Kevin Welch and Music Fog have been playing proverbial footsy for a while. Not to say that we haven't had the pleasure, as he did grace our Threadgill's stage last year for one song. But there have been so many other times we were in the same space, but just couldn't get together for this or that reason. And you know, Mr. Welch is much in demand. He has this great welcoming aura, it makes you want to be around him. And what with Music Fog having done video of his kids, with son Dustin in Steamboat, and daughter Savannah with The Trishas in various places, well it was just Kevin's time.
When he got on the bus, he apologized for the songs being so mournful. He says that his forthcoming CD will all be like that. We did our best to break the mood in between songs. Sadness notwithstanding, we are so glad to have had him. Oh man, this is how it's done. It is personal, writing is. At least when it is at its best.
We're honored to debut "Andaman Sea" here on Music Fog.
My name is Denise and I'm a Fogaholic. {"Hello, Denise."} I really didn't expect to get addicted. I thought I could just dabble in visiting the Music Fog website from time to time, but soon I was getting extra fixes by following the Fog on Facebook and Twitter. I was introduced to Jessie Scott at a time when I was most vulnerable, out of a job and looking for a way to get back on my feet. Jessie saw my potential as a cult member and asked me to join the team on the Celebrity Coaches bus for the Memphis Folk Alliance...and that is when I completely succumbed.
I come from a production background and have mingled with celebrities on all kinds of sets, but oh, the bus...the bus! We packed our schedule to try and accommodate as many artists as possible, so I imagined that we would be running a tight ship allowing little room for variation; artist load in, play a couple of tunes, load out - next. And in reality? Artists in their best attire bearing all kinds of gifts from home-brew to bottles of every imaginable alcohol. Laughter, joking, friendship, no pretension. The fog descended and all inclination for nervousness evaporated as I arrived in the moment of clarity.
Our very last performers at Folk Alliance were Eric Brace and Peter Cooper. It had been a long day and the Music Fog team was "well oiled." These two appeared and immediately knew how to slide into that intimate space. Yesterday, Jessie wrote about how we like to start the day with lovely girls to set the mood. Well, whatever town Music Fog is in, as long as Eric Brace and Peter Cooper are on the bill, they get to come up on the bus last. We absolutely love winding down our recording marathons with these guys. They provided the perfect two song coda. Here's the first selection, "Wait a Minute," a Herb Pedersen song which they recorded a version of last year with Mike Auldridge, as a Seldom Scene inspiration, but haven't released yet. Gnaw on this version for a while!
-Denise
[Update: We heard from Eric that they were mixing their studio version of this song on the same day this article was posted! So, you can expect it to be on the next Eric Brace and Peter Cooper record. Nice.]
The Music Fog world is populated with characters. Hot house grown in nutrient rich soil, so they might develop into their own brand of flower. Though, Phil Lee might take issue with me calling him a flower. He ain't no pansy, and I don't mean it that way anyway. He is a total trip. Smart mouthing, risk taking, exploring life with his craft. It is no wonder he wanted to do a show in the Mississippi Delta at Po' Monkey's...talk about fertile ground!
He brought Tom Mason with him on guitar. During Folk Alliance, when I would just randomly look around, Tom Mason would materialize. Maybe they time travel, materialize through walls when you conjure them; maybe they just use astral projection. I don't know, but there is something going on. Check out this first ever recorded version of "Blues In Reverse." Phil Lee is inventive and fun, even when he's singing the blues.
