Jude Johnstone "On That Train"

In the rewrite in my own head of the song "These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things,"  funky and elegant are contenders  for inclusion. Funky and elegant together is a sure shot winner in my book, which is why I am so drawn to The Mansion On O. Ooooh, they have a hot show coming up with Jon Dee Graham and Sam Baker play an SRO on June 12. They have a full dance card of artists coming to play there.

I always feel like I am home when I get to stay at The Mansion. Thankfully, I had occasion to do just that last week, and was bathed in the glow of crystal chandeliers, with art and letters and music, and STUFF of every description, everywhere. And as I am a pillow hound, The Midshipman Room, where I stayed this time, was absolutely great, as half the bed was covered. Then I took the Amtrak to NYC, watching pastures and woodlands and green turn to exurbs, suburbs, and finally the Big City. I love it all.

The Jude Johnstone song "On That Train" is echoing in my head. When one is moving, there are always the regrets of parting to get gone again. By the way, Jude is yet another celebrated songwriter, having had her stuff done by Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, and Bette Midler, just to name a few. You can see the words forming under her skin, she sweats iambic pentameter. During Cherokee Creek Music Festival last year, we were taken with her authority and her power, but we didn't get a chance to capture performances from her last year. This year, we rectified that, and here is one of the songs from her new album, Quiet Girl. Now I ask, why can't this be the kind of song that gets nominated for an Oscar? "On That Train."

-Jessie Scott

Slaid Cleaves "Temporary"

It's so bizarre return to a place where you used to live, a place that was so familiar you didn't really didn’t see it anymore.  The DC Metro is a beautiful construction, with an efficiency not found in many cities.  I took a ride today at rush hour, with an international array of folks.  One lady had a NASA bag, the kind that signified she really worked there. A couple of policy wonks had reams of documents under their arm.  Asians, Indians, Africans (like from Ethiopia), and African Americans, Spanish and Whites; people of every description speaking other languages, as well as English, with the cadence of their home far away.

It was great being back, seeing all this again, as I have moved on and left DC behind.  There are eras in our lives, some geographically significant (for those of us who keep moving!)  For others the years play tricks on us, people come and go, jobs change, and eras come to be marked as they morph. We are all along for the ride. Wear it well, embrace the days. As Slaid Cleaves reminds us, they are all “Temporary.”

We recorded Slaid at the Cherokee Creek Music Festival last month outside of Llano, Texas. I can’t get enough of his music, it nails life. This song comes from the dourly titled CD, Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away. Slaid not only writes songs with elegant simplicity, the prose for his blog is really special too,  clean and informative. Slaid is slated to appear in the documentary Troubadour Blues set for release this summer, along with Peter Case, Mary Gauthier, Chris Smither, Dave Alvin, Amy Speace, Garrison Starr, Mark Erelli, Gurf Morlix, Tracy Grammer, Sam Baker, Anne McCue, Troy Campbell, Karl Mullen, Jeff Talmadge, Billy Matheny, RB Morris and Eve Goodman. Here is the Kickstarter page about it, and the good news is they have made their goal. And it is always good news when we can bring you some Slaid Cleaves. Here is “Temporary.”

-- Jessie Scott

Michael Fracasso "Red White & Blue"

Let’s stop to consider all who gave their lives for this country on this Memorial Day. Thank you for dedicating your life to America. For those of us who have not served, we will never know what your days were like. Even the most graphic combat movies can’t speak to the fear, the horror of war, the unimaginable acts of bravery. As a citizen of the United States, I cherish the freedom you have insured for us.

Photo Credit: Aaron LeeToday we bring you Michael Fracasso, with whom we caught up in mid-May at the Cherokee Creek Music Festival outside of Llano, Texas. I should mention that there were so many artists in attendance, even though they weren’t performing, that we were able to record fifteen sessions all told. It was our first time filming Michael, though he has just released his seventh album, Saint Monday. “Red White & Blue” is from his 2007 CD Red Dog Blues. It stops time, which is our intention. Take a moment to remember and say a silent prayer of thanks.

- Jessie Scott