http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/ Each week our contributing writers from AmericanaRoots.com publish album reviews. en eric@americanaroots.com Copyright 2008 2008-11-19T14:55:56-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/hot_burritos_by_john_einarson_with_chris_hillman/ http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/hot_burritos_by_john_einarson_with_chris_hillman/#When:14:55:56Z The history of the influential Flying Burrito Brothers is here. The roots of the genre now referred to as Americana are varied and deep, but one band is often cited heavily in that long list of originators – The Flying Burrito Brothers. Or more specifically, one member is cited more often, that member being Gram Parsons. But the band never really was that successful (“We’re more popular now than we ever were in our time,” co-founder Chris Hillman says in the book), and never really had a consistent line-up. More myths about the band, and, again, specifically Gram Parsons, seem to spring up each year. This is one of the reasons Hillman felt it was time to set the record straight. The story of the Byrds and their contributions to what became country-rock have been told many times and in several books. Gram Parsons himself has been subject of a few books. But not until now has the story of the Flying Burrito Brothers as a band been told in full. Author John Einarson has authored twelve books, many of them associated with the California country-rock scene of the 1960s and ‘70s, including Desperados: The Roots Of Country-Rock and books on Buffalo Springfield, ex-Byrd Gene Clark, Neil Young and others. He is an acknowledged expert on country-rock and its origins and influence, but to tell the Burritos story he enlisted the help of co-founder Chris Hillman. While many people think strictly of Parsons when they think of the Burritos, Hillman was an equal partner in the forming of the group and in fact had a much deeper pedigree when it came to country and roots music. Born in 1944 in Los Angles, Hillman grew up listening to folk and rock ‘n’ roll until he came across records by The New Lost City Ramblers and Flatt & Scruggs. He quickly fell in love with the sound of the mandolin and began to study instrument. In 1962 he joined the regional bluegrass group The Scottsville Squirrel Barkers, based in San Diego. Around a year later the group began to break apart and Hillman was asked to join the Golden State Boys with Don Parmley on banjo and Rex and Vern Gosdin on bass and guitar, respectively. In late 1964 Hillman was invited to try out for a new group called the Jet Set and included Jim McGuinn, David Crosby, Michael Clarke and Gene Clark. After he joined the group they changed their name to the Byrds and their popularity soared with songs “Turn! Turn! Turn!” “Eight Miles High” and “Mr. Tambourine Man” and the band was labeled the American answer to the Beatles. After some member turnover, the group was stripped down to McGuinn (now called Roger, following a religious conversion) and Hillman in 1967 and they released the country-tinged The Notorious Byrd Brothers. Just after the albums’ release Hillman had a chance meeting with Gram Parsons. Months later Parsons showed up at an audition for Byrds band members and Hillman found he has met a musical kindred spirit. The group went on to record Sweetheart of the Rodeo, an album now considered a masterpiece, but was at the time the poorest selling Byrds album to have been released. During the recording and promoting of the album, Parsons ego and selfishness began to show through in little ways. After he had sung several tracks on the album, the record label was informed that Parsons was under contract to a small label owned by Lee Hazelwood, something Parsons failed to tell the group. As a result all of his vocals had to be taken from the album and hastily replaced. At an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry, a rare opportunity for a band still considered by most to be a rock band, Parsons changed the song they were to sing after Tompall Glaser had already announced the scheduled selection. Hillman notes in the book that this was very insulting to Glaser and very poor etiquette on Parsons’ part. But those flashes of self-involvement would pale in comparison to Parsons next stunt. After meeting and opening for the Rolling Stones, the group went to visit them in England before the Byrds were to tour South Africa. On the day they were to embark, Parsons decided he was not going, citing apartheid as the reason and claiming that he was opposed to it after growing up in the South. Hillman calls that argument “ridiculous” and claims, “He wanted to stay with the Rolling Stones.” And with that, Parsons was out of the Byrds. Einarson and Hillman take the reader through the good times and the bad leading up to the founding of the Burritos. Like the excellent researcher that he is, Einarson doesn’t rely simply on Hillman’s voice but interviews many other people, from label staff to band members to critics, to round out the story. The story continues as Hillman and Parsons cross paths again and slowly begin to get together to play music and write songs. It seems that all is forgiven, but maybe not completely forgotten. The duo begins to slowly assemble a band and is signed to a label. Even in this early stage, history has been tainted to tell that it was Parsons vision of melding country and rock that got them their break, but as Einarson tells us, Parson was at that time a virtual unknown and it was Hillmans name that opened the doors. The book reminds us that Hillman had been playing country and bluegrass for years before he met Parsons, who had only discovered country music in the past few years of his life. Perhaps it was because Parsons had the zeal of a new convert that he is remembered as being such a passionate catalyst. As the story unfolds, it is easy to see that Parsons was often times more interested in being the “rock star” than with being part of a group. After their first album, Gilded Palace of Sin, was released and didn’t meet with huge sales numbers, Parsons began to drift, losing interest in what they were doing. He began to drift away from his bandmates and further into drugs and alcohol. Hillman admits that he was no angel, (indeed the book doesn’t paint Hillman as a saint or hide any warts) only that he knew where to draw the line and was always able to maintain a level of professionalism, two things Parson couldn’t always do. During the recording of the second Burritos album, Burrito Deluxe, Parsons sank even further, eventually missing practices and recording sessions. The story goes that Parsons outgrew the band and left them behind to spread his wings and create his “Cosmic American Music.” But Hillman tells the story of a Parsons that was so wasted that he would sing a ballad after the band had started an up-tempo number. One night it came to a head and Hillman fired his partner. And with that, Parsons was out of the Burritos. From there Gram went on to a brief solo career and is credited with discovering Emmylou Harris, but Hillman recounts the real story of Rick Roberts and Kenny Wertz, both playing with the Burritos at that time, seeing Harris sing and bringing Hillman in to see her. Later Hillman told Parsons about her (they had made amends by then, but were not working together) because he knew Parsons was looking for a girl singer to join him. But the story of the Burritos doesn’t end with the departure of Parsons. Hillman soldiered on and with new ensembles released two more Burritos album, The Flying Burrito Brothers in 1971 and the live set Last Of The Red Hot Burritos in1972. Hillman then joined Stephen Stills in the country-rock forerunner Manassas. Hillman’s side of the story differs at many points with the popular myth that has become fact in many circles. Hillman says that is because certain people in those circles stand to make money off of the “Parsons as originator” story. Bernie Leadon, who played guitar in the second incarnation of the band and would go on to co-found The Eagles, puts it bluntly: “How can you compete with a dead guy? You just can’t. It’s a martyr thing.” But Hot Burritos isn’t a book slamming Parsons or looking to diminish the contributions he might have made to the music. Hillman and Einarson, give plenty of credit where it is due. What this book sets out to do, and does wonderfully, is give a balanced account of a band that stood at the forefront of a new movement in music. A movement that still has repercussions today be it in the Americana genre and even the mainstream country genre. Einarsons well-researched approach gives a fantastic overview of the music the band made and of the scene from which it came from and to which it eventually contributed. He was able to speak with nearly all of the principles involved with the obvious exception of Parsons. The book stands as a cornerstone in the written history of the country-rock movement and the eventual Americana genre. [To sign up to win a copy of Hot Burritos go to Music Tomes and sign up!] 2008-11-19T14:55:56-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/a_hundred_miles_of_more_live_from_the_tracking_room_alison_krauss/ http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/a_hundred_miles_of_more_live_from_the_tracking_room_alison_krauss/#When:13:52:56Z An intimate evening with Alison Krauss Throughout music history there are the rare artists that transcend the genre in which they got their start. In doing so, they often become thought of as an artist without a home or an innovator, depending on your point of view. One artist who has done just that is Alison Krauss. Starting out in the bluegrass festival circuit at a very young age, she soon joined the Missouri based Sally Mountain Show replacing Rhonda Vincent while Vincent pursued a solo career in country music. Krauss began to stand out amongst the crowd with both her fiddle work and her singing and at age 12 recorded her first album with her brothers band. She moved then to Union Station and began to blossom into an artist in her own right, recording her first album with the group for Rounder Records in 1987, at 14 years old.. As she became more of a prominent feature of Union Station, her material began to broaden and her cover of the Keith Whitely song “When You Say nothing At All,” reached No. 3 on the Billboard country charts and became the surprise hit of 1995. While keeping roots in the bluegrass genre, Krauss and Union Station began to explore a hybrid of bluegrass, country and Americana. At the same time, Krauss was becoming a sought after harmony vocalist and duet partner, making her mark on many songs including the No. 1 country song “Whiskey Lullaby” with Brad Paisley. Never one to pay much mind to genre borders, Krauss teamed up with Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant and producer T-Bone Burnett to record the Americana Music Association Album of the Year “Raising Sand.” “A Hundred Miles Or More: Live From The Tracking Room” is a DVD recorded to celebrate the release of last years Krauss greatest hits collection and was originally aired on the GAC network. The nine songs included on the DVD are recorded live in the studio with members of Union Station (Ron Block, Dan Tyminski Jerry Douglas and Barry Bales) and augmented by Abraham Laboriel, Greg Morrow, Gordon Mote, Stuart Duncan and others. Also joining Krauss in the studio is Tony Rice, who plays guitar on “Sawing On The Strings” and “Shadows,” Brad Paisley and James Taylor, with re-recordings of their songs “Whiskey Lullaby” and “How’s The World Treating You,’ respectively. Interspersed throughout are interviews with both Krauss and many of the musicians as they discuss the songs and the artistry of Krauss. For the fan of Krauss this will be a must-have DVD and companion to the CD collection. For more casual fans this offers an excellent look at performer and a chance to sample a range of her material. 2008-11-18T13:52:56-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/hal_ketchum_discusses_father_time/ http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/hal_ketchum_discusses_father_time/#When:22:03:03Z Hal Ketchum has been in the music business for quite some time. Since his first introduction, the business has changed considerably. The technology has grown to a point of eliminating the human elements in the music. With his latest record Father Time, Hal attempted to capture more of the live energy by recording to two track. This process requires some courage, and musical ability, to pull off. Fortunately, Hal has plenty of both, and the record shows how great pure musicianship can sound. I caught up with Hal while commuting via van through Montana, on his way to northern Idaho. Americana Roots: You just began your tour for your new record Father Time, how is that going thus far? Hal Ketchum: Going great. We are now on our way up to northern Idaho, about a 10 hour drive. Just another day at the office. The show last night was good. You know, all of my guys are from Austin, Texas, and we are all old friends. So that makes traveling together pretty fun. AR: I have heard rumors that during earlier tours, you would take the stage under a pseudo name, and open for yourself. Still doing anything like that? HK: I still do it every once in a while. I have opened as Clovis Man, who is the original nature of the spear point. The band and I are now going to start out with sort of a bluegrass opener, and call ourselves the “High Lonesome Pecker Woods.” Just for fun, we thought we would try some Zeppelin covers and write some really bad songs to see how it goes. Just five or six songs, to get everyone in a good set of mind and ready for us. Got to keep it interesting. AR: The new record sounds great. I know you recorded it in what today is a very unique way, live on two track. Can you tell me a bit about that whole process? HK: I have a lot of friends who are session players in Nashville, and they don’t even sit in the same room anymore when they make a record. There has been a real complacency that has begun to grow when recording, especially with all the Pro Tools and technical stuff. You don’t even have to make a good pass through anymore, since they can just fix it all in the mix. They just fly in a note, or fly in a bridge. So, my theory was getting all my guys together, and cut a record live with no backup. Let’s just fly by the seat of our pants, and see if it works. I had a pretty good pile of songs all ready for the session, some of which I have been playing live for a while and getting good responses. I felt pretty comfortable about the material. I just cast the project sort like you would cast a movie. I tried to find the right players for these particular pieces, and fortunately it worked out. I was a little apprehensive, I cut it on the last Thursday and Friday of March, and I remember asking myself on Wednesday night “What are you doing?” AR: So you were a bit nervous, huh? HK: I knew everyone I had gathered had the talent to pull it off, I was just not sure it would all work the way I had envisioned in my mind. You never know until you get in there and start playing, how it is all going to go. I remember now feeling so gratified after we were done. By the way, I did not even sequence this record. The order you see it on the record is exactly how we played it. I went back when we were done and started to sequence it, but I thought there was a certain spirit there already so why mess with it at all. The first song, “Invisible,” I played it on an acoustic guitar while Russ Pahl charted it out. We counted it out and went live. Everything just flowed from there. After the first take on “Invisible,” we listened to it after we were done, and thought it sounded good. I felt like we were really on track for something special now. One of the guys came up to me and mentioned how we could improve it here and there, but I thought we had some momentum going, lets not mess with anything right now and keep going. Let’s just plow. So there is some concession to imperfection here, but that is what makes it real. Just ten human beings together in a room playing live music. AR: I agree. Those imperfections you mention only add to the depth and character of the music on the record. HK: Oh I agree. It’s human! AR: Was there anything in particular that made you decide to record this way now? Was there something in particular that you heard, or someone mention to you, that made you do this now? HK: No, not really. It was just conversations that I had with my friends talking about how they really missed being together and creating a record. The human element was disappearing almost. Also, everyone seems to be striving for perfection, and the equipment has got to be so good that you could actually tune a fart if you wanted. It was not a boastful endeavor by any means, I only wanted to give it a shot and see how it went. You know, these songs start with a guitar and a voice. I wanted to capture the essence of that, and then embellish it with these great players. It is also a tribute to the level of musicianship in Nashville. This was all done on the fly. I go back and listen to this record now, hearing Aubrie Haynie on fiddle or mandolin, and Bryan Sutton on guitar, along with the background harmonies, and it is amazing to me we accomplished this with absolutely no rehearsal at all. It was really masterful musicianship all around. AR: I have heard from several different artists, complaining about the same issue you mentioned. The technical, Pro Tools, are being abused. They can take virtually anyone off the street, package them right, and make them sound like a great singer. HK: Oh yes definitely. I am from the old school. If you can’t sing, then stay at home. There are so many other things you could be doing. I love singing. I hit it every night with the same drive and desire as I always have. I started humming before I could talk. AR: You have been with Curb for quite a while right? HK: Yes, I have been with Curb since 1989. I have never been on any other label, and I feel very fortunate to say that. I don’t know of anyone else that could say that over the same period of time. It has been very good for me. Of course there are peaks and valleys in any relationship, but right now things are going great. I have been guilty in the past, much like others, of blaming the label when something goes wrong. But there are different ways you can handle that adversity. You can drink over it, cry over it, or roll up your sleeves and work on it. I have been fortunate to be able to work with some great people there. My good friend Dennis Hannon has been with Curb since I have, and he and I were talking the other day. I am kind of an old dog now, and country music radio has moved into another direction. So I told Dennis that I just want to make records, and not worry about anything else. He gave me full support behind this project and my choice of recording it on two track, and I am indebted to him for that. There are lots of younger musicians who have came in on Curb lately, and they really know how to get this stuff going. The internet has completely changed things in music as well. There is so much at our fingertips now at all times. {pagebreak} AR: Do you ever think about the longevity of a song while writing it, given that someone may be listening to it over the internet 10 or 20 years from now? Do you try to avoid current topical subjects for songs, thinking their meaning and purpose are short lived? HK: No, not really. It is comforting to think the music has that much age to it, but I really do not think much about whether it only pertains to today or tomorrow. If a topic strikes me, I will write about it. AR:  So do you still go through the process of picking out a single on a record? HK: No, and I never really did before. My first three records for Curb were with Allie Reynolds at Curb, and we never went in with any initial thought at all that this is the single, or this is the hit. We just went in each time and tried to make a good record in its entirety. The promotion guys at the label made all of the choices on singles. They know far better than I what will strike a chord with the public. I think they are all good, or I would not record it. AR: On this record, as well as others in your past, you use a lot of harmony vocals. Is there anyone that you have yet to record with, perhaps a duet, that you would love a chance to do so? HK: Vince Gill, without a doubt. I think he is one of the greatest and most gifted musicians that ever lived. AR: I am surprised an opportunity has not come up yet for you to work with him. HK: Well, we are friends, and we know each other very well. It is a funny kind of relationship, but I think we would have a blast working together. I know I would enjoy that very much. I would also love to work with Emmylou Harris any day of the week. Van Morrison is another singer I admire, and would enjoy recording with. Patty Griffin is another with a great voice. AR: Maybe you should consider a full duet record. HK: Hey, that is not a bad idea at all. Thanks John! AR: Back to Father Time, your song choices were very good. Since you recorded this live on the run, how did you select these from the rest you brought to the recording sessions? HK: Oh yeah, I had a big handful of stuff. I really just wrote out a master list, and in no particular order just started pulling from it. That first day, we cut nine songs. So on the second day I had to go back through the pile and really start thinking about what to use to complete the project. “The Preacher and Me” is actually the first song I ever wrote, but I had never cut it. I was out one day working in the yard, and it kind of popped into my head. I went into the garage, and wrote the lyrics down on drywall so I would remember it. I go out that second day to leave for the recording session, I look up and there are these lyrics on the wall. I thought I better take a swing at it. AR: That song is actually one of my favorites from the record. HK: Thanks. I was very happy with how that turned out. AR: Another song I really enjoyed was “Sparrow.” Can you tell me a bit about that one? HK: I wrote that one very recently, only a couple of months ago. My brother sent me my great-great-grandfathers Civil War discharge papers from the state of Vermont. I was just looking over these papers, and the song came to me. The Civil War has always struck a chord with me, and this song flowed very well from the start. AR: I see you are headed back down to the Opry very soon. I understand the Opry is going to try a Thursday night format, where they will go back to some older stars and sing some classics. What do you think about that? HK: I think that is wonderful. I believe it is very important to continue to spotlight our predecessors. They are our tribal elders as far as I am concerned. I have been a member for 14 years now, and I have had the great honor of being around legends that have been doing this for 50 years or so. They have so much knowledge, and so much to share. I am sort of in the middle ground now, but as a young artist I loved sitting around and soaking everything I could in. These were people who ran the roads when we only had two lane paved highways at best, with instruments strapped on top of their vehicles just to make it. They laid the groundwork for all of us. I think anything we can do to honor them should be done without doubt. AR: Who were some of your favorite past performers that you looked up to? HK: Well, I love Little Jimmy Dickens. He just knocks me out. Jimmy C. Newman is another who is still out there rockin’. Charlie Walker is another I listened to frequently. The late Billy Walker was great. Charlie Louvin has got be at least in his 70’s, but when he takes that stage it is like he is 19 again. That has been a lesson for me. The time on stage is the most invigorating thing there is. It brings back all of the youth. Watch these cats who have been doing this for a long time, they still go out there and kill it every time. AR: Now you originally got started in Texas right? HK: Gruene Hall was my music school. Absolutely. There was so much great music going around down there at that time. AR: Blaze Foley and Walter Hyatt would have been there about that time, right? HK: Oh, I knew Blaze. Great stuff. Uncle Walt’s Band, along with Champ Hood is just killer. Great, great stuff. AR: Another name from Texas that actually came from Todd Snider was Willis Alan Ramsey. HK: Oh yeah. Willis put out one record in the early Seventies, and decided it was the best he could ever make, so he decided to never put another out. Great stuff. Pretty obscure cat, but great music. AR: Anything you are currently listening to? HK: I am all over the map, touched by all sorts of things. Nothing really stands out. AR: I know on your Web site, Neil Diamond has lots of praise for your new record. That must feel pretty good. HK: Oh yeah. There is the man right there. That is like Picasso telling you how well you did painting. It is mighty fine, and I appreciate it very much. He is a brilliant man, and great guy. AR: Anything new upcoming that we can look forward to? HK: Not right now. I am just going to ride the wave on this record for a while. I am writing some songs for the next record, but I am not in any rush. I just take my time. 2008-11-16T22:03:03-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/grayson_capps_the_stumpknockers/ http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/grayson_capps_the_stumpknockers/#When:22:52:02Z Fans of Grayson Capps affectionately call the New Orleans native’s music “rott-n-roll,” which seems such an apt description that he decided to call his fourth CD Rott-N-Roll.  To quote the bio on his Web site: “Rott ‘N’ Roll has come to represent the state of mind needed to play uncompromising roots music as a means for survival in the Dirty South; the yin and yang between the debauchery of life on the road and the come down upon returning home.” His story-songs are littered with tales and desires an characters many of us never experience. In “Psychic Channel Blues” we meet his “honeydew woman,” and learn that “She’s got the psychic channel turned on in her brain, and if I’m unfaithful that phone line’s gonna ring.” In “Ike” we hear of a neighbor named Ike and meet one of his women who stumble to the door in a neighborly way: “Now one of Ike’s women came knocking on my door the other night. She say ‘I stay by Ike’s house, do you have a light?’ ....She followed me in asked me did I live alone...Well goddamn she says, do you like women? Well, yes ma’am I do I says, I like women. Then she struck a pose and looked at me sideways like, and she says ‘Well, do you want one for five dollars tonight?’” Keeping warm apparently doesn’t mean adjusting the thermostat, as he sings in “Big Old Woman:” “I ain’t got now wood, I ain’t got no gas. I need me a baby with a big old ass..” The music is as varied as the stories told, ranging from slower country tunes to more straight ahead Americana and finally, at the end of the disc flat out rock (excuse me, rott) ‘n’ roll, the disc ending with a psychedelic instrumental called “Bacon.” This disc leans heavily on support from Grayson’s band, The Stumpknockers, as opposed to his earlier work. The band, featuring Tommy “Ol’ Grover” MacLuckie on lead guitar, Josh Kerin on bass and John Milham on drums recorded the CD live in the studio with most of the cuts coming from first takes. Grayson has even had his hand in the movie business. Writer/director Shainee Gabel adapted the screenplay for the movie A Love Song for Bobbie Long from the previously unpublished novel “Off Magazine Street” by Grayson’s father Ronald Everett Capps. Grayson appears in the film and contributed four songs to its soundtrack, including the title track.  2008-11-15T22:52:02-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/country_music_humorists_and_comedians_loyal_jones/ http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/country_music_humorists_and_comedians_loyal_jones/#When:14:52:09Z An excellent reference on the history of Country Music and humor. At one time country music and comedy went hand and hand with many bands carrying a comedian with their band to act as a comic relief between the songs of life. As radio barn dances grew out of the vaudeville tradition many of the routines stayed with the musicians to keep the crowds entertained and interested. Over time some of those comedians stepped out on their own to make names for them selves and became as famous, and in some cases more famous, that the artists they accompanied. Comedians like Minnie Pearl and Rod Brasfield, to name but two, became stars in their own right appearing weekly on the Grand Ole Opry through the ‘40s and ‘50s. In the mid- to late-‘60s, country music made its way onto the small screen with a shows like The Wilburn Brothers Show featuring comedian Harold Morrison and The Porter Wagoner Show featuring Speck Rhodes. These comedians acted as special guests, as in the case of Morrison, or members of the band, as the bass playing Rhodes. As the years wore on, fewer and fewer comedians were utilized in country music acts. In 1968 CBS aired the summer replacement series Hee-Haw, which was modeled after the popular Rowan and Martin Laugh-In and utilized both comedy and country music to reach audiences. Many of the comedic performers on the show were ones who had been involved in earlier comedy shows that had been phased out, such as Grandpa Jones, Stringbean and Sheb Wooley. Many of the routines these comedians were either straight from or adapted from early comedy routines, some of them reaching back to minstrel tent shows. While country comedy was still alive in the 1970s and ‘80s, it was no where near as popular as it had once been until the late-‘80s/early-‘90s when Jeff Foxworthy began to gain popularity. His assembled tour, The Blue Collar Comedy Tour, where Foxworthy teamed with Bill Engvall, Ron White and Larry the Cable Guy, is one of the highest grossing touring acts going. Loyal Jones has written several books on the topic of rural and country humor, including some joke books. He is the retired director of the Appalachian Center at Berea College and an acknowledged expert in Appalachian studies. What Jones has put together in Country Music Humorists and Comedians is really a two part volume. The larger part of the book is made up of an encyclopedia-like reference pulling together entries on country comedians and humorists from the early days of country radio to the present day. As the title states, both comedians and humorists are covered in the book. Biographical sketches of comedians range from the early Grand Ole Opry pair of Jamup and Honey and Pete Stamper to Larry the Cable Guy and Etta May. The addition of humorists broadens the scope from just those that stood before audiences as comedians to those that were primarily artists (like Jim Stafford or Little Jimmy Dickens) but included humor in their songs and shows to writers and actors like the late Lewis Grizzard and Andy Griffith. The other part of the book is Jones’ less than 50 page introduction to the subject. In those 40-some pages he covers the history of comedy in country music and its importance to the development of country in growing a connection between artist and audience. This brief introduction packs in so much information and history that it alone would be worth picking up the book to have. Jones’ writing style is easy going and he is able to easily convey the importance of the subject without ever coming across heavy-handed or too academic. His research is extremely thorough and he strives to bring the subject to life for the reader. Throughout the book he includes examples of the humor from many of the comedians so that the reader might get a better understanding of what they did as a performer. They say that music is a hard topic to write about, but it is even harder to write about a topic as subjective as humor. Jones does a highly commendable job of giving the subject its due. 2008-11-13T14:52:09-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/yarn_doc_marshalls/ http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/yarn_doc_marshalls/#When:16:32:25Z Don asks, “What Is With All This Great Americana Coming Out Of NYC?” Americana music is not the first thing I think of when I think of New York City, yet two of the better Americana bands around hail from the Big Apple. Yarn is a band that blew me away with their debut CD Yarn last year. I had a review for that CD on these cyber pages, and the disc ended up on my favorites of 2007 list. The band will likely end up on this year’s list as well with their latest, Empty Pockets. This band is flat out great! The songs are well crafted and often catchy and their playing is outstanding. Recent news about the band includes a nomination for “Artist of the Year” by the Roots Music Association Awards in the Roots/Americana category (along with Emmylou, The Derailers and Reckless Kelly among others). You may have also read on our pages about the bands early Grammy nominations. The title track “Empty Pockets” is one of the catchy numbers and includes some great mandolin by Andrew Hendryx. Once again on this CD the music was written by Blake Christiana, who also provides lead vocals. Fortunately he is surrounded by a band that does the tunes justice! “Music’s Only Outlaw” is a beautiful slower tune that will leave you tapping your toe for sure. Edie Brickell pays a visit and adds some beautiful harmony vocals on “I’m Down,” another highlight on a disc full of them.  15 tunes stuff this disc with great music. It’s a no-brainer, just get it! The other NYC gem is one of the AmericanaRoots “house bands,” The Doc Marshalls, and their CD is Honest For Once. Whereas Yarn rely a bit more on acoustic music, The Doc Marshalls tend to plug it in. Right out of the gate the band grabs you with their upbeat pure Americana gem “Ticket Out Of Texas.” This disc is really diverse in styles also; you get classic pedal steel soaked lively country on “Lonely At The Top.” Deeper into the disc comes a bit of surprise, a big bite of the Big Easy coming out of the Big Apple, the cajun/zydeco beat and accordion of “Deux Bouteilles” and “Port Barre Stomp.” Apparently being a top notch Americana band located in NYC does have its drawbacks; it must be hard to find proper Americana ladies as the band laments in the disc’s closer “Never Found My Emmylou.” Both of these CDs would be great stocking stuffers for the Americana fan who’s has been a good boy or girl this year!! 2008-11-12T16:32:25-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/legendary_performances_merle_haggard/ http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/legendary_performances_merle_haggard/#When:13:48:45Z The new edition of the Legendary Performances series features a true living legend. When I first read about the Legendary Performances series to be produced by a joint venture between the Country Music Hall of Fame and Shout! Factory, I mentally assembled a want list. One of the top five of that list turns out to be the third release in this excellent series. Merle Haggard’s story has been told many times over in numerous articles and a few books. Born in Bakersfield, a child in trouble leading to incarceration, turns his life around through music and becomes one of the most influential singers and songwriters of our time. Following the format of the previous two volumes, this DVD contains 15 performances by Haggard on a variety of programs beginning in 1968 through 1983. The first three performances come from the syndicated 1968 program Country Music Holiday, hosted by longtime Grand Ole Opry performer Wally Fowler. Joined by The Strangers, Haggard runs through three of his top five hits from the previous three years, “Branded Man,” “The Bottle Let Me Down” and “Swinging Doors.” Strangers Telecaster master Roy Nichols shows why he has been an influence to most country guitarists as he trades licks with steel guitar player Norm Hamlet. The late 1960s and early 1970s was a boom time for syndicated country music television. That year, in addition to appearing on Country Music Holiday, Haggard also appeared on Billy Walker’s Country Carnival. Here Haggard gives us three more of songs, “Mama Tried,” a No. 1 hit that year, “I Started Loving You Again,” a true Haggard classic that never charted for him and “I Take A Lot Of Pride In Who I Am,” which reached No. 3 the following year. In a rare event, he performs these with the house band made up of Nashville studio aces rather than the Strangers. Putting the tracks side by side with those cut by the Strangers it is easy to see why the Strangers became one of the most revered bands in country music. The band alone would record five albums for Capitol Records between 1969 and 1973. (Haggard would also appear on two episodes of the CBS summer replacement show Hee-Haw where he would lip-synch his hits in various settings like a front porch and a train yard.) The 1970s are represented on the DVD with a performance on the 1972 CMA Awards (“Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man),” which had reached No. 1 in 1971), two separate appearances on the Porter Wagoner Show (“The Fightin’ Side of Me” and “Okie From Muskogee,” both No. 1 hits, in 1970 and “The Roots Of My Raising,” a 1976 No. 1, in 1977). Three appearances on the Ralph Emery hosted Pop! Goes The Country show Haggard in good spirits. Although all are good, the best track of the three is the extended version of his 1969 No. 1 “Working Man Blues” from 1974 guest spot that features solos from Roy Nichols, Tiny Moore on electric five-string mandolin and piano player Mark Yeary.  Also included are a 1975 performance of “Movin’ On” and a 1977 rendition of “Ramblin’ Fever,” which reached No. 1 in 1975 and No. 2 in 1977, respectively. The two closing tracks come from 1983 where Haggard pays tribute to two of his heroes. He takes the CMA Awards show stage for a great rendition of Lefty Frizzells’ “That’s the Way Love Goes,” a song he took to No. 1. The final selection is taken from the 1983 Johnny Cash Christmas Special where Haggard and band, dressed in cowboy duds, run through Bob Wills’ “San Antonio Rose.” Haggard had recorded the excellent Bob Wills tribute album in 1970. Two bonus clips are included on the disc. The first is Haggard’s 1994 induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, back when they still honored the legends during the awards show. The second clip is an interview conducted in 1981 on Hags tour bus as he is accompanied by then wife Leona Williams as he talks about family, touring and recording. This is another great addition to the Legendary Performances series and offers fans a rare glimpse at live footage of a true living legend that wouldn’t be seen without the efforts of the people at the Hall of Fame. 2008-11-11T13:48:45-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/eric_corne_kid_dynamite_and_the_common_man/ http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/eric_corne_kid_dynamite_and_the_common_man/#When:17:09:25Z don goes running with Kid Dynamite and the Common Man. One of the most interesting CDs I’ve received lately is Eric Corne’s new CD Kid Dynamite and the Common Man. This is a very diverse collection, from the Dali-esque CD artwork to the music within. Eric has been one busy guy, with his hands in many different projects, as musician, engineer, producer and even teacher (at the Musicians Institute in L.A. where he is located). His engineering and producing credits include Lucinda Williams, Glen Campbell and Walter Trout. The native of Canada was lured to L.A. in 2004 to work at Mad Dog Studios, run by Dusty Wakeman. The new CD is a very diverse collection of tunes; obviously Eric has been influenced by a wide range of artists. The opening cut, “Kid Dynamite/Rancho Mirage” starts off will all the rock energy of Neil Young’s electric work, while the instrumental second section reeks of vintage Pink Floyd. One of the older tunes on the disc and one of my favorites is “Not Familiar,” which dates back to Eric’s days with his “Space-pop” band Mysterio. You may swear you’re listening to The Clash!  John Lennon’s solo work comes to mind while listening to the lively tune “Evil Men.” Don McLean’s “Everyday” seems like it must have influenced the bouncy, whimsical “I Know A Girl.” He adds a reggae beat to the CD with the tune “Nobody Plays Here Anymore.” No doubt this is a talented dude. He also adds some nice Americana tunes with the songs “Dead End” and “Stop And Stare.” I don’t think there is any music lover who wouldn’t find something satisfying on this collection; whether it be the musicianship from the star-studded collection of musicians who lend a hand on the disc to the expected fine production and sound, and finally to the music itself! 2008-11-10T17:09:25-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/jeff_strahan_amen_to_the_blues/ http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/jeff_strahan_amen_to_the_blues/#When:20:28:57Z Don takes a trip to Texas and makes a few discoveries. Recently I was able to spend a week down in Texas including 5 days in San Antonio.  You could say San Antonio is the center of the Americana universe as the founder of AmericanaRoots.com, Gregg Geil lives there! You could also say it is because of all the great live music there.  Besides two of the Americana Shrines, Gruene Hall and Floore’s Country Store (each of which lie just outside San Antonio), the area is home to a number of other excellent live venues. One of these is Sam’s Burger Joint.  If you want a fantastic burger “appetizer” prior to your main course of live music, than this place is a must! From the restaurant you walk across an outside sidewalk into the music club, which is small enough to be intimate and have great sound, but not so small that you’d ever feel cramped. Of course a great cheeseburger and a lousy show would mean this review would probably end up on RoadFood or something like that, not a music site. Fortunately on this night I was treated to some fantastic music as well as good grub.  Jeff Strahan was making his first appearance at Sam’s.  If you aren’t familiar with Jeff, he is a native of Lamesa, Texas, near Lubbock where he grew up on a diet of edgy country, blues and rock ‘n’ roll. He started a band at age 12, and he eventually moved in the 80’s to Austin and played a variety of genres in a variety of bands. The 80’s decade was certainly not the music industry’s shining moment, so Jeff pursued a “real job” with the hope of returning to music.  He was actually a successful trial lawyer in Texas for 10 years before deciding to return to music in 2000.  (We lose one lawyer and gain back a great musician all at once- that’s a good day!!) He moved to Durango, Colorado to get away from the craziness he had been living in and gain musical inspiration. This must have worked as Jeff delivers a killer live performance with much of the material from his live show coming from his recently released CD Amen To The Blues, one of my favorites of the year! The CD, and live show, consists mostly of high-energy music Jeff calls “Texas Red Dirt Blues”. The title track is a great song that tips the hat to many of the heroes of the blues and a magical encounter in Heaven. Apparently Jesus is a blues fan!  I’m not surprised. Another of my favorite on the disc and live is “Southern Jeans,” a soulful number on which Jeff shines live, strolling through the crowd while jamming through the tune. As with many guitar slingers from Texas, Jeff has a love for Stevie Ray and did him proud with his blazing version of “Floodin’ Down in Texas.” As I watched his show, I began to wonder if I thought Jeff was better as a guitar player, a singer, or a keyboard player. On a number of the live tunes Jeff handles all three duties, often alternating jamming on his strat with playing the keys. Don’t apply for the position of keyboard player in his band; he’ll handle that as well as guitar thank you. One of the best live tunes was a solo piano ode to his manager/girlfriend Lois Lane (really) entitled, appropriately enough, “Superman,” which can be found on Jeff’s excellent 2006 release Red Dirt Blues. If Jeff comes anywhere near you, do yourself a favor and check him out. Not only is he a great performer, but he’s a hell of a nice guy.  He stuck around well after the show to mingle with the crowd. A Texas band called The All-in Blues Band opened for Jeff. Get this: the band consists of 16-19 year olds, and the CD they sell was recorded live at Antone’s. If they lived near me they wouldn’t even be able to get in to a club like that, let alone record a CD there! Watch for them as well. 2008-11-07T20:28:57-06:00 http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/classic_country_singers_by_douglas_b_green/ http://www.americanaroots.com/reviews/detail/classic_country_singers_by_douglas_b_green/#When:14:41:44Z An excellent set of classic country profiles. Most authors immerse themselves in their subject either by delving into their music or films, by reading other books on them or by talking to people their subject knew. Douglas B. Green has done all of that, but he has also immersed himself into the music business as a performer. Better know professionally as “Ranger Doug,” Green serves as lead singer and guitarist for the Western music outfit Riders in the Sky. Classic Country Singers is Green’s third book and he has taken the opportunity to profile 46 country artists. Among them are artists that have faded in the collective memory of general country music fans of today. Artists such as the influential Blue Sky Boys (Bill and Earl Bolick), Ted Daffan, Riley Puckett and Hank Snow are covered here among many others including popular, and well-known, artists like Minnie Pearl, Bill Monroe (whom Green played with in the 1970s as a Blue Grass Boy), Kitty Wells and, of course, Hank Williams. For studious fans of country music history, Classic Country Singers doesn’t break any new ground; there are no bold revelations or tell-all tales included. Green draws from many sources to give a sketch of each artist’s life and career. His warm and personal writing style sets the book apart from other books on the subject that are written more in a textbook style. Another thing that sets this book apart is the gorgeous design. The design uses bright colors that draw you into the readings. Using old photographs, song books and sheet music as illustrations and design elements, the book shares a consistent look with much of the subjects of the book. One of my favorite country music history books of the last few years is Will The Circle Be Unbroken (edited by Paul Kingsbury and Alanna Nash and published by DK Publishing and the Country Music Hall Of Fame). That book gave a wonderful overview of country music history from its beginnings to more current days. Classic Country Singers serves as an excellent, while unintended, companion to Will The Circle Be Unbroken. Where Will The Circle... touches briefly on influential artists in the genre, Classic Country Singers gives them a deeper profile. For newer country fans that might be interested in digging a little deeper in the history of this music Classic Country Singers would provide an excellent starting point. 2008-11-05T14:41:44-06:00