Mike Farris "The Night the Cumberland Came Alive"

When I think about the power of Mike Farris, I am reminded of the line in the song "Late In The Evening" from Paul Simon...'and I blew that room away.' Because that is just what Mike does. Solo, band, revue, old, new, it really doesn't matter, because it's ALL good, and I mean it! Whether you want to talk about his days with the Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies, or his solo career, or his recent appearance backing Patty Griffin on Austin City Limits, or his time with the Vaughan Brothers and Double Trouble, they are all things to savor. You can even celebrate that last occurrence if you are in Nashville this weekend, as on March 31st 3rd and Lindsley is doing the Stevie Ray Vaughan 20 Years Double Trouble Reunion, featuring Reese Wynans, Tommy Shannon, and Chris Layton with Kenny Greenberg, Jack Pearson, Mike Henderson, Pat Buchanan, Gary Nicholson, Tom Britt, Ashley Cleveland, Jonell Mosser, Bart Walker, and of course Mike Farris will be there. It will be a star studded, talent soaked and incredibly touching evening, I am sure.

Photo Credit: Ed RodeMike put out an EP in the fall, and it was dedicated to the Nashville flood victims. The Night the Cumberland Came Alive EP (also known as The Rose Memorial Flood Relief EP) features stellar contributions from Ketch Secor, Kenny Vaughan, Sam Bush, Byron House, and the McCrary Sisters. Mike recorded a solo version with us back in September at the Americana Music Festival & Conference in Nashville. "The Night The Cumberland Came Alive" is still raising money for the folks in Nashville rebuilding their lives. Here is the Music Fog version.

- Jessie Scott

Cindy Bullens "In a Perfect World"

I had an interesting conversation with a couple of old friends recently. It was about regrets, about the paths not taken. I said that I had made peace with most of my choices, but you know that isn’t entirely true.  There is always the “what if” game that we play, that of the parallel universe, the other life that could have been. But we soldier on, and one foot goes in front of another, always looking forward.

I am inspired by our video subject today.  It is Cindy Bullens, who came to our studio in Nashville during the Americana Fest in Nashville in September.  Her very first album from 1979, Desire Wire, has been rereleased and is available on CD Baby. Cindy Bullens Live, recorded during a 2006 European tour, is out on the German label Blue Rose. And Cindy contributed music to the documentary, Space Between Breaths, which tells the tales of families dealing with the loss of children, a subject that Cindy herself had to work through after the loss of her daughter Jessie.  Her 1999 album Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth is the aftermath of that soul searching.

Today’s song comes from her latest album, Howling Trains and Barking Dogs, a collection of Cindy’s 1990’s Nashville collaborations with Radney Foster, Bill Lloyd, Matraca Berg, Kye Fleming, Mary Ann Kennedy, and Al Anderson.  She co-wrote the song, “In A Perfect World,” with Bill Lloyd, and our performance features George Marinelli on electric guitar, Michael Kelsh on guitar and dobro, and Chris Donahue on bass.

- Jessie Scott

Danny Barnes "Get It While You Can"

On Monday night, tired from the Music Fog Marathon and the craziness of 200,000 people descending on Austin to attend SXSW, Denise and I found ourselves out on the town to see “The Italians,” at the invitation of Joe and Sharon Ely.

Earlier that day we heard that Pinetop Perkins had passed, at 97 years young.  Pinetop performed regularly, and was known to hold court at a card table at Antone’s, just in front of the shoeshine stand in back. He would sign his CDs upon purchase, whether he was playing that night or not. I bought several. His was a remarkable spirit, he was a force of nature. Missing you already Pinetop!

The Italians, comprised of Andrea Parodi and Fulvio Renzi, played transcendently at Halcyon, mixing Americana with Italian flourishes and touching your heart.  I encourage you to explore!  The evening’s music ended with a heartbreakingly beautiful version of Townes Van Zandt’s ”If You Needed Me,” with Sam Baker, BettySoo, Gurf Morlix , The Burns Sisters, Andrew Hardin, and Ray Bonneville all gathered around the microphone.  This is the community, the shared love of music, and the artistic embrace that Austin is known for.

We are bringing you a video today from another Austin denizen, Danny Barnes.  We captured “Get It While You Can,” during our sessions in September at the Americana Fest.  The studio version can be found on his 2003 album, Dirt On The Angel.  Although I know he’s talking about sex, with thinly veiled food references in the grand blues tradition, I choose to look at it from an even broader perspective. To me, it is a song written about making every day count. Danny is playing tomorrow night at the Suwanee Springfest in Live Oak, Fl. See him in these upcoming cities.  Get it while you can, indeed!

- Jessie Scott