Photo Credit: Tess AndersonGot to turn you onto someone new today. Jalan Crossland (pronounced juh-lon) comes from the country, namely the big open spaces of a small Wyoming town. He has been plying his craft solo and with a band for over ten years, having started with the proverbial banjo on his knee. He emerged in his twenties with a whammy bar, playing an Ibanez Firebird copy in "Iron Maiden wannabe" bands. And then he was delivered from that into the roots world. Four albums have ensued, the latest being Driftwood Souls, which just came out in April. He is playing dates in the Great Northwest if you want to catch up with him. I love the spaghetti western feel of this song from that new CD, recorded at the 2010 WHAT Fest. “Hard to Stop the Killing.”

- Jessie Scott

PS: Today, Chip Taylor’s new CD Rock and Roll Joe is being released, which features Kendel Carson and John Platania along with Chip. It is an homage to the unsung heroes of rock and roll, and there is an accompanying website to pound the drum. Check out the record, but also, make sure you check out the website, as the latest entries are about two of my heroes, Nicky Hopkins and Cornell Dupree. Robert Earl Keen recently contributed a piece on John Vandiver. A very cool thing indeed! We salute Chip Taylor for his mission over the last few years, and his insistence to do things that make a difference.