Morgan O'kane "Hold Your Fire"

There are some folks you just want to succeed. You pray for them, wish them the best, hope they get there. I wanna see Morgan O'kane on the late night telly, on SNL, on Letterman, on Craig, on Kimmel. I want him to get the opening slot for a Bruce Springsteen tour. I want Bruce's audience to see him, heck - I want Bruce to see him, because Bruce would GET Morgan. In my head, I can hear them doing "O Mary Don't You Weep" together. I want O'kane to wow the crowd at Bonnaroo, Wakarusa, Gathering of The Vibes, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, ACL Fest, etc.

Morgan O'kane is the bluegrass/punk banjo player from Charlottesville, VA now living in NYC (wow, what is this, an epidemic???!!!! NEW YORK CITY!) who came to our bus at Folk Alliance in February with Ferd Moyse (Hackensaw Boys) on fiddle and Zeke Healy on dobro. He, at times, is also accompanied by singer/songwriters Domino Kirke, Zack Orion, cellist Ben Sollee, and by "ninja" Phillip Roebuck.

Morgan’s first full length release Nine Lives is coming upon an unsuspecting public at last, and some cool stuff is happening for him. He is presently #4 on the Reverb Nation Folk Chart. He will be touring, which will include an appearance on the Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour with Michael Jonathon at the historic Kentucky Theatre, 214 Main St, Lexington, KY being taped on May 17th. We will keep you posted as more cool stuff unfolds!

- Jessie Scott

Here's a Sandwich for the Road

Happy Mother's Day from all us MF-ers! Hope you get to share it with someone you love no matter what generation you are part of, either in person or by phone, Skype, text, Facebook, whatever.

So much to tell! Of course, the Music Fog guys were recently on the road with Paul Thorn and the band, and they had a blast together, shooting some video that will accompany the release of Paul's new CD Pimps and Preachers, coming out on June 22nd. What, you are not yet familiar with Paul? There are new people finding him every day. This is a descriptor from his bio: "At turns soulful, raw, melancholy, brazen, funky, circumspect, serene, brooding, and mutinous, the voice expresses the range of human emotions, from forlorn grimness to incandescent optimism." Eric Alterman of The Nation wrote a blog about Paul after seeing him for the first time this week in NYC. He writes, "I see from his website that Kris Kistofferson calls him 'the best kept secret in the music business.' Sounds overstated, but I don’t think I’m going to protest."

We can't wait to catch up with Paul again, and we will, as the Fog rolls again this coming weekend to the Cherokee Creek Music Festival in Texas, with The Paul Thorn Band headlining on Saturday, 5/15. Lots of other folks coming to play the two day event, too: Jimmy LaFave, Jude Johnstone, David Jacobs Strain, Griffin House, Robert Earl Keen, subdudes, Delbert McClinton, John Fullbright, Kevin Welch, Sam Baker, and Bob Schneider, though not in that order! Cool Cool Cool!

We filmed one of Paul's songs from the forthcoming CD in Memphis back in February, on the Music Fog bus. It is all things his Mom has said through the years, so we figured what better way to celebrate Mother's Day than by bringing you this video again. And I still can't watch it without tears of gratitude rolling down my cheek. Thanks, Mom. And thanks to Moms everywhere. "That's Life." Kisses.

- Jessie Scott

Catherine MacLellan "Sparrows"

She walks in the grace of her talent. I can only wonder what will unfold for her as, it seems to me, her career takes her places that will be ivory towered. We first met up with Catherine MacLellan on a press jaunt to DC, where she arrived a bit road worn but game, adorned in omnipresent plaid flannel. Life has been frenetic for her of late, winning a bunch of awards (Canadian Folk Music Award for Solo Performer of the Year, East Coast Music Awards for Folk Recording and Female Performer), being on stage with some of her heroes (Gordon Lightfoot, Gord Downie), but also continuing to create, write, and be a mom. There are a string of BC dates coming, before she flies into NB and New England at the end of May. You can read her blog by clicking here.

Catherine reminds me of an early Emmylou Harris in this video, it's just something about the set of her jaw and the sweetness of her voice. If you listen closely, you can imagine Gram singing harmony on this tune. You know what, I would LOVE to see a duet featuring Catherine and Emmy together. That would be close harmony heaven! Catherine wrote this as yet unreleased song "Sparrows" about a guy who has departed. The marvelous Chris Gauthier is seen here playing Lynn Miles' guitar, Lynn having played right after MacLellan on our Music Fog showcase at Threadgill's during SXSW. We thank True North Records for setting us up!

- Jessie Scott