Americana Music Festival and Conference 2012

Americana Music Festival and Conference

Nashville, Tenn.

September 12-15, 2012 

Will Kimbrough

 Humans have always been fascinated with the cyclical nature of things. We can’t help it; we’re born into a world filled with rhythms and sequences, of life and death and rebirth. The sun comes up, then it slides behind the horizon, but it comes back again. Around us, plants and animals and friends come and go, and love may bloom, wither and fade just the same. The pain of loss and the potential for rebirth is evident in nature and it is what fills the churches every Sunday.  It’s that dichotomy that allows poets, artists and musicians to create works that touch each of us in unique ways.  And so it was during the Americana Music Festival. Time after time, performers reached out to us with the fragility of age and the passage of decades, touching both the audience and the younger performers. Those newer artists are the ones who will carry on, when the ravages of this world have partially faded the memories and words of folks like Woody Guthrie or Guy Clark.

Tift Merritt at Americanarama - Grimey's

Because the mission of the Americana Music Association is to grow and promote the Americana brand and increase awareness of the genre with the public, by necessity that means blending the newer artists with the legends. And the combination of the old and the new, that cycle of loss and renewal, gave birth to several poignant moments.  During the awards show at the Ryman Auditorium, Americana legend Guy Clark (whose tribute album This One’s For Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark, won album of the year honors), sang My Favorite Picture of You, which was written about his wife Susanna, who passed away in June of this year.                           Accompanied by Shawn Camp (co-producer of the tribute record) and Verlon Thompson, Guy imbued the song with the love of his wife and, at that moment in time, his reflection and memories of their forty year marriage, so his momentary lyrical lapse during the song can be not only forgiven, but understood. The awards show, once again impeccably timed and chock full of special musical events, had no shortage of “best of” moments, from the opening Green Onions with Booker T. (Booker was given a Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist by Drive-By Truckers frontman Patterson Hood) who also sat in with the evening’s New Emerging Artist award winners, the Alabama Shakes.   It was only a year ago that less than a hundred of us were huddled around a fire barrel with the Shakes on a cold night in Alabama and now, this young band lit a fire on the hallowed Ryman stage and the crowd responded with thunderous cheering.

Delta Rae outside the Ryman Auditorium.

Showcases of new and established artists crossed each other all weekend – an all-star tribute to Levon Helm (featuring the Trigger Hippy rhythm section, Paul Thorn, Patterson Hood, Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, and Hayes Carll) against newcomers Delta Rae (who caught the attention of everyone outside the Ryman during a TV interview with a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain) and Shovels and Rope; guitar legend Richard Thompson at the Station Inn up against the Punch Brothers; John Hiatt, Darrell Scott and Steep Canyon Rangers all taking the stage at the same time, and Rodney Crowell opposite Buddy Miller & Lee Ann Womack – it’s just all a series of choices, none of them bad. 

Sam Bush at Musician's Corner.

But if there was a defining moment, among all that I saw and all that I missed, it would be this: A Thursday afternoon showcase on Broadway, featuring legendary songwriter Chip Taylor (Angel of the Morning, Wild Thing), Will Kimbrough, Brigitte DeMeyer, and Norwegian singer Paal Flaata. Flaata had recorded a tribute record to Taylor, covering his many hit songs, titled  But before the two could play a festival in Norway, the tragic shootings at Utöya happened, and the cancelled festival became a benefit for the victims. A new song by Chip, This Darkest Day, came from that horrible incident and with the help of Flaata (who has an amazing range and is truly an incredible singer), Kimbrough, Paul Griffith and Dave Jacques (the rhythm section from Daddy), and guitarist John Platania (who played on Van Morrison’s classic Moondance), delivered up a hymn to the living and a tribute to the departed. I’m fairly sure the room was silent, save for the sounds from the stage.

Dave Jacques on bass, Chip Taylor, Paal Flaata.

So, in 2012, we’ve lost Levon Helm, Susanna Clark, 69 people in a senseless attack in Norway, and many more for many reasons, none of them good. But we know, as sure as we know the sun will rise tomorrow, that humans will continue to make art. And it may not be easy, and often it will be painful, but it will be real.

And in the words of Jim Lauderdale, THAT’S Americana.

Curtis Lynch

Playgrounds Magazine

October 2012

Vintage Memphis 45s spinning at Grimey's.

Good advice from the High Watt.

This One's For Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark

Various Artists

http://www.icehousemusic.com/

As presents go, it’s hard to beat what Guy Clark’s friends got him for his 70^th  birthday. An all-star collection of buddies, road partners and fans got together and recorded 30 of his songs and called it This One's For Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark. It may be for him, but thankfully, it’s also for us.

The guest list is elbow to elbow with folks like Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Rodney Crowell and Vince Gill; Texans like Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl Keen, and Ray Wylie Hubbard; Verlon Thompson, Steve Earle and John Townes Van Zandt II.  The core Nashville band of Shawn Camp, Thompson, & pianist Jen Gunderman recorded these tracks live in studio with the help of Lloyd Maines, Mike Bub and Kenny Malone and are consistently flawless throughout.   Camp co-produced with Grammy-winner Tamara Saviano, who is working with Guy on his much-anticipated biography.

The highlights are stunning: Patty Griffin pulls The Cape around her like it always belonged there; James McMurtry’s take on Cold Dog Soup is chilling; Camp delivers the best version of Homeless I’ve ever heard; and the duet Emmylou Harris and John Prine make out of Magnolia Wind make the record worth owning. And while no song is a clunker, too many add clutter. Given the number of songs Guy has written, and the artists he’s influenced, the record could easily have been twice as large.  But a better record would be half this size.

The fact that I can complain about the record being too big while silently listing three or four songs I wish had been on here tells you what kind of songwriter Guy Clark is, what an American treasure he is and why these artists lined up to be part of this.

Curtis Lynch

Playgrounds Magazine

December 2011

Bibb City Ramblers

Mountain Air

GrooveNRecords

http://www.bibbcityramblers.com/

Sometimes it seems like the creation of a record or the evolution of a band is like making a roux – you take a few, seemingly simple ingredients and when they’re blended, stirred and simmered over time, they release a balance of flavors that become something special and unique.  And that’s where the Bibb City Ramblers find themselves with their newest release, Mountain Air.  The addition of Gini Woolfolk Davidson  on bass and vocals and Wildman Steve on washboard and vocals have given the mandolin of Brian Fowler and the vocals and guitar of “Dirty “Dan Davidson the room to realize the most complete Ramblers recording yet.

The title track opens up the disc, a high-flying ode to the Rockies and features the first of four appearances from Mosier Brothers fiddler David Blackmon. Throughout the twelve tracks, you hear a band defining itself while remaining difficult to pigeonhole. Dan’s bluesy picking and Brian’s blistering mandolin playing, along with Blackmon’s fiddle, rise from the rhythmic pad laid down by Steve and Gini and combine to create high energy Americana with tinges of newgrass on the instrumentals Red Mule Ride, the mandolin workout Slick Willie, Booze Mountain, and especially the barn-burning closer Whitetail Ridge, and old-school country on Are You Cheatin’ On Me and Hangover City. Gini’s tunes Katie McGee and the chilling 3 Bullets prove that the fightin’, killin’, cheatin’ and drinkin’ aren’t just left to the boys.

Trying to stake out a corner of the musical world is a difficult thing to do, but on Mountain Air, the love of a good story and an honest tune can be something the Bibb City Ramblers can call their own.

Curtis Lynch

Playgrounds Magazine

April 2012

Pick up your very own copy at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bibbcityramblers.

Jon Byrd

Down at the Well of Wishes

Longleaf Pine Records

www.jonbyrd.com

Alabama born Jon Byrd up and moved to Nashville by way of Atlanta’s Redneck Underground and has since been loosely affiliated with a talented group of singer-songwriters based in East Nashville, and rightly so.  One of Byrd’s songs appeared on the RedBeet Records 2006 compilation Music From East Nashville Vol. 3 and he recently contributed vocals on a track for Eric Brace and Peter Cooper’s Tom T. Hall tribute album I Love: Tom T. Hall's SongsOf Fox Hollow. But while many of the others in this collective are known to dip a toe or two into the river of classic country, Byrd takes a running leap and dives in head first. From the retro font across the front of the cover to the “stereo” banner along the top, this could have been a Capitol release in the late 60s or early 70s. The nine songs clocking in at 37 minutes would have fit nicely on two sides of a vinyl record, too. But don’t get me wrong: this is no period piece. These tunes are as timeless as they are timely. Over a backing of pedal steel and twangy lead guitar, Byrd’s vocals are as warm as good bourbon and go down just as easy. All the songs are strong, well constructed pieces, but my favorite is Alabama Asphalt, a bluesy, Jimmy Rodgers-style tune with slinky lap steel licks by Pat Severs. For country music as it should be, give a listen to Down at the Well of Wishes.

Curtis Lynch

Playgrounds Magazine

February 2012

TybeeDawg’s Pick of the Litter 2011

“Whatever satisfies the soul is truth.”― Walt Whitman

“All the shopping malls and restaurants and airports are riddled with low-fidelity loudspeakers, which apparently have developed the ability to reproduce by themselves; these are all connected to a special programming service called Music That Nobody Really Likes, and you cannot get away from it.” That’s from author/humorist Dave Barry, and we’ve all felt that way at one time or another. Fortunately, there’s a special programming service called TybeeDawg’s Pick of the Litter that can take care of that little problem for you.

With that, here are the records that satisfied my soul in 2011:

Record of the year:

I Love: Tom T Hall’s Songs of Fox Hollow – Eric Brace and Peter Cooper & Various Artists. On this remake of Hall’s classic country album, Cooper and Brace have rediscovered the imagination of youth and reintroduced it to a new generation. Pick: Sneaky Snake by Buddy Miller and Duane Eddy.

Debut record of the year:

Alabama Shakes – EP – A refreshingly unassuming mix of retro-soul, blues and R&B. Buy their record. See them live. Now. Pick: any of the four songs on the EP.

Live record of the year:

Songs and Stories – Guy Clark –America’s finest living songwriter plays a set in your living room and brings his friends. Pick: L.A. Freeway.

Cover song of the year:

Go-Go Boots - Drive-by Truckers – The Muscle Shoals sound figures prominently on DBT’s new one as the band continues to make exciting, visceral music. Pick: Eddie Hinton’s Everybody Needs Love.

Car song of the year:

Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns – John Hiatt – Hiatt continues to produce amazing roots music time after time. Best track: Detroit Made.

Best of the Rest:

Harlem River Blues - Justin Townes Earle - Wherein Justin finds his own voice. And it’s a good one. This record cuts across genres and generations, much like his dad and his namesake. Pick: Christchurch Woman.

The Lost Cause Minstrels - Grayson Capps - On Grayson’s best record yet, he spins tales gleaned from barrooms, bordellos and backwaters of Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. Pick: John the Dagger, Coconut Moonshine.

The Harrow and the Harvest - Gillian Welch – Her first record in eight years is also her finest, full of songs equally new and threadbare, comfortable and timeless, and each and every one a dusky, shadowy jewel. Pick: The Way It Goes.

A Pre-existing Condition – David Dondero – David’s deceptively simple mix of covers and his own quirky songs made this quiet, acoustic record one of my favorites. Pick: Not Everybody Loves Your Doggie Like You Do.

2011’s crop of music was some of the tastiest yet. I’m encouraged with the growth of the Americana genre and its inclusion in both the Grammys and the dictionary. Technology continues to evolve and expand the availability of artists to the public. I’ve had a great time building and sharing playlists with Spotify, for example. There’s still a long way to go, though. What passes for popular music in all the major formats is as exciting and innovative as dirt. Too often form and façade is substituted for heart and soul and we’re way too willing to sit back and take it. If you make resolutions, then resolve to find some new music and share it with friends. Get out and hear live music and support the artists. Forget Occupy Wall Street, let’s Occupy Abbey Road, Beale Street and Music Row!

Curtis Lynch

Playgrounds Magazine

December 2011

Americana Music Festival and Conference

Nashville, Tennessee

October 12 – 15, 2011

If moments can be used to define events, then the sight of Buddy Miller in the middle of a sun splashed Saturday afternoon crowd in the tiny back parking lot of a used record store, would be it for the 2011 Americana Music Festival. Buddy, who two days before had just garnered Americana awards for Artist of the Year, Instrumentalist of the Year and as a member of Robert Plant’s Band of Joy, Album of the Year, was out enjoying himself. Because what’s happening here in Nashville isn’t American Idol histrionics or pop culture with a use-by date, this is, if I may borrow a line from my friend Ken Stahl, music that matters.

Four days, five clubs, over a hundred artists, and one goal – to promote, encourage and educate the public about that elusive genre, Americana. For me, it’s a chance to hear my favorite artists in a setting where they’re predisposed to excel. You just don’t give a bad performance in Nashville during the AMAs. Wildman Steve, Program Director at Wildman Steve Radio, a busy man during the conference, says “the AMAs are a fantastic experience for us. The access to ar

tists for interviews is unparalleled, the interaction with other radio, promotions, and industry folks of all types is educational, and the opportunity to see so many new and established acts in a four-day period is thrilling and enlightening.”

And for an artist like Lisa Oliver-Gray, (shown above with Tommy Womack) whose record Dedicated To Love will be released in November, she says “the AMA conference promotes community among the musicians, singers, stylists, and writers and excites the hostess, Music City! A general feeling of love is my perception. The audiences are truly engaged by their favorite artists but are full of complimentary energy about their "new favorites!" Being a part of it feels like a visit to your favorite childhood camp seeing your visiting friends except with dynamic performances, insightful Q & A's and a beautiful appreciation of the multitude and variety of talent!” Lisa has contributed backup vocals to many of my favorite Nashville artists and I’m looking forward to hearing her new release.

Grant Peeples, a very buzz-worthy artist, when not harassing country music legends in parking lots, spent his time at the conference networking with members of the radio industry and taking in a few of the showcases. And speaking of showcases, my short list of favorites starts with the very first night’s set from Marshall Chapman (shown below) and Will Kimbrough at the Station Inn. Marshall sang, joked and read from her new book “They Came To Nashville.”

It was an intimate, warm performance that made you feel welcome. Next up was Jimmie Dale Gilmore and the Wronglers, featuring Warren Hellman of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival fame on banjo. Hayes Carll put on a scorching set at the Mercy Lounge; Athens was well represented with Packway Handle Band playing their unique brand of bluegrass for an appreciative crowd at the Station Inn and Ken Will Morton playing solo at the Listening Room. Kenny Vaughn and rockabilly trio Phil Hummer and the White Falcons played an eye-opening 9:30am set in the hotel lobby. Lisa Oliver-Gray sang with Tommy Womack and the Rush to Judgment at the Basement and with Will Kimbrough at the Rutledge, Eric Brace & Peter Cooper played a set together as well as a free afternoon show at Centennial Park highlighting their recent release, I Love: Tom T. Hall’s Songs of Fox Hollow, a re-recording of the classic record.

David Olney performed at the Southern Festival of Books, being held concurrently with the AMAs, giving a dramatic reading of Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess ” and also played Americanarama IV, outside Grimey’s New and Preloved Records, this time with guitarist Sergio Webb, who uses his ten fingers and six strings to spin his own tales. Ken Will Morton (shown below) brought his Athens, Georgia brand of infectious Americana to a set at The Listening Room. The free Americanarama festival also featured Glossary and Hymn For Her. Roots rockers The Bottle Rockets sat themselves down and played an acoustic show, and the Muscle Shoals tribute at the Cannery featured Wet Willie’s Jack Hall, Webb Wilder, David Hood, Spooner Oldham and Billy Burnette.

I can’t say enough about the people who keep this thing running, especially Joyce, whose generosity and compassion truly make her a star in this town. For fans, for artists, for industry professionals, this convergence of talent and opportunity during the festival and conference presents a unique setting where a Buddy Miller sighting isn’t something unusual, it’s just Americana.

Curtis Lynch

Playgrounds Magazine

November 2011

Katrina - Six Years Gone

A bit of the Georgia Satellites from 2005 and a blog I wrote back in 2006:

It's been forever and a day since I felt like this

want a fifth of wild turkey and one little kiss

and I don't miss that girl

if I did I wouldn't let it show

I might go to the moon

might wind up dead

wake up in morning in a strangers bed

well I'm not concerned with any of that no more

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After landfall, I watched the levees break, and I kept watching as the news channels broadcast hours and hours and scene after scene of destruction and rescue and despair, and finally, as I watched the dissolution of an entire city, I watched myself sink into a kind of walking daze of depression where I shielded myself from the truth that this could happen in a city in the United States of America.

Things are not back to normal by any definition of the word, no matter how liberally that word is used in New Orleans. It will never be the same.

But one thing about New Orleans is that it will carry on, the spirit will prevail.

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Six Years Gone

water through my hands