By Joe Ross – Michael Johnathon’s signature “folkestral” music is a pleasing blend of nicely-arranged, mostly original songs that incorporate his guitar and banjo along with occasional orchestral strings into pretty little ditties with downhome messages. Besides a Kentucky homeplace, he now owns a cozy little log cabin deep in the woods, and Front Porch is about his “search for…
Category: Reviews
Ricky Skaggs interview: Staying true to faith and music
By Terry Roland – Ricky Skaggs has made several critical transitions in both his musical and spiritual lives. Although few can argue with his success, there have been some detours and U-turns along the way. This is one of the many things that make Ricky Skaggs such a compelling and enduring figure in American music. As a carrier of the…
Jody Miller on Epic: Remembering the “Queen of the House”
“Answer” songs rarely launch careers. These records — far more common in the ’60s than today — “answered” hit records of the day, responding to a current hit in theme and sound in hopes of riding the coattails of an established record. Most of these novelty songs vanished quickly, but there were rare exceptions. Kitty Wells’ “It Wasn’t God Who…
Chuck Mead goes “Back to the Quonset Hut”
One of the coolest sites in Nashville is rarely seen by the public. The legendary Quonset Hut was once the most prominent studio on Music Row, the home of such recordings as “King of the Road,” “Crazy” and “I Fall to Pieces.” In the ‘80s, it was converted into office space, a disturbing fate for what was once a magical…
Kenny Vaughan on “V”
Kenny Vaughan, guitarist for Marty Stuart’s Fabulous Superlatives, had a nice run on the Americana music radio chart with V, his solo debut. He says Stuart encouraged him to record the album so he would have something to sell at shows. In this interview backstage at the very noisy Mercy Lounge in Nashville, Vaughan talks about how he put the…
New holiday albums you haven’t heard
It’s just five days until Christmas, but thanks to digital delivery, there’s still time to buy a fresh batch of holiday music. Among recent releases of note: – David Mead and Bill DeMain (of Swan Dive) have teamed up on Instant December, a five-song EP that is melodic, endearing and a little twisted. From the subtle sadness of “Christmas Eve…
Review: The Great Unknowns’ “Homefront”
Sometimes you back into the meaning of an album. I first heard the D.C.-based “Great Unknowns’ Home Front after meeting Altay Guvench, bass player for the the band, at the Americana Music Festival. He gave me an early promotional copy, which meant no liner notes, lyrics or press release. And so I listened. I heard a solid band, a tasteful blend of…
Dobie Gray: An appreciation
Obituaries reporting the death of Dobie Gray this week focused on his big hit “Drift Away” and his ’60s breakthrough “The In Crowd.” The casual observer might be left with the impression that Gray was a one-hit wonder in two successive decades. The truth is that Dobie Gray was something of a pioneer, an African-American coming to Nashville and working…
Suzy Bogguss interview: Revisiting classic songs
Suzy Bogguss is appearing this afternoon at the Country Music Hall of Fame, performing Christmas music, songs she recorded with Chet Atkins and presumably material from her latest album, American Folk Songbook. Songbook is an ambitious collection of traditional songs that have resonated with several generations. Boggus keeps it simple, singing warmly and with obvious affection for songs like “Shenandoah,”…
Jim Lauderdale interview: Robert Hunter, Americana
Jim Lauderdale joined Suzy Bogguss, Will Kimbrough and Eric Brace in an in-the-round show at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville last night. It was as engaging and entertaining an evening as that line-up suggests. Lauderdale has been Americana music’s best friend, hosting the annual awards show at the Ryman auditorium, while also releasing some of the genre’s best music. His…
Concert review: Glen Campbell at the Ryman in Nashville
It was a sad and exhilarating evening at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville tonight. It’s wasn’t sad because Glen Campbell is suffering from Alzheimer’s or that his performance was part of his “Goodbye Tour.” He’s 75 and ailments strike us all. It was sad because this is the last tour of one of America’s great pop singers, interpreters and guitarists,…
The Moody Blues and Nashville
Tickets for the Moody Blues’ March 21 date at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville go on sale this Friday, Dec. 2. The band that got its start with the 1964 hit “Go Now” still has three long-time members, Graeme Edge, John Lodge and Justin Hayward, and puts on a good live show that spans more than four decades of music…
Review: John Prine’s ‘The Singing Mailman Delivers’
Musical prequels rarely work. Older material – released after an artist has become a big name –almost always disappoints. After all, there’s usually a reason why the hits came later. Some albums – like the Beatles’ Hamburg tapes and Decca Sessions – have historical value. Most just stink. That’s why John Prine’s The Singing Mailman Delivers is such a pleasant…
Savannah Music Festival announces 2012 line-up
The Savannah Music Festival has been set set March 22-April 7, and will feature more than 100 performances spanning Americana music, jazz, world and classical music, according to Savannahnow.com. Among the notable Americana acts attending: -The Preservation Hall Jazz Band with the Del McCoury Band – Daniel Lanois, Buddy Miller, Brian Blade and The Zion Baptist Mass Choir – Bela…
Lisa Oliver-Gray’s solo debut: Dedicated to Love
Tommy Womack wrote an enthusiastic ode to Lisa Oliver-Gray and her first solo album Dedicated to Love on Sun209.com earlier this month. He didn’t oversell it. You can tell this was a liberating project for all involved. Lisa steps up front with a fresh and powerful voice and her DADDY bandmates and co-writers deliver songs that are largely buoyant and…
Concert review: Joe Ely at the Mint in Los Angeles
By Terry Roland -It’s been a long four-year stretch without a solo Joe Ely show in Los Angeles. Our drought ended November 17th as he and supporting instrumentalist, Jeff Plankenhorn, made a rare appearance at L.A.’s famous club, The Mint. The capacity crowd was treated to a 90 minutes-plus show, which included a rich set of songs, old and new.…
Review: Kentucky Headhunters’ “Dixie Lullabies”
By Ken Paulson – A sense of humor has always set the Kentucky Headhunters apart from other Southern rock bands. While others swaggered, the Headhunters did what they pleased, including covers of “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” and “Spirit in the Sky.” The Kentucky Headhunters are back with Dixie Lullabies (Red Dirt Music), a new album that’s as loose, derivative…
Review: This One’s For Him, A Tribute to Guy Clark
by Terry Roland – Released on November 8, two days after veteran Texas songwriter Guy Clark’s 70th birthday, This One’s For Him: A Tribute To Guy Clark, succeeds beyond expectations as a tribute to a much- loved songwriter and a well-produced album of finely crafted country-folk music. It may be the mark of a great songwriter that a diverse group…
Great Lost Bands: Heads, Hands and Feet
By Bill Lloyd – During the late ’60s and early ’70s, the idea of a rock group being musically stronger than individual parts still felt like a happening trend. Not every lead singer or star guitarist had gone solo… yet. Even the dissolving Beatles made great music in between arguments. Some groups, however, never hit their commercial stride before the…
Reviews: Chris Altmann, Mary Johnson Rockers, Jill Jack
Over four days at the Americana Music Festival, review copies of albums can be as ubiquitous as business cards. A sampling of some of the most intriguing artists we came across: Australian artists were well-represented at the Americana Music Festival. Chris Pickering’s “Work of Fiction,” produced by Don Nix, was a dazzling collection of jangly pop and his fellow countryman…