Citizens Band Radio "Rollin' On Down the Line"

I am a sucker for a country song. That is saying something as I am from New York City, where there was scarcity when it came to the actual country, let alone the music of rural America. But somehow, even growing up, it seeped into my consciousness and found a way into my heart. And I embrace it all, from the gin soaked barroom ballads of lost love, to the two-stepping honky tonk, to the country rock that was born later but keeps the fire burning bright.

We have a song from Citizens Band Radio to bring you today. They call themselves “HonkyTonkin' Rock-A-Rollin' Whiskey Drinkin' Goodtimin' Footstompin' Music." For some reason, my spellcheck alert didn’t even go off on that one. So all must be right! The band is Jay Jannuzzi on vocals and acoustic guitar, Linda King vocals and mando, Andrew Keenan vocals and pedal steel, Troy Black on lead guitar, Dale Eddington on Drums and Kevin Hummel on Bass. This was a whole pile of people on stage together. No wonder they travel on a vintage bus, named Ol' Waylor. They come all the way from the west – Western Jersey, that is. Click here to see where they will be next, riding that Northeast corridor route, as they play “Rollin’ On Down The Line,” from our 2011 Music Fog Marathon this past March at Threadgill’s in Austin.

- Jessie Scott

Ray Wylie Hubbard "Mother Blue's"

It is the Monday after the KNBT Americana Jam, and boy are my arms tired from clapping, and boy am I hoarse from hooting. But a blast was had by all, and what a great day of music it was to benefit the Comal Cops for Kids. One notable member of the KNBT air staff, Ray Wylie Hubbard, was missing from the line up yesterday, as he was in Memphis last night at the Levitt Shell in Overton Park. Ray hosts a Tuesday night show on KNBT called Roots & Branches of Americana. This Tuesday, Ray’s guests are The Trishas and Greezy Wheels.

We have a new Ray Wylie Hubbard song to bring you today. When Ray sang it for us at the Americana Music Festival last September, it didn’t even have a name yet. The thing that is really cool about it, is that it tells a true tale. It is the story of an evening way back when, in a Dallas club called Mother Blue's, and it references a then 16 year old door girl. When they met again in 1987, it led to Ray and Judy marrying in 1989 and having their son Lucas, who is becoming a wicked guitar ace of his own. Interesting about the coincidences that sometimes come our way. Now of course, Judy Hubbard is Ray’s manager, and being “Mother” Hubbard, she writes an advice column in MusicFest Magazine (a magazine I get to write for also!).

Here is another entry from our Music Fog Marathon several weeks ago at Threadgill’s WHQ in Austin, “Mother Blue's” from Ray Wylie Hubbard and Rick Richards.

- Jessie Scott

Ray Bonneville "Nightwalker"

On Wednesday night, as the sun was going down, I was at Steak Nite in Waring, Texas wrapping up a wonderful dinner with homemade peach cobbler, and homemade chocolate cake with the creamy frosting that melts in your mouth. On the way out to the Hill Country, I passed hogs and goats and cattle. Real deal one lane roads, arroyos and signs with markings for alerting one to the height of the water in case of floods. Not that that has been our issue in Texas this year, nope, it has been dry as a bone. In fact the flooding down the Mississippi should have been apportioned as rain to the south of the I-10 corridor, instead of it all going north. We met up with some folks that live in New Orleans a few days ago at the Cherokee Creek Music Festival, and they were remarking how dry it had been there this winter, too.

One of the artists we hooked up with at Cherokee Creek last weekend was real deal Ray Bonneville, with plenty of that New Orleans cadence woven into his music. And this time, it was an especially magic recording, as Ray was joined by Rad Lorkovic, and John Fullbright. Thanks to Chip Dolan for leaving the keyboard with us. And watch out Mike Meadows...Rad might just have passed you in Music Fog MVP appearances, having played on four different sessions in just one day!

We love it when we capture something one of a kind, and we hope this one grows wings. This was recorded in an old ranch house on the grounds, just 100 yards from a loud festival stage, with the musicians playing the song together for the first time, in one live take. See what you think.

- Jessie Scott