Ron Sexmith "Former Glory"

Have you ever closed a chapter of your life and been unwilling to revisit it, to stir up the ghosts of it, to let the passions rise in your throat again? It can be so painful to shut the doors, especially when you don’t know if they will ever be opened again. Whether that’s a love, or a career, or a new city. It can be mighty hard to move on to the next thing, as sometimes we fear that it won’t ever be as good again. Don’t settle, life is too short. Live each day, strive for what you want. Be happy, be productive, be open.

Been reading about Ron Sexsmith this morning. He grew up in Canada, in a working class town. Through will and talent, he got a publishing deal on Interscope Records in 1989, that led to eleven albums. His most recent, Long Player Late Bloomer, came out this year. It was produced by Bob Rock of Metallica fame. I know, that does seem odd for the kind of music that Ron creates, but it is a good pairing. Ron Sexsmith writes with an unerring simplicity. He has this uncanny ability to get to the heart of the vibe, and in a gentle treatment he brings forth the truth. This song, “Former Glory,” is a  soother for the soul, for we know that troubled times do pass. Things do get back to normal, and new chapters are written in life. This song is from the 2002 collection Cobblestone Runway. Here is a live Music Fog Marathon performance from Threadgill’s WHQ in Austin, TX back in March, Ron Sexsmith with “Former Glory.”

-Jessie Scott

Bonnie Whitmore "Tin Man"

So this week, I have met and hung with two musicians from Denton, Texas, and I don’t think they know each other.  A couple of nights ago, Rodney Parker came to play my new Threadgill’s WHQ series, The School Night Sessions.  They happen on off nights, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, in air-conditioned comfort in the back room at Threadgill’s on Riverside and Barton Springs in South Austin.  They grew out of our Music Fog Marathons in March during SXSW.  I am very comfortable in that back room, I love the intimate vibe, and the great new sound system.  I wish the Music Fog crew lived in Texas so we could bring this great music to you, but you'll have to wait for our next trip will to Nashville for the Americana Fest in October.  More about that in the near future.

On Friday night, I found myself watching Bonnie Whitmore sing and play bass with Mando Saenz. Bonnie is one of those people that just seems to have moonlight shining on her. She is part ingénue, part vixen, and 100% musician.  We had the family trifecta during our Music Fog Marathon in March, when Bonnie brought her sister Eleanor and brother in law Chris Masterson to play with her.  Chris and Eleanor have been on tour with Steve Earle and Allison Moorer, and The Dukes and Duchesses. Bonnie's second album is Embers To Ashes, and this is one of those ‘burn them down’ tunes, from the girl from Denton, TX, “Tin Man.”

- Jessie Scott

Ponderosa "Heather"

Every year 'round about this time, I wonder where the summer went. Well, except for this year. Today and tomorrow it will be upwards of 110 degrees in Austin! However, I am forlorn as I contemplate the coming hallmarks of fall, the kids back in school, summer vacations are winding down. And once again this year, I didn’t make it out to Steamboat Springs, Colorado for the biking and hiking and boating in the glorious mountain air. Soon enough the snow will fly and the ground will be covered in a blanket of white. Not long thereafter, the holidays will come, and the new year of 2012 will start with The MusicFest at Steamboat. Here is a head’s up, Tickets Go On Sale Today! Reservations open up at 9am Central Daylight Time.

But now that I have given short shrift to the rest of 2011, allow me to dial it back. Several years ago, I attended an industry music convention in Lake Tahoe. One day, a gaggle of us girls took off to the Ponderosa Ranch, yes the home of the Bonanza TV dynasty. We toured the set, and then we went for a horseback ride though the trails in the mountains. It was a delicious afternoon. And having that memory, every time I see this band’s name, I think back on that moment. Ponderosa. The band’s music takes me other places, too. Through the south, Memphis, Muscle Shoals, down the Mississippi and through the red dirt to Georgia. They bring the Southern Rock back to a new generation. And I like it.

We have an as yet unreleased track for you today called “Heather,” that we recorded during our Music Fog Marathon at Threadgill’s this past spring, a suitable tune for these sultry days. And here are the tour dates to catch Ponderosa live in the American South.

- Jessie Scott