OUT OF THE CHUTE - Dana Cooper

 

Good morning (again!)

Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to Dana Cooper. An artist with a fabulous blend of old school Americana and Folk. I'll drop one of his videos down below to tease you until I get the album review up tomorrow.

In the mean time, let's open the chute!

Thanks for joining me in KellysCountry today, Dana...

You got a really early start in this business. You were playing coffee houses in 1967 – a time when folk music was still going strong. Who were some of your biggest influences leading up to that time? So many people influenced me early on, Hank Williams, Buffy St. Marie, Bob Dylan, Leonard Bernstein, Ray Charles.

 

I first heard your name in connection with Shake Russel. You were a part of several bands in various sub-genres of folk/ rock music including your pairing with Shake before moving to Nashville to work on your solo career. What was in your heart to make the switch from band mate to solo career? I made the decision to leave the band with shake russell when I began listening to artists like Elvis Costello, Laurie Anderson, and the Clash. The songs I started writing just didn’t fit what we were doing with that band. DC3 was my chance to experiment with different kinds of songwriting. After a few years I began moving back toward my beginnings, only this time incorporating lots of the other influences I’d gathered along the way.

 

You have a list of awards/ accolades some musicians can only aspire to. What do you feel was the key ingredient in those career markings? Did each of those awards/ recognitions build on the next one… ie what did you take from Miracle Mile as you moved into Harry Truman Built A Road? Awards are gratifying but they’ve never been a driving force for me. The recognition received is an indicator that one is doing good work and it helps drive me to improve as an artist and writer. Miracle Mile was released at a difficult time for me. I was without a booking agent and the label wasn’t gaining much support for the project. Being nominated for the Nashville Music Awards was a much needed validation. Harry Truman Built a Road was in many ways another new beginning. Again, the accolades it received boosted my morale and did a lot to put me back on the map as a solo singer songwriter.

 

With that still in mind… was there a bridge between those, including Incendiary Kid in 2017 that moved you forward into I Can Face the Truth? I have always worked with incredibly talented people on my recordings. Richard McLaurin and Mack Linebaugh were my co-producers for Harry Truman Built a Road. Richard also co-produced Made of Mud with me. Thomm Jutz came on board to co-produce Building a Human Being, Road Show, and Incendiary Kid. Working with the best people has always been my goal and all these folks helped me create greatest music projects. Meeting Dave Coleman was yet another big turning point for me. The recording studio can be an intimidating environment and I’ve never felt more comfortable and free in the recording process than I was with Dave.

 

I loved the title track. I felt the process of that track as shining example of the possibilities within the industry today. The virtual possibilities of working together really lends to creating something magical – even when we can’t work together in person. A lot of artists would (and did) just put the production side of their music on hold. What was the key to you and Dave Coleman pushing through the shutdown, which most saw as an obstacle? Dave Coleman and I began with the song I had recently written, I Can Face the Truth. We finished it in an afternoon and we knew immediately that we wanted to continue working together. There was this natural musical affiliation we felt. I was still writing songs for a new CD but hadn’t even begun making a plan to record yet. So, we worked gradually as my touring schedule allowed. When the pandemic hit we shut down like everyone else. During that time I concentrated on writing and once some time had passed and we felt somewhat comfortable we worked in the studio masked and in separate rooms. Some of my co-writers shared their vocals long distance and once things opened up Dave and I returned to work with other players and singers, again masked and at a distance.

 

I love good Texas dramas/ sitcoms. Especially, if they pull in some of my favorite Texas artists. I’m really dialed in to Walker, Texas Ranger and think a couple of your tracks would be outstanding for the show music tracks. The title track as well as Laughing and Crying, parallel the storyline perfectly. Have you thought about getting your music in front of those folks? I would love to have my music placed in films and television shows. That’s something my current manager is working toward.

 

You wrote or co-wrote every piece on this album with the exception of one cover. What was your thought behind including I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry? My dad, George, was a big influence on me musically. His record collection was eclectic with an emphasis on Country artists like Hank Williams and Ernest Tubb. Dad took me to bars with him when I was 2 years old. He’d play the jukebox and I would sing along with Hank and Ernest. Dad took me to see Ernest Tubb in concert when I was three. I’m so Lonesome I Could Cry has always reminded me of my father and I included it on the new CD in his honor.

What do you hope your listeners will take away from this (or any of your previous) albums? My goal has always been to lift people up out of their struggles, make them laugh and maybe bring a tear to their eye. That’s what music gives me, a sense that someone else feels the way I do, that I’m not alone in this world.

You will find out more about Dana Cooper by clicking on the following links:

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   TWITTER   INSTAGRAM   YOUTUBE   PATREON

Country Blessings

~ Kelly

TURNTABLE TUESDAY - Geography

Good morning, country fans!

Today's review brings us a sweet mix of American, folk with a touch of meditation. I'm talking about

Her style has been compared to Brandi Carlisle and Lucinda Williams. I don't think the comparison is fair. While those ladies have the grit of the genre, I beleive that each one of those women have an individuality all their own, contracted by their personal experiences. Rigby Summer brings her heart and soul to this album.

GEOGRAPHY is eleven tracks of magic. 

If you read yesterday's interview with Rigby Summer, then you heard the first track, The Weight (Unrequited). The opening strains are meditative... like a shower of crystals reminiscent of Kitaro. From there, the the strong takes a bit of an uptick as the journey begins.

Seldom do I come across an artist that creates such vivid imagery as Rigby Summer. It isn't about just the pictures she paints with her lyrics but the emotional connection to a road we've all traveled - even if those roads were different for each of us.

Delaware is a peaceful, thought-provoking tune that almost mesmerizes you like a long stretch of highway where as Michigan has a melancholy feel with a hint of Celtic Women. 

Two tracks, Gibson Guitar and Buy Me A Piano, carry a Carly Simon breathlessness, adding to the timelessness of GEOGRAPHY. 

Overall, this album is soft, yet engaging - just as at home in a New York highrise or a Caribbean beach bar and every destination you want to travel in between. 

I'm tipping my hat...

You can find out more about Rigby Summer by clicking on the following links:

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   INSTAGRAM   YOUTUBE   SPOTIFY   iTunes

Country Blessings

~ Kelly

 

OUT OF THE CHUTE - Rigby Summer

 Good morning, everyone!

Today, we are checking in with Rigby Summer.

Thanks for joining us in KellysCountry today, Rigby!

You’ve been writing and performing for a good number of years. You released an EP in the fall of 2020. Now you have a full album barely a year later. Was the EP a teaser of what you had to offer in GEOGRAPHY?

 

The EP was a pandemic project.  Geography was ready to send for artwork and print and the plan was to release it in Fall 2020, but then of course, we all went on lock down and after having travelled so much in the years prior, I didn’t release my debut album at a time that I couldn’t tour it--I mean, it’s called GEOGRAPHY and I couldn’t travel!

 

But I wanted to do something to reach out and build a little momentum so when I qualified for PUA (pandemic unemployment assistance) at the end of the summer I decided to invest some of that in my music. I had an idea for a long time that I wanted to do a “holiday adjacent” album someday with songs that were fit for the season but not your typical holiday standards, especially for anyone who might feel a bit melancholy through the holidays. 

This seemed like the perfect time. Kyle (Reid) has this song Dancing Alone that is just fantastic and in a year when EVERYONE was going to be dancing alone on New Year’s Eve, it was the perfect anchor for the EP.

 

That little project saved my sanity last fall--everything about it was just fun and low-pressure because these were all covers--my interpretations of other people’s songs--as opposed to the debut of my own.  We spent a couple of days in studio and did most of the dialing in for final mixes remotely. We even sent the title track to Montreal to get the tuba and banjo treatment from Les Royal Pickles.  The icing on the cake was when the manager of historic Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa allowed my photographer friend, Sarah Huhn, and me into the space for an hour to shoot the cover.  I still can’t believe how everything came together in the span of 4-6 weeks...I don’t think that little project could have been made that way at any other time.

 

You took some time off then seems as if you’ve come back with a vengeance. What did you learn about yourself during that hiatus?

 

Well, the hiatus was never really intentional. But there is a sort of dichotomy to what I learned from that season. On one hand, I look back and understand now more than ever how important  it is to know yourself and deeply plant your roots there because there will always be someone ready to tell you where you should or shouldn't belong or how to spend your days.  If you always look to others to validate your path, you’ll just get blown off track because everyone’s wind is coming from a different direction.

 

But on the other hand, I have gratitude for that time. In that time, there are things that I learned about life and business and myself that have enabled me to approach things differently this time around.  That previous version of myself was younger and cuter and skinnier but she had no idea what she was doing. She was talented, but she didn’t know what to do with it. She needed to get her mind right. She didn’t yet have the fortitude to handle resistance when it came her way...so if you see everything in life as learning, there is no lost time. And if my story can help someone else get back on their true path, then it’s all happening right on time. 

 

Did any of that hiatus find its way into this LP and if so, would you point out specifics?

 

Your music & style has drawn comparisons with Brandi Carlile and Lucinda Williams. Those names pack a punch. How do you feel about the comparisons?

 

Well, tell me two bigger badasses in Americana music right now!  I am honored every time it happens.  Vocally, I hear Brandi pretty regularly. But as much as I love her, I was surprised when I started hearing Lucinda, but that has happened more often after performances, so yeah, I dig it.  If I am developing vocals comparable to Brandi and performance swagger comparable to Lucinda, I am gonna lean into that!

 

 

Who do you consider to be your biggest musical influences in your life?

 

Well, if you mean formative people in my life, that’s easy:  my brother and my mom’s best friend Mary. They helped inform my musical taste early on.  I went through this phase as a tween where I only listened to the oldies station. All my peers were learning dances to pop music at recess but was going home to sing along with the Shirelles and the Rolling Stones.  I was a weird kid! Mary tuned into that and started feeding me music pretty early on.  She taped off all her Mary Chapin Carpenter CDs for me and I absorbed every note.  I studied those songs and wanted to be her.  Then my brother loved music and we went to a lot of great concerts together growing up.  Because of him, my first real concert was Paul McCartney at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Between the two of us, we knew almost every lyric to every song on the 70s rock station.

 

Of those folks, what would you say had the biggest effect on who you are as an artist now?

 

I’m going to dodge this a little bit and focus on the “who I am as an artist now” end of this question, because I don’t think I really ever realized how attainable it actually is to set on out on this path and do the dang thing when I was younger.  For sure, it is more possible now because there are fewer gatekeepers in the music industry these days.  So the biggest influences on me becoming the artist I am now are the performers who were willing to come share the stage with me at my concert series in Stillwater.  That event became my school when music came back to me in 2017. For the first year or so I was for sure playing WAY out of my league!  I had no business sharing the stage with a lot of those performers.  But they were so gracious and I learned something every month, either just from observation or sometimes things that they would directly tell me.  A turning point for me was when, after a while, I had a few hosting experiences where some artists showed me who I didn’t want to be as a guest and an artist. Haha..thats’ when I realized I had slowly been growing into my own. 

 

I will say that one of the hosting experiences that was most positively formative was when Belle Plaine and Blake Berglund came down from Saskatchewan and we ended up playing about a week of shows together after a week of radio and rehearsals.  I had only been back at it about a year and while I had a certain level of confidence in myself as an artist, working with them was a considerable uplevel from where I was at that time. Most of the week I felt like I had maybe dove in to the deep end a little too quickly!

 

But working with them and their guitar player those two weeks, getting to know them, I got to see the stage persona versus who they are as people and I saw just how connected they were--on stage they lean in to the best parts of their values, their personalities and their relationships with each other.  It was really special to watch.  I saw first hand how they worked together as a band behind the scenes, taking care of one another and getting the work done together.  And I think I came away feeling permission to bring my own swagger to the stage.  I know my performance and stagecraft was heavily influenced  from working with them.

 

I love the album cover. Geography in itself is more than just a place, it’s what gives us peace wherever we are. What brings you peace?

 

I’ve been revisiting the audiobook of Brené Brown’s Braving the Wilderness on the road lately.  It’s been a good reminder of this idea of belonging everywhere by belonging nowhere--by belonging first to myself.  My entire childhood I dreamed of travel.  And then I took my first trip abroad when I was nineteen.  I can safely say that every place I have lived or traveled since then has felt a little like home, so in terms of physical geography, I have often felt an attachment or sense of belonging everywhere I go.  But it can at times feel lonely, not feeling fully rooted in any of those places. When that loneliness or anxiety builds up, I try to come back to those things that center and ground me: going for a walk--bonus if I can really get out in nature for a hike--sitting in stillness, focusing on my breathing...gosh, even re-engaging with the road. 

 

If you could offer one tip to artists trying to find their vibe in this business, what would that tip be?

Know yourself and be that, unabashedly. Your story, your message and your music are a gift and there are people who need to hear it.   If you are trying to be someone else, you aren’t going to find your  audience.  It’s an ongoing process, learning to love and trust yourself, but when you set on that path, the right people will find you.

I'll be back tomorrow with a review of GEOGRAPHY. In the mean time, here's the first track from her  YouTube channel:

You can find out more about Rigby Summer by clicking on the following links:

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   INSTAGRAM   YOUTUBE   SPOTIFY   iTunes

Country Blessings

~ Kelly

 

OUT OF THE CHUTE - Craig Cummings

Happy Monday, friends!

This week, I'm bringing an East Coast artist. Craig Cummings hails from Washington D.C.

Thanks for joining us in Kelly's Country, Craig!

Let's open the chute -

When I first saw you on the website, I thought sure you were straight out of Texas! So how does a guy from Baltimore come to be an artist that could have walked out of a honky tonk? Do you have those in Baltimore?

Well, there aren’t too many honky-tonks in Baltimore, but there are more venues you might describe that way in the DC/Virginia area. Throughout my career I’ve played all different kinds of music, and I have a broad palette of musical genres that I enjoy. I started playing country/country rock music back in the 70s. Even though I dabbled in other genres, this is where I just feel right. I took a couple of years away from performing in the early 2000s, while my kids were growing and I was very busy with my day job. In 2007 or so, I decided to recommit to writing and performing and I told myself that I would move forward without any preconceived notions about what style of music I would write. As I began furiously writing songs at that time, it was easy to see that the country/Americana style was what came naturally to me. Five albums later, I’m right where I want to be stylistically. I’ve lived on the east coast my whole life, but I would have fit right in somewhere out west. IN fact, my wife and I spend a month every year in Tucson, AZ and I do a lot of writing there.

 I love that you do songwriter showcases and are heavily involved in songwriting organizations. When did that start for you and why is it important to you to be a part of those avenues?

I think there is a lot to be learned from working with and spending time with other songwriters. In these parts, we don’t have the history and cache that Austin, Nashville, and other centers of songwriting goodness boast. So, songwriters have to stick together and work to be heard and seen and acknowledged for what we bring to the music scene. These songwriting groups are a good way to do that. Plus, I love bringing people together to make music

Both your musical influences and your ‘Favorite CDs’ cover a wide scope of music genres. Of them, what would you say were your three main take-aways that became a part of who you are as a songwriter, musician and performer?

Well, I think I’d have to break this down into 3 time periods in my life. In the 70s, I was strongly influenced by songwriting performers like Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Gram Parsons, and The Beatles. Through the 80s and 90s, I listened and learned a lot from writer/performers like Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, Springsteen, and Tom Petty. From about 2000 on, my influences moved to songwriters from Nashville and Texas… writers such as Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, and Townes Van Zandt. Each of these periods of influence gave a slightly different imprint on my songwriting style. Generally, I want to write songs that have strong lyrics, often with a first-person approach, since this makes songs more personal for the listener. I also want to write songs that you want to sing along with…songs that stick in your mind long after you’ve heard them. And I want to write in an upbeat style even when I’m writing about difficult things. I love sad, slow ballads, but I don’t record too many of them.

You mention you began playing in your teens. I also find you very articulate. Would you share a bit about your education journey?

Well, I majored in education at the University of MD because back then, if you wanted to major in music, it had to be classical or jazz performance and composition – there were no songwriting or music production majors like there are now in some universities. When I graduated, I got a job immediately and just started working as a teacher while playing music at night. I went back to school at night to get a Master’s degree because in teaching you must continue to take classes and develop professionally, and if I was gonna take classes I figured I might as well get another degree. So, I got my Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University. Right before I finished my advisor convinced me to apply to the doctoral program, assuring me I’d get in. I did, and seven years later I had my doctorate – all while still playing music. I was a teacher for about 15 years and an administrator for about 21 years.

Your bio mentions a love for language. Do you speak any others besides English?

In high school I won the Spanish award for being the best student of Spanish in the senior class. I used to read books in Spanish and converse pretty well. These days, I can read it fairly well, but I don’t speak it very well. I wish I was better at it.

 If I’m reading your discography correctly, The Gulf Between Us is your fifth album. How did this album come about?

When I wrote the title song, I knew right away that the subject matter of that song was going to be the theme for an album. A light just went off! Subsequent to that I was in AZ and took a trip to the border wall to see for myself what it was about…to get a feel for it. That and some reading I did spawned the songs Momma and Me, The Southern Wall, and Like Thieves.  The remaining songs were written as I asked myself, “What are some of the other things that keep people apart.” I decided failed relationships and the passing of loved ones were also major factors. All of that went into the songs on the album.

Since Road Trips and Relationships, how do you think you’ve grown as an artist across the album releases?

Well, most importantly, I think I’ve become a better songwriter. I spend much more time fine-tuning my songs, and when I write I begin with more of a purpose. I pay much more attention to small details that can move a song from being good to great. And, I am better at bringing the right people together to make the music I want to make, and I have a greater understanding of what works and does not work in a recording studio.

When fans listen to your music, what do you hope they glean from the experience?

I hope that they find some truths in the music that speak to them. Maybe it’s just one line in a song, maybe it’s the theme or topic…but I just want listeners to feel something, and to appreciate the power of music to be a positive force in their lives. In the best of all worlds, there would be a Craig Cummings song 

Tomorrow, I'll be reviewing Craig's new album. You can catch up with him via the following social media links:

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   TWITTER   YOUTUBE   

In the mean time, I'll leave you with this video:

WEDNESDAY REVIEW - One Line At A Time & WIN!

Yesterday's post had to run today as I had to get confirmation on the release date. Throwback Thursday will be here next week!

The latest from D. L. Marble dropped yesterday - September 16th.  While, his music has a harder edge for me personally, there was a lot to like about this album overall.

Produced by  Eric “Roscoe” Ambel, ONE LINE AT A TIME features 10 tracks of well-written stories. They are lyrics written from experience. Through the tunes I get a feeling 'what you see is what you get' with D.L.

With the first chords of Same Damn Thing, I heard a familiar sound... influence of Steve Earle. D. L.'s tunes have that same edginess that is Americana with a rocker undercurrent, like an animal begging to be let free.

One Line At A Time gives us a unique view of life on the road. Only a master songwriter like D. L. could bring so many connotations to 'one line' into one cohesive piece.

For all of us who've still had questions after losing someone, California Memory  is that tune you want to play over and over as you search for answers.

D. L. doesn't leave us melancholy for long as he jumps into the harder track of Better Than Me. The tune carries a 60s psychedelic rock that draws you in, whether it's your style or not. 

Overall, D.L has crafted a perfect blend of styles to form the perfect 'house party' album. Pour yourself a tumbler of your favorite (skip the branch), sit back and let him take you on a  journey, that while you may have taken before, you'll see with new eyes. 

I'm tipping my hat:

 .8

WIN!   WIN!   WIN!   WIN!

I will be giving away a FREE copy of this CD to one lucky commenter. You have until midnight CST September 21st to register.  All you have to do is:

1 - Follow me on Twitter - https://KellysCountry

2 - Leave a comment down below that you are a new follower and include your twitter handle.

I will announce the winner on Turntable Tuesday September 29th.

You'll find D. L. on the various Social Media streams:

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   TWITTER   INSTAGRAM   PINTEREST   YOUTUBE

TURNTABLE TUESDAY - Fire Out of Stone

Welcome back to Turntable Tuesday!
While I was taking time off, a lot of great new music came my way. For the next few weeks I'll be playing catch-up, introducing you to some new folks as well as some return guests... folks like Chuck Hawthorne

Chuck released his sophomore album, FIRE OUT OF STONE, back in late July. The reviews are amazing... and rightly so. Michael Martin Murphy refers to him as 'best songwriter I've heard in 20 or 30 years'. 

Adam Carroll, whom has been here as well says the following:
“For me, hearing Chuck’s music for the first time was like discovering buried treasure. He’s gifted with a poetic sense that transcends the ages, but  also reflects the best of folks, in the time we live in here and now. Yes sir, both as an artist, and a person, old Chuck will always have your back.”

For me, (good friend not withstanding) Chuck Hawthorne is one of the most talented songwriters to come out of Texas. Nine of the ten tracks on this album flowed through his fingers over the years, being brought together by one serendipitous moment. That moment whispered in his ear as he listened to the final recordings of the late Richard Dobson. (See THIS LINK for my interview with Richard in 2014) 

Of all the songs from this album Chuck put on YouTube, I wish he'd included the Dobson tune, I Will Fight No More Forever, so I could share it with you. You'll just have to pick up a copy of the CD to grasp the Dobson-infused tune.

Before I get into the review of the specific tracks I have to add that when I read how this album came to be, I cried. Knowing that Richard's wife, Edith, had sent the copy of his last album to Chuck, and imaging the conversations they must have had about this album prior to Richard's passing tears at my heart. As the saying goes, 'C'est La Vie - Such Is Life. Since the album opens with this track, let's listen to that tune before we get on with the review

From Such Is Life, the ride takes us into Amarillo Wind (See Official Video HERE)

The album, produced by Walt Wilkins and Ron Flynt, is beautifully mastered. Each track blends seamlessly one into the other, weaving a mesmerizing tale of life. Unlike his first album Silver Line, I can't begin to pick a favorite tune. I could sit and listen to this album for hours. I suggest you pour a nice glass of wine or your favorite liquor, kick back and close your eyes. Let Chuck Hawthorne take you on a mystical journey that is sure to make you think... feel... reminisce .... and be thankful he passed this way. 

Other talents, along with insturments you might not think of in this genre, on this album include:

Ray Bonneville - Harmonica 

Marian Brackney - Fiddle & Viola

Julie Carter - Cello

Ron Flynt - Bass & Baritone guitar 

Libby Koch - Harmony

Geoff Queen - Steel guitar & Dobro

Ray Rodriguez - Drums & Percussion

Walt Wilkins - High strung guitar & Percussion

Someday, someone is going to send me an album that deserves a low rating. FIRE OUT OF STONE deserves only the best hat tip. I'm sure you'll agree

Website     Reverbnation      Facebook       Twitter     YouTube      Amazon  

WEDNESDAY REVIEW - Jubilee

No Turntable Tuesday this week. I've been busy trying to put my author business on track in hopes of at least contributing to the house funds. So today will not be a Turntable or a traditional view, just my thoughts.

I've been listening to the tracks of JUBILEE by Bill Bloomer and I'm caught between this guy can really write and his voice is a bit too rough and tarnished for my musical tastes. But here's the thing... and it's a BIG THING... I can't stop listening.

Beneath the gravely, almost intoxicated voice is a man that has experienced life to the hilt.. and back. While he's listed as an Americana artist, I hear the blues... true, deep, soulful. Whether that comes from his Chicago roots or somewhere else in his travels, the man has soul. 

As I listen to each of the nine tracks, I'm taken back to a simpler time. A time when good music was played on the front porch of the cabin. You didn't care about all the fancy stuff that was supposed to make the music better. What you did want was the truth from a man who knew how to tell a story. If that's the kind of music you want to listen to, then grab your copy of JUBILEE on March 30th. 

A bit about Bill Bloomer:

Bill was born in Illinois, spent time in Texas, began his career in Portland, Oregon, found himself living amongst Buddhist forest monks at a temple in Thailand where he continues to spend time, and has “settled” in France. Bloomer has been everywhere. All of these influences seep their way into his latest release, Jubilee. The record was recorded in two studios, one in Joshua Tree, CA and the other in Austin, TX to ensure that he was able to get the correct players on every track.

OUT OF THE CHUTE - Tim Henderson

TIM HENDERSON

2/19/1940 – 11/01/2011

Very seldom do I use the Out of the Chute to talk about someone who is no longer with us. As I listened to the music of Tim Henderson (CD collection review coming tomorrow) I realized that he is with us. Tim Henderson was a songwriter who like Towns Van Zandt, his influence lives on in many songwriters today.

In a phone call to Tim one night, Towns is quoted as saying “I just felt like talking to the best songwriter I know.” Richard Dobson referred to an endorsement from Towns Van Zandt as a ‘gold standard’.

Tim had a way of pushing boundaries with his lyrics without insulting folks. He made them think - told things like they were. “I keep trying to think of a more purely representative American Songwriter than Tim Henderson… “ ~Tom Paxton

Born in West Virginia, his lyrics reflect a lot of his Appalachian heritage, yet he could belt songs such as La Dona Maria, the Spanish dialect rolling from his tongue while he was Texas/ Americana through and through. You will also hear a Scottish influence in his vocals and lyrics, something he probably picked up as a young boy, listening to his grandmother play Scottish and Wales folk music on her mountain dulcimer. But his biggest influences, like all songwriters, came from his life. The places and people he experienced from his early years, to his military service and various jobs into adulthood all became fodder for the songs he would write. Quoting Townes, “His songs are soulful and solid, sprung from the soil of Texas. Sometimes witty, always wise. Never showy or shallow.” That’s LIFE!

Tim was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Academy of Texas Music in 2011 for his “timeless contributions to Texas music”. TMA founder, Lucky Boyd is quoted, “Any songwriter’s clinic should include a study of Henderson’s songs. As a mainstay of Texas music, Henderson will be touted as a historically significant component throughout the annals of lone star lore.”

“Tim was a joy to be around. He was always happy, always up, always joyous, always carrying around his wonderful songs which he would sing with that special passion of his anywhere, anytime. I miss him a lot.” ~W.C. Jameson

When Tim performed at the Woody Guthrie Memorial Festival in Tulsa with Pete Seeger, Pete would later remark about the ‘spiritual evocation of Texas’ Tim brought to his ballads.

Tomorrow I’ll talk about a 6-CD compilation released in 2016. Artists all across Texas came together for a tribute to a man who taught them so much through his songwriting.

In the mean time, here's a glimpse into this man's amazing talent - courtesy of TexasOutlawVideos:

Country Blessings!

I'M BACK!!!

First off... HUGE Congratulations and CountryBlessings to Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit as well as Rhonda Vincent & the Rage last night at the Grammy's. WOW! What an amazing night for country music!

First off, Chris Stapleton:

Best Country Album - From A Room Vol. 1

Best Country Solo Performance - Either Way

Best Country Song - Broken Halos

Jason Isbell:

Best Americana Album - Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - The Nashville Sound

Rhonda Vincent:

Best Bluegrass Album - Rhonda Vincent & the Rage - In Concert Vol. 1

I am so happy to be putting this blog back together. Of all the things I'm involved in, this blog and the items I include here are what I've missed the most. I'll need a couple weeks to get reviews and interviews up and running but The Party List will launch on Thursday. 

My husband is home so I'm dividing my work/ hubby hours but he understands I have to get business rolling if there's any plan of him retiring in five years. 

In the meantime, I'd love to hear who you'd love for me to showcase this year? 

Country Blessings!

TURNTABLE TUESDAY - Keepsake

When I began this blog in February of 2009, I wanted to recognize Mike Blakely for his nomination in the category Entertainer of the Year at the Texas Music Awards. Mike and I have been friends for over twenty years and though we live nearly three states apart, receiving something new from him is like visiting with an old friend. While some artists change their style over the course of their career to reflect the time or a new crowd of listeners, Mike is one of those artists who stays true to who he is. He has an Easy Rambling style that brings comfort to your soul. 

Mike wrote eight of the tracks including one he co-wrote with his wife, Annie. Keepsake is a true love song suited for them. Annie also provides background vocals on the song as well as My Same Old New Mexican Dream, A Town Called Paradise and Don't Send Flowers. Don't Send Flowers is one of my favorite songs on the album. Leave something lasting and beautiful when you move on from this world. The Kids Choir adds to the simplistic beauty.

Aside from Annie's soft vocals, Walt Wilkins and Tina Wilkins lent their harmonies to I Am Nobody while Larry Boyd chimed in on Easy Ramblin' and Moonlight Colorado. A Grown-Ups Choir included familiar artists Woody Eastman as well as Larry & Susan Nye. Kurt Baumer (Fiddle), Duke Davie (Upright Bass), Larry Nye (keyboards and various guitars)  and Shane Lively (Drums) provided great instrumentals. 

Two remaining tracks, Miranda's Warning and The Island With No Name, bring a haunting undertone reminiscent of Night Train and the Moon (In the Dust CD)

Here's a sample of what you'll hear on the CD:

Mike Blakely is a true artist and who knows how stories and music should come together. This is another solid album for Mike Blakely. For consistency and the simplistic beauty, I'm tipping my hat:

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You'll find this and all of Mike's CDs:

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TURNTABLE TUESDAY - Jefferson Ross

The album LIVE AT HILLBILLY HAIKU by Jefferson Ross is the epitome of what good songwriting should be. Jefferson's lyrical style stems from his Georgia roots. While most people associate Texas with the Americana genre in reality Americana, while regional, covers many areas of this country. Each region bringing their own ingredient to a melting pot genre.  His poetic style tells stories of everyday life - the life he's not just seen but experienced is further demonstrated by the venue he chose to record this live album. Hillbilly Haiku  is an intimate house concert setting where friends gather to hear talented artists, enjoy good food and just have a great social evening.

From Slap It On to Family Drama, and the single, The Soul is Made of Broken Things, he touches the soul of anyone listening.. Seriously, who puts Mr. Magoo and Deepak Chopra in the same song and makes it work? No wonder he's Trying Not To Lose His Mind!

House of the Lord is a unique piece on this album. There is a definitive nod to religion where Jefferson speaks more of who he is and what the phrase means to him. While spiritual in nature, the words are also thought-provoking... something every good song should be. The most poignant track of the fourteen is Isle of Hope. Much like Lee Brice's I Drive Your Truck or Luke Bryan's Drink A Beer, Isle of Hope is not so  much about the loss of a loved one but in the recovery of those left behind and how we choose to carry on told in Jefferson's laid back, almost reverent tone.

The ebb and flow of the tracks is formed in such a way that you don't stay melancholy for long. Just when he has you thinking deep, Jefferson pulls you back to the lighter side with something like 77 Lime Green Cadillac Hearse.

While I've only highlighted a few of the tracks on this CD I am in no way diminishing the others. The haunting tale of Confederate Jasmine, the unique way of describing a lost love in Yesterday's Paper, and his fingerpickin' style showcased on Dunwoody Train. Jefferson Ross sums everything up in his intro to Stories... "it's the stories that make our lives interesting.. that make us a civilization."

My sister, Kitty, A Crazy Lady's Retirement,  described his style as casual. She is right. His style is as casual and comfortable as sitting with a friend. Jefferson Ross' music is a breath of fresh air in not just Americana, but the music world overall. I look forward to meeting Jefferson Ross and experiencing his music. Until then, I'm tipping my hat:

To get a glimpse into why the hat count is so high, here's a video for you:

To check out Jefferson's previous albums, visit him on Amazon

For more information on Jefferson Ross, visit his various social media venues:

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