Summer's here and the time is right for dancing in the street. Cut to the Stone River Boys, as they tear around the States bringing their 'Country Funk' mix of R&B, trad country, and 60's bar band, that sounds about perfect. When we last wrote about them, they were still holed up in Austin, doing a happy hour residency at The Continental Club. They return there for a date on July 7th, but in the meantime they are out west, and we encourage you to spend a night out with them if you can.
The Stone River Boys new CD Love on the Dial is climbing the Americana Chart. It features 10 original songs written or co-written by Dave Gonzalez and Mike Barfield, and four other tunes, including one by Stephen Bruton. Stephen passed just over a year ago, and I am proud to say he was a friend of mine. There is an eerie feeling that Stephen still has a hand in things on this mortal coil. Grown men of otherwise even keel are telling me about visitations. And on stages all over town, when people play a Bruton tune, the tears still pour down the musicians' faces, but there is also an experience of the divine about it too. The whole story of Stephen Bruton's kindness, focus, generosity, and talent has not been written to my satisfaction yet. It comes out in bits and pieces, but suffice it to say, there was never a finer human being. The Stone River Boys chose to cover a Bruton tune, here is "Bluebonnet Blue" from Threadgill's back in March.
- Jessie Scott
