Tag: Kevin Welch

Review: Kevin Welch’s “Dust Devil”

By Paul T. Mueller

Kevin WelchKevin Welch saves the best for last on his latest effort, Dust Devil. The closing track, which shares its title with the 10-song CD, is a masterpiece of subtle wordcraft. It is at once the first-person narrative of an atmospheric event (dust devils are mini-tornadoes often seen in Oklahoma, where Welch grew up) and a very human description of a restless and reckless life. ”I was a panhandle dancer, never knew where I belonged,” Welch sings in a voice that’s aged like good whiskey. “I’d show up in the summer, come the wintertime I’d be gone.” He sums it up at the end: “All I ever wanted was to settle on some hallowed ground. I’m an old dust devil, waitin’ on the wind to die down.” The wistful words are backed by restrained but beautiful instrumentation that includes guitar, banjo and French horn.

There’s plenty to like about the rest of the album as well. Opener “Blue Lonesome” features Old Testament imagery and a jazzy vibe; “Just Because It Was a Dream,” “The Girl in the Seashell,” “Dandelion Girl” and “True Morning” all look at lost love, from various angles; the narrator of “A Flower” is a teenage girl dealing with more hardship than she deserves, with more grace than might be expected. “Brother John” is a heartfelt lament for an old friend who came home broken from an unnamed battlefield, while John Hadley’s “High Heeled Shoes,” one of two covers, is the richly detailed story of a mysterious lady seemingly caught between two worlds.

Welch did a fine job producing the album, and he had plenty to work with aside from his own contributions. The cast of first-call players includes Glenn Worf on bass, Harry Stinson on drums, Kenny Vaughan on electric guitar, Matt Rollings on piano and organ, and Fats Kaplin on a variety of stringed instruments, plus accordion. Welch’s son Dustin Welch provides banjo, resonator guitar and backing vocals; other singers include daughter Savannah Welch, Eliza Gilkyson and Beth Hooker.

It’s been more than a quarter of a century since Welch’s “next big thing” days in Nashville, as the face of what the marketers dubbed “Western Beat.” Dust Devil, scheduled for release Oct. 15, needs no such label. It’s an excellent example of skilled songwriting brought to life by sensitive performers. Highly recommended.

Review: Kevin and Dustin Welch in concert

 By Paul T. Mueller

Dustin and Kevin Welch

Singer-songwriters Kevin and Dustin Welch (father and son, respectively) bring somewhat different approaches to the Americana table. Kevin’s songs and performing style tend toward the traditional, while Dustin’s are often edgier. Performing together February 4 at Houston’s Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church, they complemented each other’s styles and reinforced each other’s energy, making for a highly enjoyable experience for the several dozen in attendance.

The Welches’ show, part of the church’s UniTunes Coffeehouse series, featured 17 songs, interspersed with commentary on how some of them came to be. Kevin Welch’s songs explored themes such as love, faith and doubt, usually in a straightforward way and accompanied by skillfully played acoustic guitar. Dustin’s songs were often less explicit; his father noted after one of his son’s songs that he had “no idea” what it was about. Mystery aside, Dustin sang with conviction, accompanying himself on acoustic and resonator guitars and banjo.

Some highlights:

  • Kevin’s “Millionaire,” an anthem to appreciating non-material blessings
  • “Marysville,” Kevin’s tribute to a small Australian town devastated by a wildfire in 2009
  • Dustin’s “Far Horizon,” an exploration of doubt and faith that featured a powerful, bluegrassy duet between Dustin’s banjo and Kevin’s guitar
  • Kevin’s “Heaven Now,” played by request but only after the singer had looked up his lyrics online
  • Dustin’s “Don’t Tell Em Nothin’,” a kind of post-crime tale that the singer dedicated to the criminal-defense attorneys in the audience
  • Kevin’s as-yet-unrecorded “The Flower,” told from the point of view of a teenage girl dealing with difficult circumstances and featuring some powerful slide guitar by Dustin on the resonator

Both Welches declared their gratitude for the audience’s attention (one fan drew laughs by mentioning that he’d skipped Taylor Swift’s pre-Super Bowl show in order to be there). They closed with Kevin’s “A Prayer Like Any Other,” a gentle request for divine oversight, co-written with Kieran Kane.

In concert: Welch Family Throwdown

By Paul T. Mueller

Three singer-songwriters named Welch playing the same show – what are the chances? Pretty good when it’s the Welch Family Throwdown, featuring Americana veteran Kevin Welch and his talented progeny, son Dustin and daughter Savannah (plus cellist Mark Williams). The inexplicably small audience notwithstanding, the evening at the Dosey Doe, just north of Houston, turned into a warm and intimate 90-minute set that included originals from all three Welches and a few well-chosen covers.

Welch Family Throwdown

Welch Family Throwdown

It was something of a holiday show – when putting together the set list, Kevin said, “We’re just looking for songs with the word ‘Christmas.’ ” Thus the opener, a sweet rendition of Joni Mitchell’s regret-laden “River,” featuring lead vocals by Savannah, a member of The Trishas. The theme continued later with Dustin’s take on Mark Germino’s “Lean on Jesus (Before He Leans on You),” set at a mission on Christmas Eve and featuring a nice solo by cellist Williams, whom Kevin had introduced as “the littlest Welch.” A few songs later came “Santa Had a Dream,” which began as an eighth-grade writing project of Savannah’s and reimagines the origin of the Santa Claus legend as a dream experienced by an exhausted, impoverished West Virginia coal miner, “way back before Christmas had been invented yet.”

Most songs featured fine harmonies along with strong lead vocals. The playing was excellent as well, with Dustin alternating between standard and resonator guitars and banjo, and Savannah playing guitar and mandolin as well as percussion. Kevin stuck with one well-worn acoustic guitar, picked and strummed, and Williams’ fine cello added atmosphere and texture to the arrangements.

Other highlights included Kevin’s gentle love song “Millionaire”; a lively rendition of “After the Music’s Gone,” with a capella harmonies to finish; “Gawd Above,” a song Dustin wrote with John Fullbright that’s become a staple of the latter’s sets; “Come a Rain,” Kevin’s whimsical reimagining of a long roster of historical figures, and “Dust Devil,” a new song by Kevin that he said was inspired in part by an atmospheric event that damaged his car.

The show closed with a beautiful rendition of William Bell’s soulful “Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday.” The song featured solos by Williams on cello and Dustin on resonator; its optimistic tone, underlain by melancholy, seemed perfectly suited to the season.

Review: The Trishas’ “High Wide & Handsome”

By Ken Paulson

–The Trishas’new album is called High, Wide & Handsome, but could easily have been sub-titled (And deep in talent.)

That applies to the young women comprising the quarter – Savannah Welch, Liz Foster, Kelley Mickwee and Jamie Wilson – as well as a remarkable array of talented collaborators.

The Trishas boast tight harmonies and a fresh sound, abetted by a band that includes Harry Stinson and Kenny Vaughan from Marty Stuart’s Fabulous Superlatives, Tammy Rogers, Viktor Krauss and Russ Pahl.

The album has 14 songs and doesn’t repeat a single songwriting combination. That means co-writes with Susannah’s dad Kevin Welch, Natalie Hemby, John Eddie, Stephen Simmons, Owen Temple, Evan Felker, Jason Eady and more. Purchasers of the CD also get a download of “A Far Cry From You,” a song written with Jim Lauderdale that features a guest vocal by Raul Malo. This is not the stuff of most band album debuts.

There are inevitable comparisons to the Dixie Chicks, but you’ll find more more roots and bluegrass in the Trishas’ sound. Highlights include “Mother of Invention, “Strangers” and “Over Forgiving You.”

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Guy Clark’s 70th birthday: A concert and album

Some of the biggest names in roots, folk and Americana music will be on hand to celebrate Guy Clark’s musical legacy on Nov. 2 in Austin.
“Wish I Was In Austin: A 70th Birthday Tribute to Guy Clark,” which benefits the Center for Texas Music History, will feature performances by Shawn Colvin, Rodney Crowell, Joe Ely, Rosie Flores, Radney Foster, Terri Hendrix, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Jack Ingram, James McMurtry, The Trishas, Jerry Jeff Walker, Kevin Welch, Terry Allen and yes, Guy Clark.
The concert, scheduled for Nov. 2 at the Long Center, will also help promote an ambitious two-CD tribute album saluting Clark. “This One’s For Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark” will be released on November 8.