
A couple of outliers deal with other subjects. “Astrodome,” by Robison and Jack Ingram, finds the narrator sitting in a derelict landmark, wondering where the years went. “Can’t Tell Nobody Nothin’ ” is a funny take on the futility of good advice, written by Adam Wright and Shannon Wright. The album’s excellent supporting cast includes guitarist Scott Davis, bassist John Michael Schoepf, drummer Joshua Blue, keyboardist Trevor Nealon, and the indispensable Geoff Queen on electric guitar and pedal steel.
Concert review: Alejandro Escovedo at the Mucky Duck
By Paul T. Mueller –
If this was really goodbye for Alejandro Escovedo, it was a nice way to go.
The singer-songwriter seemed to be in the mood for introspection and retrospection as he took the stage at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck in Houston on Friday, July 19. He referred to his having recorded 15 albums (Wikipedia counts 16) and said he’s reaching the end of his touring days, calling his current run his “last tour.”
He spent the next hour and 40 minutes playing songs drawn from much of his long career, beginning with several from his most recent album, The Crossing, and continuing with selections from earlier days. The show had been billed as a solo gig, but Escovedo was joined by Jackson Butt, a percussionist and former Escovedo tour manager who on this night provided sparse but effective accompaniment, mostly on an Arabic tambourine known as a riq.
Escovedo punctuated the 16-song set with stories from his colorful career, which began more than four decades ago with punk and hard rock outfits including the Nuns, Rank and File and the True Believers. He referred to his near-fatal bout with liver disease in the early 2000s, offering thanks to the many who supported him in his recovery and providing an intense rendition of “Arizona,” an account of the aftermath of that episode. Next came the story of how he moved to Austin in 1980 and was befriended by an older neighbor who’d been a touring musician and had many stories of his own. He followed with a tribute to that friend, the moving “Five Hearts Breaking.” He also found time to mention the rich musical tradition of his family, including his brothers Pete and Coke Escovedo and niece Sheila E, among many others.
Escovedo and Butt left the stage mid-set and moved into the audience for two songs, “Rosalie,” a sweet love story about a young couple separated by the U.S.-Mexico border, and “I Wish I Was Your Mother,” a quietly powerful song by ‘70s English rockers Mott the Hoople, in honor of Escovedo’s longtime musical hero, Mott frontman Ian Hunter.
Other highlights included a lively version of crowd favorite “Castanets” and hard-edged takes on “Fire and Fury,” a response to the policies of the current administration, and “Sally Was a Cop,” an indictment of militaristic violence. The show ended on a gentler note with “Always a Friend” from the breakthrough 2008 album Real Animal.
It’s probably fair to call Alejandro Escovedo one of the best-loved performers in American roots music. He’ll be missed when he does leave the road for good. After the show, at least one audience member asked him to come back, and Escovedo said he would. We can hope.
Review: Rich Hopkins and Luminarios’ “Back to the Garden”
By Paul T. Mueller –
Guitar fans could be forgiven for neglecting the lyrics on Back to the Garden, the new CD by Rich Hopkins and Luminarios. Such is the quality of the playing, both electric and acoustic. But the words are worth listening to as well. The two singer-songwriters at the heart of this band, Hopkins and his wife, Lisa Novak, have things to say, and they’re good at saying them.
Garden is an appealing if slightly uneven mix of guitar pop and country, fueled by the “desert rock” approach of Arizonan Hopkins and the country-folk sensibilities of Texan Novak. Most of the 11 tracks feature the excellent electric tones of Hopkins and guitarist/singer Damon Barnaby, backed by Novak’s acoustic playing. Hopkins and Novak share most of the vocals, whether alternating as duet partners or harmonizing beautifully – the latter evoking the sound of the Byrds and the Beatles.
An optimistic tone underlies much of the album. “All are welcome in this garden,” Novak sings in “The Garden.” “All that matters here is who you love.” Given that the album’s title can be found in Joni Mitchell’s classic “Woodstock,” it’s a sweet message that seems fitting as the 50th anniversary of that iconic event approaches.
It’s not all rainbows and unicorns. “Before” addresses current conditions, if obliquely. “Did you see the darkness, feel it in the air?” Novak asks, backed by ringing guitars. “Don’t turn a blind eye, ignoring that it’s there.” Other highlights include “On and On,” a tribute to the craft of songwriting and playing; “Always a Way,” about making relationships function (the next four words are “to work it out”), and “Keep on Shinin’,” a country-flavored Novak composition about resilience after heartbreak.
Less successful are a couple of rants – “Get Off the Telephone,” lamenting the way technology takes over lives, and “Pissed,” which takes issue with slobs who can’t be bothered to pick up their trash.
Fun fact: The album’s opening track, “Acoma Mary,” features lead guitar by Steve Hunter – who, among many other accomplishments, was responsible (along with Dick Wagner) for the long and lovely intro to “Sweet Jane” on Lou Reed’s Rock n Roll Animal album from 1974. Numerous other talented players contributed, and production, by Hopkins and Novak, is clean and bright.
Show #38 Mandy Barnett and her “Strange Conversation”
We recently enjoyed a not-so-strange chat with the engaging Mandy Barnett about her new album Strange Conversation. The setting was WMOT’s 895 Fest on the fields of the Hop Spring Beer Park, a distinctly different venue than her upcoming “Nashville Songbook” concert at Feinstein’s/54 Below on Broadway on August 13.
But that’s no surprise. Mandy Barnett’s career has always been about versatility, balancing the classics and the contemporary, as you’ll hear in this week’s podcast:
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At last: Buddy and Julie Miller return with memorable show
By Paul T. Mueller
Beloved singer-songwriter Julie Miller made a rare concert appearance in Nashville on June 26, and it’s hard to say who enjoyed it more, Miller or her adoring fans. A sellout crowd at City Winery greeted the artist and her husband, Americana superstar Buddy Miller, with a lengthy standing ovation before they sang or played a note. The enthusiasm continued throughout the performance, leaving both Millers clearly moved and delighted.
Fans not in attendance might be out of luck. “This is the beginning and the end of our world tour,” Buddy Miller announced two songs into the 45-minute set, which included five songs from the couple’s recently released CD, Breakdown on 20th Avenue South. Julie Miller has not performed much in public in recent years, and her husband’s concert schedule is much lighter than it once was. No other performances are scheduled for the duo.
On the first song, “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me,” Julie’s vocals seemed a bit hesitant. But the song was met with thunderous applause, and after repeating “Thank you so much!” several times, she seemed to gain strength and confidence, her high-pitched voice harmonizing sweetly with Buddy’s gruffer delivery.
Highlights included the mystical “Feast of the Dead,” featuring multi-instrumentalist Colin Linden on the Millers’ antique hurdy-gurdy, and a lovely cover of Richard Thompson’s “Keep Your Distance,” with Buddy playing a small guitar he had once given to Julie. “It looks like you got it at the airport,” she told him with a laugh. An intense rendition of “All My Tears” came near the end, leaving some audience members, not coincidentally, in tears. Another standing ovation followed at set’s end. After a short break, the band returned for a one-song encore, “Hole in My Head,” which Buddy described as “one of our sillier songs,”
The show was preceded by well-received sets from fellow Americana icon Jim Lauderdale, whose CD From Another World was released the same day as Breakdown, and young singer-songwriter and fiddler Lillie Mae. In between, Linden – former musical director on the TV series Nashville – performed one song on his own, using a more familiar instrument, a resonator guitar. The show was recorded for the SiriusXM satellite radio program “Buddy and Jim,” hosted by Buddy Miller and Lauderdale.