I called the cops a few nights ago; there was a domestic altercation next door. It raged for three hours until 4 am. Maybe even more disturbing than the yelling, is that the cops never came. One would hope they would have if they thought it was a more dangerous scenario, and not just two people having a set-to against each other. It set me to wondering how love turns to hate. Whether substance induced, jealousy inspired, or as a response to issues of dominance; how the passion gets diverted and turns inwardly destructive. As Muddy Waters said "...everybody's fighting about the same thing." I had a conversation with Barbara Jo from KGSR the other night, about why the blues is still evocative. We ran into each other at Jenni Finlay's 4th Anniversary Bash at Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos, and we were talking about the ability the blues has to heal, to soothe, to articulate feelings, even through its sometime heaviness. It is with interest that I watch so many marquee artists, Elvis Costello, Robert Plant, Sheryl Crow, and Cyndi Lauper, just to name a few, embracing earlier musical forms like the Blues, Folk, Bluegrass, and R&B. It says something to me about them, moving back to that music which is eternal.
Guy Forsyth came to visit us at Threadgill's this past March. He graced us with a couple of as yet unreleased tunes. "Things That Matter," a country blues tune, is one of them. As usual, Guy nails the simple, yet sublime, sentiment; the real golden rule. It speaks to perspective. Both the music and the message are stripped down to what's important. It is a beacon of simplicity to illuminate the way.
Guy is doing some dates in Texas before heading to Europe at the end of the month. You can see his full schedule in the tour dates section on his incredible website! And though I hate to be the first to mention Christmas, I am hoping that the magnificent holiday show Guy does with Carolyn Wonderland comes to a venue near you at the end of the year. It is a must see. So is this. "Things That Matter," a tune which he dedicates to the late Stephen Bruton.
- Jessie Scott
