Tag: bonnie Raitt

Richard Thompson, Booker T. Jones to be honored at Americana music festival

 in Americana Music, Reviews

Richard Thompson on Cayamo earlier this year.

Americana Music News –Richard Thompson and Booker T. Jones will be honored with lifetime achievement awards from the Americana Music Association at its 11th Annual Honors and Awards ceremony on Sept. 12 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, the organization announced.

Jones and Thompson will be honored in the instrumentalist and songwriting categories, respectively, and will join Bonnie Raitt, previously named as honoree in the performance category.

“Booker and Richard’s artistry and influence are part of the rich tapestry of Americana,” said Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association, in a press statement. “We are thrilled they are coming to AmericanaFest; their contributions exemplify the broad reach of our community, from the common ground of folk rock to R&B born in Memphis.”

The awards event will be on opening night of the Americana Music Festival and Conference, which runs from Sept. 12 through Sept. 15.

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Review: Marc Cohn in concert at the Ryman

 in Americana Music

We’ve seen Marc Cohn in concert a few times, but he’s never been better than last night at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

Actually it was a bit of a surprise that he was there at all. The night before, he had cancelled a show in nearby Franklin, TN.

Cohn apologized to anyone who had tickets to that show, and said that nothing gets you back on your feet more quickly than opening for Bonnie Raitt at the Ryman.

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” he said.

His set was brief, but compelling. He said he set out one day years ago to explore new places as a cure for writer’s block and found his way to Memphis. That in turn inspired his biggest hit, “Walking in Memphis.”

Cohn laughed and said if he had dropped by Music City first, it could just as easily been “Walking in Nashville,” with Music Row supplanting Beale Street.

The evening’s highlight was “Listening to Levon,” his tribute to the late Levon Helm, which he recorded in 2007 on Join the Parade.

The only disappointment was that Cohn didn’t play anything from his outstanding 2010 album Listening Booth: 1970, a collection of covers from that year. Still, it’s hard to complain when Cohn packed so much great material in a 30-minute set, and closed with “Silver Thunderbird,” a song that should have been every bit as big as “Memphis.”

Review: Bonnie Raitt in concert at Nashville’s Ryman

 in Reviews

By Ken Paulson

–Bonnie Raitt’s show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville last night was as loose as they come and every bit as entertaining.

Whether explaining that she hadn’t found time to do a set list, calling former band member Rick Vito to the stage or saluting Nashville’s songwriters, Raitt was casual, comfortable and in command.

She drew heavily from Slipstream, her excellent new album. Songs like “Marriage Made in Hollywood, “Split Decision” and “Down to You” stood up alongside her classics.

A surprise cover on the album and in concert is “Right Down the Line,” the 1978 Gerry Rafferty hit. Stripped of its ‘70s production sheen and infused with reggae, it was a bluesy highlight.

Raitt saluted John Prine and his manager Al Bunetta, and recalled her mom and grandmother in a touching introduction to Prine’s heart-rending “Angel from Montgomery.”

This was a generous set running more than two hours with an extraordinary encore.

Praising songwriters Allen Shamblin and Mike Reid, Raitt delivered their “I Can’t Make You Love Me” in stark and powerful fashion, followed by “Have a Heart.” She closed out the evening sharing vocals with Vito on a raucous version of the 1959 Elvis Presley hit “A Big Hunk O’ Love.”

Raitt – and her music – have aged beautifully.

New to chart: Yarn, Bonnie Raitt, JD McPherson

 in Americana Music, Reviews

Lyle Lovett is on top of the Americana Music Radio airplay charts again this week, and is actually picking up momentum, with a total of 486 spins of tracks from Release Me.

New on the chart this week: Yarn’s Almost Home at #34, JD McPherson’s Signs and Signifiers at #38, Bonnie Raitt’s Slipstream at #39 and Sirens by Sons of Bill at #40.

Most added albums: Trampled By Turtles’ Stars and Satellites, JD McPherson’s album and the Steep Canyon Rangers’ Nobody Knows You, reviewed here.