Blackie & The Rodeo Kings "Another Free Woman"

It seems to me you either deal from fear, or you deal from love. There are so many people damaged by life who cannot forgive, cannot overcome their circumstances, cannot move on. There but for fortune. I don’t know if it is karma, or just bad luck, to be born into a life that creates anger. But I sure do wish there was enough in this world: enough love, enough food, enough roofs overhead, enough water and enough to go around. But that is not the way it is, and whether one is deprived of necessities, or spiritual ones, the result can be the same. Hate to run into people that life has turned mean. I don’t think anyone is born that way. If you need it, there is help out there. Anger management, domestic abuse; there are hotlines, and safe houses. There are people that care. You are not alone, we are all in this together. We are a neighborhood, a community, a union, one planet under the same sun.

Today’s video comes from Blackie & The Rodeo Kings, who put out an amazing album last year called Kings & Queens. They recruited some mighty fine cameos appearances from a wish list that included Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Pam Tillis, Lucinda Williams. Then they recruited other queens, one for each cut on the album, including Exene Cervenka, Holy Cole, Amy Helm, Janiva Magness, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Sam Phillips, Serena Ryder,  Cassandra Wilson, Patti Scialfa, and Sara Watkins, who was on the studio version of the song we bring you today. We have had the pleasure of filming her, back a ways at Americana Fest 2009. We caught up with Blackie & The Rodeo Kings at Americana Fest 2011, as we took over Marathon Recorders for our Music Fog Marathon in October. (Wanna help with our next Marathon? Here’s how.)

We bring you the Music Fog version of “Another Free Woman,” (sans Sara) and here are the tour dates so you can see BARK in person, ‘cause they rock!

-Jessie Scott

Marshall Chapman "Tim Revisited"

I was in Nashville before Christmas and got to see The McCrary Sisters do an amazing gospel set at the world famous Station Inn. There were a host of people there in the crowd that evening, among them was the indomitable Marshall Chapman. She is a force of nature; multitalented, walking the path with grace, never wavering. She has a couple of books to her credit, and she keeps on exploring the creative process. She is, in fact, getting ready to record a new album as we speak. Adding to that, she landed her first film role as Gwyneth Paltrow’s road manager in the movie Country Strong. She also brought her musical Good Ol’ Girls to off-Broadway.  If you are unfamiliar with her twelve albums, you can catch up for sure, as some of them are now being rereleased.

At Americana Fest in 2010, we had her come to the Music Fog studio, and she touched our hearts with this tribute to the late Tim Krekel. Tim was a member of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, as well as being an ace musician, crack writer, an energetic performer, and sweetheart of a guy. Of course, Marshall’s It’s About Time, recorded in a women’s prison, was the first album released on Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville label. Tim died in June of 2009, leaving a huge hole in many people’s hearts, including Marshall’s (and mine, too.) You will find the song on her Big Lonesome album - you will find the Music Fog version right here.

-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