Keep The Light Alive "Weight of the World"

Wow. The year is off to a very fast start. January is almost gone, and I have two quick trips coming. First up is the Bastrop Wildfire Benefit on Monday night at Hill Country Barbecue Market in Washington, DC with Sons of Bill. The Deep Dark Woods, Dallas Wayne, Chris Berardo and The DesBerardos and Ruthie & The Wranglers. Then coming up the next weekend, I head to Corpus Christi, Texas for a Wounded Warrior benefit, as The Pear Ratz will be performing. You will be able to watch that on their website. Later in February, I am contemplating trips to New Orleans, and then maybe Memphis for Folk Alliance.  It is certainly hard to return to these events that were once attended by Music Fog’s whole crew, but I carry on.

One of my primary reasons for going is to this year’s Keynote Speaker, Bob Lefsetz. He is a brilliant observer and acerbic critic of today’s music landscape, and it will be a fired up speech, for sure.  So for today, we take you back on the Music Fog bus from Folk Alliance 2010 for a song from Dan Navarro, Freebo, and David Glaser in salute to Eric Lowen, Keep The Light Alive, Celebrating The Music of Lowen & Navarro. On the album, the song “Weight Of The World” is performed by Jackson Browne, for the Music Fog version, we  were honored to have Dan, Freebo, and David. Eric, as you probably know, retired in 2009 because his ALS made performing and travelling too much for him, but I am happy to report his kids just celebrated their 18th birthday, and he was there to share it. With love to carry on, here is the Music Fog recording of “Weight Of The World.”

- Jessie Scott

The Black Lillies "Catherine"

I am reading a really cool book called The Mojo Triangle, which talks about the geography between Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans, the area that spawned the great American genres of Country, Blues, Bluegrass, Rock and Roll, and Jazz. It was the confluence of five national traditions: African American, Native American, British, Spanish and French. It was a potent mix to throw into the pot, and is one that keeps giving, as it drinks from the deepest possible well. And it is one that continues to manifest it’s gumbo in the music of today.

The Black Lillies are proponents of the echoes of the past brought forth with today’s freewheeling energy. They keep the spirit fresh in the tale of “Catherine,” done in the story song tradition of the British Isles. Cruz Contreras, Tom Pryor, Jamie Cook, Trisha Gene Brady and Robert Richards continue rolling down the highway on the heels of their most recent release, 100 Miles Of Wreckage. Tomorrow night finds them in Whitesburg, KY.  If they come to your town, promise me you will go to see them for a rousing evening’s rave up.

- Jessie Scott

Dave Alvin & The Guilty Ones "Black Rose of Texas"

I had the great pleasure of seeing Dave Alvin play again at Sam’s Burger Joint in San Antonio just before Christmas, and was once again struck by his humility, his soulfulness and his sheer talent. And by the way, that extends past his music, and includes the breaks in between the songs - erudite or heartfelt stories that he delivers with pinpoint accuracy, painting pictures with his words that take you there. You cheer him, learn music history from him, and sometimes mourn with him. Today’s song is one of those. After Dave’s best friend and band mate Chris Gaffney died in 2008, Dave put a project together in 2009 in which he was backed by the Guilty Women, instead of his Guilty Men.

Dave Alvin with Lisa Pankratz & Amy Farris.Today’s song is an homage by Dave Alvin to yet another band mate, Amy Farris, who was an amazing singer and fiddler, who was one of the Guilty Women.  She sadly, passed in 2009.  The song is called “Black Rose of Texas.”  I cried when Dave played it in San Antonio a month ago, both for his preamble to it and for the song itself. You can find it on Dave’s latest album Eleven Eleven.   And a note on that, there is an expanded version of the album coming in April, with nearly three hours of music and two previously unreleased bonus tracks, “Signal Hill” and “Never Trust A Woman.” Also there will be a live performance DVD, and a repackaging of the original full-length album. Today, the Music Fog version of “Black Rose Of Texas,” recorded during our Spring Marathon at Threadgill’s in Austin last year.

 - Jessie Scott

P.S. Dave is getting some love from the FX series Justified, as his song “Every Night About This Time” was featured last Tuesday on the season premiere. 

"Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan"

 As part of the 50th anniversary celebration for Amnesty International, a new 76 song, four disc set, Chimes Of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan, is being released today. Lest you think this is just some hippy dippy outgrowth of the 60s, Amnesty International has been fighting for human rights all over the globe, working to protect people’s justice, freedom, truth, and dignity, for which they received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Bob Dylan’s music is the perfect choice for a tribute, with his literate portrayal of social mores, issues, and the body politic in song through the years. The list of artists participating is mind-blowing, among them: Adele, Joan Baez, Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, Dave Matthews Band, Mark Knopfler, Lenny Kravitz, Kris Kristofferson, Tom Morello, Seal & Jeff Beck, Patti Smith, Sting, Pete Townshend, and Lucinda Williams.

All told, there are 80 artists spanning the genres who have contributed to this worthy album for a worthy cause. Bob Dylan himself does “Chimes Of Freedom” on the new album, and I couldn’t find a video for it. So here is a bit of a left curveball, as this version is not on the album, but here is one we found from Bruce Springsteen with Sting, Tracy Chapman, Peter Gabriel, and Youssou N´Dour back in 2007. 

- Jessie Scott

Jimmy LaFave "River Road"

Happy Chinese New Year! Today we usher in the Year of the Black Water Dragon, actually the only legendary animal among the signs in Chinese Astrology.   At Chinese New Year celebrations people wear red clothes, write poems on red paper, and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes. Red symbolizes fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck. Just in case you needed a reason to celebrate today, there you have it.

I predict this is going to be a big year for Jimmy LaFave. It would have been the 100th birthday of Woody Guthrie, and as Jimmy is a premier interpreter of Woody, I know he will be especially busy. Coming up later this week on January 28th is Walking Woody’s Road, with Jimmy teaming up with Eliza Gilkyson, Slaid Cleaves, and Terri Hendrix. Look for this show to tour through the year. We dig into a Jimmy LaFave self-penned tune today from the Music Fog Spring Marathon during SXSW 2011 at Threadgill’s. Jimmy is accompanied by Jeff Plankenhorn, Glenn Schuetz, Chip Dolan, and Bobby Kallus in this song of love, “River Road.”

- Jessie Scott