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July-September 2005
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1,
2, 3,
4, 5,
6, 7
Page Index:
The
Real Deal from Billy Joe Shaver
Neil
Young Releases Prairie Wind
Tim
O'Brien's Cornbread and Greens
New
Dreams from Patty Loveless
2005
Americana Honors and Awards Held in Nashville
Rodney
Crowell Releases The Outsider
Richard
Thompson's Parlour Tricks
Ryan
Adams Cancels Tour and Prepares to Release New CD
Obituary:
Vassar Clements
Thoughts
on Merlefest
Son
Volt Releases Okemah and the Melody of Riot
Nickel Creek Meets The Jayhawks
Willie
Nelson Releases Reggae CD
Del McCoury Releases New CD;
Loses Bass Player
NEW
RELEASE:
The
Real Deal from Billy Joe Shaver
 Billy
Joe Shaver - the Shakespeare of Outlaw Country - released his
latest CD The Real Deal on September 27. The new CD
follows closely on the heels of A Tribute to Billy Joe Shaver:
Live released earlier this year.
(Sept. 28, 2005)
NEW
RELEASE:
Neil
Young Releases Prairie Wind
 Neil
Young's newest CD, Prairie Wind, hit the shelves on
September 27. Young's latest release is a collection of folk
and country-oriented songs in the tradition of earlier Young
albums Harvest and Harvest Moon. Click here for
the Rolling Stone review of Prairie Wind: Rolling
Stone review.
(Sept. 28, 2005)
NEW
RELEASE:
Tim
O'Brien's Cornbread and Greens
  Tim
O'Brien has graced Americana fans with not one - but two - new
CDs. O'Brien released both Cornbread Nation and Fiddler's
Green on September 13. The self-described folk singer and
multi-instrumentalist is joined on the two new releases by
bluegrass and Americana luminaries including Del McCoury, Chris
Thile of Nickel Creek, Dan Tyminski of Union Station, dobro-legend
Jerry Douglas and O'Brien's friend and occasional collaborator
Darrell Scott.
(Sept. 16, 2005)
NEW
RELEASE:
New
Dreams from Patty Loveless
 On
September 13, Patty Loveless released her newest CD, Dreaming
My Dreams. The CD's sound is a blend between the bluegrass of
her 2001 release Mountain Soul and the more mainstream
country sound of her last release, On Your Way Home.
All of these releases mark a noticeable shift from the pop country
sound which Loveless personified in the 1990s. Dreaming
My Dreams includes songs written by Jim Lauderdale, Steve
Earle and Richard Thompson. The CD also features
contributions from Emmylou Harris and Dwight Yoakum.
(Sept. 16, 2005)
AMERICANA
NEWS:
2005 Americana Honors and Awards
Held in Nashville
The Americana Music
Association held its annual Americana Honors & Awards show on
September 9 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The
show featured performances by some of the biggest names in
Americana on the original stage of the Grand Ole Opry.
Jim Lauderdale served
as emcee of the program and performed "Paint and
Glass" from his 2004 release Headed for the Hills.
Lauderdale was joined on stage by Buddy Miller who led the house
band for the show.
The show kicked off
with performances by Todd Snider ("Nashville"),
Raul Malo ("Remember") and The Duhks ("Dance
Hall Girls").
The New Emerging
Artist of the Year award was presented to Mary Gautier whose debut
release Mercy Now has received considerable praise. The
award was presented by last year's winner, Mindy Smith.
Steve Earle then took
the stage to perform the title track from his 2004 release The
Revolution Starts Now. Despite a recent all-acoustic
tour with new wife Allison Moorer, Earle showed he that he can
still rock with an electric guitar in hand and the house band
providing solid support.
Earle then presented
the AMA Lifetime Achievement Award to longtime friend Marty
Stuart. Stuart noted that his career had begun on the same Ryman
Auditorium stage exactly 33 years earlier with Lester Flatts on
the Grand Ole Opry. After accepting the award, Stuart and his
band launch into an inspiring version of "It's Time To Go
Home" from his new country-gospel release, Souls'
Chapel.
The Spirit of
Americana Free Speech Award was presented to Judy Collins who
accepted the award and performed "Amazing Grace."
The Song of the Year
Award was presented to the late Mark Heard for "Worry Too
Much." Buddy Miller, who performed the track on his
latest release Universal United House of Prayer, accepted
the award on behalf of Heard. Miller later received the
award for Album of the Year for Universal United House of
Prayer.
Emmylou Harris
presented the AMA Lifetime Achievement for Songwriting honor to
Guy Clark. After singing Clark's "Old Friends"
backed by a who's who of Americana artists, Harris joined Clark to
perform "Dublin Blues" which was undoubtedly one
of the highlights of the evening.
Billy Bob Thornton
presented the Artist of the Year award to John Prine.
Thornton accepted the award for Prine who was unavailable due to
touring commitments.
Solomon Burke provided
another highlight of the evening by performing Hank Williams'
"Wealth Won't Save Your Soul." Solomon's
gospel interpretation perfectly matched the song's message.
The President's Award
was presented to the late John Hartford. The award was
accepted by his son, Jamie Hartford, who is a musician in his own
right. Hartford was joined on stage by Arlo Guthrie and Alison
Brown to perform Hartford's most well-known song, "Gentle
On My Mind."
The show closed with a
rendition of "City of New Orleans" by Arlo
Guthrie in support of the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
(Sept. 12, 2005)
NEW
RELEASE:
Rodney
Crowell Releases The Outsider
 On August 16,
Rodney Crowell released the third in a series of rock and folk
oriented CDs which reflect Crowell's renewed approach to
songwriting. A much more rock-oriented and politically
charged release than Crowell's commercially successful CDs of the
late 80s, The Outsider follows on the heels of the
critically acclaimed The Houston Kid and Fate's Right
Hand. Crowell is supporting the release of the album with
a tour beginning on August 14 in Nashville and continuing through
October. For more information on Crowell's new release and
tour, check out his official website: Rodney
Crowell's official website.
(August 21, 2005)
NEW
RELEASE:
Richard
Thompson's Parlour Tricks
 On August 9,
Richard Thompson released his latest CD entitled Front Parlour
Ballads. The largely acoustic CD follows Thompson's 2003
studio release, Old Kit Bag. 2005 has been an active
year for the release of new material from Richard Thompson.
In addition to the latest studio release, Thompson released a live
CD and DVD earlier this year as part of the Austin City Limits
Live from Austin, TX series. Cooking Vinyl USA is
also preparing the release of Thompson's score to the film Grizzly
Man in September.
(August 21, 2005)
AMERICANA
NEWS:
Ryan
Adams Cancels Tour and Prepares to Release New CD
 Ryan Adams has
recently announced on his official
website that he is canceling the remaining dates on his
tour in support of his May release, Cold Roses. According
to the statement, Adams' recent Japanese tour took its toll on the
band. The wear and tear of the tour combined with Adams'
continuing inner ear infection led to the cancellation of the
gigs. Adams canceled the UK portion of his Cold Roses
tour earlier this summer due to the inner ear infection.
The
tour cancellation comes as Adams' prepares to release his second
CD of 2005. The new release is entitled Jacksonville City
Nights. The CD will feature a duet with Norah Jones. In
addition to the release of Jacksonville City Nights, Adams
will re-release "Come Pick Me Up" from his Heartbreaker
CD on the upcoming Elizabethtown soundtrack which is
scheduled for release on September 13.
(August 21, 2005)
AMERICANA
NEWS:
Obituary: Vassar Clements
On August 16, 2005, the bluegrass community lost one of its
musical pioneers when Vassar Clements passed away at his
daughter's home outside of Nashville following a battle with
cancer. Clements was one of the most distinctive and popular
fiddlers in bluegrass.
Clements
was born on April 25, 1928 in Kinard, South Carolina. He was a
self-taught fiddle player who joined Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys
when he was 21 years old. In 1956, Clements left Monroe's
band and joined Jim and Jessee McReynolds in Jim and Jessee's
Virginia Boys. By the late
1960s, Clements had moved to Nashville where he played with Faron
Young, John Hartford and Earl Scruggs. In the early 1970s,
he began playing on recording sessions. This work led to a
notable appearance on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's 1972 release Will
the Circle Be Unbroken. His work on the album helped to
establish Clements as one of the most popular fiddle players in
bluegrass and country music.
Clements
released his first solo album, Crossing The Catskills, in
1973. The following year he released two more solo albums
and served as a member of the "supergroup" Old and In
The Way which included Jerry Garcia, Peter Rowan, David
Grisman and John Kahn.
Over
the rest of his career, Clements recorded 27 albums and appeared
on numerous recordings by other artists. During that time,
he explored country, bluegrass, jazz and swing. He eventually
acquired the title "The King of Hillbilly Jazz."
In 2001, the International Bluegrass
Music Awards recognized Clements' contribution to the musical
genre by designating him as a First Generation Pioneer of
bluegrass.
For
more information on the life and career of Vassar Clements, be
sure to check out his official website: Vassar
Clements official website.
(August 21, 2005)
COMMENTARY:
Thoughts on Merlefest
Over 80,000 music fans attended the 18th Annual Merlefest
Americana music celebration held in Wilkesboro, North Carolina
from April 28 through May 1, 2005. The growth of the music
festival honoring the memory of Merle Watson - the late son of Doc
Watson - is a testament to both the organization of this
particular event and the growth of Americana music.
Merlefest
proudly bills itself as "The American Music
Celebration." In keeping with this label, the festival
features an eclectic blend of artists spanning a variety of
Americana musical styles. Sunday's line-up alone included
performers as diverse as Alison Krauss, the Chieftains, Buddy
Miller, BR-549, Sam Bush, Tony Rice, Alison Moorer, Rodney
Crowell, Doc Watson, Bela Fleck, and Jim Lauderdale with Donna the
Buffalo.
The
only problem with Merlefest is the fact that there is simply too
much to hear and see at any given time. With 11 different
stages featuring the best in bluegrass, folk, blues, alt-country
and other Americana styles, patrons are forced to pick and choose
among the vast musical buffet. Fortunately, many of the
artists offer several performances over the course of the festival
to ensure that attendees get at least a glimpse of all their
favorites.
If
anyone questions the current state of the Americana music scene,
Merlefest provides the best and most obvious response to those
critics. The growth of this particular event is proof that
the Americana music scene is as strong and vibrant as ever.
Here's
hoping the 2006 Merlefest continues to live up to its lofty
reputation as The Americana Music Festival. See you
there!
(July 14, 2005)
NEW
RELEASE:
Son
Volt Releases Okemah and the Melody of Riot
 On July 12, Son
Volt released its first full-length CD in 7 years. The new
CD, entitled Okemah and the Melody of Riot, follows last
year's live solo CD from Jay Farrar entitled "Stone, Steel
and Bright Lights."
(July 14, 2005)
AMERICANA NEWS:
Nickel Creek Meets The Jayhawks
Billboard reports the new Nickel Creek CD scheduled for
release on August 9 will include a song co-written by Chris Thile
and the Jayhawks' Gary Louris. The song is entitled "Jealous of the Moon." According to Thile, other
songs co-written by the two were cut from the CD due to time
considerations. The CD will be entitled Why Should the
Fire Die?
(July 14, 2005)
NEW
RELEASE:
Willie
Nelson Releases Reggae CD
 On July 12, Willie
Nelson finally released a reggae project which had been recorded
in the mid-1990s and had been sitting on the shelf ever since.
The new CD entitled Countryman features Nelson's take
on several reggae classics as well as his own originals.
Nelson's
previous label, Island Records, had chosen not to release the
project after it was recorded in 1995. Nelson's current label,
Lost Highway, finally decided to release the somewhat
unconventional CD.
The
release features covers of Jimmy Cliff's "Sitting In
Limbo" and "The Harder They Come." Toots
Hibbert of the legendary reggae band Toots & The Maytals joins
Nelson on "I'm A Worried Man." Nelson previously
collaborated with Hibbert on a reggae cover of Nelson's
"Still is Still Moving to Me" on the Maytal's 2004
release "True Love."
(July 14, 2005)
NEW
RELEASE:
Del McCoury Releases New CD;
Loses Bass Player
 On
July 12, the Del McCoury Band released its new CD entitled The Company We
Keep. Unfortunately, McCoury's
company will no longer include bassist Mike Bub - at least on
stage. Bub has left the band. Look for a new bass
player as the band hits the road for a relentless tour in support
of the new CD.
(July 14, 2005)
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